Lakers Get Outgun By Now-Healthy Grizz–102-96
No, the Lakers didn’t look very good last night, and Memphis did look very good. And it’s all no big deal–although it is for the Grizzlies because, after the top three teams in the West, there are eight legitimate contenders for the remaining five playoff spots. Thus each game looms large, even a bit larger for Memphis than the Lakers, who are in third place, 2 ½ games ahead of the team below them. Also, most of the contenders are sinking slowly–the Clippers, the Mavs, the Rockets, the Nuggets, the T-Wolves. The Lakers are looking good. They’re healthy, and they’ve added a dynamic point guard. They could drop to 4th and still have the home court advantage in the first round.
Kobe took 15 shots in 38 minutes. That’s great news for Laker fans. Pau (15) and Bynum (16) each took as many shots as Kobe! Sure, Pau (and World Peace) shot poorly. Pau was 4-15 and Metta was 2-9 (which balanced Bynum’s great 30-point night on 11-16 shooting), and Memphis shot 51%. The only reason that the Lakers stayed in the game was because they were deadly from the foul line, going 27-30, while the Grizz were a mere 8-10.
The Lakers’ Achilles heel is Kobe. He will either lift them to the pinnacle or be the cause of their downfall. When he went to the bench in the middle of the 4th quarter and punched the chair before sitting on it, it smacked of déjà vu. I don’t know exactly how many chair-punches he’s thrown in his career but the fact that he’s still at it suggests he hasn’t figured it out yet. His teammates want to win, too. But because most of them are not obsessive-compulsives with maturation issues, they only have a normal, sane desire to win.
And that pisses off Kobe.
If that punch was directed at himself, then he’s got a problem. If it was aimed at his teammates because he thought they were letting him down by their poor or indifferent play, then the team has a problem. If Kobe wants a ring so bad, if he is supposed to be the leader of this team, and not just the team’s “star,” then he needs to lead. Punching the chair sends a negative vibe. The rest of the team, in awe of Kobe’s gifts, can’t help but be negatively affected in the aftermath of such an outburst–certainly in their ability to play loose. My guess is that his teammates don’t want Kobe looking over their shoulder.
What was disappointing about the loss is that the Lakers caught a road-weary Memphis team that had lost five out of their last six games, and that had played and lost the night before. Also, to satisfy critics such as me, it was a great opportunity to beat a good team that was at full strength, a feat they have rarely accomplished this season—at home or on the road. It wasn’t to be, but if you subtract the drama, the back-story and the bullshit, it’s no biggie. With the acquisition of Sessions, the Lakers have all the ingredients to run the table come playoff time. It’s all about getting there in good health and in harmony. Kobe needs to make his peace with himself and his teammates. He’s got 18 games left.