Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Luke Walton, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum may be more talented overall, but they aren’t as good together as Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic, Trevor Ariza, Vladimir Radmanovic and Chris Mihm, or at least according to Lakers coach Phil Jackson. After the Lakers beat up on the short-handed Clippers team at Staples on Sunday, Jackson had the following to say to reporters at the post-game press conference.
"I didn't enjoy how the first unit played. The ball stopped too often. They didn't have good movement, didn't play together and did a lot of individual stuff with the ball. As a result, there were turnovers and steals that lost us our momentum in the third quarter, which was difficult to watch…I tell them sometimes that I can hardly wait to get the second unit on the floor the way they're playing."
Jackson’s comment brings up an interesting point though about the Lakers starters and bench lineups as it is currently constituted. We had been contemplating a post discussing the inefficiencies of the team’s lineups for a few days now, but whether its laziness (clearly attributed to the recent chill here in the Northeast), lack of hours in the day (mostly tied to our real job) or a more pressing need to address the Celtics’ historic run, we simply haven’t addressed the issue -- until now, of course.
Despite giving up a whopping 102 points per game, the Lakers, surprisingly enough are third in the league in opponent’s field-goal percentage, holding foes to a stingy 43.8 percent shooting from the floor overall. They’re just as suffocating defending the 3 point arc, allowing opponent to shoot only 33.3 percent from beyond the line, good for fifth best in the league. Not bad. But the stats, as they often do, only tell half the story. If you’ve watched any decent sampling of Lakers games you’ll know that the team’s defensive intensity is incredibly inconsistent during the course o####ame. And, there are serious lineup issues that can be easily fixed, and will need to be addressed if the Lakers are serious about making noise in this year’s Western Conference playoffs.
But, before we get to the possible lineup changes, here’s how the flow goes in most Lakers’ games:
The team comes out gangbusters (particularly offensively) and generally claims a decent lead by the 4 minute mark of the first quarter.
The bench then holds their own against the other team’s second unit, usually taking a small lead into the half.
But then it all falls apart in the third quarter (at least in the team’s losses). Turnovers, poor shooting by the first unit and a general lack of defensive intensity drops the Lakers 10-15 points behind by about the 4 minute mark of the quarter.
They catch up slightly when some of the second unit players like Farmar and Radmanovic mix with the first teamers like Bryant and Bynum to make a mini-run going into the fourth.
But, in the fourth, generally still down significantly, the team, seemingly in desperation, starts taking ill-advised shots, with Kobe usually being the primary culprit. And on the defensive end, while they try to play aggressive, they also lose cohesion and give up easy shots.
By the latter half of the fourth the snowball is already rolling down the mountain, picking up steam and there is no way to prevent a loss – at times a player like Bryant, Radmanovic, Fisher, or Farmar will get hot, but it is too little too late.
Think back to Laker losses this year to teams like the New Jersey Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors and you’ll remember the same old story – big first and second quarters, followed by third and/or fourth quarter meltdowns. Defensive intensity, or lack thereof, is one of the culprits for these outcomes and lack of ball movement, as Jackson pointed out following the Clippers game, is another.
These issues though can be addressed through some minor lineup changes. First, Jackson needs to yank Luke Walton out of the starting lineup in favor of Trevor Ariza. Ariza brings a ton of energy to the floor, but more importantly he’s able to take on the toughest backcourt defensive assignment, leaving Kobe free to focus more offensively. With this small change, the Lakers become a better defensive team at the start of the game, but more importantly when the starters come out in the third quarter. With Kobe and Ariza on the wings and Andrew Bynum developing regularly as a top-tier shot blocker, the Lakers should, in theory, be able to lock down teams defensively coming out of the half and extend, rather than surrender, the leads they usually build going into the break. And, this would free up Kobe defensively to focus more on scoring and setting up his teammates for open shots in the third.
The second change would be to play Lamar Odom more with the second unit, particularly in the second and third quarters. Perhaps, Jackson needs to limit the amount of time Lamar spends on the floor with Kobe Bryant. As we all know, both players must dominate the ball in order to be successful and have never been very complimentary in their respective styles. The simple solution then (other than trading him of course) would be to use Odom as an anchor for the second team, instead of a complement to Kobe.
