Lakers Eliminated by Thunder

The Los Angeles Lakers are now out of the 2012 NBA Playoffs.

Like what happened last season, the Lakers have been eliminated from contention in the Western Conference semi-finals. But in stark  contrast the Dallas Mavericks' verteran savvy in 2011, it was the youth and energy of the Oklahoma City Thunder that the Lakers in.

Kobe Bryant did his best "back-against-the-wall" scoring performances with 42 points in Game 5, but it was clearly wasn't enough. Pau Gasol was more aggressive and scrapped inside the paint to get boards, but that also wasn't enough.

Not enough for sure-- definitely not against this version of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Lakers needed to execute for 48 minutes to have a chance in this series, not 45 or 46. There were breaks that would have swung the series completely in the Lakers favor, but faulty late-game execution led to its early exit in the playoffs.

I'm sure there will be plenty of soul-searching happening in the off-season for the Lakers and fans all over are looking for something to optimistic about, but right now for, it's easy to look at what just happened: another fruitless Lakers season.


Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

Odds Not in Lakers' Favor

Down 1-3, the odds are not looking good for the Los Angeles Lakers.

The last time the Lakers were down 1-3, they succumbed to the Boston Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals. If you ask me, this version of the Lakers team has yet to show a fight when down that deep. In this Western Semi-Final against the much improved Oklahoma City Thunder, I foresee a similar ending in the 2008 Finals.

Even in the NBA, only a few teams have recovered from a 1-3 series deficit, with the Lakers being a victim of the Phoenix Suns in 2006, when the Suns climbed out of a 1-3 hole behind Steve Nash.

If you ask the oddsmakers, the Lakers are not in good shape. The current line for the Lakers is 9/1, or 10%. That's pretty low, considering there are eight teams in the second round of the NBA playoffs. If you think about it, if all teams had equal chance to win the crown, the odds of one team winning is 12.5%

In any case, the quest for the franchise's 17th championship and Kobe Bryant's sixth ring is likely to end in the next few days.


Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

Lakers Squander Game 2 vs. Thunder

Seven points. Two minutes.

Usually, when those two are said in the same sentence, it usually means the winning team preserved the lead and kept the loser at bay.

However, Game 2 of the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Western Conference Semi-Finals, it was not the usual ending. The bad thing is that the Lakers were the ones that squandered the lead in the final two minutes and ended up in a 0-2 hole against the up-and-coming Thunder.

It's easy why people are already writing the Lakers off-- they have failed to execute in Games 1 and 2, with the latter game the more crucial as the team has struggled to win on the road all season.

Can the Lakers still even the series after the stops at Los Angeles?


Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

Lakers Get Blasted by Thunder in Game 1

Somewhere in Oklahoma City, Derek Fisher is smiling.

In Game 1 of the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder,  the Lakers lost in humbling fashion to a team that's well-rested and very eager to exact revenge-- Fisher included.

Derek Fisher was sent packing to Houston during the trade deadline and was moved to OKC soon after. Fisher played quality minutes behind Russell Westbrook, who played almost flawlessly in the initial game. With the Lakers failing to stop the perimeter play of the Thunder, and their seemingly fatigued performance, the outcome was pretty much expected as early as the first half ended.

Can the Lakers even the series in Game 2?

I think so, but this has to do with more perfect execution on the defensive side, such as:

• Preventing Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook open looks 15 feet from the rim
• Disrupting the Thunder's offensive flow (forcing 4 turnovers won't cut it)
• Better face up defense without giving too many free throws (The Lakers gave up 24 free throw attempts)

I can make this list longer but the bottomline is defending better in Game 2.

Otherwise, Fisher may end up getting Championship Ring #6 ahead of former teammate Kobe Bryant.


Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

Lakers On the Verge of An Epic Playoff Meltdown

WTF, Lakers?

Just last week ago, the Hoops world was already anticipating a massive matchup between you and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Now, you're just one loss away from repeating the 2006 playoff debacle where you squandered a 3-1 series lead.

What the heck happened to your defense? In Games 5 and 6, you let the Denver Nuggets score an average of 107.5 points on 49% shooting. (And people say playoff basketball is more grind it out).

Ugh, this is really a frustrating time to be a Los Angeles Lakers fan.


Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

Lakers Fail to Close Out Nuggets in Game 5

OK, fine. I was wrong.

