The Signature Loss

(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

Often in sports we hear of "signature wins". A signature win is a team putting their stamp on the season. It's an affirmation by an improving team that they've "made it". A signature win is a big victory, over a favored opponent, showcasing the team's strengths, and essentially summing up their season. In a signature win, all the aspects of what made that team successful are put on display. The wider public begins to recognize how good the team is, and how good they can be. As I mentioned in the last post, the Thunder had a signature win against the Lakers last month, blowing them out handily and announcing loudly to the rest of the league "We're here! We can compete with good teams!".

The Lakers' embarrassing loss last night was more than just a series evening defeat. It was a signature loss. Their pathetic performance was indicative of all the problems that have plagued them this season. Kobe was clearly laboring, and was unable to play effectively through his injuries. Neither Bynum or Gasol were particularly assertive, and the Lakers struggled to work the ball inside. Artest, Brown and Farmar shot a combined 5 of 24 from the field. The Lakers had no answer for their opponent's speedy young point guard.

The freethrow discrepancy was pretty shocking, and the officiating really was poor- the referees were clearly intimidated by the deafening home crowd. But the Lakers can't have any excuses. If Brian Shaw, Frank Hamblen and Jim Cleamons had been given whistles and invited to leave the bench and officiate the game, the Lakers still would have been blown out. Nobody on the Lakers was willing to put their body on the line, get to the basket and draw the foul.

They were outworked. They were outeverythinged really, but their lack of effort was the most obvious deficiency. The Thunder got a handful of long offensive rebounds where nobody in purple looked even remotely interested in tracking down the miss. The Lakers looked directionless and had no answer for anything the Thunder were doing. Worst of all, they gave up on the game far too early, and didn't seem to be especially bothered or embarrassed by the defeat.

Although the Lakers didn't seem too concerned, I sure was. As I've said, this wasn't just a normal loss. It was a signature loss. All of the Lakers flaws and blemishes were exposed. The Thunder didn't expose any new weaknesses in the champs, rather, they just reminded us of what's bothered the Lakers all season. This is what made last nights loss so disquieting. These problems- Kobe's growing injury list, the team's lack of consistent outside shooting, a shallow bench, an inability to pound the ball inside, and a distinct lack of effort/heart are not going to go away. There is no easy fix. Maybe the Lakers just aren't that good... Many thought that once the playoffs started the Lakers would magically start playing better, that they would flip the proverbial 'switch'. Unfortunately, it's starting to look like that switch doesn't exist.

Last night, I was the most upset and depressed I've been about the Lakers since June of 2008. I had to turn the game off with over five minutes left, something I very rarely do. I simply couldn't take anymore of Doris Burke and Dan Shulman gleefully reminding us how young the Thunder is, how good Kevin Durant is, how this is "a real series now". Even during the incredibly inconsistent Houston series last May, I wasn't as down on the Lakers as I am today. I have an extremely hard time envisioning them winning they championship now- and that is the only goal, the only way the season can be considered a success. They just have too many problems. And most importantly, they don't seem to want it enough. Last year, still smarting from the Finals defeat to the hated Celtics, the Lakers were the hungriest team in the NBA. They clearly wanted the title more than any other team. This year, that hunger is gone.

So where do the Lakers go from here? I can't imagine them losing Game 5 on Tuesday. As much as the Thunder exposed their flaws in Game 4, I want to believe the Lakers are still capable of winning games they have to win. And make no mistake about it, Game 5 is a must win for LA.

Besides tying up the series, the loss in Game 4 had another dramatic consequence- it gave the Thunder a huge dose of confidence. Even after their close win in Game 3, I doubt anyone on Oklahoma City thought they had a realistic chance of winning the series. They were simply reveling in their win, even knowing it might be the only one. After last night though, the Thunder must now be empowered with an incredible self-belief. They know they can beat the Lakers now, and all they have to do is keep winning at home, and steal one game in LA. All the pressure was on the young Thunder during their two home games in Oklahoma City, but it has shifted back to the Lakers now. The Thunder have already been impressive, they've already proven pundits and fans (myself included) wrong. They are playing with house money now, and that makes them even more dangerous.

