A Season in Review: 2013-14 Lakers

Final Record: 27-55 .329, 5th Pacific, Home Record: 14-27, Road Record: 13-28, Division Record: 6-10, Conference Record: 15-37

Alright, welcome to the Season in Review post for the 2013-14 Lakers. So like my Raiders post last year, it will follow the same format: looking back at all 82 games, look at the personnel, and the Lakers' needs heading into the 2014 NBA Draft and in the Free Agency period.

So to summarize this whole season: injuries, short-handed active roster, and just overall turmoil. If you think last year was a train wreck when we had Kobe, Dwight, Nash, and Gasol on the same team, this season was just a natural disaster waiting to strike. And I gotta say, the experts were right this time around that ever since Dwight left, this Laker team will barely taste a playoff hunt and I said in my preview that the Lakers had a good solid core still and loaded with younger talent, they can probably have a chance to sneak in and I was wrong, but I wasn't delusional saying that, I thought this team could compete, but then the injury bug happened. Nash had a bothersome nerve root irritation, Kobe, just six games back ruled out the rest of the season due to a knee injury, and Pau was in-and-out with multiple injuries. Out of the Lakers' "big 3", Pau was the one that had to carry the massive load, which is why he was a constant this season putting up double-figure numbers day in and day out. Then, even our younger players got injured, I think the only players that stood healthy all season long were Kendall Marshall and Robert Sacre, I could be wrong, but they survived the injury apocalypse that the Lakers had all season long. I don't like Mike D'Antoni, but credit where it's due, I gotta give him props for working with what he had, making a lot of roster changes and handling substitutions in a handicap situation; my goodness, no coach doesn't ever want to handle stuff like that.

Considering the NBA is an 82-game season, I'm going to try and shorten this up as simple as I can. The Lakers opened some eyes in the regular season opener against the Clippers. When they beat the Clippers that opener, there was a sense of hope that hey the Lakers are still the Lakers, they're going to compete their hearts out and win. Then, Kobe returns, the Lakers' hopes are soaring sky high until he hurt his knee against Memphis giving the Lakers a victory. It was basically a waiting game if Kobe was going to return or not, but the Lakers early in the season + in Kobe's return, they had a decent start, had a decent record and then after the home game against the Timberwolves in December, things just started to go downhill from there. The injuries were like a plague out there and it became too much to handle for the Lakers and they went on long losing skids against top teams and even the sub .500 teams that have a better roster than them. Especially during this stretch after the All-Star when teams start pushing for playoff spots, the Lakers just couldn't even have the manpower to compete and that's why opposing offenses were able to clamp down on their defense easily because the Lakers were just void of talent, yet at the same time D'Antoni is the stereotype of no defense and the Lakers gave up 100+ points almost every damn game. It was frustrating to watch that, especially when they were not playing their best and getting blown out, you know this Laker team was awful when Jack Nicholson is not sitting courtside anymore midway through the season at Staples. I could flame good old Jack easily for not sticking to his team till the very end, but he's old to witness that and who could blame him? Laker Nation still loves you Jack.

Anyway off topic for that Jack Nicholson thing, but it's the truth that the Lakers possibly in their history has their worst roster ever in this season. If a time machine happened for this Laker team to compete, we would snag 2005-06 Nash and Kobe and 2009-10 Pau; if we had those guys, they would've made this current roster look like a million bucks, but superstars age and they were in the twilight of their careers, although Pau I believe still has some mileage and years left in him. So in reality, there were times that the Lakers would compete against the top teams I mean they took it to Miami in both matchups although they lost both, but they would lose to teams that had a much awful record than them like Milwaukee and Philly. It was the question like is this Laker team a doormat team or are they competitive enough? I guess the majority would say that the Lakers this season were a doormat team for other teams to steamroll on because the roster was so handicapped, made the Lakers look like their D-League affiliate, Defenders and the record reflects that.

Personnel-wise, fire Mike D'Antoni. I honestly don't care if the Lakers have to still pay Mike Brown's contract and Mike D'Antoni's at the same time, but D'Antoni is not the same coach he once was, every team knows his run-and-gun system that it's a more like a gimmick offense rather than a legitimate offense like the Triangle or the Princeton (yes even the godawful Princeton is better than D'Antoni's system). However, we all know Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak wouldn't do it because it would make them look like total fools again. I just don't understand what the organization sees in D'Antoni. He didn't utilize Pau the right way, trying to make him be a stretch 4 and not be himself as the dominant low-post big man, he didn't want to play Kaman and Hill although they showed him this season, and the guy has a big time resume of not emphasizing on defense enough and isolating guys who thinks is not eligible to play in his system. He doesn't make adjustments, he doesn't modify his system to put his players in the best possible position to succeed, this guy and his offense is too predictable, he thinks it's still 2005-06! Fire Mike D'Antoni, I gave him credit for working with this roster, but fire him before an even bigger mess happens, enough said.

