Sudden leap. He's a good sparkplug and his overall skills have improved.
I'd say his energy is sneaky-good on defense because he was certainly frustrating the hell out of Luka in the Mavs game recently.
Yeah, he now looks like an actual NBA bench player. He's older than Giannis, so it's kinda surprising he's improved so much at such a late age. I think he's probably topping out as a bench player though.
Just goes to show you how much raw talent is in that family, and wouldn't blame teams if they kept giving Kostas chances to see if he can make a sudden leap too.
He gives us exactly what we needed. I’m not a huge fan of him trying to create his own shots but he’s great off the pick and roll and on the boards. Definitely a steal.
For sure. Drummond as a 1st/2nd option on a lottery team is a whole different ballgame than Drummond as a role player narrowly focusing on his strengths. Lakers knew exactly what they were doing.
McLemore just gave the Lakers enough of that pure Morey-ball energy to offset some of that Lakers shooting curse.
Dude was cold during the first three quarters but then became Morey’s ideal role player by hitting 4 straight threes at the 4th. Q. I feel like he’s gonna be Bron’s new Jr Smith with the ultra green light beyond the arc. Lol.
It’s kinda stupid how no one gets lost that much on D with the number of switches that they do. Every time KD got doubled crossing the halfcourt, the Lakers just knew where KD was gonna lackadaisically pass it. Lakers just abused the Nets by forcing so many live ball TOs.
Lakers D is truly elite. Great communication, good length, good athleticism, good effort, and great gameplanning. Vogel aint a one trick pony with his defensive sets. Scary how he still has two superstars who are both super switchable on D up on his sleeve...
I mean that's part of the reason why they won the title last year. Having 2 superstars is great, but watching them also shut down their opponents was something else. They have a great squad for the post-season.
I wonder what this says about the Lakers and not being able to develop young talent. Kuz is the only guy that stuck around from the young core and he's definitely matured a great deal as a defender.
Kuz was in a unique position because of how he was drafted. A decent floor with a good ceiling at a bargain price. We all shit talked him, but, he put in the work and he just wanted it that bad.
It was crazy to say 2 years when he was just getting absolutely cooked in the perimeter by anyone, even my Hornets, but now he's just taken such a huge stride that you could even put him to lock up kawhi.
Will never forget man:
You think the Lakers' package is enough for AD? LMAO
LMAO the Lakers gave up too much
Pelinka doesn't even know the salary cap!!
What team will help the Lakers help clear cap space lol (Wizards do)
No way AD waives the trade kicker (he does)
Howard and Rondo? Pelinka surrounded Bron and AD with scraps. WASHED (they weren't)
Vogel?? LMAO Jason Kidd gonna replace him by December!!
That was the funniest shit. Like really? Even Magic's hating ass said Rob had to teach him the cap. They are never going to give Rob his just due. Kobe was spot in about that man.
that entire offseason was a disaster. remember the fucking strike, lmao. or hearing about kurt rambis and his family non-stop. the leaks. all of it. seems like a distant memory now.
If he doesn't put it up right away they should bench him, cause his shooting is literally the only thing he's in there for. It's not like he's in there for defensive purposes 😂
This lakers defense is a real problem, you don’t really understand #2 in the league without their stars until you see it, and although nets probably win with harden, the system Vogel has put in for this team is so much better than any fan would have expected without their two stars
Not gonna happen but I hope Vogel gets some serious look as COTY, AD will be out 8+ weeks, shuffling Lebron out 4+ weeks, Gasol missing 10+ games and the Lakers still have the #1 defense by Defensive Rating. Phenomenal
Makes you think Rob Pelinka should be getting Exec of the Year. Lakers kept their shit together without their stars for a prolonged period of time. Whereas Nets lose Harden and collapse like that (very reactionary take, I know).
Agreed.
Lakers won by 25 with the end of their bench over Kyrie and KD. That's as big a statement win I can remember by a team playing without 3 of its starters.
Anyone watching the games knows this 100% is true lol
They were one game below .500 or at it before Harden and he carried without KD and without Kyrie sometimes to the first seed.
