Here are a few aspects of the 102-99 loss to the Nuggets we will analyze:
Kobe Bryant – Bryant nearly single-handedly brought the Lakers back and won the game. However, even he couldn’t save them. Perhaps he shot too many shots (32), but his teammates were passing him the ball and looking for him a lot as well. Many times when Kobe is accused of shooting the ball too much, you can see the body language of his teammates and see that they are playing passively and not being as aggressive to receive the ball as Kobe. If other players on the team aren’t aggressive, Bryant’s natural aggression takes over. That’s just how it goes here in Los Angeles, and it’s something that most of us have come to accept. It’s one of the few downfalls of the Black Mamba (if you want to call it a downfall).
Everyone reading this probably has their own opinion of this, and no one person would be right or wrong. The good thing to take away from this loss is that Bryant still has the ability to bring a team back and is still the most dangerous player in crunch time. The rhythm he got into towards the end was very reminiscent of his “Number 8” days. He managed to drain four consecutive three-point baskets en route to 12 points in the last five minutes of the game. It was great to see, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough last night.
Lakers Big Men – The Lakers’ big men were simply outplayed and out-hustled last night. Javale McGee was punking everyone on the team, and it was not a pleasant thing to watch. Andrew Bynum didn’t look like the All-Star he has become, but we’ve seen that from him before, this season. Usually he responds with a big bounce-back game in which he is completely engaged puts on a brilliant performance.
When Bynum is having one of those disengaged games, however, it is up to Pau Gasol to step up. Gasol is still the second most skilled player on this team (behind Bryant, of course), and has to assert himself when no one else will. At some point in these playoffs, Bynum will either get in foul trouble or have to deal with tough defenses he hasn’t dealt with before, and Gasol will have to use his experience to lift the Lakers.
Gasol is a very capable player, and as we’ve seen over the past four years, has the ability to play extremely well in the playoffs. He’s been playing exceptionally well while being the team’s main facilitator as of late, but he will have to assert his offensive ability at times throughout these playoffs. Last night, however, Gasol had just one assist. For a seven-footer who’s capable of dishing out 10 assists and was the leading assist man early in this series, Gasol needs more touches in order to be effective.
Pau is the second most proven player on this team, and we’re sure that he will once again rise to the occasion next time the Lakers are faced with adversity. As soon as it looks as if Bynum isn’t completely engaged, Gasol must acknowledge the opportunity, go to work, and save the day. At the very least, he must receive enough touches so he can make plays for others. But when that isn’t working, he has to demand the ball and put up buckets himself.
Jordan Hill had his worst night in significant minutes as a Laker. It was bound to happen since he’s still new to the rotation and was playing surprisingly well prior to last night’s game. Hopefully he, and the rest of the Lakers, can bounce back from the sub-par effort.
Steve Blake – Blake has played quite impressively over the last few games, which is a huge plus. When Metta World Peace returns, he may even be the closing lineup instead of Ramon Sessions. Only time will tell.
Ramon Sessions – Sessions couldn’t find his shot last night, but was effective in other areas. He dropped in a huge three-pointer towards the end of the game, however, which showed that he didn’t let the bad shooting discourage him. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to connect on the game-tying three-pointer with time running out. But, those things happen. Not a single player known for his or her big-shot making ability hasn’t missed a few shots like that. Being that this is his first playoff series, the thing to look for going forward is how Sessions will respond: Will he fold under pressure from now on, or will he rise to the occasion? One thing we do know is that he now knows what to be ready for. We have a feeling he’ll be just fine.
Matt Barnes – Barnes’ shooting has been down since he went down with an ankle injury. His activity level is somewhat there, which is a good thing, but the Lakers can’t wait for Metta World Peace to get back. At the beginning of the season, not a single person would have ever anticipated hearing that the Lakers desperately needed World Peace for his shooting. Both players were shooting the ball relatively well before they each went out (Barnes with injury, and MWP from suspension). At least Mike Brown will have options once World Peace gets back, and if Metta can pick up where he left off, the Lakers will greatly welcome it. On top of that, Barnes will possibly see even more limited minutes in order to let his ankle fully heal. One thing that isn’t helping his ankle heal is having to play one more game in this playoff series.
The Fire – The Lakers typically play with fire on their home court. However, last night it appeared as though they expected to win just because they were at home, and didn’t necessarily want to do the work in order to actually eliminate the Nuggets. Hopefully they learn from this going forward and will start by bringing the fire they were supposed to have with them last night to Denver. They will definitely need it each and every game in the second round against the Oklahoma City Thunder if they want to be successful.