Good or Not?

Lakers fans will tell you that the Lakers haven’t hit their stride. That Kobe isn’t playing the same way that he was in the first three series. That he isn’t moving the ball. That he’s taking too many bad shots. They say that Lamar Odom is struggling through nerves and that Pau Gasol is playing soft.

On the flip, Celtics fans, after last night’s horrific game, will tell you that all the Cs need is for KG and Pierce and Allen to play well all at the same time. That KG ain’t going to shoot a woeful 6 for 21 or that PP isn’t going to build a house out of bricks every night.

Before this series started, there were two teams. One was the smooth-flowing, high-octane, pass-happy offense, verses the slow-it-down, grind-it-out defense.

It was the Lakers who were the heavy favorites. This here blogger was convinced that they would win in 5. Everyone else thought it would be six. With the MVP leading the way, the Lakers was a team fresh off of dusting off three 50-win squads, including the reigning champs (in 5) and last year’s WCF contenders. A team averaging 106 points per game. A perfect 9-0 at home.

The Celtics were the team that, despite the best regular season record, were pushed to seven by the 37-win Atlanta Hawks and, despite holding the King to a horrible field goal percentage, also went 7 with the Cavs. Experts claimed the Cs “lucked” into an injured Chauncy Billups and were even labeled the underdogs despite having home court advantage.

Now, it appears neither team is playing well, and even when they have (the Celtics in game 2) they end up bungling it (the Lakers 41-point fourth quarter surge). There’s all this talk about the huge freethrow discrepancy. And both sides are arguing that if this guy just does this, or the refs just call the game this way, or if those certain shots go in, etc. etc. There’s a lot of defending going on by fans.

So, instead of make excuses for why either team isn’t doing this or that like they should be, let’s start examining the reasons why they aren’t. Both teams are good. That’s why they’re here in the finals (despite what conspiracy theorists will spin). The question is, why are they not playing that way?

Truth be told, perhaps these two teams are really that good. Maybe KG isn’t choking, he’s just getting defended really well. Maybe Kobe can’t do what he did before, because Thibodeau’s defense has him confused.

Nobody else, not even last year’s champs, have been able to put a hold on the MVP like the Celtics. They’ve forced him into a lot of long midrange jumpshots and fadeaways. Until last night, Kobe wasn’t even getting to the line (he didn’t deserve to in game 2, just for the record).

Maybe Kobe’s not passing as much because the lanes aren’t there, because the Celtics defense is that good. I mean, they did demolish the league and were, by far, the best defensive team. Credit KG. Credit Tom Thibodeau. Credit a collective team effort. They are stifling. 

Plus, you can’t put all the blame on #24’s shoulders. Sure, he’s yelling at his mates, his self-proclaimed “brothers,” giving them icy cold stares, shaking his head. But that has a lot to do with how timidly they’re playing.

Kobe’s main shooters are all having a bad series. Vlad Rad is shooting 38 percent when he in fact is able to stay out of foul trouble and on the floor. Fisher’s shooting 35 percent. Odom? 42 percent. In fact, the only Lakers perimeter player who is shooting well for the series, usually comes in as Kobe’s backup.

Which makes one wonder why Sasha isn’t starting. Why not slide Kobe over to the SF and have him guard Pierce? Kobe’s a better one-on-one defender. When he’s locked in, he’s All NBA defense 1st team stuff. But, he often loses his man, and has never been good, let alone great, at fighting through screens and chasing spot up shooters all over the floor. That’s why Ray Ray shines against him. With Sasha doing the chasing and the spotting up, the offense should run a lot smoother. Kobe will be able to better use his defensive talents, and he’ll have a scorching hot Machine (shooting 55 percent from beyond the arc) to pass to on his kickouts. With a legitimate threat out on the perimeter, the Cs will have to start bringing out their players from the packed middle, which should create seams for the MVP to thread. 

And then, Pau Gasol will be able to more effectively operate. KG is being labeled as a choke artist, and Pau has been labeled as soft, but I believe that Pau has done a tremendous job on the defensive end. Sure, everyone will point to that horrible breakdown when Leon Powe took the ball coast to coast and slammed it down, over a gawking Gasol. Or the KG put back slam where Pau failed to box anyone out.

But if you look at the work that the grizzly Spaniard has done against the three premier power forwards in the league, I mean, you have to give him some credit. Team defense plays a role, sure, but look at Duncan’s numbers. Timmy shot a putrid 42 percent. KG is shooting 35 percent. You read that right. And Boozer shot 40 percent. Gasol’s length clearly bothered all of them, and bothered them a lot.

Pau does need to box out better and he is getting outrebounded, but rebounding is a team effort. James Posey is an excellent rebounder. Rajon Rondo is an excellent rebounder. Even Ray Ray has been getting into the mix this series (averaging 5 to Kobe’s 4.7). Perkins and PJ Brown are tough on the glass, as is Poe and Pierce. Pau and Odom can’t box out everyone by themselves. Kobe, Fish, Farmar, Vujacic, Vlad Rad, everyone else needs to crash the boards. That’s why I like Trevor Ariza. No matter what, he is always crashing the boards and he uses his super athleticism to make plays. He’s just way out of sorts right now after being out for so long.

Bottom line. This series has been ugly. And it’s no wonder. When an immovable object slams into an irresistible force, the results aren’t pretty. Ultimate offense versus ultimate defense looks like Lakers versus Celtics.

Here’s to an ugly game 4…