Here is the Nuggets stalker that got on the court. http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/fan-walks-court-during-nuggets-lakers-game-looking-032542465.html
He actually has some touch. His shooting stroke is above average in centers. And he hit that baseline jumper in the game. 3 double double in 4 games. Enough said.
Afflalo this year: 15 points, 3.2 rebs 47% FG 40% 3s this series 9 points, 3 rebs 33% FG, 18% 3s. Kobe's shut him down completely
It isn't so much Kobe shutting him down as Afflalo has nothing left on offense after expending energy covering Kobe. I like Afflalo a lot but he's been a huge disappointment in this series.
Kobe in playoffs: 28 points on 25 shots, 42%fg. Same path as last year for Kobe. They really need to find ways to get Bynum more shots. He's automatic down there if they want to have any chance v. the Thunder.
The thing is Bynum isn't automatic against Perkins. He can single cover Bynum effectively enough to prevent domination and probably cause him to have a couple of bad games. This is why if Perkins is healthy, Lakers don't have much of a chance. The staleness of their post offense plays right into the Thunder's hands. The Lakers need Kobe to go ballistic to beat OKC. The problem with that is Thabo has Kobe measured as well as anyone.
While that has hold true in the reg. season, their only hope of beating OKC is having Bynum go off on both ends. Kobe is not going to go ballistic v. OKC. He can't go ballistic v. Denver, one of the worst defensive teams in the league. And Denver is making a conscious effort of triple teaming Bynum almost every time down.
It's interesting how many times you and I are on the opposite sides of an argument. I know you know basketball. But it's funny how opposite we are on our views sometimes. Personally, I think the Lakers are still horsing around here in the first round against Denver. Wouldn't surprise me if they won tonight and ended it. And it wouldn't surprise me one bit if they jacked around, let the series go back to Denver and either ended it there or let it come back to LA for game 7. Personally, I haven't seen Kobe really get after it. And Bynum and Gasol have been relatively passive. They are not playing at their best. They are playing good enough to beat Denver and still keep something in reserve...for OKC and SA. I think you will see the Lakers bring it against OKC. I think you'll see Kobe pounding the post alternatively with Bynum. I think you'll see Kobe barking for the ball and barking his teammates to get their hustle on. You'll see Barnes and Artest dogging the crap out of Westbrook and Harden and banging those guys around every chance they get. It's going to be a war and I will be surprised if OKC survives it. I expect Westbrook will blow a gasket. I expect Perkins will lose his cool. I expect the Thunder will get worn down by all the size, length, and power the Lakers have in the post. I suspect the Lakers turn the series into a halfcourt mauling dog fight and the Thunder finally fold down from exhaustion in 6 or 7 games. When you eliminate OKC's ability to get out and run, you make them another pedestrian team in the half court. And the longer the series grinds on the more concrete all those jump shooters get in their thighs and calves when it comes time to launch those late game late series jump shots from Neverland. I expect the Lakers/Thunder series to be a grinder and will be shocked if OKC runs out the gym on them.
This is why the Lakers have little chance to win a series against OKC. Too many things have to go right with no margin for error. Their last regular season game illustrated that even though the Lakers won. In the other 2 games that were more representative, OKC clocked them.
You have far too much respect for the Lakers just because they are the Lakers and because you think post play trumps everything. To think they will flip a switch in the 2nd round and show a gear that hasn't appeared all season is ridiculous to me. To think Matt Barnes can "dog the crap" out of anybody is ludicrous. Barnes is 90% attitude and 10% substance. The Lakers rarely cause turnovers, which is how to beat the Thunder. But since you think so, Westbrook and Harden will just wilt under the relentless pressure the Lakers haven't displayed at all this year. To each his own. If Perkins is healthy, Lakers are in deep deep trouble.
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The Nuggets have blown so many opportunities in the 1st half it's a shame. If they displayed any bball IQ at all, they'd be up 15 at least. Any Kobe puts his fist into Afflalo chest to push off on the drive with no call.
