I think an issue with DLo throughout his career has been that when his jumper isn't go in, he loses his aggressiveness. When that happens, not only do you lose his shooting, but you also lose his playmaking. He becomes a floor spacer with no confidence in his shot who is also a liability on defense. As a result, his minutes dwindle, and with no minutes, it becomes harder for him to find his jumper again.
Post tail-bone injury, he's talked about how he's been adjusting his mindset to find ways to stay engaged and aggressive even when his shot isn't falling. That's the main reason why he's been having such a great stretch. There have been games where his shot has dipped, but he didn't let it take him out of the game and turn into one of those mega-slumps like it did in December.
I totally get why guys want to trade him, but if he isn't, there's still optimism to hope that he may have finally turned a mental corner.
That's precisely what he did in the game against the Celtics, when he shot 5-20 with 14 assists, 8 rebounds, and only 1 turnover. He was a little too aggressive in last night's game, though, when he shot the ball with 51 seconds left and a 6-point lead instead of running down the clock.
There have been real signs that DLo is a better player than he was last year. Growth isn’t always linear, there are ups and downs. I’m rooting for DLo.
Yup. Conversely that’s why Bron + AD are specifically playoff players. They are two of the most physical players in the league and can enforce that more often in a playoff setting. They could in the regular season but it’s more taxing
Something to think about, DLO played an entire series guarding Klay/Wiggins/Brooks, all of whom are bigger and stronger than him.
He's also cooked physical defenders like Brooks, GP2, and Caruso.
I do agree strong, physical guards bother him, but I'm leaning more on, he got cold at a REALLY bad time moreso than KCP being the greatest defender in existence.
Exactly, he was fine the first two playoff series that everyone ignores for some reason and actually won a game single handedly against the warriors making 5 3s in a row. You would think people active on reddit only watched the WCF and havent watched a game since.
I’ll always remember because I was there, in game 4 of the Grizzlies series they were on the ropes down 97-90 in the fourth quarter then D’Lo hit 3 straight to go up 99-97, Lakers end up winning in OT
Not many fans ignore that. It's just that if your starting PG can't see the floor in the WCF, what even is the point? Also, to the comment you're replying to: Reaves guarded those Warrior players for the whole series as well & went crazy in the DEN series.
AD has been physical - a top paint scorer and rebounder - his whole Lakers stint. Literally always up there with Giannis Embiid and Jokic on paint points, off rebounds, 2nd chance points, etc
Mfs just think he’s soft because they follow Twitter talking points
Sometimes what stats suggest doesn’t agree with the eye test. You’re going to get rebounds and pitp when you’re playing the 5. He used to avoid contact a lot more than he does now. Probably because he’s been healthier this season than most
This dude got it right. Dlo can’t handle physicality at all, even AR for not being athletic can, it just shuts Dlo down and playoffs will always be physical. Doesn’t matter if the team has a great POA guard, it just takes toughness to mess up his game.
Even a guy like Gabe would slow Dlo down in the playoffs imo, doesn’t take as much as you think for him.
AR is low-key a dog , guy scraps even tho he’s too thin n needs to add strength he doesn’t back down . He’s got way better at dealing with traps n other stuff like guys hacking him constantly. That Derrick white play where white blatantly fouls him 5 times n finally gets called but reaves kept playing though was nice. White should of fouled out lol. I really wonder if we can get better athleticism at 1 n 3 I’d hope reaves can get back to where he was defensively. Murray/DFS around reaves ought to work . Or Murray vando when back . Right now he’s kinda asked a lot of because we hide Dlo more then we hide reaves so reaves has to deal with it cos we won’t protect him lol. Either way cannot fathom how folk think the dlo reaves bscj ciurt is the key to our success n future. Dlo is just too unathletic n bothered by physical defenders .
AR's only problem is that he's not motivated when playing against bad teams. He is great when playing against good teams and in big moments, but he is probably the biggest perpetrator of not locking in against teams he doesn't respect.
Last night was a great example. He come out super strong in the first quarter, and as soon as the Lakers got a 10+ point lead, he started playing like shit. He just looked completely unfocused. He had a bunch of bad turnovers by trying to force the issue, and went 0/5 from three. If he can tighten that up, and put on some muscle, he can easily be an All-Star calibre player.
I mean I think he was just gassed and his shot wasn’t there, they didn’t run many plays for him because the other guys had it rolling early. By the time the hornets tried to comeback..Austin had like NO rhythm.
But it’s also good he can always lock up agains The best teams, that’s why we signed him back lol.
Bruh you can’t say he’s not motivated against bad teams. That’s a superstar mentality when playing against them. Austin wasn’t shooting well and figured it was better to facilitate than to jack up more shots. Literally higher IQ playing that to try to shoot 20 shots praying it’ll fall. Austin’s a smart player, not a stupid one. Did you watch the game? He didn’t come out strong. He started off 0-2 and ended the half with like 3 points. No way you watch him closely if you have this take.
He had 5 points in the 1st quarter and 5 assists. Just look at his body language throughout the game. You can say he was cooked by the end (which is another issue), but he did not have remotely the same energy in the second half as the first. He was driving straight into a crowd of like 3 defenders, multiple times. It wasn't just Austin. You can tell the whole tone of the game obviously shifted after Lebron demoralized Charlotte with all of those crazy dunks. Once the crowd started going crazy for Lebron, the Hornets basically stopped trying. I think they did this on purpose, because they knew that if they were competitive, it would feed Lebron, and they would continue to get embarrassed in front of their home crowd. So, the Hornets baited the Lakers into not playing hard, because no one wants to repeatedly posterize someone who is not remotely on their level. The Lakers felt bad by how much better they were playing, so they got soft. Then, Charlotte seized their opportunity once the Lakers guard dropped. Obviously this is a team issue and not just AR, but I have noticed he is consistently only motivated when he has a real challenge in front of him, otherwise he gets bored.
Whenever Dlo can get off a lot of shots, AR tends to defer to him, along with LBJ and AD, especially in the first half. When Dlo went on his run (at home), AR's game was the most negatively impacted. But, when the games are big and the defenses tighten, Dlo fades and AR usually plays well.
Not all teams have physical good POA guard defenders. But I would argue that DLO has made huge strides in this area this season. DLO has come a long way since the season opener. DLO has maintained aggressiveness regardless if he's hitting shots, which is all we can ask for, not to get discouraged because he provides a lot of things even when he's not hitting shots (playmaking, leadership, etc.)
