Team Ball

For the Lakers to be successful next season, they are going to have to play team basketball. This is only my opinion, but I feel as if I'm correct when I say the focus needs to shift to passing and overworking the opposing defense. Here are what the Lakers need to stress to become successful:

Transition on defense...for the sake of teams like Dallas and Sacramento who are dangerous when running fast breaks all game long. When they were up against athletic PF/C such as Garnett...Shaq and/or Malone had a tough time keeping them in check when they would streak down the court and start a 3-on-1 fast break, so the Lakers need to always anticipate the fast break off a rebound for these teams.

Beating the zone...because this will be a tough task for Kobe, who will notice a huge increase of attention on him when he receives a pass. Confusing the zone with screens and penetration will collapse a strong defensive team and leave the other teammates open for an easy shot, such as Butler or Rush...guys that will eat up a zone defense when they slide their way towards a driving Kobe or Odom running the point at times.

Pass the ball frequently...with tons of off-the-ball play. This will wear down defensive players that hang around the perimeter, such as Bowen and Tayshaun, and keep them worried about their energy for the remainder of the game. Put endurance-enhanced guys out there that will make effective passes and run their legs off, just to tire that defense that shifts to Kobe when he cuts through their worn bodies.

Crash boards...as frequent as they can. Odom, Kobe, Mihm, Divac, Butler...all of these guys, even George, need to take the extra 2 seconds to position themselves for a rebound, because they'll prove to be very important, especially for the run-and-gun teams that love to grab and throw for an easy two.

And finally...use the shot clock better. Instead of passing the ball to Kobe with 3 seconds left, pass it to him with 10. Give him the chance to make a last-second decision, with enough time to think about it. Let Kobe have a chance to work the baseline, but give him the ball with enough time to move and get a feel for the defense, instead of throwing up a desperate shot. When time is running out, switch to a simple offensive set and put two on the perimeter, near the baseline...one near the top of the key, and stick the other two anywhere else for a rebound or a quick feed inside. In other words, move around...don't watch for a buzzer beater or a nice awkward shot by Bryant.

These are the main things the Lakers need to shift their attention to, in my opinion. I'd like to hear what others think... :thumbsup: Go Lakers

 

^ it all starts with Kobe. He is obviously the main part of the offense now, and he needs to get others involved. With Shaq he really never needed to worry about that, but now the ball will be in his hands every posession. He has proven to be a good distributer when he wanted to be, and he will need to do that throughout next season. The Lakers don't have a team with players who can create for themselves, so Kobe and Odom ( mainly Kobe ) must take that responsibility for others.

as for using the clock better, that too has to start with Kobe IMO. Last year we did see him getting the ball with 2-3 seconds left and having to throw up a wild shot pretty often, but we also saw him waste 10 seconds off the clock dribbling it and taking wild shots. As a team they will need to move the ball well, and Kobe will have to do a lot less dribbling by himself throughout the 24 second clock and get his teammates involved.

a lot of Laker fans seem pretty happy that Kobe will be the main man now, but the truth is that he will need to become a better distributer instead of scoring more points. I've had a lot of friends say "Kobe will average 30PPG again" but what the Lakers really need out of him is to keep doing what he has been doing throughout the years and not shoot whenever he wants. I'd like to see Kobe average over 6 assists this season, I really don't care about his point total. The Lakers' success does starts with Kobe, but it will be the passing and getting teammates involved that will get them into the playoffs, not him scoring the ball every time down the floor.

 

From what I've seen, they need to drive alot more, and not just Kobe. Theu have to drive in and try to draw fouls. Becuase on every play, I see them passing it outside and then trying to get a shot off. From what I've seen the only player that drives in is Kobe. They need to do some pick and rolls, like Detroit too.

 

yea i agree with Phreeze kobe can be a very good distributor when he wants to... and take note "when he wants to" i hope kobe matures enough as a player to realize that.

 

Phreeze pretty much summed up exactly what I said involving Kobe. My whole point of this thread was to stress "team basketball" and that includes working more as a team instead of giving the ball up to Kobe constantly, and Kobe taking shots constantly. Instead, ball movement is a must, even when it comes back to Kobe's hands...he still has four other options.

 

Here's an article about how KB should flip the script. Maybe you guys already read it is from ESPN/s Page 2. Its pretty good and it makes sense except the part where GP is still a Laker, the article is a a few weeks old.

 

I think Kobe is going to come in this season with a different attitude. He will share the ball and the Lakers will win more ball games.