SBNation.com User Blog: TheGreatMambino

To rebound into a title contender, can the 2013-2014 Lakers follow the blueprint of the 2010-2011 Dallas Mavericks?

TheGreatMambino — Thu, 23 May 2013 02:10:24 -0000

As tough as a postseason-less 2013 was on the Dallas Mavericks and their fans, just three years ago, having a high-seeded playoff team didn't feel any better.

The 2010 Mavs were the latest disappointment in what felt like an endless string of them. Dallas was just four years removed from an epic playoff collapse against the Heat in the 2006 NBA Finals, and three years away from losing as a 67-wing number 1 seed to the 8-seed Golden State Warriors. The 2009-2010 Mavericks had recently reloaded the team, bringing on former All-Stars like Shawn Marion and Jason Kidd in addition to incumbent All-Stars Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry. They took a very good 55-27 record and a 2^nd seed into the playoffs, but like their predecessors, were unceremoniously dismissed; this time it was a first round loss to the 7^th seeded San Antonio Spurs in 6 games. Even as solid as their regular season was, the future didn't look terribly bright for Dallas. The ghosts of their past playoff failures seemed to haunt the team every spring, which included an aging core of Nowitzki (31), Marion (31), Brendan Haywood (30), Terry (32) and Kidd (36). Suffice to say, the Mavs weren't getting much younger. Not all was lost--after all, Dirk was still an All-Star, the team had a very good and very underrated coach in Rick Carlisle and an excellent owner that took annual financial losses to make sure his team had everything necessary to remain competitive. However, few expected that the team was close to having the makings of a championship core. 2010-2011 was supposed to be just another year in which the Mavericks were a potent squad, but ultimately an also-ran in the race for the chip.

But after a shrewd series of moves in the summer of 2010, and then into the season, the pieces for a championship contender had quietly fallen into place:

July 13, 2010: Traded Matt Carroll, Erick Dampier, Eduardo Najera and cash to the Charlotte Bobcats for Alexis Ajinca and Tyson Chandler. Signed Ian Mahinmi as a free agent.

September 27, 2010: Signed Brian Cardinal as a free agent.

January 24, 2011: Signed Peja Stojakovic as a free agent.

At the time, none of these moves were considering even close to resembling significant transactions. Chandler was coming off an injury-filled year in Charlotte, and even worse, was traded to the Mavericks for the mere price of Erick Dampier's expiring deal. The prevailing sentiment that summer was that Dampier's eight-figure contract would be a key asset in claiming another star to prop up Nowitzki. Though Chandler was considered an upgrade over Dampier's rapidly degrading corpse, he wasn't nearly the player that made him into a Defensive Player of the Year seasons later, and thus was thought of as a rather underwhelming acquisition considering the expectations. The pair of 33 year-olds in the Immortal Brian Cardinal and Peja Stojakovic were both on their way out of the league, and few thought they could continue to contribute.

By the end of June, it was clear that these acquisitions were more important than any Decision that had gone on in the summer of 2010. Chandler was the key, quarterbacking a stout defense that ranked as the league's 8^th most efficient per 100 possessions. Shouting out instructions from the paint, Tyson, as well as Marion and DeShawn Stevenson created a deceivingly tough inside-out D that bulldozed their way to a solid 57-win season and an eventual 4-2 victory over the Miami Heat in the Finals for the franchise's first title. That year's edition of the Mavericks weren't the most athletic cats in the world, but Chandler was so excellent defensively that he often made up for the shortcomings of his teammates (a premonition for his future tenure with the New York Knicks). The Mavericks were the oldest team in the league (average age of 30.9 years), but they didn't resemble the porous Dallas teams of old--this team was tough as hell, physical and very, very intelligent.

Though it was clearly the defense that propelled the Mavs to a chip, there's no denying how spectacular the offense was. They finished 1st in offensive efficiency that postseason, led by resurgent Finals MVP in Nowitzki, whose 27.7 points on .485/.460/.941 shooting is one of the great overall performances of all-time. But even more than Dirk, Dallas shot the lights out that postseason: five guys hit over 37% of their three-point attempts, which didn't include an unbelievable JJ Barea, but did include unexpected offensive contributions from Stojakovic (.377), Kidd (.374) and Stevenson (.397) (DeShawn in particular was fantastic, and may go down as the last man in NBA history to talk serious smack to LeBron and live to tell the tale).

The Mavericks formula was quite simple on paper, but extremely hard to replicate in regards to finding the personnel. They first needed a great defensive coach, who could rally his players to continue to play hard no matter who the opponent or what the score was at any point in the game. Second, they needed a transcendent scorer who was lethal from anywhere on the floor. Third, the Mavs had to have an elite defensive center that was so excellent that he'd be able to make up for the shortcomings of everyone around him. Fourth, they needed a three-point barrage that could dependably break down any opposing defense. Oddly enough, the Mavericks resembled their 2006 Finals opponents in the Miami Heat, who rode the very same formula to the title. Easy enough to identify and map out, yes. But to find that perfect mix under the terms of the modern NBA salary cap? Not so much.

Unless you're looking at the potential of the 2013-2014 Los Angeles Lakers.

Odd as it seems, the 7^th seeded "woe is me" Lake Show isn't too far off from the model that won the Mavericks a championship. It's not terribly visible to the naked eye, but next year's team could very well have a lot of the same ingredients that propelled the seemingly cursed Dallas organization to a chip. Let's go down the grocery list and check off the items:

1. The Coach

Well...I didn't say they had everything, did I?

A couple weeks ago, I examined everything that went wrong with the 2012-2013 Lakers coaches. While a lot of the burden of failure falls on a savage injury bug, even at near full strength this wasn't a great Lakers team and in turn, not a well-coached team. Mike D'Antoni wasn't by any means a terrible defensive coach, but he certainly wasn't a good, much less great one. The Lakers need a master strategist in the mold of Rick Carlisle to make this a reality.

However, it's important to give MDA credit on this front: these Lakers never truly quit on him, no matter how ludicrous the injuries got. They played hard down to the very last game of the season, and seemed to play best when the odds were stacked against them (see game #80 versus the Spurs without Kobe, home against the Oklahoma City Thunder and away without Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard in Indiana).

The Lakers can't check this item off the list right now, but the offseason hasn't even begun. It's not too far-fetched to imagine a new coach in the fold come fall, is it? D'Antoni needs to go, but his mustache can stay. That thing is magical.

2. The transcendent scorer

This article was much better supported in my head a month and a half ago, wasn't it?

A lethal offensive player that could tear apart defenses from the post to the perimeter? Until his Achilles ruptured, there was little doubt that Kobe Bryant could replicate Dirk's 2011 postseason. This injury could put a serious kink in this scenario, in addition to ruining my day whenever I think of it. Dirk Nowitzki had changed his game from 2006 to 2011, becoming a much sturdier post threat, as well as a continued killer from beyond the three-point line. He single-handedly carved up any Miami defender that came his way, and if ever doubled, was able to pass out to a cadre of willing shooters.

If Kobe comes back healthy and makes the proper adjustments towards becoming a top-notch offensive option, which many suspect he could, then item number 2 remains viable.

3. The defensive center

Like the previous two, this box might not just remained unchecked--it could completely disappear off the docket.

This might come as a surprise, but Lakers center Dwight Howard is a free agent this summer. Yes, this shocked me too when I read it on basketball-reference.

A healthy Howard doesn't just serve as a stand-in for Tyson Chandler here--he could be an even better and more effective version of him. Lakers fans everywhere got a glimpse of the player Dwight is when not hampered recovering from surgery in his stellar last 10 or so games of the regular season. He blew up pick and rolls with regularity, dominated the boards and scared off any driving guard who had the temerity to look up at the rim. While he was vocal with his teammates throughout the year, he continued to be the general on defense, but also had the ability to back it up on his end. In short, Howard was an absolute terror while guarding the rim and more than made up for the defensive lapses of all his aging, somewhat immobile teammates.

Howard's potential fits 2011 Tyson Chandler exactly, from his capabilities to the personnel surrounding him.

4. The three-point shooting

Today, Jason Kidd is old as hell and can't scorer a lick. He went scoreless in his last 9 playoff games this postseason. But 3 years ago, he was still old as hell and could at least stroke the three-ball. Aided by Stevenson, Stojakovic and Stevenson that helped shore up the long-range bullpen, the Mavericks always had a bailout option for a posting Nowitzki or a driving Marion and Barea.

To replicate this sort of production, the Lakers must have healthier seasons from Steve Nash and Steve Blake, steadier shooting from Jodie Meeks and continued improvement (and confidence) from Darius Morris, whom I suspect will be a big part of LA's rotation next season. Except for the crapshoot of health, these aren't terribly unfair expectations for these players. Meeks has the stroke and trigger to be an elite gunner, and though Morris' lock and load shot is very slow, he has the ability to hit 37% or better. For Blake and Nash, the obvious question here is whether or not they can get on the court, but again, it's the luck of the draw at that point. It's important to note that the 2011 Mavericks got 80 games from Kidd (37), 82 from Terry (33), 80 from Marion (32) and 73 from Nowitzki (32). It's not out of the question that the Lakers could simply be as lucky next year as they were unlucky (and old) this year.

Of course there's also the miscellany that connects the two teams. The 2012-2013 Lakers were the oldest squad in the league, exactly like the 2010-2011 Mavs. That Dallas team also had it's fair share of dramatic veteran personnel additions like this year's Lakers, including Kidd and Marion. Most importantly, the league and it's pundits had largely written off the Mavericks as title contenders after so much disappointment. Almost no matter what their moves this offseason, it's hard to see the Lakers interpreted as anything but a fringe contender, at best.

This isn't a perfect formula, nor is it a perfect comparison. Kobe's injury puts a gigantic wrench in the blueprint, especially seeing the dour results from any player trying to regain elite form after such a devastating malady. Howard's return is far from a lock, especially if you believe Ken Berger's article from Sunday. Mike D'Antoni might have a solid chance to return as coach, which could effectively punt the possibility of a top-10 defense from the Lakers' future. The 2011 Mavericks also had the extreme fortune of playing LeBron James before his transformation into a true, postseason world-beater. The Lakers would almost undoubtedly have to go through the Heat in order to win next year's crown, and the way that Miami and James are playing, even following the plan of the 2011 Mavs might not be enough.

The most salient point here is that the Lakers could come very close to replicating a championship team without having to do much heavy lifting behind a very restrictive CBA. LA is roughly $30 million into the luxury tax for next year, but the good news is that the Lakers could still fulfill these checklist items: Howard could be re-signed, Kobe can rehab back to form, the shooters are already on staff and a new coach can be hired and fired at management's leisure.

Make no mistake--the odds of everything here falling into place like so, and then being blessed to make it through the postseason unscathed injury-wise is very unlikely. But the fact that there is hope for success without completely starting over, cutting a living legend like Kobe Bryant or losing Dwight Howard to free agency should be emboldening to Lakers fans everywhere. Unlike a future with Chris Paul and Dwight Howard, or having a need like "an elite scorer", LA has very few requirements that would get them close to resembling a team that won the title just two seasons ago. That's not half bad.

--Mambino

--Follow this author @TheGreatMambino

The Credits: "The Last Laugh" - Lakers links

TheGreatMambino — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:55:52 -0000

That's the sound of Phil Jackson laughing on Mike & Mike yesterday morning when asked "What was your reaction when Mitch told you they had hired Mike D'Antoni?"

Headlines

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The Forum: Should Lakers look to keep both Howard, Gasol? - Los Angeles Lakers Blog - ESPN Los Angeles

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LeBron’s game-winning layup at the overtime buzzer gives Heat Game 1 win over Pacers (VIDEO) | ProBasketballTalk

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How unlikely is a Dwight Howard/Chris Paul Lakers future? Very unlikely

TheGreatMambino — Sat, 18 May 2013 02:32:54 -0000

Grantland's Bill Simmons has been putting out a plausible theory that could turn inevitably moribund 2013-2014 Los Angeles Lakers season into a renaissance year for the league's most blessed franchise. From the Sports Guy's article a couple weeks ago:

Don't rule out Chris Paul becoming a Laker next year. Here's how they could pull it off: If they amnestied Kobe Bryant, then traded Pau Gasol to Houston for a dirt-cheap salary (say, Donatas Motiejunas), they'd suddenly be lopping close to $49 million off next year's cap, leaving them with commitments to Metta World Peace, Steve Nash, Steve Blake, Chris Duhon, Jordan Hill, and Gasol's cheap replacement for less than $30 million. That's more than enough to sign Chris Paul and re-sign Dwight Howard if they took a little less … which they might, since it's the Lakers and all.

To clarify, LA is very much over the $58 million dollar salary cap threshold--around $40 million over it. The 2013-2014 roster amounts to roughly $78 million in commitments, which doesn't count a figure for Dwight Howard if he were to re-sign. Pulling off Simmons' theoretical scenario would involve clearing the cap room and then signing Chris Paul to a 4-year, $79 million dollar deal (the most he's eligible for a team that's not the Clippers) and Dwight to a 5-year, $118 million dollar deal. No easy feat.

(For the uninitiated, the amnesty clause is a one-time provision every team has in order to waive one player and thus clearing his salary from their salary cap number. The player cut will still receive his payment in full, but the team will not have to pay any luxury tax on the contract, if they are indeed over the cap limit. Also, the team that waives the player cannot re-sign him for the entire duration of the original contract. For this case specifically, if the Lakers were to amnesty Kobe Bryant, they would not be able to re-sign at any point during the 2013-2014 season)

As insanely cold-hearted as it may be, the Sports Guy might not be crazy. LA could completely rebuild in just one season, launching themselves back into championship contention after a mere three years in title-purgatory. Make no mistake: a Chris Paul/Dwight Howard core would, health permitting, be more than a match for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors and perhaps Finals-bound Memphis Grizzlies. If it were to happen, that is.

Beyond all the complexities of essentially cutting Kobe Bryant (and don't be naïve: if Kobe Bryant were to get cut via the amnesty provision by the Lakers, do you think for one second that a disgruntled and disrespected Mamba would ever come back to the purple & gold, even after he was allowed to? He's still upset at the Phoenix Suns for beating a Kwame Brown and Smush Parker-led team 8 years ago. He would never get over this), there are too many technical difficulties to get this coup to happen. Let's go to the tape:

1) The clock is against them. The Lakers can ONLY use the amnesty provision between July 10^th and July 17^th 2013

If the Lakers are going to make such a franchise altering decision, they'll need to do it all in a two-week period.

