Why did the Lakers lose so badly?

[dbestpro]

1. The speed of the Thunder.
2. Kobe wanted to send Phil a message.
3. Stern wanted to send Phil a message.
4. The Lakers refused to adjust to the officials.
5. The Thunder have stolen the Mavs mojo and now expect to shoot 50 free throws in every game.

[MateoNeygro]

Because the Thunder are younger, deeper and hungrier. Not to mention they match up very well with the Lakers.

[RedsLakers24]

idk, iwasnt watching the game, i was working

[4>0rings]

Because the Thunder are younger, deeper and hungrier. Not to mention they match up very well with the Lakers.
They do? Kristic and Collison vs Pau and Bynum? Laker should be winning these games but there is no chemistry, everyones out for themselves and doesn't like anyone on their team. Also Phil pissed off the wrong guy.

[baseline bum]

They played good defense, got to the line a million times, and the Lakers jacked up threes like Tomjanovich was still coaching them.

[pauls931]

I'm guessing LA just expected them to roll over and die after dominating them the first two games. Wait, those games were close right? I think LA is just slackin' and will bring the kitchen sink out the next game.

[m33p0]

coz they thought it would be a cakewalk, that all they have to do is show up. there is no fucking switch to turn.

[Giuseppe]

coz they thought it would be a cakewalk, that all they have to do is show up. there is no fucking switch to turn.

So yer saying everything was hunky & dory and then some wisenheimer with a ROC license moved the fucking switch?

[m33p0]

So yer saying everything was hunky & dory and then some wisenheimer with a ROC license moved the fucking switch?

you're a laker fan, you tell me. don't you get the feeling they're playing like it's still the regular season?

[Giuseppe]

"you're a laker fan, you tell me. don't you get the feeling they're playing like it's still the regular season?"

Mistakes have been made on many levels:

*Bryant not taking the time necessary to heal that finger.
*Not addressing the need for quality after the first six. They've known this since last season. Once it was again confirmed early this season moves should have been made. Farmar, Brown, Walton, Vuj, Powell can't impact a game. You have to make open shots. The above are incapable. Each has been given more than ample time to fail, and each abided.
*Now Bryant has painted himself into a corner and he's disgusted: nobody will pick it up for him now that's he's physically compromised. Odom & Artest can't make open shots and Bynum & Gasol are afraid to fail at even the smallest tasks: (solving the fronting)...(not getting 3 second calls)...(never getting close enough to shoot). Kobe feels like he's in the Smush Zone again. He see's the Thunder make open shots/fts. He has every right to demand impact from these guys. Again though he must bear full responsibility for not taking the time to heal that finger be it 4 weeks or 8 weeks.

[m33p0]

"you're a laker fan, you tell me. don't you get the feeling they're playing like it's still the regular season?"

Mistakes have been made on many levels:

*Bryant not taking the time necessary to heal that finger.
*Not addressing the need for quality after the first six. They've known this since last season. Once it was again confirmed early this season moves should have been made. Farmar, Brown, Walton, Vuj, Powell can't impact a game. You have to make open shots. The above are incapable. Each has been given more than ample time to fail, and each abided.
*Now Bryant has painted himself into a corner and he's disgusted: nobody will pick it up for him now that's he's physically compromised. Odom & Artest can't make open shots and Bynum & Gasol are afraid to fail at even the smallest tasks: (solving the fronting)...(not getting 3 second calls)...(never getting close enough to shoot). Kobe feels like he's in the Smush Zone again. He see's the Thunder make open shots/fts. He has every right to demand impact from these guys. Again though he must bear full responsibility for not taking the time to heal that finger be it 4 weeks or 8 weeks.
let me add one more... point guard upgrade. fisher will bend over and spread his ass cheeks wide open for every quick, aggressive point guard out there.

but point number 1 should have been done.

[m33p0]

I bet your dad thinks the same about your mother.:rolleyes

coming from you, this means absolute nothing. :downspin:

[TampaDude]

The Lakers have one of the best, if not THE best, starting five in the NBA, but their bench sucks. If they do manage to get by the Thunder, I'll be surprised if they can get past the WCSF the way they're playing. If OKC wins game 5 in LA, that series is OVER.

