EVAY
05-22-2008, 11:59 AM
The biggest question after last night isn't whether or not the comeback helped the confidence of the Lakers. Of course it did. It isn't even a question of Pop getting outcoached last night while we lost the lead while playing small ball with a useless Finley ( he was). It is whether or not the Spurs ( including Pop) can come back mentally and emotionally, having given so much away.
I believe that is possible. It is not guaranteed, though, and I'm not even sure that it is probable. Phil Jackson is in Pop's head as surely as Pop is in D'Antoni's.
Kobe DID toy with the spurs last night. The Lakers waited until the Spurs were tired and Pop thought that the Lakers would just wait until another night. He should know better against Jackson, but he let it happen anyway. D'Antoni and/or Byron Scott would have given in and thrown in the towel. Jackson never will. Kobe used to get criticized by Jackson for doing exactly what he did last night...wait until a situation gets critical, and then be a hero. Still, none of that would have mattered down the stretch if the Spurs had been able to withstand the defensive clamp down and execute late in the fourth. They couldn't. The blame on this is shared by Pop and Manu.
It is going to be up to the two of them to see if they have what it takes to bring the Spurs back mentally. I hopey the do. I don't know if they will or not.
I believe that is possible. It is not guaranteed, though, and I'm not even sure that it is probable. Phil Jackson is in Pop's head as surely as Pop is in D'Antoni's.
Kobe DID toy with the spurs last night. The Lakers waited until the Spurs were tired and Pop thought that the Lakers would just wait until another night. He should know better against Jackson, but he let it happen anyway. D'Antoni and/or Byron Scott would have given in and thrown in the towel. Jackson never will. Kobe used to get criticized by Jackson for doing exactly what he did last night...wait until a situation gets critical, and then be a hero. Still, none of that would have mattered down the stretch if the Spurs had been able to withstand the defensive clamp down and execute late in the fourth. They couldn't. The blame on this is shared by Pop and Manu.
It is going to be up to the two of them to see if they have what it takes to bring the Spurs back mentally. I hopey the do. I don't know if they will or not.