ESPN

Never let it be said Metta World Peace isn't an eternal optimist. Despite exiting the second round of the playoffs for the second consecutive season, MWP doesn't consider the Lakers in need of radical change. Heck, he's still struggling to conceptualize the Oklahoma City Thunder as a team superior than his in the first place.

"The best team in the NBA lost in five," insisted MWP. "The best team in the NBA should be up 3-2, playing tomorrow. But the better team that took advantage of the moment, that took advantage of their time, they seized it and they grabbed it. They held onto it. So we gotta find a way to hold onto our moments."

MWP's time with the media was peppered with the phrase "should be up 3-2," and the overarching theme of his comments could be labeled "confidence." He's confidence in the form discovered after several months laboring and working himself back into shape. (The lockout prevented MWP from consulting the training staff to address a nerve issue in his back, and his conditioning in turn suffered.) The process was slow, and MWP was admittedly unsure he'd ever come close to the two-way dominance of his prime. But come April, slimmed down and healthy, Metta finally broke through and has no doubts this version will be the one gracing the hardwood moving forward.

"I just feel like I want to pick up right where I left off, and kind of prove something," proclaimed the former Defensive Player of the Year. "I never like to prove anything, but this time around, I kind of want to prove a little bit."

Metta also emphatically stressed the importance of this self-confidence trickling down to certain teammates. Particularly when it comes to deferring to Kobe Bryant. As far as MWP's concerned, the Mamba may be one of the greatest ever, but during crunch time those alongside him must start viewing themselves as equally worthy of making plays.

"I think at the end of the game, guys gotta trust themselves more," said MWP. "I think sometimes, not myself, but sometimes guys, they look to Kobe too much. I think they gotta understand Mitch (Kupchak) brought you here. Mitch also assembled teams that won championships, so he knows what he's doing. And he brought you here for a reason. Because you're good. So believe in yourself.

"When I first got here, I know Kobe is an amazing player. I know me and Kobe had a lot of conflict when we were on opposite teams, but I still looked up to Kobe because he played like (Michael) Jordan and Jordan is my favorite player. So when I got here, sometimes I would be in awe of Kobe, watching Kobe to see if he would make the shot. Wanting to see him win the game with the game-winner. And every game I'm like, 'He's gonna win! He's gonna win!' But I'm not making an impact on the game. I'm watching Kobe. Guys moving forward have to believe in themselves. I think if guys believe in themselves, you're gonna see a whole different team.

"You're playing with a great player. Five championships. I don't know how many people can say they got five championships in any sport. So no matter who the player is, you come to this team, you will look at Kobe as one of the greatest players ever. You know? But playing with Kobe for a long time, I understand I gotta chip in. I must chip in. So I think the young guys, not the older guys, a lot of young guys went through it this year. And I think coming back next year, they just have to understand, we gotta chip in.

"Chip in. Don't watch... chip in so Kobe can get his sixth ring, so I can get my second, and Pau (Gasol) can get his third, and things like that."

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If you haven't yet read this piece from ESPNLA's Ramona Shelburne on Kobe Bryant, do so.

In it, she details the new world in which he and the Lakers live, as the team tries to move past the Phil Jackson era and change shrinks Kobe's proverbial circle of trust. Throughout his career, Bryant has exerted as much control as possible on an occupation generally mocking that sort of thing. He's worked harder on his body and his game, searched for every edge, cribbed every move and absorbed any and every bit of information he can mine from anywhere, in or out of basketball. All in the interests of wining. Shelburne notes how this season, the second straight in which the Lakers fell well short, illustrated how little control Kobe might ultimately have in his chase for a sixth ring.

"There is no way to know when the end will finally come for Bryant. Only that he's closer to it with each passing year. He'll be 34 before next season, his 17th in the NBA. His legs are still strong, even if they aren't as spry. He can still dunk to prove a point. (He dunked four times in Game 5, so don't tell me he wasn't thinking about it.)

"It's different from being 21 and you think there's endless amount of opportunities," Bryant said Monday. "At 33, the ending is much, much closer."

He's hungry still. He's got time left. But you get the sense he only wants it if there's a chance to do something good with it. To win.

That's less certain now. He can shoot all night in the gym, it might not matter."

It's a great look at a chaotic season, and also sets the table for what could be a dominant theme in any discussion about Bryant in the next few years: What happens if or when it becomes clear the Lakers can't assemble a championship caliber team fast enough to capture Bryant's last best seasons?

