GRIZZLIES -at- LAKERS - 3-7-23 - Thoughts and :-)) Ratings

 
Post new topic    LakersGround.net Forum Index -> Thoughts and Ratings Reply to topic
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
DancingBarry
Editor-in-Chief
Editor-in-Chief


Joined: 07 Sep 2001
Posts: 40188
Location: O.C.

PostPosted: Tue Mar 07, 2023 11:02 pm    Post subject: GRIZZLIES -at- LAKERS - 3-7-23 - Thoughts and :-)) Ratings

Pau Gasol Night... They hung his No. 16 in the rafters next to his buddy Kobe at halftime. It was then up to the Lakers to avoid spoiling the night by getting that W.

Early on, the Lakers had 5 turnovers in the first 6 minutes. That made for some quick, up-and-down ball. Once they reeled in the mistakes, they went on a 13-3 run and led by 2 points after the first quarter.

They extended the lead to 7 points early in the second quarter to force a timeout. The Lakers were up by 3 when AD had to go to the locker room after bleeding profusely from the nose during a battle for the ball under the hoop.

The lack of size hurt the Lakers during this stretch and they trailed by 6 by the time he returned with a couple minutes left in the half.

In the third, the Lakers tightened up the D and got the crowd into it during a 14-4 run. They’d lead by 2 heading into the fourth.

They’d try to get AD some rest, but quickly lost the lead. Down by 6 with 8 minutes left, AD had back-to-back scores, including an And-1. Momentum started to shift.

Once he got Jaren Jackson Jr.’s fifth foul, forcing him to sit, the Lakers rattled off a 13-4 run over the next 3 minutes.

Big plays by everyone on the court to close the game. The game got tight as AD missed a three and Dennis turned the ball over on back-to-back possessions. Austin Reaves, who played stellar all night, crossed over to reject the screen and then banked in a big jumper. Troy Brown would hit a dagger three with 1:13 left.

With the 112-103 win, the Lakers move into 9th in the standings.


Davis -- -- A 30 and 22 game from AD. He had 13 points and 9 boards in the first quarter. He was beasting and setting the tone again for the Lakers on both ends. Then, in the second quarter, he got drilled in the nose on a reach by the Grizzlies and was bleeding. That limited him to just 14 minutes in the first half and only a bucket in the second quarter that he mostly missed. The Grizzlies were able to edge out a lead as we struggled to hold the line without AD’s presence on both ends. Ham used that to his advantage by giving AD only short rest in that second half. We brought him back with 10 minutes left in the fourth, and AD once again brought that elite two-way ball. Multiple bigs plays down the stretch. He had one sequence where he handled Jackson’s post-up attempt, got the board, pushed it up court with speed and then hit Rui for the finish. Our bigman does that. Wasn’t a perfect game. Some turnover-prone ball. You might be able to give a couple of those turnovers to others (he got faked into a pass by Troy who then cut the other way, for example). AD also missed a couple FTs in the final minute (he’d make up for that with a nice tip in shortly later). Defensively, I didn’t like how far AD sagged into the paint when you had Tyus Jones working the high screens at times late in the game. That made it just a little too easy on a very steady guard. (We’d change it up out of a timeout, switching everything and got a key stop late). Regardless of all that, AD was still the best player on the floor for both teams once again. “This is his team right now,” Reaves said. That’s what we want. We need that guy who helped take the Pelicans to the playoffs as the No. 1. The Stats: He scored 30 points on 11-17 shooting (1-2 from three, 7-9 from the line) to go with 22 boards (4 offensive), 3 assists, 2 blocks, 7 turnovers and 2 foul sin 35 minutes. He was a +24.

Schröder -- -- No Ja for our guards to deal with for the Lakers, so that helped balance out not having either Bron/DLo. I love that our ballhandlers are crafty at getting to the line. Reaves and Dennis had 13 FTAs, getting guys to run up their backs. Dennis had a swing through, as well. The Lakers had a couple Grizzlies in foul trouble tonight and that matters when you are undermanned. They also teamed up for 16 assists with just 2 turnovers, as well. Dennis showing some chemistry with Vano on a couple fees. He also had a sweet spin move in the middle of traffic on the break before setting up Reaves for the score. He couldn’t hit the three ball tonight, but was able to get into that midrange some. He hit a huge one on the baseline with 3:18 left to go up 7. The Stats: He scored 17 points on 5-14 shooting (0-3 from three, 7-7 from the line) to go with 6 boards, 9 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers and 1 foul in 34 minutes. He was a +16.