So heading into the Draft and later Free Agency, at best for the top pick, the Lakers gotta have a rim protector. Yeah, currently they've had bad luck on finding a dominant rim protector since Shaq. Bynum couldn't stay healthy, Dwight didn't even want to play for the Lakers in the first place, but bottom line we need a rim protector that can revitalize the dominant center position and is actually committed to earn his place in the Lakers' glorious history of big men. The hype of Andrew Wiggins and Jabrari Parker has died down ever since both Duke and Kansas had an early exit during March Madness and both didn't perform up to standard so anything goes for this year's draft, but the Lakers, for the first round, it's better to draft a need than an overhyped star that could possibly have a risk of being a bust because the Lakers have not drafted in the first round since like forever. I think the last first round pick they made was Javaris Crittenton and look where he's at now so the Lakers have to strike a diamond in the rough that can make an immediate impact and hopefully pick is a big man that can be a rim protector. In the Free Agency, oh boy, here we go again with a lot of big names on this year's class, but with the state we're in, why would somebody like LeBron or Melo come in to don the purple and gold? Like I said, there's gotta be a fallout plan in case the Lakers lose out early in the sweepstakes and once LeBron and Melo are off the list, the Lakers are in a lot of trouble trying to build a win-now team. In Pau's case, who can blame him to go play for a team that admires his skills? It would be hard to see him go, but his post game was disrespected the last two seasons and I would be shocked if Pau agrees to re-sign. As long as Mike D'Antoni's coaching, nobody would want to play for the Lakers at this stage, especially after this debacle of a season.

There's a lot of money for the Lakers to spend though and I don't like what Mitch has turned into as Jim Buss' "Yes" man, but we Laker fans still believe in his negotiating power and his ability to keep impending big moves behind closed doors. All I can say is: do your thing Mitch, do your thing. Do whatever it takes for the Lakers to get back into the promised land. Lakers don't rebuild, they reload, so do your thing Mitch. Anyway, thank you for following the Lakers' season with me. I'll see you guys for the NFL Draft in May and the NBA Finals in June and I'll be keeping watch of the playoffs. If you haven't noticed, I'm collabing with my best friend, Stillmattic on his blog: http://bleachzealot.blogspot.com/ for Bleach Fantasy month from the rest of April till the end of May pitting Bleach characters and Final Fantasy characters and we will post our 3rd matchup tonight, so if you haven't catch up on the first two matchups, catch up since it's still early and I'll see you guys later, I'm out.

Lakers Top Resting Spurs to End Season

In the midst of a disastrous season, the Lakers went to Utah Monday night with a win and went to the ever-daunting AT&T Center in San Antonio tonight and displayed one last team effort to end the season on a somewhat positive note against a resting Spurs team who already locked up the #1 seed in the West. Jordan Hill was the Lakers' top performer with 18 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Lakers' last inspiring play over the Spurs 113-100. Wesley Johnson and Kendall Marshall joined Hill in the double-double club as Wes contributed 11 points and 11 rebounds and Marshall contributed with 15 points and 11 assists. Ryan Kelly added 12 points and Jodie Meeks racked up 14 points to round out all starters in double figures. Nick Young, as usual, lead the bench with 16 points and Jordan Farmar and Robert Sacre boosted the bench play as both scored 10 points.

Final Score: @ San Antonio 113-100 [W]

Full Recap: http://www.nba.com/lakers/gameday/140416_gameday_spurs

Highlights:

Announcement: Now that the Lakers played their final game of the season, stay tuned for my Season in Review post that will be published some time this week. 

Nick Young's 41 Point Performance Dominates Jazz

The least I can say is the Lakers are not going to be dead last in the Western Conference. After blowing their home finale Sunday night, the Lakers head over to Utah Monday Night and gave an inspiring performance. Nick Young, oh Swaggy P, was the Lakers' top performer with 41 points shooting 14-23 from the field and 6-11 from 3 point land to help the Lakers make sure that the Jazz remain dead last beating them 119-104. Jodie Meeks and Jordan Hill both had outstanding shooting nights as Meeks contributed 23 points on 8-13 shooting and Hill contributed 21 points on 10-13 shooting. Kendall Marshall was full on facilitator last night tallying 15 assists and both Wesley Johnson and Robert Sacre added 12 points.

Final Score: @ Utah 119-104 [W]

Full Recap: http://www.nba.com/games/20140414/LALUTA/gameinfo.html

Highlights:

Next Game: @ San Antonio (04/16)

Lakers End Home Finale With One Last Loss

Alright welcome in to the full recap and the final full recap of the 2013-14 regular season of the game between the Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies where the Grizzlies, are still very much alive for the race for 8 as they beat the Lakers 102-90 and the Lakers end their last home game of the season with another loss.

It's only fitting that the Lakers would end their home finale after this season of turmoil with a loss. It's a disappointment for the Laker fans that there is nothing positive to take in after this home loss. While we can't lament on this, let's go straight to the whole positives, negatives, and conclusion, one final time for this season.

The Positives

Jodie Meeks, 20 points, 7-12 shooting. Meeks bounced back this game after a really ice cold shooting night on Friday against the Warriors. Like I said in my halftime post, I thought he made really good decisions regarding his shot selection. What more can I say, he's been the most consistent all-around player for the Lakers all-season, he deserves at least a mention for the Most Improved Player award, even though it's likely he won't win it. There are times this season, that Meeks frustrated us Laker fans with his shot selection and missing the high percentage shots, but I tip my hat to him this season because he was one of the lone bright spots of the season.

Wesley Johnson, 15 points, 15 rebounds. Like I said also in the halftime post, this is Wesley Johnson's final chances to prove he can make decent contributions for the Lakers down the stretch and he put up decent points and shot well and he was a rebounding machine this game getting every missed shot the Grizzlies have to offer.

Nick Young, 14 points, 5-12 shooting. Awesome 360 reverse layup highlight for Swaggy P. Nothing much to say for Nick Young, hopefully we keep him long term because at this point, there is no other destination where he wants to play.

