The Art of War and Game 6 Adjustments for the Lakers

Game 6 between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics is tonight. Something has got to give. I heard that the Celtics have never lost a series after leading 3-2 and that Phil Jackson's 10 million-0 after winning game 1.

Since Game 3 Andrew Bynum has been ineffective (43 minutes, 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 0 blocks) and the series has reverted back to the 2008 Finals with the Celtics controlling the paint. This is fine for the Celtics who continue to win as the Lakers try nothing new to change the outcome. Watching the Lakers pass the ball around the perimeter and then look to Kobe to bail them out is painful!

(Charles Krupa / Associated Press)

What's surprising is that Phil Jackson hasn't changed what the Lakers are doing. For all his wisdom and the worshipness bestowed upon him, no one has questioned that he's been outcoached by Doc Rivers. The Lakers need to break out of the triangle when necessary. Two successful examples are the two-man game between Fisher and Bryant in Game 3 and the high screen-roll with Kobe and Pau against Orlando in the 2009 Finals. 

Maybe Phil is immune to the criticism because he finds ways to win and two days from now we'll all be praising him for the Lakers' comeback victory. For the Lakers to win, it would help if Phil remembered strategies from The Art of War by Sun Tzu, a military strategy book that Phil has surely read.

Military tactics are like unto water; for water in its natural course runs away from high places and hastens downwards... Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows; the soldier works out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing. Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions. He who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent and thereby succeed in winning, may be called a heaven-born captain.

- Sun Tzu

The words "toughness" and "physicality" (i'm pretty sure this isn't even a word!) have been incorrectly thrown around recently. Hey, i get it, it's fun to say "work harder" and "play tougher," but the Lakers should be playing smarter. Everyone wants Lamar and Pau to suddenly put on 20 pounds of muscle and start pushing people around like they're Dwight Howard. Instead, as Sun Tzu suggests, LA should attack Boston's physical style and use it against them.

So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak.

- Sun Tzu

Enough with the Philosophy, get to the Tactics!

What's Boston's strength? Strength!

This all starts with Kendrick Perkins, whose numbers don't reveal the impact he has on the game. With Bynum injured Perkins eats up space, grabs rebounds, and pushes anyone out of rebound position. He's really good at planting his feet and pushing with two hands. At 6'10" he's roughly the same height as Lamar and a couple inches shorter than Pau and Bynum. At 278 he's the same weight as Bynum and has 30 pounds on Pau and 50 on Lamar. With this height-weight combination he can easily push his opponents out of the way. 

Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Tony Allen play tough one-on-one defense against Kobe and Pau. Their strategy is to push-up against Pau or Kobe and prevent them from generating any momentum when they put the ball on the floor.

They first make the catch very difficult by staying close to Kobe or Pau and preventing them from receiving the ball where they want it. When they do get the ball, the Celtics move into Pau and Kobe giving them no room to dribble or go towards the hoop. Obviously if someone crowds you on defense you try to go around them. Kobe and Pau cannot get around their opponent because when they put the ball on the ground their defender is still engaged (hand or forearm) with them. Technically this is a foul but the ref's aren't calling it and there's no point in complaining about it at this point. With a defender engaged with them, Pau and Kobe cannot get by their defender or are going so slowly that help defenders can easily rotate.

Turning Boston's Strength into a Weakness

Using strength and leverage requires being in close proximity to your opponent. The Lakers- who are longer, quicker, and faster- need to move without the ball, pass more, and swing through hand-checks. If the Lakers do this then it will prevent defenders from locking on Pau/Kobe and Perkins from owning the paint. If Perkins has to help or move around then he's away from the hoop which makes it more difficult for him to box out.

If Bynum can't contribute Phil should try using Mbenga who should be able wrestle with Perkins. The two are similar in style so Mbenga should be able to keep Perkins off the boards and hold is ground under the hoop.

To clear space Pau and Kobe can swing through the hand-check allowing them to break contact and possibly pick up a foul on their defender. If they do this a few times the defense will have to give them more room.

