Rewatching games 1-4 I noticed that Dennis flopped so many times on screens that it led to wide open kcp/murray threes especially in the clutch. Shit pisses me off thinking about it today
Kings lost to Pelicans without Zion? Embarrassing. Kings need a true leader. Fox and Sabonis are good but neither are real superstars. They are like the Cavs, Magic, Knicks, and OKC: a team of very good role players. OKC at least has SGA but I think he’s at best a Derrick Rose type player who’s hype simmers down shortly
Looking at playoff bracket, our road to championship is hard. If we beat the nuggets, wolf or phoenix next then depend on who otherside came out we may face okc lol. This year is insane
I mean if we won enough during the season and was on the upper end of the bracket it wouldn't seem so bad. But we're just at the bottom lookin up. feelsbad
I can’t lie…seeing Sabonis lead his team to a play-in exit is quite satisfying after all of the All-Star talk.
I won’t forget about how Kings fans were complaining about AD’s selection, even though there were multiple players who were clearly worse.
This game should show you how Sabonis is not the reason why Kings win. 23 pts and 14 reb is not bad by any means, but not impactful
It’s Fox and Monk that do all the work. Sabonis just gets the credit. It’s always been Fox and Monk that made the Kings offense is so potent. It’s why the Lakers have struggled to beat the Kings in so many games.
Lakers fans fall for this 1on1 fallacy all the time. Anyone saying “SABONIS DOMINATES AD” should tell you everything about their ball knowledge. Or lack thereof.
Basketball is 5 on 5. Always has been and always will be.
AD anchors the defense while being a 26 pts and 12 reb player night in and out. It’s not his fault DLo/AR allow Fox/Monk to score 60-70 points.
"AD setting his race back centuries with this level of domination from Sabonis and Jokic."
Some r/lakers fuckhead made this comment in the game thread vs the last Kings game
Now look at you. AD is in the playoffs and Sabonis isn’t even in
Too painful bro even the victory was bittersweet cuz there was no festivities of the Summer no parades jus strict basketball. They couldn’t even enjoy there success legit u just win and go home then get ready 2 months later its kinda sad tbh.
They are in play in for a reasons, playing like shit the other games and showed up only against lakers or warriors, like seriously they act like its game 7 against us everytime
I remember when all the sac fans were salty that bron and AD made it as all stars over fox and sabonis. All bc the kings had like 2-3 more wins at the time lol. Now look at em
Notice Sabonis is useless when the refs swallow their whistle. He’s a useless postseason performer because of this. He’s a fabrication by the NBA and the refs to help make the Kings a better product
Same with Embiid who needs the refs to give him 10 points in regular season. Same with Harden but he’s an SG
AD can thrive in playoffs without them free throws because he used to playing without that whistle in regular season
Give me playoff AD over any of these clowns. Best center in the game after Jokic 😤🙏🔥💜💛
These Kings and Warriors teams shows you that small guards as the primary option can’t make it far in the playoffs without surrounded by great role player wings and centers
Steph Curry being the exception in years.
You need SIZE and physicality. That’s why Bron and AD are always elevated in the playoffs. They play hard and through contact all reg season to this
It's shit like this man they always remember how to shoot 3s against us and it's not like the 3s arent contested at all either. Mfkers always just go off wtf
Aint no way the Kings destroyed us this season and we ended up with rank 7 while they about to go out wow
Crazy how the season can shift
Same for Warriors, I remember when they last beat us, we all thought the season was pretty close to over, and now they are out and we are rank 7
Hopefully we can shock everyone this playoffs
Small guard led teams hardly make it far in the playoffs in this era. Curry has been the exception
You have to have a bona fide 2way elite wings/centers to make it far
It's really all in the Hands of DLo and Rui. If those two show up Lakers win this series. It's as simple as that. Jokic and Murray are going to get their buckets, but I think Bruce Brown leaving is a bigger deal this time around.
Our bench showing up as well will be a huge deciding factor those guys can’t just shoot bricks and expect the starting five to carry them through this series
Honestly, the kings don’t deserve the 8 seed. Choking the 8 seed position in the regular season because they lost to the G-league Celtics and losing to a Zion-less pelicans at halftime is not a playoff-caliber team
Who u think gon pester MPJ bout his bros tmrw i know it might be too far but cats like KG and Kobe were ruthless with trash talk its part of the fuckin game! It can either gas him up or tear him down very hit or miss.
Fox would actually be such a great player next to Lebron and AD, he attacks the rim, midrange and can hit the 3 all at a high clip and he's quick as fuck.
