Phil not calling Timeouts - and the Games it costs us

[Jordan-esque]

Timeouts:
One of the key solutions for a team blowing big leads, and a key component for breaking their opponent's momentum.

Usually when the Lakers slowly start squandering their big double-digit leads like 15 points or so, Phil would just let them keep playing through it, on and on... and on... and on... until that 15 point lead would turn into just 4 - 5 points before he would even bother calling a timeout. But by then, why bother? When momentum is now clearly on the opponents side.

Is it because it worked for a veteran Shaq & Kobe team in 2000 comprised of veterans like Fox, Horry, Shaw, Grant, and Harper? Maybe so, but this is a much, much younger squad we have this season. Phil maybe able to get away with having them play through adversity in the regular season, but in the playoffs? Phil should have a shorter leesh, otherwise it's good luck, see 'ya back in Game (fill in a number)!

Is it because Phil is saving his timeouts in the 4th quarter? If so, what's the point when he ends up not even using all of them (see examples below).

I made a thread in another forum regarding Phil's lack of calling timeout, and put together a list of games it costs us:

Lakers vs Jazz (Game 3 - First Round)

With the Lakers up (LAL 64 - UTA 51) +13 points at 4:31 in the 3rd quarter with the Jazz making a push, Phil didn't bother calling a timeout until the 3:21 mark in 4th quarter with the Lakers now down (LAL 76 - UTA 79) -3 points.

That's over 12 minutes without calling a timeout.

Result - a 2 point loss.

For those saying Phil doesn't call timeouts because he loves to save them in the 4th quarter, truth is, Phil hardly ever uses ALL of his timeouts.

In this case... the Lakers had 3 full-timeouts and two 20-sec timeouts in the 4th. Phil only ended up using both of his 20-sec, but only 2 of his full-timeouts. Why bother saving a timeout, if you're not gonna use it?

Lakers vs Rockets (Game 4 - Second Round)

Start of the 1st quarter:
@8:30
HOU 7 - LAL 0

^ Lakers -7. You would think Phil would call a timeout after that start? Nope.

@5:30
HOU 19 - LAL 4

^ Lakers -15. You would think Phil would finally call a timeout after that? Hell nope!

Did you know when Phil finally called a timeout?

@2:31
HOU 26 - LAL 12

^ Lakers -14. It took Phil 9 minutes and 29 seconds before he called his 1st timeout. By then, why bother? When the Rockets clearly already had the momentum.

Lakers vs Rockets (Game 6 - Second Round)

Phil yet again, waits to be buried under double-digits before calling his first timeout (HOU 13 - LAL 1).

Sorry y'all I'm not even gonna bother with this.

I honestly don't see the Lakers winning this game. I just don't.

Hopefully I'm wrong, otherwise I'll see ya'll back here for Game 7 guys!

Lakers vs Nuggets (Game 2 - Conference Finals)

With the the Lakers outscoring Denver at the start of the 2nd quarter by 6, building their lead up to 14 points, Denver head coach George Karl opted to call a timeout to stop the bleeding with 7:22 left in the quarter.

What happens next?

Lakers get outscored by 13 points; going into halftime just up by 1.

Where was Lakers' head coach Phil Jackson and his timeouts during this run?

Nowhere.

With the Lakers up by 14 points with 7:22 left in the 2nd quarter, Phil did not once opted to call a timeout during that Nuggets run, NOT ONCE, as the Lakers lead decimated from 13 to 10 to 8 to 5 to 3 to just 1 point at the end of the half.

Unbelieva-BULL.

And those for saying Phil loves to save his timeouts for the 4th quarter... well Phil ended up having one extra 20-second timeout he never even got to use in the game.

Think Phil could've easily, EASILY just used that 20-sec timeout in the 2nd quarter to at least stop the Nuggets momentum? Possibly when we were up only 8 or even 5? Well... i's better than NOT using it at all.

Unbelieva-BULL.

And of course... how can we NOT forget?

Lakers vs Celtics (Game 4 - NBA Finals 2008)

We were up by 20 points (LAL 68 - BOS 48) with 7:08 left to play in the 3rd.

Phil didn't call a timeout until our lead was cut down to 11 points (LAL 72 - BOS 61) with 2:58 remaining.

Then... he doesn't call another timeout until when? The 2:10 mark in the 4th quarter when we were down -5 points now (LAL 83 - BOS 88)!

Phil waited for over 12 minutes and 48 seconds to call a timeout from the point we were just up 11 to being down -5. That's more than a whole quarters worth of no timeouts! He waited for a 13-4 Celtics run, then a whopping 27-11 Celtics run between those two timeouts!