Every NBA team can talk to free agents starting on midnight on July 1^st. Though teams cannot officially sign players, they can "agree to terms" before pen is put to paper. This is in no way legally binding, meaning that the player is not compelled under contract law to sign with the team, but 9 times out of 10 will end up inking a contract. On the 10^th, teams can officially sign free agents.

In regards to the amnesty provision, the Lakers can use it for a one-week window immediately following the 10-day negotiating period (called a moratorium) beginning in June. If not used in that time frame, they won't be able to use it going forward--the only players eligible for the amnesty cut are players that have been on the Lakers roster prior December 2011. In other words, the only players left this summer eligible to be waived by the provision are Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Steve Blake and Metta World Peace, who all come off the books in 2014. Thus, the amnesty provision will not be available based on the players they have. Just to clear up any confusion, Steve Nash is NOT eligible to be cut via the amnesty clause because he was signed after December 2011.

For elite free agents, like Chris Paul and Dwight Howard, they'll traditionally sign within the first week or so following the moratorium. Let's look at when prime time players came to terms with teams the past 3 seasons:

Joe Johnson: July 4th, 2010
Amar'e Stoudemire: July 5th, 2010
Dwyane Wade: July 7th, 2010
Chris Bosh: July 7th, 2010
LeBron James: July 8th, 2010
Carlos Boozer: July 8th, 2010
Tyson Chandler: December 9th, 2010 (first day of the moratorium due to lockout)
Deron Williams: July 11th, 2012
Brook Lopez (yes, he's included): July 11th, 2012

Based on previous precedents, CP3 and D-12 could sign any time between 4th and 11th, complete with a detailed courting period by all the contending teams (though with Dwight, his boundless indecision could drag it out until September. I'm joking. Kind of).

This all means if the Lakers are going to create enough room to sign both Howard and Paul together by cutting Kobe amongst other maneuvers, they're going to need to do it rather swiftly. Like, a week and a half swiftly, with everything officially signed and sealed within seven epic days.

LA would have to begin to realize their master plan in talking to CP and Dwight during the moratorium, which, if not done quietly enough, could tip off Bryant. In the case convincing both players to sign with the Lakers doesn't work out, a scorned Kobe isn't anything the franchise would want to be a part of. It would take a massive amount of heavy lifting to get all of this done so quickly.

(For those of you wondering, the Lakers only have one true contender to sign both away at the same time: the Atlanta Hawks, who would have to renounce rights to Josh Smith, Jeff Teague and DeShawn Stevenson in order to do so. In this excellent article by Tim McMahon, he rules out the possibility of Dallas signing both players, while the Rockets would have to trade almost every player on their roster besides James Harden in order to do so)

If the Lakers are going to change their trajectory and cut ties with one of the organization's three greatest players ever, it's going to happen in a flash. Time is not on LA's side.

2) This of course, presumes the Lakers can move Pau Gasol

As Simmons pointed out, the Lakers would have to trade Gasol to a team far enough under the salary cap to absorb his $20 million dollar deal in order to send minimal assets back (ordinarily, the salaries traded between two teams have to amount to within $3 million dollars between each other--but not the case when trading to a team that is under the cap threshold enough to absorb the contract). This is a problem for several reasons:

As of now, the teams with that type of cap room (or could come close to it without significant maneuvering) this summer are: Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Hornets, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks.
We can safely rule out the Magic, Kings, Pistons, Wizards and Hornets, who are rebuilding teams trying to develop young big men. Acquiring Pau would be adding a tremendous salary for a player who might not get them into the playoffs, and could hamper the progress of future stars.The Cavaliers have been named a suitor for Dwight in the media, but considering that the Cleveland market is smaller than Orlando, I'd rule that out as a true contender for his services now.
Let's also rule out the Bucks, who will be using their precious cap room to keep restricted free agent Brandon Jennings. This of course could change if Monta Ellis opts out of his $11 million dollar deal next season, which looks unlikely.
This leaves Dallas, Houston and Atlanta...who are the three teams vying to sign both Paul and/or Howard this summer. They won't be making any moves that would prohibit them from signing either guy, until they're officially off the free agent board.

The only way the Lakers are trading Pau to those teams is IF they know Howard is re-signing and IF any of those three teams are willing to take him. The inherent problem here is they won't know either presumably until after July 10^th...giving the Lakers just one more thing to do before pulling off such a massive set of moves.

Even on a one-year deal, the Mavs, Rockets and Hawks would gladly take Gasol for the price of a young so-so prospect or draft picks IF indeed they lost out on Paul and/or Howard. But they won't know until the last second--LA cannot afford to trade Pau preemptive of seeing what Dwight will do. Moreover, those three teams certainly aren't going to help give the Lakers an even greater advantage in creating a super-team unless they are left without any options.

3) Convincing Chris Paul to become a Los Angeles Laker...without Kobe Bryant

Reportedly, one of the prime draws for Chris Paul wanting to become a Laker so badly 18 months ago was the potential to play with Bryant. Both Kobe and CP are psychotic competitors, who know nothing besides basketball and revile teammates don't conduct themselves similarly. This year, reports out of the Clippers locker room are that both Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan chafed at Paul, who was critical of their focus on Sportscenter dunks rather than doing whatever's necessary to win ball games.

Will Chris Paul want to sign up for five years with Dwight Howard, a jovial All-Star often criticized for a lack of intensity? It's easy to imagine CP and Kobe getting along, feeding into one another's insatiable desire to win. With Howard? Much harder.

4) Signing LeBron James will no longer be a possibility...probably.

For the past two seasons, the understood subtext of the Lakers' offseason maneuvers was that it'd put them into position to be able to offer maximum contracts next summer to potential free agents like Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and of course, LeBron James.

By signing Howard and Paul to nearly $20 million apiece, the Lakers will only be able to offer James less than half of that when counting Steve Nash's $10 million dollar against the team's salary cap. Unless the team again finds an under the cap team to take a 41 year-old Nash, signing the duo of D-12 and CP3 this summer would effectively put them out of the running in signing the best player in the world in 2014.This is a minor deterrent considering the team they'd have already, but it has to be a consideration for the Lakers.

Pulling off this fantasy scenario isn't impossible, but the inherent obstacles are extremely large. Even if Paul and Howard were interested in uniting, this deal would presume that other teams are interested in helping the Lakers set up four or five more seasons as title contenders. This would be, without a doubt, the biggest series of transactions in professional sports history that included so many MVP-caliber players. That alone makes this potential situation very, very unlikely. It's not impossible, but it would take all of Mitch Kupchak and Jimmy Buss's wizardry to make this happen and a gallon of cold, cold blood. Dream on Lakers fans.

All CBA information here is from the salary cap bible (otherwise known as CBA FAQ) by the superb Larry Coon. All salary cap information taken from hoopshype.com

--Mambino

--Follow this author @TheGreatMambino

What went wrong with the 2012-2013 Los Angeles Lakers ... front office?

TheGreatMambino — Sat, 11 May 2013 16:41:14 -0000

("What went wrong this season?" is the question we get the most from fans at Silver Screen & Roll. The 2012-2013 team had championship expectations, but a convergence of worst case scenarios kicked down LA to the the fringes of playoff contention. In this post series, we'll be taking a look at just what went wrong with each part of the Los Angeles Lakers this year, how it affected the organization and if this could be a problem going forward. Check out our examinations of the guards, big men and head coaches from this past week.)

What went wrong with the 2012-2013 Los Angeles Lakers ... front office?

Off-season transactions

June 28, 2012: Selected C Robert Sacre with the 60^th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft

July 11, 2012: Sign-and-trade deal for PG Steve Nash, 3 years, $28 million (traded a 2013 1st round draft pick, a 2013 2nd round draft pick, a 2014 2nd round draft pick and a 2015 1st round draft pick to the Phoenix Suns)

July 25, 2012: Signed PF Antawn Jamison for 1 year, $1.3 million

July 25, 2012: Re-signed PF Jordan Hill for 2 years, $8 million

August 10, 2012: Traded for C Dwight Howard, PG Chris Duhon and F Earl Clark, sending C Andrew Bynum to the Philadelphia 76ers and PF Josh McRoberts, PG Christian Eyenga and a 2017 1^st round draft pick to the Orlando Magic

August 13, 2012: Signed SG Jodie Meeks to 2 years, $2.9 million (2^nd year team option)

What went wrong with the 2012-2013 Los Angeles Lakers front office?

The team double-downed on age and experience, and it couldn't have gone worse.

Four potential Hall of Famers, six former All-Stars and a boatload of expectations. What could go wrong?

Well, everything.

The Lakers went into last summer after two consecutive second round playoff exits with some serious questions and a capped-out roster that would make it potentially difficult to make any significant moves. Even with Derek Fisher on the team, LA had a significant hole at point guard, as well as one of the league's most unproductive benches. Andrew Bynum had his healthiest season ever, earning his first spot on 1^st Team All-NBA, but it was unclear whether or not he could be counted on as a max-contract player when he became a free agent in 2013. The Lakers looked like a very good but not great team on the downslide that would either have to completely rebuild or suffer a slow, withering death. It didn't look great, to say the least.

However, in true Lakers fashion, when the future always looks the darkest, fate swings in and grants the Show a reprieve. Over the course of a month, the front office decided to go all-in with the remaining years left in Kobe Bryant's career, gamble on their future and double down on championship glory.

The first step was a formerly unthinkable trade for chief Lakers nemesis over the past decade Steve Nash, who came to the team on a sign-and-trade deal that sent two 1^st round and two 2^nd round picks to the Phoenix Suns. Aside from his obvious skills as a point guard, many thought a ring-less Nash would bring LA a championship hunger to erase a growing sense of complacency over the past two seasons. The former two-time MVP was signed to a 3-year deal, which would finish up months after his 41^st birthday.

The second step was fortifying a reserve unit that had ranked as one of the league's worst in 2011-2012. On the same day in July, the Lakers re-signed Jordan Hill as well as former All-Star Antawn Jamison to come off the bench. Hill had come to the Lakers in the Derek Fisher deadline day trade, surprisingly contributing late in the season with his extraordinary athleticism and defense. The former lottery pick had "bust" written all over him in stops with the Knicks and Rockets, not to mention a sketchy injury history that included knee and back ailments. Even more surprising, Jamison came to the Lakers for the veteran's minimum in a move that signaled the 36 year-old was interested in winning a ring and not much else. A few weeks later, the team signed Jodie Meeks, a sharp shooting guard who threw up threes with no regard for human life. In Jamison and Hill, the Lakers were using up their few (and thus valuable) resources in signing an injury-prone and aging player, respectively.

Finally, the biggest step: dealing Andrew Bynum for All-Star Dwight Howard. The trade had been in the rumor mill for over a year, with the Lakers seeming like the natural landing place to add to their trophy case of great centers. All it took to get Dwight to LA was several failed trades with the Brooklyn Nets, an awkward interview with Stan Van Gundy and finally a four-team deal involving 12 players and several draft picks.

Part of the logic was the Lakers thinking they had an Andrew Bynum at the top of his value, and that building a franchise around a center who had multiple knee surgeries wasn't a smart idea. The other thought was that...well, it's Dwight Howard! The former three-time Defensive Player of the Year was considered the consensus best center in the game, and one of the league's three most indispensable players along with LeBron James and Kevin Durant. With Howard in the middle, Lakers management figured that he'd be able to single-handedly make up for the defensive shortcomings of a veteran roster, just as he did in Orlando with similarly lacking Magic teams. Like some of his new teammates, Dwight wasn't without his disclaimers--he had missed the last part of the season after undergoing back surgery, and wasn't guaranteed to be ready for the start of the season. Still, the front office bet big on Howard, not only on his health, but in that he'd be an unrestricted free agent in just a year's time.

In hindsight, it's easy to write about the seemingly obvious red flags. But at the time, writers and the general NBA fan base at large felt that the Lakers were teeming with so much talent that a high playoff seed was a forgone conclusion. It was that easy.

And then...well...you know what happened.

Everything that the Buss family and GM Mitch Kupchak bet on saw the dealer draw a 21. All the veterans the Lakers bet on succumbed to injuries and, as expected, took much longer to recuperate than they would have 10 years earlier. Dwight Howard was as injured as he claimed, missing much of the trademark athleticism that had made him such a valuable basketball commodity for the past half-decade. Yes, some of this was just awful luck, but remember, the Lakers made this situation for themselves. They traded for a 38 year-old Steve Nash. They depended on a 34 year-old Kobe Bryant, a 33 year-old Metta World Peace and a 32 year-old Pau Gasol. They traded for a center highly dependent on athleticism that had just come off of back surgery. Two of their chief back-ups, Steve Blake and Antawn Jamison, were in their mid-thirties. As badly as the injury bug hit the Lakers, it's not as if this was the Oklahoma City Thunder and they saw a bunch of guys in their mid-twenties go down. LA was filled with 10 year-plus NBA veterans who were prone to injury based on the sheer odds as well as wear and tear. As much as we want to blame the ticking hands of fate, the Lakers front office set themselves up for disaster. On several fronts.

To compound an aging and injured roster, the Lakers made two ill-fitting coaching hires

I covered most of this in Thursday's post, but to summarize, the two Mikes were a catastrophe in Lakerland. Although Mike D'Antoni did a much better job than most people give him credit for, it's hard to argue that he's the right man going forward. But that's a post for another time.

The obvious critique here is the move the front office didn't make, which was the disrespectful non-hire of Phil Jackson. Reportedly, after approaching the 11-time champion coach with the idea of another return to the STAPLES Center sidelines, the Lakers allowed Jackson to sleep on the prospect of leading the team once more. Phil supposedly warmed to the thought overnight and was planning on accepting the next day. Or at least until a midnight phone call telling him that the franchise had gone another way.

There's no telling whether or not this story is 100% accurate. There's been conflicting reports from both sides on the veracity of what Jackson asked for (including an ownership stake and/or personnel decision-making power), as well as how much he was promised in a meeting with Kupchak and Buss. Regardless, there's the prevailing feeling that the Lakers did Phil dirty here, as there were multiple reports that the job was his to lose in the days leading up to D'Antoni's hire.