Let's look at LA's offense which gives Perkins paint control and allows the Celtics to help on Pau and Kobe. At 42 seconds into the video we see why the Lakers offense struggles-

Let's look at what happens with 10 seconds left on the 24-

First, Pau and Lamar are both setting a screen for Kobe which is kind of pointless since they're all bunched up. The key problem the Lakers are having is on the weakside where Fisher and Luke Walton allow one defender (Rondo) to guard two people while the other defender (Pierce) can roam freely. As the play develops, Fisher & Walton don't move from their positions, Pierce slides into the key, and Kobe puts up a shot over three defenders. Instead, if Walton or Fisher cuts there will be a clean pass to whoever Rondo leaves.

Another example of stagnant offense is Tony Allen's block on Pau Gasol in the third quarter (1:22 of the video).

Notice that the play involves four Lakers standing around the perimeter and Pau sealing for the lob. When the pass is made into Pau, Tony Allen can leave his defender because he has been watching the play develop and doesn't have to worry about his man (Sasha) who is right in front of him. To prevent Tony Allen from helping, all Sasha has to do is make a hard jab in one direction for a split second. This could force Tony to turn his back on Pau and chase Sasha a little bit.

The point here isn't that Sasha made a mistake but rather that LA's offense doesn't move around which allows help defenders to negate LA's individual offensive stars- mainly Kobe and Pau. In this play Rondo or Davis could also have stopped Pau from scoring. And because four Lakers are on the perimeter the Celtics also have inside rebound position to easily collect the miss.

The Lakers further prove my point through some plays that worked in Game 5. Watch what happens (2:56 into the video) when the Lakers pass the ball around and move without the basketball-

The Celtics play pretty good defense in this possession until Ray Allen doesn't realize Kobe is cutting to the hoop-

This is more good offense by the Lakers than it is bad defesne by Ray Allen. Notice that when Kobe cuts, Ray is thinking about helping against Lamar driving or Andrew/Artest under the hoop. Because the Lakers moved the ball around Ray was unable to keep an eye on both his man and the other Lakers.

Later in the video (4:53) there's another good example of the Lakers moving the ball & breaking the Celtics' defense. This time it's without Kobe but again involves movement and someone getting into the middle. The key play is made by Luke Walton who slowly (not really looking to score) & patiently drives into the key. He waits for the defense to step up and has an easy pass to Sasha who smartly moved without the ball and went to an open spot-

Notice that Tony Allen is forced to guard Lamar & Sasha out in the perimeter. Tony  picks up  Lamar cutting through key (incorrectly- helps already in the key!) and leaves Sasha for a wide open three. This is a decidely different outcome from the previously play where Tony Allen was a help defender, made the right choice, and blocked Pau's shot.

Also if Sasha misses there are angles and mismatches for the Lakers to sneak in and get an offensive rebound-

In this case notice that Walton has inside position on Rondo and Davis is trying to box out Pau Gasol. Also, Lamar and Farmar could easily sneak into the key to collect a long rebound since Pierce is floating in between them.

Final Thoughts

Unfortunately for the Lakers, most of the other highlights in those videos involve the Celtics moving the ball on offense and the Lakers standing around when they have the ball. LA's defense has been okay but they cannot continue to score below 100 if they want to win the series. The Celtics are slower, older, and need close-proximity contact to stay with the Lakers. For the Lakers to win, they must trust each other, move without the ball, create spacing, and turn the Celtics' strengths into weaknesses.

Game 5 Preview: LA's Tied Despite Failing Strategy

Like a dog chasing its tail, the LA Lakers will continue their same strategy as they try to beat the Boston Celtics tonight in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

For four games now the Lakers have been in control (leading in 3 games, tied in one) of each game through three quarters. It feels like Boston gets off to a quick start (Allen, Garnett, and Pierce in Games 2-4), LA catches up & takes control through halftime, and then both teams struggle through a seesaw third quarter. But the fourth quarter has been owned by the Celtics who have outscored the Lakers in 3 of 4 games (+7 in Game 1, +9 in Game 2, -1 in Game 3, & +9 in Game 4).

