LakeShow
03-24-2009, 11:54 AM
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/jackson-lakers-farmar-2342688-game-coach
Jackson hasn't lost masterful touch
Many Lakers fans take him for granted, but he has made this a championship-caliber team.
http://www.ocregister.com/newsimages/columnist/kevin.ding.jpg Kevin Ding
The Orange County Register
[email protected] ([email protected])
CHICAGO – Phil Jackson, 63 years old and talking in an unenthused tone Saturday night about how he did give his players books this season but "kids don't read anymore," did say more firmly than ever that he'll be back next season to coach the Lakers.
They need him, by the way, as much as ever.
People overlook that because he has been around so long now. He'll pass Pat Riley on Friday night for most Lakers games coached by anyone, and next season will mean Jackson has been Lakers coach even longer than he was Bulls coach.
Maybe he is playing a weary Pau Gasol too much and can't control every Kobe Bryant whim, but Jackson has built this team into yet another fascinating ensemble that can think for itself and react to the game's developments instead of being overwhelmed by fear of failure and coaching mandates.
The Lakers got Saturday night what they needed even more than a healthy Andrew Bynum: a confident, dynamic performance from the Jordan Farmar-led reserve unit against a variety of adversities. It's not accurate to say it just happened, but in the usual hands-off Jackson sense, it did just happen.
Jackson's determination to be an "invisible leader" was the entire impetus for it. He vowed to himself at halftime not to do what he did early in the second quarter and panic with heavy hands upon seeing the reserves losing ground on the scoreboard.
Farmar absolutely noticed the quick hook, which was surprising to him after he'd played well the previous game in part because of what Farmar said was a key tactical adjustment by Jackson. The coach sent the reserves in piecemeal instead of so many at once, which had been leaving them all cold and vulnerable to opposing starters already warm and ready, and it seemed to work. Farmar also noticed Thursday night that for the first time all season Jackson let him, not Derek Fisher, finish a tight game.
So Jackson gave Farmar and his cohorts "a fair chance" (Jackson's choice of words) in the second half Saturday night, despite the fact that the Lakers' starters had done well to cut into Chicago's lead. The result: Bryant and Gasol were left celebrating alongside scrubs Adam Morrison and DJ Mbenga on the bench with 7:03 to play. The Bulls' six-point lead entering the fourth quarter had turned into a six-point Lakers lead with Farmar, Sasha Vujacic, Luke Walton, Lamar Odom and Josh Powell out there.
Bryant said after the game to reporters: "They played like the second unit we expect." He said it better in the fourth quarter when he ran out to mob Farmar and Walton at a timeout, yelling: "That's what I'm talkin' about!"
Bryant literally had been talking about it on the team plane the previous day. A challenging seven-game trip means golden opportunities for other guys to make a difference. And Jackson let it happen Saturday night.
Walton's two post-up baskets in the fourth were the biggest of the game, inspiring Farmar and Vujacic to play great defense on Derrick Rose and Ben Gordon to trigger the Lakers' beautiful transition game. Walton's two assists in a mere nine-minute outing came on back-to-back plays for that 99-93 lead.
It was just what Walton envisioned for himself and the team when he walked to the back of the team plane a week and a half ago to find Jackson and volunteer for the bench, surrendering his starting role to Trevor Ariza. That was some real invisible-leader mojo there.
Walton had weeks before heard media reports of Jackson mentioning the possibility of such a switch, and that planted the seed. So even though Walton seemingly spoke up and made it happen, Jackson still was the great and powerful Oz.
The greater point, though, is how refreshing it is for players to be so active in the team-building process. It's just like a father being so much better off asking a child about something that has gone wrong and letting the child vent or opine or cry but in any case contribute to the growth process — and therefore feel empowered.
These Lakers, in fact, have uncommonly great talks about basketball strategy in their locker room without needing their coach to orchestrate the discussions.
It just goes to show how they do need their coach.
They need this coach, for as long as he's willing to have them.
