GT: LA Lakers v. NOH Hornets

<table class="gamePreview">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" class="center">November 6th, 2007 @ 7:30pm EST
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Fox Sports West,</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="center">


New Orleans Hornets
(3-0)</p>
</td>
<td class="center">


Los Angeles Lakers
(2-1)</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="sectHeader">
<td colspan="2">
<h4>Projected Lineup</h4>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="roster">
<td>


Paul #3 - Peterson #9</p>



Stoyakovic #16 - Chandler #6 - West #30</p>
</td>
<td>


Fisher #2 - Bryant #24</p>



Walton #4 - Brown #54 - Turiaf #21</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="sectHeader">
<td colspan="2">
<h4>Season Stats</h4>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="seasonStats">
<td>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="strong">Scoring</td>
<td>110.3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="strong">Field Goal %</td>
<td>51.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="strong">3-Point %</td>
<td>35.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="strong">Rebounds</td>
<td>43.7</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="strong">Assists</td>
<td>23.7</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
<td>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="strong">Scoring</td>
<td>103.3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="strong">Field Goal %</td>
<td>48.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="strong">3-Point %</td>
<td>41.4%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="strong">Rebounds</td>
<td>45.7</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="strong">Assists</td>
<td>22.0</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="sectHeader">
<td colspan="2">
<h4>Team Leaders</h4>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="seasonStats">
<td>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="strong">Points</td>
<td>Bryant 31.3 PPG</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="strong">Rebounds</td>
<td>Bynum 8.7 RPG</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="strong">Assists</td>
<td>Walton 4.3 APG</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
<td>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="strong">Points</td>
<td>Paul 18.7 PPG</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="strong">Rebounds</td>
<td>Chandler 13.7 RPG</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="strong">Assists</td>
<td>Paul 9.7 APG</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="sectHeader">
<td colspan="2">
<h4>Key Matchups</h4>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="keyMatchups">
<td> - The heart and soul of the Lakers frontcourt has been Ronny Turiaf in the first three games. He's doing a great job of defending high scoring power forwards in Marion and Boozer, and he'll have to shutdown West tonight. Turiaf has also been doing on the offensive end with some beautiful passes in the Triangle offense, and also making the right cuts to the rim when Kobe drives in and Turiaf's man leaves him. The only flaw for Ronny has been foul trouble. Turiaf will have the task of shutting down David West, who's been a thorn in the Lakers side the last two seasons. West doesn't play much in the post and prefers to shoot the ball from 17 feet and out. Hopefully the Lakers have practiced with Turiaf defending Cook and Radman the last couple of days, because they play a similar game to West. Fortunately for the Lakers, Tyson Chandler isn't a post threat offensively and the Lakers have to refrain from double teaming Chandler and leaving their man. If Turiaf just focuses on shutting down West, he'll take away a major piece of the Hornets offense.</td>
<td> - David West has been a Laker killer the last two seasons. I'm not sure if the Lakers don't have adequate information on how he plays, or they just aren't used to a PF being able to shoot the way West does, but he's always wide open draining baskets. The Lakers pick and roll defense has been much improved, but they are still having problems rotating along the perimeter if a team makes the extra pass. Against Utah Mehmet Okur had a lot of wide open looks, but just couldn't execute. If the Lakers give West those same looks he could have another big game against us.</td>
</tr>
<tr class="sectHeader">
<td colspan="2">
<h4>Keys to the Game</h4>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="keyStrategy">
<td>
<ul>[*]Contain Chris Paul - This will be the third game in a row DFish has the task of shutting down an All-Star caliber point guard. His defense was outstanding against Steve Nash, decent against Deron Williams, and will have to above average again tonight. Fisher got off to a terrible start in the Utah game offensively missing his first 7 shots. He has to use his size tonight to get Paul in the post and slow him down. Fisher does a nice job of directing a player into the double teams and the Lakers are improving their trapping defense. I also expect to see a lot more Jordan Farmar tonight defending Chris Paul. He's quicker than Fisher and has done a good job in the past staying in front of Chris Paul.
