55 replies to this topic

[Majesty]

Mike Trudell @LakersReporter1h
Kobe thinks LAL have “found an identity,” & established something they can carry forward. Effort’s def. been consistent.

This is from my cell phone so forgive that I can't really quote atm.

But it seems that's the case, I also asked Trudell if he thinks the Lakers are gonna do this off ball thing going forward and he agreed with me that it'd be effective and devastating, especially with how great Kobe attacks from the pick and roll.

D'antoni also feels like the Lakers have found something and will copntinue to bring Gasol off the bench(Gasol in combination has shot 80 percent these last few games) and also likes the bench lineup of Gasol and Howard while Nash and Kobe rest.

Mike Trudell @LakersReporter
A bench of Gasol, Jamison, Meeks & Duhon (or potentially-returning-soon Steve Blake) is pretty solid.

Mike Trudell @LakersReporter
D’Antoni: Gasol has been “great” off the bench. He’d like to keep Gasol around 30-32 min., but couldn’t take him off floor today (36 min.).

So what we think is pretty much too, Gasol is the new "lamar".

But today showed the Nash off ball thing seems to be their intentions going forward, and Kobe has established that the team finally has an identity.

Also noted: this has actually been the 17th game the Lakers have played together with their starting lineup(players) in tact. It took the Heat 17 games "together" to get it.

Lakers seemed to get it after 16 games "together" but we shall see how it lasts.

Ball is in our court now and Kobe seems to believe this is how we'll play going forward. Hopefully he is correct!

Also of note: in these last few performances Kobe has not taken a single three pointer nor has he had to, with the way they run the offense now, the threes Kobe would get are now going to Nash while Kobe attacks the defense on the inside. Good idea.

Edited by Majesty, January 27, 2013 - 05:17 PM.

[LakersGAFan]

they got in where they fit in. Keep building

[ツ]

If they can keep this up and win the next 5 games then I'll have faith back into this team.

[soooobased]

They need to go 6-1 on their road trip (very possible if they keep this play up) to sustain good habits and make a quality run at that 8th seed. If they go 3-4, 4-3 or some bs like that, then forget it.

[True Lakers Fan]

they found the foundation, lets build on it

[bigfetz]

they found the foundation, lets build on it

Did you find the guy posing as your girlfriend yet?

[LakersChamps243]

They need to go 6-1 on their road trip (very possible if they keep this play up) to sustain good habits and make a quality run at that 8th seed. If they go 3-4, 4-3 or some bs like that, then forget it.

As long as we win tuesday I'd actually be ok with a 4-3 road trip, but we can and should definitely go 6-1 if we keep this up.

Edited by LakersChamps243, January 28, 2013 - 06:46 PM.

[Gotrings?]

Did you find the guy posing as your girlfriend yet?

He needs to call up the guy in the show Catfish.

[last stand 2.0]

we haven't found anything until we are at least 5 games above .500

[BasketballIQ]

we haven't found anything until we are at least 5 games above .500

I think Kobe mean the guys out there working hard, playing hurt and gelling through all the injuries

[Thanatos]

Look, they've had several periods this season where they've looked like they finally got it together only to fall apart again. Show me you can sustain this type of play for a month and maybe we've got something. They looked good today, but at this point I can't really get happy about a two game win streak.

[last stand 2.0]

Look, they've had several periods this season where they've looked like they finally got it together only to fall apart again. Show me you can sustain this type of play for a month and maybe we've got something. They looked good today, but at this point I can't really get happy about a two game win streak.

exactly and even if they have "figured it out" which is the ridiculous mantra coming out of this win they still have a 6 foot deep hole they've dug and all they've done up to this point is get out of the coffin. they still have to climb out of the hole.

nice win, but all of this "figured it out" BS is ridiculous. they've figured it out when they are actually comfortably above .500. not when they are 19-25

[Cj2008nw]

Need more consistent play.. and more wins to believe this "figured out" thing

[Majesty]

Kobe in response to the above comments

KEVIN DING @KevinDing
Kobe on previous false starts this Lakers season: "This feels a little different. Feels like we found an identity."

KEVIN DING @KevinDing
Asked if he is enjoying all the passing, @kobebryant said: "I enjoy winning."


KEVIN DING @KevinDing
About Kobe's shift toward setting up teammates, @SteveNash said: "I can't say how pleased I am and how impressed I am."


Dwight: "The biggest difference is we're holding each other accountable for everything that happens on the court."

Kobe: "We're doing a good job right now of just being real with each other and holding each other accountable. That makes a huge difference."

The Dwight-Kobe arguments on the court come to mind back in New Orleans on Dec. 5 -- Dwight trying to hold Kobe accountable for his defense -- but it's clear that the long-overdue team meeting Wednesday in Memphis has helped all the Lakers' players consider each other and their individual impact on each other.

Edited by Majesty, January 27, 2013 - 06:15 PM.

[Majesty]

Kove expanding more on the team finding their identity.

Sunday, Kobe was asked if he enjoys the facilitator role played vs. Utah and OKC. "I enjoy winning," he said.

"However it comes, it doesn't matter. You've just got to figure out a way to win ballgames, and that's what I enjoy the most."

Q: Do you see yourself continuing to do this?

"Yeah, yeah yeah. Absolutely.

More from Kobe's postgame (cut short because Bryant was on his way to a little league hoops game):

Q: Why has it clicked the last two nights?

"I think we're figuring out our identity and what we're going to be, and how we're best going to play. You see we're posting the ball a lot. We're bringing it up in transition, but we're posting it a lot. We're running deep screen/rolls. Defensively, we're very active."

Q: Is this a game giving you new life?

"It feels good to finally beat a team that's worth a [expletive]. It feels good."

Q: You've had 5 or 6 re-starts to the season. Is it time to put it together for good?

"Yeah, we gotta go. It's time to kind of hit that button and be consistent. We've had times we've been up and down. We've had a couple games where we've put things together, and then the bottom kind of falls out. But this feels a little different. It feels like we've kind of found an identity that we can play with consistently. I think when you have that, it gives guys a lot more stability every night."

--BK

[211275]

Only took 43 games? Too bad it took so long. Pau will be traded, Nash is older than dirt and Dwight will probably walk. Great news though...

Good stuff Majesty. Thanks for all the quotes as well as the extended ones.

[djcovi]

I still don't think they'll make the playoffs, but I hope I'm wrong. I just hope they continue playing like a team, it's enjoyable to watch. Happy he believes they've found an identity.

[UKUGA]

What is different is that this is the best 8 quarter stretch of the season and it came in games we thought they would probably lose.

And they didn't just play better. They tweaked the roles of multiple players and dramatically increased the effectiveness of echo of the top 4 players on the team.

[Majesty]

Only took 43 games? Too bad it took so long. Pau will be traded, Nash is older than dirt and Dwight will probably walk. Great news though...

Of those 43 we've only played 17 with our entire starting lineup players in tact. Every other game has been without one or the others.

Took the Heat the same amount of time to find the offense that worked best to run.

The Lakers seem to have hit that point. Like Kobe said, players are starting to settle into their roles finally and knowing what they're doing. Roles have been defined. That's the 'difference'. We've found a consistency. It took our unit 17 games to figure that out, but we only had 17 out of 43 with them. If THIS is how we're gonna. Play the rest of the season this way then the future is very bright. Again AS LONG as we stay healthy.

Edited by Majesty, January 27, 2013 - 07:37 PM.