Game Day (In-Season Tournament): Lakers (3-5) @ Suns (4-4), Fri 11/10/23

[Wally_West]

Sucks we lost. Sucks how we keep losing the same way. Can’t execute offense when it matters and we turn the ball over at all the wrong times. Not having Booker isn’t an excuse for that. He’ll help, but when he gets double, the others guys will still be out in situations where they need to perform.


Good news is all these things can be cleaned up and are correctable. If we are still having these problems in mid December to this extent, then I’ll worry but not gonna panic right.

[Wally_West]

Also wasn’t able to watch the game, just saw highlights. Went to a special screening of Godzilla: Minus One. Absolutely fucking great. If you’re a Godzilla fan, go watch it when it comes out. Can’t wait to watch it again in IMAX.

[JeremyG]

I do not like multiple players counting on Book's return. That's a bad look. Take responsibility for the team without him. They are good enough to win these games. They got complacent in the 4th quarter. Again. They are getting paid too much not to hustle their asses off the entire game and they are obviously not good enough not to.

Exactly. Two superstars is not enough to win games?

[specialsauce]

I do not like multiple players counting on Book's return. That's a bad look. Take responsibility for the team without him. They are good enough to win these games. They got complacent in the 4th quarter. Again. They are getting paid too much not to hustle their asses off the entire game and they are obviously not good enough not to.

Exactly. Two superstars is not enough to win games?

Yup. Talent is not the issue here. It’s coaching and execution. Sloppy as hell.

[Superbone]

Sucks we lost. Sucks how we keep losing the same way. Can’t execute offense when it matters and we turn the ball over at all the wrong times. Not having Booker isn’t an excuse for that. He’ll help, but when he gets double, the others guys will still be out in situations where they need to perform.


Good news is all these things can be cleaned up and are correctable. If we are still having these problems in mid December to this extent, then I’ll worry but not gonna panic right.

Well, I don't know if it's healthy to panic wrong either. Be careful.

[Split T]

It’s early in the season…we have 13 new players, a new coach, we’ve had 2 of our best 3 in and out(mostly out) of the lineup. What we look like right now is not really an indication of what we’ll look like in April.m

I also don’t think we’ve looked nearly as bad as some of you are making it out to be. The offense has been ugly when we’ve run Goodwin/Okogie together, but it’s looked fine most of the time. The turnovers are the biggest problem and that comes with familiarity.

The offense has died a few times in the 4th Q. Definitely something to look at, but not necessarily to be worried about. Our offense has had zero issues when Booker is out there. Remember the SSOL days? We sucked without Nash. Booker is our Nash now. He drives most of what we do on offense.

Certainly we need to have a plan to generate offense when Booker is out or on the bench and we obviously do, it’s Beal and KD…there’s some stuff we need to work out there but again it has mostly been fine…just fell off in the 4th Q against Chicago when Beal was out of gas. The offense still was fine last night against LA..the defense is what lost it.

I’m like a 3 out of 10 on the worry. I’m still more worried about Nurkic being played off the court in the playoffs than I am worried about our offense.

[ShelC]

Good thread here with a lot of clips from last night's game but this is the kind of stuff that drives me crazy. We made Young the highest paid assistant as an offensive coordinator and Vogel brought in Fizdale (who I think is overrated) as another big name assistant, our offensive sets/playcalling should be better.

[Split T]

That is also a very misleading clip…the Lakers went zone for that play. It‘s very common for teams to take a play or two to adjust to a zone, it throws off what you’d normally run.

[Aztec Sunsfan]

The Lakers had to shoot like 5 straight 3 pointers to turn around the game, granted they were wide open, but still it means they achieved a 100% 3FGA rate. They choose to live and die for the corner 3 instead of allowing Lebron to takeover.

On the Suns side, they lacked execution, and those factors added to the loss (LA 100% shooting or KD FG%) Of course I wanted an undefeated start, all 3 of our stars on the court, and the team clicking on all cylinders, just to get the opposite, but its encouraging to learn that an Booker, Beal, Allen, Gordon backcourt will be great, turning Okogie into a luxury, wich is great given his inconsistent shooting.

