LIN DROPS 38 ON THE LAKERS AS THE KNICKS WIN THE GAME 92-87
1st Half:
Jeremy Lin started out hot by outscoring the Lakers by himself 10-6 with 5:25 left in the 1st quarter.
With 2:31 left in the 1st quarter, both the Knicks and the Lakers have taken six 3-point shots. The Lakers converted one, while the Knicks have drained two. The Knicks lead 19-11. To the New York fan's dismay, Mike Bibby has replaced Jeremy Lin at this point in the game.
It has been reported that Kobe Bryant didn't know what Jeremy Lin has done over the past week or so. Well, with Lin's 10 points in the 1st quarter, I wonder if he, now, has Kobe's attention.
Knicks jump out to a 22-15 lead over the Lakers at the end of the 1st quarter. Just think: without Lin's 10 points, the Lakers would be leading after one 15-12. lol! That's a joke!
In the 2nd quarter the Knicks score 6 unanswered points to extend their lead to 28-15. At this point in the game, Steve Blake is 0-4 and 0-3 in 3-pointers.
I'm thinking that with the return of Steve Blake, there seems to some type of pecking order for shooting. Blakes is getting his shots, while Goudelock is reduced to taking one shot. The return of Blakes has set Goudelock back as far as Goudelock being aggressive with the ball. So far Blake's shooting doesn't justify the pecking order.
With 7:40 left in the 2nd quarter the Lakers have made 7 of 25 shots. It could be a long night.
Finally, G-Lock let's a 3-pointer go and he hits it to cut the Knicks lead to 9 points: 33-24. But, the pesky Lin is back in the game and he coverts a 3-point play the old fashion way. Then Lin gets to the free throw line and hits 1 of 2. So, Lin scores 4 points in about a minute of time after G-Lock hit his 3-pointer. That gave the Knicks a 37-24 lead with 6:29 left in the 2nd quarter.
At the end of the 2nd quarter the Knicks lead 49-41.
1st half shooting for the Lakers' starters:
Kobe: 1-6
Fisher: 1-5
BynumL: 1-5
Gasol: 4-7
World Peace: 0-1
Others:
Blake: 1-5
Murphy: 1-2
Goudelock: 1-3
Barns: 3-4
OUCH! And the Lakers are only down by 8 points at the half? The game of basketball, very interesting , indeed!
Kobe hasn't been following what Lin has been doing, or so it was reported that way:
Jeremy Lin: What have I done!
Kobe: I don't know!
Lin: How about 18 points and 5 assist in the 1st half against your team?
Kobe: Don't look at me. Look at Fisher!
__________
2nd half prediction: The Lakers will come back to win this game.
2nd Half:
The Lakers outscored the Knicks by 2 points in the 3rd quarter: 19-17. Jeremy Lin scored 9 points in the quarter to push his total to 27 for the night.
With 42 seconds left in the 3rd quarter, Jeremy Lin is replaced in the line-up by Mike Bibby. Now, maybe the Lakers can do something about cutting into the Knick's lead. After 3 quarters of play, the Knicks led the Lakers 66-60.
The Lakers start the 4th quarter by outscoring the Knicks 7-4 to cut the Knicks lead to 3 points.
But, with 9:26 left in the game the Knicks bring Jeremy Lin and Tyson Chandler back into the game, and they go on a 6-0 run to push their lead to 9 points, and causing the Lakers to call a time-out! So, in a minute and a half Jeremy Lin and Knicks scored 6 unanswered points.
Without Jeremy Lin the Lakers were making a comeback; when Lin returned, he put the game out of reach with his excellent play.
Lin: Kobe, you don't know my name?
Kobe: I know your name, it's Fisher who doesn't know your game.
Lin scores, again, to push his game total to 36 points.
With 1:44 left in the game the Lakers are down by six, 88-82. But Lin and the Knicks hold on to beat the Lakers 92-85. Lin finishes with 38 points.
________
AFTER GAME THOUGHTS:
LAKERS:
Call it what you want, but Bynum, Fisher, and World Peace went 3-17 shooting between them. Three starters only making 3 shots between them? 'Nuff said!
KNICKS:
What's going to be interesting for the Knicks is this: When Anthony and Stoudemire come back to the line-up, what is going to happen to Lin? lol!
It's clear that without the ball in his hands, Lin will become mortal, once again. And the ball will not be in his hands as often because Anthony demands the ball too much. On the other hand, if Lin continues to control the ball, that would free up Stoudemire to get his game back. Stoudemire on those pick-and-rolls to the hoop off of Lin passes? Only Anthony's ego will prevent that from happening.
