Game Debrief: What Went Right And What Went Wrong?

Right: At least we didn’t get swept this time.

Wrong: Missed free throws, abysmal outside shooting, so-so performances by role players and bench and AD with the predictable momentum-killing injury.

 

Don't know why Ham went small ball
The lack of f***ing backup center is so painful.
AD just wasn't the same on offense or defense and the glass after the shoulder injury

Rui really needs to work on defense and glad work.

Vando and Wood should have got some.minutes. Hayes, Vincent were pretty awful. Nothing to lose and now your season is done

AR and LeBron really went balls out in the 4th. With that effort you hate to see the team lose

 

You play LeBron for 44 minutes and AR the younger guy for 33 minutes.

Get this fraud of a coach before you build any roster

 

as much as I like AR and his contract is great value, I think this series and probably the whole season shows that he has serious defensive shortcomings to be an elite SG, and needs to be paired with another guard who can defend better, and that is just not Dlo or anyone we have on this roster.

 

Bad: Ham, let down by defense again

Good: Ham will be fired, at least we aren’t the Suns

 

Murray owns our perimeter players down the stretch. Again

 

Tough loss. Next year, always a fan.

 

Free throws

 

Free throws and Ham’s small ball short stretch killed us. Still LAL4L

 

Regular season ball has changed but playoffs ball stays the same : Defense and rebounds win titles .

Fire Pelinka and Ham and hire people who understand this .

 

we lost a series of 5 games by 11 points? Probably coaching.

 

The last clutch against Denver by the Lakers was the strongest and most quality with the most realistic chance of success. Thanks to the Lakers team for this season.

 

I will say this about our season: I never want to hear about the IST ever again. EVER. Can we opt out next year? Broker some sorta deal? 'Cuz, my gawd Adam Silver: it looks like one of the biggest BS ideas ever at this point, does it not?

 

I'm still a fan of the IST. A lot can happen between November and April. That's part of the reason why the early parts of the season generally feel so irrelevant, and why the league wanted to do something to make those games exciting. Nobody mistook that tournament as some harbinger for where teams would be 6 months later. It was a fun way of seeing who the top teams were before injuries and trades changed the landscape.

Now, should the Lakers be hanging a frickin' IST banner between retired jerseys and championship banners? HELL NO. Might as well bring back Taylor Swift if you're gonna do that.

 

IST was a success. Pretty entertaining. The league made a great job selling it and everyone bought in, players, coaches and fans.
Dunno if it's going to continue, but it's likely. Many small markets like Indiana, Sac and other young teams like OKC, Memphis want to make some noise and will want to show out. Guys like Luka, Dame, Trae and so on don't have titles to show and can see an opportunity to add some silverware in their career, there's only a ring per year and it's hella hard to get it.

 

Yeah it’s continuing now going to be sponsored by and called the Emirates Cup or some such nonsense. Agree that it was was entertaining and fun, of course because the Lakers did so well and rolled good teams on the way to that 1st title (thankfully not called that yet).

 

Yes, it’s about money, so it will continue.

 

I'm watching the Minnesota-Denver game and I see that Minnesota is playing much better defense than the Lakers, and Denver can't do anything about it. Minnesota is playing with much more dedication than the Lakers. The Lakers need to step up their game in all areas, especially defense, if they want to improve for the next season.

 

You preachin’ to the choir, my man!

 

Nah, defense is overrated. Just look at AD, he's practically worthless if he scores below 25 PTS.

On a more serious note - The Lakers need to get some defensively gifted and willing players first. Let's see if they can. A good defensive coach would also not hurt.