Super Bowl LII Preview: Philadelphia Eagles vs. New England Patriots

We're just at about the midway point of the week until Super Bowl Sunday! Welcome in to yet another Super Bowl preview on this blog provided by yours truly. This year's 52nd edition of the big game features the AFC champion and the reigning, defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots and the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles. This is a rematch of Super Bowl XXXIX where the Patriots topped the Eagles 24-21 for their 2nd consecutive Lombardi trophy. Much has changed since then, but for the Patriots, only Tom Brady and Bill Belichick remain from that Super Bowl win. While for the Eagles, there has been a lot of makeover since that season highlighted by Donovan McNabb, Terrell Owens, Brian Dawkins, and head coach Andy Reid. And speaking of repeat, this Super Bowl is like deja vu all over again where the Pats can go back-to-back for their 6th trophy and send Philly into a world of heartbreak like they did 13 years ago since their first meeting at the big game. Or the Eagles can avenge that and deliver the first Lombardi trophy to the City of Brotherly Love. For these previews, I summarize both teams' road to the Super Bowl, keys for both teams, and I give my final score prediction. Let's roll!

Philadelphia Eagles

Nobody would've ever thought that the Eagles would've finished this season as the best team in NFC, let alone make it to the Super Bowl. It goes to show how much of an impressive job their front office did turning this once rebuilding team into a contender. The talent on this Eagles roster is a nice balance of youth and veteran leadership. They acquired some quality talent this year, especially in the free agent market. They signed Alshon Jeffrey, star wideout from the Bears. They snagged Chris Long and LeGarrette Blount from the Patriots. Both of them did a nice job in applying their experience as Super Bowl winners last year with the Patriots with this Eagles team, instilling veteran leadership and a championship culture. The trade for Dolphins Pro Bowler, Jay Ajayi was a huge mid-season deal for the team as he added another dimension to an already high-powered Eagles offense as a change-of-pace back and a pass catcher in the backfield.

In spite of the dream season, Philly did lose a couple of key players along their way. They lose Pro Bowl left tackle, Jason Peters in the early part of the season. But the most-wrenching injury they dealt with was to 2nd year starting QB, Carson Wentz. A lot of the Eagles wins this season were highlighted by the magnificent quarterback play of Wentz until that unfaithful Week 14 game against the Rams in LA where he tore his ACL diving into the end zone. I remember when the Raiders had that unfortunate scenario last season with Derek Carr. They were winning games until Carr went down in Week 16 against the Colts. Fortunately for Philly, they had a quality backup QB who won games as a starter and made the Pro Bowl at some point in his career. That backup would be Nick Foles. You talk about a feel-good, full circle story for Nick Foles. The guy almost quit football and he stepped in when Wentz got hurt. Now, he's the starting QB for the Eagles once again and he's seeking out to remind everyone the kind of magic he orchestrated when he last won the Eagles some games as a starter in 2013. I still remember when he tossed for 7 TDs in Oakland during that Week 9 matchup. I thought back then that was humiliating to give up that many TDs to a 2nd string QB. But Foles, he may be no Carson Wentz, but he plays like he's been there before and finds ways to win games for the Eagles. Overall, the Eagles' 13-3 record may be marked with an asterisk with the easy strength of schedule they had, but they snagged some quality wins here and there. Wins against Carolina and the LA Rams stood out. Both teams made the postseason. They hung 50+ points against a Broncos defense with Von Miller and the "No Fly Zone" secondary. How about the job they did in the postseason? They held the defending NFC champion Falcons to 10 points in the divisional round and they dropped almost 40 points against a quality Vikings defense in the NFC Championship to advance to the Super Bowl. It truly is a dream season for the team and the fans. And they've fully embraced the role of the underdog a la Rocky Balboa. In  those two games in the postseason, they were heavy underdogs and they found ways to prevail against all odds. They'll look to do that again in what should be another David vs. Goliath type of matchup.

New England Patriots

We've all wrote about the Pats' road to the Super Bowl before. It is almost inevitable that the Patriots would represent the AFC in the Super Bowl as long as an Emperor Palpatine-lookalike (Star Wars reference) is roaming the sidelines and a certain QB from San Mateo donning #12 is under center. The Patriots' winning ways start and end with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. And if you truly hate the Patriots, then them making it to the Super Bowl almost every season seems like a redundancy and a nuisance as you just want to see a "fresh face" franchise represent the AFC for once in the modern Super Bowl era. But if you're full fledged football fan, you're seeing greatness at work and Brady, Belichick, and the Patriots are looking to make history for ring #6 and become the first team to repeat champions since they did it themselves back in Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX. Not much has changed from the Super Bowl team last year. But that doesn't stop them from making a few splashes in the offseason as they acquired speed demon wideout, Brandin Cooks from a trade with the Saints and defensive back Stephon Gilmore from division rival, Bills. They may have lost LeGarrette Blount to the Eagles, but they found a decent replacement in Rex Burkhead from the Bengals to be their running back for 3rd and short and goal line situations.

Coming into the season, there was a lot of talk about the Patriots and another 16-0 season. But that all went away when they received a stunning blowout loss to the Chiefs on the season opener. Not to mention, they lost Julian Edelman for the year. Their defense struggled early on in the season and they loss their key player in Dont'a Hightower for the year. After that Chiefs loss, the notion that the Patriots dynasty is dead permeated throughout the league. But, we should've known better to never count them out as long as Brady and Belichick are there. And who would've guessed that the Patriots would once again come out on top as the team to beat and the team with home field advantage throughout the AFC? The mantra of "next man up" and "do your job" lived on as certain players stepped up to make plays. The Brady to Cooks duo got better as the season progressed. Danny Amendola stepped in and filled the void Edelman left behind. The defense got better as a "bend-but-don't-break" unit. Brady, at age 40, continues to defy father time and play at a high level. Not even the "Madden Curse" can't work its voodoo against him (he was Madden '18's cover athlete). In the postseason, New England made quick work of the underachieving Titans in the divisional round. They got a good run for their money against the Jaguars, Blake Bortles, Leonard Fournette, and their vaunted "Sacksonville" pass rush. The Jags almost had the formula to beating the Pats. But, when a team has an elite QB and an elite head coach who've seen all kinds of stuff over the years, they'll find ways to overcome anything. And that was the result in the AFC championship game. The Patriots just find ways to crush the hopes and dreams of teams trying to knock them off the throne. For the Patriots heading into Super Bowl LII, it seems like the inevitable is going to eventually happen with them coming out on top against any NFC opponent who try to oppose their two decades of dominance (unless it's Eli Manning and the Giants).

Keys for the Eagles

This Eagles team is a well-rounded group. They have a lot of weapons on offense. They have an opportunistic defense lead by a deep defensive line that is capable of getting after the quarterback. The biggest thing for the Eagles is that Nick Foles is going to have play a near-perfect game similar to NFC championship against the Vikings. The run-pass-option (RPO) is the strength of this Eagles offense and Nick Foles excels at it because of his ability to read and react to what the defense is doing. During the NFC championship, Foles and co. did an impressive job in maintaining that balance in running and passing with the RPO. The Patriots' defense is obviously going to be a tough test because Bill Belichick and Pats' DC, Matt Patricia are masterminds in taking away opponents' best players. Definitely, they'll be ready account for their primary weapons such as Zach Ertz, Alshon Jeffrey, Jay Ajayi, and LeGarrette Blount. Probably, the obvious X-factor is Nelson Agholor. Agholor has been a fine breakout receiver for the Eagles after some tough sledding in his first two seasons. He's going to have to step up and cap off his breakout season in the biggest game of his career. Corey Clement, the third running back behind Ajayi and Blount has been solid out of the backfield as a third option. He's another X-factor to look out for as the Patriots account for Ajayi and Blount to stop the run. The defensive line for the Eagles has a knack to sack the quarterback. Chris Long, Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, and Vinny Curry all have the ability to wreck the pocket. They not only have to get pressure on Tom Brady, but they also have to force turnovers, especially since their secondary unit is a little suspect. Even though their secondary is filled with solid playmakers such as Patrick Robinson and Malcolm Jenkins. Jim Schwartz, Eagles DC, is gonna have his hands full designing exotic looks to slow down Brady and the Pats' offense.

