I’ve had some time to look around the net, and consensus seems to be that it’s legal, along the lines of “if you don’t actually hit the shooter, do whatever you want” (especially on Houston-based blogs, not surprisingly, but elsewhere as well).

I think Fish is a great team-defense player, but that he’s suffering a lot from the great Valley of the Leg Injury void in the middle. It doesn’t help that some (all?) of the other perimeter players are always trying to cheat off their men to help in the middle. I think there’s a danger to getting Bynum (and everybody else) back late is that this habit will be a hard one to unlearn before the play-offs.

Fish has always been a streaky shooter. If he gets his touch back anytime between now and the playoffs, he’ll be fine…and I think he will.

Fisher & Farmar are getting abused at the point either with quickness, stength or both. Radman, Luke, Gasol and Mihm (is he still on the team) are all liabilities on defense. Sasha can be a pest but he often commits too many ill advise fouls that get the Lakers into an early penalty situation.

Why the Lakers wouldn’t sign a defensive specialist to fill their open roster spot is the real mystery. Another head scratcher is the Laker coaches refusal to play more zone with so few able defenders available.

In summary, the Lakers look like their expecting Kobe to carry them into the playoffs, and hope their injured players make it back by then.

On Farmar:
His man on man defense isn’t great at the NBA level. In college, he worked mostly zone at UCLA and i would guess his high school was not much different.

He needs experience and guidance on defense and self-esteem on offense. He can beat players other NBA PGs off the dribble and needs to stop hanging out at the arc like some said. Against Phoenix in the playoffs, he had a couple of exceptional plays when he took Nash off the dribble. He is one of the few Lakers capable of creating his own shot (see his fade away in the lane), but needs encouragement and self-esteem.

“Eye guarding (placing a hand in front of the opponent’s eyes when guarding from the rear) a player who does not have possession of the ball is illegal and an unsportsmanlike technical shall be assessed.”

It has to be from the rear, and the player can’t have the ball. Battier’s defense was from the front, and Kobe definitely had the ball.

I don’t understand why face-guarding is in any way illegal in any sport… I’ve never understood why you can’t do it in the NFL. You’re trying to make it hard for them to catch the ball, right?

i’ve checked the nba rulebook and can’t seem to find that face guarding is illegal… I used to get so angry when my boy did that on me… can’t see jack…