More than anything, basketball is all about in-house politics. And in the Knick's in-house political structure, Anthony needs to have the ball. And if that is the case, Lin will fade. Either that or Anthony will have to come down on his numbers to allow Lin to flourish as he has been when the ball is in his hands.
This is going to be interesting!
As for my:
"2nd half prediction: The Lakers will come back to win this game."
If it wasn't for Lin, I would have been right! lol!
mike t.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Lakers vs. Celtics
1st Half:
Fisher is done, and this coach is riding him big minutes?
The Celtics take a 1st half lead of 47-45.
I don't get it! In the 1st half Derek Fisher played 11:36 and World Peace played 12:12. Between them they took 5 shots. Fisher took 1 and Peace took 4. So, between them they scored 2 points. 2 points from two starting positions? That is not acceptable! Why is coach Brown insistent on playing them? Does he think that things are going to get better? Is it because of their defensive experience? Let's see, Rondo, Fisher's man scored 6 points. Pierce, Peace's man, scored 7 points. The Celtics starters scored 33 points, with O'Neal not scoring a point.
The Lakers' starters scored 34 points, with Fisher putting up a zero and Peace putting up 2 points. In other words, the Lakers' big three scored 32 points.
How long can coach Brown go with having two starters producing so little?
The way the Lakers are playing; they're in games until the end, which means that the Lakers are good. But, they could be an elite team if they could get production from the 1 and 3 spots. That's how close the Lakers are to being a power team.
The question is this: what does coach Brown expect from Fisher and Peace? Are they, all-of-a-sudden, going to start producing? This coach seems to be holding on to something that doesn't exist in his 1 and 3 spots. What do Laker fans make of that?
This coach is putting Fisher over Goudelock for what reason? Experience? Goudelock is producing but now he has his playing time reduced to 4:45 in favor of Fisher and Blake? Blake played 14:23 and scored 3 points in the 1st half. Where is the logic in this man's rotations?
____________
2nd Half:
The Derek Fisher trend continues. He played about 12 1/2 minutes in the 2nd half. Fisher took 6 shots in the half, and didn't make one. He finished with 0 points. Peace played about 22 minutes in the 2nd half and took 2 shots and didn't make either. The total points these two players had in the 1st half is what they ended the game with. Fisher had 0 points and Peace had 2 points. That's 2 points for two starting positions.
A few days ago, Kobe Bryant said that the Lakers margin of error was very short. Tonight's game they came away with a victory, but it could have easily been a loss. But, the way the Lakers lose on the road, those losses could easily be wins, too. That's how close the Lakers are from being who they are right now, and being an elite team.
No way the Lakers can continue with Fisher and Peace as they are. This margin of error will only lead to a .500 ball club.
Then there's the return of Steve Blake. He had 5 points in almost 32 minutes of playing time. Caught in the numbers game is Andrew Goudelock, who was producing. Now, with the return of Blake, and coach Brown's insistence on playing Fisher, the Lakers lose the production of Goudelock. Where is the logic in this coach's thinking?
The Lakers have to face the music. Fisher and Peace are offensively dead. This coach wants to go with veterans, which seems like the logical thing to do. But, how can ride two non-productive players? Especially at the 1 spot. Goudelock's production is way better than Fisher's and Blake's. This coach has got to come to terms with the fact that the Lakers can't cut Goudelock's out just because Fisher and Blake are veterans. It doesn't make sense. This coach doesn't make sense.
There was a lot of objection to the hiring of coach Brown as the Lakers' coach, but I supported the hiring because I thought he was a winner. But, this guy is showing himself to be confused about who is producing and who is dead weight.
My question to coach Brown is the same as my question to President Obama, which is: what the hell are you doing?
mike t.
Fisher is done, and this coach is riding him big minutes?
The Celtics take a 1st half lead of 47-45.
I don't get it! In the 1st half Derek Fisher played 11:36 and World Peace played 12:12. Between them they took 5 shots. Fisher took 1 and Peace took 4. So, between them they scored 2 points. 2 points from two starting positions? That is not acceptable! Why is coach Brown insistent on playing them? Does he think that things are going to get better? Is it because of their defensive experience? Let's see, Rondo, Fisher's man scored 6 points. Pierce, Peace's man, scored 7 points. The Celtics starters scored 33 points, with O'Neal not scoring a point.