There's also no telling if Jackson would have been any more successful than MDA or Mike Brown with such an old, snake bitten team, especially with the nuances of the triangle offense that only three Lakers had any experience in. It's meaningless to postulate on "what ifs" here, but it's very possible that absolutely nothing could have changed with Phil at the helm. There's a chance that the only thing that would have changed is the reaction from the fan base, who undoubtedly would have given Jackson a far longer leash than the unproven D'Antoni. What a disaster.

The biggest folly of the front office this season? Shaking a previously steadfast belief that the Lakers are in good hands.

This wasn't just one of the most disappointing seasons ever--it was plainly one of the worst in franchise history. But, as I wrote in our Silver Screen & Roundtable last week, the most costly part of the season was how much damage it did to the sterling reputation of the Lakers. Yes, Los Angeles will always be a great destination because of Hollywood and the weather, but the mystique surrounding the indestructible Lakers took a big hit with bad decision after bad decision. Along with Dr. Buss's passing, so went the impermeable safety net that insured that any maneuvers that Kupchak and Jimmy Buss made were approved by the greatest owner in professional sports.

Now, for the first time in over twenty years, there are very legitimate questions as to the just how good the braintrust is behind the league's prized franchise. To me, that's more damaging than any singular loss or personnel departure. That unquestioned excellence is what's made the Lakers the Lakers.

It's been an absolutely calamitous year for Los Angeles management. Perhaps all this cause for alarm will be proven unfounded with the summer ahead, but in regards to 2012-2013, it was an abject disaster.

--Mambino

--Follow this author @TheGreatMambino

What went wrong with the 2012-2013 Los Angeles Lakers ... coaches?

TheGreatMambino — Thu, 09 May 2013 00:32:05 -0000

Mike Brown: 1-4 record (0-8 preseason)

Bernie Bickerstaff: 4-1 record

Mike D'Antoni: 40-32 (0-4 postseason)

What went wrong with the coaching?

The style of the coaches mismatched the personnel not once--but twice. Mike Brown, a dubious choice to continue his coaching tenure in this season, couldn't get his team to believe in his system or play hard for him.

What was unarguably one of the worst seasons in franchise history was strangely bookended by the same beginning and ending: a winless season proceeded by an winless postseason. There's no question that injuries are the primary cause here--when Steve Nash, Steve Blake, Jordan Hill, Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard miss a combined 149 games, there's no team that can remain a contender through that type of storm.

However, the problem is that even when healthy, the personnel never quite synched up with the coaching style of the team's two skippers.

Mike Brown's tenure felt doomed even before the season began. The 2010 Coach of the Year was already under fire for a problem that never stopped dogging him from his time with the Cavaliers: a lack of an offensive system. Most times, the floor would be dotted with 3 shooters with a big man in the paint, with LeBron James acting as a single pivot to essentially create scoring chances all by himself. Either the defenses would crash leaving an open shooter, or oftentimes James would have to make something out of nothing using his superior passing and ability to penetrate the interior. The Cavs were a plodding, methodical bunch, finishing 25th in pace for Brown's last three seasons in Cleveland, despite having the league's most explosive fast break player. Still, a lot of the criticism on Mike seemed unfounded, as the Cavs finished in the top 6 of offensive efficiency for those same three years.

In LA, the 2011-2012 season saw a lot of the same, simplistic and sometimes non-existent offensive schemes. In a move that seemed almost defiant in its construction, Brown hired former Washington Wizards coach Eddie Jordan to implement a Princeton-style offense. The idea was that the system would create scoring opportunities more easily for players without the ability to create offense on their own. This complex scheme of backdoor screens, cuts and cross court movement was lost on the Lakers personnel, and seemed to marginalize the one-on-one excellence of Kobe Bryant, the pick and roll brilliance of PnR virtuoso Steve Nash and the dominant post-up play of Pau Gasol. The Lakers didn't warm to the idea of the Princeton all throughout training camp, with players giving lukewarm reviews to a plan that seemed needlessly complicated considering all the natural offensive talent on the floor.

But the true problem with Brown wasn't at the offensive end: the vaunted defense that had won him the job a year earlier was nowhere to be found. The 2011-2012 Lakers ranked a very unimpressive 13th in defensive efficiency and were missing the toughness and grit that was the hallmark of several 60-win Cavaliers teams. This year's Lakers team came right out of the gate after a winless preseason and immediately showed the emotional fortitude of a pouting Devean George. Right away, there was no fire behind a team that was supposedly motivated by its championship-starved veterans aching for accolades and respect. Despite four losses to four very tough squads in the season's first five games, it was apparent that these Lakers were not laying it all out there for their coach. Along with insincere notions of support for him and his offense, it become rapidly clear that the team simply didn't believe in their leader.

Even though he was fired five games into the regular season, you could surmise that Mike Brown actually lost his job just a month in to the offseason when he brought a questionable offensive system to a team that wasn't sold on him already. The rest took care of itself. I still believe that given time, the Lakers could have flourished in the Princeton offense, but what wasn't as obvious is if they ever would get behind such a unconvincing hire to begin with.

Similarly, Mike D'Antoni's ideas never meshed with the men who had to carry them out. However, a constant flow of injuries robbed him of any fair, long-term assessment.

Hours after a November 7th loss to the Utah Jazz, Brown was out, leaving assistant coach Bernie Bickerstaff to lead the troops while the search got underway.

Bickerstaff's approach was simple in its...well, simplicity. After all the criticism that had doused the complicated Princeton offense, Bernie very casually "let his boys play". For the duration of his five-game tenure, he implemented as little actual coaching as possible--he just let the talented veteran core of the team let their skills dictate the flow of the game. Miraculously, this non-coaching coaching seemed to work: the Lakers won four of Bernie's five games, all by double-digits. Perhaps it was the relief of not having to slog through another game of trying to stay within the Princeton offense, or maybe the Lakers truly didn't like Mike Brown, but those four games were amongst the best the Show looked all year. There's no suggesting that LA was better off with Bickerstaff--after all, he was quite vocal about how relieved he would be when the next guy would be ready to coach.

Mike D'Antoni's hire was...controversial, to say the least. After a brief dalliance with Phil Jackson, the front office went after another former Coach of the Year, seeking to harness the offensive excellence that had driven his Phoenix Suns teams to two Western Conference Finals. In an immediate contrast to Mike Brown, MDA seemed to immediately get along with his new team. Steve Nash of course had won two MVPs under the watch of D'Antoni, settling in as the engine to his coach's very detailed sketch for a high performance motor vehicle. Kobe Bryant had idolized a then-Italian League superstar MDA when the Mamba was a young boy growing up in Italy, even going so far as to pick #8 in his honor when entering the NBA. The rest of the squad seemed perfectly suited for their new manager--shooters everywhere and high quality passing from Pau Gasol. It all seemed like a perfect mix, on the surface at least.

But like Mike Brown, this Mike's tenure also was doomed from the onset, though not for the same reasons. Steve Nash, the very expensive key to this very expensive Lakers car, missed the first month of his new coach's employment. His understudy, Steve Blake, didn't play with a torn abdominal muscle. Dwight Howard's energy vacillated from night to night while recovering from offseason back surgery, while Pau Gasol was in and out of the line-up with tendinitis in both knees. Injuries destroyed D'Antoni's team immediately after his hire, making an already unenviable task of getting these superstars to play with one another even more difficult. Meanwhile, the rotation was constantly in flux, with MDA having no preseason to set his line-ups to get to know his roster. Jodie Meeks and Antawn Jamison sat for games at a time as their new coach tried to get a feel for who could play for him.

However, the real problem with D'Antoni at the helm was exactly what his detractors cried out at his hiring: the Lakers couldn't play defense. From MDA's first game on November 21st against Brooklyn, the Lakers ranked a pitiful 20th in defensive efficiency. The Lakers wings players seemed helpless to any point guard who had a modicum of speed or a handle, from killers like Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul to role players like Luke Ridnour and C.J. Watson. LA perimeter players regularly over-helped on defensive rotations, couldn't fight through picks and were extremely prone to ball watching. What's worse is that the porous defense was partially an offshoot of D'Antoni's vaunted offense--the Lakers wanted to run a fast break offense behind Steve Nash, but all that did was open up fast break opportunities for the other team. Los Angeles quickly became one of the league's worst teams in fast break points allowed. The Lakers couldn't afford to run on offense because they couldn't get back on defense, and thus the very reason the front office wanted D'Antoni in the first place was negated.

There were improvements as the year went on, and it's not a coincidence that the defensive numbers improved as Dwight Howard's health was on the upswing. Month by month, these are the Lakers ranks in defensive efficiency with MDA aboard: 26th, 21st, 18th, 15th and 9th. With Dwight blocking shots and destroying pick and rolls, as well as Pau providing excellent weakside help, LA was able to cobble together a very solid all around D. Now, is this improved defense Mike D'Antoni making adjustments as the season went on? Or is it just one of the world's best basketball players finally rounding into game shape? It's still entirely too hard to quantify. But aside from a small sample size in April (8 games), the Lakers are hardly a championship-level defensive team with an aging core that isn't getting any younger.

Even as many folks out there froth at the mouth wanting MDA gone, he was the man at the helm when his team squeaked into the playoffs, in spite of numerous obstacles put in front of him. D'Antoni was given a team that didn't suit his coaching strengths, without a training camp and dealt with momentum-killing injuries his entire time in LA. It's obvious that the team made several adjustments as the season went along, slowing down the pace of the game and force feeding the ball into Dwight Howard. It's difficult to throw MDA to the fire here considering everything that was against him, but even at their height, the team was still getting destroyed at home by 20 points to the Clippers and suffering embarrassing come-from-behind losses to the Washington Wizards.

Both Coach Mikes dealt with several obstacles including a laughable swarm of injuries, but the fact remains that both coaches didn't have the skill sets to sufficiently adapt to the personnel. The job of a head coach is to best accentuate his team's strengths and, to the best of his ability, hide their weaknesses. Perhaps what went wrong here is that they were ever hired in the first place.

--Mambino

--Follow this author @TheGreatMambino

The Credits: "All Quiet on the Western Front" - Lakers links

TheGreatMambino — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:45:28 -0000

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Silver Screen & Roundtable: Was this the worst season in franchise history?

TheGreatMambino — Fri, 03 May 2013 03:15:46 -0000

There's no doubt that the 2012-2013 campaign was disappointing--after all, the Lakers entered with championship expectations became mere playoff hopes. However, after all the locker room turmoil, coaching changes, front office blunders and possible long term cap ramifications because of this specific team, there's reason to think that the season was far more than merely "disappointing".

In your estimation, was the 2012-2013 Los Angeles Lakers campaign the worst season in franchise history (interpret the word "worst" how you will)?

C.A. Clark

Semantically, I don't think you can call this the worst season in franchise history when there's a .264 winning % season out there, even if that season did come in the late '50s at the tail end of the George Mikan era.

Semantics aside, however, I don't think there can be much doubt that this was the hardest and most disappointing season to go through as a Lakers fan in my 30 year lifetime. The expectations, the injuries, and the poor team chemistry even when the team had close to decent health ... it was all just too much to bear. It is rare in general to be genuinely excited for your favorite team to lose and be done for the year, but a large portion of Lakers Nation was there by Game 4 against the Spurs. I know I was.

In fact, last season was so bad that, if the Lakers had not closed with a strong run to actually make the playoffs, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more disappointing season ever in the NBA, and possibly even all of sports.
It's not rare for a team with large expectations to have a bunch of things go wrong and end up failing, but by and large, teams as favored as the Lakers were to advance deep into the playoff picture do not spend half their season looking like an abomination, especially in the NBA where a few individual talents can be so important. Midway through the season, the Lakers were headed towards being one of the biggest disappointments in the history of sports. They closed strongly enough to make the playoffs, but that's still got to be good enough for the most disappointing season for a franchise that has little experience with disappointment.

Actuarially Sound

This is not the worst season in Lakers history, no matter how you define it. I would say it isn't even the worst season in the last 10 years. The 2004-05 campaign saw the Lakers finish 34-48, tied for last in the Pacific division, and dead last in the league in defensive efficiency. This 45-win season is no where near the depths of despair felt after that awful year.

The Lakers may have finished far from the championship expectations bestowed upon them when Nash and Howard were aquired, but it is more or less a result of injuries than anything else. This was a team that for the first half of the season saw a revolving door of injuries that resulted in signficant minutes for players like Robert Sacre, Darius Morris, and Chris Duhon. It wasn't until the second half of the season that the Lakers had a nearly recovered Howard and two solid point guards in Steve Nash and Steve Blake on the floor. The Lakers, despite additional injuries to Pau Gasol, Metta World Peace, Kobe Bryant, and Steve Nash, still finished 28-12, a record that was 4th best over essentially the second half of the season. They showed that with a little health and a little cohesion they could still be a team to reckon with. This was a team that won 8 of it's final 9 games, with wins against 3 of the 4 teams are still alive in the Western Conference playoffs today. That closing stretch provides the light at the end of the tunnel for this Lakers team.

Next season the Lakers can basically give it another go before pressing the reset button in 2014. I still believe that if healthy and given some continuity and time with each other, this roster could contend for a title. You don't win 28 out of 40 games by luck. This is a far better outlook than that dreadful first season post-Shaq where not only did the Lakers miss the playoffs, but they had no shining light to look forward to. The following season the center rotation consisted of Chris Mihm and Kwame Brown with Smush Parker running the point. Next season looks far brighter with those spots most likely being occupied by three future hall of famers in Howard, Gasol, and Nash... no matter how old the later two may be.

Drew Garrison

Disappointment from this team is deeper than wins and losses. This team had enormous expectations that, even those who were conservative about, thought they would show the potential to come close to at the very least. Instead, this team turned an 82 game season into an incredibly difficult journey. Some teams can struggle through a season, nearly miss the playoffs, and not have to worry about it. They have a lottery draft pick and didn't have exceedingly high expectations to deal with. For the Lakers, it was the opposite. They couldn't miss the playoffs, their draft pick had gone out to the Phoenix Suns for a point guard who missed half of the season (and all but one playoff games), and just when it seemed like the Lakers were going to get into a groove another injury claimed another player.