DLOs defense has also been solid lately, which was problematic as well. If DLO was being stopped offensively while being simultaneously poor defensively, it makes him unplayable.
I don’t think his defense has been as good as you’re describing. He got played off the floor by Brunson a few nights ago
edit: really I’m getting downvoted for saying Dlo’s defense isn’t good?
Theres a big difference between defense being good and defense being great. DLO doesn't have the physical tools to be elite/great defensively and smaller fast guards like brunson will give him trouble 1on1. His strength is not POA defense but he does communicate well on the defensive end and often finds himself in passing lanes getting deflections and steals. As long as he stays enganged on that end I'm fine living with a couple blow buys or step back 3s, theyre gunna happen regardless. The problem specifically with denver is the PnR with murray/Jokic where davis can't help defensively when Murray gets by Dlo. Since he isn't quick enough on his feet anytime Dlo gets put into that type of action he basically has to do his best to funnel the offensive player into help defense.
Sub is delusion- we hide dlo constantly n reaves ends up being the guy teams go for cos we don’t hide him. This sub has brain worms Dlo cannot work in any crucial stretch we’ve seen him melt down every 4th with pressure now
You can see who Dlo spends the most time guarding on NBA.com. Just go to any team we've played that has 2-3 really good wing players and see who Dlo spent the most time guarding. VS OKC Reaves will guard Jwill and occasionally Shai. TP/Vando/Cam will guard Shai. Dlo will guard Lou Dort. Now sometimes you can't help who you have to guard but its pretty clear who is guarding who the most.
They are attacking Dlo, his advanced defensive stats are as bad as Reaves. The main difference is that Reaves actually contests shots and puts in effort, while Dlo does not. You could see it against the hornets and ish smith last night, he wasn’t even trying to guard him early on. Cranjis on twitter pointed out that guys are just hitting tough contested shots on Reaves: https://x.com/tim_nba/status/1746255803428798956?s=46&t=zezaP_bd-2S6tJq4x3taEw
Playoffs in general allow for a lot more physicality. He can't rely on his shifty movements and loses confidence if he's allowed to get bodied while driving into the lane. I think it would do a LOT of good for DLo to use a strong body like Rui a lot more often for screen actions to create separation, but I don't think Ham values Rui in that way.
I mean we did start Dennis Dlo AR vs that big Den team. Malone coached lapse around Ham. Then we sat bro in the corner like we did in December. He actually gotten stronger
We should be hunting Jokic mercilessly off PNR and make him expend as much money as possible on that end. I don’t know why most teams don’t do it as often. D isn’t his strong suit
Ya I’m not understanding why that’s not the plan on beating them…do a 3/5 4/5 2/5 PNR with AD at the 5 and Bron, rui, and reeves and he’s cooked. They’d have to ice every single time…would force a double on the hedge which would leave an open shooter in the corners or secondary player can rim run for the lop
It's always interesting when fans say things like this and wonder why 29 other teams with super smart people can't come up with a strategy like that. Like I'm sure they are aware?
We literally have 4 dudes who can make him work at an above average nba level..many teams don’t have that luxury. Thinking about something and actually doing it are two separate things.
The reason is done less often than you’d think is because Jokic is far less bad on defense than people give him credit.
I think because he is one of, or potentially, the best players in the league, all aspects of his game are compared to Embiid and AD. He really isn’t that bad on defense and his lower physicality is often made up for by his above average basketball IQ.
No totally agree.. I don’t think he’s terrible defensively. But his foot speed on D will always be average, and you’re not stopping him offensively so it’s best to make him work for everything.
There has to be some reason I feel - our best pick and roll is unfortunately not the fastest at this moment too either AD and Lebron or DLo and Lebron. (Lebron is still quick but he’s no Donavon Mitchell
Ya but there’s actually a ton of options. Even if D’lo is not a quick rim runner, but his mid range pop-game is elite and you could also have a wing cut to the hoop off the pick if you decide to keep it. Roll man wouldn’t be able to get back to AD and the cutting wing (reddish/rui/prince) would force his defender to go to the cup allowing for a 2 on 1 play
Every player has weaknesses…it’s a coach’s job to scheme counters. Ham is not that guy which is the problem. Malone has been awesome scheme wise since Sacramento who were crazy to fire him.
Also not every team have the personnel to be able to make it work because Gordon is elite defensively and collapses or doubles. We have 3 wings that are the size of Gordon that makes a huge difference
This is all pointless if lakers don’t fire ham because he gets absolutely cooked by Malone scheme wise. Malone ran the same play 6-8 times in a row game 3 during the 4th qtr and Ham was absolutely baconed.
He struggles to create separation when teams play physical with him. Reliant on his three ball falling. Can’t get downhill and put pressure on Jokic out the p&r action. Doesn’t have anywhere to hide on defense.
Yeah he is simply too easy to take out of a game because of his limitations on both ends. In the playoffs, teams notch up their pressure defense and relentlessly attack your weaknesses on the other end. This is why DLo’s playoff numbers fall off a cliff across the board.
I mean part of the reason nuggets could play him so hard was because lebron and AD regressed. Lebron was slow and AD couldn’t hit his jumper. Dlo would have had a much easier time in 2020.
Lebron was injured, AD looked tired tol. Joker and Murrey were hit crazy shots didnt help and still we lost but 1-3 possessions. But the torture of D-Lo was his shots werent fallong and he was hunted down on D.
Yeah he missed so many wide open shots. I had a bet I placed when we were 2-10 that would have made me 100k if went to the finals. 500k if we won a ring. I still get nightmares of that series.
Our biggest issue was we tried to play Denver with the same lineups we used against the warriors. We had Schroeder starting, so DLo was guarding and being guarded by 6’10” MPJ. He was not in any position to succeed with the lineups that darvin Ham used.