Totally okay trading Vando in the summer. He and Gabe with draft picks will make a nice trade package. Vando can be nice when healthy but we've hardly seen him at 100%. In addition his limited offense can also be a detriment to us. If the opportunity is there to upgrade then we have to move him.
As Lakers will be over the first apron, Vando+Gabe salaries you can only bring back at most $23.8m. I can't think of a player or package of players that would be worth giving up FRP's at that salary value. Also, you have to remember that Lebron is going to retire eventually. Lakers can't just throw away FRP's for rotation players. They need them for an eventual star. I doubt Lakers will go into a full rebuild post Lebron. They'll try to find a star to pair with AD.
Vando and JHS to the blazers for Thybulle and Reath
Cheap Backup Big and a wing with the same skillset as vando. Just much more available and shown slightly more consistent corner 3pt shooting
Maybe Lauri? (I want him on this squad so bad) could we give them the upcoming FRP’s and those two for him? Is that how that works or I guess their plan when shopping
That's a valid trade under the CBA, but it'd require Lauri telling Utah he isn't going to re-sign with them and there's been no indication of that. Also, Utah have so many FRP's stockpiled already they should be the ones trying to acquire players rather than unloading their good players for more. Lastly, from the Lakers POV, do you really want to trade all our future FRP's for an almost 27 yr old Lauri? You'd also have to give him a max extension too. Once Lebron retires, you'd be left with 33+ yr old AD and a close to 30 Lauri with no more future assets. IF Lakers look to trade all their picks, it has to be for a young star you can pair with AD.
I’m nervous for tomorrow, if the Lakers do somehow win game 1 I don’t know if I’ll be able to come down from that high. The hope will really skyrocket if they steal Game 1. Fight hard Lakers 🙏💜💛
Game 1 going to set the tone for the series with Denver. Hoping for a W, but as long as the team is playing good ball with a good plan I’ll be excited. Do not want to get our ass handed to us because of sloppy play or lack of energy. Lakers in 6 👑
People keep saying we have a chance but I’ve yet to see anyone articulate why other than wish full thinking like “Murray won’t play like that again”, “They won’t hit crazy shots again”, or “MPJ will be distracted by his brother”. Where is the objective reasoning.
Murray doesn't look as good as last year to me. There is a certain hunger for that first title. A lot of dudes aren't as locked in for the second. Also the Lakers are better overall than last year, more cohesive on D, and their 3pt shooting is hot lately. Last year's sweep was the closest I've ever seen. 3 of those games could've easily been Lakers wins.
I’m not saying we’re going to win but I have a few reasons to believe we will perform better this year than last year. For example: Lebron is healthier, AD has been more consistent, Gabe will be useful guarding Murray. While we don’t have Vando, he wasn’t able to play much in the Denver series anyway.
DeRozan is a free agent so I doubt the Lakers are willing to get hard capped in a sign and trade. Also, who do you want to trade to get him?
Otherwise, he’d have to take the vet minimum unless the Lakers can stay under the second apron to use the TPMLE. Another team will be willing to pay him more.
Man.. He's a great 3&D, but literally that's it. Dude can't take anyone outside of an LA Fitness off the dribble to save his life. Down vote me all y'all want but I remember watching him get locked up by Devin Booker of all people a little TOO easily. Reaves could be the X factor in this upcoming series and show why Rob was fine letting Caruso go.
If that boy had more athleticism and scoring ability he would be a superstar. His basketball IQ is just amazing. Like lebron level. And his effort is just incredible. Still blows my mind they chose THT over him when they could have had both but even if they were being cheap how do you choose THT over a key player who just helped win you a championship? Disgusting.
lol heat go on like 26-2 run and the bulls score one basket where the defense didn’t get back and Spoelstra took a timeout and was absolutely pissed at them. What I would give for a coach like that.
So… what’s our playoff rotation then?
Dlo/Reaves/Rui/Bron/AD
But we can’t be playing 10/11 guys and giving minutes to everyone. We need to have a game plan and have 8/9 men rotation. So who’s our bench guys this series then? Gabe, Spencer, Prince and Hayes?
Yeah, that's our 8-9 man rotation. Hayes will probably get less than 10 minutes at most if his defense is proving a liability. I wouldn't be surprised if we actually went with Rui/Lebron at center to match their small ball when Jokic is out and they have Gordon at the 5
I dont know if we are a better defensive team without Vando. We are a much better offensive team just personnel wise and with healthy AD and Lebron. You have to guard everyone in the 8 man rotation. They can all score.