I predicted a 4-1 series win for the Los Angeles Lakers, but JaVale Mcgee and Andre Miller of the Denver Nuggets had a different idea of how the first reound series would go.

A furious fourth quarter rally and Kobe Bryant's 43 points weren't enough to lift the Lakers in their fifth game against Nuggets, losing 102-99 in Los Angeles.

McGee and Miller punished the Lakers inside with drives and dunks in the fourth quarter, even pushing the Nuggets' lead to 15 in the 8-minute mark. As I watched the game, I was really frustrated how the Lakers failed to get key stops, particualrly preventing Miller from going to the hoop, in the final quarter. Miller scored 10 of his 24 points in that stretch.

And get me going about Andrew Bynum's statement about "easy" close-out games:

"Close-out games are actually kind of easy," Bynum said. "Teams tend to fold if you come out and play hard in the beginning, so we want to come out and establish an early lead and protect it."

Sheesh.


Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

Dagger 3's Sink Nuggets in Game 4

The Los Angeles Lakers bounced back from a terrible playoff loss to win Game 4 with the help from a couple of key three-pointers in the final minute.

Laker point guards Steve Blake and Ramon Sessions both hit dagger three's that eventually made the difference in the tightly contested Game 4. That game saw several lead changes throughout and neither team controlled till the final stretch.

Apart from the point guard duo, the Lakers also got quality minutes from power forward Jordan Hill, who got double-double (12 points, 11 rebounds) off the bench.

The Lakers' bench picked up some its scoring after finishing 26 points for the game. This is a big improvement since the subs averaged 13 points in the previous three games.

Game 5 will swing back to Los Angeles where the Lakers will look to advanced to the Western Conference Semi-Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.


Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

Lakers Fail in Game 3 against Nuggets

Argh, I knew it.

I had an inkling that the Los Angeles Lakers would drop Game 3 of their first-round NBA playoff match-up against the Denver Nuggets.

The Lakers were vulnerable in Denver in the regular season and I was somewhat anticipating some sort of struggle in the series swing to the Mile High City. I've even blogged about what the Lakers should do to win Game 3, but things didn't pan out-- the Lakers lost 99-84.

Let me revisit those three keys I mentioned:

• Avoid the speed trap - Honestly, I think the game was lost in the first quarter. The Lakers gave up 30 points to their 14 points and let the Nuggets run like madmen. By the time second quarter rolled in, the Lakers found themselves in a 41-17 hole and were never able to catch up.
• Take care of the ball - You know who took care of the ball? The Denver Nuggets. They only had 5 turnovers for the game and forced the Lakers to 15 turnovers.
• Bynum bash - Andrew Bynum finished with 18 points, but in the critical first half, he had ZERO. 'Nuff said.

I wasn't expecting a sweep, but I do expect the Lakers to learn from this game and win Games 4 and 5.


Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

Keys to a Lakers Win on Game 3

After pretty good performances in Games 1 and 2, the Los Angeles Lakers are looking to go up 3-0 against the Denver Nuggets in their first round playoff series.

If the Lakers are to put the Nugs on the brink, here are some points I think are needed to make that happen:

• Avoid the speed trap - It's no secret: the Nuggets are at their best when they run with the ball and give everyone a chance to score in transition. Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson is starting to play better and slash through the Lakers' defense. The Lakers must put the brakes on Lawson (and the whole Denver team, for that matter) by playing more grind-it-out hoops.
• Take care of the ball - What feeds the Denver fast attack? Turnovers. The Lakers were extra sloppy with the ball against the Nuggets and if they can avoid turning the ball over, this will limit the Nuggets' opportunities in running.
• Bynum bash - In the regular season, the Lakers leading scorer against the Nuggets was Andrew Bynum. It's crucial to keep the big guy involved in the offense and keep him committed to playing heavy D.

The Lakers are up 2-0 and if they can keep focus and not get too relaxed, Game 3 will be a cinch.


Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

Andrew Bynum Swats Nuggets in Game 1

The BIG story for Game 1 for the Los Angeles Lakers' win against the Denver Nuggets was Andrew Bynum.

Bynum recorded a rare triple double: 10 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 blocks. It was the last statistic that really made the difference for the team. Bynum altered plenty of shots (I read in ESPN that Bynum affected around 20+ shots in the game) and was a factor in slowing down the fast-paced Denver offense.