The season was disastrous, the playoffs felt like a foregone conclusion after one game, and to top it off Kobe Bryant tore his Achilles just before reaching the finish line. This was not only the most disappointing season I can recall, it was the most exhausting season.

The Great Mambino

It goes without saying that this was the most disappointing season in Lakers history. They entered November with championship expectations and finished March with merely playoff hopes. Everything that could have gone wrong did, eventually leading to an almost unheard of sweep at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs. I refuse to lump owner Jerry Buss's passing in with this horrible year--doing so is a disservice to his incredible legacy and an incredible man. His death transcends this silly little 82 game schedule.

The Lakers have certainly had "worst" seasons, numerically speaking. They've had 17 seasons with a lower winning percentage. They've missed the playoffs 5 times, which mercifully didn't include the 2012-2013 campaign. They've even been swept in the first round before--victims of the 1966-1967 San Francisco Warriors.

However, the season achieved something that few other Lakers teams have: shake the fan base's confidence in ownership's sterling reputation.

Injuries of course didn't help. Every single rotation player on the squad got hurt this year, disrupting any chance for a group of new teammates to establish any sense of momentum and consistency. The list of the disabled includes franchise cornerstone Kobe Bryant, whose ruptured Achilles tendon might keep everyone from seeing his greatness ever again. Even without a swarm of health problems circling the team, the Hall of Fame starting line-up of Kobe, Steve Nash, Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard struggled to get along, both on the court and in the locker room. Still, LA traded for Nash and Howard knowing of their injury history, and depended on Pau and Kobe into their mid-thirties--certainly inviting multiple chances for occupancy in the full training room. But beyond the simple mechanics of winning basketball games, the front office made blunder after blunder. They stumbled into two ill-fated coaching hires, one in five games of Mike Brown and then into the April Western Conference Coach of the Month Mike D'Antoni. As if MDA's failures weren't enough, the Lakers disrespectfully flirted with the notion of re-hiring Phil Jackson for the job, only to pass him over in a infamous midnight phone call. This debacle underlined the rumored discord between the new Buss Family ownership, as the siblings reportedly feuded with one another behind the scenes.

The 2012-2013 Lakers team and front office have done what only Magic Johnson's retirement could--it's gotten us to doubt the greatness of the Buss family and how they'll steer this team going forward. True, Jerry had not been the every day decision man for several years now. However, the buck stopped with him. There was always the safety net securely tied beneath his son Jim and GM Mitch Kupchak, emboldening Laker fans everywhere to believe that if the good Doctor had given it the thumbs up, all would be well.

The events of this season were bad enough--from the penthouse in November to the outhouse in April. But even in the franchise's worst years, there was always a guarantee of steady leadership going forward. That no longer exists. This was the worst season in Lakers history.

Poll

Was this the most disappointing season Lakers season to you?

Yes

185 votes

No

121 votes

It's complicated

131 votes

437 votes | Poll has closed

Kobe Bryant finishes 5th in MVP voting

TheGreatMambino — Mon, 06 May 2013 03:16:50 -0000

Kobe Bryant placed fifth in NBA MVP voting according to the official ballot released today. The Mamba received 184 points, behind 4-time winner LeBron James (1,207 points), Kevin Durant (765), Carmelo Anthony (475) and Chris Paul (289). James was one vote shy of a unanimous selection, a feat never before accomplished in the league. The award is his fourth in five years--only Bill Russell (five), Michael Jordan (five) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six) have won more MVPs than LeBron. Absolutely amazing.

Considering how the Lakers finished well below regular season expectations with 45 wins, Kobe did very well for himself in voting. Along with his fifth place finish, he secured 4 second place votes, 12 third place votes, 23 fourth place votes and 27 fifth place votes. He received around 100 more points than the sixth and seventh place runners-up in a pair of Spurs, Tony Parker (86 points) and Tim Duncan (65). Unsurprisingly, no other Laker got even a fifth place vote. This ballot is the first in six years not to feature Dwight Howard's name on it, as the center has finished in the top-7 for the past five years.

To put this in a historical perspective, Kobe now has ten top-10 MVP finishes, good for the 11th most MVP-shares in league history. Meaning, in a MVP ballot-like standing, Bryant has received more weighted votes for his greatness than everyone but just 10 players ever--an illustrious group that includes Jordan, Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Russell, James, Shaquille O'Neal, Karl Malone and Wilt Chamberlain.

There's no doubt that Kobe would have finished higher if not for his team's lowly win total; his 2012-2013 season offensively was on par with just about any of his great years dating back to 2000. Bryant averaged an amazing 27.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg and 6.0 apg on a very good .463/.324/.839 shooting slash line in 78 games. More importantly, he never dogged it every single night, including a late season three week stretch in which he played no fewer than 43 minutes in any game. Defensively, as we've covered ad naseum on SS&R, he was a shell of himself; this undoubtedly cost him a few points in the final MVP standings.

The only question at this point is whether or not Kobe made 1st Team All-NBA. Bryant's 10 1st Team nods put him in second tied with Bob Cousy, Bob Petit, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Jordan and Abdul-Jabbar, trailing Malone's 11 selections. Kobe's overall 14 selections to 1st, 2nd or 3rd Team All-NBA tie him with Malone and O'Neal for second most all-time, right behind the 15 from Kareem. Another 1st Team selection would be a very significant honor to add to number 24's already crowded resume.

--Mambino

--Follow this author @TheGreatMambino

What went wrong with the 2012-2013 Los Angeles Lakers ... big men?

TheGreatMambino — Fri, 03 May 2013 01:16:11 -0000

("What went wrong this season?" is the question we get the most from fans at Silver Screen & Roll. The 2012-2013 team had championship expectations, but a convergence of worst case scenarios kicked down LA to the the fringes of playoff contention. In this post series, we'll be taking a look at just what went wrong with each part of the Los Angeles Lakers this year, how it affected the organization and if this could be a problem going forward. Check out our first examination from yesterday on the guards right here)

C Dwight Howard: 76 games, 76 games started, 6 missed (for injury) 17.1 ppg, 12.4 rpg, 1.4 apg, .578/.167/.492

PF Pau Gasol: 49 games, 42 games started, 32 missed, 13.7 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 4.1 apg, .466/.286/.702

PF Jordan Hill: 29 games, 1 game started, 52 missed, 6.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 0.4 apg, .497/.000/.656

SF Metta World Peace: 75 games, 66 games started, 7 missed, 12.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.5 apg, .403/.342/.734

F Antawn Jamison: 76 games, 6 games started, 9.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 0.7 apg, .464/.361/.691

F Earl Clark: 59 games, 36 games started, 7.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.1 apg, .440/.337/.697

SF Devin Ebanks: 19 games, 3 games started, 3.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 0.5 apg, .329/.273/.786

C Robert Sacre: 32 games, 3 games started, 1.3 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 0.2 apg .375/.000/.636

What went wrong with the Lakers bigs?

Howard and Gasol didn't learn how to play with one another for five months.

Or perhaps, Mike Brown and Mike D'Antoni couldn't figure it out until it was too late. Either way, what most thought would be a fluid transition with one of the game's best shut down defenders and most versatile bigs turned out to be clunky and awkward.

Of the 13 two-man combinations that spent 900 minutes or more together, Howard and Gasol settled in as having the lowest offensive efficiency (points per 100 possessions) at 103.5--the season average was 105.6. Of course, this isn't a perfect metric by any means, but the Lakers didn't grab more a higher percentage of rebounds (51.1% versus a season average of 51.2%) and gave up 16.4 TO a game (15 was the season average).

Just watching them, it was clear that Gasol wasn't being used as efficiently as possible. He often set up on long-range jumpers, shooting from 16 feet or more almost as many times as at the rim. In fact, Pau took 1 more 3-pointer this year in 49 games than he did in 65 games last year. To make matters worse, Howard had his worst offensive season by almost any metric, and was taking away the low post touches that Gasol excels at.

By the time the spring came around, it was clear that MDA had found some sort of formula to playing the two together. Their efficiency jumped from 100 points per 100 possessions in January to 107 in March in 8 games. With Kobe, Blake and Meeks doing work from the perimeter, Gasol and Howard were able to play off each other in the mid and low posts respectively. Credit Pau for a lot of work here--his playmaking in March and April was key. In 13 games during that stretch, he doled out more assists (72) than in the 20 games before it (70).

Without injuries keeping the Lakers big man tandem off the court while limiting them physically while on it, it's hard to imagine that they couldn't have been effective sooner.

Like everything in the Lakers universe this season, injuries took their toll

Even when they played, the bigs weren't healthy. Howard played the entire 2012-2013 campaign recovering from back surgery that he allegedly came back from "5 to 6 months early". To make matters worse, he suffered a tear in the labrum in his left shoulder, causing him to miss six games and further limiting his effectiveness. As mentioned, Howard had a horrid offensive season and seemed to regress as a post scorer. Dwight shot 70% at the rim, as opposed to 74% he's shot the three years prior. That might not seem like a gigantic difference, but for a player like Howard who takes between 500 and 600 shots at that distance (and 3/5 of his total FGA), it ends up being a gigantic net loss.

Gasol missed a career-high 32 games, taken out with a deadly cocktail of knee tendinitis, a plantar fascia tear and a concussion. Pau's mobility was hampered all season, which combined with aging into his mid-thirties, helped limit his legendary offensive touch until the spring.

The starters weren't the only ones. Antawn Jamison, Metta World Peace and Jordan Hill all got slammed hard by the injury bug. Jamison was least affected out of the bunch, suffering a slight tear in his wrist that necessitated a Tuesday surgery. 'Tawn wasn't noticeably hampered by the injury, or at the very least didn't show it much in his offensive game. The former Ron Artest remarkably only missed 7 games all season long even though he tore his meniscus in his left knee. MWP had a much better 2012-2013 than the previous two years, but wasn't the same disruptive defensive player after the knee injury.

Losing Hill for essentially the season was undoubtedly a huge and underrated setback for a Lakers team that needed his energy, rebounding and defense off the bench, especially with Pau and Dwight ailing. On paper, Jordan's contributions don't look game changing, but considering that one of the hallmarks of the 2012-2013 team was a lack of athleticism and length, losing the forward was a big blow. If not for the January emergence of Earl Clark, this could have been a much, much worse situation.

The lack of progress from Devin Ebanks

Speaking of length and athleticism, on paper was there anyone more suited to the attributes the Lakers so badly needed than Devin Ebanks? The third-year man is a rangy, 6'9" small forward, with a nice looking stroke and the requisite strength and athleticism to be a scheme-wrecking defensive presence. More importantly to the Lakers, he was young and cheap, and showed flashes of his potential towards the end of the 2011-2012 season. Could there be a more perfect solution to what ailed the team?

Sadly for the Lakers, Ebanks turned out to be a complete zero value add on the basketball court. With World Peace struggling offensively past the new year, Jamison struggling with his defense since the early nineties and Hill seemingly out for the season, there couldn't have been a greater need for Devin to break through. Unfortunately, Ebanks proved he wasn't suited to the task--he couldn't hit a jump shot or more importantly, defend his position in a leaky Lakers perimeter defense.

All offseason long, we'll be talking about how badly the Lakers need a defense-minded small forward who can hit an open jumper. Devin Ebanks could have solved several problems this year, but instead just added to them. His failure to live up to even the most modest expectations were an unspoken but critically important setback.

Overall, many issues from the Lakers big men could be settled next season with better health and an already burgeoning chemistry. As long as Dwight re-signs and the team keeps Pau, the two would have another 82 games to build upon the impressive spring stretch they had. Hill's presence, as well as continual excellence off the bench is key as well, especially in the way he often energizes what could be a sluggish, aging group of players.

However, if the Lakers do not find a solution in regards to an athletic, defense-minded small forward, they're in big trouble. Metta World Peace will be 34 this November, and while he's still a very intelligent, capable defender, the Lakers will need a younger, quicker wing to handle opposing 3s on the wing and in the post. Earl Clark, if re-signed, fills some of these needs and has plenty of room to develop defensively, but might not be a long-term solution. GM Mitch Kupchak will need to make an extremely shrewd, cost-effective move to acquire a player in his mold without trading away one of his star players.

--Mambino

--Follow this author @TheGreatMambino

What went wrong with the 2012-2013 Los Angeles Lakers ... guards?

TheGreatMambino — Thu, 02 May 2013 03:18:24 -0000

SG Kobe Bryant: 78 games, 78 games started, 4 missed (for injury), 27.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 6.0 apg, .463/.324/.839

PG Steve Nash: 50 games, 50 games started, 32 missed, 12.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 6.7 apg, .497/.438/.922

PG Steve Blake: 45 games, 13 started, 37 missed, 7.3 ppg, 2.9, 3.8 apg, .422/.421/.771

SG Jodie Meeks: 78 games, 10 starts, 0 missed (for injury), 7.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 0.9 apg, .387/.357/.896

PG Darius Morris: 47 games, 17 starts, 4.0 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 1.6 apg, .388/.364/.649

PG Chris Duhon: 46 games, 9 starts, 2.9 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 2.9 apg, .382/.363/.462

What went wrong with the Lakers guards?

Even more than the front court, injuries, which in part led to offensive inconsistency.

It seems redundant to mention it, but injuries absolutely killed the Lakers guards, perhaps even to a greater degree than the bigs. The pair of points named Steve were originally forecast to have the lion's share of minutes this year, breaking down opposing defenses and at times, playing off each other when Kobe needed a rest. Instead, they missed a combined 69 games, Blake with an abdominal tear and Nash with a broken leg and nerve irritation affecting his hip and hamstring. Bryant tore his Achilles tendon in game no. 80, which was the first step in derailing whatever shot the team had of making any noise against the San Antonio Spurs in the postseason.