[*]Ball Movement - Two straight games the Lakers have been unselfish and highly efficient on offense. They are shooting a ridiculous 51.7% from the field as a team as a result of all the passing and smart decision making. This must continue tonight against the Hornets to prevent them from running the fastbreak. Making baskets will allow the Lakers to set their defense and slow the game down. The Hornets don't have anyone who demands attention in the post, but they do have 4 guys on the court who can stroke it. The Lakers have to make crisp passes and bait Chandler into going for the shot block and then dumping it off to a wide open Kwame or Bynum in the post. Chandler loves going for the highlight blocks and he often gets out of position in doing so. The Lakers have to take advantage of his over aggressiveness in the paint.
[*]Bench Mob - The 2nd unit has been the unsung hero for the Lakers the past two games. They've held their own agains the opposing teams bench, and haven't fallen apart like they did last year. They have to keep the same intesity tonight and be aware of who the Hornets have on the court. Bobby Jackson is the main scoring threat for the Hornets off the bench so the defensive focus needs to be on him. BJax is a volume shooter and doesn't think twice about getting his shot off. The Lakers cannot allow him to get hot from the perimeter, and they can't allow him to have easy layups. If necessary they need to send his butt to the hardwood and rattle him up. A frustrated Bobby Jackson is good news for the Lakers because he's one of the best at shooting his team out of a game. The Lakers 2nd unit needs to go for 35 to 40 tonight.[/list]
</td>
<td>
<ul>[*]Rebound & Run - Last season the Hornets gave the Lakers a lot of problems when they rebounded the basketball and initiated the fastbreak immediately. The Lakers didn't have the team speed and athleticism to get back and defend the high flyers running the lanes. The Hornets did lose Desmond Mason over the summer, but their front court players run the floor like gazelles and Peja is one of the best at pulling up for 3 point shots on the break. The Lakers have made a concerted effort of attacking the rim, which leaves them a man short in the backcourt. The Hornets have to rebound the ball well and commit to sprinting hard up the court to get the man advantage for easy baskets.
[*]Defend the Paint - The Lakers are doing a lot of damage in the post this season and are making a living at the free throw line. Tyson Chandler is a fantastic defensive anchor, but if he gets into early foul trouble chasing the ball and trying to make up for his teammates defensive mistakes all night long the Hornets are going to get run out of Staples. Andrew Bynum has been wrecking teams off the bench and the Lakers two-headed center is producing unbelievable numbers. The combination of Bynum/Kwame are averaging 16 points and 16 rebounds for the Lakers on 61% field goal percentage. The Hornets and other teams in the league need stop worrying about employee #24 and start paying attention to the Laker bigs.
[*]Get Peja Involved - Peja Stoyakovic has been another Laker killer in the past. Chris Paul needs to create easy baskets for him and Byron Scott needs to run some plays for Peja to get some open layups. Peja moves very well without the ball and can get hot very fast if you get him easy baskets early in a game. The Hornets cannot affored for Peja to be a liability on both ends of the floor. The Lakers are definitely going to go after him on defense by posting Luke Walton up and running the offense through him.[/list]
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="sectHeader">
<td colspan="2">
<h4>Prediction</h4>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="prediction">
<td colspan="2">The Hornets are undefeated and just came off an impressive win against the Denver Nuggets. I'm actually glad they are coming in here with a win streak and some hype. The Lakers have a bad habit of overlooking teams, who they don't feel are on the same level as the other premiere teams in the West. With the Hornets off to a quick start the Lakers should be focused to give them their first loss of the season and will continue their efforts to play hard for the entire game. If the Lakers win tonight they will have reached their goal of winning 3 of their first 5 games before Odom returns to the lineup. A lot of people predicted the Lakers to be 0-3 at this point, so getting off to a 3-1 start with Minnesota coming up on Friday will give this young Laker team plenty of confidence for next week's rough schedule. The Lakers cannot get ahead of themselves tonight, but the 2nd unit should be extra motivated tonight. With Odom coming back there won't be as many minutes available to some of these guys unless they prove to the coaching staff they deserve to be on the court. I don't see any reason for the Lakers to have a letdown tonight and I expect them to win by a comfortable double digit margin again. I think the Lakers have a ridiculous size and strength advantage against this Hornets team at every position.</td>
</tr>
<tr class="sectHeader">
<td colspan="2">


</p>
<h4>Randoms</h4>



<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4hi-h160mXs&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4hi-h160mXs&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object></p>


RONNY TURIAF - PASSION!</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</p>

 

I'll have the keys to the game and the key matchup done before tipoff. Enjoy the Ronny Turiaf video, it gets you AMPED UP for the game!</p>

 