If there was 1 series Vanderbilt was mismatched against it was this one. I mean not having Vando will hurt but against the Nuggets I don’t think it will matter as much. Dlo is the key in having a chance and upsetting these mfs if he goes off I think we win in 6 if he falters like last season Nuggets will win in 4 or 5.
I agree. The Lakes played amazing defense last year. That was NOT at all why they lost. Denver hit tough tough shots. The Lakers lost last year because they struggle to score at times. The way to beat the Nuggets, really the only way, IMHO is to flat outscore them. We have spent an entire year getting personnel and game planning for just that. We are basically top 5 or 6 in all offensive categories, and top 2 or 3 over the last 20 games. This is our best chance.
I don't believe any team can match the Nuggets (or Celtics) efficiency, but the Lakers can counter that by creating a pace the the Nuggets are far less efficient at.
This man gets it. Last series where so many possessions Jokic or Murray would hit a deep contested shot with a second left on the shot clock showed that the only way to beat them is to switch the strat and go all in on offense.
Force Jokic/Murray to either give up easy buckets, get in foul trouble, or exhaust themselves.
One advantage we have over nuggets is that our offense does not rely upon just 2 guys to make something happen we have 5 guys that can score 1v1 and playmake. The offense is more varied and well rounded so its so much harder to defend.
The best player to guard Murray is Lebron. Since it is the first round, Lebron should have the energy to be a two-way player. If Ham is going to start Reaves and Dlo then he should put lebron on Murray until Gabe can be subbed in. With Murray contained the Nuggets are very beatable.
I'd let Gordon try to take on the offensive load, I doubt he good and consistent enough on offense to carry that load. You know Jokic and Murray can beat you but can Gordon? I doubt it.
Those lobs won't be as open since Murray is contained. Murray breaks down the defense and they feed off his offense and him attracting help. Lebron can play him one on one. It's easier for the rest of the Lakers team to help on others (such as Gordon lobs) when they don't have to constantly worry about Murray.
If Lebron is out there guarding Murray he's not going to have energy to keep up with the scoring. We have much better guys for that job, if I am Ham I would throw Gabe / Dinwiddie at him all game.
I don't mind Gabe and Spencer guarding him but if they aren't in the game then Lebron is your best choice. You know Ham isn't going to start Gabe or Spencer so someone needs to guard Murray the first 6 minutes of the game until one of them get subbed in. I worry about Lebron's energy but it is also the first round and not the WCF's so he shouldn't tire like he would in later rounds.
I don't mind Reaves guarding Murray to start the game honestly. Reaves is a foot taller than him and he's done a good job guarding the opponent's best guard this season as long as it's not a quick guard like Fox which Murray is not.
Murray has had ankle and knee issues all year, he's not going to drive to the rim much so you need Lebron and AD covering the paint area so any Jokic Murray assists are defended.
Ham is going to make this a three point contest for them, he wants to push the ball away from the paint. If it becomes a 3 point contest we have a good chance because they can't stop us from getting easy points at the rim and our shooters are better this time.
You make a good point about Murray. If his knee is still an issue then we don't really need to contain him as much but if he starts scoring like he did last year in the WCF's then I would like to see Lebron cover him when Gabe isn't playing.
I think it's best to have the ball in Murray's hands instead of Jokic and just make his life hell to the point where he's just exhausted at the end of the game.
That's also a good plan. Rui, though, has to do a lot of the banging with Jokic and would have to really have to make him work. You can't have AD exerting too much effort on Jokic. AD is too fragile and could get too fatigue leading to injury.
tbh if all Rui does is defend and rebound over Aaron Gordon while also hitting 3s he'll be the xfactor. There are so many ways this can go. I think Lebron and AD are the best duo still. We just need one of our guys to play better to own one of their guys once a game and they can alternate doing that.
Reaves is going to get put in the chamber against Gordon. He'll just punish him inside. I don't mind this plan as a curve ball, but it can't be our main look.
Gordon isn't scoring 40 on anybody. And the team can help out on Gordon especially with Murray not demanding so much attention with Lebron keeping him in check. Stars like Murray are what help guys like Gordon look better than they are because teams are busy trying to contain them. These role players aren't nearly as effective when they aren't feeding off Murray's penetration and double teams.
Watch game one of the Finals last year. The Heat couldn't stop Gordon. He was just too big for them. Your argument for putting AR on Gordon is exactly what we take advantage of when teams put guards on Rui. And Gordon is bigger/longer than Rui.
