Game Thread: Lakers @ Kings 10/30/15

[Hangman]

Why we didn't draft Okafor and sign Rondo I'll never know. That lineup would be so better.

Also, how come we fast break for jump shots and not dunks? We have a young athletic team and don't use it at all.

 

[trojanfight]

In no means calling Russell a bust but now we have seen big time games from Karl Anthony towns and okafor. It's time we see why he was the 2nd pick

 

[OutlawImmortal]

It's harder to command an offense with Kobe calling for the ball every second he's on the court than it is to post up in the paint and wait to be fed. Comparing a point guard to a center is like comparing a quarterback to a d-lineman, there will be growing pains for Russell. Curry was chosen in front of Harden and looked like a bust with his ankle issues and now he's the reigning MVP and NBA champion. Some of the posts from you guys are mind-numbing, we won't know if Russell was a bad choice for several years so the whining is pretty pointless after a whole 2 NBA games.

 

[Hangman]

He is a bust. He hasn't shown anything.

 

[trojanfight]

 

[tomodach10]

Why we didn't draft Okafor and sign Rondo I'll never know. That lineup would be so better.

Also, how come we fast break for jump shots and not dunks? We have a young athletic team and don't use it at all.

I really thought that is what the Lakers would do. Draft Okafor and sign Rando for one year. Oh well...on to the next game

 

[wildturkey]

It's too early to label anyone a bust. But if you really must complain about draft picks, you're looking in the wrong spot. Bitch about the Lakers drafting Larry Nance Jr at 27 over Montrezl Harrell. Nance hasn't played and has looked like a D-League prospect throughout summer league and preseason. Harrell has played in both of Houston's games scoring 8 pts and 17 pts and has provided lots of energy and athleticism for Houston.

And yes, I'm still salty LA wasted a 1st round pick on a player in Nance who was projected to go in the 50s or undrafted.

 

[Retroram52]

Something has gone terribly awry. They looked worst than last year's team of what little "highlights" I actually got to see.

 

[Black Adam]

Something has gone terribly awry. They looked worst than last year's team of what little "highlights" I actually got to see.

trust me, it was UGLIER watching it live...

 

[Hangman]

It's too early to label anyone a bust. But if you really must complain about draft picks, you're looking in the wrong spot. Bitch about the Lakers drafting Larry Nance Jr at 27 over Montrezl Harrell. Nance hasn't played and has looked like a D-League prospect throughout summer league and preseason. Harrell has played in both of Houston's games scoring 8 pts and 17 pts and has provided lots of energy and athleticism for Houston.

And yes, I'm still salty LA wasted a 1st round pick on a player in Nance who was projected to go in the 50s or undrafted.

Yup. They should have gotten Okafor with the first pick and then drafted RJ Hunter. RJ Hunter is a Great knock down shooter at the 2 guard. He would have been great to pair up with Clarkson.

 

[Retroram52]

There is a bad mix in player-coach dynamics right now and Scott has allowed Kobe to much of it I believe. Its early, but this business of Kobe demanding to have the ball nearly every trip down the floor, jackin' up threes with no real direction, and not running any sort of concerted offense as well as not at all playing defense is going to extinguish any momentum this team had built and run it right into the ground.

 

[tomodach10]

It's too early to label anyone a bust. But if you really must complain about draft picks, you're looking in the wrong spot. Bitch about the Lakers drafting Larry Nance Jr at 27 over Montrezl Harrell. Nance hasn't played and has looked like a D-League prospect throughout summer league and preseason. Harrell has played in both of Houston's games scoring 8 pts and 17 pts and has provided lots of energy and athleticism for Houston.

And yes, I'm still salty LA wasted a 1st round pick on a player in Nance who was projected to go in the 50s or undrafted.

Good point. I forgot about that bone headed pick.

 

[tomodach10]

There is a bad mix in player-coach dynamics right now and Scott has allowed Kobe to much of it I believe. Its early, but this business of Kobe demanding to have the ball nearly every trip down the floor, jackin' up threes with no real direction, and not running any sort of concerted offense as well as not at all playing defense is going to extinguish any momentum this team had built and run it right into the ground.

No one expected them to compete for a title, but they look so bad in every department that it is so hard to have hope that this franchise will turn around in the next few years. Jordan and Randle look like the only bright spots right now. That low post defense the other night against the Kings was the worst I have ever seen. That has to improve immediately.

 

[Retroram52]

Yep, tomodach, I wasn't suggesting that they were going to get a championship this year but the hope and chemistry to compete and be a possible contender I saw in the preseason was completely absent. Totally trashed if you will. There is this default I-don't-give-a-shit losing mentality that continues to be a covert force that contributes to what occurred against Sacramento.

I am not sure where, when, and by whom it all get started but when it comes out, it is very ugly indeed and there are a lot of factors and reasons for its presence. The Queens are no world beaters but, as a team, the Lakers made they look like such simply by exerting as little effort as possible. There are a few people who want to play for their pride, the love of the game, and want to win. The rest? Who knows.

It is painfully obvious that Scott is going to have to teach this bunch how to win because few of them know how and I suspect some are already tuning out the continuous chime of Kobe and his perceived evident hypocrisy that you can't preach winning, demand excellence, and then jack up threes to the tune of 3 for 15 or whatever, get stoked on defense, screw-up a time-out call, and expect to be like you were when you were 25, and get kids today to blindly follow you.

