Pau Gasol would reportedly love to play on the Chicago Bulls, because it’s nice to aspire to great things

Just don’t expect it to actually happen. What would the Bulls give us, Boozer? Ha!

gotemcoach:

“I’m not fading into the shadows, if that’s what you’re asking. I’m not going anywhere. We’re not going anywhere…It’s not one of those things where the Bulls beat the Pistons and the Pistons disappeared forever. Not going for that shit…Come hell or high water, we’re going to be there again.” - Kobe Bryant

#GotEmCoach

Might I add, the most telling quote that I heard last night after the game was Magic Johnson. We all know Magic spoke out in the Denver series saying the Mike Brown would get fired if we lost that series, and it was kind of like, “ok Magic. Chill.” Then yesterday he said this, and it was like he was speaking what all of us are thinking:

Everybody thinks I hit on coach Mike Brown. I like him, I really do. But he’s not a great in-game adjustment coach like a Phil Jackson or Pat Riely. … The Lakers never made any adjustments.

The biggest offense in Game 4 was Mike setting Pau up 20 feet away from the basket, setting picks for Steve Blake instead of down on the block. I repeat, setting picks for Steve Blake (more on this later). Everyone knows that the Lakers aren’t a p&r team. They don’t run it very well, nor do they even defend it very well.

Not to mention that the guards couldn’t even get the ball in to Andrew Bynum, who was being fronted. Not quite sure how NBA guards can’t get the ball in to a man on the post being fronted, and I really am not sure why Mike Brown doesn’t have the players swing the ball and set Bynum up on the opposite side.

As for the Steve Blake issue, why was he on the court in the fourth?? I understand you have rotations, and in late-game situations those are usually set, but Ramon Sessions was clearly the better guard for the Lakers. Early in Game 4 he routinely broke down the defense of the Thunder and got to the basket, either setting up a easy dunk/lay-up or getting one himself. Furthermore, if the Lakers ARE going to run a pick-and-roll with Pau, it’s Sessions who you should run it with, not Blake.

I won’t entirely rag on Mike Brown, because his hybrid defense worked very well against the Thunder in the first 3 quarters. But the Thunder still ended up with over 100 points, the Lakers had a very poor offensive 4th quarter, and a moral victory simply isn’t enough.

It’ll be interesting to see what adjustments Brown comes up with in a very important Game 5. I actually feel (in my heart, not in my head) that if the Lakers can somehow win Game 5, they can win the series. Silly me. Right?

gotemcoach:

“I don’t give a [expletive] what you say.  If I go out there and miss game winners, and people say, ‘Kobe choked, or Kobe is seven for whatever in pressure situations,’ well, [expletive] you.”

- Kobe Bryant

Read the rest here.

#GotEmCoach

A follower sent this link of an SI.com article titled “OKC exploits Andrew Bynum’s weakness” which turned out to be a pretty interesting an informative read. They use an array of videos to pretty much dissect how OKC …well, dissected Bynum, saying, “No opponent game-plans around exploiting a Howard weakness on defense like it does with Bynum.” It’s always entertaining to watch Bynum on defense, since an engaged Bynum can not only protect the basket, but at times step out and guard opposing guards.

… it’s important to understand that this problem does not mean Bynum is a bad defensive player. If your biggest issue is a vulnerability to mid-range jumpers against star mid-range shooters, that’s about the least-harmful flaw you can have. Bynum is a beast of a post defender when he’s engaged, he changes piles of shots at the rim and he’s one of the best defensive rebounders in the league. The Lakers gave up about 2.5 fewer points per 100 possessions when Bynum was on the floor during the regular season, per NBA.com. And Bynum can make up for his down days on defense by scorching opponents in the post when the Lakers have the ball; he looked pretty darn powerful early in Game 1 against the Thunder on the block.

But he has weaknesses on defense, and unfortunately for the Lakers, they have run into two teams well positioned to attack those weaknesses. The Nuggets used Kenneth Faried, JaVale McGee and Al Harrington to run Bynum to death in transition during the first round, and though Bynum’s effort in getting back was blatantly lacking at times, he was also at a speed disadvantage that no amount of effort was going to overcome. In this round, with the Lakers working as big underdogs to begin with, the Thunder have gone at him the same way Paul did in raining mid-range jumpers on Los Angeles in last year’s first round.

The net result: In eight playoff games, the Lakers have allowed 109 points per 100 possessions with Bynum on the floor and 98.9 when he has been on the bench, per NBA.com. That’s roughly the difference between the league’s fifth- or sixth-ranked defense and one that would have ranked last in the regular season.

nbaoffseason:

Kobe Bryant Postgame Interview vs. Thunder || NBA Playoffs 2012 Game 1 || 5.14.12

(by NBAClipz)

Only watch this video to see Kobe Bryant blankly stare at a reporter for his ridiculous question at the end. 

gotemcoach:

IMPORTANT REMINDER:The LA Lakers won the ‘08-‘09 and ‘09-‘10 NBA Championships

Lakers fans, don’t forget: your favorite team, led by Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, won back-to-back NBA titles just two seasons ago.  This will be paramount for all of us to remember over the next two weeks.