The Negatives

Offensive rebounding. Huge disparity on the offensive rebounding numbers where the Grizzlies grabbed 16 offensive rebounds compared the Lakers' 5. Obviously you can credit the fault to lack of size on the Lakers' part, but the Grizzlies were out-hustling the Lakers fighting for the ball and that's why they are a tough and gritty team for other West teams to handle. There are times in the game, where the Lakers played good defense, but they couldn't finish that by boxing out and securing a rebound and that was difference maker this game.

3rd Quarter. This quarter is basically where the dagger was for the Lakers. The Grizzlies scored 34 points in the 3rd quarter compared to the Lakers' 17. It was a lackluster shooting display for the Lakers that quarter, really reminiscent of the Houston game when the Rockets dropped 49 in the 3rd. This was always the knack for the Lakers that they would keep games competitive, then either in the 2nd or 3rd quarter, they would let the teams turn it up and not put up much of a fight.

Conclusion

Overall, the Lakers competed as much as possible for this home finale. They pushed the tempo and tried to turn up the intensity, but the Grizzlies fought harder because this was must-win game for them. It would really suck for either Phoenix or Memphis gets eliminated because Phoenix, even though I give no sympathy to a division rival, they are a Cinderella story in the making this season and Jeff Hornacek did a masterful job in his first year as head coach. For Memphis, they let go of Lionel Hollins, Marc Gasol was injured for the 1st portion of the season, but when they're in, the West is gonna have to make a change of underwear because facing the Grizzlies in the 1st round makes teams crap their pants. But regardless, the West in the playoffs is going to be a blood bath, many interesting matchups unlike the East. Lakers go out to end their season on the road, it's going to be tough to grind it out in Utah and San Antonio. Anyway, last Q-by-Q, Halftime Post, and Full Recap for the Lakers' 2013-14 campaign, this ride has been full of turmoil, frustration, but I stick by my team no matter what. Thank you guys for following this season. After the Utah and San Antonio games, I will post my Season in Review and I won't see you guys until the NFL Draft and the NBA Finals.

By the way for any of you Raider and Laker fans that are also into video games, anime, particularly into Bleach and Final Fantasy, I am collabing with my best friend, Stillmattic on his renowned blog, http://bleachzealot.blogspot.com/. Currently, we are in progress of a Bleach Fantasy fight night mania from April-May pitting Final Fantasy characters (handpicked by me) and Bleach characters (handpicked by Stillmattic). Be sure to check our collaboration out, we've already started Friday with Uryu Ishida (Bleach) vs. Zack Fair (FF), so catch up on that if you like and we're gonna post again tomorrow night. I will be spending the rest of this month and next month with Stillmattic doing the Bleach Fantasy tournament. Alright guys, I'll see you later, I'm out.

04/13: LAKERS vs. Memphis Grizzlies Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

Score: MEM 102 LAL 90

Just another game where the Lakers look competitive, but they let the game slip away as the opposing team turns it up. Memphis is very much alive in the playoff hunt and they're dangerous as usual for the other 7 Western Conference teams. A bitter end for Laker fans on the last home game this season. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

Score: MEM 87 LAL 69

34-17, the official score of the 3rd quarter. Lakers are starting to let this game slip away right now. Credit to the Grizzlies for turning up their defense to work the tempo into their favor. Lucky enough a rally is still eligible because the Lakers are down 18.

Q2:

Score: MEM 53 LAL 52

All I can say is "aah" on that last play. Grizzlies made a good run, but a pretty game. Highlight of the night in this quarter, Nick Young's acrobatic 360 reverse layup. Whew, onto the halftime report.

Q1:

Score: MEM 23 LAL 27

On one side, you got a Grizzlies team that wants to play at a slow pace and the other, the Lakers play up tempo to run and the Lakers are working their style over this gritty Grizzlies team. Of course the Grizzlies are playing desperation ball to clinch a playoff spot and the Lakers are trying to end with something positive in their last home game. Good quarter for the Lakers so far.

LAKERS vs. Grizzlies Halftime Post

Score: MEM 53 LAL 52

Alright welcome in to the halftime post of the game between the Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies where the Grizzlies gain a last minute one point lead on the Lakers heading into the half.

The Positives

Tempo. I can say the tempo in this game is working into the Lakers' favor. Yeah they're down by one because the Grizzlies are out-rebounding and hustling for the ball, but the Lakers have countered the Grizzlies' slow tempo very well with the run and gun and quick shoot. As the halftime report on NBA TV stats state, the Lakers have outscored the Grizzlies on the fast break 18-9.

Jodie Meeks 9 points, 4-5 shooting. Meeks' is the top performer in that first half. Good that Meeks is being a little more conscious with his shot, trying to make a good decision.

Wesley Johnson, 7 points, 5 rebounds, 3-6 shooting. Audition season is winding down, so Wes has to step his game up to prove that he's worth keeping. He doesn't have to put up great numbers, just be efficient and Wes has done that on Friday and doing it again tonight.

Nick Young, 9 points, 3-8 shooting. He's not shooting well, but just because of that 360 reverse layup he made, he's a positive. Definitely that play is going to be on SportsCenter's Top 10.

The Negatives

Foul trouble. The Grizzlies hang around with their slow tempo and getting to the line. That's the only negative for the Lakers this game. Ryan Kelly has 3 quick personal fouls, the Lakers as a whole have 7 quick personal fouls.

Bottom Line

Short halftime post. The Lakers just have to keep this kind of effort up. Do it for the fans, this is the last home game of the season. Go out there, play, and get a victory. Enough said.

