- 87,003
- 114,745
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2010
Jazz defense is ***. Almost Ainge better change it up.
The Official Off-Season NBA Thread
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by pmatic,
- Start date
- Status
- 8,012
- 18,430
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2016
Spida,Bogs,and Clarkson was a combined 9-40 and 0-18 from 3
Gogurt was 6-8
Gogurt was 6-8
- 12,549
- 13,379
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2012
Shhhh. Lebronze fans can't use it as a moral victory since they beat them. Read an article that said LeBron repeatedly challenged Utah's three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert in the paint. I was like oh word what Rudy end up with for the night. 19 yet averaging 15 for the season.
Ain't even going to discuss that 9-20 though from LeBronze
- 66,732
- 77,457
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2011
donovan was so trash last night i cant even defend it.
- 20,919
- 12,155
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2007
Did Jazz lose it or Lakers win it?
- 87,003
- 114,745
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2010
- 66,732
- 77,457
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2011
both.
jazz had all momentum and a nice lead in the 3rd.
but lakers played like they really wanted this one. Strong effort. Extra plays. 50/50 balls. Defense.
Jazz let Stanley Johnson go Tmac in the 4th. Like, they literally let him walk into 8' free throw line jumpers completely unbothered and wide open layups.
Rudy was cutting and getting wide open looks at the rim, and then donovan was skipping passes past him to dudes in the corner, or jacking 3s from 35'..all white bricks.
I mean..what can you do when thats the game plan..
- 59,725
- 128,340
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2003
I see that Rudy Gobert stimulus package came early this year.
#frenchfries
#frenchfries
- 8,012
- 18,430
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2016
- 18,846
- 18,039
- Joined
- May 19, 2016
- 31,529
- 34,063
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2013
Big Harden to Big Mamba
#Generational
#Generational
- 26,390
- 29,536
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2011
Free Embiid.
- 136,517
- 157,590
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2010
- 70,532
- 111,979
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2011
That sucks for Frank. Not his fault they took away what made the team good.
antidope
Supporter
- 62,603
- 65,729
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2012
Sources: Lakers coach Frank Vogel’s job in serious jeopardy despite Jazz win
The Lakers notched a much-needed win over a contender on Monday. It may have saved coach Frank Vogel's job, but only for the moment.
theathletic.com
I give up. You do it
pmatic
- 12,549
- 13,379
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2012
And just think Sixers management trying to play chicken with Simmons, while Embiid just wasting a year away . LMAO.
Management didn't do him any favors with picking up Westbrook or Melo. If my job is on the line, I am getting in Russ ****, what they going to do fire me.
- 87,003
- 114,745
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2010
Sources: Lakers coach Frank Vogel’s job in serious jeopardy despite Jazz win
LeBron James made good on his promise that the Lakers would be better. Magic Johnson got his wish that his old team would play harder. And with a 101-95 win over the Utah Jazz, the Lakers answered the social media challenges levied by two franchise icons as they scramble to salvage their championship hopes and get their season back on course.
While what was seen as a back-and-forth between James and Johnson played out publicly for all to see, sources say that behind-the-scenes it was Lakers coach Frank Vogel who was under fire more than ever before.
By the time the Lakers and Jazz tipped off on Monday night, sources said, Vogel was coaching for his job after he narrowly avoided being fired in the wake of the 37-point loss in Denver 48 hours earlier. Had a scene like that repeated itself against the Jazz, many believed it would have been Vogel’s last game.
Vogel, who coached the Lakers to a championship in 2020 and whose contract runs through the 2022-23 campaign, is being evaluated on a game-to-game basis and remains at risk of being fired soon if the progress doesn’t continue, sources said. It’s unclear how much Monday’s win relieved the pressure that surrounds him.
With the Lakers (22-22) now seventh in the West and the midway point of the season behind them, sources say the organization’s decision-makers are closely monitoring the key question of whether Vogel still has command of the locker room.
Monday offered yet another opportunity for a reset for the Lakers, and it came with plenty of style and energy. Russell Westbrook set the tone with a one-handed dunk over Rudy Gobert that James called “electrifying,” “big-time” and “a phenomenal play.”
“I’ve seen the replay over and over,” James said.
