In 2011, the Los Angeles Lakers were supposed to continue to write glory at the pinnacle of the NBA, seeing that three consecutive championships were in sight, but they were kicked off the clouds by the Dallas Mavericks and swept out of the game. This result is staggering, and it makes people ask: What's going on?!
Let's talk about the big man Dirk Nowitzki first, it's a solo show, averaging 25 points and 9 rebounds per game, which you can't convinc. And what about our Kobe, who was the backbone of the Lakers at the time, but in that series of games, he didn't play to the level of his amazing prime.
Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, the big partner, were obviously physically exhausted in 2011. Don't forget, not only did they play in the finals for three consecutive years, but they also took time to go to Beijing to win an Olympic gold medal in the middle, which is not a physical burden. By the time it comes to the playoffs, the two cores are already at the end of their power. Bryant also played with an injury that year, which had a big impact on his speed and movement on the court. Even in the first round against the New Orleans Hornets, Kobe Bryant's playing time was forced to decrease, do you say he is tired?
When it came to the round against the Mavericks, it was even more powerless. Kobe Bryant averaged 23.3 points per game, which may not be bad for others, but for the "Black Mamba", it seems a little shabby. Pau Gasol is even more useless, in the face of the Mavericks' interior defense, his output is really a drop in the bucket.
Looking at the role players, veterans such as Derek Fisher, Ramar Odom and Ron Artest are already crumbling in age. At that time, the Lakers could really be said to be an old fritter, and these players were struggling to run on the court. Moreover, the Lakers have also lost some key bench players in the past, such as Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic, whose departure has directly caused the Lakers' outside defense to plummet.
No, the Mavericks' outside line is starting to wield. Their three-pointers from the outside of the court were like dumplings, one after another. Nowitzki, in particular, was about to smash the Lakers' basket with his terrifyingly accurate three-point shot. Throughout the series, the Mavericks' three-point shooting percentage was ridiculously high, which was undoubtedly a fatal blow to the Lakers.
Not to mention the bad stuff inside the team. In the locker room that year, gossip and scandals were flying all over the sky, and Gasol's private life problems were also hyped up by the media, which greatly reduced the team's morale and concentration. Coach Phil Jackson also revealed his own fitness problems at the time, which was undoubtedly another blow to the players.
In the final game, the Lakers were beaten by the Mavericks by 36 points at home, and this game was like a nightmare. The Lakers players on the court seem to have lost their souls, and where are the figures of struggle and struggle that can usually be seen?
In short, the Lakers' performance in the playoffs in 2011 can be described as chicken feathers. The team is extremely weak from the inside out, and both the state of the players and the use of tactics are far from the standard of a championship team. The Mavericks, on the other hand, seized the opportunity, and their outstanding performance, especially Nowitzki's supernatural play, sent the Lakers home directly. Since then, the Lakers have gradually entered a low period, which is undoubtedly a huge blow and alarm for them.