Sloppy execution catches up with you, and the Lakers have been sloppy of late. A more disciplined team than the Jazz, not necessarily even a better one, could have snatched Game Two from them.
The Jazz aren't that team so the Lakers won, but that’s a sub-plot that bears watching, albeit one to keep at a slow burn.
First off, Deron Williams was stellar for the Jazz. Amazing inside and outside, scoring and facilitating. Basketball experts have anointed Chris Paul ALL-TIME great potential, whereas Williams is regarded as merely "Top 5 NOW."
I don’t know, but every time I see the guy (Williams), it is apparent that if the Jazz ever find someone more dominant/big-time than Boozer to complement him, the Jazz could go all the way someday.
Unfortunately, here and now, without Okur, there are just too many matchup advantages for the Lakers.
Odom, for one, just crushes the Jazz. Similarly, when the Lakers were running with Pau and Bynum, the Jazz had no answer for the Laker “bigs,” and the Points in the Paint (and shooting percentage) advantage was terrific as a result.
In the "didn't see that one coming" bucket, Shannon Brown is an exciting story arc as far as the Lakers are concerned. He brings defensive intensity and spreads the floor, while being unafraid of the moment (he'll shoot, and he's hitting his shots).
Plus he makes good decisions (something that both Farmar and Vujacic struggle with), and allows them to play a muscle tough style, which is another dimension that they can throw out to keep the Jazz off-balance (and the competition in subsequent rounds).
I hope that he can keep it up. It would be a nice story for the man, who was a complete throw-in in the Radmanovic deal.
Back on the court, Trevor Ariza knocks down a big three to effectively end the game, just as he hit an opening three to help get the Lakers started. He continues to impress.
And Kobe. All-time sick jumper over Ronnie Brewer. Incredible footwork by Kobe matched by equally sound defense by Brewer, and Kobe STILL nails it.
Phil spent too much time experimenting with rotations, and somewhat took the Lakers out of the flow of their game (which he mea culpa’d to afterwards), but you start to see how a couple of more refinements, and the Unit Mixes will (hopefully) be more judiciously and consistently applied.
A final thought. What has defined the Lakers this year has been a lock down phase of the game, when they just take over. They become an anaconda and squeeze the life out of the competition. Didn't happen tonight, and hasn’t these last few games with the Jazz.
The Jazz won’t win this series. The Lakers are just too much more talented, have too many mismatch advantages, are too much more battle-tested, and when they find that extra gear, as they will, it will be game over.
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