Paul and Howard calling out Kobe again for being selfish

[Hoopz2332]

"Since January, he's played well," Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said. "I think earlier he was just hurt. The system was screwed up, we're trying to figure things out, and I'm trying to figure things out and how to play him. ... I have a lot more confidence in him now, and he's playing great."

And yet, the identity fractures that have plagued the Lakers aren't quite healed. Asked about Bryant's offensive performance, Gasol returned to a years-old theme: "I think it's spectacular and very impressive. ... On the other hand, I'm a player that -- I like to see a little more ball movement and better balance. That's just how I perceive this game." This is not a new point, and anybody familiar with the Lakers knows well the push and pull between Pau and Kobe. Still, as much as the Lakers faithful hope Gasol's resurgence rekindles hopes of contention, the message is clear: The Lakers are getting away with bandages where there ought to be strong stitching.

As for Gasol's compatriot in the post, familiar, too, is Howard's insistence on an offense dominated by post-ups. "We've got [to] really play inside-out," Howard said. "Teams are so worried about making sure we don't score in the post, we can kick it out to guys cutting, making 3s. ... I think that's the best way to play." When asked about Steve Blake's crucial offensive rebounds on consecutive fourth-quarter possessions, Howard said, "I think those guys were so concerned with keeping me off the glass that they forgot about him."

http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/page/dime-130410/daily-dime

:oldlol:

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Not taking anything away from Kobe (he's been great), but Pau is 100% correct. LAL shouldn't need 47 points from a player....who's in his 17th SEASON. :lol

[kennethgriffin]

Not taking anything away from Kobe (he's been great), but Pau is 100% correct. LAL shouldn't need 47 points from a player....who's in his 17th SEASON. :lol


but they do

they barely won last night

howard has no go to moves. hes a bum

[christian1923]

Somebody tell these overgrown neantherdals to sit down, get their popcorn ready and witness the greatness that is the black mamba like the rest of us.:bowdown:

[shaq2000]

That's a stretch. They don't even mention "Kobe" or "selfish"

[(e)]

They should definitely force feed Pau and Dwight at the start of games...

[Sparts Arwell]

Not taking anything away from Kobe (he's been great), but Pau is 100% correct. LAL shouldn't need 47 points from a player....who's in his 17th SEASON. :lol


THey don't. The problem is that Kobe is just as likely to shoot them out of a game as to keep them in it. Even when they would be able to win by just playing the right way. When he "screws it up" as Phil says, his fans never want to hold him accountable. Because they're so committed to him and their own self worth is so invested in his success. So when he screws it up, they have excuses or they ignore it. When he "wins the day" (which inevitably will happen with so many attempts) they throw parades in the street!

It's going to be an interesting finish to the season and first round of the playoffs to be sure.

[chazzy]

Not taking anything away from Kobe (he's been great), but Pau is 100% correct. LAL shouldn't need 47 points from a player....who's in his 17th SEASON. :lol
His first half scoring singlehandedly prevented an early blowout. Couldn't get any stops

[ripthekik]

lol.. feed Dwight and watch him fumble the ball, or toss up a brick 1 feet in front of the rim. He needs to wait for Pau for spoon feed him an lob for an easy dunk, and just shut his mouth and focus on playing defense.

[crisoner]

Pau and Howard should focus on DEFENSE.

Have you guys been watching the games? The ball goes in to the post all game long except at crunch time. Kobe is the first option. That's how it should be.

The problem with this team is DEFENSE.

That's why this team will go no where. It's stupid in fighting about how the game should be played.

Get Phil in there next year gah damn it.

[DaSeba5]

Without Kobe playing this well, they would be one of the worst teams in the league. They haven't exactly been terrific.

[JellyBean]

:facepalm Then they want Kobe to bail them out after they have bricked several shots in a row or lost the ball on three trips down the court and the team is down 8 or 14 points.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

His first half scoring singlehandedly prevented an early blowout. Couldn't get any stops

Dont get it twisted. I'm simply saying other Lakers need to step it up.

[Rasheed1]

Those comments are on point.. And it is compounded by the fact that Kobe has the most clout of any person in the organization right now...

The day he decides to play inside out is the day that it will happen.

