This is the first NBA article I've attempted in a while. Even so, don't hesitate to be critical. I wish I could have included more statistical analysis in this, but it was mostly on a moment's notice and there isn't that much time before Game 2.
Finding (Potential) Parallels Across the NBA Timeline
As the gleaming lights of the Staples Center glinted off the floor, the party had already started. The Lakers had returned to dominance with one of the greatest starting 5 ever assembled in the NBA, containing four locks for the HOF, two of whom were about to claim their first ring. The crowd was raucous, almost to a detriment – they regarded this series as a movie, to be taken and savored as the Lakers danced their way to the le – rather than a game that needed their energy and 12th man support.
The stars of the 2004 L.A. Lakers were introduced, and even today that collection of star talent boggles the mind. Payton, Malone, Shaq, Kobe. Just a few seasons earlier, it would have been almost pointless to play the NBA season if that group of players got together in the same jersey. The fans looked across at the comparatively diminutive Detroit Pistons as a tiny stepping stone to greatness. After beating the Spurs, what was there to be worried about? If you were to look at the teams as job applicants, comparing resumes would have been the equivalent of a brain surgeon vs. a kid fresh out of high school or a 4 year college where he majored in keg-stands. The latter might be able to consume more alcohol and still function relative to the task, but the former is the one you want if things get serious.
And then something happened: The game was actually played. It's a bit unnecessary to go over the details again, but suffice to say that the Lakeshow was outmanned and outgunned at nearly every position. The Detroit defense clamped down and never let go, ensuring a near sweep.
Fast-forward to today, and we see yet another massively talented, hugely favored Lakers team suddenly in trouble against a defensive monster of a playoff team that was basically cast for dead the second they made it out of the first round. Even hardcore Rockets fans have undoubtedly been making statements like, “Well, if we push it to 6 or 7, you can't really blame our guys for getting beat.”
And then Game 1 came and went. Houston 100, L.A. 92. Do we suddenly have a real series on our hands? It's a good question, and most sports pundits are probably pointing to Kobe's flu-like symptoms as a reason for the Lakers' lackluster performance. But are the Rockets just the benefactors of good luck at the right time? It's easy to still pick the Lakers because they were such overwhelming favorites before the series started, but there are noticeable factors to cause concern.
First and foremost, the Rockets have their own version of the Kobe-slower (since he's not really stoppable) in Shane Battier, who not only played well in game 1, but looked like he was straight out of the movie 300 in doing it. As the blood streamed from his face, he still beamed to his teammates and continued to elevate his game. If you've ever played sports at any level, you have to recognize the symbolism evident in that very moment, and just how galvanizing it can be to a team. Battier quite literally took a shot from the Lakers (or two or three if you've seen the video of his dogpile with Kobe) and emerged without being phased. In game 1, he was a morale boost personified. Somewhere, Tayshaun Prince is smiling furtively.
But perhaps that isn't even the biggest concern facing the Lakers. Because as good as their big 4 were in 2004, I can't honestly remember more than one or two members of the bench without resorting to google. And while there's no question that this bench is more competent, even explosive on the offensive side of the ball, do any of the reserves know how to get a stop outside of Trevor Ariza? As fantastic as he is for a 6th man, the Rockets subs utes looked far more ready to throw down and just ball than most of the Lakers starters in game 1. Just like in 2004, we're faced with the question of whether or not the Lakers 7th, 8th, and 9th guys can go out and even be legitimate players in the series. Jordan Farmar, supposed to be the dynamite scoring force, has seen all but a sliver of his playing time evaporate before his very eyes. Just like in 2004, the s in the armor are showing for the L.A. The Spurs played Los Angeles to the hilt, possibly even drawing a blueprint that the Pistons could use later when they dismantled the HOF-studded team in 5. This time, it was the first round in which the Lakers looked vulnerable, and seemed to be saved several times more by the incompetence of the Jazz (minus Deron Williams) rather than their own basketball a en taking over and winning the game. Which guy outside of Ariza do the Lakers faithful have confidence in, and more importantly, how hard can Phil afford to ride Kobe and Gasol with two rounds still to go, and a dangerous Denver team looming in the WCF, not to mention the new MVP walking his squad through the East playoffs like it's a rap video? Defense does indeed win les, and it seems that if Kobe is not on the court, the Lakers do not have the rotation and speed necessary to stop a team that can efficiently swing the ball around.
Make no mistake: They are going to have to rotate in this series. Because no one on the L.A. frontline has even a minor clue how to contain Yao Ming. Even Andrew Bynum, the prodigal post player of the West, was clearly, hopelessly outmatched and overpowered by Yao's ridiculous girth and massive wingspan. If his knee is servicable from the collision with Kobe, it will be just another rally-point for the Rockets, as they saw their hero emerge just a minute or two after walking back to the locker room from what appeared to be a very scary looking injury, replete with Yao lying on the floor in pain. Afterward, the head coach of the Rockets made the statement that his training crew must have worked a miracle. No, Mr. Adelman, it was all grit, and a player who's been categorically accused of being soft showing the NBA that he really, really, really wants to win, and will play through pain if necessary to do so. Yao, if he can maintain his level of health and play, is a terrifying prospect – the Wallaces Rasheed and Ben all wrapped up in a 7 foot 6 inch frame. Add Lois Scola to the equation, and the picture become a little more blurry and disjointed for fans in purple and gold; this team is extremely capable, and they have mismatches that no team in the league can match up and feel entirely comfortable with.