Last night was a humbling defeat. Before the playoffs began, I kind of expected the Lakers' matchups in the West to be more formalities than real challenges. Sure, I expected some good series, some tough games, and even some losses, obviously. But I didn't really think the Lakers would be in true danger at any time, and I didn't expect them to be truly challenged by anyone but the Cavs. Not in my wildest dreams could I have imagined the Lakers falling in the first round. Now, of course, that's a very real possibility. The series seems destined for seven games- the prospect of the Lakers winning a game six in front of Oklahoma City's raucous crowd is almost laughable. L.A. would obviously be favored in the deciding game, but anything can happen in a Game 7. And even if they do get past the Thunder, can the Lakers still make a serious to the Finals? I just don't see it, unless something changes dramatically.

But maybe something did change dramatically. Maybe the Lakers needed a game like last night to slap them in the face, to wake them up, to force them to realize they can't just sleepwalk through the West. Maybe they'll come out with a new focus and attitude on Tuesday night, and even more crucially on Friday night in Oklahoma City.

There is no question last night's defeat was a wake up call. The question is, for whom was the wake up intended? Was it for the team, to snap out of their funk, and inspire them to start playing like the champions they can be? Or was it for the us, the fans, to help us finally realize that Lakers just aren't that good, that there is no "switch", that this just isn't our year? I have a bad feeling the wakeup call was for us. I think it's too late for the Lakers- they've already slept through their call...

The Rebirth: Playoffs 2010

Wow. Well, it's been a while. I hope to blog throughout this year's playoffs, with a more open schedule on my part. So without further ado- here we go.

Although the focus for some may be on tonight's huge, meaningful, implication packed, epic clash vs. the Clippers, some of us (okay, everyone, Phil included) are looking ahead to this weekend. With the Lakers clinching the one seed, and the Durants (ahem, Oklahoma City Thunder) locked into the eight spot, the first round matchup is set.



There were many schools of thought as to what team would be the most favorable opponent for the Lakers in the first round. With three teams realistically in play for the eight seed- Spurs, Blazers and OKC- three distinct camps emerged among Laker fans. Some wanted San Antonio, believing the Spurs to be old, tired and vulnerable. Some thought the young, playoff inexperienced, Thunder would be heavily overmatched against the Lakers. And... well actually, there were just two camps. Nobody wanted to face Portland.

I, admittedly, was in the "San Antonio is vulnerable" camp. The Spurs have a wealth of post-season experience, savvy veterans and way too much pride to just roll over. But I think the Lakers know what to expect from them, and matchup well against San Antonio. It wouldn't have been easy, but I don't see anyway the Lakers would drop 4 games in that series.

The Oklahoma City Thunder is a much scarier match up, because there is so much unknown. They are- as many have pointed out- the youngest team in the NBA. No, not just in the playoffs, in the whole league. They have five guys who are younger than me! I'm 21... Their roster looks more like a college team than an NBA Team. They have no playoff experience. But are they inexperienced and "in over their heads" or are they "too young to know any better"? The, latter, I fear, may be closer to the truth. They haven't been in the playoffs before, so they don't really know what its like. But is that a bad thing? I doubt they are scared by the Lakers, and why should they be? Bound to be the looser of the two teams, the Thunder really have nothing to lose. A loss in the first round against the defending champs would hardly be a devastating end to the season. For L.A., anything less than a title, even a hard fought loss in the Finals, would be deeply disappointing. A loss in the first round would be catastrophically cataclysmic. All of the pressure is on the Lakers.

The Thunder also have this guy named Kevin Durant. You may have heard of him. He's quite good. Durant has emerged as one of the top 7 or 8 players in the NBA this year. I've been a huge fan of him since his days at Texas, and have been proclaiming for years, to anyone that would listen, that he would soon be in the argument for best player in the NBA (the Kobe, Lebron, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo group). I have been ridiculed less and less as the years have gone by, and have been somewhat vindicated this season, as Durant has enjoyed a breakout year. He has all but won the scoring title (Lebron would need to outscore him by 33 points tonight to win it) and will likely finish second in MVP voting.