[alec613]

Lakers offense should run through Lakers' bigs, not their perimiter players.

Back then, what made the Lakers scary were their bigs, take that away, and they're just 1-2 dimensional team on the offensive end (Offense pretty much runs through Nash and Kobe this season)

But Pau starting to look good, so it's all good

[retaxis]

but they do

they barely won last night

howard has no go to moves. hes a bum
Howard is a bum? what do you do for a living? regular ISH poster?

[scm5]

Dwight is so...

His comment on Blake's rebounds: "I think those guys were so concerned with keeping me off the glass that they forgot about him."

Way to take credit for those rebounds Dwight. While I somewhat agree with him, he should be boosting his teammates, not himself.

[bagelred]

Why does Chris Paul care about Kobe? :confusedshrug:

[Shepseskaf]

This is the ultimate Lakers' dilemma. Kobe's selfishness is wrong, and causes damage on many levels.

But he can be such a brilliant offensive performer that no one has the clout to take him on directly.

I can't see the team advancing past the first round. After the exit, its going to get ugly, real ugly.

[TheReal Kendall]

I think they should run the offense through Pau and let him do his thing. He is a better post player and passer than Howard. Kobe will win games and he'll shoot you out of games.

[Rubio2Gasol]

Pau understands the game well - understands the value of ball movement. I think he also knows that doesn't just require passing, but movement. Him and Kobe in the 2 man game is great offense - and it would be better if everyone didn't simply stop and watch them.

Howard still does not get it. He's right....but not in the sense he thinks. He thinks inside out means him posting 15 feet away from the rim - that's not what it is. Not when you got no shooters. Inside out is as simple as him running hard toward the rim...which is the area he's found most of his success thus far.

Kobe and Pau can play the inside out he's talking about - not him.

[alec613]

Why does Chris Paul care about Kobe? :confusedshrug:

He's jealous he's not loved by L.A.:banana:
They boo him in public

[Scholar]

Though those 47 points were needed yesterday to get the win, there have been plenty of games this season where I've yelled at my TV when Kobe has gone into "hero" mode.

One thing I've noticed about Kobe over the past few weeks, including the Hornets game on Tuesday, is that he'll distribute the ball in the 1st half and then do isolation plays throughout the 2nd half. It usually takes other players out of rhythm, but I don't care if we get the win. When we get an L, that's when I get pissed.

It's a true love/hate relationship with Kobe Bean Bryant.

[dazzer87]

Kome........:applause: :applause: :applause:

[Sparts Arwell]

Lakers offense should run through Lakers' bigs, not their perimiter players.

Back then, what made the Lakers scary were their bigs, take that away, and they're just 1-2 dimensional team on the offensive end (Offense pretty much runs through Nash and Kobe this season)

But Pau starting to look good, so it's all good


All the Lakers fans, well I should say Kobe fans, are drumming this stuff up when it happens once in a blue moon. Didn't he have some awesome game winner in a regular season game against Memphis a couple years ago, and it was talked about as the evidence of his divine clutchness?

But in the playoffs he's either going to shoot them right out of a game, or he's going to need to be bailed out by his teammates when good teams are shutting him down and he's still chucking. And when that happens, his fans never speak up and say 'kobe needs to be less selfish'. His fans just aren't very smart, or very independent. They're attached to Kobe, it makes them feel safe. They can't think about baskebtall on their own terms. They're hugging Kobe's leg and trying to convince everyone he's a god, because when he gets elevated they go along for the ride clinging to his leg.

[alec613]

Though those 47 points were needed yesterday to get the win, there have been plenty of games this season where I've yelled at my TV when Kobe has gone into "hero" mode.

One thing I've noticed about Kobe over the past few weeks, including the Hornets game on Tuesday, is that he'll distribute the ball in the 1st half and then do isolation plays throughout the 2nd half. It usually takes other players out of rhythm, but I don't care if we get the win. When we get an L, that's when I get pissed.

It's a true love/hate relationship with Kobe Bean Bryant.

That's what Kobe's been doing for the past few years: Become a facilitator in the 1st half (sometimes the 2nd), and becomes a scorer on the 2nd, for better or worse

[Sparts Arwell]

That's what Kobe's been doing for the past few years: Become a facilitator in the 1st half (sometimes the 2nd), and becomes a scorer on the 2nd, for better or worse


The stats have proven, and he knows it, that the team is more successful when he doesn't chuck.

But he doesn't care. He's gonna chuck, and the rest of the team needs to try and make sure they win anyway.

And his fans somehow don't care. They're not Laker fans. They're Kobe's fans. And that's it.

[Mr. I'm So Rad]

The stats have proven, and he knows it, that the team is more successful when he doesn't chuck.

But he doesn't care. He's gonna chuck, and the rest of the team needs to try and make sure they win anyway.

And his fans somehow don't care. They're not Laker fans. They're Kobe's fans. And that's it.

Whose alt is this?

[jzek]

Not taking anything away from Kobe (he's been great), but Pau is 100% correct. LAL shouldn't need 47 points from a player....who's in his 17th SEASON. :lol

...and who has 2 other future Hall of Famers on the floor with him (three if Nash played).

Just ridiculous. :facepalm

[Rake2204]

In truth, for many people it's quite difficult to perform up to one's own abilities when any single player very frequently isolates and dominates the ball on the offensive end. Suddenly there's no groove, no carrot, and no fear from the defense. As a teammate, it's just a completely different feel when playing with a top player who's always looking for the right play versus a top player who's always looking for their own play.

I remember playing with a minor league friend of mine who'd drop 50 in our rec. league games at the drop of a hat. He was clearly our best option to score and it was pretty cool to watch when he began to dissect the opposition. But I'd almost never felt so ineffective on the floor. I'd run down the court on offense, move around, look for the ball, crash the glass, and he'd either make the shot or miss, and I'd have a very small chance of grabbing an offensive board.

Then, about midway through the second half, he'd get himself into enough trouble that he'd have no choice but to pass the rock out to me spotting up from the arc. Only problem being, 30 minutes of gametime had elapsed and I'm just now seeing my first J. So of course there's no groove. Maybe I make it. Maybe I miss. But it's certainly not a comfortable situation for anyone. Defenders would collapse on our star because they knew he viewed his teammates more as safety valves than legitimate options.

I'd often stick around and run on another team after our game had ended and it was always like a breath of fresh air, playing with no teammate nearly as talented scoring wise as my friend, but overall a much better and effective basketball experience because folks made the right basketball plays instead of constantly approaching with "I'm going to try to score and if all else fails, I'll try passing sometime".

So in that regard, I can empathize with players more accustomed to a sharing game - forcing a team to defend everyone.

[Jameerthefear]

SImple fact of the matter is that Kobe ball will get the lakers swept/near swept in the 1st round.

[BlackVVaves]

The stats have proven, and he knows it, that the team is more successful when he doesn't chuck.

But he doesn't care. He's gonna chuck, and the rest of the team needs to try and make sure they win anyway.

And his fans somehow don't care. They're not Laker fans. They're Kobe's fans. And that's it.

Though I modestly agree to an extent, you're getting too carried away with the Kobe Chuck Bryant thing.

When Kobe is taking 20+ shots a game and shooting 43% from the field, that's called chucking (Last year :facepalm )

When Kobe is taking 20+ shots a game and shooting 48% (before the Dahntay Jones injury), it's called playing pretty ****ing good when Pau is shooting 44% from the field and Dwight is turning the ball over every time he is given the ball on the block OR sent to the free throw line.

That last scenario was exactly the predictament the Lakers were in from December to February. If Kobe wasn't taking those shots, and shooting at a high efficiency rate, the Lakers would be a 20 win team right now. No one else was producing on that team in consistent fashion, and the numbers and tape prove that.

You can't call what Kobe's done this entire season as him being selfish or chucking. He has had moments where he has chucked his way to 34% shooting, but by and large this season has been one of his most efficient and less selfish years. He had a 2 week span where he averaged 9 assists per game. He had back to back games with 40+ points and 10+ assists on +60% shooting, including two game winners/go ahead buckets.

You call that chucking?

[Psycho]

Why does Pau get called Paul so much? Is it some sort of joke or something?

[jzek]

Why does Pau get called Paul so much? Is it some sort of joke or something?

