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No Kobe In Clutch Moment

Authored by Scott Essman - November 26, 2007 - 12:22 pm

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So, you’ve got the best player in the world on your team. You’re at home against the 6-7 New Jersey Nets, the clock is running down, and you’re only down by a basket. After a furious fourth quarter comeback, you’re right there with a chance to win or tie. So, you bring the ball down and, naturally, you pass to the only player on your team who you want taking the tying or winning shot …. Vladimir Radmanovich???

Huh?

Radomanvich, sometimes a great shooter, had been 0-10 in field goals thus far. Seriously. The man had one point on a foul shot all game.

Granted, the Nets were not going to let Kobe Bryant beat them. Understood. He was heavily guarded during the final possession.

But Radmanovich is your next best option, having missed all sixteen of his shots in the game? Such is life on the Lakers these days. Few second options that make much sense.

By the way, Radmanovich missed.

Bryant had 31 points for the game, followed by Derek Fisher with 20 and Lamar Odom with 16. Andrew Bynum continued to improve and impress with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

But this game was a must win with Vince Carter limited to 25 minutes due to foul trouble. Richard Jefferson became their leading scorer with 27 and Jason Kidd predictably scored 15 while making 14 assists. The Lakers had the Nets where they wanted them in the fourth quarter and let it slip.

With three consecutive losses, the Lakers are now 7-6 through their first 13 games and look to be at the lower echelons of playoff level basketball. With Bynum starting to find his way at center and reliable if not stellar production from Odom and Fisher, the Lakers have the makings of a good team. But this type of team seems prone to the type of loss against the Nets.

Whether coach Phil Jackson can organize this bunch enough to take them to the next level is anybody’s guess. Otherwise, we are likely looking at a possible playoff team with a guaranteed early exit from said playoffs. Maybe they’ll start giving Kobe the ball at the end of close games a bit more.