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For the second straight season, the Los Angeles Lakers have been bounced in the second round of the NBA playoffs. Not cause for panic in many markets, but in Los Angeles, where expectations are always stratospheric and Kobe Bryant is far closer to the end than the beginning of his career, it's enough to sound the doomsday horn. The end of a season is (almost) always a disappointing time, but usually comes with a tinge of wait-'til-next-year optimism. To that end, while the goal is not to add insult to Thunder-induced injury, people deserve candor:

I have no idea how the Lakers quickly return to a championship level.

Not to say I don't know what they need -- the needs are pretty apparent, and not a whole lot different than the ones from last offseason -- just that I don't know how they get it. Change, likely significant, must come, but unfortunately while the Lakers may be rich in the literal sense, as it relates to assets available to reconstruct a team, they're relative paupers:

• The Lakers lack young prospects not already integral to the team's success, have no quality draft picks, or easily moved talent bringing comparable talent in return.
• Well over the salary-cap and luxury-tax thresholds, the Lakers have limited tools -- a mini mid-level exemption worth a little more than $3 million, basically -- available in a market thin on quality unrestricted free agents. (Most restricted FA's won't be an option, because L.A. can't offer a contract large enough to dissuade a rights-holding team from matching.)
• After next season, the CBA's new SuperTax! kicks in, which at current levels could cost the Lakers tens of millions of dollars.

Good players cost money. The Lakers need more of them at a time when the prevailing pressure is to bring payroll down not up, or at the very least have a rock-solid plan to do so in the very near future.

Enjoy the summer, Mitch Kupchak and Jim Buss!

Having spent years kicking the can down the road in an effort to build a winner, for which management should be applauded, the box in which the Lakers placed themselves in the process has grown incredibly tight. They're still a good team, but one that just lost to a better team. No shame in that, except the standards in L.A. don't tolerate this sort of thing for very long. Moreover, the Lakers are on the way down, while the competition around them is rising. Oklahoma City is a juggernaut. Memphis, despite the early exit from the postseason, is a team with upside, as are the Clippers. A healthy Denver team is a threat. They're feeling good about the future in Utah, too, and is there any reason to believe San Antonio won't again be awesome next year?

This is the context of what could very well be a transformative, challenging and potentially fascinating offseason.

Here are eight questions facing the Lakers' front office as the summer rolls on ...

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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.

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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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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The Nuggets played Game 5 like their season depended on it (can't imagine why) and the Lakers played like they wanted one more view of the Rocky Mountains before next season.

As a result, there will be a Game 6 Thursday night in Denver. Lakers lose, 102-99 Tuesday at Staples Center.

On tonight's edition of Lakers Late Night, we get into a very disappointing loss, starting with ...

• A befuddling lack of intensity early in the game.
• Poor perimeter shooting, allowing Denver to collapse consistently on L.A.'s bigs in the paint and help take them out of the game. Which, in turn, seemed to take Andrew Bynum out of the game defensively.
• A huge fourth quarter for Kobe Bryant, who found himself short on support.
• The practical implications of losing Tuesday's game. Fair to say the Lakers did themselves no favors.

Click below for postgame video from Bryant, Mike Brown, Bynum, Gasol, Jordan Hill, and more:

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Throughout April and the playoffs, Mike Brown has periodically employed a backcourt of Ramon Sessions and Steve Blake, with the latter at the two and almost inevitably overwhelmed by his defensive assignment. The most recent example came in the first half of Game 4, where Andre Miller continually bullied Blake while matched against him. It's not Blake's fault he struggles in these situations. He's simply giving up a lot of size. All the while, Devin Ebanks, who proved himself capable at the spot while filling in for Kobe Bryant, sits on the bench watching. Land O' Lakers regulars are well aware of my recurrent frustration at Brown's unwillingness to use the bigger/longer Ebanks in these scenarios whenever possible.