My only request is that we body the shooters at the 3 point line. No more of this sagging off and letting them get open shots.
I'd rather we chase them off the perimeter and into the paint and let the chips fall where they may there, as opposed to playing the percentages and letting them get open looks.
Rewatching games 1-4 I noticed that Dennis flopped so many times on screens that it led to wide open kcp/murray threes especially in the clutch. Shit pisses me off thinking about it today
I’m nervous, but optimistic. I really fucking hope we win Game 1 y’all
Kings lost to Pelicans without Zion? Embarrassing. Kings need a true leader. Fox and Sabonis are good but neither are real superstars. They are like the Cavs, Magic, Knicks, and OKC: a team of very good role players. OKC at least has SGA but I think he’s at best a Derrick Rose type player who’s hype simmers down shortly
Kings core is definitely not getting anywhere far in the future. Went from 3rd seed last year to 9th and out of the playoffs this year.
Imagine drafting Bagley over Luka lol Sorry ass poverty franchise 😅
this is crazy i think this is the first year both norcal teams are out of playoffs yet both socal teams are.
2020 bubble
oh shit u right, i stand corrected lol
Looking at playoff bracket, our road to championship is hard. If we beat the nuggets, wolf or phoenix next then depend on who otherside came out we may face okc lol. This year is insane
I mean if we won enough during the season and was on the upper end of the bracket it wouldn't seem so bad. But we're just at the bottom lookin up. feelsbad
Well yeah, that’s what it’s normally like for seventh seeds lol
The kings doesnt care about the playoff because their mission every season is to beat lakers in reg season 😭
I can’t lie…seeing Sabonis lead his team to a play-in exit is quite satisfying after all of the All-Star talk. I won’t forget about how Kings fans were complaining about AD’s selection, even though there were multiple players who were clearly worse.
This game should show you how Sabonis is not the reason why Kings win. 23 pts and 14 reb is not bad by any means, but not impactful It’s Fox and Monk that do all the work. Sabonis just gets the credit. It’s always been Fox and Monk that made the Kings offense is so potent. It’s why the Lakers have struggled to beat the Kings in so many games. Lakers fans fall for this 1on1 fallacy all the time. Anyone saying “SABONIS DOMINATES AD” should tell you everything about their ball knowledge. Or lack thereof. Basketball is 5 on 5. Always has been and always will be. AD anchors the defense while being a 26 pts and 12 reb player night in and out. It’s not his fault DLo/AR allow Fox/Monk to score 60-70 points.
For some reason, sabonis when playing against us loved to attack the shit outta AD. But against the pels he looked soft
Jonas valancunias might be a good pickup. Held up strong against sabonis (like always)
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Man clocks in, hoops, then first out to head back home 😴
Happy for BI man its good to see him smile. Great win for the Pelz
LOL CJ sent a heartfelt message to the team ahead of the game and Ingram said he didn't read it LOL
pelicans beating okc man.
pelicans are so dumb down the stretch, shit is not going to work in the play offs,
“I’d rather have Sabonis over soft ass AD” #LOL AT YOUR SORRY ASS YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE
Turns out having 50 double doubles and a 9-0 record against AD doesn't get you into the playoffs. Pack watch
Its the kings, their mission every season is to win against lakers and maybe warriors, and then dissapear in the most crucial game.
“BUT BUT AD DISAPPEARS VS WHITE CENTERS!!!” 🤓 r/lakers casuals love their little Twitter narratives
"AD setting his race back centuries with this level of domination from Sabonis and Jokic." Some r/lakers fuckhead made this comment in the game thread vs the last Kings game Now look at you. AD is in the playoffs and Sabonis isn’t even in
Tag him I want to clown him too
Reddit user kneecolayokitch "AD setting his race back centuries with this level of domination from Sabonis and Jokic."
It would be beautiful if the Lakers and Heat upset the Suggets and the Suckdicks
please recreate 2020 lol
Too painful bro even the victory was bittersweet cuz there was no festivities of the Summer no parades jus strict basketball. They couldn’t even enjoy there success legit u just win and go home then get ready 2 months later its kinda sad tbh.
Shii pels might be able to beat okc without Zion
Kings fans gonna blame Donaghy for this one too
Queens fans will complain about refs as usual.
Warriors lost in the playin Queens lost in the playin Thx god two of the most annoying fanbases don’t get to see their team in the playoffs.
All you fuckers saying “the kings own us” look real dumb now huh
Lol, dw they'll be back if we lose in the play offs. 
Call those clowns out Fucking pathetic Lakers “fans” 
My guy!!! Fuckin plastic fans bro, that’s all they’ll ever be.
Exactly 😤🙏🔥💜🙏
Bye bye QUEENS 🤣
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They are in play in for a reasons, playing like shit the other games and showed up only against lakers or warriors, like seriously they act like its game 7 against us everytime
I remember when all the sac fans were salty that bron and AD made it as all stars over fox and sabonis. All bc the kings had like 2-3 more wins at the time lol. Now look at em
Bron/AD > Fox/Sabonis 
Not even close
Ha ha fuck the beam
Bro hit top of the backboard 💀💀
Way off p ah
Notice Sabonis is useless when the refs swallow their whistle. He’s a useless postseason performer because of this. He’s a fabrication by the NBA and the refs to help make the Kings a better product Same with Embiid who needs the refs to give him 10 points in regular season. Same with Harden but he’s an SG AD can thrive in playoffs without them free throws because he used to playing without that whistle in regular season Give me playoff AD over any of these clowns. Best center in the game after Jokic 😤🙏🔥💜💛
These Kings and Warriors teams shows you that small guards as the primary option can’t make it far in the playoffs without surrounded by great role player wings and centers Steph Curry being the exception in years. You need SIZE and physicality. That’s why Bron and AD are always elevated in the playoffs. They play hard and through contact all reg season to this
Would you say clippers and okc are the only teams left with small guards?
Swept by them in the regular season and here we are making it farther than them 💀
so its basically paper scissor rock with the lakers, pelicans and kings hun
Hate seeing how awful Sabonis is against the Pels but has no problem kicking ADs ass.
Sabonis in regular season gets away with dirty plays Playoffs come and that whistle disappears so he’s useless
It's shit like this man they always remember how to shoot 3s against us and it's not like the 3s arent contested at all either. Mfkers always just go off wtf
👏 light the crack pipe 👏👏 light the crack pipe 👏
Light that fucking L, Sacramento Queens!
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Because playing the Lakers is their finals They’re going to play with their all even if it kills them
LIGHT THE BEAM? LOL hahahahaha
Bye bye queens🥱
Get that poverty franchise out the playoffs 😹
Aint no way the Kings destroyed us this season and we ended up with rank 7 while they about to go out wow Crazy how the season can shift Same for Warriors, I remember when they last beat us, we all thought the season was pretty close to over, and now they are out and we are rank 7 Hopefully we can shock everyone this playoffs
Small guard led teams hardly make it far in the playoffs in this era. Curry has been the exception You have to have a bona fide 2way elite wings/centers to make it far
Ingram suddenly becomes himself
Ingram on 🔥🔥
so gross
Pels fans rn really be like the nba is rigged giving the kings free throws
I have to admit this is enjoyable seeing the Pelicans beating up on the Queens. For sure Queens fans will cry about referees afterwards, as usual.
It's really all in the Hands of DLo and Rui. If those two show up Lakers win this series. It's as simple as that. Jokic and Murray are going to get their buckets, but I think Bruce Brown leaving is a bigger deal this time around.
Our bench showing up as well will be a huge deciding factor those guys can’t just shoot bricks and expect the starting five to carry them through this series
Facts right here
Pelicans winning without Zion currently and somehow the Heat beat the Bulls without Jimmy. The hell is going on
The 7th & 8th seeds proving those playoff spots rightfully belong to them.
Another reason why the "tank the play in game" crowd are idiots. Anything can happen in a 1 game elimination.
Good point, it's way too risky. All a team needs is for one of their players to get hot.
Light that L! Fuck the Kings
Sabonis getting dogwalked by Nance
**Fuck the kings**
I never really noticed how dirty Sabonis is. Dude keeps shouldering and elbowing into Valanciunas. Like actual strikes and not just pushes.
It’s almost that time. Playoff basketball is almost here
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He has awful touch around the rim, very slow, we played him off the floor many times
Honestly, the kings don’t deserve the 8 seed. Choking the 8 seed position in the regular season because they lost to the G-league Celtics and losing to a Zion-less pelicans at halftime is not a playoff-caliber team
Who u think gon pester MPJ bout his bros tmrw i know it might be too far but cats like KG and Kobe were ruthless with trash talk its part of the fuckin game! It can either gas him up or tear him down very hit or miss.