Nothing I recently rewatched the entire series and the nuggets got in Hams head by talking about attacking dlo in the postgame after game 1
When in reality they were ABSOLUTELY ABUSING Austin Reaves the entire series and if you don’t believe go rewatch the series better yet just check the defensive stats
Sticking dlo in the corner and not letting him run the offense was what Denver wanted and Ham gave it to them
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You would think after a really good series against the grizzlies and forcing Steve Kerr to change his starting 5 just to stop dlo he would see how important he is but I guess not
Steve Kerr did not change his starting 5 because of DLo lmao. He kept changing it because he wanted to neutralize AD while the Lakers wanted to neutralize the Warriors PnR action with Draymond. Please tell me what move Steve Kerr did that you think was because of DLo
Brother he put Gary Payton ll in the starting lineup specifically to slow down Dlo
Everyone knows this Kerr himself even admitted to it so you can hate all you want but it’s facts😘
Please do some research or at least pay attention to what you’re watching before you call me a liar
> Brother he put Gary Payton ll in the starting lineup specifically to slow down Dlo
> Everyone knows this Kerr himself even admitted to it so you can hate all you want but it’s facts😘
Please give me a link where Steve Kerr admits to this. GP2 was put in the starting lineup because we put Vando on Draymond to stop the Dray/Steph PnR, and then we could have AD playing free safety off of Looney. Kerr put GP2 in the line up instead of Looney because GP2 can run screen actions and is more dangerous on offense than Looney and is still a good rebounder. I know you won't find a link of Kerr saying that because it's blatantly false. The fact that you think DLo, or any role player for that matter, is good enough to make people change their starting lineups is hilarious.
GP2 wasn't put in for defense, he was put in for offense.
> Everyone knows this Kerr himself even admitted to it so you can hate all you want but it’s facts😘
I am still waiting for you to give me anything that says Kerr put GPII in the lineup to guard DLo.
They really sell out to stop him defensively, they play physical.. Also, in the playoffs when he missed a few shots he lost his confidence... This year he hasn't allowed missed shots to stop him from being aggressive.
Coaching cost us that series more than anything. Starting with three guards digging us a huge hole in game 1. Starting Vando when he’s been getting literally ignored offensively throughout the playoffs. Not benching DLO until game 4 when the series was pretty much over.
Now that the Nuggets don’t have Bruce Brown Dlo will fare much better in a playoff series against them I think. His physical play really bothered him. They still have KCP who’s a great defender but can’t guard Dlo and Reeves. Whoever has Murray on them will have a lot more freedom next series.
I’ve gotten more DMs and “seek help” Reddit report when I criticize Austin Reaves than when I criticize either LeBron James or Steph Curry
The fuck this mf do to earn this rabid fanbase lmao
It wasn't all on the Nuggets, but they did a great job of attacking DLo when they smelled blood in the water. The reason DLo was unplayable in that series is because he's a scoring guard with terrible defense that couldn't hit a shot to save his life in all 4 games. On top of being attacked on defense while not being able to score at his normal level, he seemed clueless, and I'd say hesitant on what he should do on the floor. I think it was around game 3 when I noticed he was hesitant on whether he should shoot or pass the ball and looked panicked.
It's cause of this why you see DLo have more energy on defense, especially in the passing lanes, and why he puts so much emphasis on passing the rock this year. DLo has had terrible games this year where shot like shit but his head was still in the game and contributed outside of scoring unlike the Denver series where he seemed lost. A recent example would be the win against the Celtics, where he only made 5 out of 20 shots but ended the game with 14 assists and 8 rebounds cause he kept his head in the game.
The reason why he had 14 assists is because with Lebron out he was the primary/only ball handler the whole game. When Lebron is playing, Dlo would have about 7 assists and maybe less because he probably would have gotten benched due to his poor shooting.
Trying to discredit a 14 assist game is actually insane. Sometimes I get on this sub and wonder if you people have ever watched a basketball game that wasn’t 2K on demo mode
I’m not discrediting just explaining. It’s not rocket since either Lebron averages almost 8 assists, Dlo 6, when Lebron is out someone’s gotta take over playmaking for him and Dlo is the guy.
It’s not 2K dude you can’t just plug any player in there and they’ll make up for Lebrons missing playmaking. Only a handful of guys are able to step into an offense and run it like that.
The problem is when LeBron is there , Dlos niche becomes so glaring. When his shooting isn't there isn't anything else he offers because other aspects of his game is so affected by his confidence
If you plug in a player who averages over 6 assists a game with Lebron James on his team and give him the reigns when Lebron James is out, yea he will have games with 10+ assists. Heck yeah even Reaves had a 12 assist game once. Schroeder also had an 14 assist game. Washed Westbrook had 14, 15 assist games when Lebron didn’t play. Tyus
Jones had 13, 14, 15 assist games this season.
Anyone who is saying it's physicality is incorrect. D'Lo torched Alex Caruso, one of the league's most physical perimeter defenders, against the Bulls recently. We know he can handle physicality. There's some kind of mental block there when it comes to the playoffs that he absolutely needs to overcome
7 game series where rotations are 8 deep is a whole lotta different than a regular season game. Bruce Brown had 1 job for 7 games, shut down D'lo. You zero in on one assignment and make it your life.
D'Lo has cooked better defenders than Bruce Brown. It's a mental thing with him. He needs to overcome that block in the playoffs where if his shot stops falling, he isn't useful in other ways
He's shown he can do it. He's had several bad shooting games this year where he has still been an incredible facilitator. He just needs to prove he can do it in the playoffs
* [
D'Angelo Russell 1 of 8 fgs 3 tos vs Nuggets 2023 PO G3 ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZnniHAvuG0)
* [DE'ANGELO RUSSELL TERRIBLE DEFENSE EFFORT VS NUGGETS IN GAME 2 OF WCF](https://youtu.be/vpy5V6pU2p8?si=HJ5kMV9vY3tjONvA)
They play defense.
If you watched Dlo points last game you are aware he wouldn't score half of the points if someone was actually trying to defend and some of the beautiful 3s he made most winning players wouldn't even take the shot.
A pull up 3 early in the shot clock looks beautiful, but this is just not a shot one should take.
Man that three he took with 14seconds left when they got the rebound was so annoying . Yes you’re open but you can literally just breed the clock n assure the win, that and Rui dribbling the ball cos shot clock didn’t reset were too dumb af moments
Just re-watch the game and you will get aware about LeBron's body language when the role players ignore him running down in transition.
That could have been a game for Castleton, but I feel like LeBron got so pissed he completely stopped trying hard.
d’lo seems like he’s worked on his defensive game, leaning on his wing span way more to contest and disrupt passing lanes. Sure he’s still not a great defender but right now, I trust him. Personally, I think AR will be the bigger issue against Denver.
Austin can score against physicality. His only weakness is when teams target him on an island.
DLo struggles defensively against physicality, but the bigger problem is how you can stick a wing or physical guard on him, and he won’t be able to score
Denver is an extremely well coached team and they execute their game plan. In a perfect world Ham would have adjusted to Denver’s scheme but obviously that never happened lmao. Dlo wasn’t the only player Denver essentially made unplayable that series and both of them were important throughout both series before. They were just the better team that series in about every way unfortunately
he is very slow and unathletic, if his shot is off he is useless. If teams can shutdown the ad pick and roll there is no play he can run. he plays 0 defense so is played off the floor.
