The crowded Lakers locker room with players and reporters alike showed in various snippets how they’re suddenly gelling.
Lakers forwards Ron Artest, Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter laughed out loud amidst conversation about the team’s 120-91 victory Tuesday over the Utah Jazz. Lakers guard Kobe Bryant jokingly lamented reporters for asking a “million questions” before agreeing to talk further, something that’d never happen after a rough stretch. And Lakers forward Lamar Odom openly wondered how often his successful floater before running out of bounds will be replayed on ESPN’s SportsCenter (“It’s up there.”)
The Lakers’ willingness to stay for a prolonged time to speak with the media in the locker room, Bryant’s teasing of Shannon Brown for bricking a fast break dunk (“I found it funny”) and Jackson granting the team the day off Wednesday serve as reactions to what transpired on the floor. The Lakers’ (33-13) extended Utah’s (27-18) losing streak to five by locking in on concepts the team need in order to three-peat. Balanced offense: The Lakers’ 62% mark and season-high 34 assists from the field reflected the engaged and attention to detail required for the likes of Bryant (21 points, six assists), Pau Gasol (20 points, nine of 13 shooting), Andrew Bynum (19 points, six of 9 shooting, 11 rebounds) and Lamar Odom (17 points, seven of eight shooting) all to reach double figures. Defense: The Lakers holding Utah to 41.9%, forcing 17 turnovers and scoring 20 points in transition point to the team’s continual improvement in communicating on defense, the frontline locking in on drivers to the basket and the backcourt holding the perimeter accountable. Effort: The Lakers’ ability to maintain a 17-game home winning streak to Utah without allowing the Jazz to rally from a double-digit deficit not only proves to be a rarity when the two match up, but it’s a sign the Lakers are taking regular-season games seriously.
“Obviously, we’re getting deeper into the season,” Gasol said. “We understand how important defense is in order to be successful as a team and to have a really good chance to win the championship.”
The easy and, perhaps cliched, explanation for the Lakers’ sharpness points to critical comments former Laker star and general manager Jerry West made regarding the team’s age and inability to play defense. Even if the team won’t admit it, The Logo’s prodding perhaps sparked some reaction. Or perhaps, as Jackson joked, he and the Lakers are trying harder since the Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich will coach the West All-Stars, a responsibility that Jackson doesn’t want and requires the conference’s best record. The more valid reasons point to the fact the Lakers have maintained this increased focus for the past month, albeit in bunches.
“Numbers don’t lie,” Bryant summed up.
The numbers say this : Statistically, the Lakers entered their game against the Jazz faring well in several categories, including points allowed (an 11th best 96.4 points per game), opponent’s field-goal percentage (43.8%, fourth in the league) and opponent’s three-point field-goal percentage (33.9%, fifth overall). There’s also been marked improvement partly thanks to a new defensive scheme in the last month that focuses on forcing players toward the baseline instead of into the center of the lane, closing out on shooters and keeping the post players close to the basket.
Offensively, the Lakers have also shown marked improvement. Bryant has shot above 50% for the seventh consecutive game, a trend Jackson attributes to Bryant handling the ball in his estimation 25% more since Bynum’s return last month to the starting lineup. Odom’s 57.1% mark from the field marks his best statistical start in his seven seasons with the Lakers, a line both Jackson and Odom point to his increased confidence with his outside shot. Gasol’s decreased minutes from December to January (36.6, 35.6) have led to uptick in shooting percentage (49%, 51%). And Bynum’s cracked double figures in 10 of the 12 games in January.
But that’s not what’s concerning the Lakers. It’s replicating the kind of focus displayed against the Jazz on a consistent basis, something they displayed valiantly in signature wins last week against Oklahoma City and Denver but appeared absent in a loss to Dallas.
“On a night to night basis sometimes, we get a little bit lax,” Bynum said. “But when we go out there and play hard, I think it’s tough on teams.”
Surely, other variables played into the Lakers’ dominance against Utah. It entered the game with a 0-4 trip that Jackson believed left the Jazz “depressed” for losses to Washington and New Jersey. The Lakers’ ability to have the day off Saturday and have two practices before hosting Utah juxtaposed the Jazz’s travel schedule, which also includes a second set of a back-to-back Wednesday against San Antonio.
“Live legs is the key to basketball in the NBA,” Jackson summed up.
But rarely have the Lakers been able to bask in such nuances of a dominating performance, with exception to the Lakers’ blowout this month to Cleveland. But there Jackson stood in front of the lectern expressing satisfaction in splitting time to Derek Fisher (23 minutes) and Steve Blake (23 minutes, a goal he wants to happen consistently but only when he feels the bench can sustain leads. Bryant waxed nostalgia about striving for improvement, despite being a 15-year superstar. And Gasol noticed the Lakers motivated in reacting on what was happening on the floor than how it affected the scoreboard.
It was just before the game that Jackson believed the Lakers are “very capable of being a good team.” In return, the Lakers proved the message valid.
“It’s a long race,” Jackson said. “It’s a really long run. You have to just pace it and know when it’s important to turn it on and step it up another level.”
–Mark Medina
E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com
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