In Nash's case, he hovered around his career numbers statistically in regards to his shooting percentages, points created per possession and points per game. The one outlier was his lowest assist average in 13 years, a surprise considering all the high-powered offensive weapons around him. The team's lack of speed and athleticism crippled a few of Nash's best attributes, including probing and penetrating the opposition's defense looking for slashers and shooters and especially finding teammates on the fast break. Even more so than either of those deficiencies was Dwight Howard's inability (for whatever reason) to run the pick and roll, and Pau Gasol's season-long injuries keeping him off the court. The amount of times Nash either bounced the ball off Howard's heels or the big man simply got stripped on his post move are more than I could count, and truly negated a future Hall of Fame point guard's greatest strength. It was also apparent that Nash found it difficult getting back into a groove after fracturing his leg and was rendered nearly immobile towards the end of the season with hip and hamstring problems.

As exhibited by Steve Blake's last month, even with or without Nash in the line-up, it took a while before he truly bounced back from a serious abdominal tear. Whether it be his timing, sheer physical strength or conditioning, Blake dropped a 11.6/4.2/3.9 on .434/.434/.842 shooting in the season's last 30 days, the type of production the Lakers could have used all year long off the bench. Similarly, Jodie Meeks' performance hit highs and lows during the season (though not due to injury), shooting a .418 form the 3P line in February, but then .320 in March.

It was this season-long inconsistency that began to put Steve Nash into more of a perimeter shooter's role, with Kobe turning into the facilitator. At times, the former Sun excelled in this role, but it was frustrating to see one of the greatest point guards with a still working skill set reduced to spot-up duty.

Inexperience or ineffectiveness pressed into duty

Of course with all the injuries, inexperienced or just plain ineffective guards were put into the rotation. Darius Morris played 48 games his sophmore season with a surprising 17 starts, showing flashes of elite one-on-one defense, but often getting lost in help schemes or pick and rolls. On the other side of the court, Morris wasn't at all equipped to run or score in an NBA offense, which helped reduce his playing time towards the end of the year. Chris Duhon played 46 games, which is a lone sentence that could describe "what went wrong with the 2012-2013 Lakers". The reserve point guard was one of the league's worst every day guards when he got regular time and didn't improve the team in any perceivable way.

The drop in talent from Nash, Kobe, Blake and Meeks to two guys who really have no business getting NBA playing time really hurt the Lakers for large stretches in the season. No other way around it.

Lack of athleticism, poor help defense leading to perimeter D woes

....but even as bad as Morris and Duhon were at times, other than injuries, this was the true killer of the 2012-2013 Lakers.

LA's perimeter defense was atrocious this season, highlighted by Kobe's non-chalance, Steve Blake's horrible over-helping and a general lack of athleticism and effort. The Lakers allowed the 10th most three-point attempts this season, though placed only 16th in 3P% at .357, and 12th most three-point makes. Furthermore, it shouldn't come as a surprise that LA yielded the 6th highest percentage of makes at 20-24 feet.

The even more telling statistic is the complete lack of steals and opponent turnovers. The Lakers could not force opposing teams to give up the rock this year, ranking second to last in opponent turnovers. This helped towards LA being 22nd in both fast break points per game and points from turnovers, a clear contributor to Steve Nash's partial ineffectiveness as a facilitator this year. Of course, it's unfair to attribute this lack of in-game ball pressure just to the guards, but the Lakers did rank 25th in all the NBA in terms of steals from their back court. On the whole, the Lakers guards lacked the speed, length and athleticism to mob opposing wing players, force turnovers and stop penetration into the paint before it began.

Overall, just about the only thing to go right for the Lakers back court this year was Kobe Bryant's offensive blitzkrieg, one of his most brilliant in his career. A lot of these issues wouldn't persist into next year with health permitting, but the Mamba's ruptured Achilles tendon, as well as the ages of Nash and Blake have already spoiled that sunny outlook. Unless the Lakers make a major deal for a younger, more athletic guard--or Darius Morris makes great strides this summer--all these problems could linger throughout the 2013-2014 season.

--Mambino

--Follow this author @TheGreatMambino

The Credits: "Sleepy Hollow" - Lakers Links

TheGreatMambino — Thu, 02 May 2013 14:03:59 -0000

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The Credits: "Requiem for a Dream" - Lakers links

TheGreatMambino — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:41:12 -0000

RIP to the 2012-2013 Los Angeles Lakers season, the bad dream that no one could wake up from. We won't miss you. At all.

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VIDEO: Dwight Howard is ejected in final Lakers' game this season - CBSSports.com

Spurs complete sweep of Lakers, Final Score: 103-82

TheGreatMambino — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 01:10:20 -0000

And so ends the most disappointing season in franchise history.

The Los Angeles Lakers' miserable 2012-2013 season was mercifully put down tonight, as the San Antonio Spurs finished off a dominating sweep, 103-82. LA continued their final game of the season in the same fashion they've become accustomed to for the past three years now: a double-digit blowout and an embarrassing ejection.

There were few highlights in a rather quiet near-20 point loss, with the second seeded Spurs masterfully dissecting LA's skeleton crew of D-Leaguers, washed up vets and injured rotation players. No one in white and black played more than 29 minutes, with coach Gregg Popovich being able to sit his stars for much of the game. Tony Parker was remarkable once again, scoring the easiest 23 points imaginable, while the rest of the Spurs 80 points were fittingly parsed out between the rest of the squad.The intensity on both sides seemed non-existent, as if both sides were resigned to a Lakers loss before the ball was even tipped. LA was lifeless for large stretches, with the guard play nearly as ineffective as it was in Game 3. Steve Blake, Steve Nash, Jodie Meeks, Kobe Bryant and Metta World Peace all sat out for the Lakers, leaving Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol to get triple and sometimes quadruple teamed in the paint. Right after the final buzzer, Tony Parker looked almost distressed about the past week's events, telling TNT's David Aldridge that it felt "weird" to be sweeping the mighty LA Lakers.The game had a distinctly ceremonial vibe, with players going through all the motions of a mandated 48 minute game, but understanding full well that this meant the end of the playoffs for the purple and gold.

The stat sheet itself is rather deceiving--the Lakers shot 47% and actually out-rebounded the Spurs, but 21 turnovers (including 10 from Gasol and Howard, who were mauled in the post on every possession) dictated the game. Pau did the best he could in perhaps his last game as a Laker, putting up 16/8/5, playing valiantly in the absence of all his All-Star teammates. Including Dwight Howard.

The Lakers center was tossed with 9:51 left on the clock in the third quarter, earning his second technical needlessly after getting tangled up with substitute center Aaron Baynes. He left the game playing 21 minutes, scoring 8 points and grabbing 7 boards, but as awful as Dwight's season has been, this could have been the low light of the 2012-2013 campaign. TNT cameras caught him barking in the direction of GM Mitch Kupchak on his way to the locker room, but at this point it's unclear who he was talking to or what he said. Fans and writers certainly didn't need much more fuel going into a summer in which Howard hits restricted free agency, but it seems that ever the showman, Dwight has stoked the flames with an even more ignominious ending than anyone thought possible.

In the end, it's hard to call a sweep at the hands of the team with the third best record a disappointment or a disgrace. Chris Duhon played 43 minutes tonight. The top five rotation wings all sat out with injuries. Andrew Goudelock took 17 shots. The list goes on and on. It was a torturous game to watch, but ultimately, the Lakers simply lacked the talent and experience to even make this a challenge against a Spurs team that is peaking at the right time and looks to be as healthy as they were all season. Disappointing? Yes. Disgraceful? Other than Dwight Howard, no.

There are dozens of questions heading into the summer, but no need to get into all of them now. Rest assured, we'll have no shortage of coverage here at Silver Screen & Roll. From the whole crew, we want to thank everyone for sticking with us through a...fascinating season.

--Mambino

--Follow this author @TheGreatMambino

Metta World Peace "probably" out for Game 4

TheGreatMambino — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 19:30:13 -0000

In another twist that goes beyond tragedy straight into high comedy, it seems that yet another Laker has fallen to injury.

After an ineffective 17 minute performance going 0-6 for a big donut in points, rebounds but 1 assist, Metta World Peace sat the entire second half due to a bum left knee. Chris Duhon played in his absence, finishing with an astounding zero points and zero assists in 25 (!) minutes. After the game, the former Ron Artest said he couldn't see himself playing on Sunday. Check this tweet from Janis Carr of the OC Register:

Metta says he is doubtful for Sunday's Game 4. I wasn't effective
— janis carr (@janiscarr) April 27, 2013

World Peace famously came back from surgery for a left torn meniscus after less than two weeks on the inactive list. However, that doesn't seem to be the direct cause for his ineffectiveness on Friday. Earlier in the day, MWP had 20 CCs of liquid drained from a cyst on his left knee, which reportedly had nothing to do with his surgery. Either way, it's clear that the knee was limiting his lift and mobility, and will most likely cause the starting small forward to miss the Lakers' probable season finale Sunday.

With four Lakers wing rotation players already sidelined with injury, why even risk further injury to another? In his state, MWP was not helping LA Friday, contributing to poor perimeter play on both offense and defense. The Lakers are clearly outclassed and simply outmanned, and thus, no reason for the 33 year-old to play and set up himself up for more offseason surgery.

In the "Even Worse News" department, Devin Ebanks might be freed from his courtside shackles tomorrow to shore up an incredibly short rotation. Seeing as the small forward contributes little to nothing on either end of the floor, there's still a chance center Robert Sacre gets MWP's playing time, with Antawn Jamison and Earl Clark filling in as small forward.

--Mambino

--Follow this author @TheGreatMambino

Injuries--not the coach or front office--are what's killed the 2012-2013 Los Angeles Lakers

TheGreatMambino — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 05:15:24 -0000

In early January, the Los Angeles Lakers went through an almost unthinkable wave of injuries. Within a two-game span, the team's entire big man rotation crumbled with a laundry list of various maladies; Dwight Howard with a torn labrum in his right shoulder, Pau Gasol with a brutal concussion after an errant JaVale McGee elbow and reserve Jordan Hill with a torn labrum in his left hip. At the time, it was frankly implausible that this could happen all at once. The Lakers had already been snake bitten all season long, with Steve Nash, Steve Blake and Gasol missing huge chunks of games with various injuries. The thought of one star going down was devastating enough--but a coach's entire front court getting hurt? All in a 48-hour period? Ridiculous.

And then it happened again.

During Game 2 in the opening round of the playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs, Mike D'Antoni's back court rotation cratered with various physical problems. In addition to Kobe Bryant (ruptured left Achilles tendon) and Jodie Meeks (sprained left ankle) being on the shelf in the past week, Steve Blake strained his hamstring, while Steve Nash aggravated an already painful nerve irritation affecting his back, hip and hamstring. Blake has already been ruled out for tonight's game, while Nash and Meeks are listed as doubtful. It appears that much like that fateful 48 hour period in early January, what remains of an already fragile Lakers guards corps has gone down in 3 short days.

The odds of this happening once, let alone twice is of course, astronomical. With the exception of Antawn Jamison (who has been playing through a painful tear in his right wrist) and Earl Clark (who only began to play during the aforementioned January apocalypse on any man 6'11" and above), every single Lakers rotation player has missed time with injury, almost all of them serious health concerns. To punch the point home, let's go to the tape:

Steve Nash: Missed 32 games (Hip/back/hamstring: 8 games, fractured right fibula: 24 games)

Steve Blake: Missed 37 games (Torn abdominal muscle: 37 games, strained right hamstring: 0 games, but out for tonight's game)

Pau Gasol: Missed 33 games (Tendinitis both knees: 8 games, concussion: 5 games, right plantar fascia tear: 20 games)

Jordan Hill: Missed 53 games (Torn labrum/damaged cartilage left hip: 53 games)

Dwight Howard: Missed 6 games (Torn labrum right shoulder: 6 games)

Metta World Peace: Missed 6 games (Right torn meniscus: 6 games)

Kobe Bryant: Missed 6 games (Left ankle sprain: 2 games, ruptured left Achilles tendon: 4 games)

Jodie Meeks: Missed 0 games (Left ankle sprain: 0 games, but expected to miss tonight's contest)

That is a combined 171 games, and according to Lakers reporter Mike Trudell, 81 games for the starters. Even this docket doesn't cover the injuries in its entirety: Dwight Howard has played through recovery from back surgery, Gasol competed with knee tendinitis for weeks in first couple of months and Jamison has gutted through a wrist injury that will need offseason surgery. The vaunted Bryant-Howard-Gasol-Nash-World Peace core has started together roughly half the number of games (19) than they have combined All-Star appearances (35). In those games, the Lakers went 6-13, an unimaginable record considering the type of talent on the court, but completely understandable with the surrounding circumstances. Head trainer Gary Vitti has said that he's never seen anything injury situation like this before, with so many key players going down with such serious issues.

Every single facet of LA's attack has been affected by these injuries, whether it be their offense (Nash, Kobe, Pau), defense (Howard, Hill, MWP), bench production (Hill, Blake), rebounding (Howard, Hill, Pau) or passing (Nash, Pau). For those keeping track at home, that list comprises every motion the sport of basketball.This isn't to say that it's just a question of age--Hill (25), Meeks (25) and Howard (27) have missed just as much time as Nash (39), Bryant (34), Gasol (32), World Peace (33) and Blake (32). Yes, the Lakers front office had to know the risks in trading for Dwight fresh off of back surgery, a nearly 40 year-old Nash and keeping Bryant and Gasol with so many playoff minutes wearing on their joints. But many of these injuries were completely random occurrences (Nash's broken leg, Meeks' ankle, Kobe's Achilles tendon, Howard's shoulder), while yes, others were consequences of wear and tear (Nash's hip/hamstring, Blake's hamstring, MWP's knee). Still, I would argue that the Lakers have been less vulnerable to the ravages of age that has affected the New York Knicks, whose 37 years+ club of Jason Kidd, Rasheed Wallace, Kurt Thomas and Marcus Camby have all missed massive amounts of time with "old man injuries".

But even more than that, the Lakers simply haven't been able to put together any type of momentum or chemistry without another injury batting it down, like a petulant five year-old bowling through a house of cards. Just as the team had learned to play without Dwight Howard in early February, Pau Gasol tore his plantar fascia in Brooklyn. Kobe Bryant had been pushing himself past the brink of exhaustion, resuscitating the dying Lakers offense seen the past two games in San Antonio. As the team had won six of seven games, he ruptures his Achilles tendon, all but extinguishing what little hope the Lakers had as a dark horse Western Conference Finals team. One and a half games into the season, Damian Lillard accidentally nails Steve Nash in the sweet spot on his right leg, fracturing his fibula and sabotaging what could have been a nascent basketball giant. From Week 1, the Lakers haven't caught a break.

