Ball or Nuthin' » Lakers

Clippers Look Good on Paper, But…

T Lamont — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 05:29:43 +0000

A front-office that was unable to land any notable offseason acquisitions.

An organization that allowed a versatile veteran to migrate over to the reigning NBA champions for peanuts.

An organization that will be the laughing stock of the league.

If most of us were to choose the Los Angeles basketball franchise that best fits the descriptions above, we know which one we would usually choose.

But this winter, the aura surrounding these organizations would force us to reconsider what is routinely the status quo.

Let’s just take a peek at the peripheral of these teams:

Clippers – signed Caron Butler; gave up Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Chris Kaman, 2012 first-rounder for Chris Paul; signed Chauncey Billups

Lakers – lost Lamar Odom for a trade exception (and protected 1st round pick)

On a roster that’s aging, and focusing on providing Kobe Bryant with as many opportunities to line his trophy case with titles as possible, the Lake Show’s deportation of Odom seemed rather…stupid. Not only was Bryant vocal about the weirdness of the move, but now he’s coming up with ailments that, during any other circumstance, he would undoubtedly find a way to power through.

Add to that the fact that the Lakers came up short on making a deal for a talented point guard – something that they’ve publicly declared as a need years ago. Their need for playmaking has been so bad that Bryant was singing the praises of an over-the-hill Jason Kidd back in 2007, and – in case you forgot – had an expletive-filled tirade about them not letting go of a young Andrew Bynum to get him.

By contrast, the Clippers did something that they have seldom done in the past – they made a move to make them relevant right now. Of course, the presence of power forward phenom Blake Griffin provided the team with something to build on. Adding almost anything to him can yield relevance in a conference without a true favorite at this point, but Chris Paul is a lot more than almost anything.

However, perhaps the more impressive part of the Clippers’ haul was that they did not have to part ways with recently signed pieces Chauncey Billups or Caron Butler. And with scoring guards Mo Williams and Randy Foye coming off the pine, Los Angeles doesn’t seem to be short on the ability to put the ball in the basket.

The Clippers are loaded with offensive firepower.

In a Western Conference without a clear cut favorite, it’s pretty safe to say that the Clip Joint can definitely count on earning an invite into the playoff party this time around.

But how will they fare?

They may be able to skate through a first round matchup based on the superior collective talents of Paul, Griffin and Butler. However, as things stand now, prospects of any further advancement is quite gloomy – and here are the main reasons why:

- Lack of quality front court depth – Granted, there aren’t many quality bigs lingering throughout the NBA free agent market, but Los Angeles will need someone to spell Jordan and Griffin. As the Clips find themselves in battles against the conference’s tougher, more physical opponents (from Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Memphis, and that other L.A. team), they’ll need to become more strategic in their management of matchups to keep their top talents on the floor and out of foul trouble.

- No offensive cohesion – Thus far, the Clippers offense consists of a heavy dose of dribbling by Chris Paul, and a lot of watching from other offensively gifted players on the rster. The Clips are living off of their ability to get easy baskets from pushing the ball, but those opportunities will diminish exponentially when they play quality opponents (particularly in the postseason). Simply put, they are a team of players who are accustomed to being number one options on their rosters.

- Offensive philosophy needs tweaking – Seeing that it’s best position player thrives in this manner, it seems like a safe bet to assume that Los Angeles will primarily become a high screen and roll team. While it may make sense, there are two downfalls to it: (1) Blake Griffin will cap its effectiveness due to his extrememly limited range and (2) the Clippers’ other talented weapons will continue to be untapped resources. Thus, the team will need to plug in some offenses that incorporate movement to spread the wealth – allowing them to become less predictable and less dependent on Paul’s ability to lose his defender and draw the attention of other defenders.

Improving in these three areas will go a long way to ensuring that the Clippers can continue to be the most talked about team in L.A…in a way that they aren’t used to.