Lakers Fall to Warriors on Steph Curry's Triple Double Night

Alright welcome in to the full recap, finally, on the game between the Lakers and the Warriors where Stephen Curry put on quite a spectacle against the Lake Show helping the Warriors clinch a playoff spot over the Lakers 112-95 and they beat the Lakers at Staples for the first time since the Baron Davis, Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson, etc. era.

First off, I do apologize for putting this full recap on late, by the time I finish this, it'll probably be 12 midnight already, damn Internet problems causing this delay. So I'll make this as quick as possible. The Lakers have given up over 100 points in a dozen games already this season, it's really hard to keep count. At this point, it just doesn't matter already because the Lakers are already set for a top pick.

The Positives

Nick Young 25 points, 10-20 shooting. If I were Mitch Kupchak, I would keep Young for next season since he's been a reliable part of the bench. I didn't like early in the game that he was jacking up shots, particularly on the three ball and he was on my negatives watch list due to that. 2nd half though, Swaggy P somewhat redeemed himself, hitting his strides to give the Lakers some life for a rally, but obviously it wasn't enough, so he deserves top performer status this game.

Ryan Kelly 14 points, 11 rebounds, 5-11 shooting. Like I said in my Q-by-Q reaction 1st quarter, Ryan Kelly has stood out to me, not just no longer a spot up shooter, but he can attack the basket inside and post up to earn his shots. Hands down, Kelly is gonna be a big time experiment along with Sacre to develop as long they are both under contract with the Lakers because they have the potential to be Mitch's diamonds in the rough.

Wesley Johnson 8 points, 4-8 shooting. For the minutes he's given, Wes' inside jump shot looked slick and polished tonight. He's not going to give you those kind of nights on a day-to-day basis, but he earned a positive this game.

The Negatives

Jodie Meeks, 10 points, 2-12 shooting. Take away the free throws he's earned for the points, Meeks was ice cold this game, even for a solid free throw shooter, he missed a couple key ones to help the Lakers keep reeling to make the game tight. Arguably one of Meeks' disappointing performances this season.

Point guard play. Kendall Marshall and Jordan Farmar combined, 16 points, 6-18 shooting, 3-11 beyond the arc, 7 assists. At this point, I can already see that maybe Kendall Marshall is not the long term answer for the Lakers' point guard position. He's gone back down for quite a while. As for Farmar, awful shooting night for him and he played out of control committing 4 turnovers.

Steph Curry containment. For Warriors' fans, he's the story this game, 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists. There's no denying that he's fun to watch and all-around he played a hell of a game, but the Lakers, a couple times this game showed they were slouching on Curry a lot. At times, they leave Curry open, you can't do that and they were not fighting hard enough to get through screens. Klay Thompson had an off night this game, but if Curry goes off there are two scenarios: 1) The opposing is lucky enough to win because the rest of the Warriors are playing mediocre 2) He did just enough to help the Warriors pull away. He can score at will, but at the same time, he's unselfish and the Lakers didn't account for him as a scorer, passer, and defender this game.

Conclusion

Overall, not much to react to about this game. It is what it is. Hopefully the Lakers can pull an upset on Sunday against the Grizzlies. I mean it's the last home game of the season for the Lakers on Sunday, then they go to Utah and San Antonio for their last two games, at least they should give the fans something positive to hang their head around after this debacle of a season. The game is also on NBA TV, so I'll see you guys for that game on Sunday.

04/11: LAKERS vs. Golden State Warriors

Q4:

Score: GS 112 LAL 95

Props to the Warriors for clinching that playoff spot and getting a win against the Lakers at Staples for a long time. They didn't play great, but they played well enough to get the win. The Lakers tried to rally back like they always do when facing the Warriors at home, but this time it wasn't enough to get the victory and it's always frustrating to see that. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

Score: GS 83 LAL 69

It was a rough going for the Lakers early on this quarter, but they are hanging around. Warriors have fouled the Lakers quite a lot this quarter and the free throws are making the Lakers keep within striking distance. Well, at least finally there's a 3rd quarter the Lakers haven't given up at least 100 points before the 4th.

Q2:

Score: GS 58 LAL 43

As an NBA fan as a whole, Steph Curry is just an absolutely amazing player, as a Laker fan, he's frustrating the heck out of us and it showed this quarter. Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

Score: GS 26 LAL 26

Nice shot by Farmar at the buzzer. Curry so far has given some hell on the Laker D, but the Lakers are hitting their 3s and Ryan Kelly has really stood out this quarter. We're all tied, the Lakers can really match wits with the Warriors even at a mediocre state, the only advantage the Warriors have over the Lakers is their back court and size.

LAKERS vs. Warriors Halftime Post

Score: GS 58 LAL 43

Alright welcome in to the halftime post of the game between the Lakers and the Golden State Warriors where the Warriors turn it up and head into the locker with a 15 point lead.

The Positives

All I can say is not a lot of good things to say about the first half. Other than the fact that the Lakers have got it going on threes in the 1st quarter, but overall, they have been limited to 40% shooting from beyond the arc. It's not that bad though, but the three pointers were non-existent during the 2nd quarter and credit to the Warriors for adjusting their outside defense. Jordan Hill is having another solid game with 12 points and 6 rebounds, Ryan Kelly started fast, but slowing down currently and not enough to put them on a solo portion on the positives list.

