Forum Blue And Gold

The Lakers have struggled these playoffs to find any sort of rhythm. After 8 games they’re 4-4, have a negative scoring margin, and negative efficiency differentials. And while countless words have been devoted to (literal) front line issues like Bynum’s inconsistent effort and Pau’s up and down play, there’s another key Laker that hasn’t been performing up to a suitable standard.

Ramon Sessions first playoff experience hasn’t been very good so far. In 254 minutes of action he’s shooting 36.8% from the field, only made 4 of his 21 three pointers, is 2nd on the team in assists to Kobe (while assisting on fewer than 20% of the baskets while he’s on the floor), and posting a single digit PER (9.8). These numbers represent a staggering decline from his regular season production. Said another way, in these playoffs, he’s shooting worse and has a lower PER than Steve Blake while only dishing out .8 assists more per game than the man that backs him up.

Needless to say, the Lakers need more from Sessions and they need it quickly. Sessions issues seem multi-faceted, however, so improving on his play is going to take a concerted effort.

Throughout his career and in his first 15 games (or so) with the Lakers, Sessions was asked to run a team where he’d be a key factor in every offensive possession. He was given the freedom to push the ball up the floor to seek his own shot, then pull back and run multiple P&R’s in order to try and create off the dribble if there wasn’t a clear alley to the rim. He had the green light to be as aggressive as he saw fit with very few consequences for a quick or poor shot.

When he first came to the Lakers, this approach was a breath of fresh air. His blazing speed and ability to turn the corner in isolation or P&R sets gave the Lakers an added dimension they’d lacked with Fisher or Blake running the offense. Simply put, Sessions was a creator while the Lakers’ other PG’s were initiators.

As the season advanced, though, Sessions was asked to pull back. His teammates started to make comments about playing at a slower tempo to accommodate the pace Gasol and Bynum are most comfortable playing at. He was shifted to the starting lineup and then had more mouths to feed, integrating his on-ball style with Kobe while still running a post-centric offense. More and more he was running half-court sets that didn’t involve P&R’s for himself, but rather sets that asked him to either initiate an action via a pass to Gasol that flowed into him being a screener and a stop up shooter or for him to keep his dribble high while Kobe ran off picks to get free for a catch and shoot jumper or an isolation.

And in the playoffs, it’s been more of the same. Against Denver, controlling the pace and tempo was seen as the Lakers biggest key to controlling the series. Denver didn’t have the size to play with the Lakers bruising style and the Lakers didn’t have the speed or depth to play the Nuggets’ up and down game. So, the Lakers focused on playing a half court game where each possession would be milked while probing for the best possible shot. Getting the ball into the post was the priority. As the Nuggets double teamed the bigs and left the Lakers’ wings open to shoot jumpers, the Lakers didn’t adjust by taking those looks (Sessions included) but rather tried harder to infiltrate the low post via entry passes through crowded windows.

In the process of turning down open jumpers and playing at a slower pace, Sessions’ game seems so far removed from what it was just a couple of months ago he’s nearly unrecognizable as a player. Yes, he’ll still have a nice drive to the rim on a possession or two and a handful of times he’ll run some P&R’s that involve him and a big man in which he tries to penetrate the D and create a good look for himself or teammate, but these aren’t primary sets for the Lakers.

And so far against the Thunder – granted, it’s only been one game – things haven’t changed. Sessions isn’t attacking and creating, he’s barely even probing and feeling out the D. Instead he’s mostly walking the ball up, looking to get the Lakers into their sets, and then either screening for a teammate or drifting around the perimeter where he becomes a spot up shooter. These simply are not Sessions strengths.

At this point, though, turning things around isn’t as clear cut as it may seem. The Lakers could play faster and could incorporate more actions that play to Sessions’ strengths – classic P&R’s and cleared out sides for isolations for starters. But by committing more to Sessions would they be taking away possessions from their big three? Would a change in style that suits Ramon better stand in opposition to what Gasol and Bynum inherently prefer?

The answers to these questions aren’t straight forward. What is, however, is the fact that the Lakers must find a better balance in style that helps Sessions find his game. Because right now he’s not the upgrade the Lakers traded for; he’s not the same player he was in those first weeks of his Laker career. And to beat the Thunder – or just make this series closer than it has been so far – that’s the player they need.

Well, that went about as bad as it could have, huh?