LA's Strategic Failure

During the fourth quarter the Celtics move the ball and make aggressive plays in the paint. Meanwhile, the Lakers pass the ball around the perimeter, get it to Kobe with ~8 seconds left in the 24, stand around, & then watch Kobe take a contested shot.  This hasn't worked through four games and yet the Lakers have the same strategy.

This is painful to watch because they keep doing the same thing over and over & it's unwatchable basketball! The Lakers continue to use the same offensive sets to try to get the ball into post players. This strategy fails in the fourth when Pau & Bynum are pushed out of their position. I wrote about this problem in my Game 4 preview and even included some solutions.  

LA's coaches have done nothing (outside of the Game 3 Kobe-Fisher two-man game) to change how they attack Boston. They have complained that Pau isn't tough and lashed out at Lamar Odom. Some of this is warranted but it's misdirected because it doesn't make sense to tell skilled players to become brute-strength players. Why play Boston's style? They Celtics want to stand around, push, and grab- this isn't LA's game. LA's coaches should be smart enough to find ways to get the ball into the paint and keep the ball moving.

The Celtics really haven't put a good game together and yet they're only two games from winning another championship. The Lakers have really lost this series so far.

Slowing Big Baby

Sadly i have to mention Glen Davis. He's played well so give him credit, but only the Lakers could turn him into a Finals hero for the Celtics. Going back to Game 1 i noticed that he was having his way with LA. Odom plays poor defense on Davis because he gives space to Davis who will then gather and initiate contact on Lamar to clear to get an open shot near the hoop. Bynum and Gasol have too much length for Davis to get space after clearing room.

If Bynum isn't able to play the Lakers could try putting Artest on Davis, Pau on Perkins, and Lamar on Pierce. Artest won't give Davis any room to create momentum and then initiate contact.

Game 4 Preview & Game 3 Thoughts: Bad Kobe, Good Fisher, No Pierce/Allen, & More...

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times / June 8, 2010)

Wow, what a game! Yes, Game 3 of the NBA Finals was full of drama but it was also an awful game to watch. Kobe (10-29), Pierce (5-12), and Allen (0-13) are supposed to be great scorers/shooters that showcase the best of NBA. Hopefully, the game will be remembered for Derek Fisher's heroic play during the fourth quarter....Hopefully, Game 4 will be watchable

Bad Kobe and LA's Stagnant Offense

Kobe made good plays in the first-half while driving and creating open looks. In the second-half, when things broke down, he either took deep shots or had drives that resulted in highly contested shots. This was Bad Kobe when they needed Good Kobe.

To be fair, LA's offense deserves some of the blame for Kobe's poor shooting. Not only do they expect him to bail them out with the 24 running out, but they also stand around and allow their defender to help if Kobe attacks.

How LA's Offense Can Improve

Helping Kobe

You have to move or set a weak-side screen so that defenders have to keep an eye on their defender. If you're cutting or setting a screen, defenders will have to turn their back to Kobe which will give Kobe some more room to attack. Instead the Celtics have three guys straddling the paint ready to help if Kobe drives.

Inside in the 4th

Throughout the series the Lakers have had trouble getting the ball to Pau and Bynum in the fourth quarter. Some of this that Kobe taking over, but the primary problem involves the post position the Pau and Andrew get. They usually come across the key and try to hold their position in the low block. Because they've been pushed or because the pass doesn't come quickly, they usually get the ball too far away from the hoop. Two easy solutions:

1) Use a cross-screen from a guard/forward so that the defender has to go under/over a screen when Pau/Bynum are crossing the key. This will give help Pau/Bynum time to get open since they can present a passing angle while their defender is getting through a screen.

2) Clear-through screen from the passer. This is when the guard passes it into the post and then goes towards the baseline & around a screen that the post player sets. Normally when this happens, Pau/Bynum's defender will give room so that the passer's defender can slide under Pau. This is all the room that Pau needs to get closer to the hoop and make a good play.

