The Los Angeles Lakers lost Game 1 of their first-round playoff matchup against the New Orleans Hornets, 109-100, and the nine-point deficit just happens to be one more point than Lakers forward Pau Gasol managed to score all game.
Lakers coach Phil Jackson said before the series started that his team should be able to use their size advantage to make quick work of the Hornets, but I'm assuming he thought Gasol would show up to play.
Gasol's eight-point performance must have been the most puzzling of all in a game that the Hornets were able to win based on the dominance of one player.
Hornets point guard Chris Paul's 33-point, 14-assist performance reminded people why Paul is still considered by some to be the NBA's top lead guard, and although he played brilliantly, the Lakers still could have won if Gasol would have decided to show up.
Paul is the only player on the Hornets roster that the Lakers should fear, and even though players like Landry Fields and Trevor Ariza stepped up big in Game 1, it was solely because of Paul's penetration and performance in the pick-and-roll offense.
Paul was responsible for more than 60 percent of the Hornets offense in Game 1, and if the Lakers want to erase the bad taste that loss left, they will need to cut that number in half.
It's a classic case of kill the head and the body will die, but the real question is, do the Lakers have anyone on the roster who is capable of answering that challenge?
Paul routinely used his quickness to blow past the slower Lakers defenders, and once he got into the lane, he usually faced little resistance at the rim from the Lakers big men.
Center Andrew Bynum was effective in the middle, but he was nowhere near as dominant defensively as he had been during the latter part of the regular season. Meanwhile, reserve forward Lamar Odom only managed to grab one