Forum Blue And Gold

Laker Film Room Podcast: Celebrating Pelinka’s Contribution

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 17:10:53 GMT

In this episode of the Laker Film Room Podcast, Pete and I are joined by our new co-host, Lakers sideline reporter Mike Trudell, to talk about Rob Pelinka’s first full season as the the Lakers top basketball decision maker.

We break down the state of the organization when he took over, the moves he made to build a championship winning roster, and the challenges he faces heading into next season.

This was a fun talk and it’s really great to have Mike on board with the podcast moving forward. Hope you enjoy this one. You can listen to the full episode below.

If you enjoy the Laker Film Room podcast, please subscribe, rate, and review in iTunes. Additionally, if you want to support the work we do here at Forum Blue & Gold, please consider donating via Paypal, Venmo, or supporting us monthly via Patreon.

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Being Right and (Mostly) Wrong About Rajon Rondo

Sun, 18 Oct 2020 21:26:22 GMT

In the year of our lord 2020, Rajon Rondo was a critical on-court contributor to a team that won the NBA Championship. If you’d asked most contributors to the NBA conversation (aka people who watch and analyze the game for a living — or even just for fun — but don’t work for or are associated with the Lakers) before the season whether this was possible, they’d have told you the odds of this being true were very low.

I know that would be true for me, at least. Well, at least it would have been sort of true. Okay, okay. Mostly true.

You see, I’ve said many things about Rondo that pretty much doubted he could put forward the type of playoff performance he did this year. And I’ve said them many times over. Here at this site, on podcasts, on twitter, and in conversations none of you are even privvy to. It got to the point, I’m sure, that many people were tired of hearing them, even if you agreed.

But, you see, when it came to all those doubts I was wrong. Mostly.

In several playoff games in the Lakers run to the title, Rondo was the Lakers 3rd best player. He not only did all the point guard-y things associated with him at this stage of his career — the directing of traffic, organizing and initiating of offense both in transition and the halfcourt, the high level passing — but he also shot the ball well from beyond the arc, drove the paint and finished at the rim, and even did some ball-hawking defensively both at the point of attack and as an off-ball helper.

Again, I just did not really believe Rondo had those latter things in him anymore. At least not for an extended stretch. But, there Rondo was, playing high level ball round after round these playoffs.

In the Rockets series he was unbelievable in multiple games, helping the Lakers play smaller for longer stretches and dispatch them in 5 games. In the Nuggets series he was consistently really good, providing steadiness offensively and using his chemistry with AD to help the Lakers win the non-LeBron minutes of the series. Against the Heat, he had two really strong games, including the closeout game 6 where he again took his game to another level and channeled a version of himself from a decade prior as a finisher in the paint and shot creator.

To steal a Seinfeld-ism, Playoff Rondo was real and he was spectacular.

To be fair, I was not completely wrong about Rondo. Even if it’s not in the way some may think. You see, did believe Rondo could be a valued contributor this year even while looking at his limitations with clear eyes. I thought all the things he was good at were needed ingredients on this roster as it was constructed. His playmaking, his penchant for pushing the pace, his chemistry with Anthony Davis, and the trickle-down effect these strengths could have to help prop up units without LeBron James were all things this team desperately needed and things I thought he could provide.

I was on that train very early in the season and, even when getting quite upset at some of the dips of his overall play over the course of the year, I believed the best version of him was exactly what this Lakers team lacked. And, if he could conjure that more often, he would have real value.

Of course, where I was wrong (again), was in how often I thought he could conjure it and whether he could do it at all during the playoffs — particularly after missing all of the seeding games and the entire first round of the playoffs after breaking his hand shortly after arriving in Orlando. I didn’t think the useful version of Rondo would reappear after so much time off and did believe his spot in the rotation should not just be handed back to him.

I thought the evidence was on my side, too. In a way, I still believe the evidence was.

Needless to say, the key thing I missed wasn’t just how much Rondo had left to offer and in how big a role he could offer it, but his ability to narrow his focus + make determinations on the best time to give his all + how good his “all” still was. Which, ultimately, is where the myth of Playoff Rondo meets reality in the middle of the venn diagram. Rondo’s smarts and acumen combine with an ability to rise to the higher stakes of the postseason to equal a different caliber of player. That, to me, is the essense of the version of Rondo that so clearly helped the Lakers win the championship.

In the wake of the team winning, more and more stories have emerged about how the people internally saw this firsthand. From Rondo’s influence in developing a defensive gameplan vs. Jimmy Butler, to his breaking down of tape with LeBron during this run, to his leadership in being able communicate directly with LeBron on things Rondo thought LeBron could do better…Rondo’s off-court intangibles helped lead to tangible production and results from him and his teammates throughout the playoffs.

Right after game 6, one of the longest embraces LeBron had with any player was with Rondo. And when retelling what that night’s celebrations brought, Frank Vogel said one of the most meaningful conversations was with Rondo who expressed a gratefulness for his coach sticking with and believing in him.

Well, that belief was deserved. And, even if some of the doubts and second guessing seemed right in the moment, the expression of how true those doubts would be over the course playoffs were not. I was wrong about Rajon Rondo. Mostly. And thank goodness I was.

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Laker Film Room Podcast: LAKERS WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Tue, 13 Oct 2020 01:55:12 GMT

In this episode of the Laker Film Room Podcast, Pete and I talk about THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS WINNING THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP. Nuff said.

Listen below:

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The Lakers are NBA Champions!

Mon, 12 Oct 2020 06:42:44 GMT

The Los Angeles Lakers are your 2020 NBA Champions!

Let it sink in.

What a team. What a season. What a clinching game.

The story of game 6 is what the story of this season has been. That, when the Lakers want to and when they commit to doing it, are simply a smothering defensive team that can snuff out whatever you’re trying to do offensively, force a stop or a turnover, and then race the other way for a transition basket. The Lakers, in their most devastating form are one part sledgehammer, one part sports car, one part bomber plane.

They were all of that in the championship clincher, revving up to an 8 point lead after the 1st quarter and outpacing the Heat by another 20 points in the 2nd quarter to race out to a 28 point lead at halftime by suffocating a Heat team that looked fatigued and not ready to match wills with a motivated and locked in Lakers defense. And while the game was not technically won at that point, the hole was too deep for Miami, whatever resolve they had would not be enough.

The rest of the game was the Lakers simply doing what needed to be done. Their 3rd quarter was one of doing just enough to snuff out whatever thoughts of a comeback the Heat could muster. Every mini-run answered, every potential hint at momentum changing jerseys met with more force. By the time the 4th quarter came, it didn’t matter that the Lakers let their foot off the gas because the Heat were already trying to push their own vehicle uphill in a race to the final buzzer.

It did not matter that the Heat outscored the Lakers by 16 points in the final period. They still lost the game by 13 points. The Lakers are your 2020 NBA Champions. They did it with defense and resolve and by playing together. They did it with LeBron James reasserting himself as the best player in the world and with Anthony Davis showing he too belongs in that conversation, with his defense being nearly as impactful as LeBron’s offense.

In the end, LeBron has another Finals MVP in his trophy case to go along with another NBA Championship. It is, seemingly, as it always was. With LeBron showing that he almost always finds a way, that he’s nearly impossible to outmanveuver when it comes to competing to be the final team standing.

Credit to Frank Vogel for how this game played out. In the wake of a win like this, you’re going to hear a lot about LeBron and AD — and deservedly so. But, it was Vogel who made some crucial decisions and adjustments for game 6 that paid huge dividends.

He started Alex Caruso for the first time all playoffs, swapping him into the starting 5 in favor of Dwight Howard. And, boy, did Caruso deliver.

