Mike Brown explains why he won't play Goudelock

[hourockman]

Non-Laker fans:

Mike Brown is a new target for a lot of Laker fans frustrated w/ the team not being very good anymore, from forces beyond Brown's control (forces like Kobe's embarrassing play). Kobe-only fans hate him w/ a passion. He's the perfect scapegoat and/or fall guy. I figured you readers should be prepared for the rising level of Mike Brown content that you are guaranteed to see as he continues along. I mean...this is a thread from a poster who's essentially whining that Brown won't play some rookie named Andrew Goudelock... Enough said.

[hourockman]

Not a big fan of coach Brown but... He really has to explain why he won't play Andrew Goudelock? A rookie picked at #46 who's shooting under 40% and doesn't play good defense?

I mean, I understand Blake is kind of awful but at least he's a veteran and still has two years remaining on his contract, so his being ahead of Goudelock in the rotation shouldn't be that surprising. What am I missing here? Not trying to troll or anything, I truly don't get it.

Bingo. You're not missing anything. It's just a comical anti-Brown thread. Imagine keying on the minutes of Andrew Goudelock as an indication of Brown's coaching ability.

[chubby_1_kenobi]

Non-Laker fans:

Mike Brown is a new target for a lot of Laker fans frustrated w/ the team not being very good anymore, from forces beyond Brown's control (forces like Kobe's embarrassing play). Kobe-only fans hate him w/ a passion. He's the perfect scapegoat and/or fall guy. I figured you readers should be prepared for the rising level of Mike Brown content that you are guaranteed to see as he continues along. I mean...this is a thread from a poster who's essentially whining that Brown won't play some rookie named Andrew Goudelock... Enough said.

This thread has nothing to do with Kobe. What are you babbling about?

[chubby_1_kenobi]

Not a big fan of coach Brown but... He really has to explain why he won't play Andrew Goudelock? A rookie picked at #46 who's shooting under 40% and doesn't play good defense?

I mean, I understand Blake is kind of awful but at least he's a veteran and still has two years remaining on his contract, so his being ahead of Goudelock in the rotation shouldn't be that surprising. What am I missing here? Not trying to troll or anything, I truly don't get it.

Bingo. You're not missing anything. It's just a comical anti-Brown thread. Imagine keying on the minutes of Andrew Goudelock as an indication of Brown's coaching ability.

You wanna see how the Lakers players see Brown's coaching ability? Here, see for yourself:
Barnes

Q: How much of a handle do you feel like you’ve got on what Coach Mike Brown is looking for?

“It’s been tough for me personally. I went from not being in the rotation, to not playing, to starting, to have Ron replace me, to not really playing, and now my minutes are back picking up. It’s been a roller coaster year to say the least, for everybody. I think the shorten season with no practice have played a hand in that.”

“ I think at this point now, [Coach Brown] is trying to shorten the rotation down for playoff minutes. You see that Goudelock is out of the rotation now despite for somebody that’s playing well in that short amount of time. He’s got his hands full. So many things to do in such a short amount of time, and to really try to figure this team out in a shortened season is tough to do.”

Q: Does Mike Brown communicate with you sort of managing your minutes, what he expects from you?

“He does but it changes from time to time (laughs). It’s hard you know, some nights the bench we’ll play significant minutes, some nights we won’t. There’s been a lot of guys complaining about that, because as a player the one thing you ask more is consistency. They want from us, consistency as a player, consistency on the court. I think as a player all we really ask for is consistency as far as minutes and knowing what we’re getting into before we get into the situation. It's starting to get to that which is good because we’re headed down the home stretch.”

Gasol

Gasol is averaging a career-low 15.8 points per game this season and shooting 50.9 percent from the floor, down from 18.8 points and a 52.9 percent shooting percentage last season. He struggled particularly in his last two games against the Magic and the Pacers, averaging just 10.5 points while shooting a combined 8-for-24 from the field (33.3 percent).

"We have to make sure we use our interior game as other teams do," said Gasol before practice Tuesday. "Like I mentioned last game, Orlando goes to the interior game. I don't think Dwight Howard is that much more talented than me and Andrew [Bynum] in the post. Indiana used their post game with [Roy] Hibbert and [David] West. I don't think they're as much talented as we are. Why don't we? I think that's always a very effective way to play this game."

