Hollinger on bench suckitude
Gary Collard
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By John Hollinger
ESPN.com
HOUSTON -- "Welcome to my world, Phil."
That's what 14 other Western Conference coaches are thinking after
watching how the Lakers have had to scratch and claw their way to an
uneven 4-1 start in the absence of Pau Gasol, who has been out with a
hamstring injury.
While mentioning L.A.'s one-sided trade for Gasol two years ago remains
the most expedient way to enrage a member of any other Western
Conference coaching staff, L.A.'s ability to keep its head above water
is reminiscent of a less-discussed aspect of that deal: The Lakers
already were chasing the West's best record at the time of the trade.
That said, the Lakers' rockier-than-the-record-shows start (they've won
two OT games and scored only five points more than the opposition thus
far) also reflects another reality that's a huge departure from two
seasons ago. Back then, the Lakers bench was monstrously productive,
providing a 10-deep framework around Kobe Bryant that didn't demand he
put up monstrous numbers -- or minutes -- for L.A. to win.
This season? Not so much. Shannon Brown, a key spark for the second unit
in last year's postseason, has struggled to a 10.67 PER in the first
five games � and most of the other Lakers reserves look upon his numbers
with jealousy. Sasharapova Vujacic can't get out of his own way, with
only four points on the season, and is in danger of falling out of the
rotation entirely. Ditto for Luke Walton, who is still looking for his
first free throw attempt and seemed tentative in his limited run last
night. Jordan Farmar? Not even close. Despite his talents, he's shooting
29.4 percent from the floor with as many turnovers as assists.
The result is something that's come as a shock to veteran Lakers
watchers: Jackson has been going to the whip hard and heavy in the
season's first nine days. L.A. has three starters averaging more than 40
minutes a game -- something no player in the league did a year ago.
While that's been exacerbated by the two overtime games, Kobe Bryant
would be at 39.6 just with his regulation minutes.
The other trend that's less visible on the stat sheet but palpable to
anyone in the gym is the absence of Gasol's length. With a healthy Gasol
alongside Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom, L.A. towers over most opponents
in the paint.
Wednesday night, once again, the Lakers were killed on the defensive
boards -- at times it seemed the Rockets' best play was having Trevor
Ariza pass the ball off the rim to Carl Landry. In fact, allow me to
present the year's most shocking stat thus far: L.A. is dead last in
Defensive Rebound Rate at a paltry 67.3 percent.
Presumably, that will change once Gasol returns in the next few days.
While it's unlikely he'll be available for the Scratchy Bearded Spanish
Center world championships on Friday against brother Marc in Memphis,
the Lakers seem optimistic that he could return early next week after an
MRI confirmed his hamstring injury was only a strain.
But even with that good, there's some bad. Gasol's return would remove
from the rotation the only L.A. reserve who has played anything
resembling decent basketball. Josh Powell is off to a splendid start and
earned praise from Jackson last night for a strong stint in the second
quarter. Worse yet, Gasol may be coming just as his bookend 7-footer is
going. Center Andrew Bynum hurt his elbow toward the end of last night's
win in Houston and will be evaluated Thursday.
If both players can come back and Lamar Odom can return to his sixth man
role, perhaps the worries over L.A.'s bench are all much ado about
nothing. That's particularly true if L.A. can still swing a trade for
some more backcourt help, with Adam Morrison's expiring $5.3 million
deal providing the most obvious trading chip.
But the worry is that Jackson's riding of the starters so heavily so
early will have damaging consequences as we get into the spring. Bryant
is in exquisite shape, but he's 31 with more miles on his legs than any
other 31-year-old in league history; perhaps it's hubris to take his
indestructibility for granted. Veterans like Odom and Ron Artest are no
spring chickens either, while Bynum's injury history makes him a risk
with this much use.
Coming off an overtime game the previous night, Jackson said before the
Houston game that he would need his bench and was reluctant to criticize
it afterward. He's always saved his biggest daggers for pregame and
shootarounds, so perhaps we'll hear something before they meet the
Grizzlies on Friday.
But really, he doesn't have to say anything. What spoke volumes was his
calling timeout to get Bryant back into the game after a mere 1:46 rest
at the start of the fourth quarter because the Rockets were quickly
pulling away. That can work as a one-off strategy in selected spots, and
perhaps Jackson saw last night as such a case with Gasol's return
imminent and 14 of the next 16 games at home.