Forget the stats, those are immaterial. Instead, focus on how Caruso’s speed and quickness defensively helped hold the Heat down. Focus on how Caruso’s ball handling and decision making as a passer allowed Bron to work more off the ball offensively and find different angles and attack points to hurt the Heat. Focus on how AC’s off ball work as a cutter and a screener, helped create openings for teammates to get open shots. There’s a reason he was a team high +20 in the boxscore this game. He made winning plays all night.

As Vogel went away from Dwight entirely this game, the pressure shifted not only to Caruso but to every other wing and perimter player as well. Enter Playoff Rondo. He attacked the rim off the dribble early and often for layups. He bombed 3-pointers when the defense sagged off him (both because they didn’t respect his jumper, but also because they were concerned with his driving). He rebounded well, set up his teammates, and competed hard defensively all night. Just an absolutely massive throwback performance from Rondo to get his 2nd NBA championship.

And KCP was huge, too. His 3 point shot wasn’t as on as it’s been in other games, but the rest of his offensive performance was wonderful. He was a monster in transition and his ability to race out for layups in transition really helped create the separation the team used to pull away in the 1st half. His defense was again stellar too, chasing Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro all over the floor to deny them good looks coming off picks. He was a tireless worker on both ends of the floor and there’s no way the Lakers win this series without his contributions.

And while I could go on and on about the contributions both big and small by the rest of the role players, I want to save a final word for Danny Green.

Green was not his best these playoffs and particularly this series. An issue with his hip clealy hampered him these Finals, limiting his mobility and effectiveness as a shooter. And, after missing the would be game winning shot in game 5, it would have been easy for him to let the outside criticisms he and his fiancee got from social media weirdos get to him. Instead, Danny was as professional as ever and was able to recover this game by hitting shots and continuing to play top flight defense. He’s a pro’s pro and I’m honestly just so happy for him.

I couldn’t write about this game without talking about Bron and AD. Bron tallied his 11th triple-double in a Finals game and was simply exquisite offensively. After the game 5 loss, Bron came back as strong as ever, attacking the paint early and often to set the terms of engagement for the Lakers offense. It was clear from the outset that Bron was not going to let his team languish offensively and that he was going to do everything in his power to attack the front of the rim relentlessly in order to generate easy baskets for himself and his team.

And just as Bron set the tone offensively, AD did it defensively. His move to center allowed him to play against Bam almost exclusively and put him into a roaming position where he could be the ultimate help defender. He took away angles by laying off Bam, deflecting passes and challenging shots that were taken anywhere near his vicinity.

By the time the Lakers were in the midst of their massive 2nd quarter push, Miami’s offensive players were seeing ghosts in the paint defensively, all because of the presence AD had shown to that point the game. The result was airballed floaters and missed shots in the restricted area simply because AD was lurking. Just a masterful defensive performance in the biggest game of the season.

To think, by the time the season ended it was pretty clear that the Lakers have the best offensive player in the league and the best defensive one. Both equally valuable and important to the team’s success and both proving to be pretty damn good on the other side of the ball too. Who knows where they’ll go down in the history of great Lakers’ duos, but they’re off to a wonderful start, I’d say.

A final word on the Heat. I started this series singing their praises and speaking to how much I admired them as a team and as a franchise. The respect I had for them before this all started has only intensified. Despite the final score to this game, they never gave in; they never stopped competing. In this series they suffered crucial injuries and were never really whole even after those guys eventually made their way back.

But the Heat never made excuses, never once stopped believing in themselves. They tweaked their rotations and their schemes. They seemingly had a new wrinkle every game, a wrench to throw into the Lakers plans. Jimmy Butler played like a God and the role players rose to the moment. They were wonderfully coached, played hard and together, and left it all on the floor. By the time game 6 came around, they had so very little left to give, but they fought their hearts out anyway.

They’re the epitome of a worthy opponent and a group who deserve every bit of respect. They earned it.

We’ll have more on this Lakers team and on game 6 in the coming days. But, for now, celebrate Lakers fans. The Lakers are back on top and, oh, what a feeling it is.

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Lakers vs. Heat: Game 6 Preview

Sun, 11 Oct 2020 20:33:35 GMT

The idea of what this series is vs. what many thought it would be has been turned on its head — particularly after the injuries suffered to Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo in game 1. After the Lakers took a 2-0 lead over the Heat and then, again, after the they took a 3-1 lead, many thought this series was effectively over. That every ensuing game would reinforce those thoughts of Lakers dominance.

Miami has had other ideas, though. And it’s a credit to their mental fortitude, their competitiveness, their execution, and their talent that they’ve converted those ideas into a body of work, into wins. And those wins have only emboldened their belief in themselves that they not only belong on this stage and in this series, but that they should win it all outright.

What’s also clear is that the Lakers are not going to take that belief from them, regardless of how well they play. That was probably never going to happen at all, but the way this series has unfolded made it certain. The Heat have done too much, hung too tight, made things too hard for the Lakers. In the last three games they have a 2-1 advantage, they have the momentum and will try their best to ride that all the way into and through tonight’s game. And, if they get their way, into a game 7 (where as the saying goes) anything can happen.

As Phil Jackson used to famously say, though, “Mo is a bitch”. Momentum is not faitful to any one team; momentum will take sides whenever it pleases and change allegiances. The key to getting good old mo back, however, is doing the actual work. As we’ve been saying all series, there are no shortcuts that can get you there faster, no secret passage.

As this series has gone on, what’s become strikingly apparent to me is that the burden on these Lakers is much more mental than physical. Don’t get me wrong, the latter matters and there’s a good chance that AD will need to play through a real foot ailment and him and Bron may need to play something like 44 minutes each. But, where this series is being won and lost is by how committed either side is mentally to doing the right thing as often as its needed.

In both their losses, the Lakers have lost that mental edge. As the Heat have run them through multiple actions, forcing them to keep track of every player, every help situation, every screen, every handoff, the Lakers have not kept up. They’ve lost relocating shooters, shown on the wrong side of a ball screen, had two defenders rotate to the same Heat player. These things need to be cut down on considerably from the level they were in game 6.

Can the Lakers do it? I’m honestly not sure, but I’m optimistic. They’ve shown they can for long stretches each game, but simply haven’t for as long as they’ve needed to in the ones they’ve lost. So, tonight, if there’s one thing I’m looking for above anything else, it’s how dialed in they are and how many defenisve mistakes are they making.

The Heat are going to put you through an endurance test mentally on each possession. They want to wear you down and the longer things go, the more mental stamina you need to beat them. With physical fatigue also becoming an issue, staying sharp mentally is even harder. That said, the Lakers just need to lock in as best they can and cut down on the errors. Easier said than done, I know. But it can be done.

From a strategic standpoint, there’s a few things I’d like to see done better and/or adjusted to. In no particular order:

Find ways to get through and/or under screens against Jimmy to keep him further out on the perimeter. Miami did a good job of altering their screening angles and it really did allow them to free Butler up. Vogel needs to make his own tweaks to ensure he’s skewing things towards the matchups he wants rather than letting the Heat dictate them.
If the Lakers play Dwight this game, they need to look for him on his duck-ins for lobs when the Heat show early help vs. Bron and AD. Just throw the pass and see where it gets you. If you have a turnover, you can go away from it after that. But if Dwight is able to make the catch, he’s going to finish some easy shots and he’s going to draw some fouls. I think the Lakers need to get more diverse in their offense and this is a play that’s been consistently there, but has rarely been sought out.
Communicate on the Heat’s multi-direction screen actions. In game 5, the Heat ran high P&R’s with the option for the ball handler to go in either direction with a guard coming up on each side to give Jimmy a choice. The Lakers did not do well defending this set and it was mostly because they did not communicate well. Again, this is a mental test, not a physical one. They need to be prepared, understand their options and coverage, and then communicate to ensure proper execution.
Hit shots. I believe in you, Danny Green. I believe in you, Kyle Kuzma. I believe in you, Markieff Morris. You’re good players and are more than capable of hitting the shots you’re getting. Let’s get it tonight.
Continue to push the pace. Run as much as you can on defensive rebounds to put pressure on the Heat’s guys to matchup while still protecting the paint.
Rebound, rebound, rebound. On both ends. Go to the offensive glass and control the defensive glass. I especially mean the guards, here so get in there and help out, Rondo and Caruso. They need to help on the glass more than they have been.

