Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
These are the Los Angeles Lakers. Certainly not for better. Definitely for worse. Nothing has changed nor does it ever look likely to. Tonight’s 112-105 loss to the Denver Nuggets at Staples was just another sad reminder of everything this team has become and will continue to be.
Mike D’Antoni never has, never will emphasize defense so it’s only natural these Lakers never will play any.
When Kobe Bryant drops 29, Steve Nash dishes out 13 dimes and Dwight Howard goes off for 14 and 26 boards the idea is it would be more likely the Lakers would win. Well…all of that happened tonight and the end was result was same as if none of the Lakers’ All-Star talents even played.
D’Antoni’s defenseless philosophy on coaching up a champion is producing the most inexplicable losses possible.
The Lakers won in most every statistical category possible against the Nuggets except the one that matters most.
Like most Laker losses this one wasn’t close until late. It took another double digit deficit in the fourth quarter to finally inspire any real effort from the Lake Show. And just like this season will no doubt go it again was too little too late.
If D’Antoni ever figures out how to get this team to compete it will be too late. If he ever gets a clue how to best utilize Pau Gasol it will be when the season is long since over. Gasol’s bloodied nose might as well have been the white flag to match the Lakers’ Sunday whites.
Too many turnovers. Too many defensive breakdowns. Too many losses for a team this talented.
Its right back to square one as No D Antoni’s team is 3 games below .500 once again.
The playoffs are still in doubt. The future of the franchise as we know it is very much in question. The end of this misery looks unlikely.
Everything the D’Antoni Lakers have become was once again on display. Those expecting something different don’t seem to get it. This is as good as it gets on the D’Antoni watch.