You see the spacing issues, clogged paint, lack of ball movement from a game a couple of weeks ago when were facing the Knicks. Take at look at the Triangle video I posted and just look at the images; you can tell the Triangle implements effective spacing principles that keeps players apart 15 to 19 feet away from another as the video noted the fundamental rule within the system. Gives players like Clarkson, Randle, and Russ space to attack while putting Kobe at the elbows.
The whole POINT of having a small ball lineup is that you should essentially be able to SWITCH EVERYTHING. Even if you have a mismatch, it's better than an open shot to the likes of which our defense is getting gutted. Granted, Golden State has some really damn good forwards in Green, Iggy, and Barnes, their philosophy seems to follow a switch all type of defense. Even if Curry gets in a mismatch, it's always a contested shot.
Can we get a TMZ reporter to interview a Laker ball boy and ask him what Byron is doing at practice. They can't be learning defense when the team is last in the league. Can't be offense either since my cousins and I look more fluid than they do at the local gym. You have Hibbert, no reason to be giving up so many open threes. Saw today too many times where Curry was wide open, its Step-freaking-Curry for crying out loud! You stick on him like white on rice. Who was the mastermind behind Indiana's defense, can we bring him here as a consultant? Sure we won't look as good without George but it would look better. Offensively..... god where to start. I'm no expert on the Princeton but it can't be what we are seeing out there. 4-5 passes around the perimeter, each guys holds it for 4-5 seconds, whoever has it last gets to iso with 5 seconds left on the clock. When they do get the ball into the post everyone just stands around and watches, no cuts, no back screen, no cross screens..... its so painful to watch, especially seeing how fluid and smooth GSW look. When it was garbage time there was a lot more ball and player movement. Didn't actually do it well but they did do it more than the regular rotation did. There was one play where they ran Horns, got Nance a wide open jumper at the top of the key, why can't they do that for Randle or Hibbert or etc..... EDIT: Also we need to run more, especially with Russ, JC and Randle on the court.
I literally can't even watch this team anymore. I want to, because of the rooks, but even they are being held back by this incompetent idiot that is Byron. I've seen STREET BALL offenses and defense look better than this. They need to cut the losses and remove Byron. They're not saving ANY face keeping him here, if anything, it's getting worse by keeping him here. No one wants him here. I don't think the team wants him here. y patience with the front office is on it's last thread. I've come up with a lot of excuses for them for things, but this one, keeping Byron, is the biggest mistake of them all.
The problem isn't JUST Byron. It's the combination of Byron and Kobe. We can remove Byron, but if the dude who comes in to replace him is terrified of Kobe and lets him do whatever he wants, we won't see much improvement. We also need a shakeup in the front office. I think right now, the best thing that can happen to this team is to fire Mitch, Jim, Byron and his entire staff...basically just Jeanie at the top and Ryan West becomes GM. You need to do it so our young trio knows that this is unacceptable. These are young men, two of which were going to their prom within the last 3 years! This type of toxic environment can ruin kids, which is exactly what Randle and Russell are.
Kobe is definitely an issue on the team, but it's the least of my worries. Sure he's missing shots that he usually makes, but at the same time, he's taking those ill-advised shots because there is no offensive system. Everyone is deferring to him and putting Kobe in positions to fail. He's jacking up shots he shouldn't be, only because he feels like he has to, where he'd be much better in a triangle set on the block. Byron doesn't even recognize this and goes out and makes a ridiculous statement like "Kobe earned his shots." That in itself is already a telling story. Byron could give two quacks about developing our young guys, he just wants players who will execute whatever garbage he's trying to stuff down their throats. And it's clear when you see the rotations on the floor. Lou running point? No, that should not be happening. Bass at center? FFS. I don't think Mitch should leave because he is a respected GM that can get deals done for us. For me, I think a lot of the decisions internally have been mismanaged by the Buss'. Jim for making terrible decisions and Jeanie for going for "cute" rather than the best possible. Time for new owners.
^Yep. Sure, Kobe is old, he's missing shots, but so is Lou Williams. This offense is terrible. The lineups are terrible.
I disagree with the Kobe part. Kobe CAN'T get on the block anymore. He takes these 3's because they are the only shot he can get off. And the lack of an offensive system is not solely on Boron. Kobe is a dead end on offense. These kids (and even the veterans) know that once Kobe gets the ball, it's essentially over. I completely disagree that Kobe is being "put in positions to fail." He straight up sucks right now and he still fires away. There is zero excuse for some of the shots he takes. There have been a couple games this season where the ball kept moving once it got to Kobe and the offense looked much better. Then he reverts back to Kobe hero ball. It's real easy to say "Kobe belongs on the block." He can't get a shot off from there because he's lost his lift and the people guarding him are typically bigger, faster AND stronger. None of that is Kobe's fault. He's just old. But it is his fault when he decides to shoot a shot that he was never real good at even in his prime (the 3-pointer). It is just Kobe "getting his."
Where is the leadership in all of this? Why isn't someone above Byron saying something? How is it that no one in the entire organization has any BALLS right now? We are a laughingstock. Jerry is turning over in his grave right now.
If Andre Miller can got on the block, Kobe can get on the block. When your system consists of players standing around setting screens that lead to nothing, Kobe's going to look ineffective anywhere. We look for some sort of play where you free Kobe up for an open shot, but none of that is even happening. Not once. Every single one of Kobe's shots seems as if he's given the ball to create something and ends up with a highly constested, low percentage shot on the perimeter. There's not even a semblance of that happening on this team. No matter WHO is on the court. Yes, Kobe is old. Yes, he's not making the shots he used to. And as much as I admit that we're not ever going to see the best Kobe, he's also, still Kobe. He's still a professional basketball player. Put him in better positions to score. Move the ball, run a pick and roll to get someone open. Right now, we have NONE of that with anyone. The best offensive sequences we do ever have start with Russell or Clarkson going through a high screen and roll.