Updated. Let's squash some bugs tonight Laker style!</p>

</p>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p>

Records: Lakers 2-1; Hornets 3-0
Offensive ratings: Lakers 107.9; Hornets 108.5
Defensive ratings: Lakers 100.3; Hornets 94.1
Projected Starting Lineups: Lakers: Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Luke Walton, Ronny Turiaf, Kwame Brown
Hornets: Chris Paul, Mo Peterson, Peja Stojakovic, David West, Tyson Chandler</p>

Lakers Notes: Andrew Bynum is off to a hot start &mdash; after three games his PER is higher than Kobe&rsquo;s &mdash; and we&rsquo;ve all been quick to heap well-deserved praise on him for his off-season conditioning work and his more aggressive attitude. But something overlooked is what a good job the Laker guards (plus Walton) are doing getting him the ball in a position where he can succeed. If Andrew has to give up a lot of position to get the possession, he becomes less effective. His length makes him unstoppable near the hoop but at eight feet out he is no KG. But the Lakers have recognized when he has gotten good position deep and rewarded him with the ball. I hope that continues.</p>

The Hornets Coming In: To get some insight on the Hornets and the franchise, I asked Ron of Hornets 24/7 about his team:</p>

It&rsquo;s only a couple of games into the season, but has what you&rsquo;ve seen made you think this team can take the next step?</p>
<blockquote>

Yeah, so far, so good. I don&rsquo;t think the Hornets have been properly tested yet, having faced three short-handed opponents, but I&rsquo;m loving the look of this team. The ball movement has been excellent, and unlike last season, we&rsquo;re now considered to be a pretty lethal shooting team. The defense is also looking real solid. I&rsquo;ll be shocked if Tyson Chandler doesn&rsquo;t make the All-Star team this year. Seriously. He&rsquo;s not playing around. We&rsquo;ve also got some good depth. Bobby Jackson, Jannero Pargo and Rasual Butler can all score in bunches off the bench, while young &lsquo;uns Julian Wright and Hilton Armstrong look promising.</p>
</blockquote>

How much does a team like the Hornets doing well (or the Saints, for that matter), mean to the city right now?
</p>
<blockquote>

I think the Hornets doing well is important, but the city doesn&rsquo;t know it yet. The Saints have deep roots, and their success will never go uncelebrated (is that even a word?). The Hornets will always have to work a little harder and market their product a little smarter if they hope to give New Orleans the same lift. I think they&rsquo;ll win the city over though. The current squad has what it takes to do that.</p>
</blockquote>

Chris Paul has become an established star, but how is his game changing and improving entering his third year.</p>
<blockquote>

He apparently spent the summer working on his shooting a lot, although we have yet to see the fruits of that. He&rsquo;s a year smarter and a year stronger. I think he better understands better how to pace himself and save his body for later in the season. So far this season, he&rsquo;s really benefiting form having a solid supporting cast. A healthy Peja on one wing and a guy like Mo-Pete on the other makes his job so much easier. The defense has to stay home on those shooters and it frees up the lane much more for him. I doubt we&rsquo;ll see any substantial improvement in any one area from Paul this season, but expect him to be a little bit better at everything.</p>

Keys To The Game: Two hot teams coming in, which should make an interesting game this early in the season.</p>

Both teams come in playing very well on offense, two of the best shooting teams in the league so far, and that likely will not change, so the team that steps up on the defensive end will get the win. For the Lakers, that will be the tough test of stopping Chris Paul (particularly off the screen-and-roll, which is their mainstay) &mdash; he&rsquo;s averaged 18.7 PPG shooting 65.8% (true shooting percentage), plus 35% of his possessions end in an assist (9.7 per game). This tough task will fall to Farmar and Fish at first, but will test the Laker rotations behind them that have been good so far this season. The front line will get tested because Tyson Chandler has played will early on, grabbing 22.7% of the available rebounds while on the floor (Bynum is at 25% right now).</p>

If the Laker defense can force some turnovers (10% of Paul&rsquo;s possessions end in one) that can mean some easy baskets at the other end. On the other end, I&rsquo;m not totally sure what to expect of the Hornets, this will be a big test for them. Then again, Denver should have been a test and the Hornets are 3-0.</p>

One other key tonight &mdash; as Mike in the Mountain West pointed out &mdash; is the depth of the Lakers. The starters are pretty evenly matched, but if the Laker bench can do what it has done in the past couple of games, this can be another Laker win.</p>

