The LA SPORTS BLOG: The Young and The Restless
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by LASportsblog
By: Jeff Girouard
I am a Laker fan and not a Laker apologist (read: here come some excuses). Sure on the surface a 1-2 Laker road trip may not have been what fans were looking for after a promising 6-3 start, but look closer and a number of positives can be plucked from the past week.
First off, the Lakers traveled with a relatively thin lineup. Kwame of course is out indefinitely with knee and ankle injuries; Javaris Crittenton is gleaning in-game experience to the tune of 6 mpg in only 3 appearances this season (about right for a 19 year-old playing for Phil Jackson); Coby Karl had been used sparingly before notching his first 2 points of the season in garbage time of the Indiana blowout on Tuesday; and Brian Cook and Mo Evans were sent to Orlando for swingman Trevor Ariza. The latter spent the past two games in a suit next to Asst. Brian Shaw absorbing the triangle from the bench. The timing of the trade (on the road) left some fans perplexed, but the urgency to exercise Tony Battie’s injury exception expedited the deal.
Though the Lakers net an athletically gifted defender, the trade essentially left 10 players to play 3 games in 4 days.
Secondly, moving Bynum to the starting line-up to replace Kwame has downstream effects on the rest of the rotation. Though he does not yet warrant consistent double teams his offensive game and rebounding prowess certainly garner the attention of other defenders (especially while playing with the second unit). The fact that Chris Mihm’s limited post play (be it rust or confidence) only demands single coverage on the block means Farmar and Walton must work harder to get the second team open shots. On most possessions Mihm’s defender is able to focus primarily strong side and challenge penetration.
Lastly, you may be frustrated by Phil Jackson’s coaching style. His perennial resistance to calling time outs and leaving Kobe on the bench for those 3-4 extra game minutes in which the opposition may find their footing and stretch a lead back to double digits is not futile. Extended minutes for guys like Farmar and Bynum on the road will prove invaluable down the line and trading two veterans for a 22-year old further underscores the youth on this team. Unlike the week by week pundits that spin the latest boxscores for a headline, PJ thinks big picture; a style that agitates and confuses fans in the short term for long term dividends.
