Live Thread: Lakers @ Cavs
2016-02-10https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnHyhCYOgTI
Kobe Bryant and the Lakers are in Cleveland to do battle this evening. Â This is the last time Kobe will be in Quicken Loans Arena.
The Lakers have just 11 wins this season and sit at the bottom of the Western conference. They aren’t hopeless though. Young point guard Jordan Clarkson is putting up 15.2 points a night playing a team high 32.3 minutes a game.
Power Forward Julius Randle has shown the ability to lead fast breaks and has a decent set of post moves. He’s averaging a double-double, 11.2 points and 10 boards a game. D’Angelo Russell is full of promise, but hasn’t been played consistently enough to improve. He’s averaging 3.3 assists a game; however, he turns the ball over 2.4 times a night.
Former Cavalier coach, Byron Scott is the Lakers’ current coach. Scott prefers his veterans to the young guys right now, which is part the of the reason why Kobe Bryant is playing nearly 30 minutes a night, shooting 35% from the floor, and averaging 16.7 shots per game. Kobe leads LA in shots attempted and has the worst field goal percentage (after Ron Artest, but Artest takes just 5.1 attempts per game and he’s Artest) . But hey, KOBE!
This is Cleveland’s last game before the All-Star break. If they could get a win tonight moving the ball, playing sound defense, and trusting each other I would be happy. Going into the All-Star weekend with a two game win streak (even if it is against two bottom tier teams) from playing good game plan based basketball would help everyone, including myself, feel better about the Cavs.
Matthew Dellavedova will miss tonight with a sore hamstring. This is the fifth game he’s missed.
Bonus Story
I work with a Kobe fan. This man told me that Kobe is still an amazing scorer and just as efficient as LeBron. He said those words as I left my job today. I need this Cavs win because I can’t deal with the “Kobe still great” taunts I’ll deal with tomorrow if the Lakers win. And, the Cavs need to shut him down too. This Kobe lover will go off  if Kobe gets 20 points and takes 30 shots to do it.
Finally, take a few minutes to look back at some of Kobe’s highlights. Whether or not you like him or his style of play, you have to appreciate his dedication to winning and the creation of his Black Mamba persona.
I think Kyrie is the leader in FG% on midranger shots this season. If that holds up, it is goona be great for his longevity.
Russell needs to start… it’s a joke that he’s not.
Irving tired of seeing Shumpert screw up… hits the midrange.
Then Irving turns it over trying to drive the paint.
This game stinks!
Shumpert with a off the dribble for 2 predictably a brick.
Shumpert out of control drive with a pass to no one.
That’s so unlike him.
LOL you forgot the /s
Nice shot by Irving.
Nice shooting by Russwll.
They should play Hakeem in this game. Bring back all the ole timers.
Lue has this team playing well.
Yikes… Mo off the screen 3 for a brick.
Great shot by Jefferson.
Too much dribbling by Shump.
Mo and Moz with the two man game for the foul.
Trying to get Moz the ball.
All backboard on that Mo Chuck!
Nice pass by Mo.
CLE’s offense looks competent against incompetent Lakers’ defense.
CLE’s defense leaving something to be desired.
I think Mo must be injured.
No he’s just window adhesive.
Yeah, he twisted his defense a couple years ago and it still isn’t healed. Doctors think he’ll never defense again.
Injured and sucks.
WOW… tweaker Shump leads to a lucky midrange 2.
I hope Kobe gets hot.
It’ll be hard. It’s snowing outside.
I hope Kobe keeps thinking he’s already hot.
I think this is Cols troll
Mo airballs midrange 2… he is not right.
Not for years now.
James about to chew out Moz. But I’d rather Moz hold onto the ball, rather than lose it for an easy Laker hoop.
I know, right. Moz was saving LeBron’s three point percentage from taking another hit.
I 100% did not know meta world peace was STILL playing.
Pretty great so far.
You are such a fair-weather fan Cols. Don’t remember you commenting with such regularity, or at all basically, in losses. Also, my pickup team would look halfway decent against these Lakers.
Shump looking good.
OMG Artest is still playing???
LBJ great pocket pass to rolling to the hoop TT for an easy layup.
LBJ predictably bricks a pump fake 3 with no passing on the offensive sequence.
James needs to shoot more jumpers.
You are the only human being on earth that thinks this.
Needs to get it going. Keep shooting.
I need to ask out more bikini models. My chances are about as good.
I am afraid but I’ll ask anyway,
Why?
To fix his jumper.
Shump misses the contested 3… LBJ gets lucky on his long 2 off the dribble.
Sweet jumper buy James.
Mo hesitates and doesn’t take the open jumper… drives into traffic for an ugly contested jumper.
Bench guys getting some time.
I like these uniforms.
Ugly open 3 by JR trying to draw the foul.
That is usually a mistake. Take a good shot, if you get fouled, you get fouled.
Cavs up 10. Looking great so far
The power forward taking off after a defnsive rebound is a beautiful and very powerful thing to have on your team. Barkley made a living from it and Draymond Green is great at that too. If only we had a 6 foot 8 guy, who could rebound and push the pace. Oh wait…
So far, the CLE cover is going according to plan… Vegas may have underestimated how bad the Lakers’ defense is and will lose big time on the OVER.
My 12B is looking good. Let’s see who screws it up.