"Pau's got to be more assertive. He's the guy out there that we need. When he's getting the ball he's looking to pass. He's got to be aggressive. He's got to shoot the ball. He's got to drive the ball to the basket and he will in the next game ... He's just looking to swing the ball too much, he's just got to shoot it. We played pretty much the same way the entire game. The second half what they did was front Andrew (Bynum), so when they front Andrew and in the fourth quarter they crowd me, the other guys have to be more aggressive, simple as that." - Kobe Bryant

"It's hard to say. Obviously we want the ball in Kobe's hands, but it doesn't necessarily need to be so early in the shot clock. I think it should get there later in the shot clock when the ball has moved and changed sides of the floor. Instead of being there from the beginning and then they kind of collapse and everybody's kind of sitting and it makes it hard for us, sometimes." - Pau Gasol

Above are two very different thoughts expressed by the Lakers' stars when asked about the stagnant fourth quarter offense that, along with simultaneously porous defense, eventually resulted in a blown lead and 3-1 deficit heading to Oklahoma City. Upon hearing these remarks, fans and media are typically inclined to debate "who's right" in an effort to determine which Laker was most "at fault" for the loss. But for me, what was most compelling about these comments was the stark reality exposed.

Kobe and Pau aren't on the same page. At all.

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This is going to leave a mark.

Lakers lose, 103-100 and now trail 3-1 heading back to Oklahoma City for Monday's Game 5.

On tonight's show, we review the fourth quarter collapse, from a huge mistake down the stretch from Pau Gasol to a horrible 12 minutes of shooting for Kobe Bryant (2-of-10) to dominant play from Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. From there, we reflect on a season on the edge of extinction, and leaving the locker room tonight with a sense not just that this season is over, but that the era is done, too.

This band won't be touring much longer.



Click below for video of Bryant, Ramon Sessions, Bynum, Gasol, and Metta World Peace.

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The Lakers got off to a great start, but from there Friday's game turned into a slugfest. In the end, though, they came out on top, effectively saving the season and giving them a chance to knot up the series Saturday night.

We broke it all down on Lakers Late Night with special guests Arash Markazi and Dave McMenamin!



Click below for all the postgame moving pictures, from Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant, Mike Brown, Andrew Bynum, Ramon Sessions, and Steve Blake.

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Sometimes with a night's rest, the dawn of a new morning, and the opportunity for some fresh perspective, in the rear view mirror a game can look a little different.

Sometimes.





Game 2 Wednesday in Oklahoma City doesn't qualify. As we stepped into the studio about 17 hours after those fateful two minutes in the fourth quarter in which the Lakers blew a seven point lead, the sense of what they gave away was just as strong. I'm not going to lie, those hoping to be uplifted by the newest edition of the Land O'Lakers PodKast aren't going to like what you hear. After noting another critical example of poor execution -- Andy and I unwittingly showed up at the office in nearly identical outfits, among the more mockable things a brother writing/radio tandem can do -- we dive into the the big issues ...

• After briefly touching on L.A.'s final play, we get into why the loss in Game 2 was so significant. Yeah, it's nice the Lakers played OKC tight after the Game 1 blowout, but in a playoff series the lesser team can't afford to lose games they ought to win. In the process, we shoot down just about every moral-victory-encouraging-going-forward argument out there. Again, it's fairly depressing, which is why we make sure to drop a little Double Rainbow Guy in there.
• Is there any hope going forward for the Lakers to pull the upset?
• Ramon Sessions. He hasn't played well in the postseason. Why? What can change, and how does his poor playoff run impact his decision whether to become a free agent, and whether the Lakers should re-sign him?
• A quick look at the Clippers vs. San Antonio. We're no more optimistic about the chances of the red, white, and blue.

We're normally pretty chipper folk, but not today. Listen, but be prepared to shed a tear.

So here's the last play from Wednesday's loss (fast forward to about 56 seconds in):



You'll notice (notice again, I'm sure) it was Steve Blake taking the shot, not Kobe Bryant. Any time something like this happens, there will be discussion. Via ESPN Stats and Information, Blake hadn't attempted a game-tying or go-ahead shot in the final 24 seconds of a postseason games since joining the Lakers, and has only one in his career (with Portland in '09, a miss). At the same time, S and I provides this nugget as well:

While conventional wisdom says Kobe Bryant should've had the ball in his hands for the Lakers' final shot instead of Steve Blake, the stats say it was the right decision. Kobe Bryant is 0-for-7 on game-tying and go-ahead shots in the final 10 seconds of playoff games since 2006-07. Meanwhile, his teammates are 4-for-7, including Blake's miss on Wednesday.