Lastly, I’m not sure how healthy AD is or if one bad hit or wrong push off will hamper him further or really limit him to the level he was limited late in game 5. I appreciate him gutting it out and trying to play hard. With any uncertainty around him, though, it’s an opportunity for others to step up in support of Bron, in support of the team.

A strength of this team all season has been their ability to find a different role player nearly every night to have a high level contribution. Tonight would be a great night for that to be true again.

Where you can watch: 4:30pm start time on ABC.

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Laker Film Room Podcast: Gut Punch

Sat, 10 Oct 2020 17:27:37 GMT

In this episode of the Laker Film Room Podcast, Pete and I discuss the Lakers game 5 loss to the Heat. I’d explain more, but I think the title of the pod pretty much explains it. Haha.

This was a good discussion, though, so I hope you’ll give it a listen. I think both Pete and I are optimistic about things even in the wake of a really tough loss. You can listen to the full episode below:

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Lakers vs. Heat: Game 5 Preview

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 20:06:17 GMT

So close, yet so far away. If there’s one thought I have heading into tonight’s game 5 between the Lakers and the Heat, this is it. The Lakers may be a single win away from an NBA championship, but the Heat have proven over and over again what their ethos is as a team. They are battlers who believe in their ability to win. And their level of play, their competitiveness in the moment, is going to reflect that.

The point of this series, then, remains. Ever since the Lakers took their foot off the gas in game 2, I’ve harped on the idea of needing to do the work in order to get the results. The Lakers didn’t do it in game 3 and got their hats handed to them. In game 4, the Lakers got back to the necessary effort and attentiveness they needed and grabbed that crucial win. In game 5, they’ll need a reprise of that effort in order to celebrate. And if they don’t, there’s a real chance they’ll be suiting up again on Sunday.

The strategy around this series is now well established, but game 4 did offer real adjustments that will flow into tonight’s preparations. Deploying AD on Butler defensively is something the Heat will need to figure out. In the 2nd half AD was able to get under screens and still recover back to Jimmy in time to deter his primary wants as a scorer. Will Jimmy adjust his approach tonight? Will he shoot more 3’s? Will he be screened for more often than he sets screens (and runs handoffs) for his teammates?

What about Robinson and Herro? Will Spoelstra deploy counters to the overplays and aggressiveness the Lakers are showing in covering those screen and handoff actions? Will they use more misdirection to free them up? Will we see more flare actions, more backcuts? Will we see more of the “keeper” handoff actions where the Lakers aggressiveness in jumping out to those shooters is used against them? The Heat saw in game 4 that the level of effort the Lakers are showing in defending these actions can be sustained, so leveraging that against them should be anticipated and prepared for.

From the Lakers offense/Heat defense side, the adjustments deserve much consideration too. Markieff Morris started the 2nd half of game 4 and the Lakers used the spacing he helped generate to find more driving lanes and cleaner 3 point shots. I do expect Morris to start this game from the beginning, hoping to leverage his shooting Bron more downhill and AD more opportunities to play in single coverage. The shooting that these lineups offer, though, cannot be theoretical — the Lakers must make shots. If they don’t, the Heat will only be emboldened to pack the paint even more.

I also expect the Lakers to use more designed actions to get AD involved, both as a screener and as a cutter/slasher moving to the rim. A key set the Lakers employed Tuesday was the Lakers elbow series which involves an entry to Bron from a guard and then a wide pin-down screen set for AD in the corner. AD has the option to flare to the corner for a 3-point attempt, come off the screen hard on a cut to the paint, or break that cut off to flow into a P&R with Bron near the elbow area. This is a key action the Lakers can use, I hope to see more of it tonight.

Beyond LA’s two stars, this would be a really good time for a role player to step up with a strong scoring night. If game 4 was the KCP game, can game 5 be the Kuzma game? Morris? Danny Green? Caruso? RONDO? There’s options and opportunities here. Every single one of these guys is very likely to get open looks. If one can have a night where they’re 3-4 from distance or find a way to get out in transition for a couple of easy baskets or grab a couple of offensive rebounds, it will go a long way towards giving the Lakers the type of boost that can propel them forward.

None of this will be easy, though. The Heat will almost certainly ensure that’s the case. And, honestly, it’s as it should be. Winning it all is hard. Closing a team out, particularly one as tough mentally and phyiscally as the Heat, is even harder. The Lakers understand this as well as anyone and I expect their effort and focus to reflect that.

Let’s go.

Where you can watch: 6:00pm start time on ABC.

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In Appreciation of Markieff Morris

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 04:07:50 GMT

The history of players who join a team after being bought out isn’t really great. Every year fans all around the league get excited about some player who was once probably pretty good getting bought out and joining their playoff team to help put them over the top. Rarely, though, does that actually happen. Markieff Morris, however, has been the exception to that rule.

If you look at Morris’ stats, they won’t really impress you. Over the playoffs he’s averaging 6.4 points and 3.2 rebounds in a little over 18 minutes a night in the Lakers 19 postseason games. He’s tallied 20 assists to 14 turnovers and has a total 6 steals and 3 blocks in 346 minutes. He’s the definition of a role player and if that’s all you considered as his total contributions, you’d probably wonder why I’m even writing this, much less why you’re reading it.

Morris, though, has been more than that.

If LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been the keymakers — the versatile solutions to any lineup problem teams try to confront the Lakers with — Morris has been the one who has flanked them to help the team transform into the ultimate basketball oxymoron: a smashmouth smallball team.

You see, Morris is a bit of an oxymoron himself. He’s a bully, but also a stretch PF. He’s just as liable to flagrant foul you as he is to make a couple of 3 pointers in a game. His physicality as a defender and rebounder on one end of the floor is countered by his want to hover around the arc and take catch and shoot 3’s on the other end.

This dichotomy, though, is what allows the Lakers to maintain their identity as a physical force while also tilting them towards the best versions of themselves via floor spacing on offense and smaller, more mobile lineups defensively. This is the ethos that epitomizes this version of the Lakers who are now within one win of an NBA championship.

They’re the team that is nearly impossible to score on when they’re scrambling all over the floor while still having LeBron and AD covering the back lines; the team that is extremely difficult to stop from scoring when they’re making the types of open 3’s that double as lane creators for LeBron and AD to threaten the front of the rim.

And Morris is a main part of it all. He’s shooting 43.1% on 3-pointers during the playoffs, including 51.4% on ones where he’s classified as “wide open” per the NBA stats site. It’s this type of success that makes defenses pay for showing extra attention to Bron and AD. Defensively, the data also shows that when Morris is on the floor their 3 point defense improves in both attempts allowed per 100 possessions and in overall 3-point FG%.