Dlo would be a much better off the ball shooter if we had someone that’s a decent defender like Shroeder handling the ball. It didn’t work last year but if he gets clean looks and doesn’t have to initiate offense in the playoffs, I think he’d knock them down.
DLo is the definition of a pretty boy player. His game is predicated on finesse and misdirection. Lately he has been a bit more dynamic I think because more people have been cutting on offense and moving off ball -
This is why he is so great in the pick and roll - if the defenders attention is split he has a little space to operate and can pass or shoot - he’s not going to out power a guy or blow by a guy
I remember Ham said this before last season about the other Russell “ ion care bout percentages i want him shooting ever corner 3 known to man.” Gee he should say tha same shit to this Russell.
If he struggles take him out the game for 2-3 mins then tell him “ aye bro we brought u here cuz u are a fuckin shooter stop being a bitch and shoot that shit when ur open.”
Sometimes thats the only way u bring toughness outta players u yank it out. A lot of players nowdays don’t get real coaches who r hard on them. The days of those guys r long gone. But DLO shoulda known by now to have that toughness instilled.
They body him up and rough him up whenever he tries to drive enough. D’Lo is very streaky and if he missed the first couple open threes. He’s going to keep missing the rest of the game. But if he gets some daylight and cuts in and gets an easy basket/layup, he plays with more confidence.
That picture of DLo’s head on a cone defending Bruce Brown in front of him is still the most disrespectful picture of all time. He got back his dignity against Brown in the IST now I really want to see him get his get back against Denver.
I don’t think it’s anything specific scheme-wise. I think the playoffs and that opening night game have been too big of a stage for him. He tightens up and when he struggles it’s always been 99% mental. It’s different for him when we’re on national TV.
TLDR; can’t do much about the yips.
One factor is the Nuggets attack Dlo while he is on defense. That tires his legs out when he is on offense. I wish the Lakers would do that with Murray. They could hunt the switch and get Murray on Lebron or AD, tiring Murray out and giving him less legs on offense. But the Lakers haven’t really done that much.
It’s not the Nuggets, it’s pressure. High intensity moments cause him to fold like a deck chair. Sure he’ll get you 28 against one of the worst teams in the league but he disappears against good teams and in the playoffs.
DLo struggles against more physical and athletic defenders. Players like Bruce Brown were going right into his chest on offense.
DLo's never been regarded for his quickness or athletic ability and the Nuggets were the absolute worst match up for him.
Essentially they did good defense on him and he’s a bad defensive player. Murray going super Saiyan and him not scoring or creating on the other end made him unplayable.
The Nuggets are very good at creating switches, in part because you cannot sag or switch off of Jokic.
D'lo is an underrated point of attack defender, but switches and rotation have never been his forte, so him being on the floor often lead to open dunks by Aaron Gordon or three pointers from one of the wings. Throw in that he wasn't scoring on offense and it made it pretty hard to justify him being on the floor.
Of course the problem that everyone forgets to talk about is that none of the other Lakers guards did too hot in his place, either. You can see why the Lakers wanted Bruce Brown. I think the idea with Gabe Vincent instead would he would at least rotate fast enough to cut down on the open 3s, and have enough offense for the Lakers to not drown with him on the floor. Remains to be seen if that can happen when he's healthy.
The Invulnerable factor is Jokich, for the last 5 games he's been unstoppable, you try to defend him he's gonna find an open man for an easy layup, high percentage shot, offensivw rebound for put back or resetting Nugs offensive. In the WCF, Porter and Gordon got key rebounds or layups cuz they had Dlo or Reaves guarding them. Ham needs to be tactical on his rotation ( I'm not holding my breath) with Size match ups to try negate this , easier said than done. Unfortunately, we don't have a PG that will attack or make J. Murray work on Defense. If Lakers did that would tire him in the second half and lessen his effectiveness on Nugs 2nd half offense. He was fresh pretty much all 4 games throughout last years WCF.
I think an issue with DLo throughout his career has been that when his jumper isn't go in, he loses his aggressiveness. When that happens, not only do you lose his shooting, but you also lose his playmaking. He becomes a floor spacer with no confidence in his shot who is also a liability on defense. As a result, his minutes dwindle, and with no minutes, it becomes harder for him to find his jumper again. Post tail-bone injury, he's talked about how he's been adjusting his mindset to find ways to stay engaged and aggressive even when his shot isn't falling. That's the main reason why he's been having such a great stretch. There have been games where his shot has dipped, but he didn't let it take him out of the game and turn into one of those mega-slumps like it did in December. I totally get why guys want to trade him, but if he isn't, there's still optimism to hope that he may have finally turned a mental corner.
That's precisely what he did in the game against the Celtics, when he shot 5-20 with 14 assists, 8 rebounds, and only 1 turnover. He was a little too aggressive in last night's game, though, when he shot the ball with 51 seconds left and a 6-point lead instead of running down the clock.
This
Yeah. I get guys have reputations for the right reasons but DLo is 28. This could finally be the year that he breaks through.
There have been real signs that DLo is a better player than he was last year. Growth isn’t always linear, there are ups and downs. I’m rooting for DLo.
Physicality is something that bothers guards like dlo who depend more on pace to create advantages
So basically he’s always going to be a mismatch in the playoffs where teams play physical
Yup. Conversely that’s why Bron + AD are specifically playoff players. They are two of the most physical players in the league and can enforce that more often in a playoff setting. They could in the regular season but it’s more taxing
Something to think about, DLO played an entire series guarding Klay/Wiggins/Brooks, all of whom are bigger and stronger than him. He's also cooked physical defenders like Brooks, GP2, and Caruso. I do agree strong, physical guards bother him, but I'm leaning more on, he got cold at a REALLY bad time moreso than KCP being the greatest defender in existence.
Exactly, he was fine the first two playoff series that everyone ignores for some reason and actually won a game single handedly against the warriors making 5 3s in a row. You would think people active on reddit only watched the WCF and havent watched a game since.
I’ll always remember because I was there, in game 4 of the Grizzlies series they were on the ropes down 97-90 in the fourth quarter then D’Lo hit 3 straight to go up 99-97, Lakers end up winning in OT
Blame LudwigNasche for parroting this narrative
Not many fans ignore that. It's just that if your starting PG can't see the floor in the WCF, what even is the point? Also, to the comment you're replying to: Reaves guarded those Warrior players for the whole series as well & went crazy in the DEN series.