Keys for the Patriots

The Patriots "bend-but-don't break" defense has been stellar as of late to get opposing offenses off the field and give the ball back to #12. They're especially good in goal line stands. Bill Belichick and Matt Patricia are obviously going to game plan to give Nick Foles different looks. That's the strength of the Pats' defense. On offense, it's simple, just make sure that Tom Brady has the ball in his hands in the final minutes of a possible tightly-contested game. Brady at age 40 can still get the ball out quickly to a receiver. Especially with this Eagles front, playmakers such as Danny Amendola, James White, and Dion Lewis are gonna have to step in. Amendola has done a good job in playing Julian Edelman's role. He was big in the final quarter of the AFC Championship against the Jaguars. Lewis and White are exceptional pass catchers out of the backfield. White especially was huge for New England in that insane 28-3 comeback against the Falcons in Super Bowl LI. He's going to have to have an encore for the Pats to repeat. The biggest question mark on the Patriots' offense is Rob Gronkowski's health. He took quite a shot to the helmet from Jacksonville's Safety, Barry Church, in the AFC Championship game. If he's good to go, it should open up a lot of opportunities for the offense. He's especially gonna open up a lot of opportunities for Brandin Cooks for big plays. Speaking of Cooks, he's still got a pretty favorable matchup against this Eagles secondary even if Gronk can't go. Cooks' presence alone as a deep threat makes things easier for Amendola and Chris Hogan to get open and make plays. But again, a healthy Gronk opens up a lot of opportunity for New England to execute big plays.

Prediction

If this Super Bowl didn't feature the Patriots, it would've made my pick a little more indecisive. But, it's just nearly impossible to pick against them as long they have a certain #12 at the helm and an old guy with a hoodie roaming the sidelines. The Eagles have been underdogs all season long and definitely, they're gonna show some fight. But, in the end the experience of Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the Patriots playing and winning multiple Super Bowls is just gonna prove too much for Philly. I'd say it's gonna be a dog fight for the the first half and  and a little bit in the third quarter. But, Brady and the Pats will continue to find a way to close out teams and they'll eventually pull away in the 4th quarter to give New England their 6th Lombardi trophy, much to the dismay to a majority of us who are tired of their winning ways. But it is what it is. Brady on the field and Belichick on the sidelines + facing off an NFC team that's not Eli Manning and the Giants = a guaranteed Patriots Super Bowl win.

PHI 17 NE 27

Lakers' 4-Game Winning Streak Ends in Toronto

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com*

Julius Randle notched a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Lakers, but the Raptors proved to be too much as they beat the Lakers 111-123 on Sunday night. KCP added 16 points and Brandon Ingram added 14 points to go with 6 rebounds to round out the starters. Jordan Clarkson lead the 2nd unit in scoring with 17 points while Larry Nance Jr. added 15 points and 8 rebounds and Alex Caruso chipped in 11 points to round out the 2nd unit.

Final Score: @ Toronto 111-123 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180128/LALTOR#/recap

Next Game: @ Orlando (01/31)

Highlights: *Courtesy of Rapid Highlights*

I'm gonna be honest here, I saw this loss coming when I looked at the 5-game road trip the Lakers are currently embarking on. There's nothing to be mad about losing to the 3rd best team in the East. For the most part of the game, the Lakers managed to hang around up until the nine minute mark of the 4th quarter. That's when the Raptors started to run away with this one. DeRozan, Lowry, Ibaka, and Valanciunas played their game. Fred VanVleet was pretty impressive  this game, leading Toronto with 25 points off the bench. C.J. Miles and Delon Wright knocked down a couple of threes. That pretty much opened this game up for the Raptors to take the win. The Lakers made this is a game for three quarters. They still played good team defense. They pushed the ball. Julius Randle was aggressive to the paint. Larry Nance bounced back after being shut down by the Bulls on Friday. Alex Caruso continues to be a sneaky contributor off the bench. There's not a lot to be mad about. The Lakers hung around for three quarters of this game. The Raptors just mustered enough firepower in the 4th quarter to put them away for good. Wednesday's game against the Magic and Friday's game against the Nets should pose more favorable road matchups for the Lakers until they end it with another daunting matchup against the Thunder.

Lakers Top Bulls Friday Night to Open Road Trip

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com*

Brandon Ingram lead the Lakers in almost all categories with 25 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists to help the Lakers rally past the Bulls 108-103. Brook Lopez added 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks and Julius Randle racked up 14 points and 6 rebounds to round out the starters. Jordan Clarkson lead the entire 2nd unit in scoring with 19 points.

Final Score: @ Chicago 108-103 [W]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180126/LALCHI#/recap

Next Game: @ Toronto (01/28)

Highlights: *Courtesy of Rapid Highlights*

This was one of those back-and-forth type of games and a matter of which team had more run in them down the stretch. And it turns out, the Lakers did with their defense and Brandon Ingram taking over with the game on the line. Before we go further in detail B.I., the team was very impressive late in the 1st and 3rd quarters of the game. The defense to offense transition was brilliant and it looked like the Lakers were gonna pull away. Unfortunately, the Bulls 3-point game was working for the most part and it allowed Chicago to make a series runs on their own. There's no denying that the Bulls have so many players that can shoot from deep. Mirotic, Valentine, and Markannen can shoot. Zach Lavine has been impressive since his return and score at will at any time. They're better than what their record indicates despite this season being a rebuild season. Markannen's missed dunk off Lavine's miss in the final minute of this game was huge and the Lakers were able to hit a couple of free throws to put this game on ice. When the game looked like momentum was going to the Bulls, who better than Ingram to step up and put the team on his shoulders. I'm very impressed that he's embraced the role of "the closer." You talk about the aggressive move to the basket for the and 1 and to take back the lead and the pull up jumper outside the key to give the Lakers a 101-97 lead. He's developing that clutch gene. Also, Brook Lopez had a great performance against twin brother, Robin this game. This game is exactly what I want to see from Lopez. Many forget he was an underrated low post big man before he developed the three point shot. I'd like to see him post up and score in the paint more and less camping out on the three point line as exhibited here when he dominated the Bulls' defense inside.

Lakers Hold On For Third Win vs. Celtics

Welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers' matchup vs. the Celtics where the Lakers sneak out a too close for comfort victory, beating the current #1 seed in the East 107-108 to notch their third win in a row!

The Lakers-Celtics rivalry always brings out the best moments regardless if they're not on equal footing with each other. What a win. I can't be happier about the gritty effort that this Lakers squad pulled out tonight. The way this game was set up, you knew that this was going to be a dog fight to finish. It was like the 12th round of a boxing match and both boxers were exchanging haymaker after haymaker down the to the final seconds and the victor came down to a split decision. This game had that feeling. The Celtics weren't gonna go down easily even if the Lakers built a good enough lead down the final minute of the 4th quarter. Marcus Smart had a good look on three for the win and the Lakers dodged a major bullet to preserve a confidence-boosting victory in the latest chapter of the NBA's most historic rivalry.

(+)

Kyle Kuzma, 28 points, 10-16 shooting, 5 three pointers. Words cannot describe how big Kuzma was down the stretch of this game. He slowed down a bit since pouring on 31 points against the Timberwolves on Christmas, but we all knew he was due for a big one once he tasted the rookie wall. And luckily, tonight was that night. All Kuz did in that 4th quarter was get buckets, especially from deep. He added a few aggressive moves to the basket and showed off some nice playmaking highlights. His behind-the-back pass to set up a Larry Nance Jr. dunk was probably the highlight of the game.

2nd chance opportunities. The Celtics tried to counter the Lakers' small ball lineup with a small ball lineup of their own. The big issue was that their lineup was a little too small. The Lakers still had the length with Ingram and Kuzma and they just ate up the boards to set up some big 2nd chance possessions. It especially helped that Randle and Lopez drew Boston's traditional big men into some foul trouble.

