Look, Shane plays great defense. He hardly gets burned off the dribble. However, that faceguarding defense isn't enough against Kobe. Kobe's just rising up and hitting. Run a double team on Kobe and force him to give up the ball. Make someone else make a shot. Who on the Lakers have consistently hit an open shot? Opponents are double teaming and fronting Yao every chance they get to KEEP the ball out of his hands. We need to do the same to Kobe, or at least make him give it up after he receives it. Our rotation defense is good enough to recover.
i say wait till after game 3 before double teaming. kobe was hitting near impossible shots last night. the whole lakers team shot like 80% in the first quarter, yet the game was still close till the end. not even mj could sustain this production to win 3 more games.
Why double? He hit some tough shots in game 2. Unless he can do that or better 3 more times the Lakers will lose. The game plan for guarding him is going quite well.
Kobe only had 1 layup last night. Battier did his job. Kobe was just better. He hit a bunch of perimeter shots. Let's see how Kobe does in Game 3 with Shane on him to start the game.
Kobe is NOT the biggest problem. Last night was we let PAU score. Shut down Pau and we will win I guranteed.
Look, Kobe is pretty much not attacking the basket at all. It is because of great D by Shane but also great team D but also because of lack of agressivness from Kobe. Let him take those shots. He is one of the best so he is gonna make a few of those, but really you can't play better D. You have him shooting well contested jumpers. As I said, there are gonna be night when those shots are going in for him all night long - you gotta live with it.
I have a better defense.... Just add THIS guy to the playoff roster PS. I wanted to post this pick directly in the post, Can rookies do that?
Kobe had an unsually great night jump-shooting. Over the course of a long season-- or a long series-- chances are he won't keep that up. I bet the Rockets keep Battier playing the same way and take their chances.
Shane DOES NOT faceguard. Come on man I thought only clueless Lakers fans misused that jargon. Shane did a fine job. Kobe is going to shoot LA out of the game next time.
I agree, but how? they replaced bynum in the starting line up with Odom......so Yao has to guard Pau.....and I think Pau has the quickness advantage.
THAT IS WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING , ITS GASOL. I rather have Hayes or Landry in there besides Yao, its a drastic move but it has paid off.
i'd rather take my chances with the rest of the lakers making plays than letting Kobe go off on us...that's just me.
he is going to get his, can't let the others beat you, doesn't take a genius to understand whats going on. Gasol had what about 10 pts or less in the first game and had about 24 last night, also he made a lot of shots with the clock running down (jumpers over Yao)
i dont understand how you guys dont think kobe cant keep this up. its more of an aberration that he shoots poorly against shane considering how the games have played out this season between the rockets/lakers.
I agree the gameplan against Kobe works. He'll go off for 30 points or 30 shots, but if any of those shots are taken inside the arc, odds are he had to fight for every inch he tries get closer to the hoop. I especially enjoy how we're closing in on screens for this guy, and Kobe's already shown his frustration. And it's only Game 2
let him tire himself out slithering around and making jumpshots and watch he has little left for the 4th let kobe get his 40 points but shut down lamar scrotum, vujabitch, and trevor ariza and we should be good
and yao isnt shutting pau down unless you send a double. i think yao on pau is an even bigger defensive mismatch for houston than shane on kobe.
Artest has done great on Odom, Trevor hasn't done crap, vuja I think didn't score a point last night, you forgot to mention Gasol that is where RA has no solution yet
