If Mike D'Antoni is such an offensive genius....

[e-monk]

metta passes, so does Pau - are you including Nash as one of the 3? the lakers have no offensive problems, they have a top 5 offense in the league and average more ppg than they have in 5 years - the problem is DEFENSE


/close thread

[R-Star]

Originally Posted by Hyperion

Then he did this in college http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vau...48/2/index.htm

Oh no! He got better! Anyways there is no point in arguing preconceptions. D'Antoni is a bad coach because he didn't have a best defensive team in the league and is a bad offensive coach even though he coached 5 of the best offenses of all time. At this level you're not teaching these guys anything new, you're implementing systems. D'Antoni's system is predicated on ball movement. The lakers are saddled with three starters who don't pass and one who won't do anything other than shoot spot up jumpers and then complain that he's only shooting spot up jumpers.

Anyone who holds Cameron Dollar scoreless is a hell of a defender.

[e-monk]

I closed the thread!

[R-Star]

I have the power here, not you.

[e-monk]

CLOSED!!!

[Diable]

Originally Posted by e-monk

metta passes, so does Pau - are you including Nash as one of the 3? the lakers have no offensive problems, they have a top 5 offense in the league and average more ppg than they have in 5 years - the problem is DEFENSE


/close thread

That isn't precisely true. Because there is a basic problem in that the Lakers are playing at a pace that their personnel is not well suited for. They are scoring a lot out of necessity for one thing and also because their transition defense is so poor that gives them more opportunities to score because the other team is using very little time beating them down the floor and dunking. They need to score less if they want to win more, playing at a more measured pace and keeping the game within reach.

[e-monk]

Originally Posted by Diable

That isn't precisely true. Because there is a basic problem in that the Lakers are playing at a pace that their personnel is not well suited for. They are scoring a lot out of necessity for one thing and also because their transition defense is so poor that gives them more opportunities to score because the other team is using very little time beating them down the floor and dunking. They need to score less if they want to win more, playing at a more measured pace and keeping the game within reach.

yes pace cuts both ways and yet the basic fact of scoring is not the problem

[Hyperion]

Originally Posted by R-Star

Anyone who holds Cameron Dollar scoreless is a hell of a defender.

Well, better than the worst defender ever.

[R-Star]

Cameron Dollar.

[Diable]

This doesn't really shine a flattering light on D'antoni. Of course he was a bad hire because of the personnel and that seems obvious now.

The Lakers have had a pace of 100 or more possessions in each of their past four games -– all losses, of course. The Lakers now have a 7-16 record this season in games with a pace of at least 96 possessions, but they’re 8-5 when the pace is 95 or slower.

[Hyperion]

The team has not been a healthy team this entire season. Pau and Dwight were broken from the getgo, Kobe is healthy and Nash is finally healthy, but Metta is still crazy and thinks that a green light means that he should pretend he's Kobe. On top of that his defense has been pretty marginal (absolutely terrible last night) this season.

You can't blame D'Antoni or any coach for these guys playing like a bunch of undisciplined D'Leaguers.

[R-Star]

Dwight Howard was perfectly 100% until this recent injury.

I don't know why we insist on making it sound like he was at 50% just because hes decided hes lazy.

[Hyperion]

Originally Posted by R-Star

Dwight Howard was perfectly 100% until this recent injury.

I don't know why we insist on making it sound like he was at 50% just because hes decided hes lazy.

His timing and his vertical were nowhere near where he was last year. You could tell that he couldn't contest shots like he did last year and that was both due to bad rotations and an inability to jump and reach 14 feet

[R-Star]

Originally Posted by Hyperion

His timing and his vertical were nowhere near where he was last year. You could tell that he couldn't contest shots like he did last year and that was both due to bad rotations and an inability to jump and reach 14 feet

Not in the games I watched. Having plays where you just let guards rush by you because you don't feel like helping on that play would normally make me think Dwights injured. But then on the next play he would go up and block the shit out of someone, or alter their shot to save face.

He was 100% prior to this injury. A lot of Laker fans have agreed in other threads. Being lazy and uninterested because the team isn't steam rolling the competition while your agent is calling you with movie offers and telling you you're the new spokes person for Coke isn't an injury. Its just Dwight being a lazy cry baby who is sulking.

You were one who agreed he didn't even need to be out all of last season prior to him teaming up with your boyfriend Steve if I remember correctly.

[Hyperion]

I believe I said that they weren't trying to bring him back before the end of the season or he would malinger and stay in street clothes. Back injuries are curious in that they aren't predictable. Two people can have the same degree of disc injury and one will recover fully within two months and the other is permanently crippled.

I don't think Dwight was slacking that much, I think it was poor communication and the fact that he couldn't challenge like he could. Let's face it, a 7' 280lb player is a rare commodity in the NBA. Merely by trying he would be able to grab 10 rebounds and block 2 shots a game. However, the DPOY of the past he has not been in any way shape or form.