Nurkic is being used as an offensive option, sometimes even as our Nº 2, and that’s waaaay over his head, still, he is having his moments, and if just becoming Nº 3 did wonders for him this last two games, imagine him as the 4th or 5th once the storm passes. KBD is emerging as the 5th starter, rounding up the rotation. It’s obvious as well, that the coaching staff is still gambling during games to learn what will work in the long run, therefore those Okogie- Goodwin minutes together, and trying to find a place and rhythm for Yuta. Also they gambled closing with a 3 guard lineup, instead of keeping KBD in. Subbing him for KD and going with 5 shooters didn’t pay off, but is worth learning it, and of course, in the future Booker will be one of those 3 guards, so better results are to be expected.

I think the offense is designed to run through Booker as the initiator and Nurkic from the high post redistributing to whoever among KD and Beal have the best matchup, so having KD in Booker’s role and Beal on the bench, basically rendered it useless. If the injury bug keeps one of our Big 3 on street clothes over longer periods, adjustments will be needed.

Still not worried, unless a season ending injury happens. But if the team keeps navigating the growing pains and injuries like this and eventually reach full health, having all this games putting the role players on above their heads situations, might render our Suns into a real juggernaut, and if that happens an the right moment (playoffs) even the lack of homecourt advantage will be irrelevant. Fingers crossed!!!

[Superbone]

[JeremyG]

Yeah I would say staying in the lane for 8 seconds between offensive rebounds is a bit illegal.

[Flagrant Fowl]

Definitely a violation, but I've also never seen that call made.

Kind of silly to winge about it after all the self-inflicted errors that actually lost the game.

[Split T]

Ya they never call that at the end of a game…also does the clock reset on a shot attempt?

[Flagrant Fowl]

Yes, but AD never left the paint after Reddish's rebound. He was in there for about 5 seconds.

My comment had less to do with the time of the game, but rather the situation. The officials are never focused on that aspect during a hectic, multi-offensive rebound possession. It's rare for them to even whistle a foul when those guys are wrestling for position in that situation.

[Cap]

Goodwin is taking Okogie’s job when Book comes back

Part-time starter?

I think Allen/KBD have taken the starter spot…I’m not sure Okogie will be in the rotation when fully healthy.

Still part-time starter.

[JeremyG]

Beal is back baby!!! Now just don't keep hitting the floor on your back please.

I think those falls on his back in the second quarter of this game is where the re-injury started. Right when I was pronouncing him back. Ugh.

At least we got to see what he can do with one good half.

I guess it’s either “Beal’s back! ” or “Beal’s back ” We’ll have to see.

[Superbone]

Beal is back baby!!! Now just don't keep hitting the floor on your back please.

I think those falls on his back in the second quarter of this game is where the re-injury started. Right when I was pronouncing him back. Ugh.

At least we got to see what he can do with one good half.

I guess it’s either “Beak’s back! ” or “Beal’s back ” We’ll have to see.

Do you think he'll be back in the starting lineup on Wednesday?

[JeremyG]

Beal is back baby!!! Now just don't keep hitting the floor on your back please.

I think those falls on his back in the second quarter of this game is where the re-injury started. Right when I was pronouncing him back. Ugh.

At least we got to see what he can do with one good half.

I guess it’s either “Beak’s back! ” or “Beal’s back ” We’ll have to see.

Do you think he'll be back in the starting lineup on Wednesday?

I'm leaning towards he'll be back on the bench.

[Kryptonic]

Beal is back baby!!! Now just don't keep hitting the floor on your back please.

I think those falls on his back in the second quarter of this game is where the re-injury started. Right when I was pronouncing him back. Ugh.

At least we got to see what he can do with one good half.

I guess it’s either “Beak’s back! ” or “Beal’s back ” We’ll have to see.

Do you think he'll be back in the starting lineup on Wednesday?

I'm leaning towards he'll be back on the bench.

[Mori Chu]

Who's Beak?