The significance of players like Avery Bradley, Austin Reaves and Stanley Johnson — who signed his third 10-day contract with the Lakers on Monday before scoring 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter — speaks to how much trial and error this season has required.
On Monday, Vogel was rewarded with almost a total reversal from two nights earlier. Effort was not in question and the Lakers dug in defensively, holding the league’s top offensive team to its second-lowest point total of the season.
“It’s been what’s commanded of our guys,” Vogel said. “It hasn’t shown up the last couple of games. We’ve all been disappointed. We’ve all been called out and coached hard on it, and it finally came around.”
Whether Vogel is the root cause of the Lakers’ struggles is certainly debatable.
The Lakers have endured the turbulence of injuries to both James and Davis, who has missed 14 straight games with a strained MCL, as well as the same COVID setbacks that have become an unwelcome part of nearly every team’s experience this season. However, after the loss in Denver, Westbrook questioned the Lakers’ effort, while Dwight Howard questioned their commitment to defense.
Throughout the organization, from owner Jeanie Buss to general manager Rob Pelinka and James on down, the message being sent is the same: Even with all the setbacks, this isn’t good enough. Not even close.
The win over Utah, arguably the most impressive of the Lakers’ season, came as the schedule hits its most treacherous stretch. The Lakers host Indiana on Wednesday, then start a six-game road trip through Orlando, Miami, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Atlanta. They will also face the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors and again these same Utah Jazz before next month’s All-Star break.
Any notion of Vogel being completely safe this season vanished in early August, when — as The Athletic reported in late September — he was given an extension that only included one additional season. It was an uncomfortable compromise of sorts, a way to reward him for the massive part he played in the title run in the Orlando bubble while also leaving the door wide open for his potential dismissal if this superstar experiment didn’t work.
The integration of Westbrook to the existing duo of James and Davis has been clunky, as many expected when Pelinka traded what remained of the Lakers championship depth for the former MVP.
The Lakers’ defense, a hallmark of Vogel’s first two seasons, has suffered a precipitous decline, ranking 18th in defensive efficiency after beating Utah. The offense is just 24th, while the Lakers’ net rating is 23rd. Prior to Monday, the Lakers had struggled mightily to beat the better teams in the league.
The win over the Jazz was just their third this season against a top-five team in the West and just their sixth over a team that currently sports a winning record.
The coaching staff has been well aware that it faced significant pressure for months. Sources say that was made clear to the staff early on this season by Kurt Rambis, the former Laker and current director of basketball affairs who has become one of the most influential members of the organization since returning to the franchise in 2017.
Yet not long after Rambis relayed the word that they were all at risk of being replaced if things did not improve, COVID complications made it nearly impossible for the Lakers to continue evaluating Vogel because, among other reasons, he wasn’t there. He entered the league’s health and safety protocols on Dec. 19 and didn’t return until Dec. 31.
David Fizdale filled the role in his absence, and the Lakers went just 1-5. When Vogel returned, they won four in a row. But then came the three-game losing streak that nearly cost Vogel his job: a 127-119 home loss to Memphis on Jan. 9, a 125-116 loss at Sacramento and the 133-96 drubbing at Denver in which the Lakers trailed by as many as 42 points.
Asked if the Denver loss sat differently from others the Lakers have endured, Vogel initially said it did before changing his mind.
“I don’t know if it’s that much different from other losses,” he said. “You lose to Memphis, you’re disappointed. You lose to Sacramento, you’re very disappointed. You’re giving up 125, 130 points. (When) you’re a defensive, prideful coach, that’s tough. So, none of these losses have been easy, but we’re keeping our group staying together, believing in one another and continuing to honor the work.”
The sting of the Nuggets loss was compounded by a late-night tweet from Magic Johnson, who said Lakers fans deserve better, as does Buss.
“We understand and we respect all the Lakers legends not being happy with how we’re playing,” Vogel said, “but nobody is more unhappy than we are, and we’re going to work very hard to correct it.
While James did not speak to reporters that night — just the second time this year he’s left without speaking — he tweeted an apology on Sunday evening.
“#LakerNation I apologize and promise we’ll be better,” he said to his 50.6 million followers.
Asked pregame about James’ tweet, Vogel called it a “sign of great leadership and understanding that nobody is happy with how we’ve played, especially in that Denver game. And we’re committed to being better.”