Most importantly, though, Morris’ effectiveness next to Bron and AD plays out in the numbers. Of 3-man Lakers lineups who have played at least 100 minutes these playoffs, the Bron, AD, and Morris trio boast the best net rating, a ridiculous +20.2, which is anchored by a crazy 90.4 defensive rating. The Lakers simply demolish teams when those three are playing together in the Lakers front court.

The Lakers series vs. the Rockets turned once Morris became a starter and got big minutes. In the Lakers crucial game 4 win over the Heat, Morris started the 2nd half and the Lakers played the best defense they had all series. I’m not saying this is all Morris doing, of course, but he’s a key ingredient who has helped the Lakers unlock an elite level of play.

Not bad for a player the Lakers got on the buyout market, huh?

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When the Pressure was the Highest, the Lakers got Defensive

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 22:53:07 GMT

It’s often said that when pressure is at its highest, at its most overwhelming, a person will revert to who they naturally are. There is no room for faking it in these moments, there are only instincts and you acting on them. There’s no deciding what you’re going to be, there’s only doing what comes natural.

Heading into the 2nd half of game 4 between the Lakers and the Heat, the Lakers held as narrow a 2 point lead imaginable. They were coming off a game 3 loss and the Heat, in this pivotal game 4, were giving them all they could handle. The next 24 minutes would determine whether they’d have a strangle-hold on the NBA Finals in the form of a 3-1 lead or whether the series would come down to a best of 3 series with the Heat having grabbed momentum.

And, in this highest of pressure situations, the Lakers reverted to what they naturally are. They got defensive.

I don’t really care what the metrics say here, either. I know the Lakers had a higher defensive rating in the 2nd half than they did in the first half. I know that the Heat scored more points and shot a (slightly) higher percentage on their field goals in the 2nd half vs. the 1st half. All of this is right there in the various boxscores you can find at the NBA stats site. Again, I do not care.

I watched the game. And I rewatched the tape today. I know what I saw, I know how difficult it was for the Heat to score those baskets and how active the Lakers defense was in fighting for every piece of real estate the Heat were trying to take as their own.

I saw how Anthony Davis fought to get under ball screens vs. Jimmy Butler and then how he hustled to recover back to him in order to not allow him the space to drive the paint and get into positions where he was more comfortable shooting. I also saw how AD defended the Heat’s dribble handoff actions, jumping out onto shooters to deny them shots and then recovering back to Jimmy to ensure an easy basket wasn’t given up.

I saw how KCP and Alex Caruso chased and chased and chased Duncan Robinso and Tyler Herro all over the floor to deny them touches and clean shots at the basket. Shots they only need a milisecond to get off their fingertips. How they fought over and around screens, how they communicated to switch when they needed to, and how they battled for position on those switches to not allow an easy roll or post up by a bigger player.

I saw how LeBron rotated on the back line of the defense. How he got into position early, how he got big to discourage shooting attempts, how he challenged shots when guys decided to let it fly anyway. I also saw how Bron switched out when needed and slid his feet and stayed with the likes of Herro and Robinson as they hunted shots, doing his best to mirror their movements to not give them any daylight. I saw how AD, again, held up in isolation vs. any and all comers. How he blocked Bam Adebayo. How he blocked Kendrick Nunn. How he blocked Jimmy Butler. All in the 2nd half.

AD's CLUTCH BLOCK TO SEAL THE @LAKERS GAME 4 WIN! #NBAFINALS pic.twitter.com/YfY56KxGIj
— NBA (@NBA) October 7, 2020

And yes, I know when it was time to win the game in those final 6 minutes what so many of us will remember most will almost certainly shift to the other side of the ball. LeBron splitting the P&R and driving for the finish plus the foul. KCP’s corner 3 off a great push and kick ahead pass by Bron. Rondo’s layup when he froze Bam in the P&R, looking like he might pass only to scoop in the shot instead. KCP’s late clock show and go drive for a layup past Robinson. AD’s dagger triple off another Rondo assist.

These buckets, in a game where points were so hard to come by, will be etched in my mind forever.

But, those possessions, as important as they were, weren’t why the Lakers actually won the game. They won because when it was time to be who they actually are, they locked in and defended at a level they hadn’t all series. They called on the most elemental part — the most foundational part of their DNA — and they defended like their basketball lives depended on it. When the pressure was the highest, the Lakers got defensive.

And because of that, they’re one win away from an NBA championship.

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Laker Film Room Podcast: One Win Away

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 16:46:21 GMT

In this episode of the Laker Film Room Podcast, Pete and I discuss the Lakers game 4 victory over the Heat to go up 3-1 in the Finals and get within one win of an NBA championship.

Little bit of a different format for this one as we go quarter by quarter with our thoughts and analysis, discussing how the game turned over the course of the game and the Lakers went heavier on their adjustments. We highlight AD’s defense on Jimmy Butler, LeBron’s shift from frustration in the 1st half to furious scorer in the 4th quarter, and KCP’s closing kick.

Just a great game and I hope the convo between us reflects it. You can listen to the full pod below:

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Lakers vs. Heat: Game 4 Preview

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 19:01:10 GMT

I’m going to get right into it today, so jump in with both feet with me. Lakers vs. Heat is here, so let’s skip the formalities.

I’ve said this every series before this one and it remains true now, too. I love a game 4. This is where the series turns. After tonight, the Lakers and Heat will either be tied or the Lakers will be up 3-1 and only a game away from a championship. The stakes for this game are about as high as a non-elimination game can be. I expect both teams to be more locked in, both teams to have a certain amount of desperation.

If that is actually the case, things shift towards the Lakers. We all saw the level of commitment they had in game 3 and, honestly, in parts of game 2. There was not only a sense they believed they were better, but a sense that the Heat could not beat them. Their relative focus, want to do the necessary work, and attention to detail waned as a result.

That, of course, is not true as game 3 proved. Having evidence to back that up now is important. And, for both sides. For the Lakers, it can serve as a way to refocus. For the Heat, it’s an affirmation of preexisting belief that they belong. Both can use this as fuel to gas themselves up for this game and it should produce a good competition.

For the Lakers, though, a better mindset is nothing without adjusting to shifting terms of engagement. The Heat have adjusted their gameplan, the Lakers must adapt to those changes and make some of their own. What that means remains to be seen, but I have some thoughts…

First, the Heat are using more pistol and wide screen actions to free up their shooters and create decisions in space vs. the Lakers defense. Communication must improve on these actions because the Heat are taking advtange of the Lakers want to switch these screens to slip out of them and get free run to the rim. Clearing up those coverages is important, not only to shut down those counters, but to be in better position to gum up what the Heat are trying to do as the set advances.

Further, the Heat are now turning into hunters with their P&R game, targeting specific Lakers in order to get favorable matchups. Jimmy Butler, in particular, is singling out any non-LeBron defender as a guy he’d rather isolate against. The Lakers cannot surrender switches as easily as they did in game 3. LeBron must work to not get screened and the Lakers must start to institute shifts in their coverages to allow Bron to recover.

Beyond this, though, there’s a more basic tenet of defense the Lakers need to improve at: containing dribble penetration. In game 3, the Heat attacked off the dribble too freely. They got downhill for shots in the paint and then kicked out to shooters when the help arrived. The Lakers cannot cede these driving lanes so easily and must hold up at the point of attack much better. For all the talk about the Heat’s movement and screen game, they won game 3 on straight drives to the paint as much as any other attack.

Now, doing this work is not easy. It will require a level of physicality and attention to detail in indvidual matchups that is difficult to maintain over the course of a full game. It’s even harder to do without fouling. But, this is the challenge that must be conquered. If the Lakers give up drives, they’ll struggle to defend. Cut those down, and Miami will be ever more reliant on screens and passing players open to generate advantage. That can work, for sure, but the Lakers can better cover those things up with their length and versatility defensively.