Think about it for a moment: the Nuggets close to 48% field goal percentage in the regular season and in Game 1, they only shot 35%. The main reason for that would be Bynum's affected shot attempts (whether blocked or made the shooter alter his shot).

If the Bynum keeps this up, this is going to be a short series.


Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

Lessons from Derrick Rose's Season Ending Injury

After the first few games of the NBA playoffs, one thing is on my mind: playoff strategy in giving playing time to NBA superstars.

The NBA is a business and it has the responsibility for giving the basketball fans what they want-- and that is a competitive game with the superstars on them. Teams, therefore, should do their best to win games (*cough*Bobcats Tank*cough*). If that means putting the team's best players and stars on the floor during the games, especially in the playoffs.

In the case of the Chicago Bulls, coach Tom Thibideau insisted on playing Derrick Rose in the final minutes of their series opener against the Philadelphia 76ers, even though the game was going into Chicago's favor. In the final minute of the game, Rose tore his ACL and would be out for the rest of the post-season.

We all know tickets prices for the Los Angeles Lakers are some of the most expensive in the NBA and it gets harder to buy tickets when the playoffs come. (If you're looking to find floor seats to the Lakers, good luck-- they're all probably sold out.) So you'd expect the team, particularly Lakers coach Mike Brown to maximize Kobe Bryant to playoff victory.

In the NBA's shortened season, that is going to dangerous territory.

Kobe missed seven games late in the regular season and I think the Lakers should be cautious in playing him 38-40 minutes a game in the playoffs. The better move looks like relying on Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol on the post (like giving them around 30+ field goal attempts per game) and giving Kobe around 32-35 minutes per game.

I'm not saying the Lakers should stifle Kobe, but rather save enough of his energy to go deep in the playoffs. NBA folks know the conditioning regimen that Kobe is going through, but 16 seasons and over 1,300 games (regular and post-season) should get folks scared a bit.


Technorati: NBA

Lakers to Face Nuggets in First Round

So it's confirmed: the Los Angeles Lakers will face the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 2012 NBA Playoffs.

If you ask me, this is good news for the Lakers.

In my first round playoffs preview, I predicted that the Lakers would win the first round if they went up against the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers have the size, but the Nuggets will counter with a faster pace and precision shooting.

However, we all knw that NBA offenses tahe a dip in the post-season and the Nuggets are poised to face roadblocks in the paint with the Lakers bigs.

Bottomline: The Lakers are favored, but should be wary of surprises the Nuggets will throw at them.


Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

Lakers 2012 NBA Playoffs First Round Preview

It's hard to believe that the 2012 NBA Playoffs is already next week. It's probably because of the compressed 66-game season and the Los Angeles Lakers have only had their first Metta World Peace incident just last week.

The Lakers are sitting comfortably at third place in the Western Conference, following the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder. The team was able to finalize their seeding in their win against the Thunder last week (the infamouse World Peace elbow game).

The Lakers' first round opponent is still to be determined as the Denver Nuggets and the Dallas Mavericks have yet to lock-up their respective playoff positions. So for this 2012 NBA Playoffs first round preview for the Lakers, I'll take a look at both potential opponents.

Denver Nuggets

The Lakers have a 3-1 advantage over the Nuggets in their regular season match-up and this is looks good for the Lakers on paper.

The Nuggets don't have the size to go up against the Lakers' frontline tandem of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, and it doesn't help that the Nugs sent Nene to the Washington Wizards last February for the less intimidating Javale McGee.

Nuggets forwards Danilo Gallinari and Al Harrington will get minutes trying to stretch the floor (Harrington has averaged 20+ in the teams' last two meetings), and they may fare even better with World Peace suspended for six games in the playoffs.

But what the Lakers need to worry more about is the Nuggets backcourt. Ty Lawson and Andre Miller have run circles around the Lakers' point guards and this means Ramon Sessions and Steve Blake have to step up their games.

The Nuggets have the NBA's best-scoring offense and team assists per game, and this means that they play at a fast rate and share the ball. Personally, I these metrics will take a hit in the playoffs as I foresee the Lakers to tighten the screws on defense come playoff time.

Prediction: Lakers in 5

Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks have to demonstrate their championship mettle this season against the Lakers (the Mavs were swept by the Lakers in the regular season). This bodes very well for the the Lakers.

