Friday, January 22nd, 2010 at 9:00 am  |  66 responses

The Lakers’ Problematic ‘Soft’ Label

by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

In order to avoid giving anyone a psychological edge, Kobe Bryant hates nothing more than conceding that an opponent bothers (or even kind of worries) him. But, after the Cavs’ convincing season sweep of the Lakers last night, Bryant could not hide his frustrations.

And it all comes back to an issue this team had supposedly solved on its way to the championship last year.

Everyone now considers L.A. to be “soft” again, a label that drives Bryant up the wall. Following the game last night (during which Cleveland out-muscled them, especially on the inside), Kobe made it clear that this cannot remain the case if a title repeat is to be seriously considered.

From the Orange County Register:

For everyone who simply assumes the Lakers blasted that characterization of being soft to smithereens by beating an unready Orlando team last June, it’s not that simple. There are not just steps forward in life; there are steps back. Including the Christmas loss after which Jackson noted how Gasol withdrew after being floored early by Shaquille O’Neal, the Lakers have looked in two losses against Cleveland’s physicality more like the team that got bounced around in the 2008 NBA Finals by Boston.

That’s why Kobe Bryant is already putting out the Jan. 31 game against Boston near the end of this long trip as a challenge to his team. “We’ll see how we respond to a physical team in Boston,” Bryant said. Bryant knows the truth: Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom are a wonderfully skilled crew in the front, but they don’t have innate nastiness. “That’s not part of our DNA,” Bryant said. “We have to step up and match that (physicality) and still play skillful basketball.”

Artest, brought in because the Lakers knew in-house that they needed more physical presence, played more like an unstable figure skater than a hockey goon Thursday night. LeBron James breezed his way to 37 points – including 12 points in the 6:22 he played in the fourth quarter.

Though only half joking (I think), Bryant added that he might choke his teammates at practice today. So, yeah, life in Laker-land won’t be pleasant for a while.

The old adage that championships are won in the trenches (or something to that effect) still holds true. And so far this season, even though they’re still the League’s best team, Pau Gasol and company don’t appear prepared to get down and dirty.

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  • David

    I was going to make a “Does Kobe Bryant have to choke a…” joke until I remembered that whole sexual assault thing.

  • KoBynum716

    did we forget gasol’s not a center? if anyone’s soft, its bynums lanky ass. if anyone should be blamed, it should be bynum. when pau was out, he was ballin. he couldn’t keep it up to demand double coverage in the post, so pau ends up gettin doubled, (and yeah, he’s like 40 pounds). i just love lOVe LOVE how people used to praise pau back in memphis cuz he was their one bright hope, and now that he’s a laker, he’s hated on doubly. the guy takes care of business, plain and simple. and for the record, f*(k chris kaman.

  • therighttoremainsalient

    I think the key is for this Lakers team is that they lack that, “digging in the trenches” mentality. If games becoem a grind it out, bust-a-punk carnie-sideshow they tend to get the ‘tail-between-their-legs’ mindset on.

  • A l a n

    … wait playoff time… this will change, plain and simple. As Gasol and Spain in the las Eurobasket, where they started being the super-favourite, as the Lakers (IMO), had some hard troubles losing games against other candidates, as the Lakers now, but when it really counted, Gasol stepped up, as he will come May and June.

  • Shifty

    I like how it was brought up before that even Mega-Tron can’t stop LBJ

  • j.b

    charles oakley anyone? maybe some rick mahorn/laimbeer. bring some mcnasty to hollywood

  • http://www.spsu.edu xiaonan

    that is why they won the chapionship last season? because Magic is also a soft team.

  • http://slamonline.com Dave

    Less than 100 responses on a Laker post? You need to put Kobe’s name in the title, guys. C’mon.

  • JP

    The Cavs won 2 regular season games and they are NBA Champions ?
    I see no improvement in this team at all. It’s always the same story. When it’s easy, it’s all about team game, dancing, taunting and singing all over the place but when it’s becoming tough it’s Lebron 1 on 5 with teamates watching like last year and the years before.
    In the playoffs the result will be the same. Lebron will go out of the building without shaking hands.
    You can call the Lakers whatever you want to give hope to the rest of the league fans but they are the champs and will be again next June.

  • http://www.jewelzlopez.com -Mas-

    @ Whom ever it may concern. If the possibility of a trade was there and the Lakers brass could trade Gasol to Toronto for Bosh and a new contract would that make Kobe happy? Or any trade for that matter?
    And @Anton you try playing any game even “Hokey Pokey” with both hamstrings still tight from injury. Get back to me and tell me how it feels.
    Check up on LA’s record with and without Pau in the starting lineup. That should be enough.
    -Mas-

  • http://www.jewelzlopez.com -Mas-

    PS. Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol was one of 10 NBA players donating $1,000 for every point he scored Friday night to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund.

    The players taking part, all clients of the Wasserman Media Group, included Rookie of the Year Derrick Rose, Atlanta All-Star Joe Johnson, rookie Tyreke Evans and Spencer Hawes of Sacramento, Wizards players Antawn Jamison and Mike Miller, Pacers guard Mike Dunleavy Jr, Celtics center Kendrick Perkins and Thunder guard Russell Westbrook.
    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

  • Omar

    The problem with the Lakers is that their toughest players (Fisher, Kobe and Artest) are perimeter players. It’s just the bigs that are soft.

  • blackmamba24

    Cleaveland swept us , but they’re not the team we’re facing in the finals.

  • chintao

    Artest is proving that flaccidness is contagious. Kobe is “Chris Brown”-hard

  • therighttoremainsalient

    This season will see a real beat up on the lakers through the playoffs. you could get san antonio, houston, denver all push LA around for 3 series’ and all of a sudden you have a weary albeit veteran team making a deep run. Come up against the Celtics or Cleveland in the finals and this could be one big mountain for them (prolly wish they had Megatron).

  • JP

    Were they too soft last night ???

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