Funny thing is if you watch the Celtics, the moment they tied the game, and the Lakers scored 4 straight points, the Celtics IMMEDIATELY called a timeout! Just after getting outscored 4 points! Did you think that Celtics timeout killed that little momentum we were trying to build?

Think Phil was saving a timeout in that quarter? Well, he had 3 fulls and a 20, but only ended up using 2 of his fulls.

NBA analysts/commentators like Doug Collins, Reggie Miller, Jeff Van Gundy, and Mark Jackson have alluded to this over and over. It has already cost us a game in the Finals last year, and clearly several playoff games this season. What more games is this going to cost us?

[Jordan-esque]

P.S.
Before Game 6 against HOU, Phil had a little confession to Jeanie:

Jeanie on M&H Show - Listen Live (Podcast)

Jeanie Buss was on the Myers & Hartman Show today (05-13-09).

She confessed that while watching Game 4 of the Lakers/Rockets series on Mother's Day Sunday, she and her Mom were both pleading for Phil to call a timeout as the Rockets took a 7 - 0 first quarter lead, and blew it up to a doubling 15-point Laker deficit.

Phil eventually relented and called his 1st timeout with 2:30 left in the first quarter.

After the game, Phil told Jeanie that if he had known that the Lakers were going to play relaxed and take the game calmly, that he would've had them not play at all. But Phil also later admited to Jeanie that if he knew the game was going to end the way it did, that he would've had called his 1st timeout much earlier in the beginning of that quarter.

^ Sidenote: in that same interview, Jeanie also says that Phil is intent on finishing off the series tonight.

Hopefully Phil has a shorter leash on calling timeouts for tonight's Game 6.

^ Of course, we all saw the (HOU 13 - LAL 1) start in that game before Phil called a timeout.

[hermes]

maybe Jeanie should be in charge of timeouts?

[Kilroy]

The problem is this team doesn't execute well coming out of timeouts either half the time...

I actually don't have a problem with him not calling timeouts... Because in both those games, his players played with no fire or energy...

In High School or College, maybe you need to take a timeout and pump up your team, but in the Pros I think your players should have enough heart to realize the situation and play with some fire. And if they don't have it, especially at home in the Playoffs, no ammount of cajoling from the coaches is going to bring it...

There's just no excuse for how this team has reacted to the challenge of the playoffs... None... Phil could have used all his Timeouts in the first quarter and this team would still have had their Jammies on and been looking for the Cocoa...

I never thought I'd say this about a team with Kobe on it, but it feels like we're choaking right now...

[TonyMontana]

Ish I was calling timeout from my living room so loud that my neighbors heard me, but Phil was still sitting on his throne. WTF is up with this guy??? I mean half of the time you look at him he looks like he's not even in the game. He looks like he's on acid or high. I cant believe he does this ish.
We were getting barried agaisnt Houston and my 67 year old dad who doesnt know ish about basketball he asked me "Who is the coach" and I pointed at Phil and he asked me "Why is he sitting down" and I said cause he's got a bad back and he never stand up. Then he asked me "Why doesnt he call a timeout since they are getting beat so badly"
I mean my dad knew he had to call a timeout and Phil didnt. What a joke.

[Anklebreaker702]

Ish I was calling timeout from my living room so loud that my neighbors heard me, but Phil was still sitting on his throne. WTF is up with this guy??? I mean half of the time you look at him he looks like he's not even in the game. He looks like he's on acid or high. I cant believe he does this ish.
We were getting barried agaisnt Houston and my 67 year old dad who doesnt know ish about basketball he asked me "Who is the coach" and I pointed at Phil and he asked me "Why is he sitting down" and I said cause he's got a bad back and he never stand up. Then he asked me "Why doesnt he call a timeout since they are getting beat so badly"
I mean my dad knew he had to call a timeout and Phil didnt. What a joke.

Success has gone to his head TM. Also age is definately starting to br a factor. Tex would have been sreaming at him from the 3rd row if he could be there!

[KObe Bryant]

I don't know. I think we'll not be able to change this. He has been doing this for years but I know he has to understand our players are bunch of young guys. It has to be Kobe or Fish to talk to him about this.

[DEEP3CL]

This team is mentally draining all of us, why bother trying to figure out how Phil does things. Bottom line he's just too damn stubborn.

[Mamba Venom]

The reason Phil doesn't call timeouts isn't just to tell the Lakers how to correct their mistakes. Its to prevent the other team from getting more direction during the timeout.

The Lakers are made up of smart basketball players

PHIL IS BETTING THAT THE OTHER TEAMS PLAYERS GAIN MORE FROM TIMEOUTS THAN THE LAKERS DO AND THAT TIMEOUTS FAVOR THE OTHER TEAM IN MOST CIRCUMSTANCES.

Good bet but sometimes you lose the bet