It’s pretty bad right now all over the league. Tons of teams have key players out with Covid.
It’s pretty bad right now all over the league. Tons of teams have key players out with Covid.
Originally Posted by nightmarefish
Not sure the problem is Westbrook, he’s played exactly how he was supposed to play, FG and 3P percentages are slightly higher than career averages actually.
Here’s the Lakers year:
They get off to a slow start mainly because Lebron missed 12 games.
Lebron comes back and they start playing a little better and figuring things out. Overall record goes to 16-13, not great but after the slow start it’s good enough for 4th in the west.
Then AD gets hurt and 6 players and their coach go out with Covid. Lakers go 1-5 in this stretch and every analyst in the world loses their mind, mostly blaming Russ for the losing, ignoring that the Lakers are playing with several bums literally off the street.
Last night, they great they’re coach back many of their important role players and all of a sudden play better. Shocking turn of events.
AD Lebron and Russ have played like 10 games together all season.
I watch the end of pretty much every close game. You are right, Russ is who he always has been, which means a complete liability on a Lebron team in the 4th Q of a close game, on offense and defense. Whatever the stats say, the eye test says he is a big part of losing winnable games with his play down the stretch. And the eye test hasn't been kind to Davis either. It seems he misses every high leverage wide open 3 point shot he takes (and the numbers actually back this as he is currently at 17%).
Last night was a layup line all night, as Portland (who has bad defense under the best of circumstances) was playing a mostly G League roster and had no defense all night. I wouldn't take much from that.
I agree you can’t take much from last night but you also can’t take much from the previous 6 games where the Lakers went 1-5 when they were starting G leaguers and worse. Defense is the Lakers biggest flaw and is why coming into the season it was so important for AD to be healthy and play like he’s all NBA first team. He hasn’t been healthy and has played nearly to the level they need.
I watch the end of pretty much every close game. You are right, Russ is who he always has been, which means a complete liability on a Lebron team in the 4th Q of a close game, on offense and defense. Whatever the stats say, the eye test says he is a big part of losing winnable games with his play down the stretch. And the eye test hasn't been kind to Davis either. It seems he misses every high leverage wide open 3 point shot he takes (and the numbers actually back this as he is currently at 17%).
Last night was a layup line all night, as Portland (who has bad defense under the best of circumstances) was playing a mostly G League roster and had no defense all night. I wouldn't take much from that.
Jumping around League Pass right now; not a great slate today even if teams were at full strength but holy shit this is bleak.
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After 2 wins where he started, the Lakers not picking up Johnson is bizarre. I guess they decided they are going to roll with Ariza in that roll (at least until the invariable injury). I dont have the basketball acumen to quantitate the defensive drop-off (if any), but it is pretty clear to see Ariza is a career 35% 3 point shooter, and Johnson 28%, so I guess makes sense.
Ariza was once a really exciting player who could make things happen (especially defensively), but we're talking the 2000s here, during his first go-around with the Lakers.
It's actually pretty amazing the list of has-beens the Lakers signed:
Trevor Ariza
Carmelo Anthony
Dwight Howard
Darren Collison
DeAndre Jordan
Surprised they don't bring back the two Gasol brothers for old times sake.
Johnson back on the team and back in starting lineup. So I guess fake news on my part and there was probably some contractual reason they dropped him for 1 game and picked him up again.
Surprised the Warriors are bringing Klay back opposite the last SNF game of the year, where it can only be televised nationally on NBA TV. You know ESPN/TNT would prefer they do it on a weekday so they could televise it nationally and make a big promotion out of it. Maybe bringing him back on an Sunday during football season is a strategic move to avoid that.
IIRC he was a hardship player. Have to drop him as soon as you dont need him. Then got signed to an official 10 dayJohnson back on the team and back in starting lineup. So I guess fake news on my part and there was probably some contractual reason they dropped him for 1 game and picked him up again.
Getting to see Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving toy with Portland tonight in 100 level for $40 in a seat that would usually be $300-400 for this game lol.
Durant obv god but forgot what a joy Kyrie can be live.
Both giving like 70% effort on a road game cross country back to back. Feels like an exhibition game, hence the posting.
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Having watched a lot of Lakers games this year there has been so many times in a close game in last two minutes where they help on Lebron the ball gets swung a few times and by design Russs is wide open for a 3. He has 0 confidence shooting the ball and can't finish in traffic like he used to. I keep thinking he is going to improve and the Lakers will get better. It obv is not happening and I wouldn't be surprised if he is on the bench in crunch time in some playoff games.. Not a Laker fan at all but if they want to advance it must be done.
Having watched a lot of Lakers games this year there has been so many times in a close game in last two minutes where they help on Lebron the ball gets swung a few times and by design Russs is wide open for a 3. He has 0 confidence shooting the ball and can't finish in traffic like he used to. I keep thinking he is going to improve and the Lakers will get better. It obv is not happening and I wouldn't be surprised if he is on the bench in crunch time in some playoff games.. Not a Laker fan at all but if they want to advance it must be done.https://twitter.com/twt/status/1481506353604702210
Lol getting trolled by the Kings.
I was a huge fan of him on those OKC teams with Durant and Harden. Just so fucking wildly athletic. Still plays hard as shit every night even if it's more often than not bad.
