Play With Some Heart

I literally have watched the 3 Lakers losses against the Rockets in amazement. There is no question that the Lakers are the better team. Especially when you consider the best two players for Houston are on the bench. Then you add in the fact that the refs have their whistles drawn if Ron Artest makes a move. Dick Bavetta definitely wants to make a call to decide a game, so look for this in Game 7..

Besides the Artest match up, and the guards who match evenly, the Lakers have a dominant mismatch.. Bryant vs, Battier... Gasol & Bynum vs. Hayes/Landry/Scola(yes Scola has been playing better)... But looking on paper and talent this should have been overwith in 5, even with Yao. This Laker team is stacked. Deep bench, Starters can all get 15 with the exception of Fisher. And the best finisher in the game since Jordan.

But in the 3 games they have lost they have been terrible. They can't move the ball around. Kobe can't hit anything, and Pau Gasol gives his normal playoff performance, of just standing there and looking very dirty. Seriously he looks like you would catch Hep B if you accidentally touch his beard. I'm surprised Bynum's leg hasn't fallen off for being out in the air. Odom has a hurt back but he is playing uninspired which isn't surprising. For the knocks on Odom if he actually gave a damn he is a top notch player and could average 20-10-5.

Where the hell is Vujacic? The man (I used this term very loosely) played very well last year, and this year is playing like crap. Only 3 points in 13 minutes. The only bright spot I can find on this team is Trevor Ariza. Who is starting which is not normal for him and is playing fast pace, and generating great energy for the minutes he plays. His impact is not huge but he is playing very well for the team he is on the court with.. Would you give him the ball before Bryant, Odom, Gasol, Bynum or maybe even Fisher?

The problem is this team is never motivated. They weren't last year and they weren't in 06 when they lost to the Suns. Now they are different teams but it speaks volumes to this new generation Laker team.

They have an attitude like they are the 90s Bulls, and they can come in and wipe the floor with any team, any court, and any situation. But heres the problem they are not the 1990s Bulls. Those Bulls teams knew what they needed to do. Michael Jordan didn't give you 1 step. Scottie Pippen actually tried (unlike Odom).. Luc Longley who is no Pau Gasol ran up and down the court and was always moving. Every player down to Bill Wennington knew their job. These Lakers don't. The deep bench of Walton, Vujacic, Farmer(knock them if you want but they can play) don't play like role players. They try to play like they are Kobe. The thing missing from this team is the energy. They should have never let Ronnie Turiaf go. He is not great, but he kept the team focused. He had a big heart, he joked around but when he got on the court he gave 100%, which no one seems to try and do. The Lakers wait for Kobe to involve them then they move. The Bulls teams moved then waited for MJ to hit them wide open.

This Laker team has no heart. They are so cocky they half ass teams they can easily beat and end up going 7. Phil Jackson isn't helping this either. He should be on their ass (PAUSE!). He is possibly the greatest coach ever and his method has worked in the past, but not with this team.

Besides playing up and down the court with a lot of pressure and allow Kobe the option for a drop off to a wide open Bynum or Gasol he will jack up 30 shots and make only 10 of them,

The Lakers keys to winning rely on 3 things
1. Kobe shooting around 45+%, if he shoots anything less they will lose.
2. Odom/Ariza trying to get Artest in foul trouble. Doesn't matter if they force 3 or 4 bad shots if it gets Artest in foul trouble early.
3. Keep Scola from getting room in the post. He killed the Lakers in Game 6, they need to keep the Rockets from spreading and whenever Scola gets the ball in the post come with the Help D. Force him to kick it out and have someone else drop a shot.


If the Lakers don't come out with ferocity, and fast pace they will be down early and will lose big..

I can't think of anything I would want less than a Celtics/Cavs/Magics vs. Nuggets/Rockets... It will be like Cavs vs Spurs all over again.