The players that killed the Lakers last season (J.J. Barea and Tyson Chandler) have left the Mavericks and this will put a lot more weight on the shoulders of Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, and Jason Terry to lead the Mavs.

Unfortunately for the Mavs trio, it will be an uphill climb, which is more like scaling a high wall. The Lakers will use their size advantage to frustrate their optential opponents and clog the lanes to prevent the slashing to the hoop. The only chance the Mavs have is if their outside shooting floats in the 50% range.

I am not the only one who thinks the Dallas Mavericks will not repeat as NBA champs this season and I think the Lakers will avenge their defeat, should the two teams meet in the first round.

Prediction: Lakers in 6


Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

2011 NBA Playoffs - Finals Predictions

My prediction accuracy improved in the last round, where I correctly predicted winners of the two NBA Conference Finals. This brings my 2011 ESPN Stat Geek Smackdown score to 59, good for third if I were part of the pool of predictors.

Out of the fourteen NBA playoffs series so far, I have gotten ten correct, good for 71% accuracy.

Now on to the big stage: the 2011 NBA Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat.

I think the Heat are peaking at the right moment, with LeBron James playing out of his mind in the last few games. Chris Bosh is also getting comfortable as the unsung third cog in a two-star system. Defense-wide, the Heat have issues and this is key on how Dirk Nowitzki will exploit his match-ups.

That said, I want the Mavericks to win because I feel Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd are due to get their rings, but I think Miami will over-power the Mavs. My prediction: Heat in 6.

Welcome to the Miami Heat era of the NBA.


Technorati: NBA

2011 NBA Playoffs - Conference Finals Predictions

I kinda flamed out in my last set of predictions. Out of the four series, I only only got two correct and I didn't get any of the number of games correct.

If we'll take the 2011 ESPN Stat Geek Smackdown as reference, my running score would be 49 (I got a total of 39 from my first round predictions).

Who will win the conference Finals? Here are my picks:

Eastern Conference:

• Chicago Bulls (1) vs. Miami Heat (2): Heat in 7

Western Conference:

• Dallas Mavericks (3) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (4): Mavericks in 6

I'm seeing a rematch of the 2006 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks this coming June.


Technorati: NBA Playoffs

Is it Time to Write the Lakers Off?

I was wrong.

I thought the Los Angeles Lakers would win in their second round match-up against the Dallas Mavericks in six games. Halfway that number of games, the Lakers are down 0-3.

Nobody thought that the Lakers would have monumental collapses in the first three games of their series. First, it was the blown 16 point lead, then it was letting the Mavs go to a late run in the second game, then the last was letting the Mavs shoot themselves back in Game 3 in the fourth quarter.

The common denominator in the first three games? The Lakers were outplayed in the fourth quarter.

With a 0-3 hurdle the team is facing, it's time to bring up the obvious: this version of the Lakers team is done. History is not on their side as no team in the NBA's history has climbed from a three-game deficit in a seven game series.

Is it time to write the Lakers off? Yes, I believe this is a good time to do that.


Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

Weak 4th Quarter Doomed Lakers in Game 1 vs. Mavs

The Los Angeles Lakers as chokers? Choking has not been a work associated with the Lakers and this is bad time to attract that label.

The Lakers lost against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of their second round match-up because the couldn't close. It's as simple as that.

Whether it's Kobe Bryant's missed three in the dying seconds, the careless fouls that led to Dirk Nowitzki shooting freebies, or the costly turnovers that let the door open for the Mavs in the final minute. These make a good study for closing games in a weak manner.

As a fan, I was expecting the Lakers to learn from their mistakes against the New Orleans Hornets in the previous series. The team did play well in the first thirty minutes of the game and were on their way to a comfy home win but the lead crumbled. By the time the fourth quarter started, momentum had shifted to the Mavs.

In the final quarter, the Lakers only managed 16 points on seven field goals. Seven! This output is the worst fourth quarter the Lakers have had in the 2011 NBA playoffs. Someone kick me in the shin right now.

But this is still a seven-game series. The Lakers have more opportunities to give Andrew Bynum more involvement in the offense, put Ron Artest back into the flow, and Pau Gasol to find his spine back.


Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

LA Lakers-Dallas Mavericks Match-up Preview

Image via Wikipedia

I'm very much looking forward to the second round match-up of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 NBA Playoffs. Why? Mainly because it the Mavs are a team that the Lakers haven't met in their previous championship runs.