James did not say whether his apology was a direct response to Johnson’s broadside, but that it was him “taking the onus and letting Laker Nation know … It was about our fans and the people that ride and die with us every single day. Let them know that I got this and it wouldn’t happen again.”
Before the Lakers took the court against the Jazz, Vogel acknowledged the toll of his team’s struggles.
“Not seeing the results wears on you, I will say that strongly,” he said. “It is very difficult to put in as (many) hours as we put in to get our group playing at a super high level and to fall short.”
Even as the walls seem to be closing in on him, Vogel remained focused on the big picture, referencing a “marathon approach.”
“Our process is really good, you know what I mean?” Vogel said. “We prepare our guys as well as anybody and teach and coach hard all the habits that we’re talking about. So you believe in what we do. And if you trust that process, the improvement will come.”
It came swiftly on Monday, as the Lakers took a step in the direction they are trying to go.
For the time being, Vogel is moving with them.[/quote]
While what was seen as a back-and-forth between James and Johnson played out publicly for all to see, sources say that behind-the-scenes it was Lakers coach Frank Vogel who was under fire more than ever before.
By the time the Lakers and Jazz tipped off on Monday night, sources said, Vogel was coaching for his job after he narrowly avoided being fired in the wake of the 37-point loss in Denver 48 hours earlier. Had a scene like that repeated itself against the Jazz, many believed it would have been Vogel’s last game.
Vogel, who coached the Lakers to a championship in 2020 and whose contract runs through the 2022-23 campaign, is being evaluated on a game-to-game basis and remains at risk of being fired soon if the progress doesn’t continue, sources said. It’s unclear how much Monday’s win relieved the pressure that surrounds him.
With the Lakers (22-22) now seventh in the West and the midway point of the season behind them, sources say the organization’s decision-makers are closely monitoring the key question of whether Vogel still has command of the locker room.
Monday offered yet another opportunity for a reset for the Lakers, and it came with plenty of style and energy. Russell Westbrook set the tone with a one-handed dunk over Rudy Gobert that James called “electrifying,” “big-time” and “a phenomenal play.”
“I’ve seen the replay over and over,” James said.
The significance of players like Avery Bradley, Austin Reaves and Stanley Johnson — who signed his third 10-day contract with the Lakers on Monday before scoring 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter — speaks to how much trial and error this season has required.
On Monday, Vogel was rewarded with almost a total reversal from two nights earlier. Effort was not in question and the Lakers dug in defensively, holding the league’s top offensive team to its second-lowest point total of the season.
“It’s been what’s commanded of our guys,” Vogel said. “It hasn’t shown up the last couple of games. We’ve all been disappointed. We’ve all been called out and coached hard on it, and it finally came around.”
Whether Vogel is the root cause of the Lakers’ struggles is certainly debatable.
The Lakers have endured the turbulence of injuries to both James and Davis, who has missed 14 straight games with a strained MCL, as well as the same COVID setbacks that have become an unwelcome part of nearly every team’s experience this season. However, after the loss in Denver, Westbrook questioned the Lakers’ effort, while Dwight Howard questioned their commitment to defense.
Throughout the organization, from owner Jeanie Buss to general manager Rob Pelinka and James on down, the message being sent is the same: Even with all the setbacks, this isn’t good enough. Not even close.
The win over Utah, arguably the most impressive of the Lakers’ season, came as the schedule hits its most treacherous stretch. The Lakers host Indiana on Wednesday, then start a six-game road trip through Orlando, Miami, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Atlanta. They will also face the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors and again these same Utah Jazz before next month’s All-Star break.
Any notion of Vogel being completely safe this season vanished in early August, when — as The Athletic reported in late September — he was given an extension that only included one additional season. It was an uncomfortable compromise of sorts, a way to reward him for the massive part he played in the title run in the Orlando bubble while also leaving the door wide open for his potential dismissal if this superstar experiment didn’t work.
The integration of Westbrook to the existing duo of James and Davis has been clunky, as many expected when Pelinka traded what remained of the Lakers championship depth for the former MVP.
The Lakers’ defense, a hallmark of Vogel’s first two seasons, has suffered a precipitous decline, ranking 18th in defensive efficiency after beating Utah. The offense is just 24th, while the Lakers’ net rating is 23rd. Prior to Monday, the Lakers had struggled mightily to beat the better teams in the league.
