The Silver and Black Shitshow: Chapter 1 - "Down on Their 'Luck' (Pilot)"

*Reader's Discretion Advised*

After the Seattle shellacking in the U.K., the Silver and Black Shitshow returned back to their confines of Alameda. From the orders of Tank Commander Gruden, everyone must go. Despite the Chuckster's efforts of assuring the media that they're not tanking and they're not trading everyone, he continues to turn the other way. In the most recent edition of the Oakland Purge, Tank Commander Gruden orders Freckle Face Reggie to have Amari Cooper walk the plank down to the inglorious depths of Jerry World. Luckily for the Raiders, the Cowboys are stupid enough to offer a first round pick for a guy who has a serious case of dropsies. AC/DC has officially broke up, not the actual band at least. Tank Gruden proceeds to pull out more names on the trading block, putting Bruce Irvin and Karl Joseph out there. As if the Chuckster has no idea how much of a rift he caused in the locker room and in the front office. To make matters worse, the hometown Beast had to be put down until December, leaving Oaklanders absolutely zero reasons to give a fuck about this season as this team prepares to wander into the desert after this season is done with. Unfortunately, it's another middle finger to the town that bore them. You'd really think they want to win one last time for the city of Oakland? To add more insult to injury, Captain Checkdown Derek tweeted that he loves the struggle of fighting back for Oakland. Oh, the irony coming from a guy who called out Oakland Raider fans in mourning as fake fans last year when the Las Vegas move was first announced. As a matter of fact be glad the Tank Commander hasn't dropped you to the wolves with that $125 million sitting on your lap.

With all the lies, slander, and division surrounding this shitshow, the only thing that could remedy all this is a win against the hapless Colts and their quarterback, Andrew who is down on his "Luck." As Checkdown Derek is assured his starting job is safe, now was his time to erase the horrors of 2016 against the same Colts team in the same Oakland Coliseum. Somehow, someway Checkdown Derek rekindled the Derek Carr that was fearless two years ago. It was the resurrection of our lord and savior indeed as Carr threw 3 TD passes and snuck in for a rushing TD. The man eluded every pressure that the Colts D threw at him. But, that wasn't enough to stop General Luck and the union army from Indianapolis. While the offense did work, the defense continued to be walking doormat for opposing offenses. How ironic that a running back who has the last name Mack ran over this pathetic excuse for a run defense as Marlon Mack rushed for 132 yards and 2 TDs. Perhaps it was a harbinger of things to come when the actual Mack from Chicago returns to wherever the fuck the next home is next year for the Silver and Black shitshow. Now, it's the shitshow who are down on their luck in this game as General Andrew romped over Tank Commander Gruden's unit through the air with 3 TDs, two of them to Tight Ends. Ah, the glory days when this defense made average Joe Tight Ends looks like Pro Bowlers. To make matters worse, Doug Martin forgets how to hold onto the fucking football as he makes a costly turnover late in the fourth to put the game on ice.

Overall, it was a good cock tease to give a Raider Nation in the midst of a "Warring States Period" a glimmer of hope. But then the team remembers that they have a tank job to do for picks that may turn out to be the next Khalil Mack or Amari Cooper if they ever find one. List out as many lies and excuses as you want Chucky. Fill out all 32 draft boards in the first round if you like. Just don't lose to the Red and Gold Diggers in my hometown on Thursday please? That's all I ask. The last Battle of the Bay has the makings to be the shitshow of all shitshows that fans would rather surf on their phones with the state-of-the-art WiFi at Levi's rather than pay attention to the shitty product that's in front of them. At least the Bay Area still has the Warriors and their fucking OP team.

Lakers Weekly Roundup (10/28): "Two Wins, But Still Can't Beat the Spurs!"

*Some NSFW language*

Welcome in to the first edition of the Lakers' Weekly roundup. So, our Lakers carried on without Slenderman and Rondo Rousey (for 75% of this week). This wasn't a bad week for Showtime reincarnate, but they couldn't find a way to beat the San Antonio White Walkers lead by the Pop King. Let's see how they fared for the week:

Oct 22: vs. San Antonio [L] 143-142 (OT) (0-3)

Full postgame recap HERE

Once again, the defense had a lot of problems as they allowed the Spurs to drop 40 points in the first quarter. KuzMania ran wild to lead the Lakers back so did LeBron with a game tying three. Unfortunately, we were introduced to the old glory days of LeBron turning from "LeClutch" to "LeChoke" as he missed key free throws down the stretch, which set up the Spurs to steal one in LaLa Land.

Oct 24: @ Phoenix [W] 131-113 (1-3)

HIGHLIGHTS

Finally Luke! It took you long enough to insert Josh Hart in the lineup over Kentavious Caldwell-Poop. The lineup changes translated in a W over the hapless Suns, which saw unlikely contributions from JaVale McGee, Shaqtin' a Fool legend with 20 points and 4 blocks and Make 'em Dance Lance Stephenson with 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists off the bench. Then again, this win is against the lowly Suns who despite having a promising young core are still having all kinds of problems. GM fired. More injuries plague Devin Booker. I wouldn't be surprise if this team also tanks for Zion Williamson next year. Jeez, how many first round picks do y'all need? Well, trust the process Suns fans. Whatever floats your boat. Maybe your team pulls a Philadelphia 76ers down the line.

Oct 25: vs. Denver [W] 114-121 (2-3)

HIGHLIGHTS

The Lakers come back home to take on the previously undefeated Nuggets after they put a curb stomp on the Suns. The Nuggets just came off an early signature win against the arrogant fucks from the East Bay and dismantling the Queens. Tough test for the Lakers indeed. But, in the words of the late Dennis Green, the Nuggets "are who we thought they were," a fringe playoff team at best in the West. King James pierced a "Lance" on their promising start, taking down the Joker (Nikola Jokic) and his henchmen, while earning his first triple double in the Purple and Gold. Meanwhile, Lonzo Ball was a thief in the night with 5 steals and a cold blooded assassin with a step back 3 at the end of the fourth to put the game away. Hmmm...maybe LiAngelo could learn from his big bro to steal. Steal balls on the court, not steal fake Gucci products in China off the court.

Oct 27: @ San Antonio [L] 106-110 (2-4)

HIGHLIGHTS

Rajon Rondo's Shaqtin' Moment

The Lakers are riding high after a slow start. They can get to .500. They could redeem themselves from Monday's lost against the Spurs by beating them in San Antonio. Rondo is back, they're almost at full strength. Unfortunately, that didn't bode well for coach Walton and his Lukewarm rotation. I mean cause playing two pass first guards in the same lineup works right? Lonzo probably partied a little too hard for his 21st birthday being a non-factor all game. Well, the good thing here is that LeBron surpassed the Master of Awkward Basketball in Dirk Nowitzki on the all-time scoring list. Congrats LeBron. But sorry Rondo had to trigger your PTSD of J.R. Smith in the finals as he passed up a wide open layup for a contested three. The definition of an open layup in the clutch does not exist in the dictionary for Rondo. Then again, Lakers had no timeouts, so I can definitely see why he did that. BUT STILL, WTF WAS THAT LAST PLAY? I think DeMar DeRozan found the right team to break the LeBron jinx he couldn't overcome in Toronto. Oh wait, there's still a lot of games to play.