His full first nameis Paulo which is Paul for Americans.

[longtime lurker]

What everybody seems to be forgetting is that defense is the problem.

[AirMike]

Howard should first fix his FTs and then open his mouth...

[2013 Lakers]

His full first nameis Paulo which is Paul for Americans.

Source? I've only seen his name as Pau Gasol i S

[donmawe]

Kobe is one the few guys that his teammates can take pot shots at and he still comes back the next night and drops 35pts. His confidence is through the roof. Think about the way Dwight would have handled these comments. Pouting, sitting on the bench with a sullen look. These guys don't have the stones that it takes to be great. That's why Kobe eventually will be considered as top 5 of all time.

[retaxis]

Kobe is one the few guys that his teammates can take pot shots at and he still comes back the next night and drops 35pts. His confidence is through the roof. Think about the way Dwight would have handled these comments. Pouting, sitting on the bench with a sullen look. These guys don't have the stones that it takes to be great. That's why Kobe eventually will be considered as top 5 of all time.
Doesn't mean much when the world only cares about #1 does it? a 'winner' should only care about #1 which is why Kobe would kill toddlers to get that 6th ring.

"great" aint "great" unless your the absolute undisputed best. The rest are just oh so he came second..might as well have come last if anyone else cared for a particular sport.

[Rubio2Gasol]

In truth, for many people it's quite difficult to perform up to one's own abilities when any single player very frequently isolates and dominates the ball on the offensive end. Suddenly there's no groove, no carrot, and no fear from the defense. As a teammate, it's just a completely different feel when playing with a top player who's always looking for the right play versus a top player who's always looking for their own play.

I remember playing with a minor league friend of mine who'd drop 50 in our rec. league games at the drop of a hat. He was clearly our best option to score and it was pretty cool to watch when he began to dissect the opposition. But I'd almost never felt so ineffective on the floor. I'd run down the court on offense, move around, look for the ball, crash the glass, and he'd either make the shot or miss, and I'd have a very small chance of grabbing an offensive board.

Then, about midway through the second half, he'd get himself into enough trouble that he'd have no choice but to pass the rock out to me spotting up from the arc. Only problem being, 30 minutes of gametime had elapsed and I'm just now seeing my first J. So of course there's no groove. Maybe I make it. Maybe I miss. But it's certainly not a comfortable situation for anyone. Defenders would collapse on our star because they knew he viewed his teammates more as safety valves than legitimate options.

I'd often stick around and run on another team after our game had ended and it was always like a breath of fresh air, playing with no teammate nearly as talented scoring wise as my friend, but overall a much better and effective basketball experience because folks made the right basketball plays instead of constantly approaching with "I'm going to try to score and if all else fails, I'll try passing sometime".

So in that regard, I can empathize with players more accustomed to a sharing game - forcing a team to defend everyone.

I agree - but on a team with very concentrated talent and no coach - I don't think that's realistic.

[NumberSix]

His full first nameis Paulo which is Paul for Americans.
And his middle name is "danger". Making things up is super fun.

[tazb]

Gasol in the post is and should be the best option for Lakers, but a certain someone won't allow that to happen.

[caliman]

Pau and Howard should focus on DEFENSE.

Have you guys been watching the games? The ball goes in to the post all game long except at crunch time. Kobe is the first option. That's how it should be.

The problem with this team is DEFENSE.


And guess who's one of the leading offenders on that end of the court as well?

[oh the horror]

IMO the article and their comments to me refer to the rest of the team as a whole. Did you all see Kobe feeding Pau last night?


If ANYTHING I saw them all passing to Kobe over and over and over again.

[donmawe]

Doesn't mean much when the world only cares about #1 does it? a 'winner' should only care about #1 which is why Kobe would kill toddlers to get that 6th ring.

"great" aint "great" unless your the absolute undisputed best. The rest are just oh so he came second..might as well have come last if anyone else cared for a particular sport.

I think if you look at the greats in any sport, heck even in life, they have a ruthlessness that separates them from mere mortals. That's why Kwame Brown is a heap of trash. Michael couldn't understand why this guy wouldn't push himself the absolute limit. Ghandi didn't stop his hunger strike because and Lincoln didn't call off the Civil War.

