The triangle scheme is Tex Winters'. Adapting it for the actual talents given has been Phil Jackson's job. You can't just throw Tex Winters' book at Jordan, Pippen and Rodman or at Shaq, Kobe, Fox and Grant and expect success. You need to actually have the ability to fit the offense to the specific players. And his work on the Lakers' defense has nothing to do with Winters. The Lakers' defense has been incredible, and that's with no individually brilliant defenders.
That's funny: most scrubs are actually scrubs. As there isn't anyone who doesn't hate Vujacic, it would be impossible to tell. But to be fair, I only hate him: Trevor Ariza despises him. Exactly - he sucked. The reason why you like him now is because of good coaching and a system that can use one-dimensional players. (See Hodges, Craig.) Not Ed. O! He was always an Ariza-backer. Ariza was always a great athlete, but he was never healthy. Didn't he have a collapsed lung or something either coming out of college or in college? He's certainly looking good for the Lakers this year, particularly if his early 3-point shooting isn't just a blip. I think you mean NY not Phoenix. And how many players has that been said about? Every too-short gunner or flashy passer is supposed to be someone who'd just explode for Nelson or D'Antoni. Try to retain SOME measure of credibility! You know who I think is the most underrated Laker? Derek Fisher. He completely turned the Lakers around, because he knew the triangle, just as Ron Harper did when he was a young'un. God help you if Fisher gets injured and you have to rely on Farmar. I'm hoping he thinks the same way and thinks he can flourish elsewhere. He's in for a rude surprise if he follows through.
Phil has certain talents, to be sure. Manipulation chief among them. And that's an important element of coaching. And it is interesting that the triangle has never worked for any other NBA coach (see Jim Cleamons in Dallas, for example). No, he got his defense from Bob Bach. Whom he stabbed in the back. Or so the story goes. Let's see how it keeps up. It wasn't so hot against Sacto in their last game, and it's easy to have good D the first time you meet teams if you have enough junk systems, but over a series, I think you can't get away with it (unless your team members are actually telepathic).
Do you mean Johnny Bach? Bach was clearly important to the Bulls, but the defense the Lakers are playing is different from the Bulls' defense. The Bulls had several good to great defenders and had a unique defensive presence in Pippen, and a weakness in the middle. The Lakers have defensive strength in the middle, no Pippen and no great defenders and only one good defensive starter in Kobe and one good defender off the bench in Ariza. He's not simply using the old Bulls' defense.
FYI...this year at the very beginning Phil made Kurt Rambis our "defensive coordinator"...its Phil credit to focus on D more, Kurt's actually implemented it.
Farmar, Sasha, Odom, and Ariza could ALL be starters on lesser teams(not together but dispersed among different teams). Thats why I dont call them scrubs. Our 2nd unit kills other teams 2nd units and usually expand leads when the first team is resting on the bench. You are selling Farmar short...really I was talking about ONE aspect of the game and I didnt even say "on par" I said "almost". Farmar can slice to the rim with the best of them and has high difficulty shots around the rim down pat. Derek Fisher is a glue guy for sure but for some reason he has decided he is gonna take ill advised shots for some reason. Im not against him shooting but he has made some dumb decisions latly which is very unlike him.
Lakers have had a totally easy schedule so far. We've played 10 road games. They've played 5. They're a 55 win team tops.