If it's a nightly event, however, it will have huge implications down
the road. Bryant can keep the Lakers afloat with his superman routine on
any given night, but for L.A. to remain a top contender in June, the
second unit is going to have to start pulling its weight.
--
Gary Collard
SABR-L Moderator
gmcollard at yahoo dot com
http://twitter.com/LakerGMC
http://sarcastipundit.blogspot.com/
"If Obama�s skin was any thinner, he�d have a reservoir tip on
the top of his head." -- Thorley Winston
frndt...@aol.com
> With Gasol out, Lakers' bench struggling
>
> By John Hollinger
> ESPN.com
>
> HOUSTON -- "Welcome to my world, Phil."
> going. Center Andrew Bynum hurt his elbow toward the end of last night's
> win in Houston and will be evaluated Thursday.
>
>
WTF? Just the hint of Memphis coming to town and Andrew gets hurt?
Well maybe a good reason to keep him out of Friday's game. better an
elbow than a knee.
Gary Collard
He was fouled really hard, probably should have been a flagrant, on the
last offensive possession.
--
Gary Collard
SABR-L Moderator
gmcollard at yahoo dot com
http://twitter.com/LakerGMC
http://sarcastipundit.blogspot.com/
"If Obama’s skin was any thinner, he’d have a reservoir tip on
greg brown
"Gary Collard" <garyc...@netscape.net> wrote in message
news:hcvmcl$egv$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
> With Gasol out, Lakers' bench struggling
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> By John Hollinger
> ESPN.com
>
> HOUSTON -- "Welcome to my world, Phil."
>
> That's what 14 other Western Conference coaches are thinking after
> watching how the Lakers have had to scratch and claw their way to an
> uneven 4-1 start in the absence of Pau Gasol, who has been out with a
> hamstring injury.
>
Although they haven't been playing very well, this is the same bench we won
the championship with last season. Hollinger ignores or maybe is unaware,
that because we have players who play multiple positions, when one of them
is out it's like having "two" players out.
Pau is not only our starting power forward, he is also our back-up center.
So with him out, our ability to extend or protect a lead or even stay close
when the starters are rested is negatively affected. I disagree with
Hollinger. I don't think D.J. would be getting the minutes he is getting if
Pau was healthy, because we would be alternating Pau and Drew at 5 unless
D.J. was playing his ass off.
Having Lamar as a starter more obviously affects our bench strength. But
Lamar also doubles at 3, something that is limited when he is getting
starter minutes at 4. So with Pau out, in essence, we are really down not
just a starting 4, but a back-up 5, and a back-up 3 (because Lamar is a
starting 5). I expect Luke to come around eventually. I still think there is
at least a chane Farmar will too, but unlike at the begining of the season,
I'm no longer convinced he'll have a typically productive contract year.
Once we get healthy if we are still showing unproductive non-starter
minutes, then it may be time to worry.
Greg
Silk_Wilkes
Gary Collard
> "Gary Collard" <garyc...@netscape.net> wrote in message
> news:hcvmcl$egv$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
>> With Gasol out, Lakers' bench struggling
>>
>> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> By John Hollinger
>> ESPN.com
>>
>> HOUSTON -- "Welcome to my world, Phil."
>>
>> That's what 14 other Western Conference coaches are thinking after
>> watching how the Lakers have had to scratch and claw their way to an
>> uneven 4-1 start in the absence of Pau Gasol, who has been out with a
>> hamstring injury.
>>
>
> Although they haven't been playing very well, this is the same bench we won
> the championship with last season. Hollinger ignores or maybe is unaware,
> that because we have players who play multiple positions, when one of them
> is out it's like having "two" players out.
>
> Pau is not only our starting power forward, he is also our back-up center.
> So with him out, our ability to extend or protect a lead or even stay close
> when the starters are rested is negatively affected. I disagree with
> Hollinger. I don't think D.J. would be getting the minutes he is getting if
> Pau was healthy, because we would be alternating Pau and Drew at 5 unless
> D.J. was playing his ass off.
Indeed, DJ will be our inactive against most matchups when the bigs return.
$Bill
>
> Indeed, DJ will be our inactive against most matchups when the bigs return.
With the PT that Morrison is getting, who knows.