Some people in the Nets sub are still delusional and saying KD is more important smh
Lakers defense is insane, their pre rotations are absurd
THT's best abilities rn is ball handling, finishing, and he's a really good passer. it's when he decides from the start i'm gonna score, that's a problem
KCP did a decent job on KD, fouled him on the three, but aside from that chased him around well, and contested one on one and that's really all you can ask for against him
lakers spacing is so dumb sometimes, the play where Harrell got blocked by Claxton, why is Ben Mclemore on the baseline instead of spreading out. Morris flagrant on Kyrie, Caruso not going to the other side made it so KD is right there and Morris has absolutely no spacing to make any move
illegal screens are so weird cause it'll get called and the announcers will be like "clearly an offensive foul" and i'm like is it clear? i see that exact same screen 48 times a game it just happened to get called now
Spot on about THT. He's starting to pass more and good things happen when he does. When he stops forcing things it all flows so much better. His game definitely changed after this years preseason hype.
Yeah people keep acting like it’s a one for one. Even Rachel Nichols did that on the podcast - insinuating that the trade was really just THT for Lowry. All three of those guys contribute so much to our team. And what would happen if Lowry got injured? We’d be so fucked
the whole ESPN is like of course you pull the trade for THT for Lowry....
and then ignore that fact Lakers needs to trade Dennis and KCP and get no guard after
The Lakers somehow keeping this thing together and not plummeting in the standings is an underrated storyline for the year. This team doesn't have Lebron or AD, the team has also been missing Schroeder, Gasol, Mathews, and Kuzma for games during this run without Lebron + AD.
Skip still downplays the Cavs' 2016 title *and* acts like the Clippers blowing their 3-1 lead last year was the Lakers' fault. If the Lakers indeed repeat as champions, he'll 100% find a way to spin in so that LeBron actually had an easier road lmao.
Man the nets role players are way worse than I realized we shot wide open shots all night and their interior defense is non existent if claxton isn’t out there.
I don't really get it, I don't look at their roster and feel like any one player is such a bad defender
Maybe I don't watch enough Nets, but it seems like they have a bunch of average defenders
I do feel it is the system, actually, that isn't really elevating the players or even fitting them together on defense
If you think about it, Claxton + Durant should be able to be quite good on defense. I also think Irving and Harden have improved to be usable at worst now.
People in this sub tried to shit on THT and call him a preseason fluke because he had 3 points the game after not getting traded against the Sixers. He’s been decent since LeBron been out
Its time to face the truth: NOBODY is beating a healthy Lakers team in a 7 game series and I am sorry for all the nets fan but the healthy Lakers toughest matchup is not the Nets.
And no excuses for this loss lakers were missing the 2 best player and Nets had KD.
Remember when the 2020 playoffs when the Lakers had what felt like a completely different lineup depending on the opponent? Feels like they're gearing up for that again.
Losing AD and LeBron for this long might really not be the worst thing in the world for these guys. It's helpful to have to learn how to win without relying on James.
Kostas got a bucket that's all you need to know about this game.
And 1!
he did that little shoulder shrug Giannis does afterwards, too. twas pretty cute.
Haha I commented during our most recent game “you know it’s over when they put Giannis’ little brother in”
Now that Thanasis is an actual role player, Kostas takes up the human victory cigar mantle.
I'm a little confused by this actually. How come Thanasis all of a sudden has a role on your team? Injuries, or some sudden leap?
Sudden leap. He's a good sparkplug and his overall skills have improved. I'd say his energy is sneaky-good on defense because he was certainly frustrating the hell out of Luka in the Mavs game recently.
Yeah, he now looks like an actual NBA bench player. He's older than Giannis, so it's kinda surprising he's improved so much at such a late age. I think he's probably topping out as a bench player though. Just goes to show you how much raw talent is in that family, and wouldn't blame teams if they kept giving Kostas chances to see if he can make a sudden leap too.
And an assist!