Derek Fisher

 Leadership and excellence come in many forms, one of which must be playing beyond your potential when it counts most. It's really sad to see so many other players with bigger contracts, egos, and Twitter feeds that produce so much less than Fisher, who always makes huge plays in important moments.

Ray Allen and Paul Pierce

Ray obviously had an off-night for whatever reason- guarding Kobe, Fishers's defense, tired from Game 2, or the long distance travel from LA to Boston. Whatever the case he only missed 13 shots, Kobe missed 6 more! Regardless of why this happened the Celtics need more production from Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. Too often the ball wasn't moving around and the Celtics were watching Ray Allen instead of creating screens or passing angles for Ray. One solution is to run more Pierce-Allen or Allen-Garnett screens to exploit LA on a switch.

Good Lamar, or Just Better Lamar?

Lamar had a decent game (5-5 fgs, 12 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist) but that's only in comparison to the two horrendous games he had. The media makes it seems like he had a huge game and dominated the closing minutes of the game. Most of his damage (8 points) was in the first-half and included a banked-in 3-pointer. Yes, Lamar had two big hoops but he was totally outplayed by Glen Davis in the fourth.

Bad Officiating?

A lot has been made of the number of fouls called, key players in foul trouble, instant replay, and alleged uneven officiating. More than anything the officials have been calling the game tightly throughout the first three games.

If they're calling it this closely, then you're going to get called for pushing, grabbing, and reaching-in. It's up to the players to adjust. On the Celtics side, how can you complain when you take two hands and push Gasol/Bynum from the low block all the way out to the free-throw line. Apparently, their idea of physical play involves getting away with pushing and grabbing.

Also, just because one team takes more foul shots (or has more total fouls) doesn't necessarily mean that the officiating is uneven. It could be that one team is just committing more fouls than the other.

Doc Rivers put on a great show at Wednesday's press conference. He complained about Fisher's defense, accused the NBA of caving in to Phil's comment ("unusual" fouls called on Kobe in Game 2), and then said that it wasn't the officials fault. I wish there was video of this but the NBA probably won't be producing video of someone complaining about the officiating.  From ESPN-

When asked how Fisher was able to be so successful drawing fouls while being screened, Rivers replied:

"What? Besides flopping? He doesn't do a lot extra. He plays hard. He's been in the game long enough to understand. I thought he got away with a lot last night. I thought there was a lot of holding going on and a lot of flopping going on and he finally showed that last one."

"But as far as the off-the-ball action, single double action, you are not allowed to hold. You're not allowed to bump and you're not allowed to impede progress. I read that this morning, and I'm positive of it. So you know, when that happens, it has to be called."
 
Addressing his points-
-Yes, Fisher does flop sometimes, but i don't think Doc should be complaining about flopping or else Pierce, Rondo, and Glen Davis will be in big trouble
- Phil just said that there were "unusual" fouls called on Kobe which is not a direct and blatant complaint about officiating. Doc's just doing this so that the media creates a firestorm to point the finger at the NBA.
- When Doc says it's not the officials fault he doesn't want to get fined and sound like he's complaining even though he knows that's what he's doing.
- On Fisher impeding progress- yes, Fisher does sometimes grab/hold and this should be called. But Ray Allen also runs into Fisher when Fisher takes away a certain spot. This is a foul on Ray since Fisher has a right to be in Ray's desired path without being shoved out of the way.
 
I thought David Stern was going to hand out six-figure fines for complaining about the ref's, has Stern gotten soft? Doc's real goal is to get more people talking about the officiating so a fine may actual work against Stern and in Doc's favor.
 
Part of the problem is that players, coaches, media, fans, and pundits put the officials in a no-win situation. On the one-hand they say "let the players play" so that the play becomes more physical with fouls only being called when the officials have to. But when does physical play become a foul? Typically, only when someone falls down do the officials feel they must call something.
 
What about the rebound that Odom knocked out of bounds with less than a minute left? Oh yeah, Rondo fouled Lamar by grabbing only arm when trying to steal the ball. The foul was clear in the replay but for some reason the official didn't make the call and the Celtics unfairly received possession. But if the official calls that foul then Celtics fan complains that it was ticky-tack. So either which way the official is blamed by one side.