The Lakers were out-everythinged by the Thunder in the opening contest of round two, having their hats handed to them in a 29 point drubbing with final count 119-90.

There’s really not much to say here so I’ll keep it brief.

The Thunder, outside of a handful of plays that didn’t work out that you might expect, got everything going their way tonight. And while they deserve all the credit in the world for playing as well as they did, for being prepared to play after an extended lay off, and for executing their game plan, I also look at a lot of the little mistakes the Lakers made and wonder if this game could have been different had they made any of a myriad of adjustments in game. Not necessarily if the Lakers could have won this game, but rather if they wouldn’t have looked so bad in losing.

In my series previews, I rattled off a bunch of keys that would need to go the Lakers way if they were to win. Imagine them as a checklist:

• Don’t let Westbrook find a rhythm as a shooter.
• Ball security is a must, as OKC will turn turnovers into the easy points in transition.
• Find a way to slow Harden as he’s the key to their second unit and their most natural playmaker. Who guards him is an open question, but whoever does must be effective.
• Mark the wings not named KD/Russ/Harden. They’re only in the game to shoot the open three pointers that their big three create for them.
• Get creative on offense by using screen actions – especially for Kobe.
• Try to utilize Sessions going to the basket and let him loose more to help him find a rhythm.
• Make three point shots to loosen up the D

There were more variables, but this is a good place to end because none of these things went the Lakers way:

• Westbrook found open space coming off screens, got into a groove on his mid-range jumper, and punished the Lakers with shots that you may want him taking but when he gets hot he’s more than capable of burying. Bynum and the other Lakers’ bigs played below the screen or allowed Russ to split the double off the pick and that set him free to take shots in a flow.
• In the 1st half the Lakers had 8 turnovers which the Thunder converted into 16 points. For the game they had 21 points off 15 Lakers’ TO’s.
• Harden, though only shooting 4-11 from the floor was still able to score 17 points mostly off the strength of getting to the FT line 10 times (making 9). When he first checked into the game he was flanked by both Westbrook and KD and that led to Mike Brown assigning Steve Blake to guard Harden. That led to Harden going into full attack mode, working the P&R and in isolation to get to the basket and compromise the Laker D. His final numbers don’t pop, but when he came into the game his impact was definitely felt.
• Daeqan Cook was the main OKC wing player that saw early minutes and he hit 3 quick shots (including a buzzer beater at the end of the 1st quarter) to score 8 points. Those would be the only 8 points he scored but that’s besides the point. His early game production sparked his team and helped them go on the run that gave the Thunder their first cushion.
• The last three bullet points all reference the Lakers offensive attack and none of those things went the way the Lakers would have hoped. Kobe worked in isolation most of the night, never able to shake free from Sefolosha’s defense. Too often Kobe worked from 20 feet and out and tried to create his own offense off the dribble against one of the elite wing defenders in the league. As for Sessions, he still hasn’t been able to escape the funk he’s been in. He’s being asked to run a slow down offensive game to the benefit of his teammates but in the process his own production is suffering. Sure, he was able to attack off the dribble a handful of times but it’s obvious his rhythm is non-existent. He only hit one of his seven attempts from the floor, didn’t go to the foul line, and was mostly a spectator. Also, while the Lakers hit 7 of their 15 three point attempts, none really came into play as difference making shots. Yes, Ron’s early bombs kept the Lakers afloat but over the course of the game, those shots meant little as the Thunder D ground the Lakers down in other ways to make their overall offense sputter.

And that was basically the game. The Thunder showed their class, the Lakers looked a bit tired but also lost focus as the game progressed and were never able to recapture that early aggressiveness that kept them in the game. Bynum did show he could score well on Perkins and Pau showed that he could be an impact on the offensive glass but those positives were outweighed by the Thunder’s ability to impose their will on the Lakers and run away with the game.

At this point, the Lakers can tweak some things but the original game plan is still one that needs to be executed to give them their best shot. In a way, tonight’s game reminds me of game 1 from the first round but from the Nuggets’ perspective. If you recall, in that game George Karl told his team that they needed to go out and execute the plan because he had no clue if it could work or not because they weren’t doing it. Tonight, the same could be said of the Lakers. They didn’t show hard on P&R’s, didn’t screen well or get Kobe open, and were too careless with the ball. These are execution issues that need to be resolved. Even if these things are done better the Thunder may still win the game, but until they are we can’t know for sure.

