34 replies to this topic

[The Gemini Method]

I'm not saying this to mock anything or anyone, but I find it funny when toughness gets questioned in basketball. The officials and the league make a point to take away the hand checking and more agressive play, yet the media profoundly label one team or another, "soft." It isn't that the Lakers are soft as they proved it against the Jazz and Spurs, but rather, they didn't respond as a team against the Celtics. It's not like the Celts were anything close to the Charles Oakley or Alonzo Mourning-led East teams of the past. Ehh, who really knows.

I guess we'll all just have to wait and see when the chips are on the line, don't we.

[jj123]

yes

[kobynum]

kobe held his own with Artest in a physical matchup, bynum has been playing BIG as of late,. Pau responded to elbows with FIRE and lamar, trevor, and farmar are chippy and far from punks. Add sasha's menacingly annoying defense. Add powell's grit, and Mihm's attitude to fishers bulk and overall toughness, and someone tell me this teamm is SOFT.
Even Luke walton plays Hard, sorta like a smarter Matt Harpring.

[allornothing]

Soft players, soft mentality, soft defense. Get rid of Kurt Rambis if he's in charge of our defense.

[MDI]

no we're not soft

But that doesn't mean there aren't teams out there more physical and stronger than us

Edited by MDI, December 02, 2008 - 06:57 PM.

[West Coast]

Soft players, soft mentality, soft defense. Get rid of Kurt Rambis if he's in charge of our defense.

Nice job finding the first chance to "prove your point". This thread's last post was November 10th.

[allornothing]

Nice job finding the first chance to "prove your point". This thread's last post was November 10th.

Look, we got killed by the Celtics in the finals last year. Adding Ariza and Bynum has made us stronger but it's not just to prove my point but prove the skeptics point that we need bonafide stoppers. I don't think I am the only Laker here that knows that this team can be pushed around mentally.

Pau and Andrew should be dominating the boards but both are two players that don't know how to box out but just rather use their length.

This team professes that they will try on defense and get better on defense as their number 1 priority. They don't have the brains or the coaching to instill this mentality.

It's not just one game in which we lost today but the last 7 or so games where the hustle and defense isn't there.

[West Coast]

Look, we got killed by the Celtics in the finals last year. Adding Ariza and Bynum has made us stronger but it's not just to prove my point but prove the skeptics point that we need bonafide stoppers. I don't think I am the only Laker here that knows that this team can be pushed around mentally.

Pau and Andrew should be dominating the boards but both are two players that don't know how to box out but just rather use their length.

This team professes that they will try on defense and get better on defense as their number 1 priority. They don't have the brains or the coaching to instill this mentality.

It's not just one game in which we lost today but the last 7 or so games where the hustle and defense isn't there.

Do we need stoppers? Yeah you can say that I guess, but we arent going to get them, we have the pieces to be a very good defensive team.

We are the top rebounding team in the league, we just couldnt grab one to save our life tonight.

Defense has been inconsistent, but we have shown flashes to what we can do.

The hustle is always there, I dont know what games you have been watching.

To say they dont have the brains is a pretty big time claim on your part.

My point of my previous post is that this thread was last posted in on November 10th, no one has been complaining about this issue until you brought it up after a loss.

Edited by westcoast21, December 02, 2008 - 07:12 PM.

[allornothing]

Do we need stoppers? Yeah you can say that I guess, but we arent going to get them, we have the pieces to be a very good defensive team.

We are the top rebounding team in the league, we just couldnt grab one to save our life tonight.

Defense has been inconsistent, but we have shown flashes to what we can do.

The hustle is always there, I dont know what games you have been watching.

To say they dont have the brains is a pretty big time claim on your part.

My point of my previous post is that this thread was last posted in on November 10th, no one has been complaining about this issue until you brought it up after a loss.

So you haven't been worried about our defense in the last 8 or so games? I think someone on another board mentioned that we were 21st or something in defense in these games. It's always the mentality that defense win championships, and we haven't shown that on a consistent basis. Like you said, nobody mentions complains so far because we are winning, however, when some posters start complaining during a 14-1 stretch he might get ridicule for whining too much. For the most part, I just don't like the fact that our defense has regressed. Usually defense should get better as a unit when guys no where they are supposed to be and what to do.
I haven't seen any adjustment concerning quick PGs breaking down our offense. I think it's time to sit either Vlade or Fisher our of the lineup. Our triangle spacing will be off, but I am sure with Ariza or LO in , the defense should be much better.

[West Coast]

Our defense has regressed but I dont think its because of lack of hustle. Heres the thing, many people here, including myself KNEW that the Lakers were not going to be a defensive juggernaut. They have Kobe, Ariza, and Bynum that can play defense. Gasol is a good defender and Fisher has his moments, but other then that nothing else. Will teams be more physical then us? Yes there will be some. Does that make the Lakers mentally soft? No.

The PG's breaking down our defense is a concern, but Phil Jackson has already said that it has been a focus of the Lakers in practice. It will take time. Im not going to go and complain about the defense when the Lakers have lost only two games all season. If the defense is like this come June, then I will complain. But we are better defensively then last years team that got to the finals.

[last stand 2.0]

we looked very soft tonight not defensively because in the second half we did not play that bad

our offense caused most of their points with the 6 turnovers in like 2 minutes

our rebounding was horrible how we have 2 7 footers and get out offensive rebounded 17 to 8 is ridiculous

[lakerfool]

kobe held his own with Artest in a physical matchup, bynum has been playing BIG as of late,. Pau responded to elbows with FIRE and lamar, trevor, and farmar are chippy and far from punks. Add sasha's menacingly annoying defense. Add powell's grit, and Mihm's attitude to fishers bulk and overall toughness, and someone tell me this teamm is SOFT.
Even Luke walton plays Hard, sorta like a smarter Matt Harpring.

Matt Harpring plays defense. Luke doesn't. Don't ever compare the two besides the fact that they're both white.

[LOdieschick07]

i don't think we're soft as a team.. but we do have some soft players (pau )

[Imadogg]

Matt Harpring plays defense. Luke doesn't. Don't ever compare the two besides the fact that they're both white.

Harpring at least commits hard fouls on defense.

[kobynum]

luke is a very underrated defender, see i dont judge people with a critical eye like most of you and I observed , very good feet moving by luke, and when he was getting 20 mins a game, last year, he was getting a block or a steal every single game, look at his playoff stats from last year against Utah, and Denver
Luke trys hard to play D but its all from a team point.
Since everyone is slurping the Celtics, consider this, neither paul nor ray was ever considered to be defenders, prior to Lastyear, KG is so overrated defensively, b/c of his intensity, they have a few defensive specialists just like us, I think its going to take us a full year, b4 our mentality is dependent upon our defense,
Cockiness leads us to turnovers which are undefendable possesions for the most part.
Plus the bench has lacked defensive intensity of late, and LO penchant for fouls has gotten us in the penalty and teams are getting more easy buckets then they should.