# Game 1: Minnesota Timberwolves(0-0) @ Los Angeles Lakers (0-0)



## DaRizzle (May 22, 2007)

THE SEASON IS HERE! NOBODY IS ON "TEAM-TANK"! GROUP HUG!!! 

With a win and Detroit loss we will be tied for most wins in the league!!! :drums:

Any word yet on who will start at PG for the Lakers?

Ive heard Kobe will play.

This will be an interesting game for the Lakers and Minnesota with KAT debut and R.O.Y. Wiggins.

When KAT is on the floor Im guessing Hibbert wont be for the most part.

Lakers are +3 favorites in the game

RIP Flip Saunders

(Basel or whatever mod, feel free to edit in all your cool graphics if you like.)


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## DaRizzle (May 22, 2007)

Oh shit...Russell is starting



> D'Angelo Russell will start tonight against Minnesota along with Jordan Clarkson, Kobe Bryant, Julius Randle and Roy Hibbert


https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/659438835932106752


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## Uncle Drew (Dec 16, 2013)

Byron just confirmed starting line-up we all anticipated:

DLo
JC
Kobe
Randle
Hibbert

He said Russell is "ready." Added the he "wants that spotlight." Though he did say JC will handle more of the PG duties to start. So, Byron thinks he's ready, but doesn't trust him yet. Sounds about right.

I hope DLo gets at least some minutes without JC or Huertas on the floor. Byron has said he wants him to do more than just be a playmaker, but I don't really understand why you completely take away his biggest strength. I'd assume to take the pressure off, but I'd let him go at their 2nd string PG for a bit.


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## DaRizzle (May 22, 2007)

> Byron on D'Angelo Russell starting tonight: "I just think he's ready. He wants that spotlight." Russell will be more of a SG, Clarkson at PG


Interesting

https://twitter.com/Mike_Bresnahan/status/659439412917350400


edit: oops, just saw your post above


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## e-monk (Sep 10, 2010)

we are undefeated!


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## King Sancho Fantastic (Jul 19, 2005)

Lets fucking go!!! 

I think what Byron is trying to tell Russell is that he wants him to be aggressive and look for his shot. The threat of him scoring is what opens up his facilitating. So far he hasn't proven to be threat offensively so other teams can just sag off and play the lanes. Once teams have to resist his scoring, the passing lanes will open up.


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## Jamel Irief (May 19, 2002)

The Lakers don't have to be good for me to be excited about the opener tonight. Cant wait to see:

- Lou and Swagger chucking shots off the bench
- Kobe the post up point forward... Jamal Mashburn in Charlotte
- Randle looking like a young Derrick Coleman
- Hibbert in his contract year trying to prove people wrong
- "Canibus" Clarkson and DLo in the backcourt, giving us hope for the future
- Most importantly, like Rizzle said I won't have to deal with seeing Laker fans rooting for us to lose games and take steps to being a decade long lottery team

Here's to 31 wins!


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## JT (Mar 1, 2004)

Plus, seeing what KAT can do & an improved Wiggy/Rubio should be nice. Good game coming up


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## elcap15 (Aug 8, 2006)

My son was born today! Let's get a win for our newest Laker fan!

On a related topic, does RWCSN stream games online?


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## DaRizzle (May 22, 2007)

Time to be the Earl Woods to your son's Tiger ElCap! NBA Draft 2034!!!


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## King Sancho Fantastic (Jul 19, 2005)

elcap15 said:


> My son was born today! Let's get a win for our newest Laker fan!
> 
> On a related topic, does RWCSN stream games online?


Congrats dude!!


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## JT (Mar 1, 2004)

Hibbert & Randle already have very good natural chemistry. that is definitely going to be a bright spot for the Lakers.


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## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

elcap15 said:


> My son was born today! Let's get a win for our newest Laker fan!
> 
> On a related topic, does RWCSN stream games online?


Congrats, bro! Go Lakers!


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## JT (Mar 1, 2004)

lol Bummy P three


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## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

SWAGGY P!