Changes to the Blog (10/27)

Hey guys, so apologies to that fall out on Thursday. I was supposed to cover the Lakers-Nuggets game here on the blog, but my schedule said otherwise. I'm happy the Lakers got that win though. And they'll look to keep the train rolling tonight against San Antonio in a grudge match from Monday night's gut-wrenching OT loss. Since that set a precedent, I have to start tailoring my schedule of maintaining that work/school/life balance. Obviously weekdays, I work from 8:30AM-5:30PM. A majority of the Lakers' road games are east coast time, so obviously I won't make it too much for road games. Next week, the Lakers play the Timberwolves in Minnesota on NBA TV at 5:00 PM start time. Obviously, they'll be relegated to the new quick recap format I am drawing up right now. For home games and road games that tailor to West Coast time (@ Golden State, @ LA Clippers, @ Phoenix, @ Portland, etc.), I'll have greater availability there since the games usually start at 7:30 PM. Again, to avoid last Thursday's fallout, consider me a game time decision on those days depending on how my schedule works out (that is on my online classes side).

The New Quick Recap Format - Lakers

In the past, I provided quick recaps for games that are not nationally televised. I provide stat lines from the actual NBA.com website and recently, commentary based on the highlights. Starting Monday, I'll have a weekly round up of Laker games that occur during the past week and provide an all-in-one post of those games. That'll include the games I covered that week (like the San Antonio game last Monday night). Instead of putting up stat lines and formal commentary, which people might think is a little passe, I'd thought I put my spin on things in a creative or edgy way. Because honestly, I think this blog needs have a little more attitude put into it. I've been watching a lot UrinatingTree stuff on YouTube lately and me being a former fanfiction writer in my past life, I'd thought I'd rekindle some of that.

The Fate of the Following Raiders Games *NSFW Language*

Ah yes, speaking of a little attitude to this blog, look no further on which of my teams would demonstrate the awesome power of shitposting. If you haven't looked at Week 6's recap where I ripped the team a new one after their abomination in London, you'd probably be wondering where I'm getting at. The Silver and Black Shitshow will be an idea incarnated because of the dumpster fire that is surrounding this team that I used to call the Raiders. The main players that'll revolve around is the Tank Commander himself, the Chuckster, Jon "Spider 2 Y I'm Gonna Trade Ya For Picks" Gruden, "$125 million Checkdown" Derek as they embark on a quest to become the dumpster of all dumpster fires in their road to Vegas, and Mark Davis, whose face looks like it was over cooked in an oven and has a haircut that makes Lloyd Christmas' hair look fairly decent. Perhaps, this is going to be some therapy after eating up a pile of those losses. Because honestly, this team is devoid of a whole lot of talent. The first chapter will premiere on Wednesday before they take on their twin Bay Area Red and Gold shitshow in the final Battle of the Bay showdown on Thursday night. Bragging rights? More like which Bay Area football team isn't absolute shit rights. But first, they get their hands Sunday against the Colts and an Andrew who is down on his Luck.

No Lakers-Nuggets Coverage on the Blog Tonight

Okay, so this one is on me since I underestimated my real life schedule big time. As the headline reads, I am cancelling the open thread of Lakers-Nuggets on TNT tonight. Just bear in mind, you'll see a couple of no-shows from me in the coming weeks. As you know, I'm working and taking some graduate courses, so you understand the difficulty of work/school/life balance. I'll go into this more in a little detail on a separate post. Thanks for understanding guys.

From Hero to Zero: LeBron Carries Lakers to OT; Misses Free Throws vs. Spurs

Welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers' matchup vs. the San Antonio Spurs where it was an offensive exhibition between both teams as they carried it to OT. But in the end, the Spurs came out on top, beating the Lakers 143-142.

All of that effort and it all was in vein. I'm still frustrated at that loss. But at the end of the day, good teams find ways to win. And the Spurs, as much of a makeover they've done over the offseason, as long as Gregg Popovich is coaching that team in San Antonio, they're a good team until further notice. The Lakers had every opportunity to put the Spurs away in that OT. They had all that momentum. But, an ill-advised three, free throws and giving Patty Mills all kinds of room to hit the game-winner cost the Lakers here. It didn't help that the defense spared the Spurs 40 points to start the game. The loss against Houston was frustrating. This was one of the more disappointing losses to start the season.

(+)

Kyle Kuzma, 37 points, 8 rebounds, 15-25 shooting. No Brandon Ingram, it was time for "Kuzmania" to run wild. And did he now. The whole game changed when Kuzma took over the scoring in the 2nd half. He was just an absolute monster from end-to-end and off the dribble. He showed no fear of absorbing contact from the man in front of him, attacking the basket at will. The three-point shot down stretch was bigger than LeBron's game-tying three. My only gripe is why didn't we get the ball to him more in OT? Luke Walton and the coaching staff ran sets for LeBron, but what about Kuzma in that situation? They could've taken off some pressure from LeBron with the way Kuzma's been performing.

Josh Hart, 20 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, 8-14 shooting. Honestly, Luke Walton should give the reins for Hart to start going forward. Three games in and he's outperformed KCP this game. The double-double stat line right here says it all. He shot the three-ball here when needed. He hustled his tail off this game. He's clearly in sync with LeBron than KCP is. Start him!

Johnathan Williams, 8 points, 4 rebounds, 3 blocks. JaVale McGee fouled out early in OT. Zubac was non-factor as usual. Luke had to go deep into the bench to put Johnathan Williams into the rotation. And he put the minutes to good use, especially in OT. Williams' hustle and defense was there, but it was all in vein.

(-)

DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge. DeRozan broke the LeBron jinx for now. Both he and Aldridge shredded the Lakers inside tonight. DeRozan with 32 points and 14 assists. Aldridge with 37 points and 10 rebounds. DeRozan disrupted the Lakers' defensive assignments and he got a lot of teammates involved from Rudy Gay to Bryn Forbes to Patty Mills the list goes on. He did damage as a mid range scorer and facilitator. But, the guy who did the most damage was LaMarcus Aldridge. His 15-foot jumpshot is near unstoppable. No matter how many looks the Lakers threw at him, he just found ways to score and find himself to put up more points on the free throw line. He was the main why Patty Mills was able to knock down the game-winning shot was because the defense feared Aldridge inside the post that much. Mills faked the pass to Aldridge on Lonzo and that allowed Zo to flinch a bit to get the double team on Aldridge. The Spurs executed that perfectly and Mills used that open space to knock down the J to secure the Spurs a victory.