It's not just the departures that have hurt the Lakers--it's also the returns. Unlike other coaches that have regimented systems in which one player can simply fill in for another (i.e. Tom Thibodeau's Chicago Bulls, Doc Rivers' Boston Celtics), LA's pieces are uniquely talented entities that couldn't be replaced no matter who was sitting on the bench behind them. Howard, Gasol, Nash and Bryant all command much effort from their teammates to provide complimentary play. The massive adjustments needed to accommodate their distinctive games has set the Lakers back further than they already had been--after all, the entire premise of these five All-Stars starting together was a massive adjustment itself, let alone the addition and subtraction of one of them seemingly every three weeks. Where they each want the ball, how they react on defense, the speed at which each player runs the court, reacting to subtle movements between each other...the list goes on and on. None of that continuity could be built without long periods of time together on the court, no matter how great the players, how smart the head coach or how brilliant the front office.

Take the 2010-2011 Miami Heat, for example. They went through the season relatively unscathed, finishing 58-24 behind neither LeBron James, Dwyane Wade nor Chris Bosh missing more than 14 games between the three of them. Even with their excellent health record, youth, combined greatness, coach Erik Spoelstra (considered one of the smartest coaches in the game) and team president Pat Riley (one of the greatest front office maestros of all-time), the Heat still couldn't win the NBA title.

The 2012-2013 Los Angeles Lakers, with all their injuries, could not have contended for a NBA championship, no matter who coached the team or who sat up in the front office. These injuries have crippled the team beyond repair, setting into effect a domino chain of calamities. Before the season, we here at Silver Screen & Roll were most concerned about injury and chemistry issues derailing a potential title contender. Turns out that the 171 missed games from seven primary rotation players, all spread out throughout the season and leaving no part of the team unaffected, fulfilled both doomsday scenarios.

These Lakers were a wide color palette, dotted with varying hues and tones. Put together, they could make up the next "Starry Night"--a complex canvas with potential for aesthetic disaster, but together makes an unparalleled work of art. Instead, Lakers Nation got a finger painting in which the colors all bled together to form a crude, brown semblance of a masterpiece. It may be true that Mike D'Antoni isn't a world-class painter with the ability to throw all these very diverse elements together and build something that will stand the test of time. He very well could deserve every bit of criticism hurled his way. However, even if MDA isn't the right man going forward, looking into what's already unfolded, he has to be given a great deal of leeway considering the incredibly difficult hand he's been dealt. There's a lot of disparage about the moustachioed menace, but he's seen his starting five play together a mere 18 times, even less with his key bench players. No coach--not even John Wooden with a staff of Phil Jackson, Red Auerbach and Pat Riley by his side--could have managed this team with these circumstances to contention. In many ways, this 45-win behemoth plodding their way to a potential first round sweeping is actually an impressive feat. Without Kobe Bryant's brilliance and Dwight Howard's late season resurgence, should this team have won more than 33 of its contests?

There's been a lot to complain about this year about the Lakers, but the lion's share belongs to simple misfortune. The front office has made some questionable decisions, which in turn has given fans a controversial coach, but the swarm of injuries have changed their grades from a "fail" in bright red marker to a very nebulous "incomplete". Going into next season, Mike D'Antoni, Jim Buss, Pau Gasol or whoever the target of the week is could be primarily responsible for the Lakers downfall. But for the past seven months, it's just been thunderbolt after thunderbolt of bad luck. Save your venom, friends. It's not the time, nor the place.

--Mambino

--Follow this author @TheGreatMambino

The Credits: "The French Connection" - Lakers Links

TheGreatMambino — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:15:27 -0000

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Lakers-Spurs Game 2 Preview: Scoring at a premium

TheGreatMambino — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:17:21 -0000

Showtime

6:30 p.m. PDT

Plot

If the Lakers want to beat the team with the regular season's third-best record, they'll need to do much better than 79 points and 18 turnovers.

As we've written about several times in the past few days, the Lakers simply cannot afford to have another low scoring, high turnover affair that led to a 91-79 loss on Sunday afternoon's Game 1. Even though the Lakers held their opponents to a paltry 37% FG shooting, with just 32% from the arc (where they've shot over 37% all year) and out-rebounded them 44-43, the Spurs still put up 12 extra shots up thanks to 18 LA turnovers. Moreover, the Show couldn't provide any spacing for their monstrous front line, hitting just 3 three-pointers and 10 of 35 mid-range shots. Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard were still beasts, going 15 for 28, but no one else on the team came even close to 50% shooting, including a noticeably hobbled Steve Nash, who returned after a three week absence with 16 points on 6 for 15 shooting. Without Kobe Bryant, it's been a predictable slog night after night to get to even 85 points, with the team playing through the post and unable to run with its two floor leaders not pushing the ball.

On the bright side, the Lakers defense was solid and succeeded in slowing down every Spur not named Emanuel David Ginobili. Tim Duncan and Tony Parker looked especially bothered by the paint presence of Howard and Gasol, shooting 14 for 36 on contested, difficult shots. From there, the Lakers cleaned up the boards, but not as much as you'd expect from the team that ranked 4th in total rebounds versus the Spurs who ranked 21st. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported today that F/C Jordan Hill will be available tonight about a month early from hip surgery, so perhaps his presence will help the Lakers dominate the rebounding battle than simply keep it even.

The two keys for the Lakers, if the defense can hold, are controlling turnovers and hitting outside jumpers. As successful as Howard and Gasol were on the inside, they must be careful not to get stripped by a crafty San Antonio interior defense that caused 10 turnovers from the two starting bigs. The wing players were much more careful than usual, but brain farts like Steve Blake turning the ball over 40 feet from the hoop aren't going to bode well in such a tightly contested, low scoring game. Offensively, the Lakers got many open looks Sunday from a Spurs D that packed the paint consistently and gambled on missed perimeter shots from a streaky group of role players (credit Drew Garrison on a great video breakdown piece). If LA simply starts hitting shots, Sunday could have been an act of larceny for the Show. Jodie Meeks, Steven Nash and Steve Blake must keep San Antonio's defense honest if they have any hope to take this game going back to Los Angeles.

As lopsided as the final score looked on Sunday, the Lakers had a chance to steal one. They need to be tighter and smarter, with the same efficient, clever defense. They can even up this series tonight with some consistency, but in 2012-2013, that word might not exist in the Los Angeles lexicon.

--Mambino

--Follow this author @TheGreatMambino

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NBA Playoffs-Lakers/Spurs Positional Breakdown: Forwards & Centers

TheGreatMambino — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 20:29:21 -0000

In preparation for Sunday's tip-off between the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers, we're taking a look position by position at the two teams. Yesterday, we examined the guard match-up that without Kobe Bryant and perhaps Steve Nash is clearly tips in San Antonio's favor. How will the Lakers bigs fare in comparison?

Starting Small Forward: Metta World Peace vs. Kawhi Leonard

In this battle, you've got a pair of defense-first small forwards, one at the tail end of his usefulness and one just beginning it. Leonard is finishing up his second season as an NBA starter for coach Gregg Popovich. He's upped most of his numbers from his rookie year while maintaining his excellent shooting percentage (.494/.374/.825), including 11.9 ppg, 6 rbg and 1.7 spg. What sets him apart from the other 3s in the league is Kawhi's defense. Next to Tim Duncan, he's arguably the Spurs' best one-on-one defender, using his quickness, strength, long arms and massive hands to disrupt opposing wing players. He's faced the best small forwards in the league and held his ground for the most part.

Opposing him is Metta World Peace, who still functions as one of the better defensive small forwards in the NBA. He's certainly a step slower than he's been half a decade ago, but his strength, quick hands and intelligence have kept him as a starting-caliber player. This season his defense has waned depending on his energy level and ability to get around laterally, but Metta is even a step slower than that after a miraculous two week recovery from knee surgery. He's obviously still rounding into shape, hitting only 4 of his 17 attempts from the three-point line, failing to get back to even his very modest 34% throughout the year.

EDGE: 6 years ago, this wouldn't have even been a contest. Then again, Kawhi Leonard would have been 15, but the argument still stands. If Metta was fully recovered from his knee injury, it'd be a much closer call; Kawhi clearly takes this battle. In order to win the match-up, World Peace will have to use his size, strength and experience to bully his much younger counterpart both offensively and defensively. However, Leonard's speed and quickness on defense and still evolving offensive game will run laps around the former Ron Artest.

Starting Power Forward: Pau Gasol vs. Tim Duncan

Just when everyone thinks these two vets are past their effectiveness, they keep proving everyone wrong.

A victim of trade rumors for two seasons now, Pau Gasol has been called done and washed up for, well, two seasons now. He's teetered on the edges of ineffectiveness because of injury and misplaced roles in the offense. Oddly, Pau has only come to life since his most serious injury of the season: tearing his plantar fascia during a game against the Nets. In April, Gasol has averaged a titanic 17/12/6 on 51% shooting and 75% from the line. He's still a step slow on defense, but has improved as he's gotten further away from the injury, blocking 2 shots a night in the last 5 games.

Duncan on the other hand has been declared dead every season for the last 3, but has come back stronger every year. Incredibly, Timmy has increased his rebounding and scoring every of those years, while remaining an anchor on the Spurs defense. It's amazing to look at his stat line this year and realize he's putting up these type of numbers in his age 36 season. He established a career-high with 81% free throw shooting and his 2.7 blocks per game rank only second to his 2.9 in his 2002-2003 MVP campaign.

EDGE: Two weeks ago, it would've taken seven seconds or less to declare Duncan getting the edge here. Now, it's not so clear. With Pau being the number one option for the most part and effectively flashing his full array of moves, it's going to be a much closer battle than it should be. Tim Duncan gets the edge, but only by a narrow margin.

Starting Center: Dwight Howard vs. Tiago Splitter

It seems that Dwight Howard has finally arrived in Southern California--just 6 months after we all thought he'd get here. Even as the Lakers center still managed to lead the league in rebounding at 12.4, he was not the player everyone expected he'd be from October to March. However, in April, it looks like he's nearly fully recovered from offseason back surgery, averaging 21 ppg, 10 rpg, 2.4 bpg on 61% FG. He's been absolutely dominant defensively, especially after Kobe went down against the Warriors last Friday. Even when considering the personnel leading to the 18th worst defensive team in the league was behind him, Dwight kept two teams to 86 and 95 points (the second in OT) by blowing up pick and roll and playing stellar last second paint defense in both contests.

Meanwhile, Splitter has turned into a very useful starting center. The Brazilian center has established career highs with 10.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.6 apg on 56% shooting and 73% from the line. He's a solid defensive presence and has become much more consistent on both ends of the floor.

EDGE: Finally! The Lakers and Dwight Howard take this in a landslide. If Howard can avoid foul trouble, he should be able to put up big numbers on Splitter. However, Popovich has been very upfront with his willingness to intentionally foul Howard and make him hit free throws, which could completely skew this match-up.

Bench Bigs: Earl Clark, Antawn Jamison vs. Matt Bonner, DeJuan Blair, Tracy McGrady

Even with the season-ending injury to Jordan Hill, the Lakers have been just fine thanks to the emergence of Earl Clark. The forward has come back to Earth since his hot shot start as a regular in early January--through the beginning of March, he's only averaging 6 points and 4 rebounds. Jamison has been a steady and bench-saving presence for the Lakers, pouring in 9 points a night off the bench seemingly when the Lakers needed it most. Neither Clark nor Jamison are great defenders (definitely an understatement for the latter), but with Howard and Pau guarding the paint as well as they have, it seems not to matter as much lately.

On the opposing bench, the Spurs are losing a lot with Boris Diaw going down to back surgery in mid-April. In his stead are three relatively unsteady options at forward, Bonner, Blair and a newly-signed T-Mac. The "Red Mamba" is wildly inconsistent for the Spurs, providing so-so defense, rebounding and offense from night to night. The same could be said for Blair, who at one point in the season was getting DNP-CD'd by Pop. There's no telling whether or not McGrady can even contribute anymore, seeing as his career seemingly died three seasons ago.

EDGE: The Lakers bench has the edge here, because as great as Blair and Bonner could be--on the boards and at the three-point line respectively--their unreliability really hinders an otherwise fully functional Spurs team. Jamison is the most steady big offensively on either team, and hopefully his defense won't hurt the Lakers as much as it should.

The Bottom Line

Unlike a very uneven guard matchup, the Lakers have the overall edge in the battle of the bigs. With Pau Gasol playing as a "point center" on many possessions and Dwight Howard finishing possessions and grabbing offensive boards, it's extremely difficult beating the twin towers when they're on the floor. Tim Duncan is still operating at the peak of his powers on both ends (and cementing--with granite and marble--the label of "best power forward of all-time") and Kawhi Leonard should aid in giving any forward fits on the perimeter. However, a very thin bench of Spurs bigs is what tips the scales here. If World Peace and Clark can start hitting outside shots and Pau and Howard can stay on the floor, this battle isn't even close.

NBA Playoffs-Lakers/Spurs Positional Breakdown: Guards

TheGreatMambino — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 04:30:16 -0000

Beginning Sunday, the Lakers and Spurs will meet for the 12th time in their decades-long rivalry, their 7th tangle since Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan were drafted. It won't exactly be the meeting of the Western Conference titans, as this is the first time in 25 years that the teams have met in the first round. However, with Dwight Howard, Tim Duncan, Pau Gasol and Tony Parker assured to be involved, it guarantees to be a hard fought battle and a ratings hit if nothing else.

In preparation for Sunday's tip-off, let's go position-by-position and break down which team, if any, has the advantage. Today, we'll start with the guards.

Starting Point Guard: Steve Nash* vs. Tony Parker

*As of this writing, Nash has stated that he's "hopeful" to play Saturday, which would put him squarely in the starting point guard spot. We're going to work off this assumption.