Jordan Clarkson, 22 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals. It's a question of how long Clarkson can sustain this kind of play as long Lonzo is held out indefinitely. But so far, so good. He's played terrific during this 3-game home stand by the Lakers in terms not just being a scorer, but being an all-around player. And, yes he hit some pretty big free throws in between critical misses by Josh Hart and KCP.

(-)

Free throws. Made free throws will win a team some games. Missed free throws will lose a team some games. And luckily, the Lakers were fortunate that free throws didn't come back to haunt them, especially down the stretch. You talk about critical misses by Josh Hart and KCP. KCP's missed free throws in the final seconds were the most shocking. The guy is like an 84% career free throw shooter and he missed both free throws to give the Lakers some cushion and pressure the Celtics more to draw up a good three point play with no timeouts. There's no denying it, the free throws gotta be better especially in crunch time.

MVP 

Kyle Kuzma, 28 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 10-16 shooting

Kuz exploded in the 4th quarter and helped shifted the momentum for the Lakers. He was due to put up these kind of numbers again and he unleashed all of his offensive arsenal against a very stingy Celtics defense.



Conclusion

If there is something that this three-game win streak tells us, it's that the Lakers can actually win without their main playmaker in Lonzo Ball. It all starts with the commitment to team defense and players have to keep moving around to keep the ball moving and play with a fast-paced edge. The Lakers have done that in these past three games. It's not always gonna be pretty, but it's important that the Lakers keep scratching and clawing in order to find a way to win. And with that, they're playing as a team again and playing with a lot of confidence and swagger and they're playing with a competitive edge. Playoff talk is slowly creeping its way back with the way the Lakers are playing right now. The 8th seed in the West is still wide open at this point of the season. But, I'm not ready to buy into that yet. That doesn't mean that I don't like what I'm seeing. This team is starting to mold itself into what Magic and Luke envisioned this team to be in the future. I'll see you guys later.

01/23: LAKERS vs. Celtics 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

This is the 2nd half open thread of the Lakers-Celtics matchup. As usual, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q4

BOS 107 LAL 108

Hey...Zeus! Free throws were an issue down the stretch and this game could've turned into a heart breaker with Boston making a final push. To be honest, Marcus Smart had a very good look from deep. It just rimmed out. They also had a chance to go inside for the win. But, luckily that didn't happen. The biggest thing that matters is that this team survived against a very good team in the East. A win against the Celtics is always special. What a game! Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3

BOS 74 LAL 76

Now, that was a good quarter from the Lakers! I said it before, the starters played poorly in the first half and this quarter, Randle and Lopez picked it up. They're going to them inside and the Celtics are having all kinds of trouble. Randle overpowered Al Horford. Aron Baynes got in foul trouble. Both Randle and Lopez had nice sequences on the defensive end. The defensive activity picked up this quarter and we're looking at a fight to the finish in the 4th quarter between these two longtime rival franchises.

01/23: LAKERS vs. Celtics 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Rivalry renewed. Welcome to the first half open thread of the Lakers-Celtics matchup on Tuesday night. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q2

BOS 53 LAL 45

Big break for the Lakers that Clarkson made that layup down to the final seconds to cut it to eight. He, along with Kuzma were the main story this quarter to jump start the scoring for the Lakers after a low scoring affair the last quarter. But, the Celtics kept responding with basket after basket. Marcus Smart hit a pair of three pointers to give the Celtics some cushion. Kyrie Irving is having his way to start. It's a microcosm to the lack of defensive activity during this half from the Lakers. They're not gonna win in a shootout if the defense is non-existent. The starting five especially did not have a good outing. Hopefully, we see a better showing from either Randle or Ingram in the 2nd half to jump start the unit. The 2nd half will open up shortly.

Q1

BOS 21 LAL 15

Low scoring start to the game. We know the Celtics will play good defense and find ways to score. Lakers are up in their alley so far in terms of that to start. They were in the bonus to start, putting the Celtics in early foul trouble. They just couldn't hit those pesky free throws, which has been a problem for them this season. It's only a matter of sustaining this competitive edge throughout the next three quarters of the game.

Clarkson, Randle Power Lakers Past Knicks

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Yahoo Sports*

Jordan Clarkson had another good game, sparking the 2nd unit with a near triple-double with 29 points, 6 rebounds, and 10 assists to go with 3 steals as the Lakers notch their 2nd win in a row, routing the Knicks 107-127. Kyle Kuzma added 15 points, Larry Nance Jr. had 13 points, and Alex Caruso chipped in a sneaky solid game with 9 points and 8 assists to round out the bench. Julius Randle lead the starting five with a double-double of 27 points and 12 rebounds. Brook Lopez racked up 14 points and connected on four 3-pointers and Brandon Ingram chipped in 10 points.

Final Score: vs. New York 107-127 [W]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180121/NYKLAL#/recap

Next Game: vs. Boston (01/23) <-- b="">*Open Thread and Full Recap Posts*

Highlights: *Courtesy of MLG Highlights*

Once again, the Lakers are carried by their "oh, how quickly they forget" 2014 draftees. Clarkson continues to play at a high level. In this game and the game against the Pacers on Friday night, we're seeing a more aggressive JC. He's finding that balance as a scorer and facilitator with his ability to slash into the basket. Either he's looking to attack or break the defense down to set up teammates perfectly to the basket as he did by getting Randle, Nance, and Ingram easy hoops. Speaking of Julius Randle, he looked really unstoppable in the paint. He got this party started by scoring the first four points for the Lakers off of dunks and as usual, played bully ball and the Knicks couldn't do anything about it. Brook Lopez got it going from deep. I'd love to see him get some points in the paint like he did in the past before he developed the three. But, it's an entirely different ball game when he scores in double digits. Alex Caruso continues to get more comfortable to the NBA level. I liked the guy in Summer League and he's putting together some sneaky good games for the 2nd unit. This game  though was not a cake walk by all means. The Knicks kept themselves within striking distance for the most part of the game and at one point, had a six point lead in the 3rd quarter. But, the Lakers kept attacking and scoring. They ended the game on a 17-4 run. They also forced 17 turnovers from the Knicks on the defensive end to add on to this win. The Lakers will look to keep up the momentum against the Celtics on Tuesday. Boston is in a bit of a funk, dropping their last two games to Philly and they just lost to the Orlando Magic today, despite Kyrie Irving going off for 40 points. That's the thing heading into this game. The Celtics just got back Kyrie Irving and they're still a really good defensive team that can shoot the three-ball. It's going to be a nice test for the Lakers and this revamped play that we saw from Friday against Indiana and today against the Knicks. I'll see you guys on Tuesday night for that game.

Clarkson Carries Lakers Over Pacers; Snap Two Game Losing Streak

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Yahoo Sports*

Jordan Clarkson exploded off the bench for 33 points to go with 7 rebounds and 7 assists to help the Lakers pull away from the Pacers 86-99 to snap a two game skid. Larry Nance Jr. followed with a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Julius Randle lead all starters in scoring with 14 points while Kyle Kuzma closely followed with 13 points to go with 5 rebounds.

Final Score: vs. Indiana 86-99 [W]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180119/INDLAL#/recap

Next Game: vs. New York (01/21)

Highlights: *Courtesy of MLG Highlights*

Wow, this game is one of the most unorthodox ways the Lakers can do to pull off a win. I'm gonna address the biggest lowlight of this game to get it out of the way: free throw shooting. 2-14 from the charity stripe. Clarkson was the only one who made two of those free throws. The rest of the players who stepped up to the line: Kuzma, Randle, Ennis, Nance, and Lopez didn't make any. There's no sugarcoating it, free throws have been the Lakers' glaring weakness this season. By shooting at such a pourous percentage, this was the Lakers' game to lose. There were a couple of stints where the Pacers were making a couple of runs. But, luckily they missed some shots and they tried to play hero ball by forcing the offense through Victor Oladipo and Lance Stephenson. Indiana also shot poorly from three which helped masked the Lakers' woes from the free throw line. Obviously, we'll take the Pacers' shooting 8% from deep over the Lakers' shooting 14% from the free throw line here and the overall win. Jordan Clarkson needed one of those "break out of the funk" type of game and he got one here. When the Pacers made a run, Clarkson responded with a score or setting up teammates in transition. Nance, Caruso, and Kuzma benefited from Clarkson's all-around game. He did a good job this game being aggressive as a scorer and facilitator, something the backup guards need to do with Lonzo out. Ennis showed flashes of that during the first half too before foul trouble hampered him. The 2014 draft class for the Lakers has been a forgotten one in the midst of the trade rumors. With no Zo, no B.I., no KCP, Clarkson stepped it up as did Randle as a starter. Randle was efficient again with 14 points on 7-12 shooting and displayed some solid activity on the defensive end. But then again, Clarkson gets the spotlight with his elevated play to give the Lakers the W this game.