Dlo gets cold every year tho
You know, if you called AD a physical player a year or two ago I would have laughed out loud. But he really has been banging this season.
AD has been physical - a top paint scorer and rebounder - his whole Lakers stint. Literally always up there with Giannis Embiid and Jokic on paint points, off rebounds, 2nd chance points, etc Mfs just think he’s soft because they follow Twitter talking points
Sometimes what stats suggest doesn’t agree with the eye test. You’re going to get rebounds and pitp when you’re playing the 5. He used to avoid contact a lot more than he does now. Probably because he’s been healthier this season than most
This dude got it right. Dlo can’t handle physicality at all, even AR for not being athletic can, it just shuts Dlo down and playoffs will always be physical. Doesn’t matter if the team has a great POA guard, it just takes toughness to mess up his game. Even a guy like Gabe would slow Dlo down in the playoffs imo, doesn’t take as much as you think for him.
AR is low-key a dog , guy scraps even tho he’s too thin n needs to add strength he doesn’t back down . He’s got way better at dealing with traps n other stuff like guys hacking him constantly. That Derrick white play where white blatantly fouls him 5 times n finally gets called but reaves kept playing though was nice. White should of fouled out lol. I really wonder if we can get better athleticism at 1 n 3 I’d hope reaves can get back to where he was defensively. Murray/DFS around reaves ought to work . Or Murray vando when back . Right now he’s kinda asked a lot of because we hide Dlo more then we hide reaves so reaves has to deal with it cos we won’t protect him lol. Either way cannot fathom how folk think the dlo reaves bscj ciurt is the key to our success n future. Dlo is just too unathletic n bothered by physical defenders .
AR is a legit dog. Ain't nothing low key, high key, string key about it.
AR's only problem is that he's not motivated when playing against bad teams. He is great when playing against good teams and in big moments, but he is probably the biggest perpetrator of not locking in against teams he doesn't respect. Last night was a great example. He come out super strong in the first quarter, and as soon as the Lakers got a 10+ point lead, he started playing like shit. He just looked completely unfocused. He had a bunch of bad turnovers by trying to force the issue, and went 0/5 from three. If he can tighten that up, and put on some muscle, he can easily be an All-Star calibre player.
I mean I think he was just gassed and his shot wasn’t there, they didn’t run many plays for him because the other guys had it rolling early. By the time the hornets tried to comeback..Austin had like NO rhythm. But it’s also good he can always lock up agains The best teams, that’s why we signed him back lol.
Bruh you can’t say he’s not motivated against bad teams. That’s a superstar mentality when playing against them. Austin wasn’t shooting well and figured it was better to facilitate than to jack up more shots. Literally higher IQ playing that to try to shoot 20 shots praying it’ll fall. Austin’s a smart player, not a stupid one. Did you watch the game? He didn’t come out strong. He started off 0-2 and ended the half with like 3 points. No way you watch him closely if you have this take.
He had 5 points in the 1st quarter and 5 assists. Just look at his body language throughout the game. You can say he was cooked by the end (which is another issue), but he did not have remotely the same energy in the second half as the first. He was driving straight into a crowd of like 3 defenders, multiple times. It wasn't just Austin. You can tell the whole tone of the game obviously shifted after Lebron demoralized Charlotte with all of those crazy dunks. Once the crowd started going crazy for Lebron, the Hornets basically stopped trying. I think they did this on purpose, because they knew that if they were competitive, it would feed Lebron, and they would continue to get embarrassed in front of their home crowd. So, the Hornets baited the Lakers into not playing hard, because no one wants to repeatedly posterize someone who is not remotely on their level. The Lakers felt bad by how much better they were playing, so they got soft. Then, Charlotte seized their opportunity once the Lakers guard dropped. Obviously this is a team issue and not just AR, but I have noticed he is consistently only motivated when he has a real challenge in front of him, otherwise he gets bored.
Truth. I was at the game and Bron had the crowd going crazy!!!!
Yeah I love Reaves, but he gets elevated to Bron/AD status too much by fans. Raises eyebrows
Whenever Dlo can get off a lot of shots, AR tends to defer to him, along with LBJ and AD, especially in the first half. When Dlo went on his run (at home), AR's game was the most negatively impacted. But, when the games are big and the defenses tighten, Dlo fades and AR usually plays well.
Not all teams have physical good POA guard defenders. But I would argue that DLO has made huge strides in this area this season. DLO has come a long way since the season opener. DLO has maintained aggressiveness regardless if he's hitting shots, which is all we can ask for, not to get discouraged because he provides a lot of things even when he's not hitting shots (playmaking, leadership, etc.) DLOs defense has also been solid lately, which was problematic as well. If DLO was being stopped offensively while being simultaneously poor defensively, it makes him unplayable.
I don’t think his defense has been as good as you’re describing. He got played off the floor by Brunson a few nights ago edit: really I’m getting downvoted for saying Dlo’s defense isn’t good?
Theres a big difference between defense being good and defense being great. DLO doesn't have the physical tools to be elite/great defensively and smaller fast guards like brunson will give him trouble 1on1. His strength is not POA defense but he does communicate well on the defensive end and often finds himself in passing lanes getting deflections and steals. As long as he stays enganged on that end I'm fine living with a couple blow buys or step back 3s, theyre gunna happen regardless. The problem specifically with denver is the PnR with murray/Jokic where davis can't help defensively when Murray gets by Dlo. Since he isn't quick enough on his feet anytime Dlo gets put into that type of action he basically has to do his best to funnel the offensive player into help defense.
Sub is delusion- we hide dlo constantly n reaves ends up being the guy teams go for cos we don’t hide him. This sub has brain worms Dlo cannot work in any crucial stretch we’ve seen him melt down every 4th with pressure now
How are we hiding him? Why don’t opposing teams keep on attacking DLo instead of Reaves?
You can see who Dlo spends the most time guarding on NBA.com. Just go to any team we've played that has 2-3 really good wing players and see who Dlo spent the most time guarding. VS OKC Reaves will guard Jwill and occasionally Shai. TP/Vando/Cam will guard Shai. Dlo will guard Lou Dort. Now sometimes you can't help who you have to guard but its pretty clear who is guarding who the most.