Lakers coach Mike Brown downplayed the issue, pointing to Gasol's stat line of 10 assists and zero turnovers against Indiana as proof positive that the four-time All-Star still has a vital role in the offense.

"Pau's getting touches down there," Brown said. "Sometimes he may get more; sometimes he may get less depending on the flow of the game. But he can operate down there [and] he can operate from 15 feet. He does a great job facilitating, just as well as he does scoring."

Artest

"His background is video coordinator or whatever. So he's all stats," World Peace told CBSsports.com. "But Ron Artest is all feel. [Brown] doesn't understand that. Having me in the game at the end, he was worried about me shooting bad from the free-throw line. And I was like, 'I could care less because I'm gonna get a stop [defensively] at the end of the game.'"

Fisher

In place of practice, Lakers coach Mike Brown scheduled a film review at the team hotel and invited players and his coaching staff to speak their minds.

"I utilized my assistants a lot because I don't like the players hearing my voice a lot," Brown said. "I talked a lot. I said, 'You know what? I'm going to have someone else talk.' After two losses like that everybody's feeling kind of down. So, I wanted to hear other guys' voices."

When no player volunteered to speak up, Brown said he requested that "my three leaders" share their thoughts; first Pau Gasol, then Derek Fisher and finally Kobe Bryant.

Fisher, who has a reputation of knowing when to say the right thing at the right time, including calling an impromptu players' only meeting following a win over Portland earlier this season, said that from a player's standpoint "it wasn't a time to go there," but he, Bryant and Gasol engaged in the conversation out of respect to the coaching staff who had spoken up.

"If there's too much talking and not enough playing, then yes (it could be a bad sign)," Fisher said. "I don't know if communication for us is bad. We're trying to do something that we've done before, in terms of winning a championship, in a completely different way. So, we're trying to recreate something with a new model and that's the challenge. Communicating and working through our differences and talking about things and ultimately holding ourselves accountable, I don't know if that's a bad thing for us. It's in some ways part of the process."

The film session came on the heels of a report by ESPNLA.com's Ramona Shelburne that players were unhappy with Brown's offense and were holding private discussions about the desire to return to former coach Phil Jackson's triangle system.

Ebanks

Ebanks' Agent said a lack of playing time could affect his Lakers' future after the second-year player becomes a restricted free agent July 1 … especially if the incumbents returned.

"If Coach Mike Brown is going to play with Matt Barnes and World Peace next season, Devin's not going to come back and do that," agent David Bauman told The Times. "He'll find a better opportunity where he can have a chance to break into a rotation."

Ebanks, 22, was expected to be a sleeper for the Lakers but was removed by Brown from the starting lineup after four games. Since then, he's either at the end of the bench or in the Development League.

"Just staying a professional at all times," said Ebanks, averaging 2.5 points and 1.8 rebounds in only 13 games out of a possible 46 played.

Bynum

Brown yanked Andrew Bynum from the game early in the third quarter after the center badly missed a three-point shot, though Bynum appeared amused on the bench as he mimicked the form on his release.

“That’s something that I thought could have taken us out of rhythm, so I took him out of the game,” Brown said.

Bynum sat out the rest of the third quarter and played only 2:50 in the fourth quarter, finishing with 11 points and five rebounds in 23 minutes.

“I don’t know what was bench-worthy about it,” said Bynum, who indicated he wanted to continue taking shots from beyond the three-point arc. “I made one [Sunday] night and I missed one tonight.” Did Brown talk to him about the shot? “Not yet,” Bynum said. “I’m sure he wants to.”

Sessions

Just 10 days prior, it was reported by ESPN's Dave McMenamin that Session approached Mike Brown because he was unsure of his role during the loss in Houston.

Mike Brown: "He (Sessions) said after the game to me, ‘You know coach, going down the stretch, I didn’t have a great feel for what you wanted to do offensively.’"

Goudelock

It's not quite the Jeremy Lin story, but there was some luck for 'Lock.

Goudelock had a sinking feeling in training camp, the type that usually ends with a general manager calling a player into his office and saying, "You've done everything we've asked, but…."

Indeed, Goudelock thought he would be cut by the Lakers in December.

