On this team, you can’t just be a good defender. You are making Superstar Money. No more excuses in the Playoffs. Just be better.
people really think it's just about having a center? i get why ham isn't playing bamba and gabriel, tbh. he's worried we'd go completely scoreless during all of those minutes in addition to being compromised on defense. AD had a bad game, but this has been memphis's whole plan. as ham said in the postgame. AD's not going to have big scoring nights in this series because memphis is sending the house at him. teams started doing this early this year (loading up on AD) because he's proven that if you don't, he'll get 40. so, he'll be better than 4-14 for 13 points, but the league's best defense is planning to hold him under 30 first and foremost. we need our guards to make some shots like they did in the first game. hopefully that will happen at home.
^ he was still shooting jumpshots over midgets (got blocked by them too). I think it's time to put him on TRT...
AD was bad no doubt but just giving up on finding a center to play with AD after the Bubble continues to be one of the most baffling things the FO has done. Yeah they went with AD at center but that only happened in the playoffs and for stretches. Memphis (and the refs) just got super physical and you know if 2020 or even 2022 Dwight was around Memphis would be thinking twice about trying to to just push people around. The lack of vertical lob threat other than AD is also an issue: Vando and company had great position but got their s*** rejected on a bunch of dives and cuts. Having Dwight out there and the Memphis guys would have been put on a poster.
For me it is more about the mindset. A true superstar can't be shut down like that. You find ways to attack, pound the boards do something. He is letting the defense dictate to him everything he does. I would like to see AD take it a bit personal that he is being shut down way too often. People are talking about him being soft, they have found his kryptonite, put pressure on and he folds. C'mon man show some spine and at least make them work. I get that he is playing good defense and if he was just an average joe I would be happy with that. I know others had bad games too but they aren't AD. The championship is right there for us to take. It would a shame to not go get it because we just don't care enough.
It's the playoffs look around only some like Ant-Man/j Murray has 40.point nights .... All playoff games are tough even Kobe has these ugly. Nights you know what I'm talking about .... Maybe effects of that stinger soreness he played eh but hopefully in LA we'll rehabbed and more rest it gets better .... Again a bunch of what ifs we don't know why he played the way he did
I normally defend AD, but I can't do it when it comes to last night's performance. It was weak. He started off great with the blocks but he can't simply disappear completely on offense. I mean half of his season average in points? You can't do that and expect to win. To his credit he said he wanted to come back tomorrow and make up for it. He'll have to wait a few days but I am hoping he keeps that fire and takes it to Memphis here at home. If he had a normal scoring game we would have won last night.
kobe had bad shooting gms in playoffs but you saw the effort and no quit attitude, AD on other hand, we've seen 40pts/20board games....fair or not he is the "star" and we expect star lvl effort/performances
I think it is fair. These are professionals. He is the star, the main guy and getting paid like it. The results won't always be there but bring the effort at least. Plus I don't want effort for the next game and then ho hum again. It is the playoffs, we need effort every game.
People called Pau soft at times, but that dude was mentally tough. I can only remember one short span when he was going through personal issues in which he wasn’t fully engaged on the court.
lakers fans' appreciation for pau went through the roof after he was gone. it will be the same with AD. btw, mvp embiid last night put up 14 points on 13 shots with 5 TOs. unacceptable. they should trade him.
This! It is understandable to want AD at C for much of the game, maybe even most, but it is mystifying to give up on ever wanting him next to a 5 for even a single minute, when that was the proven recipe for success that brought this team a championship! We played Dwight & McGee 20-30 min/game, including 10-20 min/game next to AD, depending on matchups. That helps AD, that helps the team, that brings wins! It is inexcusable for Ham not to even try it for the entire season.
Pains me because of Ham's inflexibility currently to even "try" any burn for Bamba or Thompson or Gabriel .... but to be further fair to Pelinka, the very next season he brought in Gasol and Harrell which was working great until AD and LeBron started tag teaming with injuries. And the following season Dwight again, but he was no longer the same Dwight and certainly by this year not the vertical threat you're implying. And Jordan was just a mistake, but still an attempt to get back to 2 big centers to use in addition to AD.
Not me. I appreciated Pau since the first game he played with Kobe. I knew we finally had a real chance of competing again. As for AD, I appreciate him when he’s engaged and plays like he actually cares about the outcome of the game.