Lamar should probably still be a starter and he needs to finish games with Kobe, but at all times in between the two could spend very little time on the floor together. So, who could replace Lamar’s minutes with Kobe on the floor? Vladimir Radmanovic, if he’s shooting the ball well that particular game or Ronnie Tauriaf are solid alternatives.
Finally, when Kwame Brown does return to the Lakers following his most recent injury, perhaps Phil Jackson should fiddle with a twin towers lineup, teaming Kwame with Bynum particularly against smaller teams like Golden State and Phoenix -- with Kobe, Radmanovic and Farmar manning the wings in this lineup. Both big men are mobile enough that, unless teams go extremely small, they should be able to stick with players like Al Harrington or Boris Diaw on the defensive end, while dominating those smaller players in the post and on the boards on the offensive side of the ball.
Of course, match-ups dictate a lot of what coaches do with their lineups in the NBA, but it certainly makes a whole lot of sense for the Lakers to use these lineup tweaks as a general rule of thumb. It may better position them for sustained sucess in the playoffs against some of the more elite teams in the Western Conference.
Phil Jackson loves LA. He loves the short commute from his Playa Del Ray home to the Lakers practice facility in El Segundo. He presumably loves born and bred Los Angelian and owner’s daughter Jeanie Buss. He certainly loves the laid back California vibe. And now, he also apparently really loves the 2 year $24 million contract extension he got from the team.
But, while we’re happy for Phil and his 24 million new GWs, the first thought that came to mind when hearing this news, just like every other Laker-watcher we’re sure, was, "does this have any Kobe implications." Jackson himself was quick to address that question, telling a press room full of curious media on Thursday night, "The decision to return as coach and the decision to be asked to return as coach both had very little to do with Kobe Bryant and very little to do with the talent. It's about the situation here -- the proximity that I feel to this organization, the comfort I feel working for this organization and the progress I think we're making."
Ok, fair enough Phil. We understand that you can’t speak for Kobe. The proper messaging, for you folks in PR, was for Phil to address his own situation and not create unnecessary news by tieing it into anything related to Kobe, the trade demands and the summer of discontent. As always, nicely played Phil. Still, while $24 million is certainly plenty compelling, Jackson isn’t hurting for money or employment opportunities should he decide to leave Los Angeles. So, why then do you lock yourself in to 3 seasons with a team and an organization that seems to be teetering on the edge of chaos?
The Lakers squad as it is constituted today is nowhere near championship caliber. Young players like Jordan Farmar and Andrew Bynum, while showing some talent of late, is just as apt to induce a migraine headache with their still inconsistent play, as they are to garner praise. The GM is inept. They’re possibly one long losing streak, or Kobe outburst away from all hell breaking loose. The owner’s son doesn’t get along with the team’s superstar, and the superstar’s personality is bi-polar at best. So, unless Phil knows something that we don’t, as much as he loves LA and the $12 million per season, the extension just doesn’t add up.
Is the house that Jerry, Phil and Kobe built getting structural reconstruction behind the scenes? No-one on the outside looking in, from sports writers to fans, know the answer, but the circumstances, as they are, certainly make you wonder.
What we do know though is that Kobe seems happy – or happier. His much-maligned teammates are playing relatively well, he seems content with the role of facilitator and everyone is all smiles.
"I think it's great," Bryant said of the signing. "He's clearly, in my opinion, the greatest coach of all time. When you can lock him in, that's always a great sign."
Sign of what? That the Lakers are finally showing Kobe that they are serious about winning?
Not sure if this is what Kobe Bryant meant when he demanded new running mates, but the Lakers acquired 6' 8" swingman Trevor Ariza from the Orlando Magic on Tuesday for forward Brian Cook and guard Maurice Evans. While Ariza isn't quite Jermaine O'Neal, he is an upgrade over Cook and Evans. He adds athleticism and lock-down defensive skills to the Lakers small forward spot, elements that were lacking in players like Luke Walton and Vladimir Radmanovic. And Ariza can run the floor, finish at the basket and rebounds well for a small forward.