CP3 Proves New CBA Doesn’t Matter

T Lamont — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 04:26:48 +0000

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As the days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into months, it began to seem unlikely that NBA basketball would occur in 2011, or perhaps even 2012.

Thankfully, our summer of discontent is over.

Now that the league is about to officially resume business as usual, the media has initiated its continuous buzz of trade rumors.

And the new season, under a new collective bargaining agreement, is looking a lot like last season.

For those that need a refresher, the 2010-2011 NBA campaign afforded fans the luxury of seeing the formation of two ‘mega-teams:’ the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks.

Of course, tension erupted even before the season commenced with the departure of a certain two-time MVP from his native area. It appeared that LeBron James’ declaration to do whatever it takes to win a championship – meaning surround himself with comparable All-Star talent – struck a chord with other superstars across the league. So, after Chris Bosh announced his decision to join forces with Dwyane Wade in South Beach, it was clear that James was trying to do just that.

And while some may say that neither James nor Bosh forced their way out of town, others can argue that their play exemplified their eagerness to skip out of town.

But that was hardly the end of the trend.

From day one of the season, drama in Denver captivated the attention of even the most casual fan – as the Nuggets went through the gut-wrenching process of figuring out what to do with its franchise star, Carmelo Anthony. It was Anthony’s refusal to agree to a contract extension that clearly stated his intentions to entertain other potential destinations. And the end result: ‘Melo is now playing hoops alongside his former teammate Chauncey Billups and power forward stud Amare Stoudemire in his hometown of the Big Apple.

As the year wore on, there were sudden reports coming out of Utah of a rift between Jerry Sloan and perennial All-Star Deron Williams. The bottom line was that Williams wasn’t happy, and the Jazz management knew it. Rather than let him drag out his trade negotiations in a public fashion, Utah hastily shipped him to New Jersey for some fresh, young talent.

Paul has his sights set on bigger NBA markets.

With the scenario of players demanding their way out of organization lingering in mind, Chris Paul is at it once again.

It was about a year ago that the rumor mill began churning regarding Paul’s desire to play elsewhere, preferably New York. Almost predictably, his desire was to team with Anthony and Stoudemire to form another ‘big three’ with about as much star power as the one in Miami. Paul, attempting to massage his image a bit, backed off of his pressing and recoiled his request, stating that he was content in the Big Easy.

But, it was easy to see that a line had been drawn in the sand. CP3 was merely giving the front office time to get to work, and come up with a way to get him out of town.

What’s startling to me is the list of teams who have been mentioned as suitors for Paul – the Knicks, the Celtics and the Lakers. The fact that these three teams are first in line illustrates that last year’s trend is still alive and well. It also illustrates that a major factor in NBA labor negotiations – big-market versus small-market competitiveness – will remain an issue for the indefinite future.

In labor meetings, the owners reported that 22 of the league’s team were losing money, signifying a gap in the NBA’s teams based on their market and location. And with teams such as New York, Boston and Los Angeles being noted for their success and/or superstars on the hardwood, the prospect of adding another player that caliber of Chris Paul only figures to widen the gap that already exists.

Can New Orleans, Denver and Cleveland really compete with the likes of New York and Miami?

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Can Lakers and Celtics Rebound From Disappointment?

T Lamont — Thu, 19 May 2011 17:00:13 +0000

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For the first time in the past four NBA playoffs, neither the Los Angeles Lakers nor the Boston Celtics will assume starring roles in either of the conference finals.

Let’s take a look at each team and its ability to move forward from here:

Boston Celtics

Surprisingly, Boston remains in fairly good shape to be a major part of the playoff picture next season. Many figured this to be their last good run at a title. And with the oncoming of younger, more confident teams (Miami, Chicago) that may be true, but there are still six additional spots that’ll be up for grabs in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta, who bowed out in their typical fashion last night against Chicago, will continue to be inconsistent and, to a certain degree, uncoachable. New York should improve its conference standing with a full year of its own ‘big three’ on the court, but will they really become elite? And who knows what will happen in Orlando. Will Superman still be in the building?

