Comments on: Thunder at Lakers: Pre-game primer

By: Lakers vs. Thunder: Pre-game primer | Daily Thunder.com - Where Thunder Happens

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 21:00:51 +0000

[...] to think OKC can win this one other than the Ford Factor. The Thunder’s going to have to nail all 10 things I wrote about in the last Laker pre-game, which is no easy task (they got seven of them last time and still lost by seven). But what the [...]

By: Joe

Joe — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:55:18 +0000

I hope they try and defend Durant with Walton a whole bunch, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

If I were the Lakers, I would sag off Weaver all day until he made me pay with jumpers. Weaver either drives or shoots threes, there’s really been nothing else.

I don’t mind Green/Odom. Odom is sort of streaky, but so is Green. Westbrook/Fisher-Farmar is a good matchup for us, but like Jax said, the Triangle is a different animal. Hopefully Brooksy has the guys watching some tape. LA is averaging 119 offensive efficiency the last five games, and 110 defense for a +9. Their 119 is tops in the league, just incredibly hot offensively. We are about 114 offense and 116.5 defense last five. So we can be in the same ball park offensively, but we definitely need to take it to a new level defensively to be in the game tonight.

By: Welcome to Loud City

Welcome to Loud City — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:45:47 +0000

@AD LMAO Great Comment AD

By: daniel

daniel — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:02:53 +0000

Ya gotta love this pic of Bryant and Durant from last year:

http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/images/2009/02/10/kobe_bryant_and_kevin_durant_2.jpg

Ok, Kobe’s arms are meatier, but… Durant’s stat sheet is packing a lot of beef!

By: daniel

daniel — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:00:13 +0000

Tornadoes in Feb. Just your usual thing…. NOT!

By: Royce

Royce — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:16:23 +0000

I’d be thrilled with a 104-97 loss or something like that. I don’t know if that’s possible, because like you said Kurt, I think L.A. will just wear OKC down.

By: Kurt

Kurt — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:57:28 +0000

I think the Thunder will hang in this, at least for a half. The Lakers are not great at stopping threes who can drive he lane, unless they are really focused for it. I expect Durant will get some early buckets but see a lot more defenders, and a lot more Trevor Ariza, in the second half.

You are right about the runs. The pattern lately for the Lakers in games like this (ones that on paper they should win) is to have a couple big runs, usually late in the second or at the start of the third, that turn a five-point game into a 15 point game before anybody knows what happened. And the bench often does this, the Lakers are insanely deep. That wears on teams.

I will add, we hoops fans in LA are looking forward to seeing Durant in person.

By: Jax Raging Bile Duct

Jax Raging Bile Duct — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:51:03 +0000

Uh, actually, no it’s not. It’s LOS ANGELES. Look it up.

(insert rolling-eyes smiley here)

By: AD

AD — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:47:29 +0000

dude… it wasnt meant to be literal… but thanks.

By: verity

verity — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:37:19 +0000

“HEY… It is Hollywood you know.”

Uh, actually, no it’s not. It’s LOS ANGELES. Look it up.