Honestly, it's not a stat with heaps of meaning, at least in the implication other players are better suited to take late shots than Kobe. Don't focus on the 4-for-7 part. At least two of those (Ron Artest in Game 5 vs. Phoenix, 2010 and Pau Gasol in Game 6 vs. OKC, 2010) came on ORB/putbacks, as opposed to designed plays or kicks from Kobe. Meanwhile, Bryant's percentage is low mostly because he usually takes very difficult shots in those situations, a different (and totally valid) discussion entirely. The issue relative to the final shot Wednesday isn't whether Bryant is clutch or not, or whether someone else is clutch-er. What matters is shot quality, and if Blake's was as good or better than the one Kobe would have taken had Metta World Peace instead inbounded the ball to him.

Here, I see little room for debate. Assuming the ball even made it to him-- MWP would have had to throw a difficult pass to Bryant over the top of OKC's quick, ball-hawking defense -- it appears Kobe would have caught the ball with only five seconds left and a defender in position to contest. Probably Serge Ibaka on a switch, with Thabo Sefolosha closing fast. He didn't appear to me, as Mike Brown suggested after, "wide open on the backside." Maybe Kobe can create a little space, or has enough time to make a pass out of what almost certainly would have been a tough double team.

It's very difficult to see how either scenario would have produced a higher percentage look than an uncontested corner 3. The idea isn't to get Kobe the ball because he's "supposed" to take the shot, but to get the best shot possible. World Peace's job was to make that happen, and he did. It didn't work out the way the Lakers wanted, but they did get as good a shot as could be hoped.

Lots of talk about the debacle in Game 1 (has "The World Naked Gardening Day Pruning" caught on, yet? I didn't think so.), and looking ahead to tonight's Game 2.

And while there is still a lot of hoops left to play against OKC, more than a few fans are looking forward to the offseason. We take a look at what might be coming, as well.

Here's the link to the transcript.

On May 27, 1985, the Celtics destroyed the Lakers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, 148-114, a game quickly declared the "Memorial Day Massacre."

The Lakers, of course, went on to win the series in six games, finally vanquishing the Celtics curse.

Monday, the Lakers went to Oklahoma City and were similarly dominated, finding themselves down 30 points to the Thunder by the end of the third quarter. It was ugly on every level, and equally deserving of a nickname. Unfortunately, May 14 is a little short on signpost holidays or commemorations. The best I could come up with is "The World Naked Gardening Day Pruning."

Not bad, actually, and (with some imagination) maybe even a little apropos, but nonetheless unlikely to catch on.

More bad news: About the only commonalities in those games were the lopsided nature of the defeats. That 1984-85 Lakers team was dominant, winners of 62 games and favored to beat Boston for a title. This Lakers team is good, but not as good as their opponent. OKC outplayed them in about 10 of 12 quarters during the season series, and was superior in just about every measurable when considering the year as a whole.

Via Twitter and such, I've seen it suggested the law of averages will likely change how things play out in Game 2 on Wednesday night. Probably true. OKC was certainly above the mean in more ways than one. No team was more turnover prone than the Thunder in the regular season, but on Monday they gave up the rock only four times. Their starting lineup went 26-of-41 (63 percent), a tough number to reproduce even if L.A.'s defense doesn't improve much, and from 10-15 feet, OKC was a white-hot 60 percent (9-of-15). Put in perspective, Miami led the NBA from that distance this season, at 42.7 percent. The Thunder's offensive efficiency was straight out of NBA Live, at 133, versus 107.1 pre-playoffs. There are probably a few other areas in which the Thunder might naturally regress. Unfortunately for the Lakers, even if OKC suffers some slippage, it has a 30-point gap to chew up in Wednesday's Game 2.

That's more than a few more turnovers and missed jumpers.

Among the items on an extensive laundry list of needed improvements:

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The series between the Lakers and Thunder features not only two of the NBA's great scorers, but also some of the league's better defenders countering them. The Lakers have Metta World Peace for Kevin Durant, while the Thunder offer Thabo Sefolosha on Kobe Bryant, supported by James Harden and at times, Durant.

