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.