| 19 May 2010
Continuing the discussion on the Western Conference Finals with Ezra of The Purple And Gold Blog. Here's the first installment from yesterday...
TPAGB: The Suns shoot 49.4%, grab 10 offensive boards, their bench scored 35 points, score 107 points as a team, and still manage to lose by 21 points with Kobe Bryant sitting out most of the 4th quarter. Very disturbing if you're Phoenix.
Having a full extra day off more than the Lakers and making almost half of their shots, the Suns have nothing to be ashamed of.
They simply are outmatched in this series.
WM: I think we saw a microcosm of the match-up difficulties they're going to face. And you raise a good point about Kobe - I didn't think of that, and I think it balances what I was thinking about: and that was that the Suns, a very good 3pt shooting team, just shot 5-22 - just shy of 23%.
That's not going to happen too often, but then... neither will Kobe sitting for the last 10 minutes of a game either.
That's not going to happen too often, but then... neither will Kobe sitting for the last 10 minutes of a game either.
And that's the thing I think that we have to keep in mind: sure, Phoenix will play better than they did tonight, but then LA can still step it up another notch. Bynum was below par, and Gasol had an "average" night (sheesh... 10-13 shooting for 21 points - average?).
Both teams can get better.
But I really, really did enjoy the Lakers out-Sunning the Suns.
TPAGB: You raised a good point there, Don.
The Suns will probably shoot better, and that Kobe will probably need to play the entire 4th quarter at some point in this series.
But the Lakers are built for the playoffs meaning this team have the talent, the versatility, the experience, and above all the proven ability to have what it takes to win it all against whatever team they face.
I see the Suns trying to even out their disadvantages with a zone defense. The Lakers aren't exactly the model team that regularly beat this kind of defense. So Game 2 could prove to be an interesting challenge for the Lakers.
WM: That's true... but when you factor in that there have been times when LA follow up a performance like game 1 with a goose-egg, well... it gives me pause.
However, I see game 2 as being a closer match, but with the same result.
However, I see game 2 as being a closer match, but with the same result.
LA have a lot of adjustments to make too - not everyone played well, and hell - even Kobe, when you factor in that he scored 21 points in the 3rd, even he can be *better* (tho' - perhaps 'better' for a whole game ends up being pretty much the same result).
I think your summation earlier is correct: the Suns are simply outmatched here.
TPAGB: The zone defense is a sign of desperation for a coach.
The way the Lakers dismantled the Suns offensively and defensively even before the first quarter had ended resonates a matchup between a lightweight against a heavyweight boxer on an all-out brawl.
The danger for Alvin Gentry to utilize a college defense is its frequency. Too little of it won't matter much at all. Too much of it will cause the defending champs to work their way out of it a lot faster. So during the times Phoenix play traditional D, the Lakers will have an opportunity to do major damage.
As I said before, the Suns will have to pick their poison against the Lakers. And good point about the Lakers having room for improvement, and that's the scary part of this matchup. They can manhandle the Suns without having their best tools and best strategic plans.
WM: There'll be the requisite 'adjustments' made by Phoenix, then counter-measures made by Phil... and LA will be fine.
Phi-Jax will have something up his sleeve for the beginning of game 2, and the Suns will see something slightly different from the team they played in game 1.
But the bottom line for me is that the Suns don't have Kobe Bean Bryant, and the Lakers do.
End of story.
Phi-Jax will have something up his sleeve for the beginning of game 2, and the Suns will see something slightly different from the team they played in game 1.
But the bottom line for me is that the Suns don't have Kobe Bean Bryant, and the Lakers do.
End of story.
And on the zone employed by Phoenix, I don't think they really have much of a choice, as man-to-man LA have advantages pretty much across the board.
Anyway, let's wax lyrical about game 1 a bit... enjoy the moment.
In a game with lots of highlights for Laker-fans, my favourite passage of play was Shannon Brown's "almost" dunk... when Richardson's face gave #12's knee a blocking foul. Of all things good and holy, DAMN did he jump!
TPAGB: HA! It's a good thing for Richardson he wasn't any shorter.
If he was, Shannon would have put him on poster of the year. That guy has some mad hops! Kinda like how Kobe posterized Ben Wallace in his first exhibition game as a rookie in Honolulu.
But right you are about Phil. People talk about experience and his 10 championship rings as a coach but easily forget what those things do for him in the playoffs. Having seen all kinds of plays and all types of coaches that's come and gone in this league Phil can expect things and design counter-measures before that coach could even begin to think of ways to adjust his playbook. You're right, Kobe is the ultimate equalizer against any team.
It just so happens that he has a lot of good help with the Lakers.
More tomorrow...