The Lakers addditionally benefitted by dumping Cook's 3-year $10.5 million and Evans' 1-year $1.5 contracts -- Ariza has only 2 years and $5.6 million on his deal. The trade also creates a roster spot for the Lakers, who could, if they were so inclined, go after a free agent like PJ Brown or Chris Webber. In the end though, this deal has as much to do with salaries as it does with actual basketball talent. GM Mitch Kup-cake has made a lot of bad moves during his tenure, but perhaps this will go down as one of his better ones.
To celebrate the deal, or perhaps just because they can, the Lakers went out and put the beat-down on the Indiana Pacers, beating JO's squad by a score of 134-114.
You would assume that making millions of dollars and playing a game for a living would be more than enough to keep a man happy, but you’d of course be wrong. When we go to sleep later tonight, our dreams will be the life that NBA players live on a daily basis. Still, it’s not enough for them to remain content. For whatever reason – be it lack of success, perceived disrespect, communication breakdowns or general lack of drive – there are quite a few NBA players, some marquee names and others not so much, that could soon be on the next ship to tradesville.
Perennial All-Star Jermaine O’Neal has heard his name in trades for nearly two years, and neither he nor his boss Larry Bird make it a secret that a trade may be welcome. Earlier this year Bird essentially said that the Pacers will soon go young with Danny Granger and Shawne Williams as the franchise centerpieces, leaving current face of the franchise JO out of the conversation. Now O’Neal is saying, once again, that a trade out of Indiana might not be such as bad idea."If that situation presents itself, then that's what it is. I told those guys this summer that if you feel like you need a situation that you can better this team, I'm all for it because they've given me the opportunity to really achieve some of the things that I wanted to achieve and also establish my name,” O’Neal told the Boston Globe. The Pacers at 3-5 should make the move already and get more solid playing time for young players like the aforementioned Williams.
Next up is Smush Parker. It’s not as though Headbanded Marauder is eager to leave town, but management (ie. Pat Riley) has seen enough of this no game, pseudo NBAer. Parker never should have been a starting point guard in the NBA and really only got his shot at the league because the Lakers were desperate for a point man. Riley wants to trade Parker, but another GM would have to be pretty stupid to give up anything for his services. So, the Heat may have to release Parker outright. The Smush era in the NBA may thankfully be coming to an end.
Antoine Walker is felling lost and alone. Unloved, and like a stranger in a strange land. “What is this place they call Minne-sotta?” he may be apt to ask. Walker wants to leave the Timberwolves, so he can feel alive and cared for. "I don't know what I'm doing, I have no idea what my role is," Employee number eight told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. "I wish somebody would come tell me. ... I don't know what I'm doing [in Minnesota]." The better question Antoine is what are you still doing in the NBA?
We told you about the whole Stephen Marbury saga, one which could very well end with Marbury and the Knicks winning the daytime Emmy in the best soap opera/drama category. Marbury returned and played, and even managed to score 13 points. But, the reality is that Steph is just going through the motions, the Knicks are calling around to other teams to find a good deal and this marriage is over.
Not sure whether it’s wishful thinking or actual recon evidence, but Detroit-based radio station 1270AM is reporting that if Kobe Bryant hadn’t used the no-trade clause in his contract and vetoed the deal he would be wearing a Pistons jersey and Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and a future first round draft pick would be wearing purple and gold. We tend to think that it’s all wishful thinking, but maybe, just maybe, 1270 AM has a really good recon team. Whatever the case, Kobe leaving Laker-land is still a very real possibility.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer seems to think that Eric Snow, once he returns from injury, will be packaged in a FedEx box and shipped out of town. With the emergence of Daniel Gibson, and the perpetually underachieving Larry Hughes available for spot point guard duty, the 86-year-old Snow has become expendable.
And now, some positive news. Golden State Warriors guard Baron Davis has the option of opting out of his current contract at the end of this season. But, while he is disappointed that the Warriors haven’t given him a new contract yet, he doesn’t think he’ll leave the Bay Area even if he becomes a free agent. "I don't think so," Davis told The Sacramento Bee. "I don't think [opting out] is going to be an issue. I've got two years. Opting out, I'll figure it out when the season's over, but I doubt it." Rejoice Warriors fans. Perhaps this bit of news will help you forget that your team is currently 0-6 and kind of stink…or not.