The Lakers' starters scored 34 points, with Fisher putting up a zero and Peace putting up 2 points. In other words, the Lakers' big three scored 32 points.
How long can coach Brown go with having two starters producing so little?
The way the Lakers are playing; they're in games until the end, which means that the Lakers are good. But, they could be an elite team if they could get production from the 1 and 3 spots. That's how close the Lakers are to being a power team.
The question is this: what does coach Brown expect from Fisher and Peace? Are they, all-of-a-sudden, going to start producing? This coach seems to be holding on to something that doesn't exist in his 1 and 3 spots. What do Laker fans make of that?
This coach is putting Fisher over Goudelock for what reason? Experience? Goudelock is producing but now he has his playing time reduced to 4:45 in favor of Fisher and Blake? Blake played 14:23 and scored 3 points in the 1st half. Where is the logic in this man's rotations?
____________
2nd Half:
The Derek Fisher trend continues. He played about 12 1/2 minutes in the 2nd half. Fisher took 6 shots in the half, and didn't make one. He finished with 0 points. Peace played about 22 minutes in the 2nd half and took 2 shots and didn't make either. The total points these two players had in the 1st half is what they ended the game with. Fisher had 0 points and Peace had 2 points. That's 2 points for two starting positions.
A few days ago, Kobe Bryant said that the Lakers margin of error was very short. Tonight's game they came away with a victory, but it could have easily been a loss. But, the way the Lakers lose on the road, those losses could easily be wins, too. That's how close the Lakers are from being who they are right now, and being an elite team.
No way the Lakers can continue with Fisher and Peace as they are. This margin of error will only lead to a .500 ball club.
Then there's the return of Steve Blake. He had 5 points in almost 32 minutes of playing time. Caught in the numbers game is Andrew Goudelock, who was producing. Now, with the return of Blake, and coach Brown's insistence on playing Fisher, the Lakers lose the production of Goudelock. Where is the logic in this coach's thinking?
The Lakers have to face the music. Fisher and Peace are offensively dead. This coach wants to go with veterans, which seems like the logical thing to do. But, how can ride two non-productive players? Especially at the 1 spot. Goudelock's production is way better than Fisher's and Blake's. This coach has got to come to terms with the fact that the Lakers can't cut Goudelock's out just because Fisher and Blake are veterans. It doesn't make sense. This coach doesn't make sense.
There was a lot of objection to the hiring of coach Brown as the Lakers' coach, but I supported the hiring because I thought he was a winner. But, this guy is showing himself to be confused about who is producing and who is dead weight.
My question to coach Brown is the same as my question to President Obama, which is: what the hell are you doing?
mike t.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Jerry West: The Logo Speaks!
"I honestly think I'd call their bluff," West said in an interview on 710 ESPN's Mason and Ireland show Thursday, not mentioning Howard specifically. "I really would, because I don't think any agent or player is going to leave $30 million on the table.
"I just don't believe that's going to happen."
I love Jerry West. Ever since I was a kid collecting basketball player cards. Well, being a Lakers fan had a lot to do with it, too. Then when he went to the Lakers' bench to be the coach, he was excellent at it. Then stepping up to assistant General Manager with the Lakers, then, finally, the GM of the Lakers. All along the way...the league found it within themselves to make a silhouette of West the league's logo. I mean, what more can a man ask for in his NBA career than what West has contributed to the league?
Now he's touching on something that makes complete sense to me. I mean, it's time for some NBA team to show some gumption, and call the bluff of some of these "superstars" with their trade demands.
I think it's time for the league, "teams," not the league office in New York, to take control of their franchises, and put these uneducated players in their place.
Let's take the case of Dwight Howard in Orlando for example. First, I know that Howard is a huge man, and with his leaping ability the man's input on a game is remarkable. Now, I want you to get what I'm saying straight. The man's physical ability is so profound that with it, he changes the game through his defense alone. But, when you talk about actual basketball skill...he is not all that skilled. If he actually had basketball skills, combined with his physical abilities...he would, probably, be one of the best all-time players. But, since Howard's game is defined by his physical ability alone, he will never be in a discussion as an all-time NBA great.
Pau Gasol has more basketball talent than Howard does, but Gasol doesn't have the physical ability that Howard does. But, let me put it this way: when we match up physical ability, Howard can be compared to Wilt Chamberlain. But, when it comes to basketball ability, Howard has zero ability compared to Chamberlain. You could, probably, say the same thing if we compared Howard to Hakeem Olajuwon. Can you imagine Howard making all the low post moves of a Olajuwon with his physical ability? In short: Howard isn't a true basketball player. He's physical freak of nature with some serious leaping ability.