But how do the teams stack up against each other? Here are my key points for the playoff series:

• Mavs must pick their poison in defending Kobe - Kobe Bryant has had success against the Mavs in the past and this series will continue that trend. In the perimeter defensive roles, Dallas can throw Jason Kidd, DeShawn Stevenson, and Shawn Marion to defend Kobe. The Matrix can probably make it hard for Kobe, but that means leaving Ron Artest against smaller defenders inside. In the Hornets series, Artest showed that he can produce in the paint.
• Dirk will prowl the perimeter - Did you see how Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol crowd the lane in the Hornets series? The same will happen in this round and this means that Mavs All-Star Dirk Nowitzki will dwell in the perimeter to get his baskets.
• Sixth Man battles - The series also features two of the last three winners of the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award: Lamar Odom of the Lakers and Jason Terry of the Mavericks. While both have different playing styles, each of them are expected to bring offensive spark off the bench. Which sixth man will help his team more?
• Euro Big Men - I'm also looking forward to the match-up of the two best European players in the league right now: Gasol and Nowtizki. I expect Pau to cover Dirk a few times in the game (I expect Odom to defend Dirk from the outside). Looking at the NBA Statscube, Dirk has struggled a bit when Pau Gasol is on the floor.
• Mark Cuban versus Phil Jackson - Apart from the battles that will be fought on the basketball court, I'm expecting some zinging happening outside. The outspoken owner of the Mavs has history against the Lakers coach and I'm sure we'll read a lot of quotables from the two.

If the Lakers continue to play solid defense and make it hard on the Dirk Nowitzki it will be a short series. As I've mentioned in my second round NBA Playoffs predictions, I'm expecting the Lakers to win in 6.


Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

2011 NBA Playoffs - Second Round Predictions

The first round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs is officially done and we only saw a couple of upsets: The East's #5 Atlanta Hawks beating the #4 Orlando Magic, and the West's #8 Memphis Grizzlies eliminating the #1 San Antonio Spurs.

As far as my predictions are concerned, I did pretty OK: I correctly predicted six out of eight series and getting four series with the right number of games. If I were a betting man, I would have won a handsome pot with my predictions. If I scored using ESPN's Stat Geek Smackdown system, I scored 38, besting the 36 scored by Benjamin Morris for the first round.

With the second round starting in a few days, here are my predictions for the four series:

Eastern Conference:

• Chicago Bulls (1) vs. Atlanta Hawks (5): Bulls in 5
• Miami Heat (2) vs. Boston Celtics (3): Celtics in 7

Western Conference:

• Los Angeles Lakers (2) vs. Dallas Mavericks (3): Lakers in 6
• Oklahoma City Thunder (4) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (8): Thunder in 6

I'm predicting a Bulls-Celtics match-up in the Eastern Conference and a Lakers-Thunder final for the Western Conference.

What do you think? Are my predictions far from yours?


Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

What We've Learned about the Lakers-Hornets Match-up So Far

The first round match-up between the Los Angeles Lakers and the New Orleans Hornets is knotted at 2-2 as of this writing and many people are surprised. Except for me.

I predicted that the Lakers will need six games to eliminate the pesky hornets. Why? Because the Lakers have struggled in the first round of the playoffs in the last five years. Their record of 16-11 in the first round of the NBA playoffs since 2006 says something about the team's slow start in the post-season.

Another thing we're seeing right now is the Lakers' inability to contain top flight point guards.One only needs to look at how Tony Parker, Mike Bibby, Steve Nash, and Chris Paul run around the Lakers' defense. Paul has been superb in this first round, reminding point guards everywhere that playing the Lakers will make you look Hall of Fame-worthy.

One thing I've been surprised with is the Lakers' vulnerability with injuries four games into the playoffs. Andrew Bynum had his customary injury scare, but Kobe Bryant has been bothered by a bum ankle. If the Lakers are to win it all this year, they have to overcome health issues, apart from the strong opponents.

Finally, NBA Sixth Man of the Year Lamar Odom has shone flashes, but he hasn't been as effective against the smallish Hornets frontline. The same can be said against Pau Gasol. In the last four games, the two Lakers forwards have been very disappointing across the board, considering that they are capable of doing much more damage.

Game 5 will be a couple of hours from now and we shall see if the Lakers will bounce back.


Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers