After Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals, which the Rockets controlled in it's entirety, TNT broadcaster Charles Barkley said,
WHAT DID HE JUST SAY?
"That Team right there, CAN be competitive and beat the Warriors," Barkley then shakes his head "no" at his own comments and quickly adds to those remarks, "They Can't beat em."
Ummm.. IF THAT WASN'T CONFUSING ENOUGH...
This is THE SAME CHARLES BARKLEY THAT SAID, PRIOR TO THE START OF THE SERIES, " The Rockets CAN'T beat the Warriors," and "I'd be surprised if the series goes longer than 5 games,"
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CHARLES: I REALIZE YOU READ MY PREVIOUS POST WHERE I TALK ABOUT THE #BARKLEYCURSE AND THEN PROVIDE YOU WITH TEN REASONS WHY THE ROCKETS WILL WIN IN SEVEN. [click on link to read] AND, I KNOW THIS INFLUENCED YOU IN CHANGING YOUR SELECTION, BUT, YOU PICKED THE WARRIORS IN 5, CHUCKLES, YOU CAN'T CHANGE YOUR PICK AFTER 2 GAMES. WATCH, AND TRY TO FOLLOW CHARLES BARKLEY'S COMMENTS AFTER GAME 2:
"THE ROCKETS CAN'T BEAT THE WARRIORS, " were spoken by Charles Barkley, my fate was sealed. And, it is these words that might also seal the fate of the Golden State Warriors.
But that fate reversed it's course when as soon as the "Rockets" landed in that phrase spoken by Chuckles.
I don't particularly care for the Rockets Team and have disdain for former Lakers' Coach, Mike D'Antoni.
That being said, since Chuckles Barkley said, " the Rockets CAN'T beat the Warriors," and "Warriors in 5., " I am going with HOU in 7, SMH, reluctantly. https://t.co/FLeJOdv8dG
SO, I am going to tell you WHY THE ROCKETS CAN BEAT THE WARRIORS:
1) I have a problem with anyone telling anyone else, especially sports teams on this level, that they "Can't" do something. Rest assured that these quotes have been plastered all over the bulletin boards in H-Town. Anyone can beat anyone on ANY given Day
2) Didn't the Rockets have the best record in the NBA this season?
3) Flukey things happen, ie calls, ejections, or an injury that can change the course of 1 game which may dictate the end result of a series. So, the unpredictable is in play!
4) Chris Paul: CP3 is On a Mission (NOT a NEWS FLASH)
5) The Scoring Threesome of James Harden, Chris Paul and Eric Gordon is going to put a lot more pressure on the Warriors defense than any other team
14.1 (#1) MADE 3-pointers to 9.8 (#11 GSW)
6) To go along with a high powered offense with multiple weapons,
the Rockets actually HAVE A DEFENSE!
(#6 in the regular season (GSW #9) and number 2 in the playoffs (GSW #1)
7) Trevor Ariza vs Kevin Durant: I assume the Rockets will look (mostly) to Ariza to defend Durant. With the talent around the perimeter putting added pressure on guys like Steph Curry (between CP3 and Harden) Ariza and co (Capela) will be able to make things tougher on Durant than most teams have been able to do. If Ariza has an ALL-Star worthy defensive campaign againt Durant, Houston wins.
8) Houston is only allowing 10.7 Points off Turn-Overs to the opposition and Golden State is allowing 15.9
9) Two-In-One stat(s): HOU allowing opposition 8.9 points off second chance opps vs GSW at 12.2, AND HOU allowing 10.4 to opp off Fast Breaks vs GSW 13.6pts
Most ALL other "stats" are comparable except for the aforementioned_ 2018 NBA PLAYOFF sample
and, finally
10) Because Charles Barkley picked the Warriors in FIVE !
LonZo Ball had a subpar debut in the Summer League; The Lakers won the tourney and Ball the MVP. [Image SI.com]
I saw a tweet the other day, BEFORE Lonzo and the Lakers debuted last night, that read, " that trade (D'Angelo Russell / Timofey Mozgov to BKN for B. Lopez and the no 27 pick) is the worst trade ever next to the James Harden trade." Others were super pumped about D'Angelo's debut for Brooklyn with his 30 points on 12/22 shooting. Yes, he did well. His team lost, just like the Lakers did. D'Angelo is a good player. He is hungry and probably bitter about the trade. He is also on a team/ roster who's other starting guard (Jeremy Lin) just went down with a season-ending injury. The roster is as putrid as Mr. Russell's (THEE) Ohio State Roster and Dee AingeRuss will have AMPLE opportunity to fill it up. How about those assists? Rebounds? Defense? That trade had to be made and it was a good to great move for LA. To be able to unload the horrific Mozzie deal (Luol where YOU at?) , have a major upgrade at the Center position which also plays a part in next year's Cap flexibility, AND score Kyle Kuzma? UM, "that trade" was a very smart, very wise, and very good trade. Period. Unfortunately, the Lakers had to include a good player of their own. Lonzo is a better point guard. There has been a pattern, albeit a small and short sampling, where his "debut games" at the NBA level have been, well, less than average. Lonzo Ball's Lakers Summer Debut Game ONE: 32 minutes, had five points on 2-15 FG (13.3%), (ahem) 1 for 11 from three point range (9.1%), grabbed 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 TOs, 2 Steals and 1 block. As bad as that line is, and it is, the worst part is he got schooled by Kendall Marshall in that game. We all know what transpired after that. The Lakers went on to capture the NBA Summer League Title and Ball won the MVP with averages of: 16.3 ppg // 34-89 FG 38.2% // 7.7 rpg // 9.3 apg // 2.5 spg // 1 bpg _ NBA.COM LonZo Ball's NBA Pre Season Debut: 5 pts // 7 reb // 8 A // 2 Stl // 3 TO // 2-9 FG // 1-5 3pt He only played a little more than a game and a half of the pre-season before injuring his ankle and ONLY being released to be a full participant in practice as of this past Monday, October 16, 2017. The Lakers first game was last night (4 days AFTER he was released to practice in full). So, to anticipate a crazy debut with crazy numbers is, quite frankly...CRAZY. And that is asking way too much of a 19 year old with an ankle injury. One nice attribute about Ball is that when his shot is not falling he will find other production to help his team. Last night Ball was second on the team in rebounding with 9, tied leading the team in assists with 4 (Ingram) and he also had a steal and a block. Similar to his "other" NBA debuts, Ball fell short in the shooting column: 3 points on 1-6 FG // 1- 3 from 3 // 0-2 FT This team, right now, is a BAD free throw and three-point shooting squad. But watch... Lonzo WILL help that. He has not had a lot of time to gel yet with the team (due to injury). Is anyone talking about Markelle Fultz? (crickets) The Lakers may have selected the best player in the draft. We cannot say that about the previous draft selections at the number 2 spot. So, D'AngerGod can go out there and get his 20 points a night on 7- 21 shooting with 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 turnovers and .... lose. Meanwhile, in his first season as a pro, Lonzo Ball will hover around the top 5 in Assists and top 3 in rebounds for a guard. The bigger issue or question for the Lakers is this: What the fuck is Coach Walton doing playing 12 guys in game 1? Is this still pre-season? Andrew Bogut? 11 mins? He basically did nothing but make Luol Deng look fleet-footed... Speaking of Deng..2 points in 13 minutes. Why bother. Ennis // Caruso BOTH? 21 mins // 4 points // 5 assists. I like Caruso and was stoked to see him get a two- way deal but he should not have been on the floor last night simply for continuity reasons. Same for Bogut. We have seen enough. Bogut is a waste of space and cannot move. Hell, Roy Fucking Hibbert can do more than what we saw last night (and that is REALLY, REALLY, really really really....BAD). So the issue is not Lonzo Ball's debut so much as it is that Coach Walton decided to play 12 guys, several of whom should NOT be playing at all, and also play one of his top 5 or 6 players (Julius Randle) just under 18 minutes. This loss goes to the Coach. ps Nance Jr was a beast last night. His defense on Blake Griffin was absolutely superb!
When it came time to fill out the back-end of their bench, the Lakers were faced with some difficult decisions.
We can see why especially with the all out inspired play of Thomas Robinson.
By opting to keep both Metta (primarily as a mentor) AND T-Rob, the Lakers not only lose some flexibility (Yi Jianlian, a 3 pt shooting "7-footer") but some depth at guard/wing.
I love what both T-Rob and Metta bring. However, with the Lakers absorbing injuries to D'Angelo, Nick Young and Jose Calderon, this has left them really thin at guard. Coach Walton even started at the "2" in one game.
That would have been Anthony Brown instead had he been on the roster.
I liked Anthony Brown as a Laker. ( draft pick no.34 of NBA 2015 draft). Byron Scott may have not utilized him in the best possible way to yield both personal and team success. But, in some respects (record number of injuries), the Lakers'situation dictated it.
Brown is a good player. He fit in well with the group. He came back this year looking stronger/ bigger. He looked "dialed in" on his shot. He did not do anything glaring that would make someone say, "man, he really has not progressed at all.." etc.
This is why it was so difficult. It was difficult to cut Anthony Brown just like it would have been difficult to cut Robinson and keep Brown. They both were deserving.
No one could have predicted the Lakers' injuries, particularly at guard (AGAIN). In hind-sight perhaps the Lakers opt to keep Brown, knowing what they know now.
Brown was just waived by the Pelicans Friday, December 9th, after being signed by them from the D-League on November 21, 2016.
Before last night's game against the New York Knicks I tweeted that it wasn't his offense I was worried about but it was D'Angelo's defense that had me concerned especially coming off of a knee injury.
I should have used some of the 140 characters more wisely.
Lakers turned and looked a lot on D last night vs the Knicks.
It is pretty easy to look at a box-score and define how easily a team "could have won" when the loss is by as few as SIX POINTS. That's three layups or two threes.
Kristaps Porzingis continues to make the argument that he could have easily been the Number One Pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. Certainly no lower than the pick number two, behind only Towns, where the Lakers decided upon young D'Angelo. Jahlil Okafor went third and Porzingis was four. He had 7 BLOCKS against the Lakers, most of which were around the rim.
D'Angelo, in his "minute-restricted" return after missing 12 games, played 16 minutes and took 8 shots. He went 1-8 from the floor. The make was a three. He shot three of those. He also had five assists, 2 steals and turned the ball over 4 times.
Ingram also went 1-8 and 1-3 from three. These two combined for 2-16 FG, 2-6 3pt for 6 points.
So, if one of those 7 Blocks by Porzingis ends up and "and-one," and Russell and Ingram each hit one more shot, the Lakers Win. There is certainly more to it than that, but it could have been that simple. It also could have been as simple as playing proper defensive positioning. The Lakers have reverted to their "DEFENSIVE SYNDROME" once again with guys getting beat and help-side defense either not being present or the rotation falling short. They were lethargic at times, lacking energy and communication, and seemed to almost be without "purpose."
Someone called the game that Luol Deng had a "break-out" game as a Laker. I will call it perhaps his most productive and he was maybe the most efficient he has been with 62.5% shooting from three (5-8) and 8-13 for 61% overall for 22 points. Deng added 2 steals which he has consistently done this season regardless of point production.
Will Deng continue playing at this level of efficiency?
Unlikely.
But, he can play close to that each time out and the Lakers need productivity from his position, especially considering the $18M per.
There was so much (media) emphasis on the "Return of Russell" that people forgot that Nick Young, Tarik Black and Jose Calderon have all been missing in action as well.
Young returned and looked good, particularly in the first half when he ended with ten points in twelve minutes. He finished with 15 in 20 on 54.5% from the floor.
On a night when Nick Young and Luol Deng were feelin it and were very efficient, especially in the first half, perhaps young D'Angelo should have "looked" for his mates more as opposed to launching so many bricks?
Speaking of Bricks.. Derrick Rose did NOT have many. He finished 12-16 for 25 points. Many of those were either a running shot or layup. Defense? Having D'Angelo Russell on the floor, coming off a knee injury, playing defense on Derrick Rose is like.. like.. well, it was like the best cure for an ailing back.
D'Angelo needs extensive wall drills and lunge work. This will only benefit his "injured" knee (it's weak), but will help him in shooting as well..
D'Angelo" What did you say?"
Me: I said you need to strengthen your knees by doing lunges and the wall drill
D'Angelo: Nah, man.. the part about shooting?
Me: Oh.. yeh, this will also benefit you as a shooter.
D'Angelo Russell looked poised. He followed through with stellar "actions" this past Lakers Summer, perhaps with a bit of a chip on his shoulder from the previous season.
He has since followed through with more "ice in his veins" moments this season and has increased his offensive production and efficiency.
Russell Loaded Up this past Summer with a plethora of clutch shots. Note: Ben Simmons (25) defensive position. (He is a 6-9 point guard that takes time off on D)
No Doubt there are still plenty of Lakers Fans that never want to see Marcelo Huertas step foot on the, "94 x 50 hunk of hardwood" at Staples Center ever again.
There will always be "haters" for team(s) AND individuals.
That being said, Huertas, who has "filled IN" for the injured Jose Calderon, who was "filling-IN" for the injured D'Angelo Russell, has done an admirable job.
All three of these guards for the Lakers suffer in the defensive category for some similar and also some different reasons. Positioning, foot speed, quickness, size..
But, they ALL do a really nice job with pace and getting their teammates involved.
Marcelo, in the last two games is averaging 24.5 mins, 11 pts, 5 assists, 2 REB, 2.5 Steals, 3.5 TO (only 1 TO in the last game vs PHX) and shooting 57% from the floor.
One of the more glaring issues from last season was that along with Marcelo's creativity comes some unique passes. "Issues" would arise when he left his feet for some of these unique passes. Although there were times when he might "make" a brilliant play, there were more times that those "passes" would be errant and the NBA Defenders would make "Celo" and the Lakers pay.
Huertas has really cut back on this (leaving his feet) which has helped drop his turnovers.
His overall play, sans defensive deficiencies, is pretty efficient.
Love seeing the progression and the maturity in someone that has years of experience internationally.
The Lakers find themselves testing the limits of the "next man-up" mantra and attitude that begins with Lakers Head Coach Luke Walton and ends with the last men on the bench. It has been some of the last men on the bench, literally, that have filled in nicely for the team.
Walton has demonstrated on more than one occasion that he would much rather keep one of the NBA's best five, the Lakers' Second Unit, in tact. Thomas Robinson, Jose Calderon, Metta World Peace and Marcelo Huertas are all players that with a "healthy" starting backcourt would ordinarily not be seeing the floor much, if at all.
Much is being made of the loss of D'Angelo Russell. When you factor in his 4.8 assists each time out, you can say that he has a part of at least 26 points per contest. Nick Young is fourth on the list of Lakers Top Scorers and Russell is two. Losing two of your top four scorers hurts ANY team. Marcelo Huertas filled in nicely last game with 7 assists and five steals last game. Huertas replaced the injured "back-up point guard" Jose Calderon. Calderon had previously filled-in for D'Angelo and had been playing steady basketball.
When T-Rob, Thomas Robinson, got the start when Julius Randle missed a game due to a "hip-pointer" injury he grabbed 10 rebounds.
So, the "next-man UP" IS stepping UP for the Lakers.
They are just running out of available players to back-up those back-ups. And, players like Jordan Clarkson and Luol Deng are not stepping up enough. Clarkson has had moments but has been inconsistent, including a 3-13 performance against the Rockets.
Deng? Luol is still doing the intangibles. He is hustling and making plays on the ball that do not show up in the stat sheet. However, at some point your highest paid player and "leader" needs to take the bull by the horns and ball. Luol has not done that yet.
He has complained about playing time yet when given added opportunity he seems to take "steps-back," while those around him seem "step- UP." Surrounded by his youthful and more energetic Lakers Teammates, Deng seems to fade away into an obscurity of sorts. Almost forgotten about.
But, Luol Deng is STILL on this team and he is STILL a starter. I don't think the Lakers have anymore "protected-picks" to lose for so at some point the Coaches have to look long and hard at Deng. Thomas Robinson has already shown that when called upon he exceeds expectations, brings energy and hustle and also produces. These are ALL things the Luol Deng is NOT doing.
Lou Williams has stepped up, hit big shots, played consistently and put his team on his back.
Jordan Clarkson has... well, Jordan Clarkson has worn a kilt.
He has to do more than that.
Way more than that.
Tarik Black's energy and defense in the middle has been missed but the Lakers have Nance Jr. back who knows he has to step-up in Black's absence. Robinson can also help fill that void.
It is easy to look at a 39-point loss and say that you need to play better defense. They also shot poorly (39% vs HOU 54 %). This includes Clarkson and Deng combining at 4-18 from the field totaling nine points.
Next MAN-UP!
Step IN, Step-UP.. Defend the perimeter against the quick guards of Phoenix and contain the middle against the Suns'active Bigs.