The Negatives

Not stopping Stephen Curry. Curry, all by himself, scored 22 points of the Warrriors' 58 and wowing the Staples Center with a couple of moves. Like I said, as an NBA fan, he's a phenomenal player, but as a Laker fan, no defense to stop him. Lucky enough the 2nd splash brother Klay Thompson is struggling, but if he gets going and Curry stays hot, our defense is dead.

Bottom Line

Not a lot to talk about in this halftime post. Again, this is a game for pride against a division rival and this is a game for the Warriors to win in order to clinch a playoff spot. You can tell I pretty much want to wrap this already. Word of advice for the Lakers, try not to get blown out or give up 100+ points, make it as competitive and gritty as possible...if possible.

Nash Moves Up The Assists List, But Rockets' 49 Point 3rd Quarter Performance Drops Lakers

Alright welcome in to the full recap of the game between the Lakers and the Houston Rockets where defense doesn't matter, but the Rockets mustered enough of offensive firepower to top the Lakers 145-130 in an All-Star caliber offensive shootout.

First off, congratulations to Steve Nash for moving up the All-Time Assists List surpassing Mark Jackson off a fast break pass to Jodie Meeks. I load up my Team Stream app and Nash may be done for the season after his nerve root irritation popped up again. If this was the last time we see Nash this season, what a way to ride out in style. Now, the game overall, it feels like I was just watching the All-Star game all over again just seeing the score itself. I mean, my goodness.

The Positives

Nick Young, 32 points, 11-19 shooting, 6-10 shooting from beyond the arc. Aside from Meeks, who I'll get to in just a second, Young was our offense the whole game. He's had a current trend of bad shooting nights, but certainly he got his confidence back in a game like this because there was no defense this game. Swaggy P was shooting away unchallenged and that's why he once again contributed big off the bench and had a great shooting night tonight.

Jodie Meeks 30 points, 12-21 shooting. Finally a breakout game for Meeks in a long time. He wasn't hitting anything in the 1st quarter, but like what Shaq said when Derek Fisher hit the .4 shot: "one lucky shot deserves another." Meeks hit an off balance three in an attempt to draw a foul as the shot clock was expiring and it went in. After that shot, he started gaining his stride. All-around, Meeks was consistent this whole season, scoring wise, needs more improvement because he's capable of being a scoring machine and he just needs that consistency as a scorer.

Jordan Farmar, 15 points, 8 assists. I thought Farmar looked great after returning from injury. That something the Lakers missed in their current trend, a point guard that can speed the tempo. Like I said the knack I have on Farmar is his ability to stay healthy. When he's on the floor, you have to account for him because of his speed and somewhat explosiveness to get to the rim and either finish or extra pass to a man open.

The Negatives

Defense, defense, and defense. That was the problem on both teams tonight. Understandably, the Rockets weren't playing without Dwight Howard, but the Lakers were murdered inside the interior early on due to lack of size and rebounding like I said in the halftime post. The Lakers did a good job containing the three ball, although the Rockets did get their 3 point shooting going in the 3rd hence why they dropped 49 points on the Rockets, but they weren't accounting for the paint and ultimately that's what was the Lakers' downfall early on. They competed, but the Rockets turned it up and when the points in paint wasn't pouring in, they got their 3 point game to go at the right time.

Rebounding. Omer Asik, Donatas Montiejunas out-rebounded the Lakers' bigs 30-11 and just think about both Asik and Montiejunas combined were 3 rebounds away from tying the Lakers' overall rebounding numbers with 33. Obviously Gasol's out for the season, Kaman's out, but Jordan Hill and Robert Sacre couldn't do anything to keep Asik and Montiejunas from grabbing multiple boards. Even with Howard out, the Rockets continued to use size to their advantage and the Lakers just couldn't answer.

Conclusion

The Lakers are lucky enough to keep pace with the Rockets' scoring, had Howard played, this would've been a different story. I'm not making excuses, I'm being real, the Lakers wouldn't have scored much if Howard suited up for this game. Two national TV games down, two more to go. For sure, the Warriors are going to bring their playoff game, they haven't won at Staples against the Lakers in like a long time and the Grizzlies on Sunday, they're playing desperate basketball right now to sneak in with not too many games left. I'll see you guys on Friday for the game against the Warriors.

04/08: LAKERS vs. Houston Rockets Q-by-Q reaction

Q4:

Score: HOU 145 LAL 130

That was a very good All-Star game that I just witnessed. No surprise the Lakers have given up over 100 points this game and Houston didn't need too much of the three ball to beat them. Good game if you guys prefer a lot of high scoring, bad game if you guys prefer hard-nosed defense, grind it out styled games because defense was non-existent the whole game. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

Score: HOU 115 LAL 90

I'm asking the same question.

Q2:

Score: HOU 66 LAL 61

Congratulations to Steve Nash for surpassing Mark Jackson on the all-time assists list. Better competitive quarter from the Lakers. Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

Score: HOU 35 LAL 26

With the Wesley Johnson three, Steve Nash is 4 assists away from passing Mark Jackson on the all-time assist list. Even without Dwight, the Rockets still find a way to score on us. The Lakers are just to me waiting for the season to end. They're still playing hard, trying to work for the shots on offense, but they're slouching hard on defense and that showed this quarter.

LAKERS vs. Rockets Halftime Post

Score: HOU 66 LAL 61

Alright welcome in to the halftime post of the game between the Lakers and the Houston Rockets where the Rockets hold on to a 5 point lead against the Lakers after a furious LA rally in the 2nd.