LeBron James. For the namesake of this title. This was one of the many concerns of bringing in LeBron. Despite, some godly statistics he finds ways to just crack under pressure when the team needs him to take over. Don't get me wrong, LeBron had a solid game with 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 14 assists. He hit the game tying three. He would've been in my MVP conversation along with Kuzma. But, there were some critical mistakes he made down the stretch in OT. 'Bron went for the "home run" three to try and put the Spurs away. It clanked off. The Spurs hit a three to cut the Lakers lead to one. LeBron at the free throw. Needed two or one out of two, he didn't hit any of them. The game-winning 3-point attempt that rimmed off. Those were prime examples of why we used to call LeBron "LeChoke" all those years of rooting against him. It also didn't help he started 1-9 from the field.

Luke Walton. You're thinking correctly if Luke Walton is on the hot seat. The defense has allowed 100+ points a game. Rotations are questionable. He puts in Zubac over Johnathan Williams first. As a result, non-factor. Sets off the timeout are dull and uninspiring. And he's still electing to go with KCP over Josh Hart. I've predicted this in my season preview. He's gotta start coaching for his job. Then again, Portland, Houston, and San Antonio have high-powered offenses, so maybe I'll give a little leeway. But, if Phoenix drops 100+ points too, then trouble lies ahead for Luke.

MVP

Kyle Kuzma, 37 points, 8 rebounds, 15-25 shooting

LeBron would've been here too had he not choke out the game. Kuzmania ran wild tonight and he helped carry the Lakers back in this game. Again, I don't understand why Luke didn't involve him more in OT. He was clearly in the zone tonight.




Conclusion

If I heard correctly, no team has ever gone to the playoffs after 0-3. After this dismal start to the season, it's time we pump the brakes on this Lakers team. Clearly, this team needs a lot more time to build chemistry and it doesn't help that your promising star and savvy vet PG is not on that floor for multiple games. I still have this team going 6-8 seed at best, missing out in the playoffs at worst. Those expecting an instant championship or Western Conference Finals appearance need to tamper down expectations a bit. It was all fun and games, now we gotta look at the big picture. This team has a long ways to go before they can get back to championship material. Wednesday should be a start going up against Phoenix. Then again, the West is very unpredictable. So anything can happen. The game will not be nationally televised so as usual, expect a quick recap from me. But, I'm going to do something different this time around and you will see it the week after. Next nationally televised game is Thursday on TNT against the Nuggets. You wonder how much more trouble defending Jokic would be compared to Aldridge tonight. I'll see you guys for that game.

10/22: LAKERS vs. Spurs 2nd Half Open Thread

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

OT

SAS 143 LAL 142

They had it. They almost had it. Just a couple of dumb luck decisions in the final stretch. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q4

SAS 128 LAL 128

This game has been unbelievable! The Spurs had a six point lead down the stretch. Usually, that would be over there. But a clutch three from Kuzma cut the lead to three. The Lakers needed a defensive stop. They get one. And who better to tie it up with LeBron James who couldn't hit anything from beyond the arc. He hit it when it mattered the most. And he wasn't even ready for that possession. LeBron was directing traffic and Hart prematurely gave it to him. And he's like "I'll take this shot." And we're tied. OT here!

Q3

SAS 99 LAL 96

That was a good effort there to get back in the game. It was just marred by that wasted possession down the stretch and Davis Bertans' 3-point shot for San Antonio to maintain the lead. So far, that small-ball lineup with Svi, Williams, Stephenson, Kuz, and Hart has worked. That lineup was responsible to help rally the Lakers to make this a three-point game. But on the Spurs' side, LaMarcus Aldridge was a man among boys that quarter. No matter how good the Lakers defended him, they just couldn't find a way to stop his sweet turn around J. The Lakers are fortunate to be down just three. And LeBron hasn't taken over the game yet. Looking at it, Luke Walton will stick with the same small-ball lineup to start the 4th quarter.

10/22: LAKERS vs. San Antonio Spurs 1st Half Open Thread

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


Q2

SAS 65 LAL 60

Ah, that last shot by Kuzma was way off. That would've had Staples Center explode off the roof tops heading into the half. At least, this was a much better effort from the Lakers this quarter than the last one. The Lakers are better off when they're playing at their fast pace and we saw a lot of that this quarter. It all starts on the defensive end. This team settled down defensively and started generating some turnovers on the Spurs' side as well as securing defensive rebounds here and there. JaVale McGee and Kyle Kuzma brought the hustle and aggressiveness. Kuz in particular just took this quarter over. The team is short-handed without Ingram and Rondo and he just took matters into his own hands, scoring inside and going coast-to-coast in transition. Overall, the fast pace system was on full display here as it was non-existent in the first quarter. They just now have to find a way to contain the Spurs' motion offense for the rest of the game, especially stop their midrange game. The Spurs were effective with that in the first half. As usual, they play some really great team basketball under Gregg Popovich. That's the main difference this game. The other? LeBron James hasn't gone off yet. So this deficit is definitely favorable on the Lakers' side to set up a 2nd half takeover from the King. We'll see what happens. The 2nd half will open up shortly.

Q1

SAS 40 LAL 26

The Lakers got their work cut out for them. This was not a good quarter. The Spurs came right out of the gate and it was a mid range assault for them. DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge had a field day out there from mid range. There was nothing the Lakers can do to stop them. The Lakers had some momentum going with a two-handed slam by KCP and LeBron's no look to Josh Hart. Lonzo Ball got off to a fantastic start with 10 points. But, they're still down by a lot and it's going to be a long climb.

Lakers Drop to 0-2 in Rumble with Rockets

Welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers' home opener vs. the Houston Rockets where the Rockets made some key buckets down the stretch to help spoil LeBron's home debut 124-115.

Ugh, as I said, this is going to be one of most frustrating early season losses. It's been said before that good teams find ways to win and the Rockets did just that. They made timely buckets down the stretch. James Harden took the game over since Chris Paul's ejection and momentum just escalated in favor of the Rockets. Their loss against New Orleans on Wednesday definitely helped them wake up for this one.

(+)

JaVale McGee, 16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 blocks, 7-11 shooting. Didn't I say something along the lines that McGee is going to have a career year in LA? He continues to do so. I was surprised he hit a couple of a jump shots tonight. Even hitting a fadeaway off a broken possession. Of course, he had a field day on defense with the blocks. McGee literally almost swatted everything that came his way. It was a block party with McGee in the paint.

Lonzo Ball, 14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 5-10 shooting. This was a sight for sore eyes for Ball to rain down some threes. He did fire a pair of air balls, which puts a damper on his game. Defense wasn't on point as well. Then again, Chris Paul and James Harden are offensive maestros in the back court. But, Zo looks like he's regaining his bounce. I liked his hustle and activity tonight. Especially with Rondo facing suspension, Zo is going to have a lot more run.