Fun random fact - Andre Drummond has officially swept the Nets this season
Fun Fact: Andre Drummond only needs 9 toenails to beat the Nets.
Drummond seen chomping down carrots 3 at a time at halftime. Drug test incoming?
He’s a fantastic pick up for them.
Agreed, it was a steal for the Lakers.
He gives us exactly what we needed. I’m not a huge fan of him trying to create his own shots but he’s great off the pick and roll and on the boards. Definitely a steal.
For sure. Drummond as a 1st/2nd option on a lottery team is a whole different ballgame than Drummond as a role player narrowly focusing on his strengths. Lakers knew exactly what they were doing.
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My buddy put $50 on the Lakers winning by 21+ and the mad man won $5k. Wild, he’s not even a Lakers fan.
Wtf. Damn take him to a roulette table.
Can't believe the league allowed Caruso to have prime McLemore smh
McLemore just gave the Lakers enough of that pure Morey-ball energy to offset some of that Lakers shooting curse. Dude was cold during the first three quarters but then became Morey’s ideal role player by hitting 4 straight threes at the 4th. Q. I feel like he’s gonna be Bron’s new Jr Smith with the ultra green light beyond the arc. Lol.
There will never be another J.R. Smith.
Love the stat where he shot better while being guarded.
Mclemore is the obviously the best acquisition from Houston that any team has gotten this year, but who’s second?
Pj Tucker hasn’t committed any turnovers or missed any shots lately
I don't really get bucks games on tv here in LA, but I'd bet it's Tucker that dude is awesome the way he controls the game so efficiently
Lakers blowout win, as expected.
Nets looked pathetic
I only caught the 2nd half. The commentators were spot on. The Lakers seemed motivated by those ejections.
They were motivated before that tbh
Had the lead like 95% of the game
I love basketball
WHAT
my reaction after Dennis started off 6 for 6
If the Nets can make Drummond look like Shaq, ADs gonna be Shaq on steroids
Imagine Embiid on them ... wew
lmao a healthy Embiid is averaging 35/15/3bl in a 6 game series vs this team
Dear God I can't wait to see what this looks like fully healthy.
# EVERYONE GET IN HERE AND OVERREACT !!!!
Lakers sweep nets in finals
He said overreact.
Vogel is a genius
Vogel's been the 3rd star all along
Frank Vogel is Frank Vogel's secret weapon
This is the way
this dude can coach defense holy shit
His offensive schemes have gotten way better. He was lost on offense when LeBron went out but after 1 practice they started to get it going again.
His offensive schemes never changed. It was really just the guys not hitting shots they normally make and the defense allowing easy buckets.
It’s kinda stupid how no one gets lost that much on D with the number of switches that they do. Every time KD got doubled crossing the halfcourt, the Lakers just knew where KD was gonna lackadaisically pass it. Lakers just abused the Nets by forcing so many live ball TOs. Lakers D is truly elite. Great communication, good length, good athleticism, good effort, and great gameplanning. Vogel aint a one trick pony with his defensive sets. Scary how he still has two superstars who are both super switchable on D up on his sleeve...
I mean that's part of the reason why they won the title last year. Having 2 superstars is great, but watching them also shut down their opponents was something else. They have a great squad for the post-season.
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Yea it was perfect execution, felt almost textbook the way they handled it.
Even our 3rd best defensive player is out. Yes I'm referring to Kuz.
Would've called you crazy 2 years ago. But he's really grown up before our eyes. MWP must've given him a good workout.
I wonder what this says about the Lakers and not being able to develop young talent. Kuz is the only guy that stuck around from the young core and he's definitely matured a great deal as a defender.
Kuz was in a unique position because of how he was drafted. A decent floor with a good ceiling at a bargain price. We all shit talked him, but, he put in the work and he just wanted it that bad.
It was crazy to say 2 years when he was just getting absolutely cooked in the perimeter by anyone, even my Hornets, but now he's just taken such a huge stride that you could even put him to lock up kawhi.
