Some Issues I see with the Lakers from a Spurs fan perspective!

[MarHill]

Okay, I have read throughout the ST Forum the issues that Lakers fans have with the Spurs and can they beat the Lakers in a 7 game series in the playoffs.

Well, I'm going to turn the tables a little bit and post this thread from the opposite perspective.

I have watched several Lakers games this year and I see the same issues that could keep them from winning the title.

1) The Lakers have allowed more than 100 points from their opponents in 32 of their 60 games. That is 53% of their games. Yes, I know they have won most of them....but that is giving up way too many points in an entire game. I believe that lack of defensive intensity could catch up with them in a playoff series.

San Antonio has only allowed 17 games of 100 or more points out of 57 games played for 30%.

Boston has only allowed 17 games of 100 or more points out of 61 games played for 28%.

Cleveland has only allowed 11 games of 100 or more points out of 57 games played for 19%.

As you can see the three other main challengers for the title have only allowed a third of their games to be scored over 100 points by their opponents.

The Lakers have to keep their defensive intensity for 4 quarters and control the pace of the game.

2) The Lakers have allowed a lot of 3 point looks from their opponents. I've seen this in the two games with the Magic and the first game with the Spurs. Again, it's defensive intensity with the Lakers and in a series with a quality opponent those type of baskets could cost them a game and change the tenor of that series.


3) Lamar Odom has to continue to be aggressive and less engimatic. Yes, he has played well since Bynum has gone down. But, I believe he is the key for the Lakers to win it all....more than Kobe, Gasol, or Bynum when he comes back.

Odom is a versatile player and can do a lot of things on the court. But, the great teams has everybody's role defined and they stick to it. It has helped that Bynum is out and Lamar has a clearer role. But, if and when Bynum comes back...is he going to feel like his role is less defined and become engimatic again.

They are the best offensive team in the league and can score on anybody...so there are no issues on that side of the ball from me. However, those three reasons I believe are what could keep the Lakers from winning it all.

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[pauls931]

Lakers play a faster pace than Celts, Spurs, Cavs so the score will naturally be higher on both sides. It's like all the praise the piston teams in the past got for stellar defense despite a lot of it being them slowing down the pace of the game.

[MarHill]

Lakers play a faster pace than Celts, Spurs, Cavs so the score will naturally be higher on both sides. It's like all the praise the piston teams in the past got for stellar defense despite a lot of it being them slowing down the pace of the game.

Yeah...you're right they are playing a faster pace than the other 3 teams. But I still think giving up 100 points or more in half their games is an issue for me.

[DrHouse]

With a healthy Andrew Bynum none of what you wrote matters. He is the key to turning a contender into outright favorites. With him manning the paint and shutting down the lanes I'm fully confident that no team in the NBA will be able to compete in a 7 game series. Especially no team in the WC.

We know what a Bynum-less Laker team can do in the playoffs. They will likely lose to a monster defensive ball club like BOS or CLE. This isn't news to anyone my friend.

[Ghazi]

You could write a paragraph or two about issues for any team. Every team has issues.

The Lakers defense isn't elite, nor does it have to be. It just has to be good, and it is.

I think the only issue for the Lakers is the muthafuckin King James.

[MarHill]

With a healthy Andrew Bynum none of what you wrote matters. He is the key to turning a contender into outright favorites. With him manning the paint and shutting down the lanes I'm fully confident that no team in the NBA will be able to compete in a 7 game series. Especially no team in the WC.

We know what a Bynum-less Laker team can do in the playoffs. They will likely lose to a monster defensive ball club like BOS or CLE. This isn't news to anyone my friend.


Yes, with a healthy Bynum he will make a difference. Still, for him it is two major injuries in two years and how will he be mentally?

Also, the Lakers were still allowing teams to score over 100 points even with Bynum in the lineup.

So I believe those three issues are reasons that could keep them from winning the title.

[MarHill]

You could write a paragraph or two about issues for any team. Every team has issues.

