The prospect of Roger Clemens having sexual relations with a 15-year old country music star
But that’s about all I could think of. This Lakers supporting cast is THAT bad.
Going into this series, many boasted that the Lakers bench would have a clear advantage over Boston’s. Au contraire. In Games One and Two, the Lakers bench has been outplayed, out shot, out-hustled, outclassed and outmanned. Their only somewhat useful players are Ronny Turiaf because of the energy he provides and Sasha Vujacic when he can hit a jump shot. Luke Walton has been absolutely awful, dare I say hooooorrrrrible. Luke, Bill is NOT your father. The apple fell VERY far from that tree. And the only thing about Jordan Farmar that belongs in this NBA Finals is his first name.
The Lakers were outscored by 14 in the second quarter of Sunday’s Game Two, partially because Vladimir Radmanovic failed to cover Paul Pierce, but primarily because the Lakers bench simply cannot function as an independent unit.
Here’s a summary of the first two minutes of the second quarter….
11:42 Luke Walton bad pass (P J Brown steals)
11:30 Trevor Ariza defensive rebound
11:29 Trevor Ariza lost ball (Sam Cassell steals)
11:27 Trevor Ariza personal foul
11:21 Sasha Vujacic misses 22-foot jumper
10:36 Luke Walton bad pass (James Posey steals)
10:30 Ronny Turiaf shooting foul
10:21 Sasha Vujacic traveling
10:07 Luke Walton shooting foul
9:55 Jordan Farmar misses layup
If you’re not counting at home, that’s four turnovers, three fouls, two missed shots and one rebound in less than two minutes. Even our economy’s not that unproductive. That may very well have been the worst five players on the floor at the same time in ANY Finals EVER. My jump shot got worse just watching them.
With PJ Brown, Sam Cassell, Leon Powe, James Posey and even House and Davis, the Celtics bench is giving Doc Rivers exactly what he needs. The Lakers bench is giving Phil Jackson indigestion.
Look, bench play is not the only reason the Lakers are taking it on the chin in this series. Boston wants it more and they’re playing like it. Kevin Garnett’s desire is contagious, Paul Pierce cannot be stopped and Ray Allen is coming back to form. The only thing L.A.’s bench is contributing is to a larger Lakers deficit.
The supporting cast on Phil Jackson’s championship teams have always made key contributions, but Phil doesn’t have any confidence in this bunch, with good reason. While Cassell, Powe and Brown can, and have, give the Celtics double digits and quality minutes, on any given night, the Lakers bench don’t have that. Rick FOX could outplay these guys.
With the Lakers starting cast all having a sub-par series to date, the Lakers are struggling to find any spark whatsoever. It’s definitely not coming from the pine. This does not bode well for the Lakers and their fans.
Yes, the series now shifts back to Los Angeles for three straight games and the tide can potentially turn to L.A.’s favor. But if the Lakers continue to get no production out of their supporting cast, this series may not make it back to Beantown.
Turn-ons: Gator national championships ; Sushi; NBA Playoffs; A Tribe Called Quest; Women; Jack Daniels; Women who drink Jack Daniels; Women who drink Jack Daniels while eating sushi; Women who dream of more Gator national championships while eating sushi and drinking Jack Daniels during basketball season, The Red Zone Report
Turn-offs: Waking up early; The inevitable media coverage Bobby Bowden will get when he finally retires; Drama; Prejudice; Chicken liver; Work of any sort