Beasley -- -- He drained a wing three to start the game…and it was kind of all downhill from there. He’d go 1 of 9 the rest of the way. He did try to mix in a lot of drives for floaters, but, man some ugly shots tonight. He airballed a corner three. He hit nothing but backboard on a quick catch and fire. Just one of those games, for sure, but I wish he had some better shot selection where he could get just a beat more of time. The Stats: He scored 5 points on 2-10 shooting (1-6 from three) to go with 5 boards, 3 assists, 2 turnovers and 2 fouls in 22 minutes. He was a -13.

Vanderbilt -- -- The more I get to watch him on a game-by-game basis, the more I appreciate his passing. He doesn’t get a lot of assists, but some of these are just great passes. He threaded a bounce pass to Brown on the break that won’t go down as an assist because it turned into FTs. But it seems like he does that at least once or twice a game. He’s so young that he’s still got opportunities to improve multiple parts of his game. We mixed up his minutes a bit to try to help the second unit. That didn’t seem to make a difference. Both of Vando’s scores tonight were cuts off drives by Dennis. They’ve done that multiple times now, getting some chemistry going. The Stats: He scored 5 points on 2-5 shooting (0-1 from three, 1-2 from the line) to go with 8 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal and 4 fouls in 24 minutes. He was a -14.

Brown -- -- He’s kind of our utility infielder. We can throw him into multiple positions if needed. He can give you a little playmaking and scoring punch. Late in the game, you trust him. With Beasley and Walker both struggling, you couldn’t wait for Brown to get back in there and run with Reaves/Schroder. He started this one very cold, missing a string of shots in the first half. He then came alive in the second half. He swished a three on some good ball movement. He hit another three behind an AD screen. He hustled on the sideline to get after an offensive board and regain a possession. He jumped a passing lane, pushed out and jammed on a defender for an And-1. Then he threw a behind-the-head pass to Reaves in the corner (execution a little off, but Reaves turned it into a highlight). But late in the fourth, Troy came up with the dagger. He sank a huge three with just over a minute left to go with 7. That was a deep three and he didn’t hesitate. Hard to say if we’ll be able to keep him this offseason. He’s been a moneyball kind of acquisition for the steam, so some team will likely pay a little more. This is a good fit for him, though. The Stats: He scored 13 points on 4-10 shooting (3-6 from three, 2-3 from the line) to go with 4 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 foul in 33 minutes. He was a +20.

Reaves -- -- The crowd cheered pretty loudly when he was first subbed into the game. L.A. knows. They appreciate the hoop IQ and efficiency. They’ve seen the clutch plays. But they are loving Reaves because every now and then he does something that surprises them and defenders. He had an inbounds pass on the baseline at the end of the first half where he noticed he wasn’t covered after he threw it in. He immediately stepped inbounds, asked for it back, attacked and had a help defender in the shotblocking Jackson close as Reaves went up. So, AR changed it up midstream, faking on one side and then hanging on the other for a reverse with some spin on it. Tough, tough shot. That had the arena buzzing. That finished off a 9-point, 5-assist first half. Late in the game, another big play. We had just seen a bad possession that resulted in AD missing a three and another one with Dennis losing the ball on a drive. Reaves took the ball on the wing, crossed his man over as the screen came and pulled up for the big bank with 1:40 left to go, giving the Lakers a 6-point lead. Those were the highlight plays, but there were half a dozen others. He threaded a pass to a cutting Beasley for a score. He finished off a great Break where Schröder spun around defenders with a layup. Very next play after that on D, he picked Brooks and hit AD for layup in transition. In the second half, Brown threw an over-the-head pass to Reaves, who attacked, hung and muscled in the layup. He flexed after that one. One thing that’s hard to tell for the average fan scout is just how hard a worker a guy is. Reaves was a gym rat all summer, hitting the weight room, shooting from three non-stop. They said they had to tell him to take it easy. I remember when I heard that this summer, I was like…he’s going to be a killer. I’m glad he’s finally getting more reps with the ball in his hands. I wouldn’t worry about his handle when guys pressure him on the way up court (by the way no turnovers with 7 assists tonight). He’s shown serious skills with the handle. He just needs more reps, which was hard with Russ here. Something to note in the stats, the two missed threes were quarter ending buzzer beating chucks tonight. The Stats: He scored 17 points on 6-13 shooting (1-3 from three, 4-6 from the line) to go with 4 boards, 7 assists, 1 steal and 3 fouls in 32 minutes. He was a +11.

