Game Debrief: What Went Right And What Went Wrong?

Get up rookie ! That’s my seat !!! But Daaaaad https://m.youtube.com/shorts/5h8-qyVw74c

 

Lakers lose in MIN, 97-87, w/o Lebron. The Lakers played a very good team, but let's face it: we're in trouble.

To put it mildly.

Lakers played pretty well...but going 1 for 13 from 3s off the bench didn't help any. D-Lo in 20 mins: 5/4/1 on 2 for 10 shooting. Our relationship has gone sour, D-Lo. Ehhhhh...it's not you it's us? Okay, it's you and us. Would you be open to the idea of seeing other teams?

Things that went Right: AR is back. Max was not bad. The team defense was not bad, really. MIN shot 40%, but went 18/24 from 3, which frikkin' killed us. We don't defend the 3. Like: at all, pretty much. Dalton suddenly can't hit from outside. It's all part of some...process. Yea, that's it: process.

Things that went Wrong: Too numerous to go into at this moment. No comment. Rui was 4 for 13 in 39 mins. Every time I watch MIN I'm envious they have defensive guys like Naz Reid, Alexander-Walker and Jaden McDaniels.

This was one of those strange games where we lost, which sucked, obviously. But we played better than I thought we would, which should make me feel better. But I don't feel better. The overall picture just seems bleak now.

At some moment in the past 3 weeks Lebron James has had Father Time catch up to him. This is explained by the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, AKA entropy: energy in the universe, everywhere, tends to spread out toward uniformity and coldness. Which means: everything eventually breaks down, rusts, gets brittle, cracks. Everything. For all of us, everyone we love. Even every Thing.

Lebron didn't play, but it's sad to say it: it's all over but the shouting. I can't see him going much further in his career now, at this point. He's playing at a high level for a guy who will be 40 in a couple weeks. Forty! A freakishly high level for his age. He should go out on this level and not tarnish his legacy much more than this season. My opinion! You've done it all, Lebron. Enjoy the rest of the season, but prepare to hang it up. (He will still have some moments that blow our minds, but all-in-all: entropy is at work.)

What we will do to stay competitive I really don't know. There's an understandable "blow it all up" feeling, but I'm not sure if that's the attitude.

 

Minnesota isn't very good right now either. On the Lebron thing...Cap had Magic and Worthy, to carry a big share of the load, two future HOF. Lebron has AD and Reaves. It should also be noted that Cap was our 2nd highest paid player, making slightly less than Magic at 41 years old, when he retired too.


We've seen this movie before, and were still able, to compete for Chips. I do understand the cap is different now stuff, but sometimes you have to be willing to spend big, in order to win big. Look at Golden State and the current defending Champion.

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/how-much-do-nba-teams-make-in-revenue/

 

They took LeBron out of this mess !or LeBron took himself outta this mess He wants nothing to do with it ! Even though it was his F idea to bring DUI boy along now Lefraud is nowhere to be found! MJ/ kOBE never went into hiding modes when things got tough

 

Bron should sit this one too. That would give him until the 19th for R&R. That would be 13 days between the Hawks and Kings game.

 

begging them to sit AD, too. it's better than getting our doors blown off in the third quarter and quitting.

 

they aren't this good as their 9-1 record indicates .Other than C Bags and maybe Chicago they were winning vs Washingtons or Portlands of the league.
If Davis will play like he's capable Lakers can win without any problems
Last 10 games
Lakers 7 wins -Memphis 3

 

nice to get a win

hopefully it's a nice step in the right direction and hopefully reinforcements are on the way

people don't say "hopefully" that much about squads with championship potential. It is what it is.
They are saving me time and I'm getting more sleep by them being mediocre.

 

Lakers beat MEM in LA: 116-110. Lebron plays, goes 18/8/8 in 34 mins with 5 turnovers. He was 3 of 6 from deep so maybe his stroke is back from its hiatus.

Monster AD: 40/16.

Max started and played really well.

Knecht off the the bench now with D-Lo. DK is 3 for 27 from deep in the month of December so far.

MEM looked off, but we'll take the win.

What went wrong: I see MEM as maybe the dirtiest team in the league. At least against us. Ja has openly said he "hates" the Lakers. Edey certainly doesn't care about chopping down on AD's body parts. And AR's bloody mouth just sorta happened. Right. Got to the point where I thought someone needed to clothesline Ja or JJJ; MEM brings out the worst in me.

Hey: just give Lebron and AD 3 days off between every game and we're going to the Finals.

 

I wonder if Knecht will ever adapt to coming off the bench or not getting enough minutes. Hasn't fully earned them yet if he can't perform during the time given, but he definitely hasn't earned being a starter yet.

 

LAKERS official Acct replies to Nazi troll

 

Got one in SAC! Lakers beat a team that swept them last year (IIRC) for the 2nd time this season. Lakers 113, SAC 100. We beat them in the 2nd game of the regular season, 131-127, way back on Oct 26th. Which feels like 6 months ago already.

Was hoping to hold them under 100, but we'll take it.