(-)

Rajon Rondo and Brandon Ingram suspensions. Now, this has got to be the biggest storyline heading forward into the season  Let me break this down play-by-play. Like about late in the 4th quarter, James Harden drew a foul on Ingram as he got on the fastbreak. Ingram got frustrated and shoved Harden from behind. Both of them had to be separated. Ingram proceeded to take his frustrations on the officials. Then another incident occurred between Rondo and CP3. Both exchanged punches with CP3 claiming that Rondo spit on him. But, Ingram got himself into the brawl and landed a near haymaker on CP3. As a result, all three were ejected and possibly facing lengthy suspensions. Rondo and CP3 are seasoned veterans, so this likely hurts them less. But, CP3's absence could hinder the Rockets. The suspension definitely hurts Ingram. Yes, the Rockets have a tendency to draw fouls and it gets into every team's heads. I personally dislike the Rockets' antics. I especially can't stand CP3 as well. But, B.I. let the antics get into his head. It was very uncharacteristic given B.I's calm and collected demeanor to unleash such a side we've never seen from him before. It hurts thinking about the fact that he might serve as lengthy suspension because it's going to be detrimental to his growth. This season was projected as Ingram's coming-of-age as a superstar. And the fact that a long suspension looms over B.I. deteriorates that anticipated season. It's all in the hands in the NBA on what disciplinary action they could take.

Defensive breakdowns. On the game side, this was one of the reasons the Lakers lost this game. There was a lot of miscommunication on the defensive end. It's especially bad when you give Harden all the time in the world to shoot the ball because the Lakers left him open on certain sequences of this game. It was especially apparent down the stretch. P.J. Tucker is not a great three point shooter, but they have to close out regardless. And he hit a dagger three to give the Rockets some breathing room.

Free throw shooting. The Lakers need a high-percentage free throw shooter. It's saying something when the roster contains under 80% free throw shooters. KCP missed a technical free throw. Josh Hart failed to convert on the Flagrant 1 free throws. LeBron missed some free throws. Lance Stephenson split free throws at the worst possible time. There were many instances that the Lakers can creep back in had they made some key free throws, but it hasn't happened.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, 5 points, 2-8 shooting. I'll give KCP a few more games before we start putting the pitchforks on Luke Walton to start Josh Hart and give Svi Mykhailiuk a shot in the rotation. But right now, terrible start for KCP.

MVP

JaVale McGee, 16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 blocks, 7-11 shooting

JaVale McGee is in for a career year. Mark my words. He was pure energy tonight from both the offensive and defensive ends of the ball. Rockets had to drive on McGee at their own risk of getting their shot swatted back into the stands.


Conclusion

Oh , I'm missing how LeBron James did. Well, he didn't have a good shooting night. He still stuff the stat sheet as expected with 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. Just want to throw that out there. But, overall, we have to see what the repercussions are regarding B.I.'s status. Already a bad start and it could get even worse. But, this team has to refine the brotherhood, hang together, and face adversity in a tough Western Conference. I'll leave it at there. I'll see you guys Monday for the game against San Antonio.

10/20 - LAKERS vs. Rockets 2nd Half Open Thread

2nd half open thread of the Lakers-Rockets in L.A. As usual, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q4

HOU 124 LAL 115

Key threes helped seal this for the Rockets down the stretch. It's early in the season, but this is one of those frustrating losses. With that, we'll see what kind of repercussions will happen regarding that brawl down the stretch that involved a shove from behind by Ingram, then punches thrown by CP3 and Rondo happened and Ingram came from behind with a blindside punch to CP3. We don't know what will happen from there. This may be costly to what is a promising season if Ingram were to miss an extended period of time after this incident. More to come in the full recap.

Q3

HOU 98 LAL 97

That was such a push off from CP3. That put a damper from the Lakers closing this quarter out the right way. The fight in this Laker team is undeniable. It showed last season. Houston built a 10 point lead this quarter and it looked like they were gonna run away with it. But, the Lakers found ways to hung around with good defense and some timely shots. First Zo stays hot from deep with his 3rd three-pointer to give the Lakers the lead. Then Josh Hart hit a three for the Lakers to reclaim the lead. They lead briefly, the Chris Paul went to take over the game for the Rockets. This is possibly coming down to the last offensive possession and the last defensive stop the way this game is going.

10/20: Home Opener - LAKERS vs. Houston Rockets 1st half Open Thread

Welcome to the first half open thread of the Lakers' anticipated home opener vs. the Houston Rockets. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q2

HOU 66 LAL 62

Like I said, Houston can use the littlest of contacts to their advantage to launch their trip to the free throw line. But luckily, the Lakers are hanging around out there. Early 2nd quarter, the 2017 draft class helped spark a run. Lonzo Ball airballed badly on his first 3-point attempt. Then he came back this quarter to knock down back-to-back threes. The key for him is not to get those and scrutiny about his jump shot in his head and this quarter was a good confidence builder. Josh Hart and Kyle Kuzma helped out as well. Hart is just a dog out there with his scrappy effort. And Kuz surprisingly is showing some potential on the defensive end. He and McGee account for the team in blocks with six combined blocks. It's a result of very good timing to provide the help defense. That was very impressive. The biggest dud so far has been Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. He's struggling out the gate with five points on Thursday and his shot tonight have hit nothing but iron. The entire rotation has provided some contributions. I think if he can show up in the 2nd half, that can provide the Lakers a big time spark. The 2nd half will open up shortly.

Q1

HOU 31 LAL 28

We can live with the Lakers trailing by three. This was a very good pace to start by both teams. Both the Rockets and Lakers put out their small ball lineups in the middle of the first quarter. Lakers definitely had the edge with some good defensive plays to set them up in transition. But, the last minutes of the quarter, pretty silly fouls committed by them. The Rockets have a very good tendency to draw them whether contact or no contact. Those last few trips to the free throw line gave them the edge after one.

New Look Lakers Still Couldn't Beat Dame, Blazers

Welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers' 2018-19 season opener at the Portland Trail Blazers where the Blazers spoil the debut of LeBron James in Purple and Gold, beating the Lakers 119-128 to extend their win streak to 16 against them.

So you're telling me, the last guy who lead the Lakers' last win against the Blazers is still Wesley Johnson? I really don't know about this Blazers team. Since Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum emerged as stars in the backcourt for Portland, they've had the Lakers' number. Just when we thought, LeBron's arrival would change things, it hasn't. Well, at least for one game. But, Portland didn't just beat the Lakers again. The Lakers beat themselves with dismal three point shooting and a whole heap of turnovers.

(+)

LeBron James, 26 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 9-16 shooting. Well, let's evaluate LeBron's Laker debut shall we? It is what you expect. The numbers speak for themselves. LeBron did his work in the post and going strong to the cup. The dunk sequence between him and Lillard in the first quarter is something to behold if you're an overall fan of NBA basketball. It felt like an All-Star game during that sequence and luckily, I tuned in at the right time for that as I got home late for the game. But going back, expect these numbers on a consistent basis for LeBron. Definitely, he's going to have a high usage rate playing in the ever-competitive Western Conference. And that's a cause for concern going forward considering his mileage. The six turnovers were a blemish on LeBron's game tonight, which I'll address later, but his debut? It is what you expect.