Contact the writer: [email protected] ([email protected])
Jackson hasn't lost masterful touch
Many Lakers fans take him for granted, but he has made this a championship-caliber team.
http://www.ocregister.com/newsimages/columnist/kevin.ding.jpg Kevin Ding
The Orange County Register
[email protected] ([email protected])
CHICAGO – Phil Jackson, 63 years old and talking in an unenthused tone Saturday night about how he did give his players books this season but "kids don't read anymore," did say more firmly than ever that he'll be back next season to coach the Lakers.
They need him, by the way, as much as ever.
People overlook that because he has been around so long now. He'll pass Pat Riley on Friday night for most Lakers games coached by anyone, and next season will mean Jackson has been Lakers coach even longer than he was Bulls coach.
Maybe he is playing a weary Pau Gasol too much and can't control every Kobe Bryant whim, but Jackson has built this team into yet another fascinating ensemble that can think for itself and react to the game's developments instead of being overwhelmed by fear of failure and coaching mandates.
The Lakers got Saturday night what they needed even more than a healthy Andrew Bynum: a confident, dynamic performance from the Jordan Farmar-led reserve unit against a variety of adversities. It's not accurate to say it just happened, but in the usual hands-off Jackson sense, it did just happen.
Jackson's determination to be an "invisible leader" was the entire impetus for it. He vowed to himself at halftime not to do what he did early in the second quarter and panic with heavy hands upon seeing the reserves losing ground on the scoreboard.
Farmar absolutely noticed the quick hook, which was surprising to him after he'd played well the previous game in part because of what Farmar said was a key tactical adjustment by Jackson. The coach sent the reserves in piecemeal instead of so many at once, which had been leaving them all cold and vulnerable to opposing starters already warm and ready, and it seemed to work. Farmar also noticed Thursday night that for the first time all season Jackson let him, not Derek Fisher, finish a tight game.
So Jackson gave Farmar and his cohorts "a fair chance" (Jackson's choice of words) in the second half Saturday night, despite the fact that the Lakers' starters had done well to cut into Chicago's lead. The result: Bryant and Gasol were left celebrating alongside scrubs Adam Morrison and DJ Mbenga on the bench with 7:03 to play. The Bulls' six-point lead entering the fourth quarter had turned into a six-point Lakers lead with Farmar, Sasha Vujacic, Luke Walton, Lamar Odom and Josh Powell out there.
Bryant said after the game to reporters: "They played like the second unit we expect." He said it better in the fourth quarter when he ran out to mob Farmar and Walton at a timeout, yelling: "That's what I'm talkin' about!"
Bryant literally had been talking about it on the team plane the previous day. A challenging seven-game trip means golden opportunities for other guys to make a difference. And Jackson let it happen Saturday night.
Walton's two post-up baskets in the fourth were the biggest of the game, inspiring Farmar and Vujacic to play great defense on Derrick Rose and Ben Gordon to trigger the Lakers' beautiful transition game. Walton's two assists in a mere nine-minute outing came on back-to-back plays for that 99-93 lead.
It was just what Walton envisioned for himself and the team when he walked to the back of the team plane a week and a half ago to find Jackson and volunteer for the bench, surrendering his starting role to Trevor Ariza. That was some real invisible-leader mojo there.
Walton had weeks before heard media reports of Jackson mentioning the possibility of such a switch, and that planted the seed. So even though Walton seemingly spoke up and made it happen, Jackson still was the great and powerful Oz.
The greater point, though, is how refreshing it is for players to be so active in the team-building process. It's just like a father being so much better off asking a child about something that has gone wrong and letting the child vent or opine or cry but in any case contribute to the growth process — and therefore feel empowered.
These Lakers, in fact, have uncommonly great talks about basketball strategy in their locker room without needing their coach to orchestrate the discussions.
It just goes to show how they do need their coach.
They need this coach, for as long as he's willing to have them.
Contact the writer: [email protected] ([email protected])