LET'S ADDRESS THE PROBLEM! - Kendrick Perkins sounds off on Lakers' Game 2 vs. Nuggets | NBA Today 

One thing about the lakers, when they lose someone is always thrown under the bus

I thought Darwin Ham made some bad coaching decisions. 1) Up 20, he shouldn't have been doubling Jokic. 2) AD was on fire and Ham doesn't run any plays for him in the 4th quarter. 3) I thought Ham should've challenged the foul called on LeBron with 57 seconds remaining. The challenge ended up unused. 4) The Lakers looked gassed at the end. Ham had 2 timeouts left and didn't use them. He could've used them to buy some needed rest.

The media talking more about the Lakers losing than Denver winning. They’re talking about one foul that wasn’t called but not mention that the Lakers get 25-30 free throws a game??? Blowing a 20 point lead shouldn’t be no excuse of losing. The Lakers lost end of story

I still can't believe the Lakers complained about the officiating when they were up 20 points. Still can't believe we lost that game

Why every time the lakers lose y’all love to blame everyone besides Lebron he built this team bro needs to take accountability y’all can’t blame Russ anymore

Only problem is that the Nuggets are the better team....and have been for a while...

Perk is right. Bron took over in the fourth but lets be honest. Bron played hero ball down the stretch and never looked AD way again which gave Jokic energy on the offensive end

Blame everyone else other than LeBron…even when he misses a wide open 3 late in the game…always been the story of his career

The problem is the Lakers blew up a perfectly balanced roster after the 20-21 season. AD/Lebron both injured 50% of the season and they thought that meant it was a roster flaw. Then thew blew it all up and have been trying to piece together a decent roster ever since. 0 athletic guards and 0 true centers.

Yup, they keep saying it's AD's team and then shut him out in the 4th quarter. Make it make sense. You got a 20 point lead because AD was destroying Jokic one on one. Then AD stops getting touches, and Jokic starts scoring. Why change the game plan when it's working?

Kobe nor Michael would’ve blamed the refs. They would’ve blamed themselves and their teammates. There’s a difference from being a GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) and being a GOAF (Greatest Of All Floppers).

Since when did Jordan, Kobe, Kareem, Magic lose to a team 13 straight times ??

MPjr made that shot and at 1:15 I said he needs to he involved in plays more, fortunately murray went off last 3 possessions but MPjr is that guy as well.

IT'S EVERYBODY'S FAULT... James needs help OK. 😭Next season Trade everybody except LeChoke and AD and let's give him the following: Jokić, Murray, Durant, Booker, Antetokounmpo, Lillard, Curry, Tatum, Leonard, George, Irving, Doncic, SGAlexander, Anthony Edwards, Karl Anthony Towns. COACH: Poppovich assts Kerr and Spoelstra😂

Difference between Kobe and jordan vs. Lacry EXCUSES

What's so hard to understand that foul being overturned? The contact was after the ball had left DLOs hand, had zero impact on the shot, and was considered marginal/incidental contact.

I get that AD wasn’t being aggressive in the 4th but Lebron literally missed a CRUCIAL 3 at the end of the game that was WIDE open. That could’ve been the deciding factor of that game but we ain’t talking about that?

ESPN is SCARED TO DEATH that the Lakers could lose this series to the Nuggets...

This is what an ESPN panel looks like these days? No wonder why it’s down the drain

Darvin ham has to stop coaching seriously how do you get a 20 point lead, with a simple pick and roll with lebron and ad then in the 4th quarter ad does not even score at all after having 32 in the first 3 quarters insane and unacceptable 😮

There was no full court press in the final seconds of the game: no urgency at all. That’s why they lost. A full court press would have forced the time to go down or a bad and rushed shot.

Bruh.. Brian was on POINT?!! When I saw that adjustment, I knew Denver was coming, coaching laps on Coach Ham

A 20-pt lead is nothing for a well-balanced team to overcome. The Lakers just can't beat these guys.

It must make your heads hurt to literally blame everyone but Lebron James also how much is he getting fined for his actions post game because the nba fined the raptors coach for way less hmm 🤔

Lebron missed a wide open 3 at the end of the game. He hits that clutch shot they win

You guys talking about AD offense and didn’t mention Nuggets defense that rattled Lakers 😂

I don’t think the Nuggets can play any worse to be honest and the Lakers can’t play any better. It’s not like Murray is going off like last year.

