Injuries are an athlete’s worst nightmare. Difference is when Kobe Bryant gets injured as he did in the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he’ll be back. He’ll be back with a vengeance and somehow he’ll make plays with his left hand and make you pay for his pain. If any of you have jammed your finger on a pass it is painful, let alone the hand shaking pain when you fracture your finger. Bryant is one of the toughest guys out on the court. We have gotten so use to Kobe playing through pain that you just sit back and admire, but it has become second nature. Shoulder, leg and finger injuries, it doesn’t matter for the “Black Mamba”. Remember the black mamba doesn’t have a shoulder or a leg or a finger...
What does this Lakers Team have that previous Lakers didn’t have? Are people putting too much stock into the Lakers and not enough into the Celtics? Are people forgetting about teams like Orlando, Dallas, and San Antonio? As of right now, these Lakers are playing with as much confidence, energy, skill, and efficiency as any team has ever played. I’m not saying there the best team ever, but what I am saying is that they are playing some of the best team basketball ever. I’m not old enough to have seen the great Celtic teams from the 50’s, but I have seen video and read about their style of play. Right now Red Auerbach has a bitter sweet feeling (if he were alive.) Bitter in the fact that the Lakers run the court with such efficiency, yet sweet because that is how the game should be played.
Pau Gasol is more valuable now than he has ever been. Gasol has always been a tremendous player and if he left the Lakers he would still be a tremendous player. Jackson and his triangle offense is one reason why Gasol is now one of the best power forwards in the NBA. He runs the floor, he passes off the double team well, he can use his left or right, he shoots a high percentage, he rebounds, he blocks shots and he is a great teammate if you ask the players around him. The mere fact that the Lakers are 10-0 since Gasol has come back from his hamstring injury justifies his significance. Gasol had 17 points on 8 of 14 from the field, a career high in rebounds at 20, and to cap it off 7 assists. You throw in the fact that he is in Los Angeles and not Memphis any longer and he has a stage to perform on.
When was the last time you saw a team turn it on, literally like a light switch and blow out a team? Players like Lamar Odom, who scored 13 points, Jordan Farmar 8 points and Shannon Brown 7 points on Friday night, will make their bench incredible if they play within the confines of Phil Jackson’s Triangle offense. The reason Phil Jackson is considered the greatest coach of all time in any sport is his ability to extract all the greatness out of each player and bring it together. Players are far more superior by understanding the fundamentals and concepts of that particular system.
Having the luxury of living in Los Angeles and watching the Lakers is a blessing. I’ve seen some of the best players ever day in and day out. From Magic Johnson going against Larry Bird to Kareem Abdul-Jabber with his patented sky hook. We even had it best with Chick Hearn and let me tell you, “Chickie-baby” as Stu Lantz calls him, would let you know when something wasn’t done right. He would break down the game and you could only imagine the players sitting on the plane after the game listening to Chick. Chick had a bird eyes view, but more importantly a feel for the game.
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