Hopefully in game two, we see better.

The turnaround time for the Lakers has been short. Just the day before yesterday they left everything they had on the floor in defeating the Denver Nuggets for the chance to play tonight. Meanwhile, the Thunder have been waiting patiently – and likely enjoying watching whoever they’d face go through the grinder of a full 7 game slate.

And while we’ve talked offense and defense, tonight’s contest may come down to some of those other variables. Are the Lakers too fatigued? Have the Thunder been resting too long? Will Ron’s elbow be on the mind or Harden or Ron and affect either of their games? It will surely be on the mind of the crowd who usually don’t need anything extra to whip them into a frenzy but will have it anyways.

One thing is for sure, tonight will be as much about strategy and execution as it will be about harnessing the energy in the building while maintaining composure. Whichever team can win both sides of that equation will likely win this all important first game.

And make no mistake, tonight is important. Many only give the Lakers a chance to take this series should tonight’s contest tilt in their favor. The longer they go without a win in this series the fewer games they have to win four times, this is just simple math. And when facing a team as good as the Thunder, creating a more margin for error in chances that are already slim is imperative. For the Thunder, home court advantage is often the difference between winning and losing a series. Even though everyone sees them as the superior team, everyone thought the same thing about the Lakers the last series and we all saw how valuable playing the final game of that series at home meant to them.

So, tonight it begins. The boos for the visiting Lakers will be deafening. The Thunder’s skill and readiness will be on full display. The Lakers, though, have some experience and fortitude on their side as well. The time for talking about it is pretty much over, however. Ready or not, this thing gets going tonight and the players will decide who’s ready.

So, as we sit back and watch the game from our couches or desks, listen to it on the radio, or just follow the self updating boxscore, try to enjoy yourself. The Lakers are the underdog – as it should be. Enjoy that freedom from expectations and dig in. Also enjoy this series preview from Meir 21. If you weren’t ready before, you’ll surely be after this:

We took an extensive look at defending the Thunder a bit earlier, but if the Lakers are going to compete in this series they’ll need to find a way to score. During the regular season the Lakers shot a shade under 40% over their three match ups, a success rate they’ll need to go up over this series if the Lakers want to hang tough.

Achieving this will not be easy, however. The Thunder have assembled a group of defensive minded players that match up very well with their Laker counterparts. Perkins, Ibaka, and Sefolosha are all plus-defenders that just happen to play the same positions as the Lakers big three. When you add in Westbrook and Durant, the Thunder have the size, length, and athleticism to slow down any offensive attack.

All that said, the Lakers – especially after the Sessions trade – were one of the elite offensive teams in the league. And regardless of any individual defensive prowess of the players they’re facing, the Lakers have elite skill players that can create shots for themselves and their teammates when utilized correctly.

Here’s some keys to making sure it can happen…

*Take advantage of single coverage
The Thunder aren’t a team that wants to commit the second defender. As I mentioned, they have strong individual defenders at the key positions (wing and both big men spots) to slow any team’s attack. So, the Lakers will need to beat single coverage when they see it, or at least compromise it enough where the help instincts of the Thunder defenders take hold.

This starts with the Lakers post players. Kendrick Perkins is a fantastic one on one post defender. His low center of gravity, natural strength, and long arms make him a challenge to move and an obstacle to shoot over. Andrew Bynum, however, is a monstrously massive man. Bynum may not be able to bury Perkins under the rim, but he will be able to get the ball 10 feet and in and then use a couple of power dribbles to get into the range where his jump hook becomes a viable weapon. If the Thunder are intent on letting Perkins operate on an island against ‘Drew, these moves must be dusted off the shelf (Bynum hasn’t seen single coverage since stretches of game 2 vs. Denver) and put to work. Bynum will need to park himself at the left block, use a rhythm dribble or two, and then preferably use his left hand hook shot after drop stepping baseline. This shot allows him to turn away from any help coming from the middle (which is where Ibaka will be planted) but also allows him to use his softer touch from that side (while also setting himself up for his favored step through move along the baseline).

