Oh No! Who Do We Blame Now?!?

[championships]

I blame R.J. Mallari and Oscar "The Golden boy" Escatel!!

[lakerfan3118]

I will give you that point, but watching the game it seemed like there was very misdirected help defense leading to openings in the paint. It didn't look lock down at all. Better shooting teams will tear that type of D up.

Have to agree with you as well. Howard in particular was over-agressive on a number of plays defensively, including late on the Harden assist. But that's the nature of the beast, to be honest-- Howard is a good one-one-one defender and will get out of position doing what he does. Pair him up with Jamison and you're going to give up rebounds.

[shep33]

Kobe needs to look at the Heat or the Celtics. Guys took a step back for the better of the team. I believe we're 1-7 when Kobe scores 30+ for us this year. Dude needs to stop hogging.

I'm a huge Kobe fan, but tonight was disgusting... he's a defensive liability right now too, and it's not because he can't play defense, it's because he won't play defense

[Pluvious]

Were some of you watching the same game we were? The Lakers defense was actually quite good for the majority of the game-- Harden went 3/19, lin was held to 8 points, Parsons went 5/16. You can't ask for much more on that side of the floor on a night to night basis.

The problem this time around was defending the glass and the team re-gaining momentum after hack-a-dwight late. That last 6 minute sequence really undid the strides they made tonight.

That's what I saw too. However, the Lakers were losing momentum before hack a Dwight. They had a 12 pt lead in the 4th and it was cut to 4 before they ever tried fouling Dwight on purpose. Just before hack a Dwight and after Kobe took every shot and they were all 1 on 1. Hack and Dwight and 1 on 1 Kobe was the problem.

Dwight + 9 for the game
Duhon + 7
Kobe -4

People blaming Dwight but he had the highest +/- on the team.

[duane v]

Kobe needs to look at the Heat or the Celtics. Guys took a step back for the better of the team. I believe we're 1-7 when Kobe scores 30+ for us this year. Dude needs to stop hogging.

I'm a huge Kobe fan, but tonight was disgusting... he's a defensive liability right now too, and it's not because he can't play defense, it's because he won't play defense

Kobe is the main reason we are not 5-13 right now

[Pluvious]

The lakers played bad in the 2nd and 4th quarters......

The Lakers won the 2nd quarter by 5 points.

[shep33]

Kobe is the main reason we are not 5-13 right now

I agree, but if he plays this way until Nash and Pau get back, we aren't winning anything.

[duane v]

I agree, but if he plays this way until Nash and Pau get back, we aren't winning anything.

We're not winning anyhow

[Pluvious]

Kobe is the main reason we are not 5-13 right now

Posts like this are so "waste of time". Everybody knows the Lakers need Kobe and he's great. People just realize with this team and at this stage of his career sharing is more important than ever.

[lakerfan3118]

That's what I saw too. However, the Lakers were losing momentum before hack a Dwight. They had a 12 pt lead in the 4th and it was cut to 4 before they ever tried fouling Dwight on purpose. Just before hack a Dwight and after Kobe took every shot and they were all 1 on 1. Hack and Dwight and 1 on 1 Kobe was the problem.

Dwight + 9 for the game
Duhon + 7
Kobe -4

People blaming Dwight but he had the highest +/- on the team.

True. D'Antoni gambled and kept the second unit in about 3 minutes longer than he should have in the fourth, which killed momentum some too. The double digit lead coming into the quarter was cut to 6 with little action on his part and it was only then that he elected to run with his starters. Which leads me to the point that perhaps, above everything, Mike's tinkering with his rotations as an in-game exercise cost the Lakers the game tonight. Although, granted, we did see many good things come out of it, too.

Now, when I said the Lakers dropped the game due to Hack-a-Dwight, you're absolutely right-- the blame isn't just placed on Howard. The beauty about fragmenting the game like with whistles is that it kills the offensive momentum the team (including Bryant) had. I mean, when you have trigger-happy Kobe watching the events on the floor, it sort of brews the perfect storm. That's the beauty of the it, when you consider this year's version haha.

[duane v]

Posts like this are so "waste of time". Everybody knows the Lakers need Kobe and he's great. People just realize with this team and at this stage of his career sharing is more important than ever.

You're a waste of time.......... Without Kobe this team would be totally horrible..... Go back to sniffing Nash's dirty leg cast

[KB-Pau-DH2012]

I blame Pau for tonight's loss.

[championships]

I take it back. I blame the Kareem statue.

[KB-Pau-DH2012]

I take it back. I blame the Kareem statue.

I got one better....


I blame Time Warner Cable Sportsnet.



Bring back FSN and KCAL9!!

[championships]

I got one better....


I blame Time Warner Cable Sportsnet.



Bring back FSN and KCAL9!!

That too!

It's cursed!!