Three years ago, this was a hoophead's dream match-up. Two hardwood savants whose on-ball wizardry ranked them consistently in the top five point guards in the game. They were different, but same in how deeply they affected their team's pace of game. Nash was more the facilitator, setting up shooters for suddenly wide-open shots and using the pick and roll to deadly efficiency with his big men. On the other side of the court Parker was much more a scorer, destroying interior defenses with an unstoppable tear drop runner and a devastating mid-range game. Neither would be considered much of a defender, but their team-wide defensive schemes more than made up for their lapses.

Moving onto 2013, both men can still function in largely the same capacity, but with injuries dogging them, it's hard to say how effective they'll be all series. Parker missed three weeks in March with a severely sprained ankle, and then games here and there recently with a neck and shin problems. In April, the former All-Star has put together some of the worst games of his season; just 2 points and 4 assists on a 1-6 shooting night in a 100-88 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder and 8 assists and 4 points on 1-10 shooting in a 91-86 loss to the Kobe-less Lakers. Since his return from the sprained ankle, Parker's scored a respectable 16.7 points and dished 7.3 assists, but on 44% shooting and two less shots. With season averages of 20.3 ppg, 7.6 apg on .522 FG%, it's obvious that his slate of injuries is still bothering him.

As bad as it may be for Parker, it's even worse for his cross-court counterpart. Nash has been on the court for 2 minutes in the last 3 1/2 weeks, limited by nerve problems that are affecting his hip and hamstrings. Even when he was on the court, the former two-time MVP hasn't completely been himself. Without Dwight Howard as a willing and able pick and roll partner, much of Nash's game-changing ability has been muted. However, even as his assists are down to a 13 year low, his shooting ability remains elite--just tenths of a percentage point away from another 50/40/90 club appearance. Nash has been listed as "day-to-day", but it could change at any minute depending on how he responds to the multiple epidural shots he's been given. Even if he can get on the court, there's no guarantee that he resembles anything close to the player he's been even this season.

EDGE: This goes to Parker here, but simply by the fact he's played recently. The 2007 Finals MVP hasn't been himself lately, lacking the type of energy and burst we're accustomed to seeing. He should be able to give the Lakers problems even at a diminished state, seeing as LA hasn't been able to stop any point guard from Chris Paul to Luke Ridnour to Jameer Nelson for years now. There's truly no telling what we'll get out of this match-up because both men are playing through injury, if they can go at all.

Starting Shooting Guard: Steve Blake* vs. Danny Green

*Assuming Nash starts, Blake's play figures to put him as the accompanying starting guard. Jodie Meeks would then go to the bench.

I tweeted this during the Houston Rockets game the other night, and I'll reiterate it for the folks at home--Steve Blake has played better over the past three weeks than Steve Nash has played over any three weeks this entire season.

Take that one in.

Blake has been a season savior for the Lakers, proving his worth when the team needed him most. Since Nash went down against the Sacramento Kings, the other Steve has thrown up the following averages: 38.5 mpg, 12.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg (!), 3.7 apg, 2.2 topg, 43% FG, 43.5% 3P and 92.9% FT. Blake has been key to breaking down perimeter defenses, frequently (and some skeptics would say only) making shots with defenders in his face, as well as beating interior offenses with clever screen and roll plays for easy buckets. He's a Jason Kidd-esque rebounder, in that he seems to understand the trajectory of the basketball and always be at the right place at the right time. Blake is still a feisty defender at times, but is extremely prone to leaving his man and over-helping, best exhibited in Friday's game against Golden State when Stephen Curry put together an involuntary shooting clinic for all those in attendance.

Green couldn't be having a much better season given his role on the San Antonio Spurs. The UNC product is putting in 10.5 ppg, most notably with a 42.9% clip from long range. With respect to Matt "Red Mamba" Bonner, Green is the best and most consistent of all of SA's shooters, not to mention a fearless second half gunner (shooting 41% 3P in both the 3rd and 4th quarters). He's solid coming off screens and shooting, as well as a catch and shoot gunner. In almost every sense of the word, Danny Green is the prototypical shooting guard. Defensively, he's a rangy perimeter player that stays within Popvich's scheme, and uses his length (6'6") intelligently to his advantage.

EDGE: All season long, the Lakers have had a lot of difficulties staying with their men on the perimeter, and doing exactly what Blake tends to do: float too much on help and lose track of shooters. Danny Green should have a field day with this at the three-point line and conversely be able to give Blake a ton of trouble operating off ball with such a size discrepancy. However, the Lakers guard is playing with a lot of confidence right now, especially in terms of shooting the ball, so perhaps this will be a much more even match up than it would appear on paper.

Bench Guards: Jodie Meeks, Darius Morris, Chris Duhon, Andrew Goudelock vs. Manu Ginobili, Gary Neal, Nando de Colo, Cory Joseph

Again, the bench unit of the Lakers will be in flux depending on Nash's availability. Meeks could be rotated into the starting line-up, in which case Morris, Duhon and even the re-signed Andrew Goudelock would get time off the bench for a spectacularly subpar reserves unit. Each one of these guards have their strengths and weaknesses, but at this time of the year, none of them (with the exception of Meeks) are playoff-caliber bench players. Goudelock and Duhon can stroke it, but both are weak defenders and would be overmatched by the versatile reserve unit of the Spurs. Morris is the mirror image of his reserve teammates, serving up great man defense (though his youth and inexperience often shows as he'll get lost on pick and rolls or help situations), but not even looking to score at this point.

The Spurs reserve guards are much more well rounded than that of their opponents, regardless of whether Manu Ginobili is at 100%, 50% or not there at all. Neal, de Colo and Joseph are all very capable ball handlers and shooters, although Neal is the only reliable outside threat. He in particular has been a standout in a year where Ginobili and Parker have been absent for long stretches of time, exemplifying the largest strength of Popvich's reserve guards: absolutely zero fear in the face of the spotlight. Whereas Morris, Goudelock and even Jodie Meeks can become wide-eyed when given the burden of responsibility, Neal, de Colo and Joseph rarely seem to shrink from becoming prime-time players when the stars go down. This of course, may be a moot point--de Colo and Joseph might not even get playing time depending on how well Ginobili functions after playing just 12 minutes in April due to a creaky hamstring. Obviously, with a healthy Manu, the bench play isn't even a contest.

EDGE: Clearly in favor of San Antonio, moreseo if Meeks is pressed into starter's duty. The Spurs reserves are versatile, confident and much more sound defensively. They're still reserves, so they'll be prone to shooting slumps and silly turnovers from time to time, but Gregg Popovich isn't the type of coach to stick with unproductive role players. If Neal, de Colo and Joseph begin to falter and Ginobili's performance is hindered by injury, don't be surprised to see Patty Mills or even the newly signed Tracy McGrady serve as back-up guards.

The Bottom Line

Even with Kobe, San Antonio's guards would get the edge here based on depth. The Spurs hold at least six NBA quality players on their roster, including Mills who rarely gets time. As shown by their record and the time missed from Parker and Ginobili, San Antonio has the personnel to weather any injury and strict principles within their defense and offense that can be picked up by anyone on the bench. The Spurs guard corps are a bunch of athletic, mobile, versatile and confident athletes, all in contrast to the Lakers back court who may have to press the limited Morris, Goudelock and Duhon into service after getting very sparing playing time the past few months.

The hope for the Lakers to trump San Antonio's guard production is to hope that Parker and Ginobili are hindered by injury and for the reserves to go through the same type of shooting slumps that led to them losing four in a row to OKC last June in the Western Conference Finals. LA will also need a productive Nash to come forward and nail shots, opening up the inside for Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol, as well as for Steve Blake to continue his excellence from the past few weeks. It's a tall task--the Lakers will need to have everything fall into place for their guards to win this positional battle.

--Mambino

--Follow this author @TheGreatMambino

The Credits: "The Defiant Ones" - Lakers Links

TheGreatMambino — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:12:38 -0000

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Lakers-Rockets Preview: Breaking down tonight's playoff implications

TheGreatMambino — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 18:18:00 -0000

Showtime

7:30 p.m. PDT

Plot

In Major League Baseball, it's not uncommon for the season to come down to the last game of the season. After a 162 game marathon, divisions somehow have a way of allowing for two teams to tie going into the last days of September. Now, with the recent advent of a one-game Wild Card showdown with the postseason on the line, there's a guaranteed "win and in" situation every single year. Thanks to a truckload of injuries, an early season coach axing, chemistry issues and zero breaks, the Los Angeles Lakers face a similar situation: one day with everything on the line.

With so many moving parts, let's break it down piece by piece:

If the Lakers win: They'll qualify for the postseason as the 7th seed and a first round matchup with the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs are locked in as the 2-seed no matter if they win or lose tonight against Minnesota. Houston has clinched a playoff spot already, so if the Lakers beat them, they'll finish as the 8th seed and face the 1-seed Oklahoma City Thunder. Even if the Utah Jazz win tonight, a LA victory sends them fishing.

If the Lakers lose AND the Utah Jazz win: The Lakers do not qualify for the postseason, while the Jazz will be the 8th seed. Houston will finish with the 7th seed. Everyone cries in Southern California.

If the Lakers lose AND the Utah Jazz lose: The Lakers finish as the 8th seed will travel to Oklahoma City this weekend. The Rockets will be the 7th seed. No matter who else wins or loses, a Jazz loss would put LA in the playoffs.

If the Rockets win AND the Golden State Warriors lose: The Rockets finish as the 6th seed and avoid both the Spurs and Thunder. The Denver Nuggets are no treat, but certainly a more appetizing match up than facing the first two seeds. The Warriors would be the 7th seed and IF the Utah Jazz were to lose on top of this, the Lakers would be the 8th seed.

Houston clearly has a lot to play for here, so just because they've locked up a playoff spot doesn't mean they'll just cede this game to a much more desperate Lakers team. A win or loss can put them anywhere from 6th to 8th depending on Utah and GS and thus, a win not only helps them build a little momentum before the postseason, but also can't hurt their seeding chances.

The Jazz/Grizzlies game will tip off at 5pm PDT and should conclude right around start time for Lakers/Rockets. Los Angeles should know by the end of the first quarter whether or not Utah has pushed the onus of a postseason berth onto them, which hopefully won't keep the Lakers from beginning the game like their playoff lives depend on it. Memphis' situation helps the Lakers as well--they need a win and a Clippers loss at Sacramento to secure precious home court advantage.

Luckily and unluckily for the Lakers, a tight Western Conference race has kept all of the teams affecting its fortunes playing their hardest going into game number 82. LA will have to play the same type of tough nosed defense they enacted versus San Antonio on Sunday, seeing as a fast paced Houston squad ran the Lake Show into the ground in 125-112 blowout at STAPLES three months ago. The Lakers will be without their All-Star back court for one final time this regular season, with Steve Nash unable to go because of hip and hamstring problems. The hope is that he'll be able to come back IF LA makes the playoffs, as the games would start on either Saturday or Sunday.

Regardless of whether or not Utah wins tonight, the Lakers need to go for the W. The prize? A date with a hobbled and spiraling Spurs team that they could push to seven games and maybe (just MAYBE) a possible first round upset, even without Kobe. With a loss? An early offseason fraught with questions including Bryant's health, another coaching change and Dwight's re-signing with the team. Certainly not a future anyone wants to visit with any urgency.

Win and they're in. A dramatic ending to one of the most dramatic seasons in Lakers history. Could not be any more fitting, could it?

--Mambino

--Follow this author @TheGreatMambino

--Los Angeles Lakers Tickets

Lakers-Warriors Preview: No letting up now

TheGreatMambino — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:01:45 -0000

Showtime

7:30 p.m. PDT

Plot

1 game cushion with 3 left to play.

The Los Angeles Lakers face a tough slate, with contest against the playoff-bound San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets and tonight against the Golden State Warriors. Meanwhile, the 9th place Utah Jazz have a home and home series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and a season-closing bout with the Grizzlies in Memphis. Kobe Bryant has buoyed the Lakers by putting on some of his finest scoring games of his entire career, while Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard seem like they've learned how to play with one another at the offensive end. Steve Nash, Metta World Peace and even the long-forgotten Jordan Hill try and battle back from injuries to make an impact on the tail end of the season.

Even when fighting to establish mediocrity, no task is ever a rote exercise in Lakerland.

Like every other facet of this misbegotten season, the last three games should feel like 40 days and 40 nights in the desert. The Lakers must topple three opponents still jockeying for important playoff positioning, starting with the Warriors. Golden State has already clinched just their second postseason appearance in an unbelievable 19 seasons, a basketball predicament that makes Warriors fans curse at the average Lakers fans' 8th seed bellyaching. The Dubs are sitting squarely in 6th place, just a half game up on the Houston Rockets. The importance? The sixth seed plays either the Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers or Denver Nuggets. The seventh seed plays either the reigning Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Thunder or the 4-time NBA titlist San Antonio Spurs. That's a Manute Bol-like difference right there.

Warriors coach Mark Jackson came out weeks ago and said that no matter when the team clinched a spot, he wouldn't be resting his players in order to maintain momentum going into the postseason, not to mention staying out of the 7th place spot. So no mama, you will not be seeing any man going anywhere besides the STAPLES Center floor. The Warriors will be coming off a Thursday night 19 point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, so there is still the possibility that vets like Richard Jefferson or David Lee get a bit of a rest.

For the Lakers, this is another obvious must-win in what seems like a month's worth of must-wins. LA is just one game up on the Jazz, who play a decidedly easier schedule the rest of the way. Steve Nash is out tonight, trying to give his 39 year-old body a go after sitting out 5 straight games and playing only 2 minutes in the 6th. Meanwhile, the Lakers will have to find a way to halt an unstoppable Warriors guard-based blitzkrieg, whose long-range bombers destroyed the Show for a combined 66 points from Jarret Jack, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson two and a half weeks ago. The Dubs shot 43% from the three-point line that night, reminiscent of the scalding 46% they gave up two nights ago against the Portland Trailblazers. The Lakers must find a way to corral Golden State's back court and not continuously get lost on cross court switches like they did all night on Wednesday. It's not completely out of the question for Kobe to have to go for a complete game virtuoso performance again, but if that's needed, the Lakers will be riding a very shaky line in trying to play past next week.

With games against a DNP happy Gregg Popovich and the Spurs and Houston on the last day of the season, this could very well be the last time the Lakers play a full-strength squad. They'll need to strap in much stronger defensively against a deadly Warriors offense than they did against four rookie starters in P-Town on Wednesday.