[TampaDude]

Why don't you pay attention, asshole. We have Utah or Denver next. Your entire post is void.:sleep

Not as void as the Lakers' bench, asshole. :lol

[Spurs9]

The Lakers have a hard time getting up for scrub teams, and everyone should already know that.
Still cocky after getting raped by the thunder, calling them scrubs. :lmao
What does that make the lakers??:lmao:lmao:lmao

[TheMACHINE]

its simple..lakers were out hustled in EVERY aspect of the game.

[Will Hunting]

The Lakers have a hard time getting up for scrub teams, and everyone should already know that.


Just like your parents had trouble getting up to parent a stupid coon like you so they put you in a foster home.

[Giuseppe]

How bout me, Will?

tee, hee.

[Cane]

Lakers played like idiots. Kobe tried to force feed the ball for the bigs in the paint and obviously Bryant wasn't looking to score at all in the first quarter even if he had a good look. Thats about as retarded and as cocky as it gets. Dumbasses.

[TheMACHINE]

Lakers played like idiots. Kobe tried to force feed the ball for the bigs in the paint and obviously Bryant wasn't looking to score at all in the first quarter even if he had a good look. Thats about as retarded and as cocky as it gets. Dumbasses.

so it there a shot minimum and maximum that should be set for Kobe?

[Cane]

so it there a shot minimum and maximum that should be set for Kobe?

Nope, just don't be a dumbass and pass up looks. There is no shot minimum and maximum in a game with a flow like basketball and if you're Kobe.

Of course you should try and utilize their frontcourt advantage and I understand what they were trying to do except its simply a bad strategy to have your franchise scorer not shoot at all or even look for a shot in the first.

Too cocky and dumb of a plan.

[sexinthatsx]

I usually lurk here and don't post much, but at this point, who takes lakaluva's posts and threads seriously anymore? I'm surprised by the fact that someone hates lakaluva so much that they would create a fake twitter account just to talk shit haha... unless that really is him. :(

[Giuseppe]

I'm surprised by the fact that someone hates lakaluva so much that they would create a fake twitter account just to talk shit haha

It was quite the contribution, eh? Just sterling.

[sook]

they suck

[Giuseppe]

Though it is nice to see you in the Loser Corral with the other 13, Sookie.

tee, hee.

[j-money24]

they do? Kristic and collison vs pau and bynum? Laker should be winning these games but there is no chemistry, everyones out for themselves and doesn't like anyone on their team. Also phil pissed off the wrong guy.

+1

[picc84]

Team is poorly put together. Kobe's declining fast. Phil is the most overrated coach in NBA history. Thunder are damn good.

Its a bunch of things.

[mogrovejo]

The Lakers have one of the best, if not THE best, starting five in the NBA, but their bench sucks. If they do manage to get by the Thunder, I'll be surprised if they can get by the Blazers or the Suns the way they're playing. If OKC wins game 5 in LA, that series is OVER.
:bang

[mogrovejo]

They were too slow. They're a slow team, when they can't control the tempo of the game versus a team like OKC, they're in trouble -> horrible defending the transition, horrible on the backboards.

They had bad spacing. They lack reliable outside shooters.

[DazedAndConfused]

They will be fine in LA for Game 5. They will have the extra day to rest and it will make all the difference.

Lest we forget how suffocating their defense was in Game 1. All they need to do is replicate that effort and even a mediocre offensive showing will be enough to win the game.

The Thunder still don't know what it's like to play a game of this magnitude, and the Lakers most certainly do. LA will be ready and the refs will most certainly be on their side which will help big time. Expect to see the Lakers winning the F/T battle and thus winning the game.

[Giuseppe]

They will be fine in LA for Game 5.

Sweet Jesus, Dazed, I pray ye of great faith are correct.

[mogrovejo]

They will be fine in LA for Game 5. They will have the extra day to rest and it will make all the difference.

Lest we forget how suffocating their defense was in Game 1. All they need to do is replicate that effort and even a mediocre offensive showing will be enough to win the game.