In the grand scheme of things, this is hardly the worst move Brown could make as a coach, but it's one I've nonetheless found curious. Thus, after Monday's practice in El Segundo, Brian and I got Brown's perspective on the matter. Below is a transcript of the conversation:

Land O' Lakers: What's the thinking behind keeping Sessions and Blake together, because it seems like, more defensively, it causes some problems? Andre Miller, for example, has been pushing Steve around, although he pushes a lot of people around.

Mike Brown: Yeah, he has. Steve has actually fought him fairly well. He's fought better than Sesh, to a certain degree. But we do that because [it's] more ball handling, more ball skilled guys out on the floor. If you look at last year's NBA champions, the Dallas Mavericks, they played with even two smaller guards in J.J. Barea and Jason Terry. So to have two ball-skilled guys out there, especially with the second unit at times, is good for us.

Part of it, too, is because we know Denver is doubling often and when they double right now, Steve is shooting a little bit better than Matt (Barnes) and/or Ebanks. So that is another reason we do it, because we don't feel like we drop dramatically on the defensive end when we have Steve on the floor instead of Ebanks or Matt.

LO'L: Even in those situations where someone like Miller has that size advantage?

MB: Well, he hasn't done a good enough job to -- knock on wood -- hurt us down the stretch for it to be effective. He hit a couple of buckets [Sunday night] that I thought were extremely tough. Like the one he drove and kind of threw up the play.

LO'L: Sure. Down the stretch, it was much different than during the first half.

MB: Correct. But the first half, stuff's gonna happen over the course of the game. We watched [film] today with the team, if we would have doubled [Miller] the correct way or at least helped out on him the correct way in the first half like we did in second half, then he wouldn't have had the first half that he had. Our first half defense, and in particular our first quarter defense, was not good. That was one of the things I talked with our guys about. Guys didn't do what they were supposed to do defensively in guarding the pick-and-roll, the post-up and pin-downs. We kind of made up our own coverages at times and we paid the price. That's why it was 28-26 in the first quarter, but if you watch the game, every quarter we got better and better, because we got tighter with our coverages and we did it without fouling.

(Editor's note: Later, Brown actually led Brian and I onto the court, and walked us through situations where doubles didn't arrive. He also noted how doubling off a non-scoring big like Kenneth Faried was an option often available, and how generally uncomplicated the approach was.)

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A few themes played prominent Monday afternoon after the Lakers finished practice in El Segundo. Trust was a big theme, looking back at the final minute of Sunday's Game 4 win in Denver. Mike Brown talked about the play of L.A.'s small forwards in the absence of Metta World Peace, as well as the work Andrew Bynum did last night.

More than anything, though, the Lakers talked about ending the series Tuesday night in Game 5. Don't screw around, don't give the Nuggets life, don't add wear to the collective tread. (And should anyone think the Lakers might intentionally look to toss Game 5 so that World Peace might be eligible for Game 1 of the next round, please stop. A) It's a horrible idea. B) Asked about it this afternoon, Brown thought the reporter was joking.)

Here are all the moving pictures from Thursday ...

Kobe Bryant, on showing trust in his teammates late in Sunday's game, adjusting to officiating, and the nature of closeout games:

Bryant, on pick and roll execution, and some interesting comments on why having stars matters late in games. "It's not really about having one guy, it's about having somebody that's going to demand double teams and free everybody up. That's really what it's about. We have three."

Click below for more video from Brown and Bynum...

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Andrew Bynum was the subject of much conversation Thursday in El Segundo, but wasn't the only topic. Other things came up, too, from the play of Pau Gasol to conversations about altitude ahead of Game 3 to what appears the best way to bond with Kobe Bryant -- Go to an All-Star Game with him as a teammate. Whether Gasol or Bynum, it seems to do the trick.

Here's the all the video from today, starting with Bryant:

Bynum, on Games 1 and 2, what he's learned from Kobe, why their chemistry is better on the floor -- development of his skills allowing him to do more on the court, he says -- and Gasol.