JaVale McGee, 13 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks, 5-6 shooting. The Rondo-McGee PNR carried over well into the regular season. The Lakers as expected dominated the paint and McGee hovering inside was one of the many reasons. The defensive stats were solid with the three blocks. McGee brings what the Lakers have been lacking: a Center who can block shots on a regular basis and as devastating in finishing off screen and roll situations. He's in for a career year.

Rajon Rondo, 13 points, 11 assists, 6-13 shooting. We're accustomed to pedestrian numbers Rondo, but that represents his all-around game. Based on this game, Rondo is gonna have the edge over Zo at the starting PG position for the time being. He's just a savvy floor general that is a dual threat to score inside or set up plays for an open teammate.

Josh Hart, 20 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 5 blocks. Like I said in the preview, the shooting guard position is going to be an interesting position to look out for and Hart just put on the first stamp since KCP's scoring was nowhere to be found. Not to mention, he was the first player to find the stride from behind the arc when the Lakers were 0 for their first 14 on the three-point line. He played solid defense as well. The guy is a natural in putting a body up on players regardless of size.

(-)

3-point shooting. Perhaps this is the biggest blemish on this game. The Lakers finished up shooting 7 of 30 from the field according to NBA.com's stats. No lie, that was the most dismal 3-point shooting I've seen from this team. All 3-point attempts hit nothing but iron until the 3rd quarter. Don't get it twisted, there are players who are capable of hitting the 3-ball on this roster. But, they really lack a true sharpshooter that can knock down threes on a consistent basis. That's when they when their paint game becomes one-dimensional and the Blazers' defense was able to exploit that. Time to insert Svi Mykhailiuk into the rotation maybe.

Turnovers. Oh, the Blazers committed 16 turnovers while the Lakers committed 15. The biggest difference is that the Lakers turn the ball over when they are trailing and need a big bucket. It's been epidemic. But, I'm gonna let this slide because this team has a lot new parts and they're still getting a feel of their roles. If it's epidemic, especially when the Lakers are on the losing end, then it becomes a cause for concern.

Rebounding. Blazers 54 rebounds. Lakers 46 rebounds. Another concern is that even though the Lakers get most of their points in the paint, they are way too finesse and they don't box out on the boards. Portland is not too much of a physical team, but they just outmuscled the Lakers in terms of crashing the boards, especially when the Lakers are in small-ball mode with Kuzma at the 5. The size of the Trail Blzaers acted as a perfect counter-punch. There will be trouble ahead against the more physical teams.

Bench points. Blazers bench 55 points. Lakers 46 points. Nik Stauskas stepped up as the Blazers' third man, leading Portland's 2nd unit. The key to beating this Blazers team is to let Lillard and McCollum have their way, but stop everyone else. And once that third man gets going, they're hard to stop. Stauskas is an underrated player though, he's just been underutilized.

MVP

Josh Hart - 20 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 5 blocks

Let's face, it wouldn't be fair if I continually give this to LeBron with his numbers, so a little rock, paper, scissors here. Among the young core tonight, Hart showed out tonight. Points and defensive stats gave him the edge and not to mention, he was one of the players that got the Lakers' 3-point shooting going even though it was too little too late.


Conclusion

This is why I love that there isn't a lot of panic in the first game in the NBA because that is what it is, just one game. Yes, this loss tampers the Lakers' expectations by a bit. As always, the Western Conference is a bloodbath and it'll be a long-lasting bloodbath with now 81 games left. The Lakers aren't completely out of the picture. They will be competitive. It's just of matter of someone or two on this team outside of LeBron has to perform on a regular basis. And yes, there's still a lot of game left where the Lakers can improve on their weak areas. They'll look to get back on track on their home opener Saturday when they take on the Rockets. I'll probably see you guys for that game. Weekends nowadays are unpredictable for me, but I'll find a way to keep track of the game as usual. See you guys later.

10/18: LAKERS @ Blazers 2nd Half Open Thread

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

Q4

LAL 119 POR 128

Just like that, Portland's win streak against the Lakers extends to the same amount of championships won by the Lakers. Decent start to the LeBron era early in the game, but wow 3-pointers, turnovers, and offensive rebounding doomed this Laker team big time tonight. Dame and McCollum got hot when it mattered the most and they got that third man in Stauskas to step up the scoring and 3-point shooting. Once again, back to the drawing board to beat this Blazers team. This losing streak continues to be ridiculous. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3

LAL 91 POR 93

Just when we thought the Blazers are gaining momentum back, the Lakers came back. Two big threes at the end - from Rondo and the buzzer beater from Josh Hart. Portland's size was causing the Lakers' small-ball lineup all kinds of problems. Now, they were beating them at their own game. But finally, the Lakers are hitting their 3-pointers. Josh Hart started it off and then Rondo. All of a sudden, the Lakers went from being down by a couple to being down by just two. Brandon Ingram came alive this quarter as well, scoring 8 of his 12 points in this quarter alone. This game is setting up to be a stretch run for both teams heading into Q4.

10/18 LeBron Era Begins! - LAKERS @ Portland Trail Blazers 1st Half Open Thread

Welcome to the first half open thread of the Lakers' opening matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers! Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q2

LAL 63 POR 65

Shucks that Portland still has the, but it's better to trail by a basket at half time then down by a lot. That's the way that this game almost went. The Blazers were finally hitting their 3-ball when Nik Stauskas came off the bench, starting off a perfect 4-4 from beyond the arc. I was thinking "uh oh." The Lakers couldn't buy a bucket from deep. And when you try to fight fire with fire, trying to outshoot a good 3-point shooting team in Portland, you're gonna get burned big time. Though the 3-pointers weren't falling, the Lakers stuck with their game of dominating the paint. That's where they got most of their points. It also helps that their defense sets up the offense in transition. McGee had some nice defensive plays, so did Ingram. Let's get to the heap of things. LeBron James, 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. Not a bad debut for the King. He electrified the crowd the first quarter, exchanging dunks with Dame making the Moda Center go crazy. While LeBron does his thing, it seems that the scoring goes stagnant when he goes to the bench. Ingram is struggling offensively. KCP, non-factor. But who stepped up this quarter was Rajon Rondo with 10 points and 6 assists. Rondo has been a guy who's scoring's been overlooked. Once he finds ways to score, defenses have to respect both his scoring and playmaking attributes. And he did that this quarter. So far, it's been the veterans LeBron, Rondo, and McGee who's been doing the work. Let's see the young core follow as the 2nd half gets underway.

Q1

LAL 31 POR 34

I got in on time when the action got good. Turned the T.V. on and I saw LeBron and Dame exchange dunks on both ends of the floor. That's when you know it's exciting. Last thing, I remember the Lakers built an 8-10 point lead. Then, Portland came storming back. The Blazers of course are playing with a heavy heart for the late Paul Allen, owner of both the Blazers and the Seahawks. As LeBron went off the floor, there were so many questions on who would be the go-to-scorer and the Lakers haven't answered that down the stretch. Free throws and 0/6 from the 3-point land are some of the reasons. While the Blazers are hitting their 3-point shots with Nik Stauskas hitting his first two buckets from beyond the arc to spark the Blazers run and the eventual lead at the end of one.

2018-19 Los Angeles Lakers Preview - "Age of LeBron"

With the NBA season ready to tip-off in a few hours, here is your annual 2018-19 Regular Season Preview for the Lakers. Good times are coming for us Laker fans. The team has a stable core, a stable front office and coaching staff, and a superstar of all superstars to put the icing on the cake. As usual, I pick out some headlines for the upcoming season that are of utmost importance and I provide a trajectory of where this team is going to go. Let's break this down!

"Age of LeBron"

Yes, clearly this title is a rub on Avengers: Age of Ultron if anyone's wondering. It was a summer to remember for us Laker fans when LeBron James signed with the Purple and Gold to a 4-year, $154 million deal. Whether or not this brings the team out of the dark age remains to be seen. But, this what has been lacking from the Lakers from the past few years: the allure to attract a superstar player. Dysfunction from the Front Office and lack of a foundation were the main pitfalls for the Lakers' failure to attract top-tier free agents. That was all cleaned up last year when Jeanie Buss took the keys to the franchise away from Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak and handed the reins over to Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka. The ever-infectious charisma of Magic and the cerebral mind of Pelinka proved to be a great duo so far. The Lakers improved to a 35-47 record last season in Magic and Rob's first full season in charge of the franchise. The additions of Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, and Josh Hart in last year's draft and the emergence of Brandon Ingram helped catapult the improvement last year. This past offseason, the front office put their stamp on the franchise, luring in arguably the best player in the world right now in LeBron James. Just the mere presence of LeBron alone on this Laker team sent the local and national media into a frenzy and made the Lakers the most talked about team again. This move puts the Lakers into instant title contention once again. He's in for the biggest challenge in his career though in a super stacked Western Conference. And honestly, we don't how much he has left in the tank with a lot of mileage heading into the finals 8 straight times with both the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers. Not to mention, he's in the same conference with the team that beat him 3 out of 4 consecutive meetings in the NBA Finals in the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors further reduced parity in the league this past offseason and countered the LeBron addition by adding All-Star, DeMarcus Cousins for cheap. It'll be a tall task to dethrone the defending back-to-back champions. But, the Lakers will be competitive as long as they have LeBron and that young core takes the next step into developing as the Lakers' home grown All-Stars.

Sidekick Star Player Wanted

Following up from the last sentence of the last headline, the Lakers are banking on one of their first round draft picks big time to emerge as LeBron's sidekick. They had a lot of cap space remaining to max out another star player, but they chose not to since the best available were no longer available. As mentioned, DeMarcus Cousins pulled his best Kevin Durant impression by joining Golden State. Paul George flaked to re-sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder. They had a chance to trade for Kawhi Leonard, but the Spurs were asking for a whole lot. And good thing the Lakers stood pat. With the Lakers rolling the dice, all eyes are on Brandon Ingram to emerge as that 2nd option. Ingram showed a lot of glimpses last season improving his overall stat averages from his rookie year in 2016. He further showed his scoring capabilities and showed playmaking potential. Defensively, he's a disruptive force with his length and wing span. During the preseason game against the Kings, Ingram deflected an inbounds pass four times before getting the steal and the foul the fourth time. I was hyped and definitely the Laker bench was hyped on Ingram's capabilities with his length. Great expectations are set for the 3rd year player out of Duke and he's embracing the challenge. Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma are also due for a 2nd year leap. They'll provide B.I. some competition to be the King's right hand man. Zo's presence rubs off the team with unselfish team play. He showed some capabilities to play off ball as well in limited preseason action. Kuz is a spark plug off the bench that can score in bunches as well as make plays for his teammates. They'll be better with LeBron's presence. But, the ceiling is sky high for Ingram because he still has a lot of intangibles that are left untapped.

The "Other Guys"

So the Lakers didn't go out and use their remaining cap space to sign another All-Star. But, what they did is sign some quality vets for the minimum. Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, JaVale McGee, and Michael Beasley come on board with the Purple and Gold. The duo of Rondo and McGee showed out this preseason. They ran pick and rolls into perfection with McGee being a major beneficiary. Lance Stephenson is plus off the bench as a bunch scorer and playmaker. It's still weird that he and LeBron are on the same team together. But then again, think Ron Artest (MWP) and Kobe and then later Matt Barnes. Beasley hasn't shown much, but we have to live with his inconsistency. When he's on, he's a major X-Factor. All four vets have the characteristic of being "lunch bag" guys, doing all the dirty work. If they don't pan out, then the Lakers had nothing to lose as they are on one-year deals. Most definitely, that puts a lot incentive on them to play for more than what they're worth.

SG Competition

The shooting guard position is probably going to be the biggest position to watch as the season progresses. The Lakers bring back KCP on a 1-year deal. However, he's got some stiff competition he needs to hold off. Josh Hart showed out down the stretch last season. Hart is not afraid to take shots. He can rebound and he can defend. This draft, they picked up Svi Mykhailiuk in the 2nd round after Isaac Bonga and Moritz Wagner. Svi has the ability to knock down long range shots and has a lot of playmaking potential. With his 6'8 height, he's a true swingman that can play guard or forward. For now, KCP has the edge because he's a 5-year vet. He's a capable scorer and a solid defender. It'll be interesting to see how this revolving door works for the 2 spot.

Luke Walton's Job in Jeopardy? 

I'll refer back to the acquisition of LeBron. Not only is his mileage a concern, but the reputation he brings as the "de facto" head coach and GM brings some baggage as well. Remember in Cleveland, he played a big part in getting David Blatt fired. He didn't completely see eye-to-eye with Tyronn Lue. Same in Miami, he had some heated tension with Erik Spoelstra on the sideline. So, this begs the question, is Luke Walton next? That'll be Luke's biggest challenge is how he will handle a superstar of LeBron's caliber. They came from the same draft class, but that is irrelevant. The ceiling for Luke Walton as a coach is sky-high. The Lakers improved their record in his first two years. Now, it's a matter of taking the next step to getting back to true playoff contention. The offensive system he brought over from Golden State carried over well to this team with some kinks in it to fit with the personnel. The defense still needs a little work as shown this preseason.  The only thing missing in Luke's itinerary is his rotation. That and he needs to use that to exploit favorable matchups. We saw glimpses of the Lakers' own "Death Lineup" this preseason with Kuzma playing the 5. I wouldn't say Luke's job is on the line as the Lakers have an upward trend during his coaching tenure. But definitely, all eyes will be on him to see how he manages the young cores, LeBron, and a whole lot of misfits.