Also loved how him and Dame always really went at it; often got the best of Portland and was really electric live.
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So looks like Frank Vogel tried to get himself fired last night and failed (so far). He benched Russell Westbrook in the 4th Q yesterday when the Lakers were losing, which was probably the right choice, but also probably not something a 22-22 coach can do and survive. It looks like he knows he isn't surviving anyways, so he said F It.
The Lakers are going on a 6 game East Coast trip and I put their O/U of wins at 1.5. Pretty sure Vogel was trying to get fired now to avoid going on the trip. But the Lakers said FU and are probably going to dump him somewhere on the East Coast and make him fly his ass home.
Good stuff.
Maybe time to just moneyline fade the Lakers for awhile?
They're down by 9 near the end of the first half against the 8-38 Magic.
I can only imagine how much money could have been made by just blindly firing every dog against the Lakers this season.
Yeah I really like the Titans tmrw and perused the NBA games to see if there was something I felt comfortable adding to a ML parlay and there truly wasn’t a single -350 team I really had any confidence in. Not -350 confidence. I just laughed at the Lakers. Think they were -360 or -380 and I just wondered who in the world would bet that?
They’ll likely come back and beat Orlando as they’re horrible, but even if you like the Lakers, the better play is to just wait until they are locked in a dogfight with a piece of shit team and bet them live at -160 when they are in a tie with some garbage team in the 3rd. Best to avoid them altogether or fade them, but if you’re going to
bet them, betting the opening is a horrible option. They don’t beat any team comfortably.
I giggled at the Rockets saying they’d part with John Wall for Westbrook if the Lakers throw in a first today.
The funniest part is it might be a smart move.
Wall is usually hurt, but he’s better if healthy. It just seems all time worst move territory if you go back to before the season and think of trading Kuzma, KCP, Harrell, Westbrook, and a first and some other lesser picks for John Wall. Some absurd horrible idea might be preferable to their actual situation. A healthy AD might make them a second round out rather than play in out, but it’s amazing that this is where they are at.
I watch a lot of basketball, and I am probably wrong but the eye test suggests to me that teams are giving up EV by not going for offensive rebounds, ESPECIALLY in the 3 point era with so many long rebounds. Time after time I see a guy take a 3 and then the ball bounce hard off the rim and go almost all the way back to the 3 point line near an offensive player. But that player is invariably turned around and already jogging back and a defender who is farther away corrals the rebound.
Would you really be giving up too much on transition D if the 2 or 3 guys hanging out at the 3 point line during any given possession waited to see where the rebound was going to see if they can make a play on it before turning around and getting back on D? My gut is no, but I assume people who understand basketball way better than me have analyzed this question and are satisfied with their answer to it.
Lakers Suck. I would be surprised if they make the playoffs this year.
I didn't think Vogel was going to survive the current 6 game road trip, but they are 2-1 and looked good yesterday with Davis (against a very depleted Nets team FWIW), and the other 3 games are very winnable, so we shall see.Lakers Suck. I would be surprised if they make the playoffs this year.
Westbrook's usage (and turnovers) seem to be going down as the year progresses, so it will be interesting to see if this unlocks the offense some. And playing younger guys like Monk, Reaves and Johnson seems to have helped the defense too, so again we shall see what happens.
Came across some Laker tickets and went to the Knicks game. Great seats in the PR section right behind the TV commentators. Lebron and Davis were real good. Davis pretty much was in a war in the paint the entire time he was in the game, going 1 vs 2 (him against Randall and whatever Knick center was in at the moment-- Robinson, Noel, Toppin, etc.). For good or bad, Monk has cemented himself as the 3rd scoring option. Randall and Barrett played real well for the Knicks. Randall was an absolute beast and pretty much single handedly kept the Knicks in the game in the 4th quarter.
Which leads us to Russell Westbrook. He possible played his worst game ever (not just as a Laker, but ever). Was left wide open on the perimeter and couldn't hit a shot to save his life, and missed all his layups too when he went into the paint. The crowd was booing and jeering him pretty relentlessly too. Vogel actually took him out most of the 3rd Q and the beginning of 4th Q, while the Lakers made a run and turned a 15 point deficit into a 8 point lead. Then Vogel put him in the last 4 minutes of the 4th Q, and you could hear the collective groan from the crowd. And sure enough the Knicks came roaring back and tied the game at the end to send it to OT. And this included Russ getting internally fouled when Lakers were up 5 with about 1:30 left and missing both his free throws.
When Vogel left Russ on the bench for the start of OT you could hear the collective relief from the crowd, and Lakers cruised to an easy OT victory.
Such a disaster. What sucks is Lebron has been great all year, AD is really playing well since he came back from injury, and Monk has emerged as a great scoring option. If Lakers could have spent that $40M/yr on 2-3 good role players to fill out the roster (eg. Powell and Covington who the Clippers got for absolutely nothing but expiring contracts), they would be in such a great spot right now. But alas, it is what it is.
Even more concerning is the whole point of getting Russ was so Lebron could rest his legs while Russ did his thing. But the Lakers just cant compete when Lebron is off the floor and Russ is, and in his 1st game back from resting a sore knee Lebron had to play 40 minutes, mostly at point guard with heavy usage.
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