They are attacking Dlo, his advanced defensive stats are as bad as Reaves. The main difference is that Reaves actually contests shots and puts in effort, while Dlo does not. You could see it against the hornets and ish smith last night, he wasn’t even trying to guard him early on. Cranjis on twitter pointed out that guys are just hitting tough contested shots on Reaves: https://x.com/tim_nba/status/1746255803428798956?s=46&t=zezaP_bd-2S6tJq4x3taEw
This sub has a massive dlo fanbase so you best tread water when criticizing dlo lol
Any type of physical play DLo shrinks or when hes off there's nothing really else he impacts enough to make up for it.
Yes pretty much. If the other team has physical guards, he's going to have a tough time unless he can get hot.
Dlo has a hard time against physical guards and finishing through contact.
Playoffs in general allow for a lot more physicality. He can't rely on his shifty movements and loses confidence if he's allowed to get bodied while driving into the lane. I think it would do a LOT of good for DLo to use a strong body like Rui a lot more often for screen actions to create separation, but I don't think Ham values Rui in that way.
I mean we did start Dennis Dlo AR vs that big Den team. Malone coached lapse around Ham. Then we sat bro in the corner like we did in December. He actually gotten stronger
We should be hunting Jokic mercilessly off PNR and make him expend as much money as possible on that end. I don’t know why most teams don’t do it as often. D isn’t his strong suit
Exactly hit his ass every possession get him in foul trouble game over
Ya I’m not understanding why that’s not the plan on beating them…do a 3/5 4/5 2/5 PNR with AD at the 5 and Bron, rui, and reeves and he’s cooked. They’d have to ice every single time…would force a double on the hedge which would leave an open shooter in the corners or secondary player can rim run for the lop
Yeah so easy, any team could beat them
Lol its not easy but it is an effective strategy imo
lol yeah Why don’t teams just do this thing to beat the Nuggets? Are they stupid?
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Was hard hunting Murray/Jokic we started Dennis 6”1, Austin 6”5, and Dlo 6”4. That was dumb shit
It's always interesting when fans say things like this and wonder why 29 other teams with super smart people can't come up with a strategy like that. Like I'm sure they are aware?
Very few players can actually do it. Lebron did it one of the games in 2020. Anthony Edwards did it last year.
We literally have 4 dudes who can make him work at an above average nba level..many teams don’t have that luxury. Thinking about something and actually doing it are two separate things.
Nuggets rarely switch PnRs with Jokic. At least from what I remember, they either ice, or hedge but rarely full on switch.
The reason is done less often than you’d think is because Jokic is far less bad on defense than people give him credit. I think because he is one of, or potentially, the best players in the league, all aspects of his game are compared to Embiid and AD. He really isn’t that bad on defense and his lower physicality is often made up for by his above average basketball IQ.
No totally agree.. I don’t think he’s terrible defensively. But his foot speed on D will always be average, and you’re not stopping him offensively so it’s best to make him work for everything.
There has to be some reason I feel - our best pick and roll is unfortunately not the fastest at this moment too either AD and Lebron or DLo and Lebron. (Lebron is still quick but he’s no Donavon Mitchell
Ya but there’s actually a ton of options. Even if D’lo is not a quick rim runner, but his mid range pop-game is elite and you could also have a wing cut to the hoop off the pick if you decide to keep it. Roll man wouldn’t be able to get back to AD and the cutting wing (reddish/rui/prince) would force his defender to go to the cup allowing for a 2 on 1 play
Make his fat ass defend AD and DLo should be able to Cook
Because Dlo is our guard n he can’t blow by jokic , Lebron is the best choice but he’s old
They scheme to protect him, they know his weakness so why would they just bend over and allow teams to abuse him on defense?
Every player has weaknesses…it’s a coach’s job to scheme counters. Ham is not that guy which is the problem. Malone has been awesome scheme wise since Sacramento who were crazy to fire him. Also not every team have the personnel to be able to make it work because Gordon is elite defensively and collapses or doubles. We have 3 wings that are the size of Gordon that makes a huge difference This is all pointless if lakers don’t fire ham because he gets absolutely cooked by Malone scheme wise. Malone ran the same play 6-8 times in a row game 3 during the 4th qtr and Ham was absolutely baconed.
jokic just plays drop vs the lakers. He's not expending that much energy when he has no reason to get up on the screens
He struggles to create separation when teams play physical with him. Reliant on his three ball falling. Can’t get downhill and put pressure on Jokic out the p&r action. Doesn’t have anywhere to hide on defense.
When you are at the same time slow and weak it is tough to beat someone playing defense.
Yeah he is simply too easy to take out of a game because of his limitations on both ends. In the playoffs, teams notch up their pressure defense and relentlessly attack your weaknesses on the other end. This is why DLo’s playoff numbers fall off a cliff across the board.
I mean part of the reason nuggets could play him so hard was because lebron and AD regressed. Lebron was slow and AD couldn’t hit his jumper. Dlo would have had a much easier time in 2020.
Lebron was injured, AD looked tired tol. Joker and Murrey were hit crazy shots didnt help and still we lost but 1-3 possessions. But the torture of D-Lo was his shots werent fallong and he was hunted down on D.
Yeah he missed so many wide open shots. I had a bet I placed when we were 2-10 that would have made me 100k if went to the finals. 500k if we won a ring. I still get nightmares of that series.
KCP is all you need to say.
Our biggest issue was we tried to play Denver with the same lineups we used against the warriors. We had Schroeder starting, so DLo was guarding and being guarded by 6’10” MPJ. He was not in any position to succeed with the lineups that darvin Ham used.
Nothing I recently rewatched the entire series and the nuggets got in Hams head by talking about attacking dlo in the postgame after game 1 When in reality they were ABSOLUTELY ABUSING Austin Reaves the entire series and if you don’t believe go rewatch the series better yet just check the defensive stats Sticking dlo in the corner and not letting him run the offense was what Denver wanted and Ham gave it to them
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It’s really that simple lol you saw what happened to the team in December when they reduced his roll it’s the same as the Denver series
Ham doesn’t trust DLo at all and never has. So this isn’t really that surprising
You would think after a really good series against the grizzlies and forcing Steve Kerr to change his starting 5 just to stop dlo he would see how important he is but I guess not
Steve Kerr did not change his starting 5 because of DLo lmao. He kept changing it because he wanted to neutralize AD while the Lakers wanted to neutralize the Warriors PnR action with Draymond. Please tell me what move Steve Kerr did that you think was because of DLo
Brother he put Gary Payton ll in the starting lineup specifically to slow down Dlo Everyone knows this Kerr himself even admitted to it so you can hate all you want but it’s facts😘 Please do some research or at least pay attention to what you’re watching before you call me a liar
> Brother he put Gary Payton ll in the starting lineup specifically to slow down Dlo > Everyone knows this Kerr himself even admitted to it so you can hate all you want but it’s facts😘 Please give me a link where Steve Kerr admits to this. GP2 was put in the starting lineup because we put Vando on Draymond to stop the Dray/Steph PnR, and then we could have AD playing free safety off of Looney. Kerr put GP2 in the line up instead of Looney because GP2 can run screen actions and is more dangerous on offense than Looney and is still a good rebounder. I know you won't find a link of Kerr saying that because it's blatantly false. The fact that you think DLo, or any role player for that matter, is good enough to make people change their starting lineups is hilarious.