The Positives

Jordan Farmar, 11 points, 4-6 shooting. Welcome back Farmar. We certainly miss his game where he pushes the tempo when the Lakers are running the break. When Farmar's healthy, he can contribute and put up decent numbers off the bench, the problem is, he can't stay healthy in reality for a full season. I'd love to see him back, I know he wants to come back, but he's gotta show that he can stay on the floor and not miss a lot of games.

Jodie Meeks 16 points, 6-13 shooting. I was harping at Meeks for missing early shots in the first quarter, but in the 2nd quarter, he turned it on after throwing in a miracle three as the shot clock was going down. Meeks had a good 2nd quarter, he didn't have a good half though after starting poor in the 1st.

Steve Nash 3 points, 5 assists. Officially #3 on the all-time assists list. He doesn't do much, but he gets an acknowledgment here. Tremendous amount of respect for Nash, even when he was in Dallas and Phoenix.

The Negatives

Interior defense, no Dwight Howard and yet the Rockets are still managing to score inside the paint. Their game is the 3 point game and the Lakers managed to do a good job shutting down their 3 point game as the Rockets shot 25% from the field, but they're still killing the Lakers in the paint due to lack of size.

Bottom Line

Short halftime post, the Lakers made it a game in their 2nd quarter run, but they need to adjust getting some stops in the paint and continue closing the Rockets from beyond the arc.

Lakers Hammered by Clippers Again (Well Not So Much)

Alright, welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers-Clippers game where the Lakers got routed again by the Clippers 97-120, but it wasn't a 30-40+ margin of victory unlike the last two meetings.

I'm going to make this full recap like short and sweet because WrestleMania 30 is like in 30 minutes, but the time this post is published, it's gonna be like in a few minutes. No surprise here that the Lakers would do these kinds of antics against the Clippers, not shooting a high percentage shot and jogging back on defense. Luckily the Clippers didn't give their 100% effort as Doc Rivers expected them to do every game, but it was still a blowout and once again, the Lakers were playing in a handicap game since Kent Bazemore was ruled out the rest of the game after injuring his foot/ankle like in the first quarter? I don't remember, and that left them with just 3 guys on the bench.

The Positives

Jordan Hill, 22 points, 9 rebounds, 10-14 shooting. I'll admit J. Hill was the only positive this game that had a great game. Obviously didn't get a lot of help defensively since DeAndre Jordan was having a dunkfest on him all game. In my opinion, this was one of Hill's greatest all-around game as a Laker. For a big man, he was shooting outside the paint, posting up and making hard earned jump hook shots, and driving to the lane and attacking the basket. He's in my list on who the Lakers should keep because like I said, when you give Hill minutes, he'll produce and he's been improving his game. Mike D'Antoni and J. Hill didn't see eye to eye in New York, but since the Lakers are considering keeping D'Antoni (dumb move) and if that doesn't open his eyes to give Hill more minutes, I don't know what else can happen.

Wesley Johnson, 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals. Wes has been a forgotten name ever since he disappeared after having poor games, but I thought he made decent contributions, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

Robert Sacre, 9 points, 10 rebounds. Again, no Kaman, Gasol shut down, Hill and Sacre have to step up. Sacre I thought held his own, giving the Lakers valuable offensive rebounds even though the Lakers weren't capitalizing on Sacre giving them second chances. If he can improve his post game and finish, he can be a decent backup.

The Negatives

Nick Young, 18 points, 5-15 shooting, 2-11 shooting. Let's admit, Swaggy P contributes off the bench all the time, but he wasn't really feeling it this game. Two of Nick Young's made shots, were off lucky bounces, had he missed those, his field goal percentage would've been much lower. Forcing up 3 pointers, questionable shot selection, he's still getting his double digit points, but this was not an efficient game for Young.

Jodie Meeks 17 points, 6-15 shooting. He started getting going in the 4th quarter, but it was already garbage time and the Clippers were resting their starters already. Meeks was ice cold all game and like Nick Young, he was putting up wild shots and it was already too little too late for him to correct his mistakes. When Meeks gets it going, he's on fire, but again consistency is his weakness. He's improved this season, but after his 42 point performance against OKC, he hasn't found the range nor the hot hand.

Conclusion

Only three more games on TV to cover: against Houston, Golden State, and Memphis. Then after Utah the Lakers go to San Antonio for their season finale. Really tough stretches to end the season, considering 4 of those teams are fighting for a playoff spot, although the Spurs will likely rest their starters on the last regular season game. But guaranteed, those are 4 given losses, and maybe even 5 considering the Lakers play Utah at Utah. Not to be a downer, but that could be very possible the last 5 games could be losses unless the Lakers can find a way to play spoiler. I'll see you guys on Tuesday for the Rockets game, then Friday against the Warriors, then Sunday against the Grizzlies, then I'm done. It's frustrating to cover these games, but I love doing it. I'm out guys, stay classy. WrestleMania 30 here I come!

04/06: LAKERS @ LA Clippers Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

Score: LAL 97 LAC 120

Alright, well only 23 points. What an improvement. Obviously I'm saying that with some sarcasm. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

Score: LAL 72 LAC 94

Same old, same old story. The Lakers are just not getting it because I don't know how many lobs to DeAndre Jordan they gave up this quarter. Not getting high percentage shots and credit to the Clippers defense because they've trapped the Lakers hard this quarter.

