Game Debrief: What Went Right And What Went Wrong?

Amazing that a “mediocre” player can elevate to those kinds of heights many multiple times a season.

 

Maybe he just shouldn't play in back to backs? Idk

 

Sure. Take a 1/3 paycut and we will consider it.

 

Had a holiday party yesterday so missed it, successfully avoided seeing or hearing the outcome and just watched it.

Right: Beast Mode AD. Holy crap!
Max hitting some 3s!
Great team effort. Surprising win. I thought we'd maybe beat DET on this road trip but lose all the others. I sat to watch this, steeled for a loss. Completely pleasant surprise.

Wrong: 8 man rotation. Tight, but I suspect I'm not the only one who suspects and/or knows this is unsustainable and will result in yet more injuries, and we're already stretched thin.

Get well ASAP!, Rui, Vando, Cam, and Vincent! (Tryin' not to hold my breath.)

 

Ha! Laker fans aren't average human beings Austin!!!

 

I don’t mean to promote anyone! But good stuff

 

Everyone wants AD to be the absolute best player in the league. When he has an off night, they don't really look at his defensive dominance or any intangibles he brings, they just see 10 points and they want to castigate him. Human nature. But, the truth is, on his worst game night, if he wasn't on our team and was offered to us in a trade, we would want that trade if we could manage it, EVEN at his worst. Of course, at his best, we are all sold. We just want him to bring it every dang night. Well............ that is never going to happen, he is a guy that can have an off night. Heck, even Kobe had an off night once in a blue moon. I really don't remember Magic having those off nights but he was never really a scorer, we was a playmaker and could always do that consistently. But I do think that AD is pretty consistent on the defensive end, but there are a couple of guys in the league who give him fits. We need excellent team play to get past those guys. AD will constantly have physical problems, dealing with injuries. It is what it is, I would never want to trade him over these issues. He is way too valuable. But he is not really a franchise carrying first option like Lebron or Kobe or Magic. He is more like a Worthy, which is pretty dang good folks. He can have monster nights but other times he can just be a nice second or third option that has to be guarded seriously.

 

Austin too clearly lurks LB.

 

I was daydreaming earlier, in the shower. I had read AR's tweet defending AD, and I thought it was cool.

Daydreaming, I realized in a way I for some reason often forget: that's what a teammate does. And I've been as astonished by AD's best-player-on-the-planet performances and wonder why he seems more often to...not bring it? than any other superstar I can remember. That's beside my point.

And as Wino says, AD is still really good even on his lousy nights. I think that's a valid interpretation, though I don't subscribe to it personally myself. But it's valid and maybe I'm wrong...

But yea: AR standing up for his teammate: that gets to the heart of why I've never fallen out of love with the Lakers and NBA hoops since we won 33 straight games (I was still in elementary school) and swept through the playoffs against the Knicks: the emotional, warrior-like aspect of the game. You're all brothers. You stick up for each other no matter what.

I remember that press conference where Lebron told a roomful of reporters, "Y'all just want me to say some bad stuff about Russ. I'm not gonna. He's my teammate and he'll be in the Hall of Fame, okay?" (I'm paraphrasing from memory.)

Sometimes we all suspect maybe a player is saying the opposite of what he feels. Or not quite stating his true feelings accurately. Whatever. That may be true of Lebron here, as just one example. That he was just saying "the right stuff." I don't know. I can't say I know Lebron's heart there and that whole Nasty Period we had with Brick on the team.

What we can say is that Lebron said it to the press, so Russ, and everyone else reads it. That's being a good teammate. (I've been one of the biggest Brick critics, but still. That's not my point. It's about being a good teammate.)

All that is touching to me, frankly. I love the NBA for it. It's primal. Probably the main reason I post here: I feel you hardcore fans get this too.

 

Everyone has “off nights.” It’s just that AD has a lot more than guys who are supposed to become THE 1A Superstar of the Franchise. I for one, always point out when he dominates on defense. I have come to just expect that he won’t be fully engaged on offense for many games throughout the season. That’s just who he is.
The main issue is that LeBron himself, wanted AD to take over the scoring, the leading of the team, on a nightly basis, since he got here. This is a known fact. Since he hasn’t, we’ve had to rely on a 40 year old man to carry us offensively most nights. Against the good teams, if LeBron doesn’t score at a high clip, we don’t win.
That being said, AD is the most dominant defensive player I’ve seen since Hakeem. He can also light up the scoreboard and put up crazy lines. He’s just not the 1A leader of a Franchise.

 

Oh s***.And they have one of the best coaches in NBA Nurse, we have Pimple Hamster

 

Pimple Hamster!! Oh man, how rude, how mean. How cringingly LOL

 

IMO this team needs another guy who can create his own shot who can pick up some slack when AD has an off offensive game.They also need a spot big man who can rebound.I like J Hayes energy but he is really lacking in the rebounding department.

 

Hachimura “kind of” is capable of that first request, as he demonstrated in the playoffs (and was building on traveling with Handy) if he’d not gotten his progress and rhythm derailed twice already this season with the eye socket/concussion and nasal fracture injuries. Still have one available slot saved as always for the deadline.