[caliman]

THey don't. The problem is that Kobe is just as likely to shoot them out of a game as to keep them in it. Even when they would be able to win by just playing the right way. When he "screws it up" as Phil says, his fans never want to hold him accountable. Because they're so committed to him and their own self worth is so invested in his success. So when he screws it up, they have excuses or they ignore it. When he "wins the day" (which inevitably will happen with so many attempts) they throw parades in the street!

It's going to be an interesting finish to the season and first round of the playoffs to be sure.


Exactly!!!

Perfect example was Game 4 last year against OKC. The Lakers have a 10 or 12 point lead when Kobe comes back into the game around the 9 minute mark, then he proceeds to go something like 2/10 the rest of the way, with 1 of the makes being a meaningless basket at the buzzer. But somehow Gasol drew all the venom for fumbling a pass at the end, not the guy who shot them out of the game.

[retaxis]

Exactly!!!

Perfect example was Game 4 last year against OKC. The Lakers have a 10 or 12 point lead when Kobe comes back into the game around the 9 minute mark, then he proceeds to go something like 2/10 the rest of the way, with 1 of the makes being a meaningless basket at the buzzer. But somehow Gasol drew all the venom for fumbling a pass at the end, not the guy who shot them out of the game.
dont forget the key turnovers. Can't believe Kobe choked that series away like watching 04 all over again.

[NumberSix]

Gasol in the post is and should be the best option for Lakers, but a certain someone won't allow that to happen.
The same someone who decided Steve Nash shouldn't run the offense and would be better used setting screens and spot up shooting?

[BlackVVaves]

What everybody seems to be forgetting is that defense is the problem.

And this.

Though the last two games he's been exceptional. Key steal on Gordon with under 2 minutes left, leading to a 3 point play. Great block on a dunk attempt by Liliard (was it Liliard?).

Kobe's problem (besides his diminished athleticism) is that he just gambles far too much on defense. He puts himself in bad positioning by helping at the wrong time and gambling on steals. When he was younger he was able to recover quickly and still get back to his assignment in time. But, he's not 26 anymore. You'd think he'd realize that.

I mean, seriously. The guy just does some idiotic nonsense on defense sometimes. Even Dwight has to tell him about a missed rotation once per game.

And then add that with Nash? :facepalm

If the Lakers had ONE guy at the 1 or 2 on that roster that could be a defensive stopper, the Lakers would be 5 games better in the standings, and that's at the minimum.

They are the 6th best offensive team in the league (per ESPN). It's not their offensive that's the problem. It's that:

Pau can't defend.
Kobe can't defend.
Nash can't defend.
Jamison? :oldlol:
Meeks must have never been taught how to play defense.

And

Artest is too slow to defend elite 3s.
Blake is too slow to defend 1s.

The teams best perimeter defender is a 6'10 Earl Clark. :wtf:

Dwight's been formidable defensively since the All Star Break, but still isn't the DPOY Dwight of years past.

That team is just riddled with average and below average defenders. When you're going against teams that can score just as well as you can, you need to rely on your defensive principles and identity to get stops and win games. Are you a man team, are you a zone team, do you switch on screens, do you go over screens, do you press, do you trap.....the Lakers literally have NO defensive identity and its April :oldlol:

Everyone got something to say about how they are scoring, but it's the other side of the ball that is their Achilles heel...by FAR.

[Bandito]

While I think Pau's right but Dwight have to accept he's not playing under Van gundy anymore. He has to move one and stop whining. Even if they play inside out they will have to use Gasol in order to be succesful because he sucks.



That team is just riddled with average and below average defenders. When you're going against teams that can score just as well as you can, you need to rely on your defensive principles and identity to get stops and win games. Are you a man team, are you a zone team, do you switch on screens, do you go over screens, do you press, do you trap.....the Lakers literally have NO defensive identity and its April That's on the coach though. And before Lebrontards start spamming isn't the coach supposed to practice defense?

[clayton]

Nobody calls out my boy like dat. Ship their asses outta LA.

[The Iron Fist]

They should definitely force feed Pau and Dwight at the start of games...
They have. And then the Lakers are down 15 with 7:23 to go til the half.

