In NYC for the week, not sure how many of these I’ll get to but need to get that ass of a game out of my system.
1) Lakers defense was absolute garbage. You can call it a scheme but, frankly, that’s being generous. Denver got what they wanted, when they wanted it and how they wanted it. Westbrook was averaging an assist/minute when you know his weakness is scoring. That’s bad coaching, you don’t let a pass-first PG make play after play after play after play and not adjust what you’re doing and force him to score. If this isn’t a learning game for Reddick and his staff, who seem to pride themselves on attention to detail, this won’t be ending pretty.
2) Talk about efficiency? We turned the ball over 15 times, not terrible, not good. Denver scored 31 points off those miscues. That’s making the most of your opponents mistakes.
3) Jokic owns us. Nobody came close to bothering him. It honestly got sad watching us try.
4) We didn’t put forth the kind of effort one would hope to see. This group of players has had their asses kicked by the Denver Nuggets. A lot. Sure didn’t feel like it watching the game. Just another ass whipping, I guess. Can’t wait for the “Who’s your daddy” chants in Denver. Sad to see in what has to be the statement game of the season, so far. The statement was we’re not close to being near the top of the league.
5) This team lacks physicality. Some people focus on how the scoring works. I don’t care about that. We have the All Time leading scorer, one of the top scorers in the league this season, and we can score effectively inside and out. We bother nobody on the other end. We get into no one on the other end. We have no defensive identity on the other end. At best we have a faulty scheme. At best. That has to change. Fast.