Lou Williams looks really good out there. Nine points off the bench already.


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## JT (Mar 1, 2004)

Ryan Kelly...that name sounds like an NFL name, rather than NBA

good work by 2nd unit


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## King Sancho Fantastic (Jul 19, 2005)

Lets go!!!!!


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## King Sancho Fantastic (Jul 19, 2005)

Kobe is heating up


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## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

Randle not backing down from KG. Good.


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## Uncle Drew (Dec 16, 2013)

KG still first class bitch.

Gets tossed aside by Hibbert, ignores it and goes after Randle.


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## ceejaynj (Oct 9, 2005)

Pretty good half ... even though we let our lead slip a bit. DRuss looks kinda lost out there. He has to get more involved and aggressive.


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## JT (Mar 1, 2004)

that sucks. Kobe has really passed the torch. let Lou get the shot, no complaints.


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## ceejaynj (Oct 9, 2005)

RECAP: We played good ball for the first 1 1/2 quarters and that was it. We blew a 16-point lead and played no defense in the second half. We made Ricky Rubio look all-world ... allowing him to score a career high. Tough loss at home to a team ranked below us.


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## JT (Mar 1, 2004)

they looked really good for awhile then it just seemed like the air went out of their tires in the 3rd quarter.


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## Uncle Drew (Dec 16, 2013)

Not a lot to like. Ball movement in particular was terrible. 

This Kobe iso on one side, everyone stand on the other is brutal to watch. It didn't work when he was an MVP candidate, it sure as hell is not going to work now.


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## King Sancho Fantastic (Jul 19, 2005)

Settled for way too many threes.


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## King Sancho Fantastic (Jul 19, 2005)

Ricky Rubio today is exactly what I picture Russell becoming. Just give it time.


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## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

Disappointing loss. Not good that we blew such a big lead at home to what will become one of the worst teams of the season. Says a lot about us, I guess.


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## RollWithEm (Jul 16, 2002)

Kobe going 0-for-5 down the stretch didn't help.


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## Smath (Nov 29, 2010)

This is why I don't like Byron Scott, he fell asleep and lost us the game, Julius Randle needs to be on the floor 35 MPG+ , also Russell plays good D, should have played some in the end. I donno imo Scott doesn't have a feel for the game, I honestly believe him falling asleep cost us the game.

What an improved Rubio btw wow!


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## DaRizzle (May 22, 2007)

Few thoughts...

Really liked what I saw out of Hibbert and Randle. Loved that Randle had to deal with KG trash talk in his first real game. KG only helped his development by doing that.

Lou and Nick did what everybody already knew they could. Damn Lou should have made that buzzer beater!

DLo looked lost for most of the game, had a nice assist, tried to battle for rebounds, was burned several times on D

Rubio had the best game of his life...just like many opposing players did last year against the Lakers.

Kobe turned back the clock for better and worse...He made some nice plays but became the Kobe ballhog at times. When the Lakers were falling apart and just hoisting up jumpers with no ball movement Byron put in Hibbert, Clarkson, and Kobe back at 7min left in 4th I thought we would regroup. It was clear that lack of ball movement on offense was killing us...so what does Kobe do...No passes/jacks up a three!!! WTF KOBE?!? You are smarter than that! We needed ball movement desperately! 

It's a combination of respect/fear of Kobe that his teammates defer to him way too much. Its been a problem with many of the Lakers complimentary players over the years. Its MAINLY Kobe's fault for actually being the ballhog, but when his own teammates just stand around once he gets the ball it only fosters that ballhog mentality. 

Fun game, crap ending


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## Jamel Irief (May 19, 2002)

I liked what I saw overall. We're going to suck defensively, but we have a ton of unique offensive players. As they build continuity, confidence, and hopefully dont back down to Kobe we'll be fun to watch.


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## RollWithEm (Jul 16, 2002)

What I noticed from a Lakers perspective was the passing talent from Russell that I saw in college. This guy has a real clear concept of where all of his teammates are on the floor at all times. His best two passes that I saw both resulted in his teammates missing open shots, but the talent is definitely there.

