‘Too little, too late’ does not even begin to describe the Los Angeles Lakers’ Game 5 effort against the Denver Nuggets. How about just too little. Not in size, the Lakers do have the height advantage, but in effort.
Other than maybe Kobe Bryant, Jordan Hill, Steve Blake, Matt Barnes and sometimes Ramon Sessions, the rest of the Lakers seemed disengaged.
So much for Andrew Bynum’s pre-game blackboard material for George Karl’s Nuggets when Bynum said that ‘close-out games are actually pretty easy.’
Bynum, who had 16 points and 11 rebounds for L.A. in a 102-99 loss to the Nuggets, hopefully learned that closeout games are not so easy.
The big reason for the Lakers’ success during the season—their big men—were notably ineffective, while JaVale McGee had a terrific game. Despite making some errors of his own, like trying to block a dunk from inside the cylinder of the rim, McGee was very active and found his way to 21 points, 14 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
McGee’s highlights:
The Lakers must learn from Game 5 that even Kobe Bryant going off is not going to be enough every time. Balanced offense (and defense) is a key. Getting Pau Gasol and Bynum their touches is important. During the regular season, Bynum averaged over 13 shot attempts per game, Gasol over 14 attempts, but in their game 5 loss to the Nuggets, Gasol and Bynum combined for only 19 shots.
Kobe Bryant, 43 points and 2 steals, almost sealed the comeback win in spite of how out of sorts the Lakers’ offense and defense looked almost the entire game.
Kobe’s 43 points:
What killed the Lakers—besides Andre Miller’s 24 points and 8 assists off the bench—was an overall lack of Lakers’ effort and focus. The only time the entire team looked engaged was about the last five minutes of the 4th quarter, when they went on a furious run that almost brought them all the way back from a 90-75 deficit.
The Nuggets are young, hungry, and talented. They have proven that they can beat the Lakers. It’s up to the Lakers to respond and close the series out before it’s too late.
Rob S. De France is a College and University instructor of English Composition living in Los Angeles. He has a B.A. in English and an M.A. in Rhetoric, Composition, and Writing. De France has played, coached, and officiated competitive high school basketball in California for many years. Recently, De France, his wife, and another colleague started an internationally read magazine at Shwibly.com.