Regardless of the standing of its opponents, Boston may have already made its most significant off-season move. Immediately following his team’s loss to the Heat in Game 5, Boston head coach Doc Rivers asserted his commitment to return to his position next season. Today, Rivers and the organization agreed to a 5-year contract extension. It is clear that Rivers has an unbreakable bond with this Celtic team – it is visible when he talks about them. His loyalty will undoubtedly be matched by the team’s most influential players – Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo.

Can Rondo and the Celtics get healthy enough to make some noise in the East?

Granted, time is not on Boston’s side. Next year, the team will be a year older, and three of its best performers are comfortably into their 30′s. But, if management can reload the roster with some interior size (which cost them dearly in their series loss to Miami) and explosive bench talent, there’s no reason to think that the Celtics won’t find a way to have home court advantage in the opening round of the 2012 playoffs.

Los Angeles Lakers

From a standpoint of roster potential, the sky is the limit for this team. Sure, they got waxed by the Mavericks. But however you slice it, the Lakers retain their daunting interior size, Lamar Odom coming off of the bench, and a fellow named Kobe Bryant.

However, Los Angeles has a tougher road ahead of it than does Boston.

Why?

Because they’ll be dealing with turnover in perhaps the most tumultuous position in the organization - the head coach.

The current edition of the Lakers is one that has publicly confessed its tendency to become complacent. Phil Jackson – generally noted as one of the game’s premiere motivators and a trailblazer when it comes to dealing with diverse personalities - was unable to minimize the supposed internal strife and keep them focuses on the task of three-peating. The situation begs the question:

If Jackson – an 11-time NBA championship head coach – can’t command the team’s attention, who can?

Was their drama between their women that contirbuted to an embarrassing performance?

There are several candidates currently in the running for the position, including Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw, former Rockets coach Rick Adelman, former NBA sharpshooter Chuck Person and former Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy. While some of the candidates on L.A.’s short list have better resumes than others, none of them have the authoritative presence that Jackson did.

The Lakers are a hotbed of drama, and the next coach will have to get a handle on the following:

The rumors of relationship meddling that may have caused a perceived rift between Bryant and Gasol
Andrew Bynum’s frustrated belief that he needs to be more of a central focus in the Los Angeles gameplan…and Kobe’s subsequent denial
Ron Artest’s role with the team

And these are just the surface-scratching issues that the new head man will have to tackle immediately. Who knows what else could develop with Jackson not around to babysit the huge egos on the team.

Fortunately for them, the Lakers still have one of the league’s most well-rounded rosters. That alone will keep them relevant. This is not a team that needs to be blown up.

It’s simply a ship that needs the right captain.

Dallas Convincingly Sweeps Los Angeles

T Lamont — Mon, 09 May 2011 04:00:57 +0000

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This was certainly not what we expected.

The Oklahoma City Thunder? Perhaps. The San Antonio Spurs? OK, we’d buy that.

But I’d attest that there was absolutely no one (at least in their sane mind) who believed that the Dallas Mavericks would defeat, and even sweep, the Los Angeles Lakers – who, mind you, had the home court advantage in the series.

Breaking down the box scores would be virtually useless in determining the demise of the Lakers. The reasons that the Mavs are headed to the Western Conference Finals is three-fold:

1. Phil Jackson did nothing to illustrate what many believe – that he is a coaching mastermind. The Mavericks stole Game 1, after a meltdown of unusual proportions from a team with an NBA championship pedigree. L.A. also let Game 3 slip out of its grasp late in the final quarter. And in a game that would be declared a must-win by sheer definition, the Lakers were dominated from the opening tip in Game 4. Nowitzki consistently damaged Los Angeles, but Jackson did nothing out of the ordinary to slow down the big German. P.J. has to take the fall for not making adjustments to prevent Dallas from taking full advantage of their sole mismatch. The Lakers knew that the Mavs would also rely heavily upon its shooting, and Dallas did so without much resistance. Wide open looks seemed to be the theme, and there is absolutely no excuse for that when a team is down 0-3 in the series. So, Jackson needs to bear his part for the lack of preparation, adjustment and motivation of his team.

