You don't let this game get close on purpose when the other team is a past champion and has the likes of Kobe, Gasol and Bynum. You gotta show who's boss so that LA is shaking before Game 7.
It's not the lack of discipline, it's the lack of talent. They don't have good shooters to begin wit. Gasol can't draw double team and Bynum can't pass out of double team. It's all on Kobe to make plays.
It all depends on Gasol and Bynum not Lawson. If they dominate on the inside like they should the Lakers win.
And Kobe needs to make plays to get Bynum/Gasol easier shots. He needs to be a playmaker. I know that's not his identity but games like this, he has to become one. He can score/shoot anytime. But Bynum can't get an easy shot right now b/c he's swarmed every time he touches the ball. It's a fact the Lakers don't have good shooters, but as the team's best playmaker, he has to do it. All Kobe does right now is shoot, and one pass out of a double and expect others to make plays. He needs to run more pick and rolls, or beat his man off the dribble to force penetration collapse. But he's just shooting jumpers (and making) for the most part. That doesn't make the game easier for his teammates.
If I were Mike Brown, I'd start Mcroberts with Bynum in game 7, spread the floor so Bynum can operate down low against Mozgov. Then I'd bring in Gasol and Hill together when Denver goes to McGee and Harrington. Let Gasol operate 1-on-1 on McGee, get him jumping and in foul trouble. Bynum SHOULD be able to dominate Mozgov. The problem the Lakers are having offensively is basic spacing. Denver is fading of Gasol into Bynum, laying on him down low, Gasol is bungling jumper after jumper and they're rambling around trying to find decent open looks with Gasol and Barnes being left open to shoot J's that they can't hit. Defensively, Denver is running right past their two bigs. Lakers need to break up Bynum and Gasol, at least to get past the Nuggets.
Exactly. The Lakers' guards only shoot. Not one guy consistently penetrates the paint to soften up the interior defense of the Nuggets, INCLUDING Kobe. Bynum is rendered useless outside of offensive rebounds b/c he has no space to operate. Gasol is disappearing like a ghost again like last year. Put Kobe in the pick and roll w/ the bigs and get them rolling to the basket. Kobe's playmaking skills have been rendered irrelevant in this series.
Gasol has had plenty of space to operate but instead he has chosen to take face up jumpers instead of backing his guy down.
There you go. That's Lakers vs. OKC in a nutshell. Kobe has to go ballistic. The Lakers just aren't as talented as some think they are. Kobe, Pau and Bynum are solid but they are weak at PG & SF and their bench is atrocious. They also lack team speed. Lastly, in addition to being a poor coach, Mike Brown is not a fit for that team.
LOL, what a joke. So much about Lakers should play inside out and let Bynum/Gasol dominate. Now they couldn't do that against a midget team, it's because Kobe didn't get them easy looks.
We can talk about X's and O's TBH Denver just played with heart, while only Kobe and Bynum did jack in this game. Barnes tries hard but he's just not a shooter. Sessions needs to attack. Gasol needs to go. Seriously the guy will give Spanish bball players a bad name at this rate. I'm guessing the Lakers will win game 7...But at this point it really is hard to tell and it doesn't matter. MWP is an underrated OG of this league. He's awesome.
Can you remember one assist from Kobe to Bynum? I don't remember one all series. As a Laker fan, you should know how important the Lakers' bigs are, esp. Bynum.
