05-15-09
Podcast Interview
Short Summary:
PMS: Coach, I don't know if this is being too specific, but I look at Derek Fisher and see a minus 16 overall in this series, particularly in the 1st quarter of the game -- consecutive missed 3-pointers, and turnovers. He's just been out of sync, shooting 7% (SEVEN %) from behind 3-point arc. Is this a bad match up for Derek? How concerned are you?
Kurt: When you get into the playoffs, so much of whether you win or lose is determined by match-ups. You have match-ups that favor you, and match-ups that you try to solve the riddle to. In terms of speed and quickness, we have not done a good job in containing Brooks. It's a deficiency in Fisher's behalf -- his footspeed in terms of defense in guarding somebody. But he, or Farmar, or Brown don't always get the overall team help to stop somebody as quick as Brooks is. Bigs don't like to be challenged and shown up by little guys. But some point in time, you just gotta give hard fouls and put him down; make him realize he doesn't belong in the paint. Andrew and Pau combine for 5 fouls, but they've got more fouls to use and should use them.
PMS: So do you think Fisher is still he best option in that position to start the game?
Kurt: I don't know what direction Phil is going to take. We always sit around in coaches meetings to talk about line-up changes and possible rotation changes; those are conversations we always bat around ideas with. But it's up to Phil to implement them. He's gonna have to go with his gut feeling. And sometimes you have to make that adjustments, but you are always worried as a coach that when you demote somebody, how are they going to handle it mentally? Do they stay strong? It's something, if this does happen that Fisher will be able to handle very well, or would you lose him completely? So not do you only have him be at half speed, but you might have him at no speed. A good example might be Sasha -- his game has suffered from losing some time from Shannon Brown.
If Phil somehow gets Fisher demoted to the bench, I just hope he accepts that new role like Lamar Odom did.
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