Q2:

Score: LAL 49 LAC 57

When the score was like 39-52 in this quarter, I was like "oh no, here we go again." Lucky enough, the Lakers didn't turn the ball over too many times this quarter and the Clippers at times, would give the ball right back. Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

Score: LAL 22 LAC 25

Well, I'm kinda skeptical calling this a good, competitive quarter for the Lakers because the last two times this happened, the Clippers came back and start turning the games into a quick blowout. I thought Jordan Hill had a great quarter and Nick Young as always bringing that spark off the bench. It's a 3 point game, but like I said, you never know when the Clippers are going to start turning it up.

LAKERS @ Clippers Halftime Post

Score: LAL 49 LAC 57

Alright welcome in to the halftime post of the game between the Lakers and the Clippers where the Clippers currently hold on to an 8 point lead. First time in a long time in a Lakers-Clippers game, where the Lakers walk into the locker room not getting blown out already.

The Positives

Jordan Hill, 16 points, 5 rebounds, 7-11 shooting. No Kaman, Gasol shut down for the rest of the season. His jump shot is starting to come on the way I'm seeing it this game. He's proving D'Antoni wrong. Like I said, he's not D'Antoni's ideal player, but when you give Hill minutes, he'll produce big time. His post up is decent and his jump shooting form is starting to display improvements this game. This better not be another case where I praise a Laker player for shooting good in the first half and in the second half, they starting falling down.

Nick Young, 17 points, 5-11 shooting. He was starting to hit bad percentage shots down the stretch this game, but Swaggy P has been a constant off the bench. Nothing much to say, when Young is on the floor, defenses are gonna have a huge headache and with Young on the floor after missing the last two meetings, he's giving the Clippers some headache on the defensive end.

The Negatives

Jodie Meeks, 0 points, 0-4 shooting. All I can say is, "come on Meeks!" All game long, he's only had one great look on the three point line, the last three attempts were just bad shots overall or he was trying to force the issue. Meeks needs to play his game, getting open off for a good look and penetrate when needed and hopefully he adjusts in the 2nd half.

Getting back on D. Whenever the Lakers score or miss, once the Clippers get back, it looks like the Lakers are just jogging back. Particularly, they couldn't stop J.J. Redick. When they're on D, they don't look like they're accounting for CP3 or anyone and that's leading to a lot of easy looks, open lanes. If they want to slow down the Clippers' offensive game, they have to get back on D and they have the legs to do that.

Bottom Line

It's a 8 point game, the Lakers need to move the ball and shoot high percentage shots if they want to end this series on a positive note. They've been blown out the last two games, if they don't want to receive a third one, they have to get back on defense and limit the Clippers' shot opportunity and make em earn every shot possible. No lobs, no layups, no open three pointers, none, the Lakers have to let them earn it and it's going to be quite difficult with only 8 players on the active roster.

Lakers Fall to Mavs

The Mavs may have swept the Lakers in the postseason 3 years ago, but they haven't swept them in the regular season in a long time till now. Jodie Meeks was the Lakers' top performer this game scoring 25 points on 10-17 shooting, but the Lakers could not derail the Mavs' playoff push as they fell 107-95 on the night where Dirk Nowitzki's 27 point performance helped him surpassed Dominique Wilkins on the all-time scoring list. Jordan Hill added a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, Kent Bazemore chipped in 13 points, and Nick Young came off the bench with 17 points.

Final Score: vs. Dallas 107-95 [L]
Full Recap: http://www.nba.com/games/20140404/DALLAL/gameinfo.html

Highlights:

Next Game: @ LA Clippers (04/06)

Lakers Fall to Kings, Get Loss #50

We're nearing towards the end of the season, this mess is almost over. The Lakers have competed, kept games close, but the outcome of a loss was expected 95% of the time. Tallying 50 losses adds more to the Lakers' futility this season. Jordan Hill was the Lakers' top performer despite shooting 5-15 from the field, recording a double-double of 18 points and 15 rebounds, but the Lakers fell short of sweeping the season series against a Kings team who have been playing better ball lately despite the season out of reach 102-107 in Sac-Town. It's mind boggling why D'Antoni couldn't play Kaman and Hill in the same game, at least have one come off the bench and the other start. Jodie Meeks added 21 points on 8-15 shooting (why did I sit him today), Kent Bazemore added 14 points, and Nick Young, putting usual double-figure points off the bench with 17 points.

Final Score: @ Sacramento 102-107 [L]
Full Recap: http://www.nba.com/games/20140402/LALSAC/gameinfo.html

Highlights:

Next Game: vs. Dallas (04/04)

Nick Young Has Amazing Game, But Lakers Fall to Blazers (THE REAL POST)

I'm kidding guys, late April Fools joke, but I was serious about the D-Jax signing with the Redskins, could've used him to open up receivers for Schaub to throw to, plus imagine the play actions with MJD and DMC. Anyway, that's Raider talk I'll save for later. So welcome in to the full recap where I said before Nick Young had a great performance, but it was not enough to upset the Blazers at the end of the day.

The Positives

Nick Young, 40 points, 15-26 shooting, 6-13 from 3 point land. What a night for Nick Young, even though it came on the losing end. If you're a fantasy owner and you started him today, he provided solid stats for your field goal percentage and points category and he gave me a big boost this game against my opponent in the championship round. Anyway, like I said in my halftime post, Young hasn't felt like he missed a beat ever since returning from his leg injury, he's provided decent numbers ever since he came back. Obviously a scary moment in the 3rd where his ribs accidentally bumped into Chris Kaman in a putback dunk attempt, but he managed to shake it off and drained a three, I mean Swaggy P, enough said.

