This is not just tonight’s game, it stems back to the 20-21 season after the Lakers won the championship. We know he is inconsistent but why?
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Are teams guarding him in specific ways?
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Does he have weaknesses offensively that teams exploit?
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Is he slow? This can definitely make guarding a bit easier if you’re not as mobile.
We know what he’s capable of so it is mind-boggling how up and down he can be. He’s not a #1, but that doesn’t mean you play like a #3 every other game.
Mental
Jump shot taking a nose dive has made him easier to defend. He has never been an outstanding perimeter shooter but he’s worse now and more reluctant. That makes him a little more limited as an offensive threat and easier to neutralize.
He playing the 5 vs the 4 does make a difference…he doesn’t have the size advantage compared to most of his matchups these days and gets pushed off spots by bigger centers. But ultimately u/NbaKOLeWorld is also right…AD isn’t a creator. He’s the ultimate play finisher with solid post up/face up ability. Lakers guard play was poor tonight and the Nuggets did a very good job taking away the roll. Lakers guard play was horrible. That’s the biggest causation of what happened tonight.
AD isn’t always the most naturally aggressive and that is a factor too.
Because the lakers don’t know how to fucking use AD. He’s a play finisher not a playmaker, you can’t give him the ball in the post every single time. Dude it’s so infuriating to watch I feel like I’m taking crazy pills with all the people saying “AD needs to take over”, it’s not his game to ISO for 36 minutes. You need to give him a steady diet of pick and roll, off ball screens, slip screens, dribble handoffs, getting him the ball in good spots instead of giving him the ball in the block and having him shoot spot up 3s. And I know what you’re saying, he’s averaged 25 plus playing this way. Yes, because he’s extremely talented and will find ways to score no matter what, but if you keep spoon feeding him in the post 24, he’s gonna play inconsistently cause it’s not his game to take tough ass contested midranges every play. The bubble had the lakers fooled as to what type of player AD is and they’ve been chasing that ever since instead of playing to his strengths as one of the best off ball players ever. I don’t think alvin gentry was a good coach but at least he knew how to fucking use AD properly.
Ugh. So frustrating. End rant.
He is a fragile clown
The Lakers gotta put the best lob finisher in nba history in more off ball cutter actions