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[senorroboto2k5]

1.) No. He's flying to LA tomorrow. His first game sounds like Sunday, but possibly Friday vs the Suns.

2.) I don't even want to think about that

 

[pmatic]

The D'Antoni Effect: New Roles for the New-Look Lakers

New Lakers head coach Mike D’Antoni brings with him the famed spread pick-and-roll system that in the mid-2000s rejuvenated not only the Suns franchise, but the entire league. With its emphasis on spacing and ball movement out of pick-and-rolls, the scheme is a perfect foil to the aggressive, strongside-blitzing defenses that are commonplace in today’s NBA.

It remains to be seen, though, how well it fits the Lakers roster. Here are the biggest changes and concerns facing the team as they adjust to their new head coach.

Kobe Bryant: Pick-and-Roll Player

Bryant has made his mark as one of the game’s greatest scorers through his incredible prowess in post-ups and isolations. D’Antoni’s system typically seeks to avoid those situations, primarily asking wings to spread the floor from the corners and hunt 3-point shots early in the possession. Using Bryant in ball screens would be a good way to keep him actively engaged without sacrificing any of the offense’s core principles.

Running a steady dose of pick-and-rolls in this spread system is something that will be relatively new to Bryant, as the transition drag screens and high-angle and middle ball screens weren’t frequently found in the triangle (which normally uses ball screens in the corner or on the side of the court). The good news is that despite the differences, Bryant has the tools to be a very effective player in this action. His size, handle, and ability to make all the necessary passes make him a good choice to run the offense for stretches at a time, particularly with Nash on the bench.

If the former Suns point guard’s injury problems persist, it will almost be a necessity to make Bryant the primary pick-and-roll ball handler over the less-than-capable Steve Blake and Chris Duhon unless D’Antoni opts to go against his philosophy and implement a more isolation-heavy offense.

Jodie Meeks: Integral Part of a Finals Run (Jodie Meeks!)

It’s crazy to think that Meeks — signed late in free agency for barely above the veteran's minimum — is in a position to have a major impact on the Lakers' title chances. But the shooting specialist could provide a huge boost to D’Antoni’s system, pairing with Bryant and Nash in a smaller backcourt more capable of opening up the floor for the high volume of pick-and-rolls. According to most metrics, Meeks is also, at the very least, an average defender who can hold his own against the vast majority of shooting guards in the league. This combination of floor spacing and defense could eventually earn him a major role, especially come playoff time.

The four teams most likely to come across the Lakers’ path en route to a Finals appearance — the Grizzlies, Clippers, Spurs, and Thunder — all offer defensive headaches for D'Antoni's team. Meeks is certainly no stopper, but asking him to chase Tony Parker, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and Mike Conley around while Nash hides on a weaker alternative could provide a huge boost for the team on both ends of the floor. Meeks tracking Westbrook over the duration of a playoff series in particular would be quite an interesting (and entertaining) subplot.

Steve Nash: Work Horse

Make no mistake about it, with D’Antoni in-house, Nash's health is now the most important question facing the Lakers. If he can’t stay on the floor or, more depressingly to those who have long admired him, has finally become ordinary, the team will have made a grave mistake hiring a coach whose offensive system relies on a brilliant playmaker to make it work.

The most worrisome sign for Lakers fans likely came in the second quarter of the team’s first game against the Mavericks.



The Rodrigue Beaubois steal certainly isn’t something that will become commonplace, but it illustrates how vulnerable Nash has become to pressure from long, athletic guards and pick-and-roll defenders of the same ilk. Throughout the regular season, many coaches will ask their guards to hound Nash up and down the court in an attempt to disrupt the L.A. offense. In the playoffs, both Eric Bledsoe and Westbrook could cause serious problems for the Lakers offense by making Nash’s life miserable.

Nash succumbing to the aging process would be made worse by the uninspiring group backing him up. Darius Morris, Duhon, and Blake barely warrant NBA roster spots, much less important minutes on a contending team. If the Lakers are unwilling or unable to upgrade behind Nash, it may force D’Antoni to play his aging point guard far more than he should during the regular season. So while some are clamoring for Gasol to be traded for an assortment of shooters, perhaps the smartest deal L.A. could make would be one to shore up the backup point guard position.

