Role Reversal Helps Lakers Win
Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 7:54 pm
Role reversal helps Lakers to win
Having Luke Walton come off the bench and Trevor Ariza start pays dividends
against Houston.
By Broderick Turner
9:01 AM PDT, March 12, 2009
Reporting from Houston - On the flight from Portland, Ore., to Houston on
Tuesday, Luke Walton saddled up to Lakers Coach Phil Jackson and made a
suggestion that few probably would have.
Walton had noticed how the second unit had been struggling, had been called out
as a selfish group by Jackson, had been hanging its head.
So Walton suggested a change, suggested that he go from starting to the bench
and that Trevor Ariza become the starting small forward instead.
Jackson mulled it over and made the decision to start Ariza and bring Walton off
the bench, which paid dividends for both players and the Lakers during their
102-96 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night at the Toyota Center.
"I came to him with the idea that it might help the team more if I was playing
with the second unit and was able to facilitate some stuff," Walton said. "He
said he had been thinking about it himself and that it was a good idea and that
he would think about it and let me know. And today, he let me know." The Lakers
got a combined 16 points on seven-for-14 shooting by Ariza and Walton. They
contributed 11 rebounds and five assists.
Walton's idea was to help the bench facilitate the offense more, to get better
movement.
He said the first unit has play-makers in Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom.
"I thought it was a good idea," Jackson said.
Ariza, who had eight points, six rebounds and three assists in 30 minutes, had
been opposed to starting, but he relented.
Jackson was asked if Ariza had to be persuaded to start.
"No," Jackson said, smiling.
Jackson then was reminded that he and Ariza had made a pact in which he would
come off the bench. "Yes, we broke the pact," Jackson said. "It's kind of like
Hitler's [pact] with Russia." Jackson laughed, as did the media, knowing that it
would send people looking for the meaning. On Aug. 23, 1939, Russia and Germany
signed a "non-aggression pact." Jackson said the change worked out "OK."
"It was all right. I don't think they're quite used to the role they are in. But
I think it was OK." Jackson said the team will stick with Ariza starting and
Walton, who had eight points, five rebounds and two assists, coming off the
bench for tonight's game at San Antonio and for the foreseeable future.
Ariza said he'll do whatever it takes to help the team win, even it that means
starting.
"It's fine with me," Ariza said. "Earlier in the season when I was coming off
the bench, I was bringing a little more to the game, changing the pace of the
game. Maybe now that things have kind of slowed down for the bench, a new look
wouldn't be a bad idea. With Luke coming off and playing the way he played, it
can help us out a little bit." Walton played all 12 minutes in the fourth
quarter, something he has rarely done in the past.
He scored four points.
"I was just trying to do my job," Walton said. "It was a good win for us."
broderick.turner@latimes.com
Having Luke Walton come off the bench and Trevor Ariza start pays dividends
against Houston.
By Broderick Turner
9:01 AM PDT, March 12, 2009
Reporting from Houston - On the flight from Portland, Ore., to Houston on
Tuesday, Luke Walton saddled up to Lakers Coach Phil Jackson and made a
suggestion that few probably would have.
Walton had noticed how the second unit had been struggling, had been called out
as a selfish group by Jackson, had been hanging its head.
So Walton suggested a change, suggested that he go from starting to the bench
and that Trevor Ariza become the starting small forward instead.
Jackson mulled it over and made the decision to start Ariza and bring Walton off
the bench, which paid dividends for both players and the Lakers during their
102-96 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night at the Toyota Center.
"I came to him with the idea that it might help the team more if I was playing
with the second unit and was able to facilitate some stuff," Walton said. "He
said he had been thinking about it himself and that it was a good idea and that
he would think about it and let me know. And today, he let me know." The Lakers
got a combined 16 points on seven-for-14 shooting by Ariza and Walton. They
contributed 11 rebounds and five assists.
Walton's idea was to help the bench facilitate the offense more, to get better
movement.
He said the first unit has play-makers in Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom.
"I thought it was a good idea," Jackson said.
Ariza, who had eight points, six rebounds and three assists in 30 minutes, had
been opposed to starting, but he relented.
Jackson was asked if Ariza had to be persuaded to start.
"No," Jackson said, smiling.
Jackson then was reminded that he and Ariza had made a pact in which he would
come off the bench. "Yes, we broke the pact," Jackson said. "It's kind of like
Hitler's [pact] with Russia." Jackson laughed, as did the media, knowing that it
would send people looking for the meaning. On Aug. 23, 1939, Russia and Germany
signed a "non-aggression pact." Jackson said the change worked out "OK."
"It was all right. I don't think they're quite used to the role they are in. But
I think it was OK." Jackson said the team will stick with Ariza starting and
Walton, who had eight points, five rebounds and two assists, coming off the
bench for tonight's game at San Antonio and for the foreseeable future.
Ariza said he'll do whatever it takes to help the team win, even it that means
starting.
"It's fine with me," Ariza said. "Earlier in the season when I was coming off
the bench, I was bringing a little more to the game, changing the pace of the
game. Maybe now that things have kind of slowed down for the bench, a new look
wouldn't be a bad idea. With Luke coming off and playing the way he played, it
can help us out a little bit." Walton played all 12 minutes in the fourth
quarter, something he has rarely done in the past.
He scored four points.
"I was just trying to do my job," Walton said. "It was a good win for us."
broderick.turner@latimes.com