I’m convinced these guys can’t speak poorly on Lebron unless allowed. Bron had 7 turnover game 1 and they hardly mentioned it and instead talked on d lo. He was awful this game and every time he tried taking over the nuggets made a run. Anyone that watched the game can see he had a bad game and didn’t manage it well.

For once a good take from Perk

That's right Zachy! 'The Nuggets are gonna win the series, and there's nothing the Lakers can do about it!' 😂😂👏👏👏

I agree 100% with Big Perk! Ham and Lebron need to keep AD involved ALL game, including the 4th on offense.

Jamal Murray is an assassin. The Lakers wanted The Nuggets in the 1st round. You wanted them now you have them.

Why so much talk about an 8th seed team and why the media have expectations from them? i don't get it.

That dlo foul changed the lakers momentum of the game and darvin’s bad coaching and not making adjustments when the nuggets made switches

Bron’s IQ in the last seconds of the 4th was nonexistent. He attempted a 3pt shot with so much time left on the clock, he should’ve held on to the ball and drive to the basket to get an easy 2 or try to get fouled in the paint for 2 free throws. Score was tied. Nuggets had a lot of time to get a shot off at the last possession and the rest is history. Regardless they shouldn’t have blown that lead.

Rui missed 89 layups...tough to watch...

Y'all saying AD stopped getting touches and getting the ball passed to him but I remember specifically, after halftime he missed just about ever shot he took, turned the ball over AND threw it out of bounds more than once!! It was HIM!

Lebron don’t worry about what’s going on with replay center, worry about you losing a 20 point lead in 10 minutes.

Prime Lebron could get it done, but this version of Lebron gets winded and isn't as dominant

The nuggets’ team chemistry is reminiscent of the warriors when their western conference run was happening. Everyone trusts one another, when they lose it’s everyone’s fault… not one specific person is thrown under the bus

TEB straight losses versus Denver Nuff said

AD did this to Denver against Jokic a game winner but that Team didn't get mad now he has a taste of it

AD had four fouls at the half i believe. Which lead to Rui on Jokic for abt 6min straight to start the 3rd and that's how the Lakers lost. Along with terrible rotations on defense, lack of effort, and that Darvin Ham guy.

Agreed with this point, also WHY have Jackson hayes he's one part of the lakers energy guys the other Vanderbilt!

LETS NOT PLAY THE BLAME GAME. LETS HEAD BACK TO THE LAB, WATCH TAPE, CHECK GAME & LOOK FORWARD TO GAME 3.

All this break down ain’t necessary… Lakers trippin! Bron was trippin! Rui was trippin! Ham was trippin! He gotta see the offense they were running was not workin! Ain’t no way Lakers winning a ga,e against Denver now

Brian Windhorst the only one up here actually analyzing the game. Perkins points out how he went from hot to not, but doesn't even bother to look at what changed. Brian just straight up points the finger at Aaron Gordon and goes "This ya idiot".

K. Perkins, great analysis. Just brilliant 👏🏿

The problem… ? Is Lebron… He single handedly lost ANOTHER playoff game for his team by taking a selfish 3 with 14 seconds on the clock ?!? This must be the single DUMBEST play in playoff history.

Go Bobcats!😂

SCAPE 🐐 The media is 🗑️ He missed a wide open shot with the game tied. That was his moment. Post game was pure deflection

Games one through nine of the 10 game losing streak to the Nuggets, Lakers had free throw shooting advantage in every game, 70 in total. It’s hilarious that LeBron says anything about the officiating. He has gotten away with so much over the course of his career. He has never been fined for any comments about the officiating in his entire career. It’s time to retire, old man!

Facts , bron tryna shoot that weak ahh 3 , find ad the ball

Perk, why can't you just admit it. The problem with the Lakers is that they are playing a better team! Why can't you just stop talking about what's wrong with the Lakers and say Denver is a great team? Please, give Denver their due for a change.

The playoffs is about matchup hunting. A simple substitution for Gordan to guard AD shouldve been negated with off ball screens to matchup hunt. As a coach you should have plays to get your players favorable matchups

We is everyone blaming Darwin Ham? like come on, we all know Lebron is the Point-Coach-Guard of the Lakers

let perk cook

AD was scared to even look at the rim in the 4th that was not Lebrons fault

Nuggets manned up, banded together as brothers in a battle, dug deep into their competitive souls, and ripped the heart out of the Lakers. We know you Laker media boys always make it about LeBron but this was all about the Nuggets saying, "not in our house" and knocking the Lakers out in the 12th round. Say it with me, "FAMILY".