No letting up now. Three wins and they're in.

--Mambino

--Follow this author @TheGreatMambino

--Los Angeles Lakers Tickets

Trudell: Steve Nash out for tonight's game vs. the Golden State Warriors

TheGreatMambino — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 18:03:39 -0000

This Lakers season hasn't turned out how anyone would have imagined, with the team clinging to a narrow lead on the Utah Jazz for the simple privilege of making the postseason. Every game--and every potential loss--could mean an early summer for LA. In tonight's latest crucial game in a series of a dozen, All-Star point guard Steve Nash won't be a part of it, according to Mike Trudell:

Steve Nash (back/hip) is OUT for tonight's game against Golden State.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) April 12, 2013

Nash has missed five straight games, which doesn't include a 2 minute cameo appearance the contest right before it. He was listed as questionable for game time, shooting for either tonight or Sunday against the San Antonio Spurs to make his return. The Lakers badly need Nash for this stretch run, whose absence is a large reason why Kobe Bryant has been logging 40+ minutes the past six games, including four 47+ minute marathons. He'll try to give it a go in a couple days, but at his age and the nature of his injuries, it has to be asked whether or not Nash will be able to even come back during the regular with so few games left.

Steve Blake will play in his absence, with Bryant being utilized as the de facto back-up point guard.

--Mambino

--Follow this author @TheGreatMambino

The Credits: "Iron Will" - Lakers Links

TheGreatMambino — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:57:01 -0000

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Jumpers, floaters and a block — Kobe’s 47-point night (VIDEO) | ProBasketballTalk

Lakers-Trailblazers Preview: The return of the back-to-back win

TheGreatMambino — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:16:13 -0000

Showtime

7:30 p.m. PDT

Plot

1 Undermanned Portland Trailblazers team
1 Desperate, tired Los Angeles Lakers team
1/2 Game lead on a hot Utah Jazz team
3 Games left against playoff teams
4 wins in the last 21 Rose Garden games
0 wins in the second night of a back-to-back set

Combine four tired, veteran starters running on fumes. Remove All-Star point guard. Stir until ingredients resemble dry mix of players still trying to learn how to work with one another. Add undermanned Blazers team with four rookies starting. Let sit for 48 minutes. Watch for spontaneous combustion, hope for the best.

Looking at tonight's game in Portland, it feels like a recipe for disaster. The Lakers saunter into the PDX looking for--incredibly--their first back-to-back win all season. The conditions for which couldn't be a messier alchemy for LA; they've only won 4 times in the last 21 attempts in the Rose Garden, with a hungry young Blazers team looking to bounce the Lakers out of the playoffs. PG Steve Nash is listed as doubtful for yet another contest with hip and leg injuries, and thus understudy Steve Blake will attempt to continue his valiant production while starting. No word yet on whether or not Metta World Peace will start after unexpectedly returning a month early from knee surgery, though he's sure to hover around the 15-20 minute mark in regards to playing time.

While the Lakers' injury situation looks rough, it's nothing compared to what Portland is facing tonight. The thinnest team in the league is banged up beyond repair, with SF Wesley Matthews (ankle) ruled out, G/F Nicolas Batum (shoulder) doubtful and F/C J.J. Hickson (back) questionable. PF LaMarcus Aldridge will most likely take the floor with four rookies, including probable Rookie of the Year PG Damian Lillard, G/F Will Barton (who dropped a ridiculous 22/13/6 against the Mavericks on Sunday), G Victor Claver and C Meyers Lenonard. SF Luke Babbit, PG Eric Maynor and F Jared Jeffries should get a ton of burn tonight, which might fit perfectly into the Lakers plan for seemingly innocuous bench players having fantastic stat lines (see: Cunningham, Dante; Seraphin, Kevin; etc.).

LA still faces a tough test tonight, even with the Blazers out of playoff contention and most likely sitting three starters. The Lakers are already a poor road team--now they're going to try and get a win at an arena that's been a legendary source of concern. To further complicate matters, according to Mike Trudell the team didn't get into their hotel until around 1 am last night, further stretching a squad that's logged heavy minutes in high pressure games for the past several weeks. Kobe Bryant played a "mere" 41 minutes against New Orleans, his lowest since a 36 minute vacation against Milwaukee on March 28th. Pau Gasol continues to play extended time despite coming back from a foot injury, logging another 39 minute game in one of his finer performances of the season: 22 points (on 9 for 15 shooting), 11 boards and 4 assists, overwhelming the Hornets' bigs all night long.

The Lakers absolutely need to take this game, even moreso than the next three. Of their remaining four contests, it's the last against a non-playoff team, not to mention one so riddled with injury. Yes, the Rose Garden is an extremely difficult place to win, no matter who the personnel in red and black, but the Lakers must play with the type of grit and determination befitting of a team desperate to play in the postseason. Maybe even more than their upcoming games against Golden State, San Antonio and Houston (all at home), this is the truest test of if these Los Angeles Lakers are worthy of a spot in the 16-team postseason field.

--Mambino

--Follow this author @TheGreatMambino

--Our dudes at Blazer's Edge will surely be updating Portland's injury situation up until game time.

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D'Antoni: "80, 90 percent chance" Metta World Peace plays Tuesday against the New Orleans Hornets

TheGreatMambino — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 19:19:47 -0000

Late last week, Metta World Peace reported that he was off crutches, and that a lengthy 6 week recovery period for a torn meniscus in this left knee wouldn't be necessary. Apparently, his timeline has gone better than anyone could have possibly conceived. Check out this tweet from USA Today's Sam Amick:

Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni says oddsof Metta World Peace playing tomorrow night are "90, 80" percent.
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) April 8, 2013

Miraculously, incredibly, hilariously, Metta World Peace is going to give it a go Tuesday at home against the Hornets. The Lakers are notoriously short-handed right now, with Steve Nash doubtful for the New Orleans game and Kobe Bryant logging 43+ minutes in the past four contests. MWP said himself last Friday that he was feeling good and that a return before the end of the regular season wouldn't be out of the question. Still, there's no telling how well he'll look defensively or offensively, or even if his knee will cooperate once he gets on the hardwood. World Peace is an extremely durable player who has trudged through injuries without complaint for the past several season in a Lakers uniform--it's no surprise that he'd try to get back on the court early if he felt he could help his team.

Sudden returns like MWP's aren't completely unheard of. In the 2010 playoffs, then Portland Trailblazers shooting guard Brandon Roy made a heroic return in the playoffs just 8 days after surgery for a slightly torn meniscus, scoring 10 points off the bench and leading the Blazers to a 96-87 victory. Roy was never quite the same after that early comeback, but comparing a situation of the most injury-cursed players in the last 10 years to one of the least might not be a good one.

Los Angeles is running out of time, games and bodies in order to register themselves a seed in the NBA postseason. If even a hobbled MWP can help them and won't further endanger his health, this could be the first bit of good news in a while for the injury-bitten Lakers.

--Mambino

--Follow this author @TheGreatMambino

Lakers-Grizzlies Preview: In the Driver's Seat

TheGreatMambino — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 15:47:19 -0000

Showtime

7:30 p.m PDT

Plot

With just seven games left to play, the Lakers sit alone as the Western Conference's 8th seed. The 9th place Utah Jazz lost on Wednesday night in Denver Nuggets rout, ending their five game winning streak that has endangered LA's playoff hopes. As the Lake Show scoreboard watches a likely Jazz home win against the lowly New Orleans Hornets, Kobe, Dwight, Pau and company face yet another must-win game.

And they'll almost definitely have to do so without point guard Steve Nash. The 39 year-old has been sidelined for the past week with hip and hamstring injuries and is considered doubtful for tonight's contest. As with the previous two games, Steve Blake will get the lion's share of minutes in his absence. Nash's on-ball wizardry and outside sharpshooting will surely be missed by the Lakers in this particular match-up, seeing as how the Memphis interior defense is one of the best in the league. Marc Gasol leads the way in a Defensive Player of the Year-caliber season, with Zach Randolph, Ed Davis and Darrell Arthur providing extra muscle that can perform the rare feat of handling Pau and Dwight in the paint.

Memphis (51-24) is in the midst of a franchise-best season, already setting a team record for wins. They've gone 22-8 since trading small forward Rudy Gay to the Toronto Raptors in late January, including a current 4 game winning streak with victories over San Antonio and Houston. The Grizz haven't allowed more the 94 points against any opponent in any of their past four W's, which behooves a squad that ranks only 17th in offensive efficiency (according to basketball-reference.com).

Meanwhile, the Lakers are riding a very modest two-game winning streak, scoring perhaps a death blow to the Dallas Mavericks' playoff hopes in Tuesday's win at STAPLES Center. Of most concern is the minutes being put on LA's All-Stars, including Kobe Bryant, who is averaging a staggering 41 minutes a contest in his last 6 games. Not to be outdone, Dwight Howard has put in over 37 minutes a night in the past 6 bouts, contributing as much on the defensive side of the ball as Kobe is on the offensive end.

The Grizzlies have already won the season series, taking the first two contests, and will look to complete the season sweep tonight. The Lakers must control point guard Mike Conely, who's gone off for two identical 19 point, 6 assist games on 17 for 28 shooting, as well as attempt to wrangle a Memphis bench that went off for 43 points in late January.

With the Jazz staring at two more games with Minnesota and the Lakers looking at future contests with the Spurs, Rockets, Warriors, Clippers and at the Rose Garden ~~of Death~~ against the Trailblazers, LA has to pick up every win possible, even against tough competition.

No exception tonight. No exceptions, period.

- Mambino

- Follow this author on Twitter @TheGreatMambino

- Los Angeles Lakers Tickets

The Credits: "Back in the Saddle" - Lakers Links

TheGreatMambino — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 16:34:01 -0000

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Lakers-Kings Preview: Last Dance in Sactown?

TheGreatMambino — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 21:51:42 -0000

Bruised, bloody and broken, the Los Angeles Lakers ride into Sacramento tonight trailing the Utah Jazz for the 8^th spot in the standings. Steve Nash (hip) and Kobe Bryantt (foot) were both hurt in Thursday night's pitiful loss in Milwaukee to the Bucks, with the Mamba listed as probable and Nash as questionable.

There's the three narratives retreaded over every time the Show takes the court: will the superior talent of the Lakers be able to hold a lead against xxx team? Will LA be able to make it out of xxx city unscathed and without further injury? Can the Lakers cling to a playoff spot? Tonight, same story. Identical to Thursday in Milwaukee, Wednesday in Minnesota and on and on.

But for tonight, mercifully, there may be another storyline to look at: this could very well be the last regular season game ever played in Sacramento. The Kings face a late April vote on whether or not to approve the sale of the team to Chris Hansen and a group of Seattle-based investors that will move the organization to the Emerald City starting next season. The bid is largely expected to pass snuff of the other 29 owners, though former Phoenix Suns point guard and mayor of Sacramento Kevin Johnson is still fighting to find a new group that pledges to keep the Kings in Sacramento.

California's capitol has been the battleground for the most epic duels of the Shaquille-Kobe era Lakers, including an unforgettable seven game war in the 2002 Western Conference Finals. The Lakers prevailed in a dubious, but hard fought Game 7 on their way to their third title in as many years, the very same contest that unofficially shut the title window of those Kings. The very next year, star forward Chris Webber tore up his knee and was never the same player again, while All-Stars Mike Bibby, Vlade Divac and Peja Stojakovic were sent out of town as the team attempted to stay relevant.

Never one to forget history even as the personnel is completely turned over, the Kings and their fans always ratchet up the intensity level when the Lake Show comes to town. The Lakers suffered an embarrassing early season loss in Sactown, a troubling sign of things to come, unbeknownst to a still delirious Lakers fan base. In that November 21^st 113-97 win, the Lakers turned over the ball a staggering 20 times, while guards Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton combined for 41 points on 15-24 shooting. Laughably, nearly five months later, nothing has changed with these Lakers. Losers of 4 of their last 5, LA was torched by guards Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings on Thursday, while committing 18 turnovers in a frighteningly similar effort to their last game in Sacramento. The Kings are finishing up a very solid 7-7 month, including a 40 point blowout of the Chicago Bulls and a 15 win against the Clippers.

The Lakers--like every game in front of them--need this victory badly. With Utah's comeback win over the Portland Trailblazers last night, LA sits tied with the Jazz at 37-36, but in 9th place because of the season series tiebreaker. It's already going to be an arduous task with their star backcourt playing, let alone if the two former MVPs can't suit up.

Perhaps a bit of nostalgia will help. No better way than to bid a fond adieu to the Cowbell Palace than a resounding victory.

--Mambino

--Follow this author @TheGreatMambino

Kobe has a bone spur in foot, insists that it "will be alright"

TheGreatMambino — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 03:46:13 -0000

Trainer Gary Vitti is surely earning his paycheck this year. Just days after losing Metta World Peace for the remainder of the regular season, Kobe Bryant leaves the Bradley Center on crutches, having aggravated a bone spur in his left foot. From Dave McMenamin's tweet tonight:

Kobe Bryant has a bone spur in his left foot. He'll be examined by a doctor in Sacramento on Friday
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 29, 2013

Kevin Ding of the OC Register later followed up the report:

Kobe has a bone spur in his left foot that has been bothering him for awhile. Will see foot specialist tomorrow in Sacramento.
— KEVIN DING (@KevinDing) March 29, 2013

To complete the triumvirate, the mighty Woj tweeted:

Kobe Bryant leaving Bradley Center with use of a crutch for bone spur in foot. "Inflamed on me," he told Y! "I'll be all right."
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) March 29, 2013

In true Kobe fashion, this injury hadn't been reported up until tonight. It might not be a direct result of the bone spur, but Bryant noticeably lacked lift on many of his jumpers tonight, and sometimes missed the explosion he's had this season. At the moment, there's no news of whether or not the injury's severity or if it will require surgery.

Though it's alarming he left the arena with a crutch, short of a foot fracture, there's very little that could keep Kobe out of action Saturday night's roadie against the Kings. This is just pure speculation, but it would be shocking if he did not play perhaps the Lakers last ever game in Sacramento.

It's been a few days. We were all due for another injury, right?

--Mambino

--Follow this author @TheGreatMambino