RealGM

SI: When you look at the Lakers now, considering that they've had a lot of personnel changes and injuries, what do you see?

Jackson: They just don't put the ball in the post. They'll use a screen-roll to get the guy in the post. But there's no consistent plan to do it. Yes, Kobe will go in there. But Dwight [Howard] just doesn't get any touches. They've basically eliminated his assets.


SI: But wouldn't his assets be rolling off the screen-roll, with either [Steve] Nash or Kobe?

Jackson: You want the ball 10 feet away from the basket. Throw it into the post, make them double-team and have everybody around to make shots. That's what Shaq could do. That's where you have the Robert Horrys, the Derek Fishers and the Rick Foxes sitting out there getting wide-open jumpers.

SI: But Dwight is not Shaq in that aspect of the game, drawing the double team and finding people. Isn't that true?

Jackson: I think he can be. But he is not where he needs to be physically because of the back surgery. He needs a year to recover from something like that. He's starting to come around, but he has a massive upper body to carry around. He's a terrific athlete, but he still has to get all that back. He's looking better all the time, but his problem right now is turnovers. He's got to have a little better recognition, and that will help him gain the confidence of his teammates and coach, which he does not have now.

SI: As far as the Lakers go, haven't they been improving?

Jackson: Yes, I think they are finding a way to play. And that's nice to see. Steve has had to sacrifice because Kobe is dominating the ball, but Kobe is showing he can be both playmaker and scorer. Now it's about defense. And I think that's coming around. They make the playoffs, I think they've shown they're going to be in it with every team.

DEEP3CL wrote:A lot of subtle jabs at MDA...."basketball is a big mans game"

NBA basketball is a big man's game, and in the past they protected that aspect of the game. Well, those rules went out the window and what they didn't do was consider this: If they're going to continue to allow zone defenses to work and shut down the paint, then they have to put six more seconds on the shot clock. A 30-second clock. But they're so attached to the idea of the 24-second clock that it doesn't happen.

dockingsched wrote:Good insight, though i think he overstates how the pau/bynum duo was responsible for the championship success, when it was really pau/odom leading the way. the same type of big man duo MDA went with when he moved clark into a heavy minute role at pf.

and the thing about dwight not getting post touches, the numbers simply don't support that.

dockingsched wrote:Good insight, though i think he overstates how the pau/bynum duo was responsible for the championship success, when it was really pau/odom leading the way. the same type of big man duo MDA went with when he moved clark into a heavy minute role at pf.

and the thing about dwight not getting post touches, the numbers simply don't support that.

dockingsched wrote:Good insight, though i think he overstates how the pau/bynum duo was responsible for the championship success, when it was really pau/odom leading the way. the same type of big man duo MDA went with when he moved clark into a heavy minute role at pf.

and the thing about dwight not getting post touches, the numbers simply don't support that.

Michael Lucky wrote:Dwight is down to 45% FG this year in post up situations. Why would we want to give him more post touches again?

Michael Lucky wrote:Dwight is down to 45% FG this year in post up situations. Why would we want to give him more post touches again?

chefy wrote:quality over quantity. getting "touches" in the post is different from being set up in the post. plus like phil said you've gotta be consistent with it. it doesn't mean if howard missed 2-4-5 shots you're gonna stop giving him the ball. the team just have to be patient and discipline.

remember 05-06 playoffs? almost in every offensive play the ball consistently went in the post even if kwame brick hands brown was our center, or luke was under the basket. why? because that was our advantage against a running team like the suns. it slows down the tempo of the game. right now dwight is the team's advantage against the uptempo teams in the league.

KB24TBOTB wrote:

chefy wrote:quality over quantity. getting "touches" in the post is different from being set up in the post. plus like phil said you've gotta be consistent with it. it doesn't mean if howard missed 2-4-5 shots you're gonna stop giving him the ball. the team just have to be patient and discipline.

remember 05-06 playoffs? almost in every offensive play the ball consistently went in the post even if kwame brick hands brown was our center, or luke was under the basket. why? because that was our advantage against a running team like the suns. it slows down the tempo of the game. right now dwight is the team's advantage against the uptempo teams in the league.

Dwight can't even catch a pass man, how are you going to slow down the tempo with him