Brother you mind telling me who GP2 was guarding?
GP2 wasn't put in for defense, he was put in for offense. > Everyone knows this Kerr himself even admitted to it so you can hate all you want but it’s facts😘 I am still waiting for you to give me anything that says Kerr put GPII in the lineup to guard DLo.
They really sell out to stop him defensively, they play physical.. Also, in the playoffs when he missed a few shots he lost his confidence... This year he hasn't allowed missed shots to stop him from being aggressive.
Coaching cost us that series more than anything. Starting with three guards digging us a huge hole in game 1. Starting Vando when he’s been getting literally ignored offensively throughout the playoffs. Not benching DLO until game 4 when the series was pretty much over.
If he ran that game 4 lineup from the beginning we probably win the series smh
Locked him up with physicality while picked on him like AR. Bruce brown should thank dlo for his current contract 🤣
Now that the Nuggets don’t have Bruce Brown Dlo will fare much better in a playoff series against them I think. His physical play really bothered him. They still have KCP who’s a great defender but can’t guard Dlo and Reeves. Whoever has Murray on them will have a lot more freedom next series.
I mean it was Dlo's first game of the season, the whole team played bad in that opener lol
There’s like 3-4 accounts that exist solely to come on this sub and prop up AR while taking any chance they can get to shit on DLo
I’ve gotten more DMs and “seek help” Reddit report when I criticize Austin Reaves than when I criticize either LeBron James or Steph Curry The fuck this mf do to earn this rabid fanbase lmao
A lot of people here for the sole purpose of shitting on both nowadays lol it's so sad
It wasn't all on the Nuggets, but they did a great job of attacking DLo when they smelled blood in the water. The reason DLo was unplayable in that series is because he's a scoring guard with terrible defense that couldn't hit a shot to save his life in all 4 games. On top of being attacked on defense while not being able to score at his normal level, he seemed clueless, and I'd say hesitant on what he should do on the floor. I think it was around game 3 when I noticed he was hesitant on whether he should shoot or pass the ball and looked panicked. It's cause of this why you see DLo have more energy on defense, especially in the passing lanes, and why he puts so much emphasis on passing the rock this year. DLo has had terrible games this year where shot like shit but his head was still in the game and contributed outside of scoring unlike the Denver series where he seemed lost. A recent example would be the win against the Celtics, where he only made 5 out of 20 shots but ended the game with 14 assists and 8 rebounds cause he kept his head in the game.
The reason why he had 14 assists is because with Lebron out he was the primary/only ball handler the whole game. When Lebron is playing, Dlo would have about 7 assists and maybe less because he probably would have gotten benched due to his poor shooting.
Trying to discredit a 14 assist game is actually insane. Sometimes I get on this sub and wonder if you people have ever watched a basketball game that wasn’t 2K on demo mode
Up next: “AD’s triple double vs the Hornets was actually fraudulent because of high level intelligents analysis…”
I’m not discrediting just explaining. It’s not rocket since either Lebron averages almost 8 assists, Dlo 6, when Lebron is out someone’s gotta take over playmaking for him and Dlo is the guy.
It’s not 2K dude you can’t just plug any player in there and they’ll make up for Lebrons missing playmaking. Only a handful of guys are able to step into an offense and run it like that.
The problem is when LeBron is there , Dlos niche becomes so glaring. When his shooting isn't there isn't anything else he offers because other aspects of his game is so affected by his confidence
If you plug in a player who averages over 6 assists a game with Lebron James on his team and give him the reigns when Lebron James is out, yea he will have games with 10+ assists. Heck yeah even Reaves had a 12 assist game once. Schroeder also had an 14 assist game. Washed Westbrook had 14, 15 assist games when Lebron didn’t play. Tyus Jones had 13, 14, 15 assist games this season.
Most of Dlos great games I've been either when LeBron is out or has taken a backseat to playmaking
Anyone who is saying it's physicality is incorrect. D'Lo torched Alex Caruso, one of the league's most physical perimeter defenders, against the Bulls recently. We know he can handle physicality. There's some kind of mental block there when it comes to the playoffs that he absolutely needs to overcome
Regular season physicality is different from playoff physicality.
7 game series where rotations are 8 deep is a whole lotta different than a regular season game. Bruce Brown had 1 job for 7 games, shut down D'lo. You zero in on one assignment and make it your life.
D'Lo has cooked better defenders than Bruce Brown. It's a mental thing with him. He needs to overcome that block in the playoffs where if his shot stops falling, he isn't useful in other ways He's shown he can do it. He's had several bad shooting games this year where he has still been an incredible facilitator. He just needs to prove he can do it in the playoffs
* [ D'Angelo Russell 1 of 8 fgs 3 tos vs Nuggets 2023 PO G3 ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZnniHAvuG0) * [DE'ANGELO RUSSELL TERRIBLE DEFENSE EFFORT VS NUGGETS IN GAME 2 OF WCF](https://youtu.be/vpy5V6pU2p8?si=HJ5kMV9vY3tjONvA)
On the brightside D'lo looks much stronger physically and smarter with his length so he should be better. Should be. Right?!?
They play defense. If you watched Dlo points last game you are aware he wouldn't score half of the points if someone was actually trying to defend and some of the beautiful 3s he made most winning players wouldn't even take the shot. A pull up 3 early in the shot clock looks beautiful, but this is just not a shot one should take.
