Post#350 » by Shot Clock » Thu Jan 10, 2013 7:59 pm
Even though I'm no fan of Mike Brown or D'Antoni they have both had regular season success with different styles. It's hard to comprehend how they both are struggling to make things work with that much talent around.
I mean the age excuse is just that, an excuse. There have been lots of older teams playing good defense. San Antonio has fielded some very nonathletic teams in the past and still clamped down. And these Lakers aren't nearly as pedestrian as people like to make out. But when you have the leaders making these comments that suggest it's not an actual issue with the players but something they can't fix it's not going to change.
Offensively, most people thought that things could go two ways. Nash becomes the focal point and Kobe's shot attempts decline as they are shared with this new ensemble or he resists and maintains his scoring. People will argue the reasons for Kobe's FGA's staying high, but there's no way this team is successful without changing his approach.
This was one of the sucess factors NBC had on their pre-season report, it was the first one I found in google but not really different from what most were thinking at the time
1) Kobe thriving without the ball in his hands: Nash is one of the best point guards in the game, but to do what he does best, he’ll need the ball to open possessions. With Howard and Pau Gasol on the floor at the same time, there should be a number of successful offensive possessions where Bryant doesn’t even see the basketball. Obviously, this will be a major adjustment. Will Bryant choose to adapt to the new offense — one that, much like the Triangle, features motion and multiple options at every turn — or will he resist and revert to old habits of forcing isolation situations with the shot clock winding down, while his teammates stand around and watch? There’s a time for that, certainly, but with all of the weapons on this year’s roster, those situations should be the exception to the rule, rather than the rule itself.
“anyone involved in that meddling to justice”. NO COLLUSION
- DJT