[BlackVVaves]

While I think Pau's right but Dwight have to accept he's not playing under Van gundy anymore. He has to move one and stop whining. Even if they play inside out they will have to use Gasol in order to be succesful because he sucks.

That's on the coach though. And before Lebrontards start spamming isn't the coach supposed to practice defense?

True, but you shouldn't have to teach a group of veterans defensive philosophies they should have picked up in the last 10 years.

Why the **** are you gambling for passes every 4th possession Kobe?

Why are you always NOT looking at your guy on defense Jamison?

Why are you never using your 7 Foot stature to impose on players driving to the basket like your brother Pau?

Offense might win you a championship game. But it's the defense that will get you through the playoffs, through the Conference Finals, to that last championship game.

[Jacks3]

Why are they even discussing offense coming off one of their best offensive games of the entire season. Seriously. They had a 124 ORTG last night. SMH.

[DixieNourmous]

Pau and Howard should focus on DEFENSE.

Have you guys been watching the games? The ball goes in to the post all game long except at crunch time. Kobe is the first option. That's how it should be.

The problem with this team is DEFENSE.

That's why this team will go no where. It's stupid in fighting about how the game should be played.

Get Phil in there next year gah damn it.

http://gifsforum.com/images/gif/clap%20clap%20clap/grand/joker_applaud_gif.gif

[I<3NBA]

well one thing i notice is that they win 100% when Pau Gasol plays well.

[jzek]

dont forget the key turnovers. Can't believe Kobe choked that series away like watching 04 all over again.

On a sidenote, Jordan has never choked. :bowdown:

[alleykat]

where was the call out? do you guys know what that is?

if you want drama you won't find any here....

[unbreakable]

has no one here seen howard play? dudes got ZERO moves.. he gets the ball and its a turnover, bad shot , or 2 missed freethrows.. how the heck you expect them to play inside out?

:biggums:

[theBIGjabroni]

The stats have proven, and he knows it, that the team is more successful when he doesn't chuck.

But he doesn't care. He's gonna chuck, and the rest of the team needs to try and make sure they win anyway.

And his fans somehow don't care. They're not Laker fans. They're Kobe's fans. And that's it.
hope you an your family die

[IGOTGAME]

Howard should be getting less post ups. They should be going to Pau. He really needs to stfu bc he can't do anything unless sdd omeone spoonfeeds him.

[MaxFly]

So basically the game plan should be to take the ball out of Bryant's hands and make him Ray Allen... Have him take jump shots on passes out of the post and cut to the basket. :rolleyes:

Have people actually watched the Lakers this year? Some of the things you guys say... I don't know if it's sarcasm, if your hate for Bryant is just that strong, or if you guys just haven't been watching basketball for all that long. :facepalm

[The Choken One]

So basically the game plan should be to take the ball out of Bryant's hands and make him Ray Allen... Have him take jump shots on passes out of the post and cut to the basket. :rolleyes:

Have people actually watched the Lakers this year? Some of the things you guys say... I don't know if it's sarcasm, if your hate for Bryant is just that strong, or if you guys just haven't been watching basketball for all that long. :facepalm
It's a combination of hating Bryant and having no clue about basketball. A lot of people on this site are surprisingly stupid when it comes to actually analyzing basketball.

The only argument that can be made at this point is Pau needs more postups. He has a good lowpost game while Dwight clanks 75% of his close shots that aren't dunks. He needs to let the offense come to him, but the offense should be ran through Bryant & Gasol.

[Magic 32]

2 all-star level bigs whining and complaining about touches after letting 4 rookies score 41 points in the first qtr. :facepalm

They should rename themselves "The Sieves".

[The-Legend-24]

According to some people In here, the defense isn't the problem, but it's the offense that's holding us back.

:roll: I swear, some of these dudes do not watch games.

[AlphaWolf24]

Howard just STFU!...rebound and play engaged defense.

- we don't need your 2 post moves......we need you to be a Andrew Bynum with knees...

[branslowski]

So wait, this n!gga Kobe has had all these high assist games in a row (over 8 ast pergame in last 5) n this soft ass n!gga Gasol talkin sh!t? Gasol who lettin lames knock his ass out he paint so that they can get offensive boards over him? Really? Gasol need to sit his assin a corner or on a pen!s and stfu!

