Playoffs - Round 1: Lakers Vs. Denver. Let's Freaking Go!!

Discussion in 'Lakers Discussion' started by VladeD714, Apr 16, 2024.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. pika1708

    pika1708 - Lakers Starter -

    Joined:
    Mar 5, 2020
    Messages:
    2,469
    Likes Received:
    4,354
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Offline
    Well, Brunson and Don are #1 options so obviously they're numbers are better. Jokic helps you in many ways but he also controls the whole offense which decreases your numbers.

    I take Brunson over him but not sure on Don. I just think you're not being objective on this one

    Of course, my take is not to take anyone expressing what they want. It's just my opinion of it. I grew up idolizing Kobe and have this mindset in sports because of him. I don't care the C-Bags win one when we fail to be there to stop it. It's always in our control to stop that and that's by being there and winning it ourselves. Every year is the same and every year that's my mentality. We are out so we just have to sunk in others' success and use it as a catalyst for next year. That's how I view it
     
  2. pika1708

    pika1708 - Lakers Starter -

    Joined:
    Mar 5, 2020
    Messages:
    2,469
    Likes Received:
    4,354
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Offline
    I embrace Nuggets' hate towards us. They have it because they want our place. They'll never get it. They hate us because we are better, bigger. I embrace it. They also deserve the trash talk because they are beating our a**** year after year. Kobe would never let it happen. LeBron unfortunately does.
    When you are the best in the world, many will hate you. It comes with it. Let them hate us, we just have to continue being the biggest franchise in the world
     
    Helljumper likes this.
  3. Helljumper

    Helljumper - Lakers All Star -

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2014
    Messages:
    4,799
    Likes Received:
    14,203
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Student
    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Offline
    Look I do completely agree with the principle of what you’re saying

    But man, it’s been a frustrating time as a Laker fan, I don’t see the harm in a little childish fun in our own echo chamber tonight. I don’t think anybody here is being too serious or trying to discredit from how great Denver has been, or trying to deflect from the issues and standards on our own team

    I’m also not a fan of weaponizing a hypothetical reaction from the late Kobe to shame a little casual **** talking
     
    Cookie, Juronimo and abeer3 like this.
  4. LTLakerFan

    LTLakerFan - Lakers Legend -

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2014
    Messages:
    35,403
    Likes Received:
    59,121
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    So Cal
    Offline
    Sure. But come on Kobe was in his prime and late prime with Pau Gasol in 2008, 2009 and 2012.
     
    Helljumper likes this.
  5. Weezy

    Weezy Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Sep 6, 2014
    Messages:
    18,064
    Likes Received:
    73,426
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Anaheim
    Offline
    We lost both series, almond every game vs Denver by so few points every time, I’d have to think even 2020 LeBron let alone LeBron in his prime wins us this series. Hell I’d probably even bet 39 year old LeBron in Ant’s place with this Wolves roster could win the series, they have depth, athleticism and defense, a lot of what we lacked. Screw Malone for being a sore loser though, and George Karl for being a crotchety old fool. The Nuggets won one title and acted like they were a dynasty, it’s way harder to repeat as they just found out, maybe this will humble some of them a little. Jokic is a fantastic player, but his team still came up short, where LeBron in his younger days…



    And for anyone who wants to say “LeBron played in the weak East”, yeah, sure, but…



    Oh and again, screw Malone, he’s as much to blame for this loss as pretty much anyone, he pretty much played 6 guys the entire game

     
  6. abeer3

    abeer3 - Lakers Legend -

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2014
    Messages:
    26,645
    Likes Received:
    72,415
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Offline
    not sure how many more times i'm going to have to post side by side stats between bibby, terry, and murray. and you don't want to see the brunson/mitchell stats, jamal. the fact that they do it as #1 options is more--not less--impressive. this is really the whole point. if jamal murray is your number one option, you're definitely the worst team in the nba.

    taking murray over mitchell and claiming it's my bias that's coloring the situation.

    btw, loved watching minny just hunt that clown relentlessly on offense. where's murray? just send the ball to wherever they're trying to hide him this time!
     
  7. JSM

    JSM - Lakers Legend -

    Top Poster Of Month

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2014
    Messages:
    16,983
    Likes Received:
    66,178
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Offline


    Annoying that he was a star who couldn't miss against us and got played off the court against Minny
     
  8. abeer3

    abeer3 - Lakers Legend -

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2014
    Messages:
    26,645
    Likes Received:
    72,415
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Offline
    yeah, saw him upfake, reset...and then just shank a three last night and was like WHERE THE HELL WAS THAT THREE WEEKS AGO?! same freaking shot, man.
     
    Cookie, LTLakerFan and JSM like this.
  9. FrontOfJersey22

    FrontOfJersey22 - Lakers All Star -

    Joined:
    Oct 21, 2021
    Messages:
    4,733
    Likes Received:
    8,139
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Online
    I disagree 10000%
    Part of sports is enjoying when the team that has knocked you out of the playoffs, multiple years in a row, gets the boot.
    Especially when their coach has been consistently whining about how the media would rather talk about your team than his.
    I’m loving it and will enjoy every single meme and story regarding the Nuggets historical meltdown.
     
  10. KuzmoBall17

    KuzmoBall17 - Lakers Starter -

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2017
    Messages:
    2,376
    Likes Received:
    4,304
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Online
    Nikola Jokic did not decide whether to play for Serbia at the Olympic Games

    Nikola Jokic does not yet know whether he will perform at the Olympic Games in Paris.