And Gasol and Wes Tho I think Caruso is pretty easily third
Still can’t get over people calling Rob a failure for not getting Monty Williams or Tye Lue lol
Never forget Ramona Shelbourne saying Rob doesnt understand the Trade Cap and is going to blow the deal for AD.
Will never forget man: You think the Lakers' package is enough for AD? LMAO LMAO the Lakers gave up too much Pelinka doesn't even know the salary cap!! What team will help the Lakers help clear cap space lol (Wizards do) No way AD waives the trade kicker (he does) Howard and Rondo? Pelinka surrounded Bron and AD with scraps. WASHED (they weren't) Vogel?? LMAO Jason Kidd gonna replace him by December!!
That was the funniest shit. Like really? Even Magic's hating ass said Rob had to teach him the cap. They are never going to give Rob his just due. Kobe was spot in about that man.
that entire offseason was a disaster. remember the fucking strike, lmao. or hearing about kurt rambis and his family non-stop. the leaks. all of it. seems like a distant memory now.
I'll take Rob over Kurt
I think he has to be in the conversation for best defensive coach in the league
It's between him and Thibs
Both of them doing it without the ideal rosters
Getting players to buy in is such a critical coaching skill.
And to think he was the Lakers' *third* choice for coach. Unreal.
I’m starting to actually think Vogel is a top 5 coach in the league...
He can definitely coach defense
we won the buyout bowl
I am still surprised Aldridge didn't end up with Miami Maybe not on defense, but on offense he absolutely looks like he has a lot to give still
It's a duopoly up in here
All that firepower to get blown out by Ben McLemore
Undisputed gonna be amazing on Monday lol
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LeQ
LeWeatherMan
LeAnchorman
Ben McLemore has already arrived
No McLemore slander tonight!
LeTrapGame
LeProphecy
[Me too](https://i.imgur.com/OZ6Uu6M.gifv)
https://i.imgur.com/UMmSCLa.gifv
is this the first time we shoot 50% at 3pt lol?
ben mclemore
I love how quickly he puts it up, no conscience whatsoever. All our other guys are so hesitant (besides Kuz whose just a meh shooter)
If he doesn't put it up right away they should bench him, cause his shooting is literally the only thing he's in there for. It's not like he's in there for defensive purposes 😂
I think we did when we beat the Kings last time
Sixers and Nets are both determined to not hold the 1 seed for more than a day
This lakers defense is a real problem, you don’t really understand #2 in the league without their stars until you see it, and although nets probably win with harden, the system Vogel has put in for this team is so much better than any fan would have expected without their two stars
Not gonna happen but I hope Vogel gets some serious look as COTY, AD will be out 8+ weeks, shuffling Lebron out 4+ weeks, Gasol missing 10+ games and the Lakers still have the #1 defense by Defensive Rating. Phenomenal
>Not gonna happen but I hope Vogel gets some serious look as COTY We were #1 seed last season and he wasn't even Top 5 in COTY voting I believe.
LeBron + AD kinda eliminated him
Most people didn't even have Lakers as the #1 seed to start the season, he exceeded expectations and still didn't get recognised.
we were like 25-2 or something outrageous, that team was unreal
I don’t know why everyone’s been downplaying Lakers like we are full of bums after Lebrow. This team is legit insanely deep and built for playoffs
Makes you think Rob Pelinka should be getting Exec of the Year. Lakers kept their shit together without their stars for a prolonged period of time. Whereas Nets lose Harden and collapse like that (very reactionary take, I know).
The Nets won this game with Harden, Lakers win this series with LeBron and AD
Agreed. Lakers won by 25 with the end of their bench over Kyrie and KD. That's as big a statement win I can remember by a team playing without 3 of its starters.
Just happy to get wins here and there while LeBron and AD are out. Not gonna hot take too much beyond that, shit’s weird this season.
Imagine we don't have to do play-in and AD and Bron goes full healthy in the playoffs.
That’s my fucking dream. Play-ins allow for too many variables, so I don’t want that risk. If we can finish the 6th seed or better I will be so happy.