[The Choken One]

Howard just STFU!...rebound and play engaged defense.

- we don't need your 2 post moves......we need you to be a Andrew Bynum with knees...
Bynum, with the exception of his awful passing skills at times, was a much better post scorer imo. Don't compare Dwight to my boy. :no:

:D

[AlphaWolf24]

Bynum, with the exception of his awful passing skills at times, was a much better post scorer imo. Don't compare Dwight to my boy. :no:

:D


true..Bynum did develop a good post game...much better moves then Howard currently has.

- but Lokking at LA's 2008 - 09' run...Bynum wasn't a player anyone looked to as a scoring option...he just played engaged ball....

- that's how Dwight needs to play...he doesn't need to be a scoring option....

[DMAVS41]

The Lakers should play more inside out.

They should also play better defense.

If they all gave a good effort on defense...the offense would flow better. Howard is honestly the only player on the team that looks like he ever tries on defense at all...

[dh144498]

Without Kobe playing this well, they would be one of the worst teams in the league. They haven't exactly been terrific.

:applause:

[Hoopz2332]

Kobe's ballhogging is what took nash totally out of the offense:coleman:

[Bballfinest]

So basically the game plan should be to take the ball out of Bryant's hands and make him Ray Allen... Have him take jump shots on passes out of the post and cut to the basket. :rolleyes:

Have people actually watched the Lakers this year? Some of the things you guys say... I don't know if it's sarcasm, if your hate for Bryant is just that strong, or if you guys just haven't been watching basketball for all that long. :facepalm
:applause: And it came from a CELTICS FAN!:biggums:

[okayabc123]

The next great post move Dwight makes is the first as Lakers. For all his awesome athletic abilities, he has weak footwork and no post moves whatsoever.

Dwight is a great great defender, and a dominant rebounder. But his offensive game is seriously lacking. All of his highlights on offense are catching oops and dunking off of a miss shot rebound.

So how can you play inside out with Dwight when team won't double team off Dwight anyway. They rather just foul him and put him on the line.

As for Pau, I am always a believer that he is a great post player. But he has reserve himself to a 15-18ft player that rarely makes a great post move anyway.

In fact, if you ask me, Kobe is the best post player the Lakers have. So when you have two 7 footers that can be more dominant in the post more than Kobe, it questions why they should keep asking for more shots and more touches.

I think Dwight should just focus on defense and rebounding. He seriously needs work in the off season on his post game. And Pau, Lakers just need to run more play for him to get him in a better position. Pau staying on both FT corner is not going to get him touches for shots. Pau is weak with the ball, he is getting slow, and he no longer has that great soft touches he had earlier in his career.

[STATUTORY]

The same someone who decided Steve Nash shouldn't run the offense and would be better used setting screens and spot up shooting?

:facepalm so many clowns on this forum. you realize we were like 1-12 with Nash "orchestrating" the offense right? granted he was mostly getting trapped, turning it over, and dribbling it off his shin

[arifgokcen]

So many of you are blinded by kobe.He is a great player but no matter what happens right now,he is not their future.Lakers will go as far as howard takes them and that will not happen without touches.Same guy averaged 22-23ppg before.You cant average that many points without having a post game.

Kobe will win you games but he will cost you games too.

What many of you dont realize is that unlike role players,superstars and stars need the ball to be effective on the other end of the ball.There is just no way anyone can explain to me why kobe is using more possesions than gasol+howard combined.

This is why lakers needed PJ so much because unlike MDA he could recognize the strengths of this team.

Strength of this team is not a perimeter play its inside game.Kobe should be taking about 16 shots per game not 20-21 shots.

[Chrono90]

why is dwight talking like he has post moves like shaq?

His offensive post game isnt too good

[Rubio2Gasol]

Howard gets touches. Anyone who watches the game realizes this. That's been a huge problem with the offense. His inability to make proper use of the touches he gets.

Pau could get more touches in the post if he played center- but when he's on the court with Dwight I think Kobe is putting him in the best position to succeed by running play through him and letting him make decisions.

[pauk]

Howard & Pau are absolutely correct.

[Rubio2Gasol]

Howard & Pau are absolutely correct.


Howard's insistence on an offense dominated by post-ups. "We've got [to] really play inside-out," Howard said. "Teams are so worried about making sure we don't score in the post, we can kick it out to guys cutting, making 3s. ... I think that's the best way to play."

Am I to assume you agree with this? :coleman:

[Kurosawa0]

It's the last chapter of Kobe's career. Can he tone down his game in favor of team success? If you look at the Lakers their biggest advantage over the last several years has been that their bigs are more talented than any in the league. That's got to be the focus. Nash should be the quarterback and be running the offense through the bigs. Kobe can morph into a Paul Pierce type of role. The guy who takes the big shots and tries to take over when they need him.

The problem with Kobe is that if he perceives someone else not to be working out, he just takes over himself. Part of being a leader is allowing others to fail and still have faith in them. It's why I've been so impressed with how Tim Duncan has down-shifted his career and extended the Spurs being a contending team by about 5 years.

[Take Your Lumps]

Howard & Pau are absolutely correct.

One has the game and credentials to back it up. The other should probably STFU...

[The Iron Fist]

So many of you are blinded by kobe.He is a great player but no matter what happens right now,he is not their future.Lakers will go as far as howard takes them and that will not happen without touches.Same guy averaged 22-23ppg before.You cant average that many points without having a post game.

Kobe will win you games but he will cost you games too.

What many of you dont realize is that unlike role players,superstars and stars need the ball to be effective on the other end of the ball.There is just no way anyone can explain to me why kobe is using more possesions than gasol+howard combined.

This is why lakers needed PJ so much because unlike MDA he could recognize the strengths of this team.

Strength of this team is not a perimeter play its inside game.Kobe should be taking about 16 shots per game not 20-21 shots.dho is getting .5 fga less than his career average. Perhaps if he hit his ft, you might have a point.

[NoGunzJustSkillz]

It's the last chapter of Kobe's career. Can he tone down his game in favor of team success? If you look at the Lakers their biggest advantage over the last several years has been that their bigs are more talented than any in the league. That's got to be the focus. Nash should be the quarterback and be running the offense through the bigs. Kobe can morph into a Paul Pierce type of role. The guy who takes the big shots and tries to take over when they need him.

The problem with Kobe is that if he perceives someone else not to be working out, he just takes over himself. Part of being a leader is allowing others to fail and still have faith in them. It's why I've been so impressed with how Tim Duncan has down-shifted his career and extended the Spurs being a contending team by about 5 years.
Lakers don't have room for failure at this point. Kobe trusts himself more than he trust his team-mates and that's okay imo. Injuries derailed this team. Maybe he'll trust them more in round 1, game 1. See how it works out and go from there. But right now? It's Kobe time.

[gengiskhan]

The game against LAC at home showed what kobe really is.

Kobe is an ULTIMATE STAT PADDER. He will go for 40+ pts against .400 teams to balance then piss poor shooting nights against quality opponents.

Howard should just walk out next year. LAL is nothing more than kobe ball til he is in the line up.

Kobe's insecurities & trust issue will destroy Howard's peak prime.

I expect Howard to fully recover from back surgery next yr.

As NBA will look beyond LBJ to bestow MVP, howard can easily become a MVP candidate as BKL or ROCKET as both teams with him will be Top 3 West Conf. team.

As LBJ will be overlooked. Next yr. peak prime 29 yrs old Melo will be in MVP hunt.

I like to see 28 yrs old Howard fighting it out as BKL or ROCKET!

Howard wasting his peak prime behind Kobe aint worth it.

[retaxis]

Of course Howard will leave next year he looks freaking miserable playing with Kobe

[Hoopz2332]

Gasol proving again how good he is when Kobe isn't hogging and chucking away:lol

[G-Funk]

The irony with some of these haters Rolol

[G-Funk]

The irony with some of these haters Rolol

[branslowski]

The Lakers should play more inside out.

I agree, I think our offense got 10x better once Kobe got hurt, we was goin full inside out mode vs the Spurs, lookin like da Warriors out there, we dropped 79pts in the 1st half....oh wait..