Lakers Close Out 3-Game Road Trip With Another Blow Out Loss to Thunder

Alright, welcome in to the long-awaited full recap post of the Lakers' road matchup vs the Oklahoma City Thunder where the Lakers were outmatched again by the Thunder, losing 90-114.

Full recap post took longer than expected because I was catching up on a couple of highlights from the first half. This was a game during that half. Then the 2nd half happened and the Thunder pulled away like last time. And no, Westbrook was not catalyst of it. Melo went off for 27 points. Steven Adams was a monster in the points and boards category. I said in the 3rd quarter, the Lakers were gonna have their work cut out being down 21. The Lakers tried to rally when they cut it to 82-99 during the 4th, but PG13 hit a game-sealing three and the rest of the quarter was just garbage time for players who play sparingly to show out.

(+)

Julius Randle, 16 points, 8-11 shooting. I saw the first half highlights of this game and that is where Julius did most of his damage. He was quite a cutter tonight, easily sneaking past defenders for easy dunks. When I was making my reaction for the 3rd quarter, Randle lead all Lakers in scoring and I assumed that he was doing work inside the paint. And I stood corrected. That was only first half where he showed out his inside game. The 2nd half though, he was non-existent. He only had one rebound tonight. Steven Adams completely annihilated him with the offensive boards.

Josh Hart, 9 points, 3-6 shooting. The numbers are not sexy, but Hart hit his threes at very timely moments during this game. In fact, all three of his field goals were from deep. The Lakers kept themselves within striking distance against the Thunder and Hart's timely three-pointers were a big part of it.

(-)

Rebounding/2nd chance points. This was the negative that ultimately killed the Lakers this game. Steven Adams was a one-man wrecking crew in crashing the boards for OKC tonight. He lead the entire team with 7 offensive boards! Brook Lopez and Randle had tough sledding trying to box out Adams. Because of that, the Lakers got killed in 2nd chance points. ESPN showed the graphic in the 3rd quarter, they got destroyed in that category 22-2. I'm sure the final tally in 2nd chance points is like 26-4 or close to that.

MVP


Julius Randle, 16 points, 8-11 shooting

This was a very underwhelming MVP selection for this game. Randle looked good in the first half of the game, then he disappeared in the 2nd half. Not to mention, he was bullied inside by Steven Adams. But, because he's the Lakers' top scorer and was efficient in shooting this game, Randle gets my MVP vote here.



Conclusion

There's no sugar coating it, the Lakers need Lonzo Ball back after these two ugly games in Memphis and Oklahoma City. He's the one that jump starts this team's ball movement and up-tempo game. Not sure if he would make a difference in this game though. The Thunder, they're not a deep team. But, the star power of Westbrook, Melo, and PG13 alone is too much talent to handle for the Lakers' current talent. It especially doesn't help when Steven Adams scores in double figures too. Last meeting, Terrance Ferguson was that 4th player for the Thunder to go off for 20+ points. Tonight, it was Adams with 21 points and 10 grown man rebounds. After this game, the Lakers have a three game home stand. They open up with the surprising Pacers and probably the "Most Improved Player" candidate in Victor Oladipo on Friday. Then, it's the Knicks on Sunday and they close it out against the Celtics on Tuesday. At least two of those three games should be winnable. Then again, it's completely contingent on Zo's health. They play better as a team when he's on the floor. I'll see you guys next Tuesday for the game against the Celtics.

01/17: LAKERS @ OKC Thunder 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

This is the 2nd half open thread and discussion of the Lakers-Thunder matchup where the Lakers are wrapping up their 3-game road trip. As usual, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q4

LAL 90 OKC 114

Nothing to react about this quarter other than a few good sample sizes from players playing in garbage time. That includes Alex Caruso and Gary Payton II. Like the last meeting, the Lakers just do not have the talent to match OKC's "OK3." It especially doesn't help when they can't box out and grab a defensive rebound, which they struggled to do tonight. More to come in the full recap.

Q3

LAL 72 OKC 93

This is shaping to be like the last meeting earlier this month where the Thunder pulled away early in the game. I'm going to play catchup here as I missed the first half. Julius Randle leads all Lakers in scoring with 16. I'm assuming the Lakers went to him early on inside. KCP and Josh Hart accounted for a majority of the Lakers' threes. Brandon Ingram's back in the lineup to install some ball movement on this team without Zo. The biggest thing that's hurting right now for the Lakers is 2nd chance opportunities. I remember the graphic the Thunder have 22 second chance while the Lakers have 2. It's four now after Larry Nance's putback from Kuzma's miss. Steven Adams dealt most of that damage with 6 offensive boards. Lakers are having a hard time boxing him out. Paul George got out of the funk this quarter and Melo took over down the stretch. It's a lot of work cut out for the Lakers to make a push in the 4th quarter.

01/17: LAKERS @ Oklahoma City Thunder 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Welcome to the first half open thread of the Lakers-Thunder matchup where the Lakers are gonna wrap up a 3-game road trip. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q1

LAL 0 OKC 0

*Hey guys, I'll be a little late coming home from work. And most likely, I'll be missing all of the 1st half. I will keep this thread open and I'll see you guys hopefully in the 2nd half.*

A Season in Review: 2017 Raiders + Chucky's Back!

Alright Raider Nation, welcome to the long-awaited "Season in Review" post for the 2017 Oakland Raiders. No further description needed, I reflect on the season and offer my free agency/draft approach. And on a bonus, it is now in the books: Jon Gruden is back in black as of Tuesday. The Raiders hire him to be the head coach after they kicked Jack Del Rio to the curb following the uninspiring loss to the Chargers at the end of the season. I'll offer my thoughts on the return of Chucky.

Last year, Jack Del Rio offered this speech after the Raiders' gritty win against the Saints: "last year, we learned how to compete. This year, we know how to win!" Let's revise that phrase to summarize this underwhelming season. The previous year, the Raiders learned how to compete. Last year, they know how to win. This year, they know how to take two steps back and revert back to the Raider teams of the past. Because that's what the season was in a nutshell. The Raiders got off to a good start at 2-0, first time since 2002, with convincing wins against the Titans and the Jets. And then it all fell apart in Washington by Week 3. What once was a Super Bowl-aspiration season turned out to be a nightmare with total implosion within the team. From rumored tensions in the locker room. To the anemic offense called by Todd Downing. To Derek Carr's back injury. To the defense continually regressing under Ken Norton Jr. before Jack Del Rio decided it was time for a change when it was too little too late. This year made the 12-4 dream season of last year an afterthought. And it was back to the same old Raiders from 2003-2014 where the team was inconsistent and undisciplined on all facets of the game. It's astonishing that despite the Raiders' poor play, they were still in the playoff hunt until Week 16. Let's be honest, the AFC West was a complete joke this season. The Raiders were lucky to be in the playoff hunt for that long despite some ugly losses and close losses. Remember, last season, the Raiders had a lot of close games that luckily went in their favor. This year, the close games didn't go in their favor so much. It shows that they can't always have the comeback magic.