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Through two games against the Nuggets, it's hard to find much fault with the play of Andrew Bynum. He dominated Sunday's Game 1, hauling in 13 rebounds and with a swateriffic! 10 blocked shots (plus countless more altered (alteredariffic!)), anchoring the Lakers defense against Denver's attack. In Game 2 he wasn't as influential defensively, but finished with 27 points on the other end, plus nine boards, two assists, and two blocks.

Another honest day's work, for sure.

Still, after Bynum said he was disappointed in his game, a stance he explained again following practice Thursday afternoon. "Could have been a better performance, and you don’t get to get it back. I could have made more shots, get some more boards. That’s really it. I missed a lot of opportunities,” he said.

I think most people are willing to cut him some slack given the level of production, but the contrast in stat lines did raise the question -- and I mean that literally -- of "which Bynum" the Lakers would rather see. “I thought he played well in both games," Mike Brown said, addressing the point. "Obviously when he’s able to impact the game on both ends of the floor as much as he did in Game 1, even though he scored a whole heck of a lot more, you like that better. Realistically, I think he can do both. I think he can still impact a game defensively or control a game defensively, and he can score."

Asked the same question, Kobe Bryant said the game largely determines the performance.

“Whatever the game dictates. Game 1, because of what they were doing defensively and just the flow of the game, that’s what he did. Game 2, because just of the flow of the game, he had 27 points. It’s playing the game that’s in front of him."

There's no question Bynum has to be a presence for the Lakers to be an elite defensive team. If he must choose between domination offensively or defensively, it's a no brainer defense wins. Except why would he have to? The two aren't mutually exclusive. He's frequently been both at different points throughout the season, and certainly into the first two games of the playoffs. In Game 1, Bynum didn't put up points, but was a key cog in the Lakers attack thanks to good work recognizing and passing out of double teams, leading to open shots on the perimeter. He's a big reason the Lakers were 6-of-12 from 3-point range heading into the fourth quarter, and outside shooting was a big reason the Lakers won. Tuesday, he didn't block 10 shots but still put in a pretty solid effort defensively, and meanwhile took advantage of more openings at the other end, scoring efficiently on a night the Lakers needed their stars to be stars.

Bynum's game can't be expected to look the same every game, at least not judged by the stat sheet. What matters most is his level of engagement, and through two games he's been great in that regard.

When that happens, the results are usually strong.

The Lakers are up 2-0 on the Nuggets, and to celebrate we hit the studio for a podcast, and a lively one at that.

We started by asking whether the Lakers have changed expectations surrounding their postseason with the quality of their play, particularly Game 1. Maybe they should have slow-played this one a little?

From there, we moved on to a topic inspired by comments left on this post about the pressure on Mike Brown to perform in his first postseason as head coach of the Lakers. As Kobe Bryant told me, for players to truly, fully buy into Brown as a coach will be difficult until they've gone through a playoffs with him. Meaning Brown is coaching not just for this spring, but to lay a foundation for the rest of his tenure in Los Angeles.

In it, I note some of the obstacles in Brown's way, including a roster that "isn't as well equipped to win a title as last year's" group.

Fair to say, there was a great deal of disagreement about that one. Certainly during much of the season, as the Lakers struggled with depth problems and members of the supporting cast struggled, it was true. But what about this team, right now? The one taking the floor for Games 1 and 2 against Denver? Most readers thought I got it wrong. Upon further review, I think they have a compelling argument. Andy and I kick it around the topic -- he agreed with you folks -- noting first the difference in mentality. This year's group is far more engaged, suffering from none of the burnout plaguing the 2010-2011 team. Pau Gasol is present, accounted for, and playing at a very high level.