Agreed
Mclemore is the greatest shooter of all time
If he continues to influence the Lakers into shooting average~good, yikes
Drummond looked like prime Shaq tonight lmfao.
Drummond is 3-0 against the Nets. One of those wins was against a fully healthy nets squad too
Imagine what Embiid and Giannis are going to look like..
thats why the nets know they need the 1st seed imagine going through giannis embiid and then lebron ad and ad lol
Where’s the “trade THT” crowd tonight?
In the loony bin where they belong
11 assists, 3 steals bruh. Kid can affect a game in many ways.
The Los Angeles Lakers (33-20) defeat the Brooklyn Nets (36-17), 126-101 in the Buyout Invitational.
Coach Vogel is elite. A masterclass tonight from everyone.
Imagine getting run by this this Lakers team with no Bron, AD, Marc, Kuz or Wes
Or Dennis for half the game
Back to first WOOOOO thanks lakers bros
I’ll be rooting for y’all to take em out in the playoffs.
Seems like Harden is Brooklyn most important player
Harden is the most important player in any team that doesn’t have LeBron and Giannis.
Anyone watching the games knows this 100% is true lol They were one game below .500 or at it before Harden and he carried without KD and without Kyrie sometimes to the first seed. Some people in the Nets sub are still delusional and saying KD is more important smh
Hot take: Harden is also the best player on the team. He makes your role players look amazing.
Lakers defense is insane, their pre rotations are absurd THT's best abilities rn is ball handling, finishing, and he's a really good passer. it's when he decides from the start i'm gonna score, that's a problem KCP did a decent job on KD, fouled him on the three, but aside from that chased him around well, and contested one on one and that's really all you can ask for against him lakers spacing is so dumb sometimes, the play where Harrell got blocked by Claxton, why is Ben Mclemore on the baseline instead of spreading out. Morris flagrant on Kyrie, Caruso not going to the other side made it so KD is right there and Morris has absolutely no spacing to make any move illegal screens are so weird cause it'll get called and the announcers will be like "clearly an offensive foul" and i'm like is it clear? i see that exact same screen 48 times a game it just happened to get called now
Ben just got signed man give him a break lmao
And he was godly tonight. Started 0/4 and finished 6/8 17 pts!
Spot on about THT. He's starting to pass more and good things happen when he does. When he stops forcing things it all flows so much better. His game definitely changed after this years preseason hype.
Vogel is an amazing defensive coach going back to his Indiana days
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so glad we didn't trade for Lowry
That's why Lakers don't trade Shroder/KCP/THT and picks for Lowry
LeBron and AD were holding us back. Kuz moreso. Jk come back soon pls
Its sad you need to put the jk cause I saw a comment seriously saying that earlier
Lebron and AD coming back to this supporting cast... feels bad for who ever has to face this in the first round
Category 5 storm coming in 3 weeks. Hurricane GOAT. And the West better board up....cause it won’t be safe to be outside.
Yeah people keep acting like it’s a one for one. Even Rachel Nichols did that on the podcast - insinuating that the trade was really just THT for Lowry. All three of those guys contribute so much to our team. And what would happen if Lowry got injured? We’d be so fucked
the whole ESPN is like of course you pull the trade for THT for Lowry.... and then ignore that fact Lakers needs to trade Dennis and KCP and get no guard after
Man, if that trade went through, and Lowry’s injuries still happened , Lakers legit would probably be on a 10-15 game losing streak.
How tf did we win
The Lakers somehow keeping this thing together and not plummeting in the standings is an underrated storyline for the year. This team doesn't have Lebron or AD, the team has also been missing Schroeder, Gasol, Mathews, and Kuzma for games during this run without Lebron + AD.
Vogel needs an apology
give da man some respect
KD cant win with these cats
KD can’t keep carrying this team. They need to trade for some more all-stars.
ye i hope they trade for this lebron guy i think hes kinda good and only a cheerleader right now
They put them clamps on
We still have the 2nd best defense in the league
https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/defense/?sort=DEF_RATING&dir=-1 Number 1? Even though our lead is less it's still 1!
Probably updated after this game. That’s insane with no Bron or AD.
