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I'm not going to single anyone out, continued Re , I'm not going to name names. Let's say it was a certain L Donicic. No, no, that's too obvious. Let's just say the person in question was named Luka D.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- After seeing his team stumble when it mattered most in the fourth quarter during its 4-1 first-round series loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Re pointed to improved player conditioning as a must heading into next season.
"I'll start with the offseason and the work that's required in an offseason to be in championship shape," Re said Thursday in a news conference with reporters to close the Lakers' 2024-25 season. "And we have a ways to go as a roster. And certainly, there are individuals that were in phenomenal shape. There's certainly other ones that could have been in better shape. That's where my mind goes immediately is we have to get in championship shape."
I'm not going to single anyone out, continued Re , I'm not going to name names. Let's say it was a certain L Donicic. No, no, that's too obvious. Let's just say the person in question was named Luka D.
Red knows that Lakers coaches get the axe on the regular.
The problem wasn't Doncic's conditioning. While not great, the real problem was the team sucked. By some metrics they were like 14th or so in expected wins in the league, with the analysis saying they won a number of close games.
Why did they win so many close games? Because they had three times higher than the next best teams in free throw differentials in the league. They got so many calls. The Lakers Perk Card. A lot of bull , really, for a soft team with only two players who ever went hard for the rim - Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
So... they were elevated because they got the whistle for them constantly. It was a balanced team with Davis, but with terrible role-players. Only one third decent player in Austin Reaves.
They traded away their only playable big man in Davis, and that's basically it. Didn't help that Reaves sucked in the playoffs, but the real issue is they had no role players who were even remotely dependable. It wasn't a real 3-6 matchup as the Wolves only lost one more game (I believe) and they're stocked with hungry young players. No answer for size, and that's it.
So... the problem wasn't Doncic. The problem was Pelinka totally sucking at putting a team together.
That, plus Lebron made the comment in the post-game about AD speaking his mind and then being traded. They don't seem like a happy team that's on the same page.
One of these series was bound to go 7 games. Hopefully Denver takes it. the clippers.
Westbrick
I agree with most of what you said, but I will say, I was quite surprised they finished 3rd. Before the Luka trade, I expected them to be around 8-10. With Luka and all the other holes still on the team by trading away their only decent big man in Davis, I thought they'd maybe finish in the 6th to 8th range.
Maybe the won a lot of those games like you said because of free throw differential and all that. I didn't watch any of their games.
I also couldn't believe ESPN was hyping them up to make some kind of finals run. Pretty crazy . I didn't think they were anywhere near good enough for that.
VERY funny that the Inside The NBA guys openly mocked ESPN when they sent the Lakers ‘fishing’ the other night.
There's some talented classholes on this board frfr.
Right on the heels of ESPN's colossal failure with puffing Shadeur Sanders in the draft, the LAL boosting looks ridiculous.
The Laker series showed the importance of team building. They were annihilated for not having a center, and they didn't need a star center or anything like that. The most average net neutral 6'11" player might've made a huge difference. Mamukelashvili playing 22 mpg might've changed that whole series.
You had one job, Nuggets
Barkley used to have more nuggets of wisdom, but pointing out that Luka is only hurt when it's time to play defense was hilariously accurate.
Warriors struggling vs Rockets. The length and zone of Houston wreaking havoc.
14 pt lead with 5mins.
Likely going back to H-town. Warriors look pretty toasted.
Dubs ran out of gas tbh. We getting two Game 7s.
Warriors punted Game 5 after getting down big, now about to give up Game 6 on their home floor. Now resorting to Hack-a-Adams
Houston should just hack Green right back and this game will last another 30 minutes
Warriors age showed that quarter. I hope they lose game 7. Get all of Silver’s pet teams out of the playoffs.
Dubs, Lakers, and Clips out in the first round and I'm a happy camper tbh.
Houston had Steph wrapped up and no one else could do anything to hurt them. Warriors just looked flat and had no answers. Udoka may have figured them out.
Houston's offence is still , but they figured out a way to play super big with 2 centers and Warriors don't have enough shooting and juice to punish them. Having to play with Draymond, Payton and Butler for long stretches allows it. Rockets are all over Steph but back off 10 feet from the others.
It's a clear display of how important shooting and spacing is in today's NBA.
Amen Thompson is a one -man double team. Rockets have put together a formidable squad. Udoka is doing a great job coaching and teaching PO bball to the kiddos.
Rockets defense is on par with OKC.
We have a LOT of work to do.
Two wrongs make a right, then? Loser rhethoric to justify bush-league behavior.
Besides - as if you hadn't ed endlessly about Golden State doing what you mention. Now that your team is doing it, it's suddenly above reproach?
You think it's a lack of "nuts" to beat your opponent within the rules of the game without resorting to injuring them on purpose?
It's the exact opposite. "Exploiting an injury", and Dillon Brooks intentionally aiming to hit Curry's injured thumb for no basketball reasons, knowing it'll re-injure Steph and put him out of the game as his opponent, are the same?
Pathetic from the usual suspects.
Literally all sports teams do that. Remember Tony Allen slapping Manus broken arm the whole series? Not a word was said about it bc it’s par for the course. Bad back? Shove them. Bruised ribs? Elbow them. Hurt hand? Slap it. When the did you start watching basketball? Bc it certainly couldn’t have been in the 80s, 90s, or 00s.Two wrongs make a right, then? Loser rhethoric to justify bush-league behavior.
Besides - as if you hadn't ed endlessly about Golden State doing what you mention. Now that your team is doing it, it's suddenly above reproach?
You think it's a lack of "nuts" to beat your opponent within the rules of the game without resorting to injuring them on purpose?
It's the exact opposite. "Exploiting an injury", and Dillon Brooks intentionally aiming to hit Curry's injured thumb for no basketball reasons, knowing it'll re-injure Steph and put him out of the game as his opponent, are the same?
Pathetic from the usual suspects.
The same way I disliked the Spurs getting shafted because of the Zaza incident, and appreciated the NBA enforcing better rules as a result, I also dislike to see any star player being taken out of a series because of their opponents intentionally injuring them. What the is so crazy about this concept?
Your point is ridiculous; do you want to go down a list of behaviors that were considered acceptable in the 80's but aren't nowadays? We have sure learned a lot as a society (some, at least). I don't find condoning inexcusable behavior because "that's the way it's always been" to be good enough. Do you, tbh? Would you wish we applied that thinking to things outside basketball, as well?
It's pathetic and bush-league behavior regardless of who and when is doing it. Actively trying to injure an opponent to eliminate them as compe ion is such pussy-ass behavior that I have to believe you've never competed in anything meaningful sports-related, because otherwise all I'm telling you would be obvious to you.
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