baseline bum
10-30-2014, 11:48 AM
One Play That Shows Perfectly Just How Bad The Lakers Will Be This Season (http://sports.yahoo.com/news/one-play-shows-perfectly-just-150139392.html)
By Cork Gaines
1 hour ago
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/wczCzSOsYDYGKzqBU7Wi2w--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTYwMA--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/One_Play_That_Shows_Perfectly-28f3c2360b53dec6cee408c019337195
The Los Angeles Lakers (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/teams/lal/) are in trouble this year (http://www.businessinsider.com/lakers-lose-blowout-to-houston-rockets-2014-10).
One big concern is that the Lakers are not very good defensively and are going to have trouble stopping opponents from scoring. This is no secret.
But maybe the bigger concern is that Kobe Bryant (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3118/) knows this team is not very good and he is going to try and win games all by himself.
The problem with this strategy is other teams know this.
During Wednesday night's loss to the Phoenix Suns, we saw a perfect example of the Lakers' 1-on-5 offense and why it is going to mean a lot of losses in Kobeville.
The play starts with Kobe setting a half-hearted pick for Jeremy Lin (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4795/).
View gallery
.
http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/DlPKNchQ5ZpDWbaWE3JBwA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTgwMg--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/One_Play_That_Shows_Perfectly-c4170a348268c6b243098e9f6026c4c2
Kobe now wants the ball. He doesn't get the ball.
View gallery
.
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/SM5phRBG1Ymoij2h2TUukA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTgwMA--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/One_Play_That_Shows_Perfectly-30005fc81d51368a4c581ad5c3bdf0fc
Kobe still wants the ball. He still doesn't get the ball.
View gallery
.
http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/InaPi9OpQX3WTuorCZ0_7w--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTgwNA--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/One_Play_That_Shows_Perfectly-981e8f452a38be1e93a97b8e8fb34307
Kobe still wants the ball. This time he finally gets the ball.
View gallery
.
http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/_oeew951xy.STnI3dmYy.A--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTgwMg--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/One_Play_That_Shows_Perfectly-aa5a28727a3255d308396d6c2b7295ba
But here is where things really go south. Kobe is now 1-on-1 with the defender at the top of the key. 2012-13 Kobe would already been two steps past the defender on the way to the basket.
View gallery
.
http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/eNKp7DSptv_Sfust_Bo7_Q--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTgwMQ--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/One_Play_That_Shows_Perfectly-4be80f8137323581133bd72b0f6d7aea
Instead, Kobe dances around around and when he does start to make a move we get to see how teams will probably defend the Lakers this season. That is, just throw three defenders at him knowing he probably won't pass the ball.
View gallery
.
http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/EWFZ9YEjAZrTtxPm.OKGwg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTgxMA--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/One_Play_That_Shows_Perfectly-c53cf3be9948acc128c92bb985fba179
Both Wesley Johnson and Jeremy Lin, two players who can hit a long shot, are wide open on the wings to take a three-point shot. But Kobe isn't even thinking about passing the ball.
Instead, the shot clock winds down and Kobe is forced to take a long three-pointer. Bryant's shot doesn't even hit the rim and the Lakers went on to lose by 20.
By Cork Gaines
1 hour ago
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/wczCzSOsYDYGKzqBU7Wi2w--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTYwMA--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/One_Play_That_Shows_Perfectly-28f3c2360b53dec6cee408c019337195
The Los Angeles Lakers (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/teams/lal/) are in trouble this year (http://www.businessinsider.com/lakers-lose-blowout-to-houston-rockets-2014-10).
One big concern is that the Lakers are not very good defensively and are going to have trouble stopping opponents from scoring. This is no secret.
But maybe the bigger concern is that Kobe Bryant (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3118/) knows this team is not very good and he is going to try and win games all by himself.
The problem with this strategy is other teams know this.
During Wednesday night's loss to the Phoenix Suns, we saw a perfect example of the Lakers' 1-on-5 offense and why it is going to mean a lot of losses in Kobeville.
The play starts with Kobe setting a half-hearted pick for Jeremy Lin (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4795/).
View gallery
.
http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/DlPKNchQ5ZpDWbaWE3JBwA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTgwMg--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/One_Play_That_Shows_Perfectly-c4170a348268c6b243098e9f6026c4c2
Kobe now wants the ball. He doesn't get the ball.
View gallery
.
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/SM5phRBG1Ymoij2h2TUukA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTgwMA--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/One_Play_That_Shows_Perfectly-30005fc81d51368a4c581ad5c3bdf0fc
Kobe still wants the ball. He still doesn't get the ball.
View gallery
.
http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/InaPi9OpQX3WTuorCZ0_7w--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTgwNA--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/One_Play_That_Shows_Perfectly-981e8f452a38be1e93a97b8e8fb34307
Kobe still wants the ball. This time he finally gets the ball.
View gallery
.
http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/_oeew951xy.STnI3dmYy.A--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTgwMg--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/One_Play_That_Shows_Perfectly-aa5a28727a3255d308396d6c2b7295ba
But here is where things really go south. Kobe is now 1-on-1 with the defender at the top of the key. 2012-13 Kobe would already been two steps past the defender on the way to the basket.
View gallery
.
http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/eNKp7DSptv_Sfust_Bo7_Q--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTgwMQ--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/One_Play_That_Shows_Perfectly-4be80f8137323581133bd72b0f6d7aea
Instead, Kobe dances around around and when he does start to make a move we get to see how teams will probably defend the Lakers this season. That is, just throw three defenders at him knowing he probably won't pass the ball.
View gallery
.
http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/EWFZ9YEjAZrTtxPm.OKGwg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTgxMA--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/One_Play_That_Shows_Perfectly-c53cf3be9948acc128c92bb985fba179
Both Wesley Johnson and Jeremy Lin, two players who can hit a long shot, are wide open on the wings to take a three-point shot. But Kobe isn't even thinking about passing the ball.
Instead, the shot clock winds down and Kobe is forced to take a long three-pointer. Bryant's shot doesn't even hit the rim and the Lakers went on to lose by 20.