Then there's the roster. Yes, Lamar Odom is gone, but his production has been absorbed to a large degree by Andrew Bynum and Gasol. Ramon Sessions is an upgrade over Derek Fisher. Metta World Peace (once he returns) is playing better now than he was last season. And, of course, Kobe Bryant isn't just healthier, but much healthier. Put it all together, and the Lakers are better this spring than last, or at the very least have the potential to be better. Certainly the first two games of against Denver support that idea.

How that factors into their title hopes -- they were a long way from a championship in '11 -- is a different debate, but it obviously it can't hurt. And, of course, a better team means even more pressure on Brown.

But it's a good reminder of how narratives in sports need constant re-examination.

Finally, with L.A.'s Big Three all playing well, we noted the sacrifices made by Gasol for the greater good. Bryant talked about it following Game 2. "Championship teams have always been built on players who can sacrifice for the betterment of the group. He's obviously sacrificed his touches, but his aggressiveness is not going down. If you look his assist numbers and his rebounding numbers, he's such a big factor for our team," he said.

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The Lakers may be up 2-0 over Denver in the playoffs, but that doesn't mean there isn't plenty of issues rattling around in the head of the average Laker fan.

What becomes of Devin Ebanks once Metta World Peace returns from suspension? What can the Lakers do to prevent the Nuggets from replicating Game 2's track meet pace? And do LeBron James and Dwayne Wade owe Kobe a royalty check on every chase-down block?

The transcript is here.

The Lakers' postseason got off to as incredible a start as even those with wildly active imaginations could envision. Suffocating defense, spearheaded by Andrew Bynum in a performance that literally made NBA history. Balanced offense with six players in double figures and Steve Blake just behind them at nine. And as I wrote yesterday, the collective focus was off the charts. In the meantime, Denver made a few pushes, but largely found itself increasingly overwhelmed.

A sign of things to come for the entire series, or just one game in which both teams played at the opposite ends of the spectrum? To get to the bottom of matters, we had an IM conversation with Roundball Mining Company's Jeremy Wagner. Below is a transcript of the exchange.

Brian Kamenetzky: We focused so much on how L.A.'s size would help on the offensive side of ball, but it was really the defensive end -- led by Bynum but supplemented by Pau Gasol and Jordan Hill -- that changed the game. How much did that surprise Denver, and how do they address it?

Jeremy Wagner: It was obvious the Nuggets were not prepared for shot-blocking Bynum. They never adjusted and kept throwing up weak attempts. One key is Denver will to have to move much more on offense. I think it was six of Bynum's blocks came on an iso set when four Nuggets stood and watched. Denver also must look to pass when it doesn't have a shot at the rim. The corner was open on nearly all of Bynum's blocks and Denver must take advantage of that.

Do you think Bynum will be content to play Dikembe Mutombo, or will he demand more shots? We know he likes shots.

Andy Kamenetzky: I'd like to think this mindset will be maintained. It's important to note, Drew actually got the ball, but constant multiple defenders forced him to pass out. Even more important, Drew was aware of this, which makes me think pouting isn't imminent. However, I'm not necessarily confident he'll be as successful passing out from double/triple teams. Sunday's one turnover is the exception, not the rule, and that could give Denver more chances to run, which creates problems for the Lakers' D. Not to mention frustration for Bynum.

BK: You'll hear "tempo" come up about 700 times in a day's worth of interviews with Lakers players and coaches. Jeremy, what are you expecting from Denver in terms of changes to either the game plan or approach?

JW: I do not honestly know what to expect, because I do not think George Karl even has a solid plan of attack. Denver must respond better to the Lakers' length by showing better interior passing and look for more drive-and-kick options. The lack of movement on offense caused them to constantly attack a defense set and ready to respond to any penetration. You can tell by Karl's rotations he does not know what combination of players to put on the court, another major issue. Denver has lived playing small, especially in crunch time, but with the Lakers' length, that is suicidal. On the other hand, players like JaVale McGee did nothing to show they belong on the court. Denver is in a very tough place and I am not sure there is a clear solution.

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