Spurs/Lakers game 1 analysis

This series isn't close to being over, but the Spurs are dangerous. They did exactly what they needed to do to hurt our offense. The only reason this wasn't a blowout is because they couldn't score themselves! How many air balls did the MVP shoot? Where on earth was Tony Parker? Here are a few things that come to mind about last nights game...

1. The Spurs bodied up on our gaurds and prevented the easy entry pass to Shaq, or for that matter ANYBODY else. It's hard giving the ball to the big fella when your being pressured and the defenders are just waiting to jump the passing lane.

2. They didn't double Shaq and if they did they doubled him at the right times. Often they wouldn't double Shaq and that in itself makes our role players worth a damn because they can't create shots for themselves. If they did double Shaq they tried to do it when he came down the middle and he had already made up his mind he was going to shoot, therefore preventing the open look to the role players.

3. They didn't double Kobe. Bowen bodies up Kobe like no other defender in the league. Kobe shot was off last night. Could be a credit to the aggressive defense of Bowen forcing Kobe to spend more energy simply dribbling the ball. Let's face it. If Kobe can't draw double teams with dribble penetration and Shaq doesn't get double teamed down low then the other guys simply will not score. This is the reason Kobe shot so many freaking times. They couldn't get the ball to Shaq and Kobe couldn't find the open man off the dribble. Again, very good coaching tactics. The only way for the Lakers to prove them wrong is simply Kobe and or Shaq dominating to such a great extent that the Spurs HAVE to double. Either that or Phil starts coaching.

losing Dev is probably more painfull than anybody realizes right now. He is not only the starting 3 right now, but he was also the only consistent bench player we've had all year long. So not only are we missing a starting SF right now, but we're missing a SF all together AND we're missing our sixth man. I just hope he'll be back by game 4 or 5. The 37 year old Brian Shaw will stop being Mr. Dependable real quick if he is asked to play 30+ minutes a game.

So what is the Zen Master to do? Needless to say this will test Phil Jackson like nothing ever before. He started out this season with a paper thin squad that could barely withstand one injury, but now he's got two. The two are IMO the two biggest injuries that could of happend with the exception of ofcouse Shaq and Kobe. I believe Phil needs to mix things up a little bit. Give the spurs some of their own medicine. Pressurace it. If Kobe can't draw double teams with dribble penetration and Shaq doesn't get double teamed down low then the other guys simply will not score. This is the reason Kobe shot so many freaking times. They couldn't get the ball to Shaq and Kobe couldn't find the open man off the dribble. Again, very good coaching tactics. The only way for the Lakers to prove them wrong is simply Kobe and or Shaq dominating to such a great extent that the Spurs HAVE to double. Either that or Phil starts coaching.

losing Dev is probably more painfull than anybody realizes right now. He is not only the starting 3 right now, but he was also the only consistent bench player we've had all year long. So not only are we missing a starting SF right now, but we're missing a SF all together AND we're missing our sixth man. I just hope he'll be back by game 4 or 5. The 37 year old Brian Shaw will stop being Mr. Dependable real quick if he is asked to play 30+ minutes a game.

So what is the Zen Master to do? Needless to say this will test Phil Jackson like nothing ever before. He started out this season with a paper thin squad that could barely withstand one injury, but now he's got two. The two are IMO the two biggest injuries that could of happend with the exception of ofcouse Shaq and Kobe. I believe Phil needs to mix things up a little bit. Give the spurs some of their own medicine. Pressure them now that we need to go small and push it. That's what their trying to do to us, and I think if we countered it with some of the same tactics we can tire them out. There is no way they can play pressure defense and play against pressure defense for an extended period of time. The Lakers need to go small and sufficate them for speratic stretches of 5 or 6 minutes. This will soften their pressure and allow Shaq to wreak havoc inside. Either that or Phil can refuse to coach and stay with his "precious" and hope Shaq and Kobe catch fire. Maybe Phil had a feeling this was coming? How else can we explain the small lineups he used at the end of the regular season. Let's just hope that the rookies are ready now, because their gonna HAVE to play AND contribute if we are to advance...

If Kobe can't draw double teams with dribble penetration and Shaq doesn't get double teamed down low then the other guys simply will not score.

Exactly. Kobe took exception to being single-covered all night but failed in his attempt to expose it.

My problem is Shaq barely even touched the ball in the entire 2nd half. I'd rather have Shaq working with single coverage than Kobe. Both are good, but while Kobe might shoot 50% on a good night Shaq will shoot 65% -- AND draw fouls on the Spurs' big men.

losing Dev is probably more painfull than anybody realizes

Completely agree. We don't have a 3rd small forward who can play defense, and Devean was our only athlete off the bench. Kobe is going to have to move to the SF and Shaw is going to have to pick up the minutes at the SG. "Mr. Dependable"? We'll soon find out.

"Kobe took exception to being single-covered all night but failed in his attempt to expose it."

Well, with all due respect, when a superstar of Kobe's caliber shoots 38 fukin' shots, I expect him to get a minumum of 10 free throws simply on principle of the way one is forced to defend a player as unstoppable as Kobe. Why is it then that Kobe got 4 free throws and one of them was on a three point play? I'd say the refs allowed the spurs to play overly physical defense (Poppovich was planning on using a lot of fouls against #8) without the side effect of the fouls and free throws. if T-Mac or AI had shot the exact same shots as Kobe did last night, they would have had about 15 free throws. the refs allowed the spurs to flaunt the rules and rewarded them for doing so!

"My problem is Shaq barely even touched the ball in the entire 2nd half."

That is largely due to Shaq's own lack of energy and (as Kobe and Phil have repeatedly tried to tell him this season) lack of willingness to catch and look for the ball on the move.

"I'd rather have Shaq working with single coverage than Kobe."

I would, on average, as well..but there are times (like last game) when Shaq stands around and calls for the ball then tries to just push over the competition and hope for the best. I agree with kobe's decision not to reward that kind of lazy effort with more and more bad shots from too far out to be effective.

"Both are good, but while Kobe might shoot 50% on a good night Shaq will shoot 65% -- AND draw fouls on the Spurs' big men."

Totally agree with you about Shaq shooting better than Kobe (he's better than anyone in history in the % department IMHO) but diagree vehemently with the "MIGHT" shoot 50% about Kobe. You might be one of those casual laker fans that think Kobe is the team's incarnate of AI and Marbury and that they put up with Kobe's selfish 30 shots a game "I'm gonna get my shots" poor shooting and attitude because he plays pretty well and helps take some pressure off of shaq, then you need to listen up. Kobe shot 52% from the floor for the month of February (as the #1 option with the team's offensive priority) and shot 45% from the 3PT line as well. Don't doubt Kobe's shooting prowess and don't assume he is anywhere near the kind of ball hog or "volume" shooter that some of the other stars in the NBA are. he can shoot as much as anyone, but he can score as efficiently as anyone as well.