Both defensive stoppers have been effective, as ESPN Stats and Information illustrates, starting with MWP on Durantula:

"With World Peace on the court, Durant scored just 22.9 points per 40 minutes, down 6.2 points from his season average of 29.1. Durant connected on 17 of 40 shots (42.5 percent) in the 77 minutes he was on the floor with World Peace, also well below his season average of 49.6 percent. And while Durant makes a living at the line (7.9 FTA per 40 minutes), he averaged getting there just 2.6 times."

The drop in free throw attempts is particularly significant. One intriguing aspect of the series pits OKC's league leading ability to get to the stripe (.269 FT's per FGA) against L.A.'s ability to keep teams off it (.158 FT's per FGA against, also tops in the NBA). The team doing more to preserve regular season trends will have a major leg up, and obviously limiting Durant's opportunities goes a long way towards limiting the Thunder as a team.

Stats and Info also breaks down the Thunder's effectiveness this year against Kobe:

"Bryant struggled mightily with his shot against the Thunder in three games this season – 24.3 points per game on 30.7 percent from the field (23-75) – down from his season averages of 27.9 points and 43.0 percent.

But Bryant particularly struggled against Sefolosha, going just 9-33 (27.2 percent) from the field this season when Sefolosha was the primary on the ball defender against him (Sefolosha played in two of three games against the Lakers this season). Since Sefolosha’s first full season with the Thunder back in 2009-10, Bryant has shot just 39.6 percent (72-182) from the field in the 360 minutes he’s been on the floor with Sefolosha (six postseason games in 2010 included)."

OKC's ability to supplement Sefolosha's defense with Harden's gives Thunder coach Scott Brooks a lot of flexibility. He can pull Sefolosha -- a more limited offensive player -- without fearing Bryant will automatically dominate in his absence or require heavy double-teaming. The Lakers will need to show some creativity in how they get the ball into Kobe's hands, using more screening action allowing him to catch on the move in multiple locations, rather than isolated on the wing.

Good post play will also help, drawing eyes and attention away from Bryant, affording him more freedom.

One more thing could impact Kobe's offensive output: How often he's matched up at the other end against OKC's All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook.

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The prospect of facing the Oklahoma City Thunder in the postseason has for most of the season conjured incredibly pessimistic images for Lakers fans. As the regular season wound down you could practically hear Adrian's pre-Drago speech to Rocky ringing throughout the city as most prayed the Lakers would leap through whatever logistical hoops required to avoid the Thunder until the Western Conference finals. But steadily the Lakers built momentum, solving some of their road woes and finding some actual support in the supporting cast.

Two games into their first-round matchup against Denver, things looked even better. Four games after that, they seemed much, much worse. Saturday, a strong performance pushed the Lakers through Game 7, finally earning a date with those very Thunder, starting Monday night in Oklahoma City. Nobody, save those viewing the world entirely through purple-and-gold-colored glasses, will make them a favorite -- nor should they. But despite the inconsistent effort vs. Denver, it's not out of the question the Lakers, through strong post play, attention to detail defensively, the intensity shown eliminating the Nuggets, and perhaps a healthy dose of ultra-rustic Siberian training can give OKC a genuine test.

Maybe even pull the upset?

The series features serious star power, with each team trotting out a high-end big three. Oklahoma City's combo of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden brings, among other things, scoring punch and athleticism, while the Lakers counter with the length, experience and skill of Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. Lovers of subplots and intrigue will have a field day, too, starting with the NBA's two leading scorers facing off in a battle of old vs. new guard. Metta World Peace and Harden will share the floor for the first time since this happened. Bynum and Gasol each have narratives to repair.

And, of course, the Lakers face a motivated Derek Fisher in a playoff series. The citizenry fears getting .4'd.

With all that in mind, here's a first look at the matchup ...

SEASON SERIES -- Oklahoma City 2-1

1. Thunder 100, Lakers 85 (Feb. 23, Chesapeake Energy Arena): The Lakers finished the first quarter up 23-19, but were outscored by 19 the rest of the way. Bryant finished 7-of-24 from the field, while Durant popped for 33.
2. Thunder 102, Lakers 93 (March 29, Staples Center): Again, L.A. got up early but was thoroughly outclassed after the first quarter. Durant and Harden were relatively quiet, but Westbrook went off for 36. Again, Kobe struggled (7-of-25).
3. Lakers 114, Thunder 106, 2 OT (April 22, Staples Center): The Lakers limited OKC to 14 fourth-quarter points, erasing an 18-point deficit and pushing the game to OT. Kobe again struggled overall (9-of-26), but hit huge shots late and ate up Westbrook (3-of-22) defensively. Big games for Gasol and the Lakers' bench.