Why?  Because this Oklahoma City series could get ugly. 

The Thunder are younger, more athletic and have home court advantage.  In a cruel (and insanely stupid) twist of fate, the older Lakers, coming off a 7-game series with the Nuggets, will actually have to play back-to-back games in this Western Conference Semifinals. 

Kevin Durant won the NBA scoring title, while Russell Westbrook, who’s poised to feast on Lakers exceptionally weak PG defense, finished 5th in the league’s scoring race.  Kendrick Perkins is strong enough to battle Andrew Bynum in the post, Serge Ibaka is active enough to really bother Pau Gasol, and even Thabo Sefolosha does a relatively decent job on Kobe Bryant.  James Harden probably wants payback for the Artest elbow (presuming, of course, Artest doesn’t elbow him again) and Derek Fisher wants payback for the Derek Fisher trade.

Ya see, this isn’t setting up well.

On the other hand, while the Thunder live (and die) by jump shots, the Lakers have the better half-court offense (because they have the better - and only - post scorers in the series).  This will be important when games slow down, as they always do in the Playoffs (especially during 4th quarters).  In addition, the Lakers have more size, the Lakers might have the best guy in the league at defending Durant (Artest), and the Lakers definitely have the best guy in the league at elbowing players’ heads (Artest, again).

So, can the Lakers win this series?  Yes, but I seriously, seriously doubt it.  They’d have to be near perfect.  If you want a positive Laker fan, who’ll tell you everything’s going to be alright, there are a lot of them out there.  What I’m good at is telling the truth.  The Lakers are in for a fight, and they may not have the fighters any longer. 

(I’m actually better at commiserating with other angry fans - tweet me). 

Here’s the formula for a Lakers series win: 

• LA must steal Game 1.  The Thunder could be rusty with the layoff, while LA played just two days ago.  A win would force OKC to play from behind, in a must win Game 2, which could change their style.
• The Pau Gasol who showed up in Saturday’s Game 7 must show up to each and every game of the semifinals.  Matter of fact, “Game 7 Pau Gasol” should just kill the regular Pau Gasol, and assume his body, forever.
• Andrew Bynum must dominate, and be the difference in at least two games.  The Lakers will need their center to protect the rim from his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle-lookalike brethren, Russell Westbrook.  More importantly, the Lakers will need their center to help win the rebounding battle (without the rebounding edge, LA will surely lose).  All of this seems like a long shot, given his propensity for taking plays and entire games off.  We are talking about the guy who said this after a Playoff loss to Denver,

“I came out and tried to do well. Then obviously not getting the ball, it’s tough when you don’t get up shots.” - Bynum, on the Playoffs.

— Got ‘Em Coach (@GotEm_Coach) May 9, 2012

• Kobe needs to perfectly dance the line between big game scorer, and team facilitator.  He did a marvelous job in Game 7, but let’s face it, this guy is truly just wired to score the basketball.  22 and 7 (with 6-8 FTs per game) would be his sweet spot.
• The Laker bench needs to continue to surprise in the clutch.

If every single aforementioned thing actually happens, and the LA can avoid the injury bug/parasite David Stern unleashed on this league, I believe the Lakers can force a Game 7.  And as we all know, anything can happen in a Game 7.

But if Steve Blake’s jumper runs dry, and Pau Gasol starts loafing around the perimter, and Andrew Bynum disconnects because he’s not shooting enough, and Kobe Bryant gets angry, then tries to take over games, and Ramon Sessions continues to choke, and Ron Artest kills somebody, this could all be over quickly, and my twitter feed will be chock full of swear words and venom.

If that’s the case, Lakers fans please remember, your team, with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, just won back-to-back championships.  Remember the Ariza steals against Denver.  Remember the Fisher dagger over Jameer Nelson.  Remember Pau giving it to Kevin Garnett in Game 1, and remember Ron Ron giving the greatest post-game interview ever.  Remember Lamar and his candy, Phil and his hat, and Andrew fighting through injury, determined to matter in a Lakers’s championship.

Remember Kobe jumping up and down, and Kobe on the scorer’s table.

Who am I kidding?  I’ll be so angry if they lose.

#GotEmCoach

Game 1 tonight. TNT, 6:30 PT, 9:30 ET.

What are your predictions for the series?

gotemcoach:

#GotEmCoach

Faked the $#!* out of him.

lakerholicz:

Check out this great video by Lakerholic @LakerByNature - it’s his first attempt at a video, and it’s pretty good! All of this year’s main highlights (so far) are included.

(Source: lakerholicz)