The Lakers defense isn't elite, nor does it have to be. It just has to be good, and it is.

I think the only issue for the Lakers is the muthafuckin King James.

Of course, every team has issues Ghazi!

Everyone on this forum has written about the Spurs issues and I wanted to write about the Lakers' issues.

It is a forum and this is a topic for discussion. You can agree or disagree!!

:bang

[JoeTait75]

We know what a Bynum-less Laker team can do in the playoffs. They will likely lose to a monster defensive ball club like BOS or CLE. This isn't news to anyone my friend.

I can't speak for Boston, but I think the LakeShow has the edge over the Cavaliers regardless of whether or not Bynum comes back.

The only chance Cleveland has against L.A. in a series is,

a.) HCA

b.) Cleveland's backcourt being fully healthy. That's an area in which the Cavaliers have an advantage over the LakeShow (IMO) and as long as we have our full guard rotation, it allows LeBron to slide down and cover Lamar Odom. We'll throw Delonte, Sasha, and possibly Tarence Kinsey at Kobe and just kind of cross our fingers from there. Not an ideal solution, but there really are no ideal solutions when you're talking about Kobe.

As for Boston, they just aren't as good as they were last year. The loss of James Posey was a big one. Tony Allen hasn't been an adequate replacement, and he won't be 100 percent during the playoffs anyway.

I still think, all things being equal, Orlando is the toughest matchup for L.A. in a potential Finals series. But they aren't getting that far.

[DrHouse]

As Ghazi said, when the Lakers have needed their D to step it up it has done so. That's why they were able to sweep both BOS and CLE this season, when last year they went 0-4.

Make no mistake, without Bynum I'm not sure the Lakers make it back to the Finals. They are a great team without him, but the road to the Finals is in no way guaranteed.

[MarHill]

As Ghazi said, when the Lakers have needed their D to step it up it has done so. That's why they were able to sweep both BOS and CLE this season, when last year they went 0-4.

Make no mistake, without Bynum I'm not sure the Lakers make it back to the Finals. They are a great team without him, but the road to the Finals is in no way guaranteed.


I can't believe you are putting a lot of stock in the regular season matchups.

For example, if the Spurs win the March 12th game against L.A. and you would still be posting that L.A. is the better team and would win the playoff series!

I know playing Boston was important because of what happened last year..but still I don't think the Lakers have some kind of psychologial edge on the Celtics now.

[DrHouse]

I'm just realistic my friend. If you were then there is really no way you can say the Spurs have a legitimate chance of defeating the Lakers at full strength with the team they have.

They're just too small to defend LA and unless Manu is 100% healthy it will be a blowout.

[Laker-fan-in-SanAnto]

yeah I agree. We do have issues, just like all the teams in the NBA. There is no perfect team this season. Lakers are the best team record wise but their flaw is that they don't play full 48 min of D. Good thing their offense overshadows it with wins, but its exposed with loses. When I say loses I mean it like in today's game. 118 points to the shaq's suns. To me that is inescussable. Oppose to the 90 to the nuggets. Our bench didn't show up that game. We had a good bench but for some reason they been on a decline. We should not hit the cruise control yet. The schedule its not that hard but we have a lot of road games, including a 7 game road swing. Still, We should end up on top of the WC.

[iggypop123]

100 points per game allowed is a reflection of the pace in which you play not your defense. i belive field goal percentage against is a better measuring stick for the lakers.

[mystargtr34]

Naturally playing a faster pace, you concede more points. You can still be a good defensive ball club giving up 100 PPG.

The best measure is Defensive Efficiency, or Points Allowed per 100 posessions. Takes into account, pace.

Boston 97.8
Cleveland 98.5
Orlando 99.6
San Antonio 101.4
Houston 101.7
Lakers 102.3

[Ghazi]

6th in defensive efficiency, a team can win a title with that if they're #1 in O like the Lakers are.

Kinda like when the Mavs won it all in 2006. 9th in defensive efficiency, but 1st in offensive efficiency. You can win a title with good but not great defense if you play great offense.