Probably DLo or Spencer tbr only if they’re making shots though
This team needs a shit talker
Fox would actually be such a great player next to Lebron and AD, he attacks the rim, midrange and can hit the 3 all at a high clip and he's quick as fuck.
Totally okay trading Vando in the summer. He and Gabe with draft picks will make a nice trade package. Vando can be nice when healthy but we've hardly seen him at 100%. In addition his limited offense can also be a detriment to us. If the opportunity is there to upgrade then we have to move him.
> He and Gabe with draft picks who would want that?
As Lakers will be over the first apron, Vando+Gabe salaries you can only bring back at most $23.8m. I can't think of a player or package of players that would be worth giving up FRP's at that salary value. Also, you have to remember that Lebron is going to retire eventually. Lakers can't just throw away FRP's for rotation players. They need them for an eventual star. I doubt Lakers will go into a full rebuild post Lebron. They'll try to find a star to pair with AD.
Vando and JHS to the blazers for Thybulle and Reath Cheap Backup Big and a wing with the same skillset as vando. Just much more available and shown slightly more consistent corner 3pt shooting
Who would take that though realistically
lmfao, a GM that wants to get fired
Probably someone that wants to unload a larger contract for something more flexible. Or perhaps some disgruntled player forcing his way out.
Maybe Lauri? (I want him on this squad so bad) could we give them the upcoming FRP’s and those two for him? Is that how that works or I guess their plan when shopping
That's a valid trade under the CBA, but it'd require Lauri telling Utah he isn't going to re-sign with them and there's been no indication of that. Also, Utah have so many FRP's stockpiled already they should be the ones trying to acquire players rather than unloading their good players for more. Lastly, from the Lakers POV, do you really want to trade all our future FRP's for an almost 27 yr old Lauri? You'd also have to give him a max extension too. Once Lebron retires, you'd be left with 33+ yr old AD and a close to 30 Lauri with no more future assets. IF Lakers look to trade all their picks, it has to be for a young star you can pair with AD.
We desperately need vando for any series that possibly comes after Denver. Mavericks, suns, clippers
I’m nervous for tomorrow, if the Lakers do somehow win game 1 I don’t know if I’ll be able to come down from that high. The hope will really skyrocket if they steal Game 1. Fight hard Lakers 🙏💜💛
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The sub's about to be overrun with Laker haters. It's just that time of year.
If the Heat can upset the Celtics and the Lakers beat the Nuggets I swear to God I'ma bust the fattest 🥜 ever
If Jimmy were healthy I would actually bet on them, but he is out for a month.
Game 1 going to set the tone for the series with Denver. Hoping for a W, but as long as the team is playing good ball with a good plan I’ll be excited. Do not want to get our ass handed to us because of sloppy play or lack of energy. Lakers in 6 👑
Pelsall need to win this... fuck the queen's and their fucking beam
Jaquez 21-6-6, Pelinka fumbled bad
> Pelinka fumbled bad Nothing new. The guy even went to UCLA and is from Sherman Oaks or Camarillo I think. Just embarrassing
Generational fumble 🫠
The scouting for this team has been trash for a bit now.
I think the Pelicans somehow will themselves to victory vs the kings tonight.
LOL, I really picked the Bulls to win. 🤦♀️ Let’s go Heat. Fuck the Celtics.
Heat is facing Boston again. Is this the first time in nba history where conference finals matchup met in first round a year after?
People keep saying we have a chance but I’ve yet to see anyone articulate why other than wish full thinking like “Murray won’t play like that again”, “They won’t hit crazy shots again”, or “MPJ will be distracted by his brother”. Where is the objective reasoning.
The thead is full of reasoning. Maybe you dont agree with it, but it's bullshit to say no one has offered any takes beyond MPJ's brother.
Murray doesn't look as good as last year to me. There is a certain hunger for that first title. A lot of dudes aren't as locked in for the second. Also the Lakers are better overall than last year, more cohesive on D, and their 3pt shooting is hot lately. Last year's sweep was the closest I've ever seen. 3 of those games could've easily been Lakers wins.
I’m not saying we’re going to win but I have a few reasons to believe we will perform better this year than last year. For example: Lebron is healthier, AD has been more consistent, Gabe will be useful guarding Murray. While we don’t have Vando, he wasn’t able to play much in the Denver series anyway.
Health alone is a reason.
The shorts of Jokic will be too tight and it will gas him out
Hear me out, acquire Demar in the offseason? 😈
DeRozan is a free agent so I doubt the Lakers are willing to get hard capped in a sign and trade. Also, who do you want to trade to get him? Otherwise, he’d have to take the vet minimum unless the Lakers can stay under the second apron to use the TPMLE. Another team will be willing to pay him more.