    « I don’t know, friend, let's see. I need to think about it », – said the center after the defeat in the seventh game of the series.
     
    LTLakerFan and abeer3 like this.
  11. karacha

    karacha Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Sep 6, 2014
    Messages:
    8,537
    Likes Received:
    27,668
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Offline
    I really don't care much about Denver, whether they won or lost. The fact they lost against Minny in 7 does not give me any enjoyment whatsoever. I will watch the rest of the games, or at least some of them, but for me, this was pretty much over when we lost. I guess I am just not into any kind of rivalry etc. You win some, you lose some. ;)

    I also don't have any preference in the WCF matchup. Whoever wins, I wish them all the best against Boston. Well... except if the Celts somehow lose in the ECF, but I just can't see that happening. If Doncic manages to carry his team to the title... he's the #1 player in the league, for me at least.
     
  12. LakerFanIam

    LakerFanIam - Lakers 6th Man -

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2014
    Messages:
    1,758
    Likes Received:
    5,141
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Offline
    MINN has 100x better perimeter Defense than we do though.. That stat looks like it does for a reason.
     
  13. abeer3

    abeer3 - Lakers Legend -

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2014
    Messages:
    26,645
    Likes Received:
    72,415
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Offline
    maybe. but they also missed shots they made against us. perhaps they were more tired or something, but i watched a lot of this series, and if that mpj played us, we win.
     
    LTLakerFan, JSM and Cookie like this.
  14. sk2408

    sk2408 - Rookie -

    Joined:
    Jun 26, 2022
    Messages:
    887
    Likes Received:
    1,988
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Offline
    For a while I was wondering why the Wolves had Ant guarding Murray when McDaniels seemed to be bothering him more. The answer was that McDaniels is the perfect guy to erase MPJ. Rui or LeBron (mostly Rui) would lose him on screens and contest late, but McDaniels is quick and slippery enough at 6'9" to really stick to him.

    MPJ also did just miss shots he made against us, particularly those back-breaking, momentum-shifting ones. Some of it is just bad luck, but I'm sure some of it is just comfort level knowing that a smaller or slower guy is closing out on you, rather than a freak like McDaniels.
     
    pika1708, LTLakerFan, Kenzo and 2 others like this.
  15. abeer3

    abeer3 - Lakers Legend -

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2014
    Messages:
    26,645
    Likes Received:
    72,415
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Offline
    vando would have helped on both guys.
     
    Helljumper, LTLakerFan, Kenzo and 2 others like this.
  16. sk2408

    sk2408 - Rookie -

    Joined:
    Jun 26, 2022
    Messages:
    887
    Likes Received:
    1,988
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Offline
    For sure. One of the questions I'd ask every single candidate for our HC spot is how they plan to incorporate Vando into our halfcourt offense. The playoffs are showing that size and athleticism tends to win the idea, we need to be able to keep him on the floor.
     
    Helljumper and abeer3 like this.
  17. abeer3

    abeer3 - Lakers Legend -

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2014
    Messages:
    26,645
    Likes Received:
    72,415
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Offline
    weirdly enough, we had a way--having two very good shooters in reaves and dlo in the backcourt. we just didn't really get to see it last year at all.
     
  18. sk2408

    sk2408 - Rookie -

    Joined:
    Jun 26, 2022
    Messages:
    887
    Likes Received:
    1,988
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Offline
    Sure, there do need to be some schematic solutions though. You could have Steph and Klay in the backcourt and still clog your offense a bit if you just stick Vando in the corner and nothing else. We saw some promising stuff with him as a cutter and help-beater, but that got cut short by his injury. I thought it looked significantly better than what we were doing last season.

    This is part of why Adelman is my #1 guy, because he's already sorted through a similar situation with Gordon. We don't have a Jokic, but we do have LeBron and AD's passing has come a long way.
     
    abeer3 likes this.
  19. abeer3

    abeer3 - Lakers Legend -

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2014
    Messages:
    26,645
    Likes Received:
    72,415
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Offline
    agree. AD's passing improvements have been encouraging. if he could just get back to where he was shooting a few years ago, it would open up vando options. but that's asking a lot, and i think the three point shooting was flukey--it's two steps past his range. though tbh, jokic really isn't a great three point shooter (ask minny, who kinda dared him and won). but the threat opens things up. not to stand up for ham, but i think what he was getting at with the 5-out (which i do not support) was trying to leverage AD similarly. but AD just lost all confidence in that shot, and it's hard to play the game right now with two guys who don't feel comfortable pulling the trigger on wide open threes.

    all that said, i was definitely one who thought that just because vando got schemed out against denver last year didn't mean it had to happen again. denver making gordon a threat is the evidence.
     
  20. Helljumper

    Helljumper - Lakers All Star -

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2014
    Messages:
    4,799
    Likes Received:
    14,203
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Student
    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Offline
    On the topic of the Nuggets, as much fun as I’ve had clowning on them and still have legitimate vitriol towards the way Malone and Murray carry themselves…

    Jokic is legitimately one of the greatest players I’ve ever seen. He has easily been the best player in the world the past several years and totally earns those MVPs. This isn’t a controversial take right?
     
    Juronimo, JSM, abeer3 and 3 others like this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page