Pau must also get aggressive with Ibaka but will need to use a varied attack. Ibaka isn’t nearly the one on one defender that Perkins is, but his shot blocking ability and timing to contest shots is extraordinary. So, Pau will need to use all his tricks and craft to get Ibaka into positions on the floor where he uses his want to challenge shots against. Pau can work the elbow in the Lakers’ horns sets and shoot his jumper but must also use his first step to try and attack Ibaka off the dribble to close the distance between the two and then go his post moves. If Pau dribbles hard to his right and and then slows to set up a back to the basket move, he will find good looks. Pau can also use straight post up actions to set up his own jump hook and turnaround jumper, but must use some fakes to get Ibaka second guessing on when and how the shot is going up. Lastly, Pau must take advantage of Ibaka’s desire to be a help defender. On many possessions Ibaka will leave Pau to help on a player threatening the rim and it’s these moments that Pau can dash into open space to either get off a jumper, dive for a shot at the basket, or hit the offensive glass when a shot goes up. Pau can’t be a bystander when he’s helped off of, he must be assertive.

Kobe will also see a lot of single coverage and the Lakers must utilize his ability to work off the ball to take advantage of it. Sefolosha does a good job of guarding Kobe in isolation from the top of the key and the wing, but can be taken advantage of in sets similar to the ones the Lakers used against Denver to knock Afflalo off his scent. Pin downs, cross screens, and stagger options can all be used to get Kobe going towards the basket or curling into position to shoot mid-range jumpers in rhythm. Kobe will obviously still have to isolate a fair amount, but if he’s finding a rhythm in these alternate sets he can build some momentum in his game to work from a standstill.

Another way to get Kobe going is in forcing switches so he can work against smaller defenders. In part one of our series preview, I mentioned that Kobe should guard Westbrook on D. Well, one of the benefits of that is the potential to force cross matches in early offense. If Kobe can make Westbrook stick to him in transition defense, offensive sets where Kobe gets to the low and mid post to isolate become that much more effective. Give me Kobe backing down the smaller (though still strong and athletic) Westbrook over the bigger, longer Sefolosha all game and I’ll take my chances with him getting looks at the basket.

*Get Sessions going to the rim.
Over the course of his short tenure with the Lakers, we’ve seen that Sessions can be an impactful player. However, if he’s relegated to shooting jumpers and can not find daylight to attack off the dribble his utility diminishes. The Thunder are likely to take a cue from the Nuggets and sag off Sessions to make him prove he can hit jumpers. And, while I want him taking some of those shots in rhythm and without hesitation, I also want him to force the issue a bit more. When he comes off picks he needs to use his speed look to turn the corner more decisively. When he’s in the open court he needs to threaten the defense a bit more and probe to see in an opening is there.

By no means am I saying he needs to compromise the Lakers desires to control the tempo, but he does need to test the limits of what the defense is giving him and what he can force upon them using his natural ability. Again, the Thunder are not likely to devote more than a single defender against any single Laker. Sessions should see opportunities to attack off the dribble and use his in-bewteen game to get off shots in the paint or create looks for teammates when the Thunder rotate. If the Lakers are to get the points they need, Sessions will need to make an imprint on some of these games. And while his job may be the hardest – balancing the team’s needs to control the flow while also being aggressive looking for his own shot is not easy – he has the ability to excel if he’s dialed in. At the end of the Nuggets series he wasn’t there. He’ll need to be now.

*Get creative on screen actions.
Sessions/Kobe pick and rolls; Pau/Bynum pick and rolls; cross-screens for big men coming to the ball side post; pin downs for Gasol to free him coming to the elbow; Ron/Gasol pick and rolls….I can on and on but you get where I’m going. All of these actions have been used throughout the season to help generate offense but the Lakers haven’t incorporated all of them into single game plans yet these playoffs.

I don’t expect to see all these varied actions in a game one. They may not even all be used in any single game period. But, the Lakers have these sets in their back pockets and they mustn’t lose sight of the fact that some variety in how they use on and off-ball screen actions will greatly aid them getting the points they need. Again, the Thunder bigs are willing helpers and actions like the ones listed will put them in compromising positions where they’ll either have to make a choice. Any split second of hesitation can be the difference between an open shot or the need to move the ball on to a teammate, especially on a team with the athletes OKC possesses.