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In news shocking nobody at all, LeBron James officially won his third MVP award Saturday afternoon, becoming the eighth NBA player to win at least that many.

Kevin Durant finished second, and Chris Paul third.

Just behind Paul was Kobe Bryant, who earned two first place votes and edged out Tony Parker in the voting.

Whether some Lakers fans see this as a slight, I don't know (ok, I do know). To me a fourth place finish is remarkable accomplishment. We're talking about someone who put up MVP-adjacent numbers at 33 years old, with almost two decades worth of regular and postseason minutes on the odometer. This while playing a position where this sort of production with that level of mileage is exceedingly rare.

It won't end in hardware, but this will go down as one of Kobe's more impressive seasons.

In Denver, the conversation around Saturday’s Game 7 at Staples is entirely optimistic.

The question is “What if they win?” They’re the team playing with house money, only now discovering potential that even if it doesn’t get them over the top in this series, is reason to be excited for next year. Game 7 is an opportunity to do something special, energizing a franchise and a fanbase, but to some degree the Nuggets have already done that. Two big wins down 3-1 with a young team coming together on the fly is no small accomplishment.

In Los Angeles, the context is almost entirely pessimistic. “What happens if they lose?”

If the Lakers can’t get out of the first round with this group -- Kobe Bryant having turned back the clock, a four-time All-Star in Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum after a breakout season from both a health and performance standpoint -- how can they be expected to be better next year without massive change? What does an opening series exit after building a 3-1 lead do to the future of coach Mike Brown in L.A.? I’d be shocked if he was fired, but the collapse would absolutely undercut the program Brown hopes to build here. Pau Gasol’s future with L.A. is already in doubt, given the size of his contract, the mileage on his odometer. Invisible performances like Thursday’s only add layers to the conversation. Another clunker Saturday could ensure an offseason trade.

There’s the future of Bryant, and whether he’ll ever again have enough around him in Los Angeles to win another title. If not, what then?

And perhaps most important, there’s Bynum, in theory at least the team's next foundational superstar. The talent is unquestionable, but is the commitment, night in and night out? Is he capable of growing into the leader the Lakers will need should they decide to make a long term, likely very expensive, contract offer? What does he do with the sort of power he'd have as the face of the organization?*

The answer depends largely on whether the controversies of this season were an aberration or a trend, but how many millions ought to be staked on it?

Change with this roster is coming in some form, but if the Lakers lose Saturday, it's basically open season.

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To some degree, there's only so much players can say about a Game 7, given the general lack of nuance to the situation. Win, or the season's over.

For the Lakers, coming off weak efforts in Games 5 and 6, the winning formula isn't a huge mystery. At the very least, it starts with matching Denver's effort and energy. From there, the other considerations come into play. Hitting outside shots. Continuity in pick and roll defense. Finding creases in the paint, despite the flood of bodies Denver sends.

At least Kobe Bryant isn't tossing cookies any longer. His health, he said Friday, has improved. "They’ve been a tough couple days, but I’m feeling a lot better now," he said. Obviously good news, because the stakes in Saturday's game are large. Nervous hours for Lakers fans, maybe, but not for Kobe. "They’re fun," he said of Game 7's. "They’re fun games. Every possession counts even more so. There’s a lot of energy in the building and teams play with a sense of desperation on every single possession. It’s a fun game to be a part of."

Bryant also talked about getting Metta World Peace back in the lineup, and his comments following Thursday's loss that MWP is the only guy he can rely on to compete, play hard, and with urgency "night in and night out," along with the message he's delivering to Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum :



Click below for more video from this afternoon, from Mike Brown, Bynum, and Gasol.

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These closeout games ain't looking so easy, huh?

There will be a Game 7 after the Lakers drop -- and we do mean drop -- Thursday's Game 6 in Denver. Ugliness all around, save a great night from Kobe Bryant, who went for 31 despite battling a nasty stomach bug leaving him dehydrated enough to require two halftime IV's.

As for everything else, here was the agenda for tonight's show...

• A huge night for Denver's shooters, who were due for a breakout.
• A wretched night for Pau Gasol, who is now due for a breakout. One field goal, one dime, three rebounds.
• How did Andrew Bynum respond after the controversial Game 5?
• Will the Lakers win Game 7? We get into what has to change, the odds those things will happen, and what Metta World Peace brings to the table for Saturday.