Hachimura -- -- Finally. He’s alive! We had an activated Rui tonight. I like that he got to his spots a bit more. A lot of times that means just up faking and moving in off the three line for the midrange. He sank several midrange pull-ups. We also had him out in transition for a couple scores, including a nice one that AD pushed out with 3:53 left to go up 5. Throw in a made three and there you go. He’s the productive guy we want him to be. Nothing more needs to be said. The Stats: He scored 17 points on 7-11 shooting (1-3 from three, 2-2 from the line) to go with 6 boards and 1 foul in 27 minutes. He was a +22.

Walker IV -- -- Driving me nuts a little with the tunnel vision he has. Again, he missed a wide open shooter after drawing attention. He missed all four of his threes tonight. He sank a couple of midranges and scored on a layup. Defensively, he sagged off his man for no reason to give up a three on the strong side. The little things just add up a bit. Sketchy minutes tonight. The Stats: He scored 6 points on 3-9 shooting (0-4 from three) to go with 2 boards, 1 assist, 2 turnover and 1 foul in 16 minutes. He was a -6.

Gabriel -- -- Again, the minutes without AD were rough tonight. No Bamba because of the ankle twist in the last game. Gabriel had a layup attacking from the corner to score a layup. I don’t like that he didn’t get any boards. When he’s on top of his game, he’s especially active on the glass. He needs to outwork guys at least once or twice for offensive boards. The Stats: He scored 2 points on 1-1 shooting to go with 3 fouls in 14 minutes. He was a -15.

Ham -- -- Key Moment: The Lakers were down 6 with 8 minutes to go left in the fourth. Reaves sat to get his rest after a long shift. AD had a couple big back to back buckets, including an And-1 to cut it to 1 with Reaves returning. Then, they got Jackson to pick up his fifth foul with 7:03 left. They would take the lead on some Rui FTs shortly later. Key momentum shift right there. By the time Jackson returned, the Lakers had rattled off a 13-4 run over the course of 3 minutes.

Key Substitution: Rui became a big part of that fourth quarter for the Lakers. Some key points down the stretch. Obviously, Reaves is still the man off the bench, but what I’d like to see is more moments from Rui like this. He looked comfortable, was getting to his spots and made a big contribution. Now, let’s see if we can dial it in for another game. I’d love the coaches to micromanage some play calls to help make that happen.

Key Stats: The Lakers had those 5 turnovers in the first 6 minutes. Then just 8 turnovers the next 42 minutes. Cleaning that up was key. Again, some good ball movement with 27 assists, as well.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
lakerlove123
Starting Rotation
Starting Rotation


Joined: 07 Jul 2015
Posts: 361

PostPosted: Tue Mar 07, 2023 11:10 pm    Post subject:

first ever first! Woohoo!!!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
sonic the laker
Star Player
Star Player


Joined: 06 Oct 2013
Posts: 2061

PostPosted: Tue Mar 07, 2023 11:23 pm    Post subject:

Thanks, DB!

Great win by the Lakers! And, major congrats to Pau!!!
_________________
ZOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
gng930
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 13 Apr 2001
Posts: 11475

PostPosted: Tue Mar 07, 2023 11:34 pm    Post subject:

If our D is on and we can rely on:

AD to be a monster
AR and Brown for solid 2-way play
Vando to provide meaningful energy on both ends
Schro to provide stable ball-handling and POA defense

Then we can get away with just one of Beasley/Rui/Lonnie to give us some good and efficient scoring punch.

I hope Lebron can be back sooner rather than later because this team can truly make some noise in the playoffs IMO. Lebron and DLO coming back will unlock Beasley and I hope Ham makes the game easy for Rui by giving him some mid-range touches when we need offense. I can't believe it but this team has a legit shot at a 7/8 seed. I would absolutely have faith in them to take down the Mavs in the 7-8 play-in match-up. How sweet would it be for the Clips to continue to collapse with Russ at the helm, we draw Kings/Memphis in the first two rounds and then only have to face one of Denver/Phoenix/GSW?
_________________
Luxury Tax/FA Spreadsheet (Save to your Google Drive to edit)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
tox
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 16 Nov 2015
Posts: 17835

PostPosted: Tue Mar 07, 2023 11:35 pm    Post subject:

Thanks DB! A win on Pau's night, love it
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
A Mad Chinaman
Star Player
Star Player


Joined: 07 Apr 2005
Posts: 6121

PostPosted: Tue Mar 07, 2023 11:58 pm    Post subject:

Team is starting to learn how much Energy Effort and Urgency is needed to be a playoff team

Next lesson - Consistency
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
DrDent
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 30 Jun 2016
Posts: 12975

PostPosted: Tue Mar 07, 2023 11:59 pm    Post subject:

Solid W with both teams down key players. Hopefully the fellas can keep it up
_________________
"One thing I admire about Kuzma is his unwavering confidence. He truly has no idea that he’s not as good as he thinks." - Killer_Z
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
Dr. Laker
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 12 Apr 2002
Posts: 17065

PostPosted: Wed Mar 08, 2023 12:53 am    Post subject:

Thanks, DB!
_________________
On Lakersground, a concern troll is someone who is a fan of another team, but pretends to be a Lakers fan with "concerns".
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
Hanging from Rafters
Star Player
Star Player


Joined: 31 Jul 2018
Posts: 4292

PostPosted: Wed Mar 08, 2023 1:06 am    Post subject:

gng930 wrote:
If our D is on and we can rely on:

AD to be a monster
AR and Brown for solid 2-way play
Vando to provide meaningful energy on both ends
Schro to provide stable ball-handling and POA defense

Then we can get away with just one of Beasley/Rui/Lonnie to give us some good and efficient scoring punch.

I hope Lebron can be back sooner rather than later because this team can truly make some noise in the playoffs IMO. Lebron and DLO coming back will unlock Beasley and I hope Ham makes the game easy for Rui by giving him some mid-range touches when we need offense. I can't believe it but this team has a legit shot at a 7/8 seed. I would absolutely have faith in them to take down the Mavs in the 7-8 play-in match-up. How sweet would it be for the Clips to continue to collapse with Russ at the helm, we draw Kings/Memphis in the first two rounds and then only have to face one of Denver/Phoenix/GSW?


Thanks DB, always enjoy the TnR especially after a win.

gng…I was looking ahead to playoff seedings as well and my thoughts had even more greediness. Not only avoiding Den/Phoe but also the Flips and Mavs. Bring on any challenger especially GSW who have trouble on the road but it would be ok by me to have those other teams beat up each other and then have the one survivor arrive to the Conf finals against us tired.

Specifically I’d like to see Kyrie and Durant duke it out in the 1stRd with the Suns and Mavs as the 4th and 5th seeds while the Nuggets and Flips clash as the 1st/8th seeds. GSW and the Grizz/Kings fight as the 2nd/7th seed match up with the Lakers in the 6th spot. We beat the Grizz/Kings then face the GSW with home court advantage and we’ve handled them well this season.

Probably would have a thought test in the conf finals against either of: Flips/Mavs/Suns/Den then on to win #18 against the Bucks.
_________________
“When it looks as if it is a realistic possibility, I want to focus on winning a ship like it’s a goal that can’t be denied. I didn’t see that this off season.”
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
TooMuchMajicBuss
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 17 Sep 2008
Posts: 21064
Location: In a white room, with black curtains near the station

PostPosted: Wed Mar 08, 2023 1:21 am    Post subject:

Thanks DB for another excellent write-up.

Such a deep team. Not just scoring but playing defense!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
TooMuchMajicBuss
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 17 Sep 2008
Posts: 21064
Location: In a white room, with black curtains near the station

PostPosted: Wed Mar 08, 2023 1:23 am    Post subject:

Also - big congrats to Pau Gasol!!

What a touching tribute, particularly that film of Kobe predicting what happened today. Great thoughts shared by Pau as well, always class.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
defense
Retired Number
Retired Number


Joined: 12 Jan 2010
Posts: 39320

PostPosted: Wed Mar 08, 2023 4:10 am    Post subject:

9 seed baybeh!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
governator
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 28 Jan 2006
Posts: 24995

PostPosted: Wed Mar 08, 2023 4:16 am    Post subject:

Quote:
The lack of size hurt the Lakers during this stretch and they trailed by 6 by the time he returned with a couple minutes left in the half


15th spot…10 day contract… who? No more Jay Huff
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
deal
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 17 Aug 2008
Posts: 14900
Location: Earth

PostPosted: Wed Mar 08, 2023 5:04 am    Post subject:

Thanks DB !
_________________
Lakers need to build a freaking team !
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
Laker7
Star Player
Star Player


Joined: 24 Feb 2003
Posts: 6393
Location: Past left field

PostPosted: Wed Mar 08, 2023 5:30 am    Post subject:

Lonnie has seen the handwriting on the wall and is all about padding his own stats before free agency. Needs to go to the bench and stay there as soon as some guys get healthy.
_________________
Keep winning!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
joeblow
Star Player
Star Player


Joined: 24 Nov 2008
Posts: 3075

PostPosted: Wed Mar 08, 2023 7:54 am    Post subject:

Wow, I think that was AD's best game as a Laker since the 2020 playoffs. What a fantastic effort on both ends of the court.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
ThePageDude
Star Player
Star Player


Joined: 25 Jul 2002
Posts: 2562

PostPosted: Wed Mar 08, 2023 1:54 pm    Post subject:

joeblow wrote:
Wow, I think that was AD's best game as a Laker since the 2020 playoffs. What a fantastic effort on both ends of the court.