So, what constituted the Raiders' regression from 12-4 to 6-10? It started with the play of the offense this season. We had high hopes for this unit to be a juggernaut. They had the 2nd best O-line next to the Cowboys. Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree are standout wide receivers. Derek Carr was MVP-material prior to the fibula injury last year. They added Jared Cook, Cordarrelle Patterson, and Marshawn Lynch. This was a top-5 offense on paper. There's only one problem: the Raiders got rid of Bill Musgrave who made this offense into a top-5 unit last year and promoted Todd Downing, who's never called a play or game planned in his coaching career. In my season preview, I thought Downing would be a better OC than Musgrave. Since that, I've been eating crow. The biggest thing that boggled my mind was that he was so good at the beginning of the season. Going up against the likes of Dick LeBeau and Todd Bowles, proven DCs who are known to confuse offenses with different looks and blitz packages, Downing outcoached them both from an X's and O's standpoint. Then, the Redskins game happened and his offense was exposed big time to the point of predictability by season's end. Granted, with Carr's back injury in Week 4, Downing had to dial down the playbook a bit. But, he couldn't expand the short passing game nor get creative if he's calling a bubble screen. And most of all, he kept running Lynch in single back formation. All the defenses know that he was gonna get the ball. It also explains why Jamize Olawale barely saw the field this season because Downing barely used the I Formation, which is the base of a power run play. Look at the tape in Seattle, Lynch was more effective when he had a fullback like Michael Robinson and later Derrick Coleman leading the way, blocking for him. Why we didn't see Olawale and Lynch in the same backfield was beyond me.

The only positive to take away from this season was when Jack Del Rio finally fired Ken Norton Jr. after the Patriots blasted them in Week 11 and transferred the playcalling duties on defense to John Pagano. When Pagano was added to the coaching staff, we all knew he was the backup plan if Norton continued to mess up. When the Raiders made the switch from KNJ to Pagano, you saw the difference in the defense. They gave up less points. The defense communicated as a unit and understood their assignments. The D-line generated pressure. Mack and Irvin moved around to get to the QB. Sean Smith went from burnt toast to shutdown corner down the stretch. They used a modicum of exotic blitzes. The biggest thing that separated Pagano from KNJ was that Pagano evaluated his personnel and simplified a scheme that played to the strengths of the players. That's how you separate a proven DC to a parody of a DC who's in over his head.

The Jack Del Rio era was short lived. But, let's not discredit how much he changed the culture here in Oakland. He improved a 3-13 Raiders team to a 7-9 team in his first year and took them to a 12-4 season his second year. Unfortunately, bone-headed coaching decisions and failing to take command of a tense locker room and instill some discipline lead to his demise. I'm still dumbfounded that the Raiders gave him a 4-year extension and proceeded to fire him after that. It's a waste of money and they'll still pay Del Rio regardless. He was a good coach, but not a great coach and the Raiders need a great coach to take them to that next step. Which brings us to the big headline: the return of Jon Gruden, aka "Chucky." Growing up a Raider fan during the days of Gannon, Brown, Rice, and Woodson, I never understood the impact that Gruden had turning the Raiders into contenders during early 2000s. It wasn't until I got older and started diving into the history of the Raiders where I got to know Gruden better through the stories of older Raider fans and old clips. The guy has a passion for football. He is really animated and a no non-sense type of coach. I've heard stories on how he'll pull out players when they make a boneheaded penalty or mistake and he's not afraid to chew out the refs as he damn near pleases on the sidelines. That's how he lived up to the "Chucky" persona. Raider Nation is bitter that Al Davis traded him during the 2002 off season and they're even more bitter about Super Bowl XXXVII. I still remember that game and it was the worst feeling in the world.

Gruden returning to the Raiders, it's like a forgive and forget type of hire. The circle is complete. There is a big concern: it's been 10 years since he last coach, 14 years since he last coached the Raiders. And since, the game has drastically changed. Remember, the Raiders hired Art Shell for a 2nd stint and that was a disaster considering that he used outdated schemes that didn't adjust to the modern game at that time. No disrespect to Shell's legendary status as a Raider, but it didn't seem like he was aware on how much the game changed back then since he last coached. Gaining from Gruden's conference on Tuesday, he's aware about the game's evolution and as an analyst, he's observed all 32 NFL teams. He studied film. But it's gonna take time for Chucky to re-adjust to the game. It's a lot different in coaching the sidelines than observing teams as an analyst. Not to mention, the 10-year, $100 million contract Mark Davis offered to Gruden is absolutely ridiculous for a guy who hasn't coached in over a decade. But with Chucky back on the sidelines, fun and games are over and this Raiders squad full of young talent is gonna be in for a wild ride in offseason activities, in training camp, in practice sessions, and in the games. On the plus side, he's assembling a good coaching staff on paper. Rich Bissacia as the Special Teams coordinator from the Cowboys, Paul Guenther as the DC from the Bengals, Edgar Bennett, who was the OC of the Packers, is coming in as the new Wide Receivers coach. He's also holding a reunion of some past Raider coaches and assistants: Greg "run up the middle" Olson and Tom "just cut it loose" Cable are back. Luckily, Olson is just an OC in name only since Gruden will be calling the shots on offense. Cable is gonna coach the O-line as he did previously with the Silver and Black during the awful Lane Kiffin days. Jokingly speaking, they just need someone from the Norv Turner era to come back. That's all that's missing on this coaching staff that Chucky is assembling.

The impending offseason is gonna be a big one for the Raiders. Of course Khalil Mack's contract extension is hovering around. Reggie McKenzie and the Raiders make sure they get him locked up before he becomes a free agent in 2019. With Carr's $120 million extension and Gabe Jackson's $65 million extension, Mack no question is going to be offered big time money. They're going to have to cut some people to free up some cap space. David Amerson, with all the injury concerns, he's likely a cap casualty. Sean Smith, he's played better under Pagano, but he's likely gonna be let go to free up some cap space. Crabtree is also trending in terms of who the Raiders are going to release. Locking up NaVorro Bowman to a long-term deal is also a must. Bowman came in by Week 7 and fixed the Raiders' revolving door at the Middle Linebacker position. He made the entire linebacker unit better. Young guys like Nicolas Morrow and Marquel Lee benefited from Bowman's presence in the middle of the field. T.J. Carrie is also a must re-sign, even though he's as high on the list as Bowman is. The secondary was a complete mess, but Carrie outside Karl Joseph was a bright spot. He played exceptional as a cornerback, playing both outside and in the slot. In terms of players likely walking, Reggie Nelson is likely gone. They'll probably let Justin Ellis walk since they can find a suitable replacement in the draft for a run stuffing DT.  If they choose not to bring back Bowman because obviously Mack's extension is higher priority, they could draft Roquan Smith from Georgia. Gruden may be an offensive mind, but he's no stranger in having a hand in drafting defense. The Raiders drafted Charles Woodson in Gurden's first year. We know the Raiders will draft 10th overall, but because they finished with an identical record with the 49ers, it could down to a coin flip on who gets that position.

Overall, this season wasn't as we expected it to be. But, the talent on this roster is there to make a series of playoff runs. It's just that coaching failed them in the long run because they didn't know how to use them or how to keep a couple of egos in check. That won't happen as long as Chucky is roaming the sidelines. The return to greatness does not happen without a few bumps on the road. Carr and the offense should bounce back next season. The defense, with a couple of moves, should play a lot better with a proven DC at the helm this time around. Del Rio, you were awesome in bringing back the swagger of the Raiders. But sorry Jack, Chucky's back! Here's to a bounce back season in 2018!

Lakers 4-Game Winning Streak Snapped in Memphis

Welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers' road matchup vs. the Memphis Grizzlies. The Lakers tried to extend the win streak at five in a row. But, the missed presence of Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram was too much as the Lakers fell to the Grizzlies 114-123.

It was bound to happen that during this road game stretch that the Lakers would eventually lose a game. I projected that the Lakers would get this winning streak snapped by OKC on Wednesday. But, Zo's injury, B.I.'s injury, it was a daunting challenge for the Lakers to generate some scoring, ball movement, and defense. They did a good job at fighting to the bitter end in this game though. There were some stretches that the Lakers were building some momentum and appeared within striking distance. But, the Grizzlies kept responding with timely buckets of their own and they were creating turnovers to jumpstart their transition game, which was the biggest difference to give Memphis the win.

