Make no mistake about it the Lakers have no excuse for losing this game. The sense of urgency was absent all night, as was the defense. Orlando shot 50% from the floor and got a little "Dwight revenge" victory 103-113. The Lakers led by 7 early in the 4th. That lead quickly evaporated thanks to the Lakers not giving a second effort on defense. Whenever Dwight would help on a driving opponent, no one rotated over to help on his man. This led to dunks and open 3's for the Magic which they knocked down. The offense was lethargic too. No cohesiveness or flow.
Coach D'Antoni switched up the rotations a little bit tonight, and I'm not so sure it was for the best. Devin Ebanks saw a lot of time at the back-up 3. After Jodie Meeks' great game on Friday he barely got into the game in this one. Pau was once again called on to anchor the 2nd unit. He did ok, but he is still passing as a first option when it really should be his second. It also appears his knees are really bothering him. He was blocked on a dunk attempt by Big Baby for crying out loud. Jordan Hill didn't even crack the rotation tonight. And on a night where energy was nowhere to be found it would have been nice to see if he could provide a spark. At this point I would seriously consider resting Pau for a couple of games if his knees are not getting better. The Lakers have enough big men to get the job done.
Notables:
The Good:
- Only 11 turnovers tonight, but Orlando is not known for D so...
The Bad:
- Lack of energy/effort
- Poor defensive rotations
- New substitution pattern
- Pau's knees look to really be affecting him
The Lakers are now 8-9 with a 3 game road trip ending at OKC on Friday. This team has got to bring it every night, especially with the 2 Steves out, if they want to win. Nash will make the offense more efficient, but the Lakers have got to decide for themselves if they want to play hard and respect their opponents.
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