After last night's abysmal performance against the Golden State Warriors, the overwhelming issues continue to mount as the Lakers were humiliated on their home court. Stephen Curry had an electrifying performance, shooting 10-19 from the field and dishing out 15 assists, with only 3 turnovers, leading his team with 30 points. As for the rest of the Warriors squad, 7 of their 13 players had 10 or more points against the Lakers defense.
On the other hand, Kobe dropped a whopping 44 points, shooting 15-34 from the field. The only other notable Laker performance was from Jordan Hill, who shot 4-9 from the field and ended the game with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Surprisingly the Lakers out-shot the Warriors, attempting 99 field goals vs the Warriors 86 field goal attempts. However, while the Warriors made 46 out of their 86 attempts, the Lakers shot a horrible 39 out of 99 field goal attempts, averaging just a shy under 40% from the field.
Throughout the game the Lakers appeared to be outmatched. Jeremy Lin disappeared attempting only 2 field goals, and ended the night with 0 points 1 assist and 2 rebounds. Kobe Byrant looked to avenge his atrocious performance from the night before against the San Antonio Spurs, but as a result the team suffered from poor ball movement, a lack of interior scoring/penetration and complacency for too many jump shots.
But what was most appalling was the Lakers overall lack of effort. The Warriors ran the Lakers out of the building, consistently scoring easy buckets on transition layups and three-pointers.
If the Lakers want to have any chance at salvaging this season they must address their defensive mishaps. The Lakers interior defense is among the worst in the NBA and they continue to struggle against mid-level and top-tier big men. The perimeter defense has had moments however, the Lakers point guards still struggle with pick and roll plays and transition defense. The team as a whole still struggles with spacing, allowing wide open gaps to the paint and allowing excellent three point shooters to get wide-open looks. It will be up to Byron Scott and his staff to figure out a way to mask the weaknesses of the Lakers and utilize the Lakers length on the perimeter. Possibly a 2-3 zone defense?
On the other end the Lakers must figure out a way to play team basketball. Kobe is the main culprit, averaging over 20 field goal attempts every game, and he's already had 6 games where he's shot more than 25 field goal attempts. Jordan Hill plays as if he's the second best player on the team, hoisting up too many mid-range jumpers and completely detracting from what makes him so effective on the court, which is his tough tenacious rebounding and his quick put-backs. Jeremy Lin and Carlos Boozer both continue to put out inconsistent performances. Lastly Wesley Johnson appears to be playing hide and seek while he's on the court, with his offense coming and going too frequently.
The Lakers next opponent will be against the Atlanta Hawks this Tuesday. The Hawks are a solid team that likes to distribute the ball, attack the paint, and take high percentage shots. Furthermore the Hawks have two very good big men, in Paul Millsap and Al Horford to contend against the Lakers. This game should be competitive but it's a game that the Lakers should have a chance in winning. But if the Lakers cannot figure out how to trust one another and put as much effort on the defensive end as they do when they complain to the referees then expect the Lakers to go 1-10.
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