Offensively, the Lakers must also adjust to what the Heat are doing on take them out of their flow. The paint is incredibly packed in the halfcourt and they’re tyring to deny AD touches entirely. Even when he does get a touch, they’re sending doubles early and often. The Lakers can maneuver around this type of defense by setting more screens vs. the Heat’s man defense to try to get AD moving towards the ball and into positions to score. More wide pindown actions, more cross screens, more actions where the ball flows from strong to weakside with AD coming off picks and through traffic to get to preferred spots.

And once AD does have the ball, he needs to make the right reads and understand what is required of him on any given possession. There’s a balance betwen moving quickly because there’s an opening to do so and moving more deliberately because the Heat are trying to rush to him with multiple defenders in order to force mistakes. AD is capable of making these decisions, but he must be alert and understand what’s needed in any given possession to rise above it all.

As for LeBron, I hope to see him alternate between calling for screens to be set for him and him setting them himself. The Heat’s high hedge and recover defense worked well last game and Bron never adjusted to it besides trying to split it once and a while. If he’s able to get into position where he’s setting screens both on and off the ball, he can not only open up teammates for good looks, he can force the switches he seeks when asking for screens when he’s the ball handler.

Once he gets that switch, he can work in isolation and reap the benefits that come from that (scoring chances for himself, kickout passes off penetration, or passing out of double teams that come for him in order to generate advantage on the weakside). But he too, must commit to making the extra effort offensively and not take for granted he’s just going to get what he wants by doing things only one way. The Heat are too well coached to give him the same thing every time, especially when it’s proven he can beat it. He must diversify his approach.

And then, of course, there’s transition. The Lakers need to be better at pushing the ball and looking for advantage early in the shot clock. As it’s been true all playoffs, the Lakers not only need to hunt pure transition chances, but also try to get actions on the secondary break where the Heat are not fully set and entrenched defensively.

Those early spinouts for lobs by AD, those quick drives off a closeout by KCP, those trail 3’s by Morris/Green…those all come out of early O, not a pure fastbreak. Make the Heat defend before they’re set. Make them matchup while scrambling. Make them help when the responsibilities are not clear. There’s advantage to be leveraged in these situations and the Lakers need to work for it.

Lastly, even though he’s being listed as questionable, there is a real chance that Bam Adebayo returns to the lineup this game. He is clearly an important player for the Heat and can make a huge difference for them on both sides of the ball. Even if he is not 100%, I expect him to help the Heat in a multitude of ways, including giving them even more energy and determination to win this game and belief to win this series.

That said, if Bam does play, as unique a player as he is, he brings a type of conventionality to this Heat team that could make things more straight forward for the Lakers. Not easier, mind you, but more straight forward. Bam is not a shooting threat from range and playing him in lineups that include Jimmy and/or Iguodala could lead to a more cramped floor and different help options, particularly when Olynyk is in the game as the lone big. This is just something to watch for should he return and how it impacts the Lakers defensive approach.

Winning games in the Finals requires doing the work. It means having to do the hard thing, over and over again with a level of consistency and determintion to get it right. Even in game 2 — where I thought the Lakers attentiveness was already not so great to too many stretches — they demolished the Heat zone by continuously crashing the offensive glass and moving the ball around the floor and then penetrating the middle off the drive and via passes to break down the defense. They did the work needed to win, they simply could have worked for longer to make the final margin even bigger.

In game 4, there cannot be a deceleration. There can be no let up. The Heat believe now. The Lakers must take that belief from them. The only way to do it is through a certain relentlessness and commitment to winning every possession. That doesn’t mean they will, but by playing as if it is the goal, they’ll put themselves in the best position to accomplish that.

This is the Finals, after all. And getting this win will take your best effort.

Where you can watch: 6:00pm start time on ABC.

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In the Aftermath of a Lakers Loss…

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 18:12:14 GMT

There is no path of least resistence to an NBA Finals win. If no other lesson is learned from the Lakers game 3 performance, this is it. Rather than play hard and smart and be prepared for the different tactics the Heat would employ to try to save their chances in this series, the Lakers did….none of that. In fact, they actively played as though a few short stints of effort would save them. It did not.

Credit the Heat, here. In a game where playing harder and smarter than their more talented opponent was their only path to victory, they did just that. They punched the bigger, stronger, faster Lakers in the mouth and did it over and over again, possession after possession to gain the win. By the end of the game, the Lakers were simply going through the motions and the Heat were getting whatever they wanted.

Every defensive switch they targeted, the Lakers obliged. Every foul they sought out, the Lakers committed. Every forced jumper the Heat nudged the Lakers toward was taken as if it was (the Lakers) own original idea. The shorthanded Heat may have been the less talented team, but they were also the exponentially harder working and smarter team too. They didn’t just earn the win, they put the Lakers in a position where there really weren’t any other options for how the game should play out.

Forget what the scoreboard said, because this game was a blowout in the measurables that truly mattered towards who would end up on top: focus, intensity, togetherness, belief, execution, and, simply, playing to win.

Maybe some of this is human nature. You cannot manufacture fear. You cannot just summon desperation. The Lakers were up 2-0 and had earned one blowout win and and another 10 point victory where the Heat never seemed to threaten them even when playing so well offensively they shot 50/40/90 as a team! Note, that since the 1983-84 season, a team has only met all those thresholds 44 times in the playoffs. The game 2 Heat joined the 2017 Grizzlies and the 2018 Raptors as the only teams to lose. So, on some levels, it’s hard to blame the Lakers for thinking they simply were the better team and there was little the Heat could do to prove otherwise.

That was wrong, of course. But, in thinking about it all night and into this morning, I’m of the mind it needed to actually happen for them to believe it. I’m guessing they do now. If you’re looking for a silver linining, then, consider that two things are very likely to happen the next game irrespective of who is available for the Heat or what tactics they employ.

First, whatever malaise the Lakers suffered through on Sunday night should be over now. The Lakers have typically responded well to performances like the one they had on Sunday, coming out the next game with a renewed sense of purpose and focus. I not only expect this from Anthony Davis and LeBron James, but I expect it from all the role players as well.

Second, through the Lakers first three series these playoffs, Frank Vogel has not gone very heavy on adjustments until the team has lost a game. Regardless of opponent, the Lakers have tried to play “their game” to make other teams adjust to them for as long as possible.

Against Portland, I’d argue the team never adjusted at all, even after losing game 1 (a game in which the Lakers shot poorly but did everything else well). Against Houston, the Lakers lost game 1 again, but immediately made lineup and schematic shifts to downsize their lineups and begin showing more assertive defense at the point of attack vs. James Harden. Against the Nuggets, they waited until after losing game 3 to start Dwight Howard and to tweak some of their coverages against Jamal Murray.

Like the WCF, the Lakers made it three games again before losing in the Finals. I now expect them to start to show real changes schematically, and to adjust to some of the things the Heat have thrown at them so far. Understand, the Heat have now gone through multiple schematic shifts before finding an approach that worked for them. They played a switching man approach in game that got them nowhere. In game 2, their zone got shredded by interior passes and offensive rebounds. In game 3, they played a more aggressive man scheme by doubling both AD and LeBron, while also limiting switching.

The Lakers now have tape on all these approaches and I expect them to troubleshoot solutions to find things that can work. Maybe that means using LeBron more as a screener in order to get the switches they want from the Heat defense. Maybe it means using more of the LeBron/AD P&R to force the Heat to deal with actions involving both players. Maybe it means more lineup tweaks where AD plays a lot more C and Kuz/Morris find more minutes as different defensive options who offer more switchability on the wing.