*Miscellaneous notes

• The Lakers must punish small lineups and/or weak defenders. When Durant is playing PF and he’s guarding Gasol, the Lakers need to feature him in the post. If he’s guarding Jordan Hill, he must be bullied under the hoop and forced to rebound his position. When Derek Fisher is in the game, he must be attacked in isolation (hopefully it’s Sessions doing the attacking). The same can be said of Cook. The Thunder will try to maximize their offensive output by tilting lineups towards their skill and shooting. The Lakers must counter by going more rugged and making these guys work on their less preferred end of the floor.
• Nick Collison is a second unit defender to watch out for. He’s great at fronting the post and is willing charge taker. When he’s matched up with Gasol, the Lakers must recognize quickly that the front is coming and look to exploit it with high-low actions between the bigs. If Hill is at the FT line, he need only throw the ball to the square and let Pau use his length to go get the ball. Also, because Collison will look to take charges, the Lakers must be willing passers when the penetrate the lane. Collison is looking for contact and must leave his man a beat early to position himself. Drop off passes and little lobs will be open when he’s helping.
• It’s been implied, but here it is implicitly: ball security matters a great deal in this series. The Thunder are long athletes that will challenge passing lanes. They’ll try to block shots at the rim. They’ll pressure ball handlers to try and force errant passes. The Lakers must not get turnover happy because those miscues will turn into points going the other way. Few teams change ends like the Thunder and if the Lakers don’t take care of the ball, they’ll see that fact for themselves first hand.
• It seems so obvious, but I’ll say it anyway: the Lakers must make some three point shots this series. Steve Blake was hot in game 7. Ron hit a couple of deep threes as well. Barnes will need to join them and Sessions will need to show that he too can hit the open jumper. While the Lakers offensive plan is to work for good looks and exploit OKC from 18 feet and in, hitting shots from 22 feet and out will help create the spacing needed to execute that plan.

This is the series the Lakers aren’t supposed to win. The Thunder are younger and more athletic. They have star power at the top of their roster and a deep bench to compliment them. They’re hungry, determined, and a team that’s been on the cusp for long enough that they’re now primed for a deep run. If you’re a betting man, the Thunder is the way to go; they’re the chalk in this equation.

So, the Lakers should just forfeit right?

Since we know that’s not happening…

The Lakers aren’t supposed to win, but they surely can. It will take several things working in their favor – even more so than in other series based off OKC’s stature as one of the elite teams – but we’ve known that since the last few weeks of the regular season where we all started looking ahead to playoff match ups. The fact remains, however, that while there are several factors in this match up that distinctly favor the Thunder, the Lakers have some things going for themselves as well.

In that vain, here’s our roadmap for what the Lakers can do on both ends to try and take this series or in the very least, make it as competitive as possible. Our first part deals with the Thunder’s offense…

* Tempo, tempo, tempo.
Just like the Nuggets series, much of the Lakers success will depend on keeping the Thunder out of transition situations where their superior athleticism can shine through for easy baskets. In the Thunder’s two regular season wins they scored 21 and 25 fast break points, while in their lone loss they only scored 18 (and that was in a double OT game). The Lakers must change ends well, build a wall on defense, and keep the Westbrook/Durant/Harden trio from getting shots at the rim against a defense that isn’t yet set. Much of this will depend on a patient offensive approach by L.A., but even more so about keeping floor balance and maintaining discipline as the Thunder look to break out. The Thunder want to play fast (5th fastest pace in the league  this year), but they won’t always force the issue the way the Nuggets did; they won’t just fire up shots in transition to avoid playing half court basketball. If the Lakers can make them set up and run their O, they can experience some success.

That said, guarding this team in the half court will not be easy. In their starting lineup, Durant and Westbrook offer individual challenges for whoever guards them.

*The three headed perimeter monster.
The assumption is that Ron will guard Durant whenever they share the floor and, as in year’s past, the formula remains the same for dealing with the league’s leading scorer. Ron must body him off the ball to make his catches as difficult as possible. Outright ball denials will be nearly impossible, but making him catch the ball at a standstill or when going away from the basket should be the ultimate goal. KD is brilliant curling off screens and getting into positions where he’s an immediate threat so Ron will not only need to try to knock him off his preferred path, but will need help from his teammates to obstruct passing angles until he can recover.

But KD will get the ball and once he does is when the next effort begins. Durant is such a skilled scorer because his jumper must be respected well beyond the three point line. He’s more than capable of knocking down the deep jumper both off catch and shoots and off pull ups, so Ron will need to crowd him off the catch and respect his pull up while also not getting beat off the bounce with KD’s improved handle. Preferably, as a guideline, I’d like to see Ron force KD left and play him for the pull up jumper when going in that direction while playing him to drive all the way to the rim when going right. Of course KD’s attack is more varied than this but this is a good place to start. Ron will need to use his quick hands to bother Durant’s handle and then his length to contest shots off the dribble.