He's an outstanding offensive talent. What makes Durant so special is his uniqueness- he's listed as 6'9" and has an freakishly long wingspan and reach. Yet he rarely plays in the post, preferring to beat his men off the dribble, or put up perimeter shots. He has literally unlimited shooting range. This season, his focus on getting to the basket (and through that, the freethrow line) has enabled him to make the leap from from phenom to superstar.

So who guards Durant? He's hard to double, because he sets up so far away from the basket, and the Thunder have surrounded him with complimentary shooters. Artest, likely will be the Laker's primary "Durant-stopper", and will look to use his strength and size to bother the slight Durant. But Ron has lost a step on the perimeter, and will probably get beat by the quicker Durant often. The key to stopping him will lie with the Lakers' team defense, which will have to provide ample help, switching and shifting often.

Besides Durant, the key to this series is the health of Bynum. I believe that Kobe is fine, and really is just resting up for the "second season". As for Andrew, I'm not so sure. His lingering injury, continually pushed back return date, and contradictory statements from the front office reminds me of Kevin Garnett's knee injury last season. Bynum claims he'll be back for the opening game vs. the Thunder, and I hope he's right. With Bynum, most of the above talk about the Thunder's threats are irrelevant. Bynum, while not necessarily the key player himself, changes the entire equation. He makes the Lakers almost impossible to deal with, because of their ridiculous height and size advantages over everyone else. Lamar Odom is pushed back to 6th man, making the bench a strength, not a vulnerability. Pau gets shifted to power foward, where he is more effective, and able to guard/be guarded by smaller players. With Bynum, the Lakers are the most talented top to bottom team in the league. Without Bynum, they're vulnerable, even against the Thunder.

The Lakers beat the Thunder three times in November and December, with Kobe averaging 33 points per contest. With Bynum injured though, the Thunder blew out the Lakers more recently, on March 26th. It was a signature win for the Thunder, who were starting to prove that they could beat good teams, and not just pad their record with wins against non-contenders.

It's pretty hard to make a pick for this series without really knowing the health of Bynum, and to a lesser degree, Kobe. But I'll take the optimistic point of view. With Bynum and Kobe both rested and healthy, and the Lakers finally focused and considering every game important, they should be able to win easily. Alot of people, myself included- have been pointing out all the reasons the Thunder should give the Lakers trouble. But what else are we supposed to do? We've had almost a week to dwell on the matchup. We have started to talk ourselves into thinking the Thunder have a chance, because it's more interesting than talking about how much better the Lakers are.

In reality, barring a dramatic injury to Kobe (I cringed even typing that), there can only be one winner in this series. The Lakers are much more talented at nearly every position and the bench. They have a ludicrously huge edge in experience. The same could be said for coaching as well. While Scott Brooks has been mentioned as a Coach of The Year candidate, he, like his team, is young, inexperienced (first year head coach), and has not been to the playoffs. Phil Jackson, on the other hand, has been to the playoffs a few times.

I'd love to pick the Lakers to sweep. It'd be a bold and noteworthy prediction, but I just can't do it. Not because they aren't talented enough to sweep, but because I don't believe they think they 'need' to sweep. The Lakers' focus is a major question mark, and arguably the real key to the series. They have been maddeningly inconsistent the last few weeks, following up great efforts with no-shows, the aforementioned debacle on March 26th vs. the Thunder especially conspicuous. Can they string together four hard-fought, complete games? If so, this series will end very quickly. If they want to be remembered as a great team, they should certainly be able to focus for 16 quarters, without a let down. But every Laker fan knows there's about as much chance of that as there is of the Clippers getting Lebron this summer. Almost none. Sorry to pile on, Clipper fans. At least you got rid of Dunleavy.

Even though its the playoffs, and the focus should be there, I'm not so sure. I don't think the Lakers fear the Thunder enough. I don't think they're hungry enough. Do they really want it badly enough to dive for loose balls, to work every quarter, to focus through two road games in OKC, to get that a sweep? Or do they think (correctly, but sadly) that they're good enough to win without too much exertion? 'Isn't simply winning the series good enough?' is attitude I anticipate. Teams have to want to sweep, and I'm not sure the Lakers do. I'll afford them one disinterested loss in my prediction, and I think a few of the games might be close as well. But the Lakers have too much talent to drop multiple games, and I'll go with Lakers in 5.