James looks great again.
LBJ with a ridiculously easy layup.
Great defense there guys /s
I missed the open. I hope we honored Kobe in some way. He was great for a long time. Last time he will be in Cleveland.
What are you talking about he’s buying a house next to Bill Cowher in Strongsville.
Byron looks weird without teh stache.
Thompsons looks awesome today.
Sweet move by Kyrie.
How’s Hibbert looking?
Horrible. That guy sucks. He ephedra the pacers up and now the Lakers.
That Kobe for LBJ trade scenario is laughable. I’m sure the Lakers thought that everybody still assumed Kobe was the best player in the League but that LBJ was on the way up and they’d swoop in. They didn’t realize they were the last one to the party and everyone had known for about 3 or 4 years that LBJ was already better. I can’t imagine the Cavs could’ve hung up fast enough, once they stopped laughing.
The Lakers try less than the Kings. And that’s saying something. Lebron could end up with 30 assists if he cared to do so.
LBJ gets an EASY layup off of terrible transition defense by the Lakers.
Cavs are jacked to play this game, Lakers have quit long ago.
Lakers quit three years ago. Signed an already retired and injured Kobe to a ridiculous contract and hired Byron Scott. Even the Producers weren’t that obvious.
The Lakers are playing defense worse than a high school team. This is insane. And embarrassing.
KLOVE’s jumper is off tonight… misses another open jumper
AND then makes his first 3 of the night.
James looking sweet so far.
TT with a sweet kick out pass to KLOVE, KLOVE misses open 3… .and misses another open 3 on the ensuing possession.
Hibbert sucks so bad.
TT with some great defense on Randle… and a nice cut for a dunk off a sweet pass from LBJ!
JR drills an open 3… and Laker defense holds true to form…. horrible.
I don’t see Love getting many touches in this one.
WOW… Kyrie blows an easy layup TT there with the tip in.
LBJ with a predictable jump shot brick.
This feels like an exhibition game.
Kyrie super aggressive… another midranger in the paint
Kyrie with a sweet midrange.
Kobe returns the favor
We have to see more Andy, he is just a hard matchup. The midrange jumper is “Sick” and he still the best pick and roll player on the team. (Until James realizes that he really should try to set picks with Kyrie or Mattie D)
If Kevin could play D like Andy or Tristan could hit a jumper then I would say trade him. But that’s just not going to happen.
With the All Star game coming up, I am curious to see if the Cavs bring it tonight, or treat this game as the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
When in doubt, assume they’ll sleepwalk. That’s been their MO.
Normally I’d agree with you, but LAL is BAAAAADDDDD 29th in offensive efficiency, 30th in defensive efficiency.
If this game is remotely close, CLE should be embarrassed.
Remember when Kobe refused to shoot in game 7 of a playoff series to send a message?
They were talking about that on the radio. Against Phoenix right?
Yes. And then Kobe cried for a trade, the Lakers couldn’t find a partner, and then Pau Gasol landed in their lap. And then Kobe got to win Rings the way Peyton Manning just got one.
I’ve been a bona fide kobe Hater for years.
He can’t sniff LeBron’s pace adjusted, efficiency weighted box score aggregates or his RAPM’s jock strap.
Terrible teammate too.
Maybe the most overrated player in NBA history.
I’ll still miss watching him jack up heat checks and blame teammates when he wasn’t good enough to make the playoffs.
Just imagine if that trade went through in 07-08.
I don’t think they should even guard Kobe. The more he shoots, the better.
I’ve actually never had a problem with Kobe. I wouldn’t say I’m a fan, but I’m definitely not a hater.
Good evening CtB! Here are your numbers for tonight:
CLE is a 15.5 point favorite over LAL with an o/u @ 210.5. The UNDER is an overwhelming smart money bet, and the betting is split 50/50 down the middle on the line… my personal opinion is usually these are sucker lines to take the underdog when the smarter bet would be to take the favorite given the 50/50 betting.
I’ll take CLE to cover 113-97 over LAL. The Vegas numbers suggesting that CLE’s strength on both ends of the court will prevail over LAL equally inept offense and defense.
The Lakers are sooooooooooooooooo inept.
However, Kyrie has shown to permit opposing PGs to light it up, so this might be the opportunity for Russell to go off, as he has done occasionally.
On the other hand, Byron Scott is coaching. The corpse of Kobe Bryant is chucking at a historically inefficient rate.
Cavs to cover and the over.
Lay that 12B JoeyB!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kobe fans are the worst. So glad I don’t know any in RL.
https://youtu.be/tNBsg43cdTc
Just to what our bodies tell us
EvilGenius and I live in LA. Its UNBEARABLE. I consider moving constantly. My greatest fear is that my children will be Lakers fans.
I used to dislike Kobe, but over the past 5 or so years, I’ve come to like him. He’s a competitor, plain and simple. Throughout his career he was tough to like, but impossibly not to respect. He’ll be missed.
With that said, I hope we hold him to 0-15 shooting and win by 50.
God I hope this doesn’t end up being a LeBron/Kobe lovefest like that annoying game in LA where they were yucking it up the whole time. Maybe Lue should keep Lebron off him on D to break up the annoying jockularity. Byron Scott is also killing Randle and Russell, with his awful rotations. I hope they both get traded away from that wretched franchise for their own good.