Metta World Peace: Power Forward

There have been some murmurs, since the Lakers acquired Howard and Nash, about the possibility of shipping out Gasol for a 4 who can capably stretch the floor all the way out to the 3-point line. Murmurs became solid chatter the moment D’Antoni took over as head coach. It is perceived by many that his system functions best with a Channing Frye/Ryan Anderson type pairing with an explosive roll man in the frontcourt.

Antawn Jamison, strangely miscast as a small forward under Mike Brown, is now considered the in-house favorite to assume that role. But no matter where he plays, Jamison’s defensive deficiencies are so glaring that moving back to the power forward spot hardly helps. World Peace, however, is at the point in his career when transitioning to a full-time 4 will provide a boost to his effectiveness on both ends of the floor.

World Peace's poor rebound rate is a problem for a power forward, but it is mitigated by being paired with Howard in a way that Jamison’s defense cannot. World Peace also has the potential to be a plus defender at the 4 spot due to his strength and mobility, turning a positional weakness into a strength for the Lakers. And not much is lost on the offensive end of the floor, because Jamison’s career 3-point percentage is just a shade better than World Peace’s mark (34.6 to 34.1).

Overall, the move to the four may not reverse World Peace’s declining production, but it most certainly creates more value to the team should D’Antoni commit to moving him there as much as possible.

Nate McMillan: Defensive Coordinator?

Early rumors suggest D’Antoni is considering adding old friend Nate McMillan to his staff to focus on the team’s defense. Comfort aside, the facts state that McMillan is a poor defensive coach unable to coax good results from his units. His teams in Seattle and Portland played at a snail-like pace that obscured the fact that on a per-possession basis, the defense was largely pedestrian and sometimes just downright terrible.

Personnel certainly plays a key role, and some of McMillan’s teams were severely lacking in that department, but the consistent mediocrity from even some of his better teams makes his potential hire as “defensive coordinator” seem rather ridiculous. In fairness to D’Antoni, during the NBA season isn’t exactly the ideal time to be filling out a coaching staff. The pickings are certainly slim, but perhaps a broader search process that spans into the college ranks is required given how much is at stake.

Link

 

[thachosen123]

They aren't going to play 40 minutes next to each other each night. They will play a few minutes at the start of the 1st and 3rd together, then one sits. So we can use Pau both ways, out on the perimeter when Dwight is in, and in the post when Dwight sits.
Seems doable, don't it?
P

DEFINITELY how it should've been all along

 

[armorrig]

@ChrisMannixSI The Lakers have been dangling Steve Blake and Chris Duhon in trade talks, source said. Predictably, not a whole lot of interest.

lol why am I not surprised

 

[thegoldenchild]

Did anyone know that Kobe wore #8 because that's what D'Antoni's # was in the Italian league?

uhm, no.. that was a rumor... kobe wore #8, because he couldnt wear #33.. which he wore in high school.. he chose #8 cause at adidas abcd camp he got 134.. adding all those numbers, 1+3+4=8..

had nothing to do with d'antoni.. kobe had respect for him, but that was not the reason he wore #8

 

[grandtheftbike]

do we still not want delonte?

 

[senorroboto2k5]

Great read PMatic

Delonte might be a perfect sign... he's decent at attacking the basket too like Barbosa... only thing why the Lakers haven't jumped is for his issues, probably

 

[tonelow]

Thx for all of the articles Pmatic

Never thought about Ron at the 4...interesting.

 

[senorroboto2k5]

D'antoni on ESPN 710 now

 

[pmatic]

No problem guys.

I can't think of a single team that needs a backup point guard at the moment, especially ones that cost $4 and $3.25 million each while being as unproductive as those two are.

