Jackson: Trades tough The coach says the Lakers' needs have changed too much over the season to narrow down where to fill. By KEVIN DING The Orange County Register PHOENIX ? The NBA trading deadline is Feb. 20, and Lakers coach Phil Jackson would love for his team to play so well between now and then that no changes are necessary. For the time being, the Lakers just ponder moves - the latest being adding Atlanta guard Jason Terry. But as he related his conversations with General Manager Mitch Kupchak, Jackson talked Wednesday about how the Lakers' needs have changed throughout this season. "When we have a discussion, it's usually about what do we really need on this basketball club and then what do we have that's available that we can work at," Jackson said before the Lakers' 99-90 victory over Phoenix. "At one point this season, we needed rebounding. Samaki (Walker) was injured; obviously we were getting beaten up on the inside; Shaquille (O'Neal) wasn't active enough to get rebounds and chase down balls. "We solved that problem. Samaki got healthy ... we're now one of the leading rebounders in the league. "We were an inaccurate shooting team for a long time, and we changed that. We just kind of believed in our guys up to this point. But we do know that our bench is not giving us a damn thing; we've got to have something out there besides just sustained effort. They've got to score. "They've got to do something as defensive stoppers; Robert (Horry) has had that ability in the past, and Devean (George) has to provide that for us. And we have to have a guard come in and help us out, too." Jackson takes exception to the notion offered recently in an ESPN.com article that he hampers Kupchak's efforts to alter the roster in hopes of keeping his familiar guys. "There's nothing factual in an article like that at all," Jackson said. "But when you've been as fortunate as I have been in an NBA career and won as often as I have - not due to my own credits, but due a lot to organizations, because organizations win - there's no reason to come back at a reporter." Jackson was more disappointed because he said he has been especially accommodating with ESPN the Magazine in the past. "I had an inclination of calling up ESPN Magazine and talking to their editorial staff about who allowed something like that go in," Jackson said. BENCH BURST Speaking of that bench, Horry and George contributed to the victory in Phoenix. Horry got tagged twice in the game by Phoenix's Stephon Marbury - aggravating his right-hand sprain with 9:45 to play then getting scraped in the right eye with 3:48 left. Horry hung in there and tied his season high with 16 points. He helped hold Phoenix phenom Amare Stoudemire to seven points on 1-of-12 shooting from the field. George did well defending Phoenix All-Star Shawn Marion (18 points), playing the entire fourth quarter and finishing with eight rebounds. The Lakers' bench outscored the opposition's bench for the first time since Dec. 6. It was only the ninth time in 43 games that has happened. SHAQ VS. YAO O'Neal, who lost the All-Star vote as Western Conference center to Houston rookie Yao Ming, offered some standard reactions such as: "It's good for the game." But O'Neal noticed that Yao's first season coincided with the first season the NBA opened up Internet voting in Chinese. "The only way to beat your daddy in the All-Stars was they had to open it up in China," O'Neal said he would tell his children one day. In response to the NBA's reports that he lost to Yao in paper ballots also, O'Neal sarcastically said: "Sure I did." He also said the NBA should make voting available for other countries then: "If you're going to open it up in China, open it up in Germany for Dirk (Nowitzki of Dallas). ... Open it up everywhere." As he walked away, though, O'Neal said: "I'm too big to worry about stuff like that."
That would help the lakers alot but Lakers don't have much to give except Walker but thats not enough
where would he play on the lakers he has trouble playing point guard and kobe cant play sf, so that must be false.
Thank god... Thank god the Lakers didn't get Terry. That would mean big trouble for the rest of the NBA.
The Lakers could really use Jason Terry next season. With the Laker's lack of a true PG, it would do them wonders to pick up Terry. He is a free agent also, could be a big possibility.
wow your really late and your posting in an old thread. and jason terry isnt a hawk anymore. so dont open up old threads.