She said it best. "The Lakers were watching their star players doing the stretch." For me that includes the coaching staff. Denver is a better team because of that. Lakers thrive when Rui and Austin play without the ball. In this game they just stand there most of the time.

Same ones laughing at Lebron at being an underdog in this series. Were yall laughing at Jordan getting swept by boston?😂😂😂

They’re WNBA team will be more exciting to watch next season. 😅

I think Wo means Aaron Gordon's spectacular defense beat the Lakers. If he didn't, he should have meant that.

Lakers crying about calls when they have 60 more FTs over Denver the past 10 games is WILD!

Y’all can’t tell me that altitude don’t play a part becus you rarely seen Bron get tired I saw him breathing hard it affected both teams fr

I love the narratives with LeBron. If he loses, blame his teammates. What if Denver had lost? Nobody would say because Jokic didn’t have enough help. Nobody would criticize Murray for his cold hand. But if LeBron loses, someone else is always the scapegoat. LeBron shouldn’t be blamed for that loss. He had a good game. But I hate hearing all the excuses and looking for scapegoats in this social media world we live in. Jokic is playing next to ZERO all-stars. LeBron is playing next to another top 10 player. DLo has been selected an all-star once. So if Lakers lose this series, what 3rd star does LeBron need this summer to try to beat a team featuring one all-star? Hey Klay, please come home? And that one all-star in Denver was nearly picked last for the ASG last year and looks like a fat plumber who can’t jump over an iPhone! That’s always the narrative with LeBron. Find more help or find his scapegoat. Is LeBron that pathetic that he needs to blame the refs for that loss from a missed call that had no bearing on the outcome? The media is now blaming Hachimura and Reaves who have little playoff experience. That’s how the media wants to twist it. Blame role players and coaches. Just never at LeBron because he looks gassed. Well duh. At age 39 in Year 21 playing at higher altitudes, he will be gassed. LeBron will never run out of gas when it comes to coming up with more excuses and scapegoats. He needs more help! Fire Ham. Trade DLo. Blame Hachimura. There’s always something to mask LeBron’s failures. LeBron keeps losing to Gru. Accept it, media. LeBron had his time. It’s Gru’s turn to shine.

The Most interesting thing about Lakers Last Win against Denver (Dec 16,2022 126-108) is that even Russell Westbrook was part of that Team.😮

We lost game 2 for two reasons: LeBron wanted to play hero ball to redeem himself from game 1 and went away from what was working. LeBron and AD are inconsistent in closing out close games - specifically against Denver. That's the truth, but the media tries their hardest not to point the finger at LeBron for anything.

Le “I can’t breathe” James choked, plain and simple.

Nothing but lakers haters on trash PN

"why don't you allow this man(AD) to be great", Perk...Well, he could demand the ball, but he didn't, why? That is the real question!?

It's understandable to feel disappointed by the Lakers' loss, especially after being up by 20 points. It can be mentally challenging for the team to bounce back from such a setback.

Lebron has no help

The Lakers are +1000 in free throws in the last 2 years,the 2nd place team is +300🤔

That's why you play the game. Let's see how Lakers respond in 2 back against the wall games.

As a Nuggets fan, gotta appreciate mike malone, he really know these guys and pushes them boys to their best ability

The failure of LA to channel their offense through Davis in the Second Half is inexplicable. He scored 30 points in the first half, and 2 points in the second half.

Bro, this “blame the refs” narrative is such a straw man. Lebron talked about the game, what the lakers didn’t do, for like 4 minutes. And spent 30 seconds on a personal beef he has with the center in New Jersey, that he probably talks about win or lose. But since he cursed in the sound bite it’s the now “his focus”. By definition and it was not his focus. It was a tangent.

Maaaaaaannnn we can say whatever we want. As a Lakers fan I’m mad about that call that could have easily been a flagrant (if the ball was still in hand, ha!). Either way, Murray just hit a very tough shot over against the best defensive player in the league. Great finish to a tough game against the champs. Gotta respect it

I've been following the lakers for more than 20 years now and i've never seen such coaching decisions. Even the players sometimes lose that fire to win, they give up easily and they kinda like scared whenever they face the nuggets since last year sweep.