Lakers Control the Paint and Beat Boston in Game 1

ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

The formerly soft LA Lakers convincingly beat the Boston Celtics 102-89 in Game 1 of the 2010 NBA Finals. In my Finals Preview, I predicted several reasons why LA would dominate this series. These predictions held, and the Lakers had a relatively easy win. There were moments when it seemed like the Celtics would get back into the game but they never did.

Things the Lakers did well

Pau Gasol & Andrew Bynum dominated Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins even though Bynum only played a few minutes in the second half (not sure if he even played in the fourth quarter). Gasol (23 points and 14 rebounds) outplayed Garnett and Perkins who together put up 24 and 7 rebounds. Bynum's numbers (10 points and 6 rebounds) may not look significant but he created openings for his teammates since the Celtics have to keep someone on him when he's near the hoop. He was also able to tap rebounds & loose balls to himself or teammates. Gasol and Bynum were largely responsible for the Lakers 16-0 advantage in second chance points. 

LA's backcourt switched so that Kobe Bryant guarded Rajon Rondo. Early in the game Rondo created several scoring opportunities when Kobe left him near the hoop to help with post defense. For the rest of the game, Kobe did a good job of staying in front of Rondo and not leaving Rondo to help.

On offense, Kobe pretty much did whatever he wanted on his way to 30 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. He didn't have a great shooting night (10-22) but he was able to score and create shots for others. Kobe got into trouble a few times when he tried to shoot over two/three Celtics or pass after the defense was all over him.

Although Lamar Odom was mired in foul trouble during most of the game, Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown came off the bench to give the Lakers some good minutes. Both guards were able to penetrate and  collapse the Celtics' interior defense. Brown got to the rim at will. As a big guard, he creates some of the same matchup problems that Kobe does.

Ron Artest played extremely well on both ends of the court. This was despite getting into foul trouble late in the first quarter which prevented him from playing much of the second quarter. Sure Pierce ended up with 24 but Ron made him work for every point. He also played great defense when he rotated onto a center or power forward. Ron played well on offense hitting from all over the floor including three three-pointers.

Things the Celtics did well

Paul Pierce had a huge game (24 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists) even though Ron Artest played tough defense against him. Half of his points came from the free-throw line but he did miss all four of his three-point  shots. His ability to get to the line could benefit the Celtics later in the series by getting LA's big men in foul trouble and creating open looks for his teammates.

Despite meager (12 points and 7 rebounds) numbers, Rasheed Wallace and Glen Davis had productive contributions. They were both able to dictate how they wanted to play instead of being pushed around by Gasol and Bynum. Davis also did a great job when defending Gasol. He was able to push Gasol out to the three point line instead of allowing him to get the ball at the high post. And when Gasol went into the low post, Davis had already pushed him from his comfort zone.

Lakers-Suns Game 5 Preview & Breaking the 2-3 Zone

 (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

After losing another game to the Phoenix Suns, the Lakers should be very concerned. The loss by only nine points in Game 4 hides the fact that the Lakers, if it weren't for Kobe Bryant hitting ridiculous (& bad) shots, should have lost by 20+ points.The Lakers are not doing a good job guarding the pick-and-roll and have been unable to adjust to the Suns' 2-3 zone.

106 points for the Lakers is good, but they cannot expect to win if they give up 115. To make matters worse, Nash & Stoudemire didn't have huge games. Instead, the Suns' bench did the majority of the damage in the second and fourth quarters.

When defending against the Suns, you need long/athletic shootings guard and small forwards to rotate to shooters, fill gaps, and pick-up big men on screen-rolls. The Lakers only have three players (Odom, Bryant, and Brown) who fit this build. 

The Lakers’ zone offense also leaves them in a bad spot because they usually have a guard in the corner (Fisher) who has to catch up to a guard that’s defensing near or above the free-throw line. This has lead to some bad switches and open perimeter shots for the Suns as the Lakers scramble to match-up on defense.