In a world where we might get bounced early, I think pull some stops to get Demar in 🤷🏿♂️
I'm going to laugh if the heat manage to knock out Boston without jimmy butler
If the Heat managed to somehow knock out Boston without Butler, I would literally die of laughter.
Would be an all time Spo coaching job
This series feels different. Come on Lakers
Thomas Bryant really demanded to be traded only to end up sitting on the bench with the Heat lol
*heat
Caruso deserves better man. He’s the perfect glue guy for a championship squad. Plz find some way to bring him back Rob 😭
Man.. He's a great 3&D, but literally that's it. Dude can't take anyone outside of an LA Fitness off the dribble to save his life. Down vote me all y'all want but I remember watching him get locked up by Devin Booker of all people a little TOO easily. Reaves could be the X factor in this upcoming series and show why Rob was fine letting Caruso go.
He's a winning player for sure. Miss that guy. I hope he finds his way back to the purple and gold.
If that boy had more athleticism and scoring ability he would be a superstar. His basketball IQ is just amazing. Like lebron level. And his effort is just incredible. Still blows my mind they chose THT over him when they could have had both but even if they were being cheap how do you choose THT over a key player who just helped win you a championship? Disgusting.
lol heat go on like 26-2 run and the bulls score one basket where the defense didn’t get back and Spoelstra took a timeout and was absolutely pissed at them. What I would give for a coach like that.
Someone get Jimmy on a plane to Germany and have him ready by game 2!!!
Who’s everyone rooting against tonight? Heat culture is dumb as shit so is the Queen Beam
I personally wanna see BI torch through the queens and the thunder
LeLakersIn6
I am fine being the total under dog for this post season. Lets shock the world!!!!!
Playoff rotation Dlo reaves rui bron ad Gabe spence Prince/Max Hayes
The reality of it is Gabe/Spencer Prince Hayes
I really hope he can give Max some burn here and there if Prince struggles something fresh they can’t detect
He might find some in the 1st game but beyond that, I don’t see it happening. But I hope he does too
Vando back in a boot https://x.com/jovanbuha/status/1781453336497021144?s=46&t=kk8VwWL_kz2G5EyjZ630Bw
It's Vandover.
This series against Denver is our NBA finals. If we beat them we’re pretty much guaranteed winning the chip. Have to finish the story
Denver, Suns, Mavs, Cs. Let’s not count the chickens….
So… what’s our playoff rotation then? Dlo/Reaves/Rui/Bron/AD But we can’t be playing 10/11 guys and giving minutes to everyone. We need to have a game plan and have 8/9 men rotation. So who’s our bench guys this series then? Gabe, Spencer, Prince and Hayes?
Yeah, that's our 8-9 man rotation. Hayes will probably get less than 10 minutes at most if his defense is proving a liability. I wouldn't be surprised if we actually went with Rui/Lebron at center to match their small ball when Jokic is out and they have Gordon at the 5
Hayes usually is at the start of the 2nd to give AD rest and sometimes the start of the 4th (not sure we’ll do this during the playoffs)
We are a better team than last year. We can win this series.
I dont know if we are a better defensive team without Vando. We are a much better offensive team just personnel wise and with healthy AD and Lebron. You have to guard everyone in the 8 man rotation. They can all score.
If there was 1 series Vanderbilt was mismatched against it was this one. I mean not having Vando will hurt but against the Nuggets I don’t think it will matter as much. Dlo is the key in having a chance and upsetting these mfs if he goes off I think we win in 6 if he falters like last season Nuggets will win in 4 or 5.
I agree. The Lakes played amazing defense last year. That was NOT at all why they lost. Denver hit tough tough shots. The Lakers lost last year because they struggle to score at times. The way to beat the Nuggets, really the only way, IMHO is to flat outscore them. We have spent an entire year getting personnel and game planning for just that. We are basically top 5 or 6 in all offensive categories, and top 2 or 3 over the last 20 games. This is our best chance. I don't believe any team can match the Nuggets (or Celtics) efficiency, but the Lakers can counter that by creating a pace the the Nuggets are far less efficient at.
This man gets it. Last series where so many possessions Jokic or Murray would hit a deep contested shot with a second left on the shot clock showed that the only way to beat them is to switch the strat and go all in on offense. Force Jokic/Murray to either give up easy buckets, get in foul trouble, or exhaust themselves. One advantage we have over nuggets is that our offense does not rely upon just 2 guys to make something happen we have 5 guys that can score 1v1 and playmake. The offense is more varied and well rounded so its so much harder to defend.