2. Too much finger-pointing caused the Lakers to crack at the seams. With every loss, there’s a theme – Who’s to blame? Was it Kobe Bryant not passing the ball? Or not being aggressive enough? Was Pau Gasol playing too soft once again? Did the Lakers pound the paint and get production from Andrew Bynum? Was Derek Fisher too slow and old at the point? Was Lamar Odom too inconsistent? Reporters fire many questions away at losing teams, and its imperative that the responses don’t insinuate that the team’s weakness lies within any one specific player. Phil and his team often entertain these questions far more often than they should, damaging team chemistry and focus.

The Lakers' self-critical nature may have curtailed their attempt at a three-peat.

3. What was the Black Mamba doing? Kobe Bryant had an expected stat line in the series opener, putting up 36 points on 29 shots. But after somehow letting the Mavs walk out of the Staples Center victorious, the media attention shifted to focus on the fact that Bryant had zero assists – and that the Lakers weren’t exploiting their obvious advantage in the paint. Game 2, Kobe came out and gave a concentrated effort to distribute the ball – in particular passing the rock into the post. Even after falling short in Game 2, Bryant played with the same passiveness when the series moved to Dallas. Today, Mamba showed some signs of life in the first quarter (13 points), but the Mavericks had shot the Lakers out of the building by halftime. It almost seemed as if Bryant was pulling a Gilbert Arenas – not shooting the ball to spite his coach and his naysayers – as if to say “look what happens when I’m not aggressive”. In addition to that, Bryant failed to save the Lakers with his usual array of late-game heroics that we’ve been accustomed to. Clearly, there was something bothering Mamba, and I’m not buying that it was strictly the Dallas defense.

Although, we’ve become used to witnessing nothing but success from the Lakers, there’s certainly no reason to blow up this team. Their core of Bryant, Gasol, Bynum and Odom remains one of the best in the league based on their combination of size, skill and experience. A few pieces to increase the team speed and quality depth would help put L.A. back where we’re used to seeing them.

But as for now, enjoy two more rounds of the NBA postseason without Jackson and the Mamba.

Historically Speaking, The Lakers Are Toast

T Lamont — Sat, 07 May 2011 04:47:44 +0000

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We all know the history.

No team in the NBA has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in the NBA playoffs.

The Mavericks went home after upending the Lakers twice in Los Angeles, and pulled out another win.

It wasn’t so much the win itself, as it was the nature of the win. The Lakers seemed to have fully established control of the game, leading by seven with less than five minutes remaining in regulation. But Dirk came through. Peja came through. “The Jet” came through. But what was most interesting was who didn’t come through.

Since L.A.’s surprising Game 1 loss, the Black Mamba has been snake bitten.

After that game, pundits called Los Angeles out for not exploiting what seemed like its major advantage – their interior muscle. Acting as if he were a good boy scout, the efforts to play a more team-oriented brand of basketball was apparent in the next game. Game 2 came and went without Kobe really even getting a chance to fire his guns. In the post game interview, Bryant was frustrated, but still appeared to be confident – undoubtedly about his ability to play better (perhaps shifting into his more shooter friendly mode).

Well, tonight, Bryant had 17 points and 6 assists. But more importantly, Bryant has looked like a mere mortal in this series. Kobe has not been the player that we’ve become accustomed to witnessing make all of the big shots down the stretch. He made a couple against veteran Jason Kidd, but either missed or was unable to find the ball as the final seconds ticked away.

Mavericks superstar Dirk Nowitzki is definitely playing his best postseason basketball ever. He scoring in clutch situations, and making the right decisions when double-teams come his way.

The Mavs are one game away from a conference finals appearance.

Who’d have thought that this ‘soft’ bunch would have a chance?