LET'S ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM: *DARVIN HAM*

SPOT ONNNNN THEY MOVED AWAY FROM AD DOING HIS THING. HAM IS A CLOWN

Big Perk hit the nail on the head. Also as someone commented, the Nuggets are and have been a much superior team than the lakers period so no suprise ending here .

Bron decides who gets the ball. He started hot dogging in the 3rd and was turning over the ball. 😅

All the home teams are 2-0,Let’s not make a big deal out of it. Denver is arguably the best team in the league and they might win but the Lakers played a great game and they not gonna be swept

Thats called coaching. The coach is supposed to be the smartest guy on the team. They switched jokic off of AD and had AG on him. Thats a favorable matchup. You need to run your offense that way. Quick post up for AD and it should be a easy floater (he was hitting those shots all game). Thats who you need to rely on. Also, what was with all of the easy shots the lakers had at the rim, that they had missed? Had multiple opportunities to get backdoor lobs and pocket passess to the roller. One play in particular. DLo receives the ball off the pick and roll. He dribbles inside the paint. AD is open for a backdoor lob. DLo decides to throw up a contested floater. Why? Lebron off the PNR gets the ball and drives to the paint. Another defender helps and AD is yet again open for the backdoor lob. Pass was not thrown. Why? Rui hachimura receives the pass off the PNR. Rui has jaxson hayes sealing a defender thats behind him, expecting a backdoor lob. Rui passes that ball out to a cold austin reaves. Why? To many instances of bad offense. Thats when you need to call a timeout to regroup your troops. Acknowledge the job of getting a favorable lead, but also let them know what mistakes they are making and let them know that those plays that they missed will need to be made. Once thats said, make sure to emphasize a gameplan around that strategy to optimize your offense, so you won’t go stagnant.

That was an amazing comeback! This nuggets team is one d the greatest ever

It’s so funny that windy has to educate a former basketball player named Kendrick Perkins smh

Lakers lost not because a foul not being called but because they went 6 minutes without scoring and again 8 minutes without scoring, that being said if jokic shoots the ball and after the ball left his hand AD smack him on the side of his head and face is that not a foul now???

Wide open 3 with 13 seconds btw

Man AD contested the shot and fell into their bench as they rushed over him. Demoralizing lmfao

The Nuggets are the NBA equivalent of "Angels in the Outfield," when they play the Lakers with every crazy ricochet and bounce going their way every time

where is this narrative that AD wasn’t getting the ball or have anything ran for him?? they ran that pick n roll the entire second half

Good Game #Lakers 🔥 🔥🔥 5⭐️🫡 ...It's not over yet.. #Lakers Lets Go!!!!

Is not one of them going to talk about Ads getting into foul trouble ? Which disabled his availability on the court, his choice of attack towards the rim…

You don't stop giving AD the ball after he made 14 shots in a row.

Wow. I didn't Know that the Lakers have had The Biggest Free Throws differential in the History of the NBA 4 the last 2 Years. Wow.😮

More team play and somebody on the bench has to step up. I agree that AD should have taken more shots and all of that. But still, somebody on the bench has to score and two starters, one that was essential in a lot of wins, Rui and Reaves, with Reaves being the essential one in many LA wins this season and making a good deal of late clutch shots, have to do more. 9 points from Reaves and 3 points from Rui, with Rui missing bunnies, isn't going to cut it. After scoring 68 in the first half, scoring 40 in the second half isn't going to cut it. Protect the lead. Execute on offense with whoever is on the court. And it's Jamal Murray even more than Joker, who is brilliant, that continues to kill the Lakers. Simply put, Jamal is the most clutch guy on the floor and he's not wearing purple and gold.

Lakers had a big lead 20pt lead and still managed to let this game slip 😢 and after that heart shattering game winner by Murray idk how the Lakers will bounce back and coach Ham clueless when it comes to adjustments for the joker considering how many times they have faced them

Do yall realise that in the most clutch moments Jamal went to the middy to "ensure" he scores (twice in a row). Lebron had no one around him, just had to charge to free throw line, pull up an sink jumper. We all know he is a streaky 3 point shooter despite his percentage this year and that shot was not a good one for that exact moment