The Thunder still don't know what it's like to play a game of this magnitude, and the Lakers most certainly do. LA will be ready and the refs will most certainly be on their side which will help big time. Expect to see the Lakers winning the F/T battle and thus winning the game.



Kevin Ding: Lakers will sweep Thunder (http://forums.lakersground.net/viewtopic.php?t=108567&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=)
http://www.ocregister.com/sports/thunder-243945-season-lakers.html

The worst thing any playoff-qualifying team can feel is successful based on regular-season overachievement.

When it gets hard in the playoffs, as it assuredly will, that sense of satisfaction morphs into the grim reaper. The fleeting, subconscious thought: "It has been a great season," means a sigh gets exhaled when teeth absolutely need to be gritted to survive.

Maybe – just maybe – if a team is experienced enough to guard against human nature, then the damage from such a letdown can be somewhat mitigated.

Except the Oklahoma City Thunder is the NBA's youngest team.

Not the youngest playoff team. The youngest team.

So it'll be over fast, a trap door suddenly opening under the Thunder's currently happy but toddler-sized feet.

The Lakers will sweep the Thunder.

Serious basketball pundits everywhere are questioning the Lakers. Local Chicken Littles are running around and nervously glancing up at the sky. Those two worlds have collided and resulted in yolk falling on the heads of Ron Artest and DJ Mbenga.

Nevertheless, the Lakers have nothing to fear for now. Long, lean Kevin Durant will turn out to be the longest straw the Lakers could've drawn. The defending NBA champs will get plenty of time to rest their boo-boos and improve in practice before having to be truly playoff-ready in the second round.
Durant and Westbrook are Oklahoma City's best players, and they're both 21. The third- and fourth-leading scorers are Jeff Green and James Harden, who have a combined four years in the NBA. The Thunder has no playoff pedigree whatsoever except for scant minutes scraped together by Nick Collison, Nenad Krstic and Thabo Sefolosha.

There's simply no chance the Thunder's players show poise, and the way they wilted late in the season when home-court advantage became a real possibility to win was just a preview of coming-apart attractions.

[bdubya]

The Thunder still don't know what it's like to play a game of this magnitude,

That's only a problem if the Thunder care what it's like to play a game of this magnitude.

[ATXSPUR]

Just like your parents had trouble getting up to parent a stupid coon like you so they put you in a foster home.

Wow, racist much?

[lefty]

IMHO, Brooks has outcoached KFC

[cobbler]

IMHO, Brooks has outcoached KFC

Agreed 100%

[Giuseppe]

Yep, Brooks didn't go the route of many in the past: play it for fun, act incredulous at every opportunity, play to the crowd off the refs.

Brooks doesn't castigate the refs and then storm off smiling like a fool. He makes his point, accepts the moment and goes to his people.

He's not trying to beat the Lakers, he's trying to win games. It's not personal. Uh, uh, Just business.

[DJ Mbenga]

#3

[HarlemHeat37]

If Brooks coached a decent game in game 2, OKC is up 3-1 in this series..he absolutely cost them the game with his coaching IMO..he ran a lineup without Durant, Westbrook and Thabo for the first 5 minutes of the 4th quarter with the Lakers struggling to score and Kobe being on the bench for half that time + Gasol being on the bench for that entire stretch..both teams played to an even score during that time, when the Thunder probably would have been in control had they had even 1 of their go-to guys on the floor at the time..

Then putting a struggling Jeff Green on Kobe in the 4th quarter was a horrible move..that was one of the few times Kobe has gotten in any kind of rhythm in this series..Green is significantly inferior to Thabo as a defender and he's been a horrible offensive player in this series..

I chalk it up to inexperience, it happens, but I wouldn't say Brooks is outcoaching anybody so far(outcoaching is kind of BS anyways)..

[Giuseppe]

Or, if Phil had coached a decent game in game 3 we'd be up 3-1 in this series.

[SPURSCHAMP]

I bet your dad thinks the same about your mother.:rolleyes
i bet you think the same way with Fabio