I also think the Lakers players themselves will be more tuned into the game plan and that any increased focus will tie back into them thinking quicker and smarter on the fly to adjust to in the moment shifts the Heat are deploying. This can lead to a better understanding of attack points vs. Miami’s in-game changes and the will to execute against them.

At least, that’s the hope. Because, as we saw in game 3, you cannot simply show up and win a game at this level. The Lakers got their wakeup call, now it’s a matter of getting up and going to work instead of hitting the snooze button. They certainly cannot afford that for another night, not with the Heat eager to tie things up on Tuesday.

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Laker Film Room Podcast: Chop Wood, Carry Water

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 04:52:33 GMT

In this episode of the Laker Film Room Podcast, Pete and I discuss the Lakers disappointing game 3 loss to the Heat.

We dive into the Lakers lack of urgency and attention to detail throughout the game, Jimmy Butler’s masterful performance, the Heat’s adjustments and how they had the Lakers on on their heels, and what we think potential adjustments could come out of this for the Lakers heading into game 4.

You can listen to the full episode below:

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Lakers vs. Heat: Game 3 Preview

Sun, 04 Oct 2020 19:23:41 GMT

For the first time in his 10 Finals appearances, a LeBron James led team has a 2-0 series advantage heading into game 3. The chance, then, to put an opponent in the deepest of holes with a victory tonight surely has LeBron and the rest of the Lakers champing at the bit and ready to try to effectively end this series. The Heat, too, will see this as their last stand and will fight like hell to avoid that dreaded 3-0 deficit.

What this means for their injury situation is an unknown at this point. Will Bam Adebayo play through what’s being labeled as a “neck strain”, but is almost certainly a shoulder issue too? Will Goran Dragic try to gut it out on a ravaged foot, probably needing a pain injection to do so? The Heat found some success vs. the Lakers with their depleted lineup, but never truly threatened to win the game. They’ll need to play much better than in game 2 and, when you consider what it would take to do so if only the same group is at Erik Spoelstra’s dispoals, what that really means is putting better players on the court.

That said, the Heat should take solace in parts of their gameplan working well in game 2 and look to carry those forward, particularly offensively. They leveraged their shooting as far as they could, putting the Lakers into situations where they had to race out to contest shooters on closeouts or put two defenders at the point of attack to thwart a 3-point attempt in a handoff situation. They used the Lakers want to deny those shots against them, driving against closeouts and pocket-passing vs. aggressive hedges to get into the paint for scores or an additional kickout pass to a more open shooter.

I expect the Lakers to be more aware of this in game 3, pre-rotating earlier into the paint to disrupt the pocket bounce pass and then closing out under more control or even sending the rotation from a different spot on the floor to cover up those spot-up shooters better. The Lakers have been a crisp defensive team all playoffs in taking away 3’s and executing the rotations behind them that to force offenses into resetting rather than being able to push advantage further. Whether they can do that vs. as good a passing and quick thinking team as the Heat remains to be seen, but I do expect them to be in better position to try.

Offensively, there’s actually not much for the Lakers to change. For as irritated as I got at some of the missed 3’s vs. the Heat zone in game 2, many of those were really good shots that just didn’t fall. Yes, those are also the shots the Heat are willing to surrender, but as the old coaching axiom goes, “you can’t take everything away”. The Lakers simply need to make them pay by hitting those shots. If Green and KCP shoot anywhere close to their season averages, it will all be fine — it may be fine without it, too, but you get what I’m saying.

The Lakers also need to continue work the interior of the zone as much as possible by making passes to the nail, passes to the short corner, and by crashing the offensive glass from the baseline and shallow wing — especially if the Heat continue to play their smaller players on the bottom of the zone. If the Heat change up their zone alignment and put their smaller players at the top of the zone, the Lakers can then adjust their attack by slotting LeBron and AD even more towards the nail where their catches will be easier against the Heat guards. The counters are there, the Lakers just need to execute.

Should the Heat go more to man defense, the Lakers also understand the goals there. Hunt mismatches via ball screens and direct passes when the favorable matchup already exists. If Crowder is on AD, feed him. If Robinson or Herro or Olynyk are on the floor, use their man to set screens for LeBron to try to get a switch. Re-screen and re-screen again if necessary. If the Heat send more double teams or help, make the right read and move the ball on to an open teammate. Trust that player to make the right play too, just as you have all season.

Miami’s defensive limitations against this Lakers group are pretty clear and well established at this point. The Lakers must simply focus and target them consistently. Do not let them off the hook, do not let them settle in and feel comfortable. Play to your strengths, do it consistently, and continue to pressure the Heat to play perfect defensive possessions. No team can be perfect every possession of every game. It gets even harder when a team has LeBron James and Anthony Davis operating as the fulcrum of those sets.

Which brings me to my final point in all this. Game 3 will be decided by determination and commitment to playing hard and smart for longer than your opponent — something LeBron seems to understand. And while the Lakers can win without this, the more important point is that the Lakers cannot lose if they actually do it. The Heat, as good and as well coached and as competitive as they are, can only win if they exceed the Lakers in these areas. Do not let them.

Set the terms of the game, bring consistency in effort and smarts in the approach and walk out of this game with a 3-0 lead. Don’t and, well, see where it gets you. I’m hoping for the former. Enjoy the game, folks.

Where you can watch: 4:30pm start time on ABC.

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Laker Film Room Podcast: In the Moment

Sat, 03 Oct 2020 20:53:19 GMT

In this episode of the Laker Film Room Podcast, Pete and I talk about the Lakers game 2 win over the Heat to take a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals.

We dive into some of my frustrations with some of the finer details of the win — particularly with some of the Lakers success shooting the ball vs. the Heat zone and some of LA’s own defensive struggles — while also examining Pete’s more big picture approach of looking at this team’s overwhelming success these Finals and this postseason.

It’s a really good discussion that takes both a small and big picture look at where this team is and we hope you enjoy it. Listen to the full episode below:

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Lakers vs. Heat: Game 2 Preview

Fri, 02 Oct 2020 20:56:48 GMT

After the Lakers blasted the Heat in game 1, almost universal response to that win was “it’s over, just crown the Lakers already”. There’s layers to coming to that conclusion, some of which I agree, some I do not. But, I think the major issue facing the Heat as the we begin our analysis for how game 2 could play out, it’s the injuries Miami suffered Wednesday night.

Goran Dragic has a torn plantar fascia and while the severity of the tear will influence his availability and effectiveness the rest of this series, the injury is serious and it could defitely mean his Finals are over. Bam Adebayo is dealing with a strained neck, and has been ruled out of tonight’s contest with hope he will return Sunday. Jimmy Butler rolled his ankle pretty severely, and while he stayed in the game he was clearly hampered.

These are the Heat’s 3 best players, their most important players. Dragic paces them offensively, offering the zip and downhill work off the dribble that counters their shooting threats. Bam is the fulcrum of their ball screen and hand-off attack on one end and their defensive anchor on the other. Butler is the team’s do-it-all wing who does not rattle and embodies the toughness and “roll the ball out and we’re ready” mentality.

Being down two of those guys and with the 3rd one wrong plant off the foot away from a re-tweak, there’s real issues to overcome on both sides of the ball for Miami. Can they counter? Can their backups muster enough production? We’re about to find out.

I expect three players to take on bigger responsibility with Bam out and Dragic very likely to be (at the time of this writing, I’ve not seen confirmed reports). Kendrick Nunn, Kelly Olynyk, and Tyler Herro will all be asked to do more, particularly on offense.