"It was to the point where I was calling my agent and said, 'Man, look, these guys aren't really liking me. My opportunities might have to come somewhere else because I don't get any reps in practice. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be here long,' " Goudelock said.

It's not unusual these days if the rookie leads the Lakers' point guards in scoring. He had 10 points in 14 minutes Tuesday against Atlanta.

"The reality of it is I was close to cutting him at one point earlier in the year," Brown said recently. "Who would have thunk that he would have been my backup point guard and played well for us when he got thrown into the fire?"

A second-round draft pick last year from the College of Charleston, Goudelock has made an impression with his strong three-point accuracy (43.2%) and driving teardrop shots that fall almost perfectly over taller defenders' hands.

He's just happy to have a job.

"Almost being cut, I was at the lowest point I've ever been," Goudelock said. "I was calling my parents because I didn't know what else to do. I said, 'I'm sorry. I came out here and did everything I can, but it's just not going to work.' God works in mysterious ways. I don't know how it happened."

If I'm a Kobe only fan, why would I care how much Mike Brown screws up as long as Kobe gets his shots and points.
Think before you post next time.

[droponov]

I remember Blake used to be decent on Portland. What happened? Why does he suck so much in LA?

He doesn't. He's in a shooting slump for the last month and a half.

[SweetTouch]

Mike Brown never plays rookies, what else is new

[JellosJigglin]

Brown is awful when it comes to time management. He is the complete opposite of Phil Jackson. Phil coached a game based on feel, whereas Brown has a pre-determined blueprint that he must follow. That's why you'll see a Laker player suddenly get hot, only to get pulled from the game because that was the time Brown decided he was supposed to come out.

Phil was all about reading the pulse of the game, being able to adjust on the fly to the ebbs and flows. That's why he never called timeouts. He taught his players to understand when momentum had been taken away from them, and how to get it back. It could be frustrating as a fan to watch your team struggle while the coach lets them sink, but Phil didn't care for the regular season. His teams were mentally tough in the playoffs. Miss the guy. GCOAT.

[Kobeskillz]

Non-Laker fans:

Mike Brown is a new target for a lot of Laker fans frustrated w/ the team not being very good anymore, from forces beyond Brown's control (forces like Kobe's embarrassing play). Kobe-only fans hate him w/ a passion. He's the perfect scapegoat and/or fall guy. I figured you readers should be prepared for the rising level of Mike Brown content that you are guaranteed to see as he continues along. I mean...this is a thread from a poster who's essentially whining that Brown won't play some rookie named Andrew Goudelock... Enough said.

Lakers fans: We went from Phil Jackson the greatest coach of all time and multiple championships to this potato head guy that looks like he lets the comp. in NBA2k dictate his rotations.

Brown is horrible. Horrible!!! I don't know how anyone can defend this guy? The Lakers might be up by 12 and playing great then Brown takes out the starters and brings in the whole bench only to lose the whole lead. He plays Sessions and Blake equal minutes when Blake has a - impact on the game!

[Kobe2ndFiddle]

Goudelock and Sessions should be getting ALL of the PG/back PG minutes ... ALL OF THEM. Blake ? no.

the only reason why we have a good record is because of the big 3, MB can't coach for shht.

all I can say is that LeBron is a bit better than I thought.

[StatLine]

mike brown may be the worst HC this league has ever known, he and Vinny are like neck and neck for that title

I'd throw Jay Triano in the mix too.

[Frosty]

Amazing that having a Lebron could cover so many flaws.

[beerbrewer]

What's wrong with what he said? I think he's right, Goudelock doesn't bring enough on offense to make up for his defense.

He wants a rookie taken with late second round pick to create for himself, for teammates and score 14-15 points every game before he is willing to play him over Steve Blake.

Nothing wrong with that? Really? What drugs you and Mike Brown are sharing coz it's some potent stuff.

Why not? Isaiah Thomas does, and he was the LAST pick. Lol...

[chubby_1_kenobi]

What's wrong with what he said? I think he's right, Goudelock doesn't bring enough on offense to make up for his defense.

He wants a rookie taken with late second round pick to create for himself, for teammates and score 14-15 points every game before he is willing to play him over Steve Blake.