I also noticed that Jordan Clarkson's jumper looks slightly more fundamentally sound this season. He has a little less wind-up than I remember from last year. Can any of the Lakers fans confirm whether or not I'm misremembering?


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## PauloCatarino (May 31, 2003)

Wasn't able to catch the game. Just going by the box score and highlights, it seems it was an awfull offensive display, huh? 4 starters shooting under .400FG%, 2 of them even under .300FG%... And the 3 ball... hugh... 9-of-35???

Curious: was Russell on Rubio and Clarkson on Wiggins? BEcause Rubio absolutely (for his standards) went off against the Lakers, while Wiggins shot poorly...


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## Marcus13 (Jul 17, 2002)

I loved Julius Randle before last night. I love him more now


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## Uncle Drew (Dec 16, 2013)

PauloCatarino said:


> Wasn't able to catch the game. Just going by the box score and highlights, it seems it was an awfull offensive display, huh? 4 starters shooting under .400FG%, 2 of them even under .300FG%... And the 3 ball... hugh... 9-of-35???
> 
> Curious: was Russell on Rubio and Clarkson on Wiggins? BEcause Rubio absolutely (for his standards) went off against the Lakers, while Wiggins shot poorly...


Rubio was knocking down jumper after jumper (really). And yes, he blew by DLo on a couple occasions. I've never seen Rubio look that confident. He's without question a star player if he's at all consistant with his jump shot. 

Wiggins was just quiet. Didn't make a lot of sense. Just about everyone for the wolves was getting in the paint when they wanted, but he just wasn't really looking to attack.


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## e-monk (Sep 10, 2010)

PauloCatarino said:


> Wasn't able to catch the game. Just going by the box score and highlights, it seems it was an awfull offensive display, huh? 4 starters shooting under .400FG%, 2 of them even under .300FG%... And the 3 ball... hugh... 9-of-35???
> 
> Curious: was Russell on Rubio and Clarkson on Wiggins? BEcause Rubio absolutely (for his standards) went off against the Lakers, while Wiggins shot poorly...


actually what was impressive with Rubio is that the Lakers played him exactly the way you'd scout (by playing off him and going under picks etc) and he was hitting his mid-range jumpers - he got to the basket a few times at Russell's expense but a lot of his damage actually came mid-range and out


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## e-monk (Sep 10, 2010)

RollWithEm said:


> What I noticed from a Lakers perspective was the passing talent from Russell that I saw in college. This guy has a real clear concept of where all of his teammates are on the floor at all times. His best two passes that I saw both resulted in his teammates missing open shots, but the talent is definitely there.


and one of Russell's turnovers was actually a great thread the needle pass to Randle under the basket that essentially went right through his hands and out of bounds because it surprised him


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## ceejaynj (Oct 9, 2005)

I don't like DLo's body english right now. He does not look confident or inspired at all. Hopefully, that will change soon. If you compare him to Julius, it is like opposite bookends. Julius is ready to whoop some a*s and doesn't care who he is up against. Gotta love that! And what the heck is up with Brandon Bass??? We all know what he can do, but he is another one that looks lost. Not to mention that he can't hit a shot. Finally, with both Kobe and KG at the end of their respective careers, the difference in their approach to playing with and mentoring the young players is like night and day. I have always been a Kobe fan, but at this stage of his career (i.e. his final year) and the Lakers' rebuild, he should back off a little and not be so demanding about his number of touches, being a ball hog, or whining on every play that he was fouled. His "me first" attitude is not a good example for our developing young players IMO. I have always admired Kobe's relentless competitive spirit, but it is no longer his time and he needs to accept that and pass the torch gracefully. He complained so much on one play last night that he lost track of Tayshaun Prince ... who nearly scored a layup. I hate to say this, but right now Kobe is an obstacle to the growth of this team. I think the team, especially the rooks, fear him more than BS. Although he has certainly earned that status and respect, it's time for him to accept the reality of the Lakers' rebuild and his impending retirement. He should just ease up and enjoy his ride into the sunset.


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