(+)

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, 27 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 8-16 shooting. It's an up and down affair for KCP because he would settle for high percentage looks at times and sometimes, he'll take shots that leave your head scratching. But, coming in, he was gonna have to pick up the scoring since B.I. is missing the game and Lopez continues to struggle. He stepped up to the plate and accounted for a majority of the Lakers' shots from deep with 6-10 shooting from beyond the arc. Only Kuzma closely followed with 4-8 shooting. Great game from KCP in terms of scoring. He could've had more if it weren't for a couple of questionable shot selections this game.

Larry Nance Jr, 15 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 blocks. Big props to LNJ for playing through the sore back. He got hip checked hard by Deyonta Davis in the first half as he was going for the layup. Luckily, he turned out to be okay and he was still able to provide some hustle and energy off the bench on both sides of the ball.

Josh Hart, 16 points, 5-10 shooting. This is a pretty big headache because when Zo and B.I. come back, Hart is gonna have less playing time. But, when the Lakers are shorthanded, Hart gets valuable playing time and he makes the most out of it. He had a solid game today with his jump shot and his ability to slash into paint for the layup.

(-)

Turnovers/Ball handling. The Grizzlies committed more turnovers than the Lakers 18-13. But, the Lakers could've had more with the way they handled the ball today. Luckily, some of them didn't result in a turnovers. That's where they really miss Lonzo and Inrgam. They handle primary ball handling duties. The Lakers tried to do so, but they kept fumbling with the basketball and the Grizzlies were able to take advantage with the steals. They were marred by bad passes as well. A lot of them were unforced because they put too much air on the pass.

Defense. The Lakers are more than capable of running back on defense when opposing teams are running in transition. They're more than capable of disallowing any space and putting pressure on the ball. That kind of defense lacked during this game. Lakers broke down easily, which lead to many easy layups by the Grizzlies. They gave Memphis all kinds of room to move the ball, run the floor, and hit a couple of shots from the outside or from deep.

Julius Randle, 9 points, 8 rebounds. Randle being non-existent is not entirely his fault. He sat out for the majority of the 2nd quarter mainly because of matchup reasons and how effective the 2nd unit was. He didn't get a lot of touches in the paint. At the same time, he couldn't get a grip on his ball handling. When the Lakers were looking to run with Randle, he couldn't maintain good ball security and could've lead to some easy steals and scores for the Grizzlies.

Brook Lopez, 5 points, 2-7 shooting. I think Lopez should consider finding ways to score more inside. Lopez shots from deep have been way off. He's capable of hitting the three, but he needs to find ways to be aggressive instead of camping outside from beyond the arc.

Jordan Clarkson, 9 points, 2-13 shooting. Clarkson had a good start, but an ugly finish in terms of scoring. He came crashing down today after a solid outing on Saturday against Dallas. Big time off night for JC.

MVP

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, 27 points,  7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals

KCP showed out and picked up the slack in scoring with Ingram missing the game and Randle and Lopez being non-existent. Most of the threes he settled for took some life out of the crowd. The Lakers looked like they were building momentum when he hit some of those threes after they scored a couple of consecutive buckets.

Conclusion

As I said, the 4-game winning streak was fun while it lasted. Would the Lakers have won this if Zo and B.I. were playing? No question, but injuries are part of the game. The Grizzlies were also short-handed and they found a way to win with what they have. The Lakers need more players to step up with their key pieces of the future missing for further reference. Likely, we'll see Zo and B.I. back on the court when the Lakers take on OKC on Wednesday. But, if not, then it presents bigger trouble for the Lakers because the Thunder with their Big 3 ate the Lakers alive in the last meeting. But, the biggest thing from these five games is that the Lakers must continue to compete to the very end, win or lose. They can't afford to embarrassed by Westbrook, George, Anthony, and company for a 2nd time. I'll see you guys on Wednesday for that game.

01/15: LAKERS @ Grizzlies 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

This is the 2nd half open thread of the Lakers-Grizzlies matchup on MLK Day. As usual, leave a comment t below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q4

LAL 114 MEM 123

The streak was fun while it lasted. Lakers looked dead in the water by the third quarter, but the silver lining was that the Lakers continued to fight. They tried to make a final push in the final minutes of this quarter, but it would take the Lakers to be perfect from the field in the last two minutes. The Grizzlies beat them in their own game with a fast pace style of play and attacking the basket at will. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3

LAL 77 MEM 97

Promising start for the Lakers in this quarter, but ugly finish. They got off to a good start with an early 6-0 run. They started going into the paint more often with Lopez and Randle to slowly creep back into this game. Then, the Grizzlies started to respond and run the floor. They are killing the Lakers in their own game with this uncharacteristic up-tempo style of play. There's more activity defensively for Memphis. They're closing out lanes with good help, team defense while the Lakers are just allowing them to bully their way to the basket and score from beyond the arc.

01/15: Remembering MLK - LAKERS @ Memphis Grizzlies 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Welcome to the first half open thread of the Lakers-Grizzlies matchup as part of TNT's triple-header on Martin Luther King Jr. Day! Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the games.

Q2

LAL 50 MEM 60

Big time shot from KCP down the stretch of the 2nd quarter. Major difference being down 10 than being down 13. The Grizzlies had their way during this quarter. They forced a lot of turnovers and gave the Lakers a taste of their own medicine in scoring in transition. You can tell that the Lakers really miss Lonzo Ball because he sets the tempo with his ball handling and court vision. The Lakers are trying to replicate that without him and they're just making all kinds of mistakes forced and unforced. But, somehow, someway the Lakers are hanging around this game. All because the bench brought the energy on both sides of the ball and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is picking up the scoring for the starting five. No question, the defense has to be a lot better. They're not matching the Grizzlies' energy on offense and they're giving them all kinds of cushion to move the ball, shoot in space, and allowing them to cut into the lane for an easy basket. They have to put better ball pressure on defense and if they're gonna play fast and push the tempo, they have to take better care of the ball while running in transition. That was some really ugly ball handling I saw during this first half when the Lakers attempted to run the floor. Second half will open up shortly.

Q1

LAL 27 MEM 34

That was some crazy sequence in the final seconds of the first quarter. Lakers and Grizzlies fighting for the ball. Turnover after turnover and the Lakers capitalize with a floater from Nance Jr. KCP, Ennis, and the bench jumpstarted the Lakers to get back into this game. Memphis was playing at their half court pace and locked in on their threes. They almost cashed in on some turnovers because the Lakers were having a hard time handling the ball while running the floor. Ennis made a couple of aggressive baskets. KCP is in double figures, they're going to need him to pick up the scoring. The 2nd unit are picking it up with the small ball lineup to get things settled for the Lakers.

Lakers Outlast Mavs in Big D

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Yahoo Sports*

Julius Randle put up a double-double with 23 points and 15 rebounds as the Lakers hold off the Mavericks 107-101 to notch their 4th consecutive win. KCP added 17 points while Jordan Clarkson and Kyle Kuzma provided the offense off the bench with 19 points from JC and 18 points from Kuz to go with 10 boards for a double-double.

Final Score: @ Dallas 107-101 (OT) [W]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180113/LALDAL#/recap

Next Game: @ Memphis (01/15) <-- b="">*Open Thread and Full Recap posts*

Highlights: *Courtesy of Rapid Highlights*

Just give Randle the ball inside and let him do his thing. That was the highlight of this game. The Mavs, as good of an effort they put out this game, they had no answer for Randle inside the paint. He straight up bullied them inside throughout the whole game. And, he came up big for the Lakers in overtime with a critical offensive rebound and the score to give them the lead for good. It's awesome to see how the tables have turned and it seemed like the Lakers knew that their winning streak would be put to the test on the road. This game was an example of two bottom-feeder teams playing for pride. But, in the end, the Lakers came out on top. KCP missed a game-clinching free throw to set this game up into OT. But then again, Dennis Smith Jr., Wesley Matthews, Harrison Barnes, the way they played from deep, would've tied it up. But, KCP still had a good game. Jordan Clarkson and Kyle Kuzma in the past few games looked pedestrian, but it's good to see them back on their game. Clarkson is finding ways to score. This was the best he looked after being non-existent the past two games. Kuzma is back to shooting efficiently from the field and racking up double-doubles and it was great to see that Kuz is back in form showing off all the total package on offense and the underrated unselfish playmaking ability. It's been awhile since the Lakers notched a winning streak this long. They're rekindling that identity of being aggressive. On another note, Brandon Ingram had an ankle sprain in this game. Reading from it, he sustained it in the early part of the 1st quarter. B.I. played so well the last couple of games and this is the last thing we Laker fans want to hear. Ankle sprains are not always serious though. But, I wouldn't be surprised if the Lakers held him out on the MLK Monday game against Memphis for precautionary reasons. The Grizzlies are struggling, there's no denying that. But, Memphis is always a tough place to play at and the Lakers should expect another barn burner for that game. I'll see you guys on Monday.