Yeah, this is one of the few times I've thought that he was actually better than his gaudy numbers and even accounting for the turnovers.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
danzag
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 28 Apr 2013
Posts: 22244
Location: Brazil

PostPosted: Wed Mar 08, 2023 4:31 pm    Post subject:

AD ON THE WAY
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
A Mad Chinaman
Star Player
Star Player


Joined: 07 Apr 2005
Posts: 6121

PostPosted: Wed Mar 08, 2023 8:47 pm    Post subject:

Laker7 wrote:
Lonnie has seen the handwriting on the wall and is all about padding his own stats before free agency. Needs to go to the bench and stay there as soon as some guys get healthy.
If Lonnie sees what is happening on the court, he will learn because team will see that he could be an important of a winning culture - as oppose to a player that pads his false stats
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
slavavov
Star Player
Star Player


Joined: 03 Oct 2003
Posts: 8288
Location: Santa Monica

PostPosted: Wed Mar 08, 2023 10:31 pm    Post subject:

We're seeing the outlines of what this new team can be. Lakers are tops in defensive rating in their last 10 games, of which they have won seven.

I really believe if we keep most of this team together and stay healthy enough, we can be title contenders next season. One reason we need to keep guys like Reaves, Schroder, Russell and maybe Rui is to reduce LeBron's workload and keep him at 32 minutes a game from now on, which should help him stay healthy enough (not a guarantee though).
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
ThePageDude
Star Player
Star Player


Joined: 25 Jul 2002
Posts: 2562

PostPosted: Thu Mar 09, 2023 5:25 am    Post subject:

slavavov wrote:
We're seeing the outlines of what this new team can be. Lakers are tops in defensive rating in their last 10 games, of which they have won seven.

I really believe if we keep most of this team together and stay healthy enough, we can be title contenders next season. One reason we need to keep guys like Reaves, Schroder, Russell and maybe Rui is to reduce LeBron's workload and keep him at 32 minutes a game from now on, which should help him stay healthy enough (not a guarantee though).


Sure, it all entirely depends on where ownership draws the line for taxes. I don't think Jeanie has decided how much she's willing to spend, I think she's waiting to see how the team does this post-season - that is if they make it to the post-season.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
A Mad Chinaman
Star Player
Star Player


Joined: 07 Apr 2005
Posts: 6121

PostPosted: Fri Mar 10, 2023 12:35 am    Post subject:

ThePageDude wrote:
slavavov wrote:
We're seeing the outlines of what this new team can be. Lakers are tops in defensive rating in their last 10 games, of which they have won seven.

I really believe if we keep most of this team together and stay healthy enough, we can be title contenders next season. One reason we need to keep guys like Reaves, Schroder, Russell and maybe Rui is to reduce LeBron's workload and keep him at 32 minutes a game from now on, which should help him stay healthy enough (not a guarantee though).
Sure, it all entirely depends on where ownership draws the line for taxes. I don't think Jeanie has decided how much she's willing to spend, I think she's waiting to see how the team does this post-season - that is if they make it to the post-season.
Jeanie is making the smart and savvy news.

She has shown that she will pay, but paying $$$$$$ for a roster that doesn't have legitimate championship credentials is not smart. DLo to Vanderbilt to Rui to Bamba to Thomas to Schroeder all understand this reality.

This team has the potential of getting to fifth place AND falling out of the playoffs. The limited number of remaining games will (hopefully) provide this team the needed extra motivation and focus to attain excellence.

Raptors and Knicks (along with the rematch with the Grizzlies/noting their recent win over the Dubs) are entirely winnable games.

With the Sun's KD injured, Mav's Luka dealing with a hamstring injury, Grizz's Morant/Clarke/Adams absences, Dubs having problems winning on the road and TWolves still without KAT - the "Door of Opportunity" lies before us.

During the playoffs, we will get a rested LBJ to do his thing, while LBJ/AD will not be required to play 35+ MPG all the time.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic    LakersGround.net Forum Index -> Thoughts and Ratings All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Page 1 of 1
Jump to:  

 
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum






Graphics by uberzev
© 1995-2018 LakersGround.net. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Terms of Use.
LakersGround is an unofficial news source serving the fan community since 1995.
We are in no way associated with the Los Angeles Lakers or the National Basketball Association.


Powered by phpBB