Even after a disappointing loss by the Lakers in Game 5, there was still plenty of reason for optimism. The Lakers only lost by 3 in a game where Bynum got only 8 shots, Gasol had only 9 points, and Sessions shot 25%. We had hope.
But, after tonight’s embarrassing blowout, hope is nowhere to be found on this page. The Lakers seem gutless. And cowardly. As the Nuggets fans rattled the Pepsi Center with chants like “Ko-be Sucks”, everyone but Kobe stunk up the building. Kobe rose to the occasion on a night he was ill-stricken and still scored 31 points on an efficient 23 shots. Still, it was not enough.
On a team that has one distinct advantage–two legit 7-footers–the 2012 Lakers look like the 2005 Lakers when Gasol and Bynum don’t control the pace of the game; it’s four other guys standing around watching Kobe toss up fade away jumpers. That’s what tonight’s game reminded me of. It’s almost like the Lakers had no intention of closing out the series tonight. With an opportunity to close out a series on the road, against a team that more or less embarrassed you the other night on your home floor, you would think the Lakers would come out with a lot of intensity and resolve.
But, this team does not resemble anything of what a team with 2 notches under their championship belt is supposed to look like. Gasol lived up to his reputation of being soft and unclutch as any player in the league. It’s disappointing to see Gasol fold at the face of pressure when earlier this year it appeared he was not going to back down to anybody. Today though, he got punk’d. His 3 points and 3 rebounds in 29 minutes of action closely resemble the stat line of Troy Murphy; 3 points, 2 rebounds in 6 minutes. And that was not meant to compliment Murphy’s contributions.
Today’s game though was more than an embarrassing loss. It was the preamble to a franchise turning moment. Game 7 will have significant ramifications if the Lakers lose in the Staples Center. For one, it may be the last game Andrew Bynum plays in a Lakers uniform. Although I am a huge fan of Bynum’s game, his body language and effort this series has been absolutely abysmal. It’s a damn shame someone as young and talented as him is rotting away in a self-indulged hurricane of selfishness.
Game 7 is a chance for him to change. His reputation is on the line now more than ever. Not just his, but Gasol’s as well. Although they have 2 championship rings each, those rings will mean nothing to the Nuggets and George Karl on Saturday. Because if the Lakers do squander their 3-1 series lead, management will make a giant splash in the off-season by moving one of them. And if he isn’t already, Mike Brown should certainly be on the hot seat.
I didn’t fully appreciate Phil Jackson’s coaching abilities until Mike Brown took over this year. Besides his inability to develop any sort of bench depth at all, his rotation has been out of sync all year. Every single game he gives Steve Blake 20+ minutes. What is one thing Blake gives you off the bench? Three-point shooting? Rarely. Good defense? Nope. Teams attack him relentlessly and successfully. So why not give those minutes to someone with actual potential?
Brown’s impatience with his rookies is coming to bite us in the ass right now. Do you know who the perfect defender for the unstoppable Jake Shuttlesworth, excuse me, Andre Miller, would be? Darius Morris. He has the big body to absorb Miller’s frequent contact and would defend the pick and roll better than anybody else on the team not named Kobe Bryant. But, of course, you can’t throw a rookie to the wolves (or Nuggets for that matter) in the playoffs after not playing him for four weeks. That’s Mike Brown’s fault. With such a thin bench, we really should have developed either him or Goudelock and gotten them ready to contribute in these playoffs.
Goudelock is a stone-cold gunner, something the Lakers could use at this point. Sessions, Barnes, and Ebanks were all hesitant to shoot jumpers that they’re capable of making. Denver was smart enough to realize this and almost dared them to shoot knowing that anything was better than Gasol or Bynum getting it on the block. When Gasol or Bynum did get it on the block, the Denver defense just collapsed on them knowing that no one on the perimeter besides Kobe had the kahunas to knock down the open shot. That is where having a pure shooter like Goudelock would come in handy. He is very streaky from the outside, but at least has the confidence to take the open three-pointer. The defense has to respect a threat like him. Even if he is a defensive liability, the emergence of Steve Novak for the New York Knickerbockers has proven that their can be three-point specialists who make a large impact on the game, even when they aren’t shooting. Mike Brown did not give either him or Morris enough of a chance to compete for the back-up point guard position behind Sessions, so he is stuck with the worthless Blake.
The Lakers are desperate for a win on Saturday night. I can’t help but think this season wouldn’t be unraveling the way it is now if we traded Blake instead of Fisher. His leadership skills and poise are unrivaled in the NBA. But, the show goes on.
Lakers Lane 