As for Westbrook, it remains to be seen if Kobe gets full time defensive duty but I’d hope that he does. Westbrook has a speed advantage over every potential Laker defender but will not have a size and strength advantage over Kobe like he will over Sessions or Blake. And it’s those latter two qualities that allow him to turn drives that could be 15 feet pull up jumpers into shots in the paint that compromise a defense. This can’t be stressed enough: the Lakers lose this series easily if Westbrook is an efficient scorer and he’s most efficient when playing at the rim. During the regular season Russ didn’t shoot well (overall) against the Lakers in any area of the floor but he shot his best percentage at the basket and was at 40% or lower from every incremental distance farther from the hoop. The Lakers must turn him into a jump shooter and the best way to do that is to put size on him, go under screens, and then recover back to challenge his pull up J. The deeper the jumper the better but his disrupting his rhythm is the most important factor here. As he showed in the 2nd match up vs. the Lakers, he can get hot from any spot on the floor once he starts to feel it so the real key is to not let him find that groove.

Of course, if slowing Westbrook and Durant was all you had to do to beat the Thunder the Lakers wouldn’t be in such a tough spot. James Harden probably offers the most difficult challenge defensively because his game is the most unorthodox and his effectiveness comes in a variety of ways. He’s a tremendous P&R ball handler, will look to set up his teammates when he’s over played, can score off the jumper or going to the rim, plus is a lefty that always finds a way to get to his dominant hand with crafty Euro-steps and crossovers. Harden is OKC’s most natural playmaker and will be the focal point of their second unit. Who the Lakers put on him is just as important as how the Lakers defend his myriad of offensive moves and, as of now at least, I’ve no clue who the best option is.

Kobe has shown that he struggles when Harden goes to a P&R heavy attack because of the way he uses angles when coming off the pick. Kobe often switches these screens because Harden is great at using an angled dribble to get to a spot on the floor where recovering is more difficult. Barnes is similar to Kobe in this regard. The best option then, becomes Ron but he can’t guard Harden and Durant at the same time. How this plays out is one of the bigger keys to the series because if Harden becomes pedestrian, the Thunder become overly dependent on the the Russ/KD duo. This isn’t a *bad* problem for most teams but I’ve long thought that as great as those two are – and they are GREAT – they’re also the types of players that thrive doing what they do best and start to struggle when those things are taken away. The fact they can get those things going so often is one of the reasons they are so great but I digress. Harden, though, does many things well and can show a defender 10 different looks on 10 different possessions, each one a part of a wide-net arsenal. While KD and Russ will get the accolades, this series could turn on how effective Harden is.

*Miscellaneous factors:

• While most of what the Thunder do is based off the above players, we mustn’t forget the little things that make this team successful. The Lakers must be aware of Ibaka on pick and pops. He’s the guy that can score 16 points on 12 shots, all of them open jumpers/dives to the rim as the defense scrambles around the perimeter trying to slow the big name threats. Serge’s range is good to 18 feet and his athleticism aids him in attacking the paint and scoring off O-Rebs and simple cuts.
• Kendrick Perkins must also be accounted for, but in a different way. He’s going to set bone crushing screens (sometimes illegal ones) to try and free his guys up. He’s a key cog in that players don’t get open without him knocking defenders away. The Lakers bigs must help on these picks by hedging well (when they’re on ball) and by giving space for guys to fight through (when they’re off the ball). The bigs must also position themselves where they can be helpers on passes when guys want to curl into the paint or flash into open space off these screens.
• Thunder wings not yet named (besides Thabo) are in the game to shoot open three pointers. Fisher, Cook, and Ivey can all hit the three ball. They’ll camp weak side, wait for attention to go to their more heralded teammates and then stab you in the liver with a dagger three pointer. The Lakers must make all of these guys put the ball on the floor and finish off the dribble. As Lakers’ fans we’re all quite familiar with Fisher’s ability to hit playoff three pointers. He and his pals must be turned into two point shooters that finish while being harassed.
• The Thunder will go small. Durant will play some PF and the Lakers will need to guard him with a capable defender when this happens. Rather than counter with a small lineup, I’ll be interested in seeing if the Lakers simply put one of their big men (Hill, Gasol) on one of the aforementioned wings and hope that their superior length can be enough to close and contest.