But, with the marketing of today's NBA players as superstars, these guys are put on a pedestal to the point where they are able to hold their current teams, and the league, hostage. As West said: the inmates are running the asylum.
Like, West, the thing that really gets to me is how Howard's demand contains everything that plays to his advantage. He's trying to pick which team to get traded to, plus, with Orlando "complying" with Howard, they're adding Howard an additional 25-30 million dollars to his next contract.
Why should Orlando help give Howard the 25-30 million dollars when Howard is basically disrespecting them in every way imaginable?
As mentioned by Yahoo Sports, and by me many, many times over, the new CBA makes it almost impossible for teams to sign superstars from other teams, and still have enough money to fill out the rest of their roster with qualified players to contend for a championship, just ask New York.
Like, West, I say let Howard walk to a team where he'll sign for less money, and gut that team at the same time, meaning he'll never win an NBA championship in his career. And if he's never going to win an NBA championship in his career, he might as well go for the money, which happens to be in Orlando.
The only question is this: does Orlando have it in them to call Howard's bluff? Does Orlando have it in them to help other team owners to stop these spoiled players from taking the league hostage, and dictating the terms of a trade that will net them the maximum amount of money, too? Why do they get to have their cake and eat it, too.
Orlando, if they call Howard's bluff, might come out with nothing for their efforts as far as player assets go, but they might just have done enough to turn the tide that, at this point, has the players with too much power considering that most are seriously uneducated people.
mike t.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Lakers vs. Jazz...Ouch!
The big 3 for the Lakers scored 71 of the teams 87 points. Not pretty at all!
Needless to say the Jazz won the game 96-87.
I'm stunned that Fisher and Peace, as starters, scored 4 points between them. And the Lakers' bench scored 12 points between them. Let's make this plain and simple: Fisher and Peace are done!
The Jazz' bench scored 49 points.
This is amazing because the Jazz beat the Lakers by 9 points with such an in-balance in bench scoring. In other words, the Lakers' big 3 are seriously good, but they need help, and not in the biggest way, but in a consistent way. Any type of consistent contribution outside of the big 3, and it would lift the Lakers to elite status as far as NBA teams go.
I'm thinking Mitch Kupchak and Jim Buss need to come to grips with the idea that Fisher and Peace are done! They are dead weight to this team. Patience is a good thing, but patience isn't the issue with Fisher and Peace. Once, again, they are D-O-N-E!
At this point, if the Lakers sign Gilbert Arenas, that has to be an upgrade over Fisher. The question is this: what is the hold up? But, if the Lakers were to sign Arenas, the team still has to invest into Andrew Goudelock as the main back-up. Bring in Arenas and Fisher has to go behind Goudelock. I mean it when I say that Fisher is done as Luke Walton. Why mess around any longer? This is the big leagues and it's time to make big changes at the 1 spot for the Lakers. Forget Fishers' "locker-room" presence. It's his on-court production that is the point.
mike t.
Needless to say the Jazz won the game 96-87.
I'm stunned that Fisher and Peace, as starters, scored 4 points between them. And the Lakers' bench scored 12 points between them. Let's make this plain and simple: Fisher and Peace are done!
The Jazz' bench scored 49 points.
This is amazing because the Jazz beat the Lakers by 9 points with such an in-balance in bench scoring. In other words, the Lakers' big 3 are seriously good, but they need help, and not in the biggest way, but in a consistent way. Any type of consistent contribution outside of the big 3, and it would lift the Lakers to elite status as far as NBA teams go.
I'm thinking Mitch Kupchak and Jim Buss need to come to grips with the idea that Fisher and Peace are done! They are dead weight to this team. Patience is a good thing, but patience isn't the issue with Fisher and Peace. Once, again, they are D-O-N-E!
At this point, if the Lakers sign Gilbert Arenas, that has to be an upgrade over Fisher. The question is this: what is the hold up? But, if the Lakers were to sign Arenas, the team still has to invest into Andrew Goudelock as the main back-up. Bring in Arenas and Fisher has to go behind Goudelock. I mean it when I say that Fisher is done as Luke Walton. Why mess around any longer? This is the big leagues and it's time to make big changes at the 1 spot for the Lakers. Forget Fishers' "locker-room" presence. It's his on-court production that is the point.
mike t.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)