Steve Nash, 10 points, 10 assists. He's been in and out of the court this game, I never expected him to play as much minutes as he did as he's trying to get himself healthy, but when Nash was on the floor, the offense was really clicking and players were finding their shots. For what it's worth, Nash didn't need to push himself to play this game, but he did, and did what he can to command the Lakers' offense, who knows if he wasn't on the floor, this margin of defeat would've been much bigger. Of course, no assumptions should be made.

Kent Bazemore, 17 points, 6-10 shooting. Bazemore's heart never ceases to amaze me and other Laker fans. He's a story in the making if he's able to keep up like this into the next season.

The Negatives

Pau Gasol, 9 points, 4-9 shooting. I'm not really going to hold it on Gasol for doing poorly this game, he's 4 games removed after suffering vertigo, dizziness from past concussions I think. I don't know, I'm no medical expert, don't want to make excuses, but Gasol gets a free pass.

2nd half shot selection and defense. Lakers gave up a lot in the 2nd half, ranging from a helping the Blazers make 3 point plays, poor shooting, and giving guys like Lilard, Batum, and Matthews open looks. The Lakers did a good job containing the Blazers team at first, but when Portland's dynamic duo in Lilard and Aldridge get going, like they did, the Blazers will put up as many high scoring numbers as they can and they didn't shoot well too, talk about insult to injury.

Conclusion

Overall, the Lakers just started to drift away in the 2nd half, and usually when they do that, the game's already out of reach, that's the pattern we've seen all season long. They were able to make runs in a couple of games, but the deficits are just too much to dig out of. The season's almost over. There are 4 more games to cover. The Lakers have another back-to-back schedule facing the Kings in Sacramento tomorrow night and their next nationally televised game is against the Clippers is April 6. I'll see you guys for that game and I'll try to cover that game as quick as possible because I want to see WrestleMania 30, even though the build for this year has been lackluster. Anyway, I'm out. Stay classy.

Nick Young Has Amazing Game, But Lakers Fall to Blazers

Alright welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers vs. the Portland Trailblazers where the Lakers tried to play spoiler behind Nick Young's 40 point performance, but they fell short as they got torched by Damian Lilard and LaMarcus Aldridge as both combined for 70 points to help the Blazers beat the Lakers 124-112.

It was an entertaining game in the 1st half, but the 2nd half, the Lakers beat themselves and it ended up costing big time. I don't want to even talk about this game. Typical of the Lakers losing this season, I'm not in a good mood, DeSean Jackson signed with the Redskins and didn't even schedule a visit to the Raiders to explore other options and embrace behind the ever faithful Raider Nation. Forget it, I'm not doing this full recap. This will take the form of a quick recap.

04/01: LAKERS vs. Portland Trailblazers Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

Score: POR 124 LAL 112

Lilard and Aldridge were just too much this game as they turned it up in the 2nd half. Nick Young had a great performance, but the effort just fell short. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

Score: POR 91 LAL 83

Lakers started falling off this quarter and they almost dug themselves a massive hole once again. Luckily enough, they were able to make a run and started giving themselves offensive rebounds for extended possessions. Good to see that Nash is back on the floor this quarter and with Nash on the floor, the Lakers get a fighting chance on every offensive possession.

Q2:

Score: POR 63 LAL 61

Good quarter overall, especially for Nick Young as he becomes the only player on the Lakers in double-figures this game, a near flawless shooting performance that quarter. It's a close game and once again, the Blazers are clinging onto a 2 point lead. Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

Score: POR 29 LAL 27

Nash is playing? Didn't expect that. Marshall was getting in foul trouble early and since Nash came in, the Laker offense started making a run to make the score closer at the end of the quarter, but Bazemore got it going in this quarter early and the Blazers are just chucking up shots, hoping it goes in, which is why they are holding on to a two point lead in a low scoring 1st quarter.

LAKERS vs. Blazers Halftime Post

Score: POR 63 LAL 61

Alright welcome in to the halftime report of the game between the Lakers and the Portland Trailblazers where the Blazers are top by two, but the Lakers continue to hang around.

The Positives

Nick Young, 21 points, 8-9 shooting. Wow, what a 2nd quarter for Swaggy P. Like I said countless, ever since Young returned from injury, he feels like he hasn't missed a beat putting up double-figure points regardless of shooting percentage. But this game, he got hot and he got hot in a hurry and his 21 point outburst in the quarter is one of the couple reasons why we're making this a game.

Steve Nash, 7 points, 7 assists. Obviously he left the game with a ankle injury early on in the 2nd quarter and hopefully not all is serious. At age 40, he hasn't had the game he once had a couple of years ago, but with Nash on the floor, he gets teammates involved creating open shots. Other than that, he contributed decent numbers the minute he's on the floor and was another intricate part on why the Lakers managed to rally and continue to hang around with the Blazers.

The Negatives

I haven't seen a lot of negatives, surprisingly, aside from the offensive rebounding, Pau Gasol having a bad game back, I don't know if there are is enough evidence for negatives here in this halftime post. So not a lot of negative happening, but if things get ugly in the 2nd half, then they will be addressed in the full recap.

Bottom Line

Nothing much to say on this halftime post. The Lakers just need to continue to hang around and continue to keep playing spoiler to alter the playoff picture. The Blazers are leading, but they are shooting poorly from the field and that's one of the reasons why they've been on a slump down the stretch and hopefully the Lakers can continue to take advantage of that, while at the same time, box out to finish the defense and start mustering more offense.