The keys: Kobe’s distribution, hustle on D

April 18th, 2008, 2:49 pm · Post a Comment · posted by KEVIN DING, OCREGISTER.COM

So much of what the Lakers do on offense is dictated by how opponents defend Kobe Bryant, so it’s worth taking a look at how Bryant played in the three games against Denver this season: He averaged 22 points on 56.8 percent field-goal shooting and 7.7 assists. That means he shot less and more efficiently, and obviously Bryant’s teammates made the Nuggets pay because Denver lost all three games to the Lakers.

But even more than Bryant’s calm hand, the Lakers’ energy on defense will be key this series. In the Lakers’ two blowout victories over Denver this season, they held the Nuggets to seven transition points each time. In the game the Lakers won, 111-107, Denver had 23 fast-break points to threaten very seriously.

Phil Jackson will be trying to get his players to hustle back to form a “whole crew” in transition defense.

“We really have some problems in transition defense, and we’ve been working at that,” he said. “And we’re going to get better at that. A lot of times we get caught with too many people at the basket with guards driving and nobody covering for the guards in getting back on defense.”

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