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.

Foul or Block- You Make the Call

Spurs' guard Manu Ginobili blocked a shot by Celtics' forward Kevin Garnett during the Spurs beatdown of the Celtics 94-73 this past Sunday. Some people are now calling it the best block of the year. I'm not sure about that or even if it was a block. What do you think- was this a block or should there have been a foul called on Ginobili or George Hill?

The play is certainly quite dramatic as you see a Hall of Famer get taken down by a guard. But if you look more closely there is contact that makes it difficult to decide if it was good defense or if the officials made a mistake.

At 0:32 seconds it appears that there was a substantial, & significant, amount of contact-

What do you think- was this a foul or a good play?

Personally, i think the officials missed three fouls. The first foul is Hill pushing KG in the lower back with his left hand. If you miss that foul then what about Hill's right hand/forearm on KG's right forearm? Lastly, if you look at the picture, Ginobili's left hand is clearly on KG's right wrist. If your claim is that Ginobili's hand ended up on KG's hand after the block, that's just not possible. Ginobili is going in the opposite direction of KG, so his momentum would carry him (and his arm) in the opposite direction on, or above, the ball if he initially blocked the ball.

Since the play happens so quickly it's somewhat understandable that the officials missed Ginobili's foul. But the officials have no excuse for missing Hill's fouls. Ginobili is an excellent defender but he shouldn't get credit for this block.

Firing Dunleavy Won't Help Clippers

Yes, the last seven years have been fun for the LA Clippers. But owner Donald Sterling needed a scapegoat for this season's failure so he conveniently fired GM Mike Dunleavy this Tuesday.

The way he was fired was in typical Clipper fashion: they posted to the Clippers website during the Clippers/Orlando game on Tuesday before telling the players, coaches, or even Mike Dunleavy.

The problem with firing Dunleavy (and how they did it) is that most of the current roster was recruited by Dunleavy so they inherently have bought into his plan to some extent. Coaches, players, and everyone sees how the Clippers treat people and it certainly leaves a bad impression of the organization.

If you're Larry Brown, Jerry West, LeBron James, or Dwayne Wade do you want to come to a organization that treats everyone poorly? There is probably a high correlation between how you treat your employees and organizational success. Unfortunately, Donald Sterling has no concept of this.

In their press release, the Clips state they want to "win now." Unfortunately, "now" is subject to interpretation as it could mean next season or five years from now. The Camby and Thornton trades will definitely not help the Clippers win this season, so we really have no idea when the Clippers intend to win, the real reason Dunleavy was fired, and if fans should be optimistic about the future. The only that is certain is that Donald Sterling will continue to manage in a confusing (and probably) unsuccessful manner.

Some selected quotes:

Dunleavy-

"I come back to my locker around 7 p.m. and there's a million messages on my phone," Dunleavy said.

"This guy comes up to me and said, 'What's going on? They just said on TV that the Clippers severed ties with you?'

"I had no idea what they were talking about. I'm like, 'Wow. I haven't even talked to the Clippers.'"

"I left a message saying (to Donald Sterling), 'I have no idea what caused this. I'm disappointed I don't get to finish the job, but I want to thank you for the opportunity you've given me,'" Dunleavy said. "I had a great time in L.A."

Baron Davis-

"At this point, nothing surprises me," point guard Baron Davis said. "We're moving in a different direction. We've been on the road, so there's not much that we know. You all found out before we did."

Chris Kaman-

"I wonder who made that decision?'' said All-Star center Chris Kaman. "We don't know why or anything. I think whoever made the decision to get rid of all that money (long-term contracts) did a good job of it. They left a lot of cap space for next year, and now can go after a big-time player.''

Clips Trade Employee for 3 Tacos- Another Memorable Moment in Clippers' History

On Wednesday, March 2nd, the LA Clippers posted a press release on their website announcing that they had traded Steven Esparza (one of their employees) for three tacos. The joke continues in the caption below the picture of Drew Gooden dunking-"Drew Gooden dunks all over Steven Esparza's head." Check it out-

Clearly this was a joke by someone who has a problem with Steven and, thus, the Clippers are not entirely responsible for this happening. However, this is a reflection of the professional atmosphere that exists within the organization. There was obviously a breakdown in either website security or public relations. If this is happening on the media relations side of the team, then there is a good chance that similar problems exist throughout the organization.

While organizational problems at the Clippers are nothing new, this incident serves as another reason for free agents to look elsewhere this summer. You're 25 and deciding where to spend the best years of your career: are you going to sign with the Clippers who have a tradition of failure, injuries, poor management, and now employees who issue false press releases? Probably not.

You can't blame GM Mike Dunleavy for these problems. He's done a respectable job building talent while he's been in charge. I doubt it was his decision to trade Thornton and Camby away for expiring contracts.

Instead, the main obstacle to these changes, owner Donald Sterling, sits at the top of the organization. As long as the Clips bring him some $$$, and an excuse to justify those annoying ads in the LA Times, then the Donald will not commit to winning. For over 25 years, the Donald has done things his way, why would he change now? Same old Clips.

Kidd Shouldn't have been Rewarded for Charging into Hawks' Coach

(AP photo by Gregory Smith)

An excellent game between the Atlanta Hawks & Dallas Mavericks was marred by an awful play by Jason Kidd last night. With less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Hawks were up 97-95 when Kidd dribbled into Hawks' Coach Mike Woodson. The collision forced an official to call a technical foul on Woodson. Following a brief argument, the Mav's made the technical and eventually won the game in overtime.

Here's what happened-

Yes, Woodson should not have been on the court and as you can see he was trying to get off of it. If his presence on the court impacts the play on the court, then he should certainly be given a technical.

If you watch the video you see that Kidd goes out of his way to run into Woodson. This is not a basketball move since you try to avoid the sideline in case you step, or dribble, out of bounds. That Woodson interfered with the game is not even an issue if you read Kidd's comments where he admits with pride that he dribbled into Woodson.

Unfortunately, coaches, announcers, and internet pundits are now complementing Kidd on making a smart move because it resulted in a point. But what if Woodson avoided the contact and Kidd then stepped out of bounds and lost possession?

And where do you draw the line? What if a fan/coach/player was out of bounds and a player pretended to lose the ball simply to run into them in order to draw a technical foul. Sure, the odds of this are very low, but nevertheless, the official would have to call a technical based on the precedent established last night. Or better yet, a team could have players/coaches stand near the court to entice players to try to run into them.

These questions shouldn't even be considered since they have nothing to do with basketball! The NBA must stop rewarding players for running into people. It's bad basketball and pushes the game a step closer to WWF as players continue to believe that non-basketball actions can influence the outcome.

Sadly, there will be more coverage of Kidd's decision to dribble into Woodson than on Kidd's great effort last night (19 points, 17 assists, and 16 rebounds) .