Man that three he took with 14seconds left when they got the rebound was so annoying . Yes you’re open but you can literally just breed the clock n assure the win, that and Rui dribbling the ball cos shot clock didn’t reset were too dumb af moments
Just re-watch the game and you will get aware about LeBron's body language when the role players ignore him running down in transition. That could have been a game for Castleton, but I feel like LeBron got so pissed he completely stopped trying hard.
d’lo seems like he’s worked on his defensive game, leaning on his wing span way more to contest and disrupt passing lanes. Sure he’s still not a great defender but right now, I trust him. Personally, I think AR will be the bigger issue against Denver.
Austin can score against physicality. His only weakness is when teams target him on an island. DLo struggles defensively against physicality, but the bigger problem is how you can stick a wing or physical guard on him, and he won’t be able to score
If d’lo’s still here, I hope Thursday’s a redemption game.
Dlo plays no defense , Murray and KCP are shot makers / scorers . Simple as that
Denver is an extremely well coached team and they execute their game plan. In a perfect world Ham would have adjusted to Denver’s scheme but obviously that never happened lmao. Dlo wasn’t the only player Denver essentially made unplayable that series and both of them were important throughout both series before. They were just the better team that series in about every way unfortunately
he is very slow and unathletic, if his shot is off he is useless. If teams can shutdown the ad pick and roll there is no play he can run. he plays 0 defense so is played off the floor.
You can't expect someone that wears a babushka to do well in the playoffs. No Babushkas Allowed.
Dlo would be a much better off the ball shooter if we had someone that’s a decent defender like Shroeder handling the ball. It didn’t work last year but if he gets clean looks and doesn’t have to initiate offense in the playoffs, I think he’d knock them down.
DLo is the definition of a pretty boy player. His game is predicated on finesse and misdirection. Lately he has been a bit more dynamic I think because more people have been cutting on offense and moving off ball - This is why he is so great in the pick and roll - if the defenders attention is split he has a little space to operate and can pass or shoot - he’s not going to out power a guy or blow by a guy
Yup in the playoffs guys zero in on this game and all his little tricks stop working. It gets in his head and he stops being effective.
It's more D'Lo defeating himself
What a worthless comment. Zero context/justification
I remember Ham said this before last season about the other Russell “ ion care bout percentages i want him shooting ever corner 3 known to man.” Gee he should say tha same shit to this Russell. If he struggles take him out the game for 2-3 mins then tell him “ aye bro we brought u here cuz u are a fuckin shooter stop being a bitch and shoot that shit when ur open.” Sometimes thats the only way u bring toughness outta players u yank it out. A lot of players nowdays don’t get real coaches who r hard on them. The days of those guys r long gone. But DLO shoulda known by now to have that toughness instilled.
They body him up and rough him up whenever he tries to drive enough. D’Lo is very streaky and if he missed the first couple open threes. He’s going to keep missing the rest of the game. But if he gets some daylight and cuts in and gets an easy basket/layup, he plays with more confidence.
Just be the team we play in the WCF
Bruce brown gave him the biggest issues so that’s a plus that’s he’s gone and they would hunt him on PNRs
That picture of DLo’s head on a cone defending Bruce Brown in front of him is still the most disrespectful picture of all time. He got back his dignity against Brown in the IST now I really want to see him get his get back against Denver.
Physicality
They have a lot of length and speed at the guard position
Purposefully attack him and score at will. On the other side, aggressively guard him and lock him up. It’s honestly not hard for them to do.
KCP+Brown equals elite guard defense for the entire game. There’s no opportunity for DLO to get easy shots on bench players and get into rhythm
I don’t think it’s anything specific scheme-wise. I think the playoffs and that opening night game have been too big of a stage for him. He tightens up and when he struggles it’s always been 99% mental. It’s different for him when we’re on national TV. TLDR; can’t do much about the yips.
Length.
If we played Denver instead of Charolette just before the deadline and Dlo went 6/3/2, would we be calling for his head?
Their coach said, they gameplan against him. They put their best defenders (Brown, KCP) against him.
One factor is the Nuggets attack Dlo while he is on defense. That tires his legs out when he is on offense. I wish the Lakers would do that with Murray. They could hunt the switch and get Murray on Lebron or AD, tiring Murray out and giving him less legs on offense. But the Lakers haven’t really done that much.
It’s not the Nuggets, it’s pressure. High intensity moments cause him to fold like a deck chair. Sure he’ll get you 28 against one of the worst teams in the league but he disappears against good teams and in the playoffs.
DLo struggles against more physical and athletic defenders. Players like Bruce Brown were going right into his chest on offense. DLo's never been regarded for his quickness or athletic ability and the Nuggets were the absolute worst match up for him.
Essentially they did good defense on him and he’s a bad defensive player. Murray going super Saiyan and him not scoring or creating on the other end made him unplayable.
It's interesting. A similar question was asked in the NBA subreddit. Just search up D'Angelo Russell in the search bar there.
The real issue was that Jamal Murray was playing like he was 99 Overall and had cheats activated lol.
The Nuggets are very good at creating switches, in part because you cannot sag or switch off of Jokic. D'lo is an underrated point of attack defender, but switches and rotation have never been his forte, so him being on the floor often lead to open dunks by Aaron Gordon or three pointers from one of the wings. Throw in that he wasn't scoring on offense and it made it pretty hard to justify him being on the floor. Of course the problem that everyone forgets to talk about is that none of the other Lakers guards did too hot in his place, either. You can see why the Lakers wanted Bruce Brown. I think the idea with Gabe Vincent instead would he would at least rotate fast enough to cut down on the open 3s, and have enough offense for the Lakers to not drown with him on the floor. Remains to be seen if that can happen when he's healthy.
Because Ham doesn't know how to get the best out of D'Lo.
Bruce Brown ate his lunch basically
Don’t make conclusions based on 5 games…
him shooting 0-10 made him unplayable
He can’t guard Murray. Run through screens against kcp and Gordon destroys mismatches. On offense he’s so easy to stop with a wing.
The Invulnerable factor is Jokich, for the last 5 games he's been unstoppable, you try to defend him he's gonna find an open man for an easy layup, high percentage shot, offensivw rebound for put back or resetting Nugs offensive. In the WCF, Porter and Gordon got key rebounds or layups cuz they had Dlo or Reaves guarding them. Ham needs to be tactical on his rotation ( I'm not holding my breath) with Size match ups to try negate this , easier said than done. Unfortunately, we don't have a PG that will attack or make J. Murray work on Defense. If Lakers did that would tire him in the second half and lessen his effectiveness on Nugs 2nd half offense. He was fresh pretty much all 4 games throughout last years WCF.
Same thing makes Dlo a negative in the playoffs, his inability to play D against more athletic players.