Comments on: Taking The Next Step

By: Darius

Darius — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 19:47:21 +0000

Phil has always done a lot of his coaching during practice, shoot arounds, etc. He has already explained what he wants the players to do countless times, so during the game he just reinforces those ideas and expects his players to *get it* and perform. I have always liked this about him.

Those coaches who constantly call timeouts to try and stop a run or get on their players just seem like they are….control freaks. Plus, it hasn’t been proven that it actually works. Last night when watching a great game between the Dubs and the Nets, Lawrence Frank only had 1 timeout left with 9 min left in the 4th. Why? He called a time out every time the Dubs went on a minor run. The only thing is, it didn’t work. The Dubs continued to bury shots and the Nets had no answers. The Nets did end up making a run to make it close at the end, but guess what?…that run happened after the Nets were down to that last timeout and did not stop the clock. The Nets went on that run by….just working through it and figuring it out.

By: alex v

alex v — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 19:25:45 +0000

One of the TV broadcasts Wednesday talked about a Sports Illustrated poll of players (I can’t find it on their site; maybe it’s print only or hasn’t come out yet). Anyway, the players named Phil Jackson as one of the top coaches they would like to play for (along with Mike D’Antoni). I’m sure that’s partly because he has the rings, but I think there’s more to it than that.

Seriously, can you imagine working for a manager who treated you like Larry Brown? He tells you what to do every minute and if you make the smallest error he stops everything to yell at you (and possibly gives the task to someone else). *Shudder*

By: drrayeye

drrayeye — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 19:23:48 +0000

(20)(27)

I recognized some of the words, but I’m not fluent. I went by the web site, They said Spanish:

http://lirama.net/song/36844/36551+36553

In any case, Pau is rumored to know the song.

By: Gatinho

Gatinho — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:58:43 +0000

18. That’s Portugese not Spanish.

22. “When they think know the answers, people are difficult to guide.
When they know that they don’t know, they can find their own way.”

-Lao Tzu

By: Lamar Odom is back!

Lamar Odom is back! — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:35:56 +0000

Kurt, don’t you have better things to do?

By: chris h

chris h — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:33:13 +0000

in the old days, (pre PJ) I used to take a loss much harder, (maybe I’m just older now and see life a bit differently too) but these days, I try to take away something from every game, so it’s not about getting a W every game. we all know that’s just not possible, it’s more about having it in you at the end to go the distance and win playoff series.
remember that year the Magic lead lakers went 12 and 0 in the western playoffs only to be swept by the Pistons? do we remember that the Lakers had so much time between the WCF and the finals that Riley took them to Hawaii for his version of “Boot Camp”? and that as a result, B Scott pulled up lame, which meant that Magic had to play 2 roles, and he came up lame too?
a post mortem on all that seemed to prove that Riles pushed too hard, burnt out the players for the finals.
I think there’s a lesson in that for this team, under PJ, he knows that the season is just the tune up for the “second season” the playoffs, and having it in the end to finish off your opponents.
I expect that the team learned something from the loss in SA.

By: kwame a.

kwame a. — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:14:22 +0000

ha, im 23, I meant 22 (now Im 24 too, but not Kobe)

By: kwame a.

kwame a. — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:13:28 +0000

23-I guess its just a matter of personal preference. Coaches like Popovich and B. Scott will take quick timeouts to stop other teams momentum or correct offensive execuition. Phil does it the way Kurt said, and I know its cliche, but with 9 titles, guess you can’t say he isn’t justified.

By: Kurt

Kurt — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:09:15 +0000

21. Phil sees it as the exact opposite â€” this team can’t learn and grow and become veterans unless it learns to work things out for itself. So, no timeouts, let them play through it. I know that drives fans nuts because “he’s not coaching” but I think it’s the opposite. That good coaching, trying to let the players figure it out and not try to control every little aspect on the court.

And there’s a difference between the “perfect little triangle” and that rhombus or whatever the Lakers ran in the third quarter.

By: Tim

Tim — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:00:21 +0000

Can’t panic, the Lakers had one bad quarter and PJ sat on his high chair and refused to call timeout. This is not the MJ team with Pippen, Kukoc, Rodman, Harper, etc., they need to stop and get their heads clear with a little insightful coaching at times.

As for chicken little Barry forget that moron the sky is not falling. In additionm Tex Winter and his perfect little triangle world does not exist. Somebody might want to tell him, not that it would do any good.

The best way to beat the Spurs is to protect the ball, get back on defense, stay on the shooters and let Duncan try to beat you. They did that in the first half but forgot to do it in the second half, expecially the third quarter. Of course having Bynum and Ariza available would make beating the Spurs much easier.