 

[teamlakers909]

we need to sign Delonte West

 

[thegoldenchild]

Great read PMatic
Delonte might be a perfect sign... he's decent at attacking the basket too like Barbosa... only thing why the Lakers haven't jumped is for his issues, probably

yeah but can d'antoni handle a headcase like delonte? maybe kobe will help him conduct himself like a professional.. i know jamison and pau are constant professionals.. maybe the lakers should have faith in the veterans on that team and pick up west

he's a better shooter than barbosa.. no doubt about that

 

[thegoldenchild]

Thx for all of the articles Pmatic

Never thought about Ron at the 4...interesting.

if lebron can do it, ronron can do it too.. might not be as tall as bron, but is just as strong..

 

[senorroboto2k5]

Some of the things he said:

- It won't be the "Seven Seconds or Less" offense (he says more like the 24 seconds or less offense - you just get one good shot in the clock. He let the Suns jack it to make up for their shortcomings)
- Model it after Showtime
- Nash will be handling the ball because he's great at getting everyone involved
- It's about balancing offense and defense. He had the Suns focus more on offense and less on defense, because they weren't built for defense anyway
- His Suns teams didn't focus on defense as much because they were young and small
- He knows he's called Antoni, so he's gonna take the "D" from Dwight's name
- No updates on Nate McMillain. He's heard the rumors, and if he has him, he won't have him for long because he's Head Coach quality
- Leaving it up in the air the first game he'll coach. He wants to get some things in practice
- Knicks tenure involved a team coming together, injuries, Linsanity, and other pressures happening. It was the right decision to leave. Experience, resulted in some wounds but he can handle it
- Start off by not burdening players too much and weaning them in. He knows the guys can play, and Nash will make it even easier.
- He was told in Phoenix to martial Steve Nash's minutes so he's used to preserving him... just not when the game's on the line

 

[k2theablam]

I'm behind dantoni 100%, just like I would be behind phil 100%. We are in an infinitely better position that we were in this time last week. Let's not forget it.

Can't wait to see what he can do for our offense. Kobe coming off screens for open jumpers and easy looks for our bigs.

Sign me up please.

 

[senorroboto2k5]

Nash will play like Nash, handling the ball and utilizing his court vision and passing skills rather than be restricted to playing off-guard half the time in a foreign system.

That's the biggest difference and it'll be felt right off the bat, whenever he recovers from injury. The only adjustments will be learning each other's spots and movements.

 

[ag 47]

- He was told in Phoenix to martial Steve Nash's minutes so he's used to preserving him... just not when the game's on the line

*smiles from ear to ear*

 

[Maximus Meridius]

@ChrisMannixSI The Lakers have been dangling Steve Blake and Chris Duhon in trade talks, source said. Predictably, not a whole lot of interest.

Make it happen.

 

[tonelow]

No problem guys.

I can't think of a single team that needs a backup point guard at the moment, especially ones that cost $4 and $3.25 million each while being as unproductive as those two are.

I think it would be a mircale for them to move either Blake or Duhon. Especially since we dont have any draft picks. I was looking at Philly, NO, Orl, Cle and Wash as teams that could use a backup.

Only way I see Blake or Duhon moving is if Pau is traded.

 

[thegoldenchild]

I think it would be a mircale for them to move either Blake or Duhon. Especially since we dont have any draft picks. I was looking at Philly, NO, Orl, Cle and Wash as teams that could use a backup.

Only way I see Blake or Duhon moving is if Pau is traded.

yeah well pau is not going anywhere.. i dont think kobe will allow it.. and who else can you get in return?? imo the only one that would be worth the trade is kevin love

 

[CP1708]

I'm telling you, if Morris can get his dribbles down, and keep shooting, he could flourish under Mike. FLOURISH.

Not Nash like flourish, but every PG Mike ever had ends up having his best seasons, and now he'll have an early 20's athletic kid, just need to teach him and let the game slow down for him, he could help us out a lot more than Duhon will. Blake will have some usage as a shooter at some point, and possibly a Fish like defender. To be read, tough, gritty, dirty, and flop.

 

[jaysfiend23]

As a knicks fan they did Phil dirty but grabbing dantoni instead, I hate dantoni IMHO I can't say I like the move

 

[armorrig]

it seems the charter cable service in my area doesn't offer the lakers channel yet. I'm changing over regardless.

 

[kvsm23vs24]

Is Dish gettin it?

 

[krazyrodzilla]

Mason and Ireland is such a JOKE!