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Just a gentle reminder that the Pistons got stomped by the Draymond, Curry, Iggy, Porter-less warriors a game prior to lakers. When I say stomped, I mean beat how the lakers usually get beaten
**LA LAKERS THREAD** Sitting on 17! 2023-2024 offseason begins
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by licensed to ball,
- Start date
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Nah I think it's pretty clear cut. NBA doesn't really judge or care about intent. A closed fist is pretty much an automatic suspension
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I wonder how they will handle the next time we play them since it isn't that far away.
Some saying they will suspend him until after that game which I just don't see.
There is a camera angle that shows Lebron look at him then throw that "punch".
Just have to see what the league does.
pmatic
forgive me sir, I'm not feelin well and too lazy to look up the exact numbers, but I know you will know what I'm talkin about. Bron record in Miami year one was 9-8 and then they went on big run, yes?
Bron record in Clev with Kyrie and Love was........??? Wasn't it also 9-8ish, somethin like that?
We're 9-9 right now, right?
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Bron record in Miami year one was 9-8 and then they went on big run, yes?
Bron record in Clev with Kyrie and Love was........??? Wasn't it also 9-8ish, somethin like that?
We're 9-9 right now, right?
How young was Bron at that time?
Different rosters, different players.
I get wanting to look back...but those situations aren't this one IMO.
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This aint 2010 but the schedule is still soft as hell for the rest of the year. There's like 3 legit playoff teams on the calendar. Russ has been playing better and the roster is getting healthier. If they can't finish the year strong it's a real problem
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Obviously the wins matter, but the defense and supporting cast needs to be improved regardless.
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The Russell Westbrook Problem Isn’t Going Away
Last Friday, I took the night off from watching the NBA to go see the movie Last Night in Soho. This is the first tweet I saw after walking out of the theater:
The Lakers lost by 22 to the Celtics while Westbrook had the worst game of his nightmare start in Los Angeles: 12 points on 5-for-13 shooting, six assists, and four rebounds. The team is 9-9, with the 23rd-ranked offense and 20th-ranked defense, and fans are losing their collective ****.
Westbrook was supposed to be the guy who’d carry the offense when LeBron James was resting or out injured. But it’s not working as expected.
Westbrook has been at his best running pick-and-roll, just like he has his entire career. Though he and Anthony Davis don’t have great chemistry yet, the Lakers are scoring a productive 1.02 points per pick-and-roll run by them, according to Second Spectrum. The big issue is that when Russ doesn’t have the ball, defenses aren’t at all worried about him.
In the image above, LeBron is running a high pick-and-roll with Davis. Before James even dribbles, Suns wing Mikal Bridges is standing at the free throw line ready to clog the paint. James drove into him anyway and eventually turned the ball over. No one is defending Westbrook.
And in this clip, the Grizzlies were comfortable putting Steven Adams on Westbrook. When Westbrook was involved in the action, like he was here, Adams just sagged back and dared him to shoot.
These moments represent what the stats show: With Russ on the floor, the Lakers are scoring a pitiful 0.76 points per pick-and-roll run by LeBron with AD screening. There’s no room for them to get to the basket. But without Russ, they score 1.13 points per pick-and-roll. They have more spacing, and Westbrook’s backup Rajon Rondo is a superior spot-up shooter and cutter.
The Lakers are still figuring out how to play with Westbrook. Early in the season, we saw him doing some screening for LeBron. They should do more of it to get Westbrook rolling to the basket. Frank Vogel needs to use the regular season to experiment. With a player as stubborn as Westbrook, the coaching staff and the team deserve time to figure things out. Along the way, he’ll lead them to some victories like he did on Sunday against the Pistons following LeBron’s ejection and a scuffle involving Isaiah Stewart.
Russ isn’t the only issue. Rob Pelinka designed a goofy roster with a lack of point-of-attack defense at guard and wing. Kent Bazemore, Avery Bradley, and DeAndre Jordan don’t look like they belong in an NBA rotation, yet they all receive regular minutes. On offense, there’s a lack of flow. Davis hasn’t shot efficiently on jumpers since the bubble. Vogel looks lost with his rotations. And LeBron is closing in on his 37th birthday and has already missed 10 games.
