Doomsday in Lakerdom? It's not over yet

Derek Fisher, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times / April 22, 2010)

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2010-04/53438471.jpg

Yes, the LA Lakers are struggling against the Oklahoma Thunder, but their first round playoff series isn't over yet. They should be able to get by the Thunder in 6 or 7 if they can just make a few adjustments and make some open shots!

 

My prediction that an attacking Thunder would exploit the slow-lengthy Lakers came to fruition in games 3 and 4. To change the momentum & regain control of the series, the Lakers need to do a few a few things in game 5:

1. Perimeter players have to hit open shots! OKC is sagging on Bynum & Gasol, who have been effective when they've gotten touches. Fisher, Odom, Bryant, Farmar, & Artest must make a few three's to open up the lane for driving and give post players more room. The Lakers were 10-31 and 4-22 from the 3-point line in games 3 and 4, respectively. Only Fisher shot well in both games (4-5 in game 3 and 3-6 in game 4). By allowing perimeter defenders to double-down OKC takes advantage of its speed and athleticism and overcomes its inability to guard Bryant, Gasol,  & Bynum on a 1-1 basis.  
2. Slowdown the OKC attack by limiting easy outlet passes. In games 3 & 4, the Thunder held a 47-9 advantage over the Lakers in fastbreak points. Laker bigs need to prevent easy (don't foul, just put your hands up) outlets to Westbrook who starts their break. Hitting outside shots will also slow the Thunder attack.
3. Stop overplaying perimeter players. Too many Lakers are reaching and getting beat by Westbrook, Durant, & Harden. See if the young Thunder can hit contested jump shots as the shot clock winds down. Once they penetrate & get into the lane, too many bad things happen. The longer the shot clock lasts, the better the Lakers' chances.
4. Kobe needs to be shoot more than 45%. Through the first four games, he's shot 38% which won't get it done. At this point, it's not important to try to figure out exactly why he only took 10 shots in game 4. If the Lakers want to win and avoid a colossal upset, then he has to be more aggressive and make more shots.

Lakers-Thunder Preview: 3 Reasons Why LA Will Struggle

(http://my.lakers.com/blogs/)

The LA Lakers host the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs. The Lakers will struggle against OKC because of injuries, perimeter defense and an inability to guard Kevin Durant.

1. Injuries: The Lakers will look sluggish as they integrate Andrew Bynum and Kobe Bryant back into the rotation. The triangle operates instinctively so that players exploit their strengths through picks and cuts. As the season ended, the offense was run through Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, two players that don’t naturally dominate the ball. It’s not fun watching them try to stay aggressive while working Bynum and Bryant (two guys who need the ball) back into the offense. 
2. Over-Aggressive Perimeter Defense: Fisher, Bryant, and Artest are too aggressive when picking-up perimeter opponents.
   
   
   
   
   (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) 
   They begin defending opponents 2-3 feet beyond the 3-point line when they’re not even attacking. This plays right into the hands of athletic guards like Westbrook, Sefolosha, and Harden who love to penetrate. I know they have this “funneling” philosophy but it’s actually an especially bad tactic against the Thunder. Once they get past that first defender they’re basically pushing a 5-on-4 fast-break starting from the 3-point line. As good as Gasol and Bynum are, their weakness is in tracking smaller players heading straight towards them. Nor are they well suited to rotate out to big-men who hit outside shots (Jeff Green and Nenad Kristic). And Artest will be unable to help off of Durant. A better tactic would be to drop back and let them try to tangle with a formidable frontline (two seven-footers and Artest) using traditional offensive sets.
3. Phil Jackson’s not confident his team can slow down Kevin Durant. Phil Jackson was fined $35k this week for comments insinuating that Durant gets unwarranted “superstar” treatment from the officials.Why would he need to probe Durant and get into his head? Phil's complaints are a sign of weakness-  he's unsure if Artest and the Lakers' defense can handle Durant. Phil usually reserves his jabs for later rounds and more threatening opponents (guys like LeBron, Dwight Howard, Carmelo, and Ginobili) with playoff experience. Yes, Durant can score but this is OKC’s first playoff appearance and their team is full of young inexperienced players. When you have to complain in the media then you have a problem that can’t be dealt with on the court. 

Prediction: Lakers in 6. The Lakers will struggle but it’s more about them working through their injuries. Too much size, experience, depth and talent will overpower the Thunder.

ESPN’s Guru of Go- A Must Watch for BBall Fans

(Paul Westhead, Bo Kimble, Hank Gathers , & Jeff Fryer at the 1989 NCAA tournament)

While it has been 20 years since LMU's Hank Gathers passed away, that moment, and a wonderful story involving Paul Westhead and Bo Kimble, are thoughtfully retold in Guru of Go, the latest episode of ESPN’S 30 for 30. I knew some parts of the tragedy but the documentary uncovered aspects of the story that I forgot, or never new, about.

I enjoyed this documentary immensely because it tells the story of how three individuals persevered from rejection to form one of basketball's most beloved teams. And then despite the mid-season loss of Gathers, Westhead & Kimble somehow lead LMU to the Elite Eight. This documentary is a must watch for every basketball junkie.

Paul Westhead won an NBA Championship with the LA Lakers in 1980 and a WNBA Championship in 2007 with the Phoenix Mercury. He is best known for his fast-paced offense -“pouring gasoline on fire”- that is most evident in his LMU teams of the late 1980’s. Westhead's LMU teams were lead by Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble, who each averaged 30+ points in 1990. While his system is still controversial, and not entirely successful, no one can deny the success he has had with the Lakers, LMU, & Phoenix Mercury.

After winning the 1980 NBA Championship as a rookie head coach, Westhead was fired from the Lakers in 1981. In the documentary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Westhead speculate that Magic Johnson didn’t like Westhead’s offense. And at the press conference firing Westhead, Lakers’ owner Jerry Buss all but confirms this. What’s surprising is that they claim that his offensive system was too slow.

After an unsuccessful stint with the Chicago Bulls, Westhead returned to Southern California as the coach of the Loyola Marymount Tigers in 1985. Coaching a small basketball program in the WCC conference was surely a step down from the NBA but his luck changed when he was able to convince two Philly kids (Gathers & Kimble) to transfer from USC.

(Bo Kimble & Hank Gathers)

It’s not quite clear why they transferred but their scholarships were revoked (academically ineligible according to USC) following their freshman year and the arrival of new coach George Raveling. Interestingly, Raveling would go on to become one of USC’s most highly regarded basketball coaches.

Gathers & Kimble were perfect for Westhead’s offense which would try to outscore & wear opponents down with a relentless running attack. Their strategy involved taking shots early in the shot clock (within 10 seconds?). The point guard would drive down the middle of the court with the shooting guard and small forward filling the right & left sides of the court. If they couldn’t get a shot with this initial push they would hit the power forward or center trailing down the middle. This system, which provided plenty of open space, allowed Gathers to use his superior quickness and shooting to easily score on bigger opponents. Gathers, an undersized power forward at 6' 7", excelled in this system becoming the second player to lead the NCAA in scoring (32.7 ppg) and rebounding (13.7 rpg) in the same season.

Lead by Kimble & Gathers, LMU was building momentum for the NCAA tournament when Gathers collapsed in a WCC tournament game against Portland on March 4th, 1990. This segment of the documentary is especially difficult to watch. Twenty years later it’s still hard to comprehend how a world class athlete can just collapse on the court. To make the situation even more tragic, Gathers’ family is attending the game and you see Hanks’s mom & aunt on the court pleading with doctors to help him.

After Gathers’ initial collapse, he gets up and refuses to lay down despite trainer Chip Shaefer’s (now with the Lakers) recommendations. Eventually he lays down, or collapses, and you can see his chest expanding & contracting as he struggles to breath. Gathers passes away soon after at a local hospital. Officially, Hank Gathers died from cardiomyopathy and an autopsy showed that he was not taking his medications.

The LMU team, the university, and legions of basketball fans are left wondering how to grieve, and process what has happened. After Gathers’ funeral, the story takes another turn as the LMU players decide to continue their season by participating in the NCAA tournament.

Somehow basketball itself is used as a way to grieve and pay tribute to Gathers. Bo Kimble honors Hank by shooting his first free throw of every game left-handed. Kimble leads LMU (through defending champion Michigan) to the Elite Eight where they succumb to the eventual champion UNLV.

Westhead resigns when the season is over. Like any other responsible authority figure, I’m sure he wonders if he could have somehow saved Hank. The Gathers family sues LMU eventually settling for $1.2 million. In the documentary, Hank’s brother regrets the lawsuit and places blame on our litigious culture. Westhead kept coaching, eventually winning a WNBA Championship in 2007.

Paul Westhead coaches the women's basketball team at the University of Oregon. On February 19th, 2000, LMU retired the jersey numbers of both Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble.