Reloaded

Heart, Class, Character, Champion: Thank You Derek Fisher!

Emotions aside, Derek Fisher was quite simply not capable of being an NBA-level starting point guard anymore.  On offense, he can't drive the lanes, his shot isn't consistent. (Though he hits them when it matters).  Where he really killed the team is on defense.  He's slow.  On a night to night basis he had to check the likes of Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose etc.  Not exactly a job for a soon-to-be 38 year old.  The problems on D is not all his fault because the the Lakers as a whole is a pretty good defensive team.  However, there has been plenty of games when the opposing point guard simply torches him for a big scoring night.


That's all gone.


Gone also is his locker room presence; his leadership.  Gone are the right words the team needs to hear at the right moment.  They will miss those inspirational and ass-kicking speeches.  One of the few people that Kobe Bryant trusts and respects on the court.  I'm sure it's a short list.  His intangibles are irreplaceable.  There is a reason why the players entrusted him with all their NBA lockout stuff.  The guy is pure Character.  I, as a basketball fan, will especially miss his crunch time heroics. 


He would have been serviceable off the bench.  I wish he never got traded because I know that Derek Fisher will win you a playoff game in a series.  Everybody remembers 0.4, his three pointer that sent Game 4 of the 2009 Finals against Orlando into overtime, and I always remember him taking over the final moments of Game 3 in the 2010 Finals at Boston.  


But it is what it is.


From an emotional stand point, it is difficult, but it's for the best.


Pau Gasol (recently anointed new team Co-Captain along with Kobe) must now step up and fill the leadership void.  Not like this though.

"You can't always get what you want
And if you try sometime you find
You get what you need" - Rolling Stones

  
Little words of wisdom that apply to the post-trade deadline Lakers.  Minus all the sentimental and nostalgic stuff, the Ramon Sessions acquisition and Derek Fisher trade makes the Lakers a more efficient team on the floor.  


Sure they traded away a couple of first round draft picks in a deep NBA Draft, but I trust that Sessions is a better choice for a "Win Now" situation than whomever they could have drafted next season.  The Lakers have given him the keys and made sure that in coming here, he would be the unquestioned starter at the 1.


Like the rest of the league, they now have a point guard that can run the pick and roll, turn that corner, and make decisions with the ball.  He can beat players off the dribble, get into the teeth of the defense and kick it out for good looks at the basket.  It's great to finally have someone not named Kobe Bryant to be able create his own shot from the perimeter.  All of these are exactly what the team needed so desperately.

Class In Session

First game, off the bench: 7pts on 3 for 6 shooting, 4reb, 5asst, 3TO on 19 minutes of play ( that is already better than Fisher's season averages)


He's definitely quick.  I see flashes of athleticism when he rebounds.  With the ball, he is calm and instinctive.  All of this will do wonders for the Lakers offense because of the ball movement he will create.  His jump shot is still suspect to me, but I think that will iron itself out over time.


It's just a matter of gelling with the rest of the squad now.


The other trade acquisitions:

Christian Eyenga

Has length and athleticism, that's really all you can say about him.  Very green and probably needs more time to develop.  D-League, I wouldn't take him over Devin Ebanks at the moment.

Jordan Hill

6'10 and 6 more fouls? I don't know. I can see him getting a little burn.  I doubt he can hustle more than Josh McRoberts but you never know.  However, I would still prefer Troy Murphy's ability to space the floor over Hill.




Hopefully the new-look squad's play leads to more of this...

 

and before I go...

LOL, okay thats it.
I'm out. Peace.

 

Photos from: Lakers.com, TheLakersNation.com, and all over the web.

Hollywood Hope?

One month ago from today, Lakerland fell to to a state of mediocrity that it is not accustomed to.  They stood at 14-11 coming off a loss to the surprising 76ers. Although the team managed to squeak one out against arch nemesis Boston, any optimism was quickly deflated when Jeremy Lin torched L.A's backcourt with a 38-point game.


The same gripes and complains reverberated louder than ever in Hollywood.

Fisher is too old, Gasol is inconsistent, the bench is non-existent, too many minutes for Kobe, and Bynum's knees will always be in question.

Fast forward to today, the Lakers are 23-14, winners of 8 of the last 10 games, coming off a stellar performance against the Miami Heat.  Granted, Chris Bosh did not play and the Heatles are a different animal when their Big Three are on the floor together. Still, it is no easy feat to string W's in the NBA, regardless of who is missing on the other team's lineup.  They are sitting pretty above the Clippers in both the Pacific Division and the number 3 spot in the Western Conference   If their recent play is any indication that the Lakers have finally found themselves, there is no reason not to believe this team might go farther than previously expected.

They may even have a shot at the title this season.

Yeah, I said it.

Even if they decide not to make a trade and go to war with the current roster,I believe they have what it takes.  Here is why:

1) D -- The playoffs is a pressure cooker. All of sudden that rim is smaller, defense is tighter, and those easy shots you get in the regular season, are much tougher to create.  The Lakers have been playing grind it out, East-coast style ball all season, their Offense might hiccup at times, but the D has kept them in games. Come playoff time, Defense is what you go to war with.

2) Experience -- younger and more athletic teams like the Thunder, Grizzlies, and the Clippers will run circles around the Lakers.  However,  the core of the roster has gotten it done before.  Veteran savvy, in most cases, trumps youth and inexperience.  It may not matter to some, but to me, it counts for something.

3) Size -- There are very few teams in the league today that can handle LA's size up front.  Each of the thirteen post-Michael Jordan era champions had atleast one or two bigs that can get it done in the paint.

Pistons (04) Ben and Sheed Wallace
Heat (06) Shaq
Celtics (08) Perkins/Garnett
Mavs (11) Chandler/Nowitzki
Spurs ( 99, 03, 05, 07) - Robinson/Duncan
Lakers (00, 01, 02, 09, 10) Shaq/Gasol/Bynum

Last time I checked, Bynum is healthy and having an All Star season. Gasol's numbers are down, but he is still one of the better forwards in the league, averaging a double double.  If those two can continue to dominate the paint, come playoff time, Lakers will be a tough draw for any team.

and last but not least...

4) Kobe Bean Bryant -- The league's most ruthless winner.  Can anybody say otherwise?  What he now lacks in speed and athleticism, he makes up for in smarts and savvy.  You just cannot count out a team with this guy on it.  If he decides to play to the Lakers strength inside, not jack up ill-advised 25-30 shots a game (though he will make them more often than you think) and really pick his spots, oh boy...

Assuming there will be no overhaul of the roster with a big trade, there is hope in Tinseltown.  False hope?  Perhaps, but hope nonetheless.