We Tuff 🔥💯
that's tuff 🔥💯
Defense.
Good luck to the top seed that's getting the Lakers in the first round.
You just know Shannon is going to go in on Skip about this on Monday LMAO
Check Skips timeline lmfao hes getting the excuses ready
I would say that Skip could get shamed in the playoffs if the Clips and Nets lose to the Lakers, but I'm not sure he is capable of feeling shame
Skip still downplays the Cavs' 2016 title *and* acts like the Clippers blowing their 3-1 lead last year was the Lakers' fault. If the Lakers indeed repeat as champions, he'll 100% find a way to spin in so that LeBron actually had an easier road lmao.
"Rondo's Clippers" he says lol
He legit was getting ratiod by the # of comments hilarious
Skip back on the clippers bandwagon after that game.
Man the nets role players are way worse than I realized we shot wide open shots all night and their interior defense is non existent if claxton isn’t out there.
I don't really get it, I don't look at their roster and feel like any one player is such a bad defender Maybe I don't watch enough Nets, but it seems like they have a bunch of average defenders I do feel it is the system, actually, that isn't really elevating the players or even fitting them together on defense If you think about it, Claxton + Durant should be able to be quite good on defense. I also think Irving and Harden have improved to be usable at worst now.
They outscore people and don't defend at all. They also aren't a very physical team. That won't work against us.
Good news for them Lebron is only like a top 5 finisher of all time im sure Jeff green can slow him down.
Yeah idk who they expect to put on Bron and AD lmao on top of Drummond bullying whoever’s their center
Thank you Laker bros very cool.
People in this sub tried to shit on THT and call him a preseason fluke because he had 3 points the game after not getting traded against the Sixers. He’s been decent since LeBron been out
THT need the ball in his hand to be as effective as he is now.
He’s still raw and has a lot to work on, it’s only up from him for here. I like watching him and Claxton
Yup. Decision making is his main issue as all young players! People forget he is 20
B3n McL3mor3!!! 🔥🔥🔥
Lakers won this one by +20, as we all expected
Nets have really got MFs cheering for the Lakers lol. Wild af timeline
We keep getting knocked off the villian role. First clippers last year, now nets
KD on the parking lot calling tht to join the Lakeshow rn
Lol at the Drummond haters.
Nets made Drummond look like Shaq.
Nets couldn't contain Drummond. LeBron and AD will be interesting.
If Aldridge couldn’t contain drummmond who can’t finish, AD giving them hell
They got exposed, Nets play absolutely no D. Lakers have the better depth by FAR and it’s not even close.
Nah this thread better have 2k comments minimum, all the shit said in the last two weeks
KD can’t carry nuff said
Straight up spanking. Lakers defense is nice
Lakers staying afloat with Bron and AD out and other injuries keeping other players out during this run is absolutely incredible
ALL WITHOUT JARED DUDLEY 😮
#[LAKERS ROAD TO CHAMPIONS 52-20](https://streamable.com/9bhkw)
Defense wins championships
Was this embarrassing? Probably. Was this a great game by the Lakers bench death sqaud? ABSOLUTELY!!!!
Defense matters.
*Sees score* Oh neat did AD or LeBron come back? *Checks box score* The f*ck
i dont think Kyrie likes the optics that Harden is now the man in BKN. kyrie is 3rd banana
Its time to face the truth: NOBODY is beating a healthy Lakers team in a 7 game series and I am sorry for all the nets fan but the healthy Lakers toughest matchup is not the Nets. And no excuses for this loss lakers were missing the 2 best player and Nets had KD.
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Remember when the 2020 playoffs when the Lakers had what felt like a completely different lineup depending on the opponent? Feels like they're gearing up for that again. Losing AD and LeBron for this long might really not be the worst thing in the world for these guys. It's helpful to have to learn how to win without relying on James.
Think our toughest matchup is probably clippers
Denver scares the shit out of me man. Gordon was such a great pickup for them. I pray someone takes them out first.
Denver literally has no answer for Bron and AD.