So again, it is early and we will see this stuff more often than any of us wants to see it but I suspect this team may need to change a HC and say good-bye to Kobe if what is going on is rooted in those two people.

 

[trojanfan12]

Actually, it doesn't appear to have anything to do with Kobe. In the blowout vs. the Kings, Kobe said he intentionally didn't demand the ball or do things to try to keep them in the game. Preferring to let the youngsters figure it out. This is something he learned from Phil who used to intentionally not use timeouts for the same reason.

It was difficult, but it has to be done.

After watching the tape, Byron said he thought they looked tired (he's known for long practices and long morning walk-throughs on game day) so he asked the players and they said they were tired. Apparently, the clincher was when Brandon Bass said he was tired. Byron said:

My whole thought process about that is if he was tired, then I know there's a lot of other guys that were tired as well.

Byron agreed to shorten practices and walk-throughs for the time being with one condition:

If I do that, they have to be extremely focused on what we have to do on that day and let's get it done. Then, hopefully we have enough energy to come out and play as hard as I know we're capable of playing.

It's 2 games in on a season where no one expects a playoff run. Seems a little early to be hitting the panic button and claiming players are busts.

 

[tomodach10]

Yep, tomodach, I wasn't suggesting that they were going to get a championship this year but the hope and chemistry to compete and be a possible contender I saw in the preseason was completely absent. Totally trashed if you will. There is this default I-don't-give-a-shit losing mentality that continues to be a covert force that contributes to what occurred against Sacramento.

I am not sure where, when, and by whom it all get started but when it comes out, it is very ugly indeed and there are a lot of factors and reasons for its presence. The Queens are no world beaters but, as a team, the Lakers made they look like such simply by exerting as little effort as possible. There are a few people who want to play for their pride, the love of the game, and want to win. The rest? Who knows.

It is painfully obvious that Scott is going to have to teach this bunch how to win because few of them know how and I suspect some are already tuning out the continuous chime of Kobe and his perceived evident hypocrisy that you can't preach winning, demand excellence, and then jack up threes to the tune of 3 for 15 or whatever, get stoked on defense, screw-up a time-out call, and expect to be like you were when you were 25, and get kids today to blindly follow you.

So again, it is early and we will see this stuff more often than any of us wants to see it but I suspect this team may need to change a HC and say good-bye to Kobe if what is going on is rooted in those two people.

Ram I am sorry. I did not mean that you were suggesting that we compete for a tiltle. I ment as Laker fans we knew this team was not going to compete for a title, but we all hope for improvement.

 

[tomodach10]

Actually, it doesn't appear to have anything to do with Kobe. In the blowout vs. the Kings, Kobe said he intentionally didn't demand the ball or do things to try to keep them in the game. Preferring to let the youngsters figure it out. This is something he learned from Phil who used to intentionally not use timeouts for the same reason.



After watching the tape, Byron said he thought they looked tired (he's known for long practices and long morning walk-throughs on game day) so he asked the players and they said they were tired. Apparently, the clincher was when Brandon Bass said he was tired. Byron said:



Byron agreed to shorten practices and walk-throughs for the time being with one condition:



It's 2 games in on a season where no one expects a playoff run. Seems a little early to be hitting the panic button and claiming players are busts.

Come one, no one is hitting the panic button, but we as Laker fans have to keep it real in our observations of the game. Only one person called a player a bust this early. I have no problem with how any fan may feel about what they have seen so far.

 

[Retroram52]

No worries Tomodach and TJF12. I was reading articles analyzing the Lakers chances of truly turning things around. The articles attempted to identify what the perceived influence Kobe and Scott might be/are having on this process.

Much of it appeared to be speculative and I prefaced many of my remarks with the phrase: "It is still early". If the Lakers start winning, everyone will forget their gloom and doom. I am just interested in the notion that perhaps the Lakers braintrust really are not aware of just how far in the hole this club really might be and what it will take to get out of it with any consistency.

 

[OutlawImmortal]

Actually, it doesn't appear to have anything to do with Kobe. In the blowout vs. the Kings, Kobe said he intentionally didn't demand the ball or do things to try to keep them in the game. Preferring to let the youngsters figure it out. This is something he learned from Phil who used to intentionally not use timeouts for the same reason.



After watching the tape, Byron said he thought they looked tired (he's known for long practices and long morning walk-throughs on game day) so he asked the players and they said they were tired. Apparently, the clincher was when Brandon Bass said he was tired. Byron said:



Byron agreed to shorten practices and walk-throughs for the time being with one condition:



It's 2 games in on a season where no one expects a playoff run. Seems a little early to be hitting the panic button and claiming players are busts.

Good to hear from Kobe, he shouldn't be focused on taking the game over if his teammates are playing poorly, that should just be more motivation to pass the ball and try to get them started. Kobe's gotta trust his teammates, this team is more talented than the teams we've had in the past several years. He should be focused on spot-up shooting and passing the ball, Kobe is a very underrated passer imo.

He could easily average 7+ assists per game if he really tried.

 

[trojanfan12]

Come one, no one is hitting the panic button, but we as Laker fans have to keep it real in our observations of the game. Only one person called a player a bust this early. I have no problem with how any fan may feel about what they have seen so far.

That's not how it looks based on what I'm reading. This team is going to struggle. We knew this going into the season. It's 3 games is and we've already got Thibs replacing Byron (not that I'd disagree if we don't see steady improvement this season) and Russell's a bust.