Nothing wrong with that? Really? What drugs you and Mike Brown are sharing coz it's some potent stuff.

Why not? Isaiah Thomas does, and he was the LAST pick. Lol...

Actually it's funny you should mention Isiah Thomas. Their production is pretty idenctical when given similar minutes.

I've never seen Thomas play so I can't comment on how big of an impact he brings to the table but if we're talking stats alone, they're very similar.

[droponov]

Isahia. What's exactly similar in their stats? One scores 16.4 points per 36 in 57% ts% - well above average for a guard. The other scores 15 points per 36 in 48% ts% - awful efficiency.

Isahia's asst% - 25.8%. Not a brilliant playmaker. Goudelock asst% - 7.6%. It won't be easy to find another guard in the league with a worse number.

Isahia is also the better rebounder - 5.8% vs 3.6%. A decent margin in spite of his size.

Similar?

Then Brown is the one who doesn't understand stats?

[chubby_1_kenobi]

Isahia. What's exactly similar in their stats? One scores 16.4 points per 36 in 57% ts% - well above average for a guard. The other scores 15 points per 36 in 48% ts% - awful efficiency.

Isahia's asst% - 25.8%. Not a brilliant playmaker. Goudelock asst% - 7.6%. It won't be easy to find another guard in the league with a worse number.

Isahia is also the better rebounder - 5.8% vs 3.6%. A decent margin in spite of his size.

Similar?

Then Brown is the one who doesn't understand stats?

Why are you using per 36?

Just look at the numbers Goudelock posts when playing 20+ minutes. You're making things too difficult for yourself.

[semi-sentient]

Goudelock adds more value than does Blake. Neither guy is anything to write home about defensively, but Goudelock has far more value offensively given his ability to stretch the floor and attack the basket.

Blake is an absolute horror offensively. He doesn't shoot the ball particularly well. He doesn't attack the rim. He doesn't create ANYTHING for ANYONE. He just dribbles the ball past midcourt, dishes it off to the closest player, then runs underneath the basket and hides himself behind the opposite corner 3-point line. This guy is unbelievably bad.

I've had just about enough of him and would rather see what Goudelock can do given consistent playing time.

All in all this is not that big of an issue and Mike Brown is no more an idiot that we already know he is. Neither guy is going to take the Lakers to the promised land.

[semi-sentient]

BTW, this is a fairly small sample size, but it shows what Goudelocke has done when given minutes.

10+ Minutes: 17g, 7.7 pts, .456 fg%, .417 3p%
15+ Minutes: 9g, 9.0 pts, .457 fg%, .423 3p%
20+ Minutes: 5g, 12.8 pts, .558 fg%, .563 3p%

His A/TO ratio is about even. He doesn't really create for others, but he doesn't turn the ball over either. He's strictly a scoring punch off the bench and a guy that helps space the floor, which is more than what Blake gives the Lakers.

[Jajwanda]

Still Goudelock looks putrid when he's playing the SG position. I went back and watched him closely, his edge is against PGs and smaller defenders. Playing next to Kobe at the 1 would be his best use.

[semi-sentient]

Still Goudelock looks putrid when he's playing the SG position. I went back and watched him closely, his edge is against PGs and smaller defenders. Playing next to Kobe at the 1 would be his best use.

Agreed, which is why I think most want him replacing Blake in the lineup. He can bring the ball up and dish it off just like Blake does, then wait for a spot-up 3 or something.

[DanTown8587]

BTW, this is a fairly small sample size, but it shows what Goudelocke has done when given minutes.

10+ Minutes: 17g, 7.7 pts, .456 fg%, .417 3p%
15+ Minutes: 9g, 9.0 pts, .457 fg%, .423 3p%
20+ Minutes: 5g, 12.8 pts, .558 fg%, .563 3p%

His A/TO ratio is about even. He doesn't really create for others, but he doesn't turn the ball over either. He's strictly a scoring punch off the bench and a guy that helps space the floor, which is more than what Blake gives the Lakers.

No, that's not how it works. How it works is Goudelock is playing so well in those 20+ minute games that you don't pull him. Their is no guarantee that giving him 20 minutes will give you positive outcomes. The common misconception with bench guys "all they need is more minutes" when really, they just need to be consistent and they'll get their opportunity.