Tonight&rsquo;s game: Where Scoring Happens: The big question tonight &mdash; can Luke Walton keep his streak of consecutive games with passes through a defenders legs alive? As for the game itself, I look for it to be up-tempo and high scoring. So bet the over. And I think the Laker depth gets them a win as they pull away in the third quarter.</p>

Where you can watch the game: Game time is 7:30 p.m. (Pacific). In Los Angeles tune into Fox Sports Net, nationally you&rsquo;ll need league pass or log on to the NBA web site, where you can follow the gamecast and, if you register, listen to the radio call. Also, if you&rsquo;re familiar with torrents at all www.sport-scene.net has the games up for download the next day (thanks to Goo for that tip).</div></p>

Source: ForumBlueandGold.com</p>
</blockquote>

 

<table width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0">
<tbody>
<tr class="yspsctbg">
<td height="18" class="ysptblhdr" colspan="9">Team Comparison</td>
</tr>
<tr align="right" class="ysptblthbody2">
<td width="18%" height="18" align="left" class="yspdetailttl">Team</td>
<td width="10%" align="left" class="yspdetailttl">Record</td>
<td width="23%" align="left" class="yspdetailttl">Standings</td>
<td width="6%" class="yspdetailttl">PF</td>
<td width="8%" class="yspdetailttl">PA</td>
<td width="3%" class="yspdetailttl"></td>
<td width="16%" align="left" class="yspdetailttl">Road/Home</td>
<td width="8%" align="left" class="yspdetailttl">Streak</td>
<td width="6%" class="yspdetailttl">L10</td>
</tr>
<tr align="right">
<td align="left" class="yspscores">New Orleans</td>
<td align="left" class="yspscores">3-0</td>
<td align="left" class="yspscores">2nd Southwest / 2nd West</td>
<td class="yspscores">103.3</td>
<td class="yspscores">90.3</td>
<td class="yspscores"></td>
<td align="left" class="yspscores">Road 1-0</td>
<td align="left" class="yspscores">Won 3</td>
<td class="yspscores">3-0</td>
</tr>
<tr align="right">
<td align="left" class="yspscores">LA Lakers</td>
<td align="left" class="yspscores">2-1</td>
<td align="left" class="yspscores">2nd Pacific / 7th West</td>
<td class="yspscores">110.3</td>
<td class="yspscores">100.7</td>
<td class="yspscores"></td>
<td align="left" class="yspscores">Home 1-1</td>
<td align="left" class="yspscores">Won 2</td>
<td class="yspscores">2-1</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<table width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td height="20"><spacer width="1" height="1" type="block"></spacer></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0">
<tbody>
<tr valign="top">
<td width="49%">
<table width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0">
<tbody>
<tr class="yspsctbg">
<td height="18" class="ysptblhdr" colspan="5">New Orleans Notes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nov 4C Tyson Chandler collected 17 rebound to go along with 12 points in the Hornets' win on Sunday night. It was his third double-double of the season in three games so far this year. Chandler led New Orleans with 34 double-doubles last season. ... The Hornets have started back-to-back seasons 3-0. They opened last season with four straight wins, but finished with a 39-43 record and did not qualify for the playoffs. ... F Peja Stojakovic, who missed all but 13 games last season due to a back injury, was 1-for-8 on three-point attempts on Sunday night after going 8-of-17 in the Hornets first two games. ... New Orleans snapped a two-game losing streak on Sunday night in the series with the Nuggets.


</p>


</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
<td width="2%"></td>
<td width="49%">
<table width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0">
<tbody>
<tr class="yspsctbg">
<td height="18" class="ysptblhdr" colspan="5">LA Lakers Notes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nov 3Friday's 119-98 win over the Suns in Phoenix, the Lakers snapped a six-game losing streak in the desert. Their last win was February 22, 2004 prior to Steve Nash rejoining the Suns. ... Los Angeles avoided their first 0-2 start since the 2002-03 season. ... The Lakers reserves, led by 19 points from F Vladimir Radmanovic, combined for 67 points. It was Radmanovic's first game after breaking his leg last season, snowboarding. ... G Kobe Bryant earned his first double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 boards. ... Bryant was one of five Los Angles players who scored in double figures and the Lakers scored at least 30 point sin each of the first three quarters. ...Los Angles led by as many as 33 points in the fourth quarter.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>