LA can try a few different things to mix things up against the Suns. I'm not sure if any of these options will shut the Suns down but they're decent options since what they're currently doing isn't working:

1.    Switch Kobe and Fisher so that Kobe guards Nash & Fisher guards Jason Richardson. This could slow down the Nash-Stoudemire pick-and-roll. The Suns could then try to post Richardson against Fisher. This is okay because it gets the Suns out of pick-and-roll situations, prevents Richardson from launching 3's, and might not work because Fisher is a crafty defender.

2.    Put Ron Artest on Nash or Stoudemire. Artest might be able to do a decent job on Stoudemire either in the post or if he has to switch onto Stoudemire when he's guarding Nash. Right now, Artest isn’t too involved in the defense since he’s just chasing Hill and Richardson around the perimeter.

3.    A really radical option would be to play some sort of zone (3-2?). This seems like a good idea since the high screen-roll is pointless against two guards who will just switch. The problem with the zone is that it often yields open shots & a variety of opportunities for teams like the Suns with good wing players (Richardson, Barbosa, Hill, & Dudley). But trying this out for a few plays, LA could slow the Suns down for a few moments and would also allow Gasol & Bynum to stay near the paint where they can protect the hoop. The Suns' offense is designed to expose their advantage over Bynum & Gasol who have trouble guarding Stoudemire when he's dribbling at them.

Bynum

Yes, everyone knows that Bynum is injured. His injury should be a major concern for the Lakers for both the remainder of this series and if they advance to face Orlando or Boston. His knee is preventing him from extending and making quick moves on offense. Bynum could be causing problems if he could rotate on defense and also move quickly through the Suns' zone defense. They could try using Powell and Benga who could cause some problems.

Breaking the 2-3 Zone

Despite the Suns' 2-3 zone, the Lakers have still been productive in both road games (109 and 106 points). So, again, the zone is a problem but they need to make more improvements on defense. Here’s an excellent breakdown of what the Lakers are doing wrong:

A few takeaways from the video:

- The key to breaking the zone is the decision made by the player who gets it in the high post. He will have two or three defenders converging on him (see video at 0:30) so he can either drive or pass to someone cutting. Since the Lakers are still getting used to attacking the zone, the high-post player has been reluctant or uncomfortable with making the right move.

- At 1:49 Ron Artest panics as defenders converge on him. He then takes a shot while driving into three defenders. If Ron passes to the right,Lamar Odom is wide open and Grant Hill will be forced to chase Lamar or leave Gasol open under the hoop.

- At 2:22 Lamar cuts too far to the low-block and the makes another mistake when he meets the pass to high and far from the high-post. If he stays in the paint and comes to the high-post he has an open shot or he can drive right to the hoop. Instead of moving into the high-post he moved into positions used in the triangle offense.

- At 4:42 Kobe gets the ball at the high-post as two defenders converge on him. For the Lakers to beat the zone Lamar must cut more aggressively into the weak-side opening. At this point, Kobe could have made an easy pass to Lamar. But Lamar didn’t cut quickly and the pass is more difficult because Dragic gets in the way. If the pass gets through, Lamar has a bunch options since a 3-2 advantage has been created. He can shoot, drive, or pass to Shannon Brown who will be open in the corner. Again, the main problem is that the Lakers are not comfortable with attacking the 2-3 zone. Lamar is too slow or reluctant to cut and Kobe’s not sure he can make the pass even though it looks like there’s enough room.

The 2-3 zone can be broken when two things happen:

1) The ball is entered into the high-post

2) The ball then gets swung to someone cutting through the other high-post on the weak-side. This player will then have a 3-2 advantage where he can shoot, pass, or drive.

Game 5 Prediction

My earlier prediction of the Lakers winning in six could still happen. But as I anticipated in that post, the injury to Bynum is really hurting LA. In Game 5, look for the Lakers to play better defense and do a better job of executing on offense. I don’t anticipate that the Suns’ bench will be as productive as they were in Game 4. The Lakers will also make a few adjustments, shoot better, and take advantage of playing at home.

Bad Idea: Los Suns to Mix Playoffs & Politics Tonight

Deirdre Hamill/The Arizona Republic

Tonight in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs, the Phoenix Suns will wear alternative jerseys that say "Los Suns" to voice their displeasure over the Arizona's tough new immigration law. Suns' managing partner Steve Sarver explained-

"The frustration with the federal government's failure to deal with the issue of illegal immigration resulted in passage of a flawed state law. However intended, the result of passing this law is that our basic principles of equal rights and protection under the law are being called into question, and Arizona's already struggling economy will suffer even further setbacks at a time when the state can ill-afford them."

"Hopefully, it's all going to get worked out and the federal government will step in and there'll be a national solution. I realize that immigration is a problem and we have issues that need to be dealt with. I just don't think this bill accomplishes that," said the team executive. "I don't think it's the right way to handle the immigration problem."

Regardless of your political viewpoint, this is not a good move for the NBA and the Suns, who are trying to win an important playoff series. Yes, the Suns' Steve Nash said that the team voted for the alternative jerseys but they're representing the organization & the NBA so we don't if everyone involved would agree to this. Do you think all Suns' employees & NBA players support this protest? I doubt it.

The bigger question involves if an employer can mandate that employees support their political messages. I'm not a legal expert, but somehow i don't think employers have this power. As an NBA player you cannot question the officiating but you're expected to support a political viewpoint that you might disagree with, how can this happen?

  

From a basketball perspective this has its own problems- what if you're a player, owner, or other employee that doesn't support this move or simply doesn't want to express political views at work? Do you really want to go against the majority & stir-up discontent in the locker room? How would this impact team chemistry? Yes, the political issue is much more important than a bball game but it can have a negative impact on the game. 

Enough About Politics, Get to the BBall

Where are all the Lamar Odom haters? Or are they just around when things go wrong and they need to blame somebody? In Game 2 against the Jazz, Lamar had 11 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, & 3 blocks in only 28 minutes.

Laker fans, don't worry Sasha Vujacic will soon return to bolster the bench. His 2.8 points & 30% 3-point shooting will definitely be an upgrade form Ron Ron launching 3's (1-7 in game 2 & 0-3 in game 1).  

Without Kobe & Bynum, Pau & Lamar Dominate

Have you seen the Lakers lately? Over the last three games they've beaten Western conference rivals- @Portland, San Antonio, & @Utah- easily. Okay, maybe those first two victories aren't as significant as they could be but the Lakers had lost something like 8+ in Portland & San Antonio is always tough. Nevertheless, if you've watched any of these games they're clearly a refreshing welcome from their lethargic efforts that we've become accustom to.

Pau Gasol, left, had 22 points and 19 rebounds, and Lamar Odom finished with a season-high 25 points and 11 rebounds in the Lakers' 96-81 victory over Utah. (Steve C. Wilson / Associated Press)

Obviously the main difference in these games has been the absence of Kobe & Bynum. With these two players the Lakers' ball movement slows down so that zone defenses can collapse and rotate in systematic manner. More importantly, everyone stands around and just watches as these guys make aggressive scoring plays. In the last three games, the Lakers' ball movement has been much better as even guys like Walton and Sasha (yes, i said it) are making valuable contributions.

Basketball is best when you don't have to do a lot of thinking & there is little one-on-one play. Right now they're making simple plays (cuts, screens, give-and-goes, etc.) because they trust their teammates will make the right decision whether it be pass, shoot, or create. This is primarily because Pau & Lamar are unselfish in nature and are looking to take advantage of mismatches. Bynum & Kobe are more naturally inclined to score rather than create.

The Lakers have the most talent in the NBA and this is clearly evident without Kobe & Bynum. I'm not saying the Lakers are a better team without Kobe & Bynum, but it would be nice if Kobe & Bynum could take advantage of the existing talent on this roster. Even if you're Kobe's biggest fan, you have to admit that these last three games have been both fun to watch and surprisingly successful. Think about it, none of these games have even been close.