Lakers Stifle Short-Handed Spurs for 3rd Consecutive Win

Welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers' matchup vs. the San Antonio Spurs where the Lakers rack up their 3rd win in a row, beating the Spurs 81-93.

The Lakers are now 3-0 since LaVar Ball opened his mouth about Luke Walton losing the team. All jokes aside, this was another great team victory by the Lakers. Defense-to-offense was in full effect like the last two games against the Hawks and the Kings. That's how they get their fast pace style of play going. The Lakers have recommitted to playing good, team defense, running the floor, attacking the basket, and unselfishly distributing the ball around. That's their identity right now and they've rekindled it during this winning streak. They've had some lapses this game just like in Tuesday's game against Sacramento. San Antonio came storming back by generating turnovers of their own. Most of it was because the Lakers started to get too cute with the passing, but they remained surprisingly calm and stringed together another strong finish to the game.

(+)

Brandon Ingram, 26 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists. Laker fans, B.I. is evolving before our very eyes. There will be continued lapses with Ingram's game, but this game shows that he can flat out score when all phases of his offensive game is on display. The aggressiveness was there. The mid range jumper. The 3-point shot. It's safe to say that Ingram likes playing the Spurs. He poured in 30 points last year against them and that was when Kawhi Leonard was healthy. Tonight, he had 26 against them, despite the Spurs being shorthanded.

Lonzo Ball, 18 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals. The turnovers in the 3rd quarter took off some points for Ball having a great game, but I'm gonna let it slide. The biggest thing was that Ball hit shots from deep and disrupted the flow of the Spurs' ball movement. The fact that Zo' connected on 4-7 shots from 3-point land is an encouraging sign in terms of scoring. From my view, those shots looked like confident shots. That's going to be Lonzo's key to get his shot to fall and become more effective as a scorer while he's doing a solid job stuffing the stats sheets elsewhere.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, 10 points, 5 steals. KCP stepped up his play in the 3rd quarter when the Spurs went on a run to start the 2nd half. He gave the Lakers some needed defense-to-offense possessions that jump started his scoring. And in the fourth quarter, KCP just started picking pockets being the epicenter of additional turnovers forced against the Spurs' offense.

Larry Nance Jr., 14 point, 10 rebounds. And Nance was the epicenter of 2nd chance opportunities, leading the Lakers with 5 offensive boards. There's no further description needed for Nance's heart, hustle, and athletic ability. Get this guy in the dunk contest ASAP. He might've solidified his case when he made an acrobatic grab to throw down the alley oop dunk set up by KCP in transition.

(-)

2nd Half turnovers. Lonzo was guilty of five of those turnovers. It was the result of being too fancy with the unselfish play. The Spurs took advantage of that and made this game competitive before the Lakers recovered and pulled away.

Foul trouble. Brook Lopez had 4 fouls. Nance had 4 fouls. Randle had 3 fouls. Obviously, they had their hands full trying to contain Aldridge and Gasol inside tonight.

MVP

Lonzo Ball, 18 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals

Got our first upset here in terms of game MVP. I could've easily have given this to Ingram because of his 26 point performance. But, I thought Lonzo had the better all-around game and affected the game more. The turnovers in the 2nd half hurt definitely, but the 3-ball was working for him, he continually pushed the ball, and was one of the catalyst in forcing San Antonio into a lot of turnovers.

Conclusion

This young Lakers squad is slowly climbing themselves out of the gutter and got back to the identity which made them underrated to start the season. The frustrating part is that they drift away from it easily. But, I think as long as Lonzo is on the floor and hopefully 100% the rest of the way, the Lakers will stick to the identity of playing good team, defense, running the floor, attacking the basket, and infectiously moving the ball with high energy. Right now at a 3-game winning streak, they are reconstructing their confidence, which is the big thing this team needed after going through a 9-game funk. They must continue to stick to their identity if they want to keep this train rolling. Now, it's time to take that show on the road as they go on a 3-game road trip from against the Mavs, Grizzlies, and Thunder. Stay tuned for a quick fact check on the Mavs game on Saturday and I'll see you guys on MLK Day on Monday when the Lakers take on the Grizzlies.

01/11: LAKERS vs. Spurs 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

This is the 2nd half open thread of the Lakers-Spurs matchup on TNT. As usual, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q4

SAS 81 LAL 93

It's been awhile since the Lakers got three straight wins. This quarter was great in a way the Lakers put the clamps on defensively as the Spurs were making runs. They got back to the basics in generating turnovers and turning defense into offense with some buckets that sealed the deal for them. San Antonio may have been shorthanded, missing key pieces, but they still put up a fight and they're still a contender in the west. Looks like the Lake Show is building their confidence back. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3

SAS 62 LAL 68

Not a bad finish for the Lakers. But, they have a tendency to be a little fancy when playing with the lead and that resulted in the Spurs storming right back into this game. Turnovers played a factor in this quarter. Lonzo was the culprit of most of those. He's putting a lot of air on those passes or trying to fit them into tight windows, which is the last thing the Lakers need. KCP couldn't have gotten hot at a right time like this. Lakers were crumbling and he stepped up the scoring and created some defense-to-offense possessions.

01/11: LAKERS vs. San Antonio Spurs 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Welcome in to the first half open thread of the Lakers' Thursday Night matchup vs. the San Antonio Spurs. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q2

SAS 38 LAL 49


One thing's for sure is that the Spurs aren't the type of team that'll lie down for far more inferior teams and just like that in an instant, they took over down the stretch of the quarter to cut the lead into single digits. The Lakers responded well with the Spurs' run and they finished strong in the 2nd quarter. Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball are early headliners this game. Game-by-game, you see Ingram be more comfortable with his ability to shoot. The mid range has improved drastically and the 3-point game is coming along, especially in this game. Lonzo Ball, perfect 4-4 from the field so far and 3-3 from three point land, which is the astonishing stat. That alone is a good sign that his shot is starting to come together and he's shooting that ball with confidence. The big keys in the Lakers' lead over the Spurs is that they're creating turnovers and getting 2nd chance points. In this quarter alone, the Lakers' have disrupted San Antonio's offensive flow about 4-5 times, which ignited a big lead. They've done a nice job in putting on ball pressure and create turnovers that would allow them to play at their pace. That's pretty much on how they should beat the Spurs, force them on uncharacteristic turnovers and crash the boards offensively for 2nd chance points. They must continue to do that for the next 24 minutes. The 2nd half will open up shortly.

Q1

SAS 15 LAL 20

A slow start for both teams. But, a nice strong finish from the Lakers. Turnovers hindered them throughout this quarter and the Spurs were able to play at their pace. They've done a good job at preventing the Lakers from playing a fast and furious pace that we're accustomed to seeing in these last few games. But, Brandon Ingram has grabbed headlines this quarter with 9 points to start. He had a similar start on Tuesday when he was perfect from the field and racking up 10 points. You can see the improvement in the mid range shot as well as the three point shot. Combine that with the aggressiveness he brings, he's gonna be special. 2nd chance opportunities have helped the Lakers early on as well in this game as Larry Nance Jr. has been at the epicenter of it.

Lakers Top Kings to Win 2nd Straight

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Yahoo Sports*

Julius Randle racked up a double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds to go with 6 assists to power the Lakers past the Kings 86-99. Lonzo Ball recorded a near triple-double grabbing 11 boards and 11 dimes despite scoring just 5 points. Brook Lopez added 18 points, KCP added 16 points, Brandon Ingram tallied up 15 points, and Larry Nance Jr. chipped in off the bench with 10 points and 8 rebounds.

Final Score: vs. Sacramento 86-99 [W]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180109/SACLAL#/recap

Next Game: vs. San Antonio (01/11) <-- b="">*Open Thread and Full Recap Posts*

Highlights: *Courtesy of Splash Highlights*

The last win against the Hawks was a cruise control type of win for the Lakers. This one, they were in a bit of a fight against their longtime rivals, but they pulled it together to grab the win. They started this game, opening up a 8-26 lead. Brandon Ingram got off to a perfect start with 11 points on 4-4 shooting when I looked at the stats sheet in the first quarter. The Lakers carried over their fast break attack from the Hawks game. They finished with a big time cushion in the fast break with 35 points to the Kings' 8. Of course, Zo' was the catalyst behind the tempo, pace, and ball movement in the Lakers' favor. The Kings came storming back though, pitching a 22-0 run that got them back into this game in the 1st quarter and made it competitive for the most part. Turnovers were a factor based on the numbers. The Lakers committed 25 turnovers while the Kings committed 16. They got too cute with the passing in some spurts of the game. The thing that was impressive is that the Lakers kept their composure despite blowing that fantastic start the 1st quarter and picked it up in the middle of the 2nd half. Brook Lopez stood out that quarter, 5-8 shooting from 3-point range, finishing with 18 points. Lakers definitely needed him to get going. Julius Randle was a little out of control with the 6 turnovers, but still played bully ball in the paint in terms of scoring and rebounding. It's been awhile since we've seen the Lakers on a win streak. With all the hoopla on the 9-game losing streak, Lavar Ball's comments that Luke might've lost the team, the young Lakers are responding with competitive and unselfish play. Although, this winning streak may not last considering the next opponent. The Spurs are a very consistent franchise as long as Gregg Popovich is on the sidelines. They are a team that mastered the art of playing unselfish basketball. The way they play and distribute the ball around is like poetry in motion. No question, it's a big test for the Lakers on Thursday. I'll see you guys back on the blog for that game.

Lakers Round Up Commentary: vs. OKC, vs. CHA, vs. Atlanta

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com*

Alright, I'm back from my absence. I'm still not 100% yet and I know I have some catching up to do in terms of blog posts. So, instead of me doing a single Quick Fact Check and Commentary posts on the three games that I missed while sick, I'm going to conglomerate them together into a single post. This is not going to happen too much. It's only if I'm unable to perform my duties on this blog because of some health ailments.

01/03 - Final Score: vs. Oklahoma City 133-96 [L]

Highlights: *courtesy of MLG Highlights*

I did watch this shellacking of a game while I was bed-ridden and yes, this is one of the more brutal losses the Lakers had this season. At the same time, it was inevitable. The Thunder just had a lot of star power that the Lakers' young core couldn't touch. It was all good for the start of the game though. The Lakers jumped out of the gate for a 0-14 lead. They were aggressive to start, but then Westbrook, PG, and Melo took over. It was like as if OKC spotted the Lakers 14 quick points before OKC's "OK3" stopped the party and put the game way out of reach for the Lakers before halftime. Terrance Ferguson going off for 24 points was icing on the cake for the Thunder. The guy barely got any playing time until Andre Roberson got hurt, barely hit any three pointers. This game, he drained three after three and turned this game into a dunk contest audition in garbage time.

01/05 - Final Score: vs. Charlotte 108-94 [L]

Highlights: *courtesy of Rapid Highlights*

The Lakers got Lonzo Ball back in this game and automatically, we would think that the Lakers would get their mojo back in terms sharing the ball and reviving some intensity on the defensive side of the ball. That wasn't case against the Hornets on Friday night. The big time beneficiary of Lonzo's return was Brandon Ingram. He grabbed a double-double of 22 points and 14 rebounds. B.I. was definitely reeling in Zo's absence and he returned to form. The aggressiveness was there and the mid range shot was falling. But, like in the OKC game, the Lakers didn't have a lot of fight. It also didn't help that Clarkson and Kuzma shot poorly this game. KCP only took 3 shots and didn't register a single point, not even a trip to the free throw line. 

01/07 - Final Score: vs. Atlanta 113-132 [W]

Highlights: *courtesy of Rapid Highlights*

Luckily for the Lakers, they're not the absolute worst in the NBA. And this game right here proved it as the Lakers battled the Hawks in who's worst of the worst.  The Hawks coming in was the perfect storm for the Lakers to prevent the franchise from going into further infamy with a possible franchise record 10 straight losses. Fastbreak points were the big difference maker in this game. I remember seeing the graphic in the first that the Lakers scored 24 points in transition while the Hawks registered zilch on the fastbreak. That's what was envisioned of the Lakers when they got Lonzo Ball in the draft is them running the floor, harkening back to the Showtime days. The Hawks missed a shot, the Lakers are on the run. The Lakers made a defensive stop, they're on the run. This game was truly refreshing to see compared to the losses against the Thunder and Hornets where the Lakers were not looking to attack 95% of the time. Brandon Ingram stood out this game with 20 points and 7 assists. It was a good overall game for B.I. in terms of scoring and facilitating. Ball had his 3-point game going early on. KCP, now that he's served his jail time, notched three more 3-pointers and 14 points overall to finish the game. The Hawks had no answer and Dennis Schroder probably broke his back after this game from carrying them since he was literally Atlanta's only source of offense. 

Lakers-Thunder Blog Posts Canceled

Good evening guys. MechG here. Unfortunately, I can't cover tonight's Lakers matchup vs. the Thunder. I'm currently under the weather. I'll provide a Quick Fact Check and Commentary on this game as soon as I recover. Next nationally televised Laker game will be on me.

Lakers Can't Overcome Slow Start vs. T'Wolves

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Yahoo Sports*

Julius Randle notched a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds to the Lakers, but the Timberwolves lead proved to be insurmountable as the Lakers lose 96-114 to open up 2018. Brandon Ingram added 14 points and Josh Hart chipped in 10 points to round out the starters. Jordan Clarkson lead the 2nd unit in scoring with 20 points and Corey Brewer added 12 points.

Final Score: @ Minnesota 96-114 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180101/LALMIN#/recap

Next Game: vs. Oklahoma City (01/03) <-- b="">*Open Thread and Full Recap Posts*

Highlights: *Courtesy of Rapid Highlights*

Prior to this game, the Lakers were in a dogfight with the Rockets the other night since this was a back-to-back set. They took Houston to double overtime and we're all thinking how much energy was sapped out of them during this back-to-back set? The result, the Lakers dug themselves a 0-14 hole to start the game last night. I read an article that the Lakers started so bad that Luke Walton pulled the starters early, hence why Clarkson and Brewer came off the bench earlier than expected. Defensively, the Lakers lacked a whole lot of energy during that terrible start. The defensive pressure was non-existent and players were half a step behind in putting hand up to contest a shot. When Clarkson and Brewer came in, they helped provide some spark on offense and defense respectively. Despite the fast start, the Timberwolves let the Lakers hung around for a bit and the Lakers took advantage of that to make a run. Minnesota shot 7-20 from three point land which probably was one of the reasons why the Lakers still had a pulse in this game. It would've been a whole different story if Karl Anthony-Towns was given the ball more, but Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins helped stepped up and ensured the Timberwolves won this in wire-to-wire fashion. The biggest common denominator here is that the Lakers are seriously missing Lonzo Ball and Brook Lopez during this losing skid. Lopez has not had a good season, but he's a proven threat to score from inside or outside and the Lakers are missing that. Without Zo, it's obvious that the assists numbers have dipped. Ingram and Kuzma for example, their numbers and percentages are dipping because Lonzo sets them up well for high percentage looks to the basket. The good news is that they're cleared for practice and likely a game time call for tomorrow's game against the Thunder. Speaking of the Lakers vs. Thunder, you've all heard the Paul George rumors by now. That game is basically their audition to try and entice PG13 to come next Summer. I'll see you guys tomorrow for that.