The win over the Jazz was just their third this season against a top-five team in the West and just their sixth over a team that currently sports a winning record.
The coaching staff has been well aware that it faced significant pressure for months. Sources say that was made clear to the staff early on this season by Kurt Rambis, the former Laker and current director of basketball affairs who has become one of the most influential members of the organization since returning to the franchise in 2017.
Yet not long after Rambis relayed the word that they were all at risk of being replaced if things did not improve, COVID complications made it nearly impossible for the Lakers to continue evaluating Vogel because, among other reasons, he wasn’t there. He entered the league’s health and safety protocols on Dec. 19 and didn’t return until Dec. 31.
David Fizdale filled the role in his absence, and the Lakers went just 1-5. When Vogel returned, they won four in a row. But then came the three-game losing streak that nearly cost Vogel his job: a 127-119 home loss to Memphis on Jan. 9, a 125-116 loss at Sacramento and the 133-96 drubbing at Denver in which the Lakers trailed by as many as 42 points.
Asked if the Denver loss sat differently from others the Lakers have endured, Vogel initially said it did before changing his mind.
“I don’t know if it’s that much different from other losses,” he said. “You lose to Memphis, you’re disappointed. You lose to Sacramento, you’re very disappointed. You’re giving up 125, 130 points. (When) you’re a defensive, prideful coach, that’s tough. So, none of these losses have been easy, but we’re keeping our group staying together, believing in one another and continuing to honor the work.”
The sting of the Nuggets loss was compounded by a late-night tweet from Magic Johnson, who said Lakers fans deserve better, as does Buss.
“We understand and we respect all the Lakers legends not being happy with how we’re playing,” Vogel said, “but nobody is more unhappy than we are, and we’re going to work very hard to correct it.
While James did not speak to reporters that night — just the second time this year he’s left without speaking — he tweeted an apology on Sunday evening.
“#LakerNation I apologize and promise we’ll be better,” he said to his 50.6 million followers.
Asked pregame about James’ tweet, Vogel called it a “sign of great leadership and understanding that nobody is happy with how we’ve played, especially in that Denver game. And we’re committed to being better.”
James did not say whether his apology was a direct response to Johnson’s broadside, but that it was him “taking the onus and letting Laker Nation know … It was about our fans and the people that ride and die with us every single day. Let them know that I got this and it wouldn’t happen again.”
Before the Lakers took the court against the Jazz, Vogel acknowledged the toll of his team’s struggles.
“Not seeing the results wears on you, I will say that strongly,” he said. “It is very difficult to put in as (many) hours as we put in to get our group playing at a super high level and to fall short.”
Even as the walls seem to be closing in on him, Vogel remained focused on the big picture, referencing a “marathon approach.”
“Our process is really good, you know what I mean?” Vogel said. “We prepare our guys as well as anybody and teach and coach hard all the habits that we’re talking about. So you believe in what we do. And if you trust that process, the improvement will come.”
It came swiftly on Monday, as the Lakers took a step in the direction they are trying to go.
For the time being, Vogel is moving with them.[/quote]
- 13,243
- 10,745
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2016
they have been on a slump. I think they are missing a piece on the 4 and 5 position. Gay and Whiteside are a waste of space.
- 13,243
- 10,745
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2016
true, not sure what's going on with him but he's been passive and inconsistent. injury concerns that we don't know about?
- 59,725
- 128,340
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2003
Fiz is the head assistant?
- 33,062
- 38,647
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2012
Jazz like those D Rose Bulls. You think they have a solid squad, almost believe they can make the Finals or win a chip, and then think later what the hell was I thinking.
- 13,243
- 10,745
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2016
problem with them is consistency. turnovers and blowing leads in the 4th has always been their problem. they played really bad last night of what was a winnable game. got me so depressed that I called in sick today after working a 16 hour shift yesterday that felt like I worked 8 days of non-stop work.
- 11,697
- 13,096
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2013
AD even before the season was known as their only plus defender and he’s injured now sucks for frank
- 13,243
- 10,745
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2016
I believe a coaching change would benefit the Jazz.
- 20,919
- 12,155
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2007
So the Jazz literally shot themselves out of the game. All they had to do was protect the lead. Also, their defense has been vastly overrated over the years lately.
- Status
Similar threads