But Westbrook is the poster boy of L.A.’s problems. LeBron should have seen this coming. This team is beginning to look more and more like the one from his last year in Cleveland. To make it back to the Finals, he may need to fix everything for the Lakers, too.
Last Friday, I took the night off from watching the NBA to go see the movie Last Night in Soho. This is the first tweet I saw after walking out of the theater:
The Lakers lost by 22 to the Celtics while Westbrook had the worst game of his nightmare start in Los Angeles: 12 points on 5-for-13 shooting, six assists, and four rebounds. The team is 9-9, with the 23rd-ranked offense and 20th-ranked defense, and fans are losing their collective ****.
Westbrook was supposed to be the guy who’d carry the offense when LeBron James was resting or out injured. But it’s not working as expected.
Westbrook has been at his best running pick-and-roll, just like he has his entire career. Though he and Anthony Davis don’t have great chemistry yet, the Lakers are scoring a productive 1.02 points per pick-and-roll run by them, according to Second Spectrum. The big issue is that when Russ doesn’t have the ball, defenses aren’t at all worried about him.
In the image above, LeBron is running a high pick-and-roll with Davis. Before James even dribbles, Suns wing Mikal Bridges is standing at the free throw line ready to clog the paint. James drove into him anyway and eventually turned the ball over. No one is defending Westbrook.
And in this clip, the Grizzlies were comfortable putting Steven Adams on Westbrook. When Westbrook was involved in the action, like he was here, Adams just sagged back and dared him to shoot.
These moments represent what the stats show: With Russ on the floor, the Lakers are scoring a pitiful 0.76 points per pick-and-roll run by LeBron with AD screening. There’s no room for them to get to the basket. But without Russ, they score 1.13 points per pick-and-roll. They have more spacing, and Westbrook’s backup Rajon Rondo is a superior spot-up shooter and cutter.
The Lakers are still figuring out how to play with Westbrook. Early in the season, we saw him doing some screening for LeBron. They should do more of it to get Westbrook rolling to the basket. Frank Vogel needs to use the regular season to experiment. With a player as stubborn as Westbrook, the coaching staff and the team deserve time to figure things out. Along the way, he’ll lead them to some victories like he did on Sunday against the Pistons following LeBron’s ejection and a scuffle involving Isaiah Stewart.
Russ isn’t the only issue. Rob Pelinka designed a goofy roster with a lack of point-of-attack defense at guard and wing. Kent Bazemore, Avery Bradley, and DeAndre Jordan don’t look like they belong in an NBA rotation, yet they all receive regular minutes. On offense, there’s a lack of flow. Davis hasn’t shot efficiently on jumpers since the bubble. Vogel looks lost with his rotations. And LeBron is closing in on his 37th birthday and has already missed 10 games.
But Westbrook is the poster boy of L.A.’s problems. LeBron should have seen this coming. This team is beginning to look more and more like the one from his last year in Cleveland. To make it back to the Finals, he may need to fix everything for the Lakers, too.
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Catching up with the last game, and Russ got us back in the game. That dunk on Dialo was nasty and he followed it with a 3.
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Lol at you guys worried about lebron being suspended or not.
It doesn’t matter if he plays or not. We got two superstars, we won’t need lebron til February.
this is why you get Russ!! Let’s goooooo
It doesn’t matter if he plays or not. We got two superstars, we won’t need lebron til February.
this is why you get Russ!! Let’s goooooo
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We get it.
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They may have to reduce THT's minutes a bit. He's too erratic at times.
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More disappointed in AD.
He is given the chances to assert himself but dude has no heart.
He is given the chances to assert himself but dude has no heart.
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He had 30 points. What more did he need to do ?
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Not talking about last night's AAU game.
Talking bucks and bulls
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AD is talented enough he’s going to get his numbers, it’s more about his impact on the game. I don’t recall how many points Russ had but you felt his presence for sure
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Russ has cut down the turnovers the past 3 games. Let's hope he can keep it that way. He shoots way too many 3's. All it would take for him is to cut down the TO's, take close to no 3's and he'd be straight.
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They lost by 3 lol
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They did? Lol. I didnt check. I just couldn’t wait to post a way to slander the lakers
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Lebron out for 1 game
lakers by 7 instead of 11 now
lakers by 7 instead of 11 now
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you know whos good at mid range jumpers?
that guy in chicago who longs to play with kyle lowry once more.
