<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> LOS ANGELES So back to what Kobe Bryant was saying about wanting veteran help.</p> Andrew Bynum made a colossal mistake on the game's final play of the Lakers' 102-100 loss to the New Jersey Nets on Sunday night at Staples Center, misreading Phil Jackson's diagram to set up a potential winning shot for Derek Fisher's hot hand.</p> Bynum's error spoiled an otherwise strong night for him and resulted in the Lakers settling for a contested three-point miss from Vladimir Radmanovic at the buzzer; he was hardly the Lakers' preferred shooter given he had missed all nine shots he tried.</p> The confusion also meant Bryant's missed foul shot with 6.1 seconds left that would have forged a 101-101 tie — after he made all 15 other free-throw attempts in the game — cost the 7-6 Lakers dearly in a third consecutive loss.</p> Bynum accepted responsibility afterward.</p> <font size="4">"Honestly when we drew up the play, I thought that I was supposed to set the pick for Vlade for the three," Bynum said.</font></p> "Really, he (Jackson) wanted me to face the ball and get it on the inbound — you know how the defense falls asleep — and then Fish steps back inbounds and I was supposed to give it right back. But the way he (Jackson) diagrammed it, I thought I was supposed to set the pick for Vlade."</p> Jackson's way might have worked perfectly if Bynum had gone to get the inbound pass and given the ball to Fisher, who made 8 of 10 shots on the night for a season-high 20 points.</p> New Jersey's Antoine Wright left Fisher, the inbounder, to double-team Bryant at the top of the floor, so Fisher would have been wide open.</p> Jackson acknowledged he wanted Bynum to get the ball on the play.</p> "We were hoping it could be Drew, actually, to be honest with you," Jackson said. "He had a 4- or 5-inch advantage on the guy who was in the post. But it's a multiple situation. Kobe's the hot guy, the key guy, but if they chase him, someone's open."</p> Bryant walked off the floor with his palms up in helplessness, looking Jackson's way. It made for a difficult loss against Bynum's hometown team, the Nets, who would have traded Jason Kidd to get Bynum last spring with Bryant's hearty stamp of approval.</p> The improved Bynum (12 points, 13 rebounds) had an active night with three blocks and three steals against a steady diet of pick-and-rolls from New Jersey. Kidd (15 points, 14 assists, eight turnovers) did plenty but surrendered back-to-back 3-pointers to Bryant in the Lakers' rally in the final minutes.</p> After Bryant made those two shots, the Nets swarmed him next time, and he passed to Sasha Vujacic for a 3-pointer that gave the Lakers a 96-94 lead with 1:28 left.</p> But the Lakers defense couldn't hold, Bryant threw the ball away trying to make another pass to Vujacic, and Bryant missed a go-ahead jumper with 13 seconds left.</p> Still, the Lakers could have tied the score after Bryant drew a three-shot foul from Kidd, but Bryant made two foul shots and then missed the third.</p> "Making three in a row is not easy," Jackson said.</p> Bryant (31 points) missed 13 of his first 16 shots from the field and didn't score in the second or third quarter.</p> While he rested to start the fourth quarter of a 72-72 game, the second unit of Bynum, Radmanovic, Vujacic, Luke Walton and Jordan Farmar let New Jersey take a 10-point lead.</div></p> Source: OC Register</p> What's wrong with these guys?</p>
I figured that either Kobe or Fish would shoot the ball, so it was pretty surprising to see Vlade jack on up.</p> Well, you can't put all the blame on Bynum. He's still in the learning process.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kidd)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> I figured that either Kobe or Fish would shoot the ball, so it was pretty surprising to see Vlade jack on up.</p> Well, you can't put all the blame on Bynum. He's still in the learning process.</p> </div></p> I don't blame Bynum for the loss, but that's bonehead for him to come out of the huddle and not know what he's supposed to be doing out there.</p> The Lakers should have never been in the position to jack up a game winner after leading by 12 points at halftime. I put the majority of the blame on PJax and his lame ass rotations. This team is too, young and weak minded to handle his unconventional coaching methods. His experimenting worked in the past with the Bulls and Championship Laker teams because he had veteran players who understood basic basketball fundamentals. This current group isn't seasoned enough to adjust to his rotation shuffling.</p> We won 5 games and then PJax mixes things up and we drop 3 in a row. This team is exactly like last season, INCONSISTENT and I'm starting to feel a big part of our inconsistency is coming from the Zen Master.</p> </p>
I don't know, I don't blame Rad for shooting.</p> Time was running out and it was put up or shut up so he made the right decision to shoot it. Fisher should have been out there though, Farmar should have inbounded.</p>
obviously PJax wasnt clear enough about what he wanted to happen. it is a coaches responsibility to make sure all of the players on thier team understand fully what will happen and who does what.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (GM3)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> I don't know, I don't blame Rad for shooting.</p> Time was running out and it was put up or shut up so he made the right decision to shoot it. Fisher should have been out there though, Farmar should have inbounded.</p> </div></p> That was exactly what I was thinking. Fisher had a terrific shooting night. And Kobe had been red hot in the 4th quarter.</p> </p> </p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>I don't blame Bynum for the loss, but that's bonehead for him to come out of the huddle and not know what he's supposed to be doing out there.</div></p> Reminds me of Nate Robinson.</p> </p> What I don't understand is why he didn't call a timeout when the Nets went on that 10-0 run. He wanted the Lakers to adjust and run through it, but it's not like he had the players on the floor that could do that. That definitely cost them the game.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kidd)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> What I don't understand is why he didn't call a timeout when the Nets went on that 10-0 run. He wanted the Lakers to adjust and run through it, but it's not like he had the players on the floor that could do that. That definitely cost them the game.</p> </div></p> That's Phil Jackson for ya. That's one of the reasons why I don't think he's a good fit with this squad. He likes playing his little mind games and he likes having our players "work out" their difficulties on the floor by themselves. Unfortunately this team is too young and too inexperienced to do that. It's already been three season (entering his fourth), and I'm still amazed that Phil continues to do these little mind games on our player when it's been proven time and time again that these players are not smart enough to realize anything he's doing.</p>
They called back to back TOs too, which left them with no TOs to call when it was realized that Bynum was lost.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jumpman)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> Radman was already 0-10 on the night. Why on earth would you let him shoot it?</p> </div></p> </p> Why would you keep him in the game at all? Shoulda subbed him out for Sasha.</p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (notMuchgame)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> They called back to back TOs too, which left them with no TOs to call when it was realized that Bynum was lost.</div></p> Yeah, that's what I was confused about when Phil called that last timeout. I was like wtf? They just called one, they're making an inbounds play...what coach in their right minds calls 2 timeouts in a row in that situation?</p>