Season Outlook (Concluding Thoughts)

With that being said, the goal is simple - make the playoffs in a super Conference that is the West. As mentioned, the Lakers have gradually shown improvement in the last two years. Now is the time to make the big leap forward in turning this franchise around. That doesn't mean win a championship. Teams like Golden State and Houston are head and shoulders above everyone else. Oklahoma City, Utah, and New Orleans are in the middle of the pack. Dallas has a sleeper core with Dennis Smith Jr. and Luka Doncic. Portland, San Antonio, Denver, and Minnesota are also teams to look out for, but at the very least, three of those teams are due for a regression (San Antonio in rebuilding mode after trading Kawhi, Jimmy Butler drama in Minnesota, etc.). Playoffs are not completely out of the question for the Lakers. Most people are expecting a 50-win season. But there are some things that have to tilt in the Lakers' favor in order for a 50-win season to be reality. Ingram needs to play like an All-Star on a consistent basis. Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, and Josh Hart need to take a step forward to their development. Mo Wagner, Isaac Bonga, and Svi Mykhailiuk are gonna be wild cards depending on Luke's rotation. Rondo, Stephenson, McGee, and Beasley are going to contribute and become X-factors in big game moments. And of course with LeBron, the Lakers are guaranteed big numbers coming from him in his 15th season. Realistically, I see this Laker team going 45-37 and making the playoffs. Best case? 6th seed. Worst case? 8th seed or tying with a couple of West teams and losing out due to some otherworldly tiebreakers because the West is full of playoff-hopeful teams. Regardless, this is the first true chapter in the Lakers' return to greatness. I'll see you guys on Thursday when the Lakers open up on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum have had the Lakers' number in the last few meetings. Now, that the Lakers got LeBron, it's a whole new ball game. GO LAKERS! I'll see you guys on Thursday.

Raiders Curb Stomped in London

This was probably for the best that I missed this game since I was busy promoting the next Lakers hype video. I'm gonna do my best to Urinatingtree impression to describe this game. *Warning NSFW language*

On this week's failure, the soon-to-be Vegas Silver and Black shitshow takes its dumpster fire across the world to the outskirts of London to take on a Seahawks squad in shambles and whose team photo is literally Russell Wilson. 

Raider Nation has traveled well to Wembley Stadium for this "home game..." only to have their numbers outnumbered by the 12s or what's left of them. The chants of "SEA-HAWKS" echoed around Wembley as the Silver and Black shitshow lead by Coach Jon "Party Like It's 1998" Gruden and "$125 Million Checkdown Derek" proceeded to lay down for the Hawks for three quarters. Russell Wilson looked like the Russell Wilson of old scrambling around, tossing something out of nothing TDs. Meanwhile the defense did what it did best...becoming a doormat and letting the Seahawks running game run all over them.

But it only gets worse. The offense sputtered as the Chuckster called plays straight out of Tecmo Super Bowl (minus Bo Jackson). Spider 2 Y Banana.exe failed to run. The script isn't going as planned! Let's just run Beast Mode for three straight downs even though the O-line sucks. Checkdown Derek got poor little Cooper killed over the middle yet again. They didn't go to Jared. Finally for the first time, a Kenny Norton defense did not get burned by a mid-tier Tight End! The patchwork O-line made the Seahawk defense look like the Super Bowl XLVIII defense with a thrift shop Legion of Boom as Kolton Miller, Jon Feliciano, and Brandon Parker proceeded to fall flat on their buttocks, causing Checkdown Derek to eat a fistful of English turf. Checkdown Derek then cried in distress as he gimped over to the sidelines clutching onto his arm. The Silver and Black shitshow spent their time in London well, by putting up a mere 3 points for their U.K. faithful in which the Seahawks had the game covered like your All State insurance have you covered from mayhem. The loss was so bad that Bruce Irvin sees nothing wrong with a little Bump n' Grind to take his mind off of the embarrassment caused by his former team.

In all seriousness, the Raiders claim to be a global brand, but in three out of the four games they've been embarrassed big time in international games. How can this team be so delusional that the fans will travel to Vegas, but forget the opposing fanbase of better teams travel as well? Last year, Patriots fans overwhelmed them greatly in Mexico City. This year, the Seahawks 12s took over London. Three times out of four, the world was exposed to a glorified dumpster fire of an organization! It is a preview of their fate in Vegas when the opposing fanbases overwhelm them big time. I can't believe the sheer narcissism behind Bowl Cut Davis and Jon 10 yr, $100 million Gruden. This team, this organization is lost in the head. "We'll win a Super Bowl before we leave Oakland." Proceed to then trade your best draft pick and star defensive player for picks that may or may not pan out. Then, let's shop around Amari Cooper and Karl Joseph because you know, picks! You jackasses have torn the foundation and culture that Reggie McKenzie and Jack Del Rio built into asunder. As a matter fact go to Vegas already because you guys are a match made in heaven. Gamble away your best assets and then wake up the next day with nothing and wondering "what happened last night?" Congratulations, you played yourself! Mark Davis, you've driven this organization and this once-proud and united Nation closer to the brink of oblivion. Al Davis would be proud. 

Don't get it twisted, I still love this team. I'll still be a fan. I'll still cover the games. But I'm just done with this shitfest of a season. 11 more weeks to go until this dumpster fire gets extinguished.

*LET'S GO LAKERS!!!!! LEBRONZO!*

TrueRaiderLaker Productions #14! - "Pride"

After a fallout with the Paul George hype video (because he re-signed with OKC) and missing out on the LeBron James to the Lakers heat during free agency, I've made a full recovery to get this video out there. Without further ado, I present to you TrueRaiderLaker Productions #14 - "Pride."

This project is a "return to the roots" kind of project for me. If you guys followed me for a while, I uploaded my first Laker hype video in 2012. I went with the old school 2Pac "To Live and Die in LA" song. Lakers and LA are so tightly knitted together. Well, every Laker fan should know that. So, for this project, I wanted to bring that LA vibe for this upcoming hype video. And I found the spiritual successor with "LA" by Ty Dolla $ign, Brandy, Kendrick Lamar, and James Fauntleroy. Unlike my recent Raiders hype video, I wanted to make this Laker hype videos have its own vibe and it certainly reflected that.

There's so much buzz surrounding the Lakers with the arrival of LeBron James and the hype surrounding the young core. We are out of the dark ages and on the Lakers are on their way to remind the NBA who dominated the league besides the Boston Celtics. We might have another chapter brewing in the league's most storied rivalry. It may not be now with the Warriors' dominance, but sooner or later, the Lakers will be back on top. And I made that an emphasis in this video and in the thumbnail as well. Stars of all stars donned the purple and gold and won championships. From Magic and Kareem to Shaq and Kobe to Kobe and Gasol, LeBron and the young blood of Ingram, Zo, and Kuz are next in line. One thing's for certain, the true basketball pride of Los Angeles is back!

Thumbnail

*2018-19 Lakers Regular Season Preview to come. Stay tuned!*

Not Covering Raiders-Seahawks

Hi guys!

I have a tight deadline to beat to get TrueRaiderLaker Productions XIII out there before the NBA Season starts.

So, no Seahawks-Raiders coverage tomorrow morning. Season is a wash anyway. But as always, just win baby!

- MechG2994

Raiders Stifled by Chargers

Welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders' Week 5 divisional showdown with the Chargers in Los Angeles where the Raiders couldn't build off of their thrilling OT win over the Browns, losing to the Chargers 10-26.

There was a reason I was cautiously optimistic last week. The Browns are an improving team, but they're in the learning curve as well to finish teams off. They just got off a grueling OT win over the Ravens after the Ravens beat the Steelers on national TV last week. But, enough about the Browns. The Raiders were facing a proven team in the Chargers this time around. Like I said, this score was a lot closer than indicated because the Chargers dominated this game from 2nd quarter onwards.

(+)

Charger penalties. The Raiders were lucky they didn't blown out because of this. The Chargers committed 9 penalties for 82 yards. Like I said, they left a lot points out there on the field with a lot of false start and holding penalties. This could've been a rout had they not commit a whole lot of penalties especially when the Chargers were in Raiders territory and threatening to score.

Martavis Bryant, 3 receptions, 91 yards. Well I guess you can say this was Martavis' break out game. It wouldn't look like much. The fumble in the 2nd quarter was a major blemish on Bryant's game. But, he was a reliable target today with Nelson, Cooper, and Cook held in check.

Daryl Worley, 8 tackles. Quite a good welcome back for Worley after serving a 4-game suspension. He made a couple of nice open field tackles behind the line of scrimmage this game.

Jalen Richard, 1 rush, 4 yards, 6 receptions, 53 yards. The running game was ineffective all game long, hence why Richard was a non-factor, but made up for it in the passing game. Richard converted on a couple of big third downs to keep offensive drives going for the Raiders.

(-)

Running game. Spekaing of this, Marshawn Lynch was held in check for 31 yards. The rest of the running game, the Chargers held them to 10 yards. The absence of Kelechi Osemele today definitely played a factor in the running game being a non-factor. Jon Feliciano was ineffective whatsoever as a run blocker. The offense is not going to flow when this is not going and Jon Gruden emphasizes on running the ball.

O-line. Osemele out. Donald Penn out for the season. Not like it was going to make a difference if Penn was gonna play considering his struggles as a Right Tackle. Kolton Miller and Brandon Parker failed to hold the fort off the edge. I already talked about Feliciano. He also allowed a lot of penetration from the Chargers' interior rush defense. Carr had to run for his life for the first time in awhile. Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe it's not. But, the shorthanded O-line had a lot to do with the Raiders being ineffective.

Turnovers. Momenutm killers. I mentioned Martavis Bryant's fumble being a killer, which resulted in an Austin Ekeler TD. Carr's INT definitely hurt as the Raiders worked to be in scoring position. Again, I'm flabbergasted about that playcall in how you don't give the ball to Lynch in that situation. It's another example of being too cute with the playaction, especially in goal line situations.

MVP

Jalen Richard 1 rush, 4 yards, 6 receptions 53 yards

I could've easily given this to Martavis Bryant with his 91 yard game. But, Richard lead the entire team in receptions with 6 receptions. He had some nice gains on third down, making defenders miss in space and giving the Raiders scoring opportunities that they failed to capitalize on in the long run.



Conclusion

Overall, there's nothing else to add on here that the Raiders were just beaten soundly here. It's laughable that the Raiders claim to have a stranglehold on the city of L.A., but the Rams and the Chargers have had their number since both teams moved there. Knowing how L.A. works with their sports teams, it'll only be a matter time before the last remnants of the L.A. Raider fan base hop on to a new team. The road to Las Vegas is not a good one so far. And no, Oakland fans were not fooled on having this season be a Super Bowl season before they leave. Next week, they travel to a home game yet again far away from home when they go to London to face the Seahawks. It's pretty upsetting that Mark Davis has given up a home game for the third straight year. Sure, the brand is global until you run into a team with a bigger following (look no further when they faced the Patriots last year in Mexico City). Luckily, the 12s have fallen off in a rebuilding season. I'll see you guys next week for that game.

Week 5: RAIDERS @ Chargers 2nd Half Open Thread

2nd half open thread of the Raiders-Chargers Week 5 divisional matchup. As usual, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q4

OAK 10 LAC 26

Well, this game is pretty much under wraps. The Chargers dominated this game from 2nd quarter on out. There were so many opportunities missed for this offense to hang around since the Chargers left a lot of points out on the field as well. That's why the score may be a little misleading. The TD from Carr to Nelson was just a garbage time score to put a little blemish on the Chargers' lead. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3

OAK 3 LAC 20

Is that like 5 straight weeks Carr has thrown at least 1 INT? I didn't understand the playcall, running a playaction on the goal line. I know Osemele is inactive, but you gotta give Lynch the ball in that situation. He's been solid after contact. This quarter has been a dud with the exception of that drive. Just when the Raiders started to right the ship with a big gainer by Jalen Richard and a run by Carr, Carr throws yet another INT to kill the drive. This game is pretty much in the books if the Chargers score yet again.

Week 5: RAIDERS @ LA Chargers 1st Half Open Thread

Welcome to the first half open thread of the Raiders' Week 5 divisional matchup vs. the Los Angeles Chargers. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q2

OAK 3 LAC 17

Well, Bruce was fortunate Caleb Sturgis missed that field goal. That was a terrible roughing call. After this quarter, there's not much good to take away from this first half. The defense started strong, holding the Chargers to just 3 points. Then, all kinds of problems happened that cause this defense to break. Chargers managed to score the first TD off a almost botched snap. Rivers connected to Austin Ekeler and Ekeler just burned the defense. Next scoring drive, Melvin Gordon III capped off a strong drive for a 1-yard TD. The offense hasn't done much since putting a field goal off the board. A positive turned into a negative when Carr connected to Martavis Bryant on a big gainer, then Bryant fumbled the ball, which resulted in the Ekeler TD. Nothing's going well for the first half. However, last week the Raiders were trailing in the first half. Then, they come back to win against the Browns in the 2nd half. Can role reversal happen again? But, that's gonna be a challenge against a much talented offense in the Chargers. We'll see what happens. 2nd half will open up shortly.

Q1

OAK 0 LAC 3

Could've put some points by the end of the quarter, but it is what it is. This is a big win from the defense just holding the Chargers to just 3 points. The Chargers gained some big yardage early on, but the Raider D was able to stop them when it counted on 3rd down. Offensively, first drive was a little stagnant. The 2nd drive a lot better with Jordy Nelson's big run after catch and the Raiders are threatening.