Sabonis, AD's nemesis, had a good night: 18/12/9 with 2 blocks. In 38 mins.

But AD outplayed him in virtually every way: 21/20/4 with 3 steals and SIX mutha-effing BLOCKS in only 35 mins.

Max played good D on their small, quick guys. Fox was 7 for 17 and 26 pts, but 10 of those points were from the line.

It's so good to have Austin back. 25 on 50% shooting and 3 steals.

Lakers team defense. We got one. If we play D in a repeat of this game on SAT afternoon, we have a good chance of winning again. In SAC.

What went Right: Came out and blitzed 'em in the 1st Q: 37-28. Won the 3rd by 2 (that's the quarter that will worry me with this squad), and 7 in the 4th.

Something still Wrong: DK's 3 is in his head. The kid needs to just calm down and realize the only one who doubts his ability to score is himself. I mean, look at his shot. That form: it's perfect. Calm the eff down and know you're a machine from outside, DK. We all believe in you. (Right?)

 

Yea man: Gabe going 4 of 5 from outside was a breath of sweet jasmine-scented air for some fans. Like myself.

 

The defensive possession when the score was 97-92 was cool to watch .. Overall good effort on defense and on the boards .

Now don't be satisfy with a split and comes with the same effort next game

 

Yea, man: if we win again on SAT we're up 3-0 for this season with them, which goes a long way, in my eye, to avenging for last year, when we just couldn't stop their quick guards and AD seemed to shrink when up against Sabonis.

He hasn't shrunk at all, this year: Gamer AD, if not Beast Mode AD! When he's playing in some rhythm it's easy to forget how he's ridiculously unstoppable. He gets up and blocks 6 shots? I mean what more can you ask for? Dude's best games are freakin' sick. My fave AD thing on offense: someone dumps it to him on the block, and he started dribbling, then does one of a variety of spin moves around his guy, and either dunks, lays it in, or makes a bank. When he does that in a game, sometime in the first half, I know, no matter how badly the Lakers are playing, that there's hope, 'cuz AD got that spin-move rhythm goin' this game. And he knows it. Just look at his face after that make.

Man, gimme this defense any day. We lose some games, I'm fine. Just play 45-48 mins of this defense. The scoring will come. The wins will come.

DK has to start hitting his 3s. He will. Remember when all of LA was creamin' their jeans over his outside shooting, earlier this season? That's kind of how I feel about Max Christie's defense right now. And DK's shot will come back. Steph went 0-6 from downtown in MEM today. It happens.

 

are we...starting to play defense?

btw, who poisoned demar derozan? must be the first time he didn't go nova out of pure spite against us since "the promise".

 

FT from Davis at clutch

 

Lake Show: 103
Cowbell Crew: 99

In SAC, two days after we beat them in the same arena. Whoa! It's Opposite Year when it comes to us and the Kings. Last year, as you all recall, was dire. Only one more against these guys, in LA, one week from tonight, and then we're done with these guys until we sweep them in the playoffs in May.

Just kidding: Excremento won't even make the playoffs!

Lakers up 3-0 now in the season series against SAC in one of the most thrilling games of the year. Felt like a damned PLAYOFF game.

There were moments in this one when I would've stolen the Xanax straight from your mom's purse if she turned her head, and I knew she had some, or knew your mom.

Neither team could hit from outside. Our starters were 4/22 from deep; theirs were 7/24. D-Lo hit 3 of 'em off the bench; Fox was 3/5 for the Cowpies.

In 2 games over 72 hours in Cow-Town, Gabe was 6 for 8 from downtown against Skankramento.

What went Right: We continue to play a little thing called DEFENSE. And it makes all the difference. It's everything.

What went Wrong: Up 10 late, there were some mental lapses - esp. on D and a couple of stagnant offensive trips - that allowed SAC to think they might steal it from us.

AD: 10/15/5 with 3 blocks, and he activated my PTSD from the late-game loss against ORL when he couldn't hit FTs to ice it. Rui - who started off the game hot and then cooled - tapped AD's second miss back to AD, who - in the wisest move he could've made - dumped it to AR, 'cuz he knew SAC needed to foul. And AD does NOT have the Mamba Mentality when it comes to FTs in crunch. Austin DOES have it. And thus, we won.

AD, after the game:
“And my wife even called me and said ‘Rui saved you.’ So … that made me feel like worse. ‘Whose side you on?’ But at the end of the day, Rui got the tip out, AR knocked two down and we were able to get a victory.” (source)

Sabonis went 19/19 and, to me, the AD-Sabonis matchup is getting pretty dramatic. Any hardcore NBA fan should tune in to these games if only to watch THAT.

You saw it: this was intense. Is this team continuing to play DEFENSE? It's starting to look like it, and therefore, thanks, Santa: an early xmas gift that I had wished for. I'd make a Mall Santa crude sexual innuendo joke, but I'm too euphoric over this win.

 

Love the win, but can we stop jacking threes all night when they aren’t going in?
I thought for sure we were going to choke it after losing that 8 point lead.
Anyway, game ball to Rui for that tap out to seal the win!