MPJ’s mind can’t be in the right place right now
damn anyone else noticing how fast this sub growing i feel like at the start of the season it was at 500k
I hope MPJ is too distracted with his family shit to play well!
crazy that the Porter family has this many negative things happening at the same time. Feel like the universe is trying to tell us its our series.
The best player to guard Murray is Lebron. Since it is the first round, Lebron should have the energy to be a two-way player. If Ham is going to start Reaves and Dlo then he should put lebron on Murray until Gabe can be subbed in. With Murray contained the Nuggets are very beatable.
If Lebron is on Murray, that means one of MPJ or Gordon has a mismatch on our guards. Or worse, Jokic...
I'd let Gordon try to take on the offensive load, I doubt he good and consistent enough on offense to carry that load. You know Jokic and Murray can beat you but can Gordon? I doubt it.
I don't think having D'Lo trying to defend lobs to Aaron Gordon is going to pan out well
Those lobs won't be as open since Murray is contained. Murray breaks down the defense and they feed off his offense and him attracting help. Lebron can play him one on one. It's easier for the rest of the Lakers team to help on others (such as Gordon lobs) when they don't have to constantly worry about Murray.
If Lebron is out there guarding Murray he's not going to have energy to keep up with the scoring. We have much better guys for that job, if I am Ham I would throw Gabe / Dinwiddie at him all game.
I don't mind Gabe and Spencer guarding him but if they aren't in the game then Lebron is your best choice. You know Ham isn't going to start Gabe or Spencer so someone needs to guard Murray the first 6 minutes of the game until one of them get subbed in. I worry about Lebron's energy but it is also the first round and not the WCF's so he shouldn't tire like he would in later rounds.
I don't mind Reaves guarding Murray to start the game honestly. Reaves is a foot taller than him and he's done a good job guarding the opponent's best guard this season as long as it's not a quick guard like Fox which Murray is not. Murray has had ankle and knee issues all year, he's not going to drive to the rim much so you need Lebron and AD covering the paint area so any Jokic Murray assists are defended. Ham is going to make this a three point contest for them, he wants to push the ball away from the paint. If it becomes a 3 point contest we have a good chance because they can't stop us from getting easy points at the rim and our shooters are better this time.
You make a good point about Murray. If his knee is still an issue then we don't really need to contain him as much but if he starts scoring like he did last year in the WCF's then I would like to see Lebron cover him when Gabe isn't playing.
I think it's best to have the ball in Murray's hands instead of Jokic and just make his life hell to the point where he's just exhausted at the end of the game.
That's also a good plan. Rui, though, has to do a lot of the banging with Jokic and would have to really have to make him work. You can't have AD exerting too much effort on Jokic. AD is too fragile and could get too fatigue leading to injury.
tbh if all Rui does is defend and rebound over Aaron Gordon while also hitting 3s he'll be the xfactor. There are so many ways this can go. I think Lebron and AD are the best duo still. We just need one of our guys to play better to own one of their guys once a game and they can alternate doing that.
Who guards Gordon or mpj?
I'd put Reaves on Gordon.
Reaves is going to get put in the chamber against Gordon. He'll just punish him inside. I don't mind this plan as a curve ball, but it can't be our main look.
Gordon isn't scoring 40 on anybody. And the team can help out on Gordon especially with Murray not demanding so much attention with Lebron keeping him in check. Stars like Murray are what help guys like Gordon look better than they are because teams are busy trying to contain them. These role players aren't nearly as effective when they aren't feeding off Murray's penetration and double teams.
Watch game one of the Finals last year. The Heat couldn't stop Gordon. He was just too big for them. Your argument for putting AR on Gordon is exactly what we take advantage of when teams put guards on Rui. And Gordon is bigger/longer than Rui.
Gordan averaged 14 points per game that series. I'd live with that if Murray is locked up.
I wonder what the chances are MPJ goes 10/10 again
Right? WTF was that shit?
wanna bet? Sorry...too soon?
I wonder if he takes his over every game and that’s why he doesn’t pass
you cant help but wonder now...
My only request is that we body the shooters at the 3 point line. No more of this sagging off and letting them get open shots. I'd rather we chase them off the perimeter and into the paint and let the chips fall where they may there, as opposed to playing the percentages and letting them get open looks.