It's not just player match-ups and Xs and Os suggesting that the Rockets have something to say about this series, either. The flow of game 1 was shockingly distinct: The Rockets looked very much like they were going about their usual business, calmly withstanding scoring runs by knocking down freebies and hitting clutch mid-range jumpers. It is perhaps that (and the fact that the Lakers led the game for all of 2 minutes or so) which suggests there are the seeds of a great series here. Gasol looked positively dumbfounded, screaming aloud at several moments from a combination of frustration from defensive pressure and attempting to get the officials to bail him out. Was he unable to realize that the crew was letting tons of contact go under the hoop... on both ends? If there is a team in the NBA that seems to have a solution to really stopping his scarily efficient production, it's the Rockets, with a number of big, athletic bodies to throw against him. Essentially force Gasol into a 15 foot jump shooter, and you do more than just remove easy points from his post play, you take one of maybe two or three players on the court who could hope to steal a rebound from the albatross of wingspan that is Yao.
Yes, the Lakers are an incredibly dangerous team, and outside of Cleveland and the now-hobbled Celtics, easily the most complete 11 man roster in the league. Beating them is obviously going to be more like wrestling off a grizzly bear than taking out the trash for the Rockets. There's a very real chance that the bear (Kobe) can kill you with a single swipe of his paw, a single rally of series devastating three pointers of both the new and old variety. Kobe is not about to go quietly, and as good as the Rockets looked in game 1, they should be perceptive of how the Lakers will adjust. They are up 1-0 now, but are still by no means the favorite. Even up 2-0, an emboldened Kobe could quickly right the ship in L.A.
Still, the parallels are there and they are plentiful, even if you have to look for them. A good long—term memory isn't even required to see how tepid the ground that L.A. walks on has become. Were the Pistons any less of an underdog in 2004, when L.A. vs. S.A. were widely agreed to be the two best teams the NBA had to offer? Their weaknesses, unchecked, may end them, to the shock of the hype-mongering NBA analyst community that already has LeBron vs. Kobe checked off on their “to-see” list in the Finals. We'll see if they deserve that hype in just a few short hours.
Last edited by Cry Havoc; 05-06-2009 at 03:43 PM.
Great article, even though I don't generally agree with it.
Two things:
1) And while there's no question that this bench is more venerable on the offensive side of the ball - I think you mean defensive
2) Yao Ming, though tall, has short arms, which is a reason he doesn't grab a lot of boards for a guy this tall who is relatively quick and strong.
Good points. I typed it all at once with very little spell check. I'll go back and use a different word. :P But even though Yao has a short wingspan for a guy his size, he's still 7'6". I bet his arms are longer than anyone else's on the court.
I though Ariza was a starter
Eh, Odom is like Manu. Better player but coming off the bench to give the Lakers a burst. Same difference either way.I though Ariza was a starter
Actually he is horribly inconsistent off the bench. He will have good games but his best stretches of play come from being in the starting line up.
Lamar is starting tonight! Thank the good lord, we might actually have a chance to win now. Bynum needs more time to heal that knee, he clearly isn't himself. Lamar has the third best +/- behind LBJ and Wade, that means good things for the Lakers when he's starting and playing big mins.
Well written article, I don't agree with some of it though.
1) The 2004 team featured bigger names (Malone/Payton) but those guys were well past their prime. They were nothing more than has-been superstars turned roleplayer. Meanwhile, the current Lakers are in their prime but with only Kobe as the Superstar.
2) The Lakers weren't outgunned or outmanned. They just couldn't shoot. These were wide open bricks, not contested ones. The Rockets didn't even guard Ariza and Fisher most of the night, the guys just couldn't knock them down. In the prior series, Ariza was 11 of 18 in 3 pointers, I think rust settled in during the long layoff.
3) The Lakers team in Game 1 wasn't really the Lakers. You were watching a team that had sat around doing nothing all week and going up against a team that just had a big win a couple days ago.
4) Tonight in Game 2, you'll see the real Lakers. If it still turns out the same way, your article was spot on. But if the Lakers put away the Rockets easily, game 1 was nothing more than Houston beating a rusty team.
What are you talking about?!?! Lamar plays the 4 and never ever plays the 3 anymore. Trevor is the starting 3, Luke Walton backs him up while Lamar comes in for Gasol or Bynum not Ariza. Trevor is not a 6th man at all.
Fair enough. I did tell people to call me out on any errors.
Although this makes the Lakers bench even MORE suspect than the article states.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
