Seattle @ LA Lakers: Official Game Thread

Sonics up 46-41 at the half, should be more.

Lakers refusing to attack the basket, we have shot 17 FTs to only four, yet we've only made 12 of them. Not good enough.

Lew on fire, Wilkins getting some nice court time too.

 

Kobe just hit three treys in a row, five point game with six minutes to go. Flip coming up big.

Denver with another easy win, gotta come through here without Ray.

 

^ Supersonic, if you don't mind me asking... why would you be concerned about Denver? I think it's highly unlikely we'll meet in the playoffs, unless it is the second round...

 

Rashard needs to learn how to pass out of the double team, especially since we seem to be running him in the post a lot more and teams are starting to send another guy with all the success he's been having.

Either that or Nate & Co. need to design some plays off it since right now I rarely see cutters and such. Would come in handy in the playoffs.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting purpleb0n9:</div><div class="quote_post">^ Supersonic, if you don't mind me asking... why would you be concerned about Denver? I think it's highly unlikely we'll meet in the playoffs, unless it is the second round...</div>

Just making sure we tie up the Northwest ASAP, it seems we can't rely on Denver losses to do that.

 

Oh yeah my bad I really forgot we're in the same division... still I don't think there're enough games (17) to catch up on you guys... we still trail 10.0 games. It's almost like whenever we win you guys must lose for us to do that, which is pretty much a Hollywood-scripted ending.

 

I smiled when I heard Ray was injured. Is that bad?

Dare I say it, the offense looked spectacular without Ray and Radman chucking up threes every other trip down the floor. Defense still sucked, but you take what you can get. The refs sucked, they called a foul when the defender so much as touched his opponent (and they did this more against the Sonics, but we won't get into that).

 

I think Flip should be starting while Ray is out, and if he plays well enough and the team wins, it should stay that way heading into the playoffs. Ray should have to earn his minutes, possibly even over Antonio Daniels when he gets back, because we need that synnergy there. He can probably expect a couple of DNP-CDs in his first few games back while Flip runs the show.


















SIKE!

 

Ha. I can just picture Ray fleeing to the press to express his well thought out response to having to earn his minutes back. Something to the effect of 'MJ didn't have to earn minutes back'

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Pwn3d!:</div><div class="quote_post">This does mark a game where Ray's ego could easily be put ahead of the team, unfortunately.</div>

I think Ray's ego got twisted with his ankle in this game. He has mixed feelings about this one - Murray came out big in his place and so Allen has nothing to say about how damn valuable he is for Sonics to win. I think he is valuable but every player can be replaced! At least on Sonics team

 

I believe that we are now 7-1 when Flip plays over 24 minutes.

It's pretty convenient for Nate that he has a guy that he can ignore all season and can give the ball to and get instant production from. I was happy too when I saw Ray go out of the game. Flip plays the game the right way and he is going to continue to blow up when he gets minutes. No one in the league is tougher mentally.

Great win by the depleted Supes.

 

Flip played great. Maybe he is better than D. Wade

As I said after the Sac game, he can get a good look with the shot clock running down better than anyone on the team, even better than Ray since Ray usually will take a fadeaway 3 whereas Flip will be going towards the hoop, or end up in the lane somewhere.

The way he can create separation from his defender is spectacular.

Interesting comment from Rashard after the game in today's paper:

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">"It was important that we played team ball," Lewis said. "From the beginning of the game, they double-teamed me in the post, and it was important to move the ball around and get everybody in their rhythm." </div>

As opposed to when Ray is playing? Another veiled comment about our fearless leader?

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Roland Hood:</div><div class="quote_post">Rashard needs to learn how to pass out of the double team, especially since we seem to be running him in the post a lot more and teams are starting to send another guy with all the success he's been having.

Either that or Nate & Co. need to design some plays off it since right now I rarely see cutters and such. Would come in handy in the playoffs.</div>

Lew was doing quite nice passing out of the double in the 1st. I believe he had both of his assists in the 1st. More often he was scoring, and when he passed out it took 1 or 2 more passes for the shot to go up. He only had 2 TO's in the game, so I am not sure what your concern about his passing out of the double is all about...

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AllNet:</div><div class="quote_post">Posts like this is why I have rooted L.A to fail. Now the whole world can see what I have said all along. Kobe is no different than any other swingmen in the game today. He is a great player who can't lead a team or get close to a championship without a big man. Oh and for the record, getting assists doesn't make you unselfish. When you dominate the ball as much as Kobe does It's not that hard to rack them up.</div>

Firstly, it was people on this thread that moved on to Kobe by themselves without anyone even mentioning anything. Secondly, Kobe has actually stated that he doesn't want the ball as much and he want Lamar Odom to take the ball more because he was the main ball carrier when he was in High School. So before you make comments like "it is because of him that I hate the Lakers," when really you are jealous of the success that the team has had, get your facts right and don't point out and blame people before knowing the whole story.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Laker_fan:</div><div class="quote_post">Firstly, it was people on this thread that moved on to Kobe by themselves without anyone even mentioning anything. Secondly, Kobe has actually stated that he doesn't want the ball as much and he want Lamar Odom to take the ball more because he was the main ball carrier when he was in High School. So before you make comments like "it is because of him that I hate the Lakers," when really you are jealous of the success that the team has had, get your facts right and don't point out and blame people before knowing the whole story.</div>

This is their forum they can express when they want to when facing Kobe's team. Kobe can state he doesn't want to dominate the ball all he wants but the fact is he does dominate the ball and If he truely didn't want to control the offense non stop he wouldn't be. Lamar Odom was at his best with the ball in his hands last year and thats why he was so effective. He is bring used all wrong in L.A and that has alot to do with Kobe.

As for being jealous of the success? please...

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">As for being jealous of the success?

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting psheehy:</div><div class="quote_post">Lew was doing quite nice passing out of the double in the 1st. I believe he had both of his assists in the 1st. More often he was scoring, and when he passed out it took 1 or 2 more passes for the shot to go up. He only had 2 TO's in the game, so I am not sure what your concern about his passing out of the double is all about...</div>

Yeah he did pretty well last night. Overall though I think he's still learning the post, and I wouldn't call LA's double teams very aggressive.

Against a team with a good scheme and especially in the playoffs when they'll throw hard, physical double teams at him, he has a tendancy to back up and lose his balance, or jump in the air to make a pass. Sometimes I see him with his feet all crossed up as he's backing away from the pressure.

I do think he's getting better game by game as he becomes more of a force down low.

His coaches and teammates need to help him with good spacing, which they had last night.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting d00d:</div><div class="quote_post">No AllNet, I for one am jealous of the Lakers' losing record, the fact that they will most likely miss the playoffs, and that the Sonics have beat them in each of our three meetings.

I'm sure you're jealous that the Spurs and Pistons are much worse than the Lakers as well...don't deny it. </div>


If the Pistons or Spurs end up winning the championship for three years running, I wouldn't be suprised if you started to turn on them. Lets face it, if the Lakers hadn't won any championships with the Shaq-Kobe era, they wouldn't be hated as much. Anyway, lets stay on topic now, I think this is going out of the subject matter now.

 

Haha, that d00d's got a point!