Nunn had a good 2nd half in relief of Dragic, but did his damage in a game that was no longer competitive. Olynyk did well in his shifts too, spacing the floor and attacking closeouts off the dribble offensively and mostly serving as a boxout guy defensively against LA’s bigs. Herro played poorly, mostly missing shots and then getting abused by LeBron as his personally chosen Tribute in the NBA Finals version of the Hunger Games.

Should these three actually take on bigger roles, the Lakers must tweak some of their defensive focus. They’ll need to play for the pick and pop much more vs. Olynyk and be more prepared for Nunn’s specific type of score first game. The Lakers can handle these types of approaches, but their coverages must adjust to new personnel. I expect them to be ready, but I also expect some feeling out to take place which could lead to some mistakes.

Another player to watch out for is Duncan Robinson. The Heat sharpshooter only took 3 shots and did not score. I can guarantee you his head coach and teammates were in his ear telling him that he needs to be more aggressive, even if it means forcing the action. The Lakers must continue to mark him and make his life hard. No free looks for him, no chances to find a rhythm. When teams have their best guys go down to injury, it can inspire freedom in role players to simply let it fly. And with a player like Robinson — or Herro, for that matter — this can be dangerous. Keep smothering them.

Offensively, the Lakers must also be prepared for more adjustments from the Heat defense. When Erik Spoelstra watched the game 1 tape, I’m sure he saw what most everyone else did too: his team switched entirely too much and entirely too easily. LeBron was able to point out any individual defender he wanted to attack, tell whatever Laker teammate that guy was guarding to come screen for him, and then attack him off the dribble or in the post. He did this over and over again and Miami had no answers.

I expect the Heat to try to avoid switching as much this game. I think they’ll try to hedge and recover, really try to get under ball screens in order to meet Bron on the other side of the pick, and only switch as a last resort — particularly without Bam there as a helper lurking. I also expect the Heat to play much more zone than they did in game 1, trying to find ways to disrupt the Lakers flow and bait them into taking quick shots from behind the arc.

The Lakers must continue to work through these Heat adjustments and not end up settling for the first, easy shot. So, while it’s fine if Bron shoots some jumpers when defenders go under screens or it’s fine of KCP/Green/Cuz/Morris take an early clock 3, it all needs to be done in moderation. The Lakers goals offensively should remain the same: punish the smaller defenders the Heat put on the floor by targeting them relentlessly.

The Lakers must also continue to try to push the pace. They must remain aggressive defensively, trying to force turnovers in the process. They need to run off Heat misses and force them to matchup in early offense — particularly when they’re playing zone. No matter if it’s LeBron or Rondo or Caruso as the primary ball handler, get the ball up the court quickly and force the defense to play from a scramble. Good things will happen.

Also, continue to feed AD as much as you can. Force them to double him, force them into scramble situations as much as possible. If they don’t double, AD can cook in single coverage. So, either way, you can generate advantage. But he needs to see the ball to make it happen.

Lastly, in a game against a weakened or shorthanded opponent, the burden shifts to you to keep focus and motivation. The Lakers, then, cannot look at the Heat as some team that’s missing pieces, but instead a team that stands in their way to going up 2-0. Nothing beyond this game is guaranteed — not the injury situation, not the effectiveness of any of the players who are in there now. Take it to these guys and do not let up. I know that’s hard mentally, but it’s what is required. Find the right focus and motivation and carry it through.

Where you can watch:

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LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Most Malleable of Stars

Thu, 01 Oct 2020 22:24:37 GMT

One of my favorite niche movie characters is “the Keymaker” from the Matrix trilogy. If you’re not familiar with him, you can read up on the character, but a cliff’s notes explanation is that he represents is the idea of creating a path to a solution that was not there before. Or, said another way, creating a workaround to a problem, a shortcurt, in order to quickly get a solution that evades others who do not have the same tool.

What does this have to do with the Lakers? Well, in the world of the evolving NBA where teams are becoming more and more perimeter oriented and the movement towards dynamic wing players as the scarcest and most important commodity in the league, LeBron James and Anthony Davis are the Keymaker. They are the pathway to a solution for problems that plague most other teams.

If the old NBA was dominated by those who could control the paint and the new NBA is one that is dominated by those who can control the perimeter, the Bron/AD duo are the bridge that connects those two worlds. They are the most malleable of stars who, through their size, athleticism, and unique skill-sets (especially for players that big), can walk amongst the brutes and the ballerinas and turn the game against either group by leveraging all the tools of their individual games.

Throughout the NBA playoffs, both Bron and AD have shown us to be the antidote to whatever approach teams try to use to stop them.

Let’s start with AD.

Here is is simply crushing the Heat in Wednesday’s game 1 with his size and dexterity via an offensive rebound, then taking a shot in the paint, grabbing his own miss, and then finishing his second shot all while exalting in his own physical dominance:

Ayyy

AYYYYYYYY

AND ONEEEEEEE

??????????? pic.twitter.com/K7huDLR7YH
— Laker Film Room (@LakerFilmRoom) October 1, 2020

Miami had gone small here, trying to leverage their quickness and toughness (even at their smaller size) against the bigger Lakers. But, those same Lakers aren’t just big, they’re quick and agile too. And they’re strong and tough. So, smaller guys won’t work. This was the Rockets strategy too and that got them sent home in 5 games.

Now, here’s AD again, but against the Blazers in the first round. Portland did not have the wings to play smaller, so they super sized their lineup, playing two Centers to start games, and trying to match up against AD with behemoths who would lean on him and try to physically pound him into submission. Only, that didn’t work either. AD simply took those guys out to the perimeter and cooked them with his skill game. Look at this move he put on Hassan Whiteside:

Whew pic.twitter.com/iwTv3kqqz7
— Laker Film Room (@LakerFilmRoom) August 21, 2020

The player from the first clip against the Heat isn’t supposed to be the same player in the second clip vs. the Blazers. But, that’s AD. The solution to either problem.

Bron, of course, is an original prototype when it comes to this sort of thing. There’s no good answer for him, basically, ever. Your best bet at this stage of his career (17 years in!) is finding someone who is roughly the same size, but also athletic and long and quick and young enough not tire out. Those players are hard to find and even if you have one, Bron has enough diversity in his game as both a scorer and a passer to generate advantage regardless of the individual defender he’s facing.

Anyways, here’s a play from the Blazers series where Bron shows both quickness and power in his unique way:

LeBron puts Jusuf Nurkic in jail in the backcourt before finishing with the lefty layup for the pretty And-1. @Lakers on a 13-0 run. pic.twitter.com/jR9IH1X9w9
— Laker Film Room (@LakerFilmRoom) August 30, 2020

He starts in the backcourt by using his frame to seal off Nurkic and block his path to ensure he won’t get back into the play defensively. Then he turns on the jets to race towards the paint, crosses over, then finishes through contact for the layup + the foul.

Of course, transition is an area where LeBron thrives and is nearly unstoppable. But, where he can still offer solutions to nearly every problem is in the halfcourt (which is a key reason he’s still such a force in the playoffs).

Here he is against the Rockets. Houston found that their best option against Bron was Eric Gordon, who is quick and sturdy on the perimeter, so he can be difficult to get leverage on when driving from the wing. So, here Bron simply moves off the ball, comes off a back screen weakside, and then flashes to the the ball under the hoop while sealing off Gordon for an easy post layup.

Gordon could somewhat hang on the perimeter, but once he got taken inside, it was over for him. So, over and over again, Bron simply went to the post against him, both on plays like this one and on more traditional post catches and dribble backdowns to put the Rockets’ defense in precarious situations.

But, when it’s time for LeBron to play more as a wing again, he’s still an expert at that, too. Here he is running a high P&R vs. the Nuggets who employ a drop coverage with Jokic to defend against the drive.

LeBron's got some juice tonight early. Denver has been alternating between Jokic being at the 3PT line and in a drop. It's tough when LBJ gets the screen this high on the floor and can get downhill. pic.twitter.com/5EbhfC0fDL
— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) September 23, 2020

Bron, though, gets downhill, shakes Jokic with an inside-out dribble on the move, and glides right by him for an easy layup. Jokic — and this is true for most bigs — don’t have the lateral quickness to stay with Bron when he’s attacking them at full speed. These same types of drives are commonplace against switches vs. bigger defenders too.

There’s countless other examples of this that I could show here, but in reality there’s not much of a point. From LeBron and AD’s ability to stretch out to beyond the arc to their ability accept help and double teams — but still score or make the right passes to open teammates — and do it all against small or big player alike, there’s very few answers to them as individual talents.

This versatility also extends to the other side of the ball. Think of some of the defensive matchups both players have taken on this postseason. Against the Rockets, Davis defended Russell Westbrook while LeBron protected the rim both in transition and the halfcourt. Against the Nuggets, Davis would defend Jokic on one possession and then switch onto Jamal Murray on the next, earning stops against both players. LeBron also took on the challenge to defend Murray in a crucial game 4 for most of the 4th quarter, earning several stops that won the game, and then in game 5 executed key switches onto Jokic as well.

Both players defend every position, rotate from the perimeter to the paint and back again, block shots, force steals, and contain ball handlers attacking off the dribble. Then, after earning the stop, they both rebound at high rates and excel at turning those stops into transition chances where both can lead a break in the middle of the floor or fill any lane on the court, all while moving like guards even though both are the size of big men.

As the Keymaker said to Trinity “Another way. Always another way.”, Bron and AD always seem to find one more way to beat you. They always seem to have a counter to your approach, always seem to be able to find the workaround that allows them to pass through to the other side with a simple turn of the key.

That’s been true these entire playoffs, and really came to fruition in game 1 vs. the Heat. And, hopefully, it will be true 3 more times these Finals.

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Laker Film Room Podcast: Built Different

Thu, 01 Oct 2020 17:16:15 GMT

In this episode of the Laker Film Room Podcast, Pete and I breakdown the Lakers dominating win over the Miami Heat to take a 1-0 lead in the NBA Finals.

We dive into how the Lakers fell behind early, but then roared back to seize control of the game through the exploits of Anthony Davis and LeBron James vs. a Heat defense that schemed their way right into the Lakers’ wheelhouse.

Later in the pod we discuss the injury news to Goran Dragic and how that will impact future games, as well as what adjustments the Heat may turn to in order to bounce back from their game 1 loss.

You can listen to the full pod below:

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Lakers vs. Heat: Game 1 Preview

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 20:02:12 GMT

The NBA Finals are finally here. Lakers vs. Heat. I’ve already spilled a lot of words on this matchup. Things I’ll be watching for and questions I have, ideas shared with and bounced off of one the best thinkers about the game I’m lucky enough to know. Humbly, I think those words are worth your time, so please check them out if you can.

I still have more, though. Particularly about this all important game 1.

Let’s jump right in because, while game 1 will provide us a bunch of answers and insight into the framework of this series moving forward, there’s things that I think will be pretty important for the Lakers when trying to win tonight.

First, the Lakers need to continue to find ways to get out in transition. The Heat were excellent in containing Giannis in the 2nd round by building a wall in the open court. They’ll surely try to do the same with LeBron. But the Lakers aren’t a great transition team soley because of James. AD, Rondo, Caruso, KCP, Kuzma, Green, Dwight, and JaVale all contribute to the team’s transition games in their own way. The Lakers, as a team, must push the pace — if not to get a clean transition basket, then to get into early offense or to simply draw some fouls.

The Heat are surely going to scheme to try to stop this off live rebounds, sending more players back on misses and, potentially, abandoning the chase for offensive rebounds. Still, though, with their spacing principles and propensity to shoot jumpers, the Lakers will have their chances. They must show a commitment to running. They could also help themselves even more by forcing some turnovers via steals and blocks and race the other way.

Second, Spoelstra’s familiarity with LeBron and understanding of Davis’ potent scoring potential lead me to believe he’s going to throw as many defenders at them via clogged lanes and double teams as he can, without comprimising the integrity of his halfcourt defense. I’m not sure if he’ll double AD when Bam is on him, but if it’s Crowder (to start the game) or if there’s a switch, I do think they’ll try to get the ball out of AD’s hands.

If that’s the case, AD will need to be smart with his passes, but also test the limits of those doubles by back dribbling/escaping out of them to see how long they stick with him. If those doubles disintegrate after he looks like he’s no longer a threat, he can keep his dribble alive and then attack right away vs. the mismatch that remains. AD did a lot of this vs. the Rockets and to good success, so this is a tool in his bag that I hope he’ll use should things play out that way.

In terms of LeBron, the Lakers will need to find ways to spring him in the halfcourt so he can drive to the paint. Whether that’s setting higher ball screens, using stagger screens, having him drive to the side with only a single player in the strong side corner, using guards instead of bigs to set the pick, or varying the spots on the floor where the screen is set. Getting Bron downhill off the dribble leads to good things and is a centerpiece of the Lakers halfcourt attack offensively.

Moving to personnel and deployment, there’s still a bunch of unanswered questions I have about lineups the Lakers will use and who will prove capable of playing a steady role vs. this specific Heat team. My sense is that Vogel will again go back to JaVale starting to see if his length and athleticism can bother some, while switching all over the floor in an attempt to gum up the Heat’s motion/screen/hand-off based actions.

If that is the case, I’ll be very interested to see how JaVale holds up under the pressure to make decisions and use instincts when reading how a play is unfolding. Few teams test you as frequently as the Heat in this regard and this has not been one of JaVale’s strengths as a defender. Things could go sideways on him quickly, so if Vogel does go in that direction, he needs to be ready to pivot.

Speaking of the big man rotation, a matchup to watch is which Lakers big plays when Olynyk is in the game. I expect him to see some run, particulary when Spoelstra can protect him defensively (in man-to-man when Bron sits, in zone when Bron is in the game). But on the other end of the floor, Olynyk is the type of floor spacing big that the Lakers have had issues defending when they play in their base man defense. Olynyk will pick-and-pop and vs. a drop coverage like the Lakers run (or in ICE coverage on sideline ball screens) that’s the shot that’s open. Recovering to him and making him play off the dribble rather than as a stationary shooter is important and one of those “games within the game” that bears watching.

Lastly, I’ve no clue if the normal Finals feeling will be there for both of these teams when that opening tip goes up. No clue if the ramped up pressure and anxiousness will resonate in an environment with no fans and fewer media dissecting everything. No clue if the advantage of experience — an advantage the Lakers have in abundance in comparison to the Heat — will matter in any way. If that stuff is there in any way, I do think the Lakers have an upper hand that can help them this game — at least early on until everyone settles in.

Where you can watch: 6:00pm start time on ABC.

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Laker Film Room Podcast: Finals Preview

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 04:41:06 GMT

In this episdoe of the Laker Film Room Podcast, Pete and I preview the NBA Finals. I must say, we’ve been waiting a long time to have a conversation like this, talking about the Lakers trying to win another championship and all it will take to get there.

We give much respect to Heat in this one, but also dive into some of the things that we think favor the Lakers in this matchup. We talk about attacking Miami’s zone defense, how the Lakers can handle the Heat’s motion offense and shooting, and much more.

Hope you enjoy this episode as much as Pete and I did. You can listen to the full episode below.

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