Record: 46-12 (44-14 Pythagorean), top seed in the West
Record last 10 games: 8-2
Offensive Rating: 108.6 (11th in the NBA)
Defensive Rating: 99.2 (best in the NBA)
Jim Jackson a Laker: The Lakers bought out Slava Medvedenko’s contract and have signed Jim Jackson, who was cut loose by the Suns recently. I like the pickup — I have no idea how much he can bring to the backcourt, but it can’t be less than the injured Slava.
Jackson is the kind of tall guard (6-6) that Phil likes and he can do a few things that the Lakers need — or at least he could before this season started. He can shoot the three, where he has hit 41.4% last season and has hit over 40% four of the last five seasons. He’s been a fairly effective overall shooter during that time, hitting 53.1% (eFG%) last season. He was an average defender (which would be a boost for the Laker backcourt most nights).
But this season he’s been off, shooting just 34.9%, averaging the same number of turnovers and assists per 40 minutes. This is Jackson’s 14th season, has time passed him by? Was it just not fitting in with Phoenix and its style? We’ve got some games to find out.
Can lightening strike twice: One top seed down, one to go. With some good teams ahead on the schedule (not just tonight) we’ll need to see more games like that.
The key was defensive effort and good play from the supporting cast (as always, Kobe was an MVP-like amazing). Kwame Brown had his best game as a Laker, with a Ben Wallace like game of 12 boards and good defense, which is why he led the team with a +20 for the night. Odom stepped up and had 10 assists with no turnovers. Cook, Walton, D. George were all good.
The Lakers and the playoffs: Heading into tonight, the Lakers are 2.5 games up on both Utah and Sacramento. The Lakers are one game back of New Orleans and the seventh seed.
Kobe vs. Bruce Bowen: Should be the most entertaining match up of the night. In case you missed it, the 6-7 Bowen (listed, but that might be generous) did an amazing job on the 7-foot Dirk Nowitzki the other night, forcing him into 6 of 15 shooting in the Spurs win. Nobody stops Kobe, but Bruce can crimp his efficiency, so other guys are going to have to stop up.
About the Spurs: It’s all about the defense. Like Detroit, the Spurs are pretty traditional on defense — Bowen will be asked to slow Kobe and the goal will be to make sure no other Laker gets hot.
The Spurs also have the best defense in the league by a huge 3 points per 100 possessions and they are the only team holding opponents to less than a point per possession. At the heart of that is that teams only shoot 44.6% (eFG%) against them, the lowest percentage in the league. Bowen can lock down good outside shooters and they don’t give up a lot of second chances — Duncan has pulled down 19.1% of the available rebounds when he’s been on the floor this season. The Spurs don’t create a lot of turnovers, but they don’t need to.
To a degree it always was about the D with the Spurs, but that has been more important this season with Tim Duncan slowed with plantar fascia (what slowed Kobe at points last season). Duncan hasn’t been the same on offense. Not only is his shooting percentage of 48.1% the lowest in his career (and it’s just 42% the last 10 games), but 58% of his attempts are jump shots (again a career high), meaning he’s not getting close to the basked like he has in the past.
Tony Parker has taken up most of the slack on offense, shooting 55.4% (eFG%) on the season and leading the team with 6.7 assists and 22.2 points per 40 minutes. Manu Ginobili has been slowed by injuries as well but continues to be efficient, with a true shooting percentage of 58.2% (he gets to the line a lot). They still have probably the best bench in the league: Nazr Mohammed, Robert Horry, Michael Finley, Rasho Nesterovic and Brent Barry.
Key’s to a Laker win: If the Lakers are going to knock off another top seed they are going to need a few things: A good defensive effort from Smush and Sasha on Parker, who has to be slowed; big games inside from Mihm, Kwame and others as you have to balance the strength and depth inside of the Spurs; someone else besides Kobe to step up on offense — specifically Lamar Odom, who can create match up problems for the Spurs.
Obviously, it can happen. But it’s going to need another big night on both ends.
Xavier says
I believe this is the perfect game for LO to step up. It’s going to be difficult for the spurs to match up with him and if bowen can slow down a lil bit kobe lamar’s gonna be more than necessary. Let’s hope he play like Piston’s game.
What i fear the most is the PG match up with parker… he is getting to the basket really easy and we dont have great defenders at this position.
paul says
What about this lineup tonight? A bit weird, very big. But may pose problems for San Antonio.
PG: Kobe
SG; Odom
SF: Cook
PF: Kwame
C: Mihm
Kurt says
Paul, my only concern with that is having Kobe on Paker a lot. that will be draining and could lead to foul problems. But I’d try it at points.
John R says
From ESPN.com: “Phil Jackson told the newspaper that a new player wouldn’t have a hard time learning the triangle offense because “it’s not rocket science.” ”
Well is it or isn’t it? I guess it depends on the point to be made that day. A player takes a year to come along, well the triangle is a complex offense. The Lakers sign a 35 year old to appease the Laker faithful (surely he isn’t a long-term solution, and surely there is no meaningful “stretch run”) and now its not rocket science. How about that?
kwame a. says
Kurt, one of the reasons Jimmy Jackson’s numbers are down this year is lack of playing time, last year he was a key bench player for the Suns, and was good with the Rockets and the Kings the seasons preceeding that. This year he lost out to youth in Phoenix (eddie house, james jones, raja bell were all added this offseason), but he can shoot, hopefully he doesnt turn out to be a George McCloud/Mitch Richmond/J.R. Rider and ends up being a catalyst off the bench with d. george and kwame, that could be a pretty good 8 man playoff rotation, plus i think that Jim Jackson may have had the triangle with Jim Cleamons in Dallas
Kurt says
Kwame a., I hope so, and that makes sense about the youth effort in Phoenix. Maybe a new situation and he plays like last season. I just have concerns when you see older players have an off year. Like I said, this is a good pick up.
John R., is the basic triangle offense something Jackson can pick-up quickly, in part because he’s a vet. However, like most things in life, to really understand the subtlety of the offense and how to run it as a team takes time. It’s a matter of degrees.
Gatinho says
Knowing that Jackson did run the triangle under Cleamons may place Phil’s comments into context. But Tex himslef said it takes two years to master it.
How much do you think JJ remembers from an offense he ran for a season almost 10 years ago?
Steve says
I am glad of the JJ signing because that means Sasha will finally be out of the rotation….Watching him play has given me such a bad feeling in my stomach. For tonites game lets hope Kwame feels it like he did against Detroit and feels good about being a defensive player ala rodman….Odom is looing awesome-driving a lot more to the basket and being very aggresive-Smush finally playing def with his hands up-Mihm tough player with nice post game-Cook-should be player coming off bench instead of starting, no def but great stroke…..
Felix P says
Has JJ really been around 13 years? it seems like just yesterday he was holding out and then fighting w/ Jason Kidd over Toni Braxton.
Goo says
I’m glad they got JJ, in January I asked if there was any chance we could get him for Slava’s contract or something along those lines, glad it worked out, there’s one thing he’s always been able to do and that’s hit the big 3, that’s not something I can say about anyone else on this team…
I can’t see a Laker win here tonight, Detroit played a sloppy very un-Detroit like game and were probably very tired, plus they have a 11 game lead in their conference, that game really didn’t matter to them. Spurs are fighting for the No. 1 seed and get dropped to 4th if they don’t get it, I still have nightmares of Parker running all through the lane in the 2003 WCF with Shaq in the post…Eva Longoria has more of a chance of stopping Parker in the paint tonight than Chris Mihm does…
C says
What’s worrying is that JJ’s ft percentage dropped from 90 something to 60 something percent this yr.
john says
i hope phil does one of his splicing of game-tape deals of the first quarter laker defense compared to the third quarter d.
painful to watch, seeing them revert to that OTHER team again at a critical juncture, they can’t hear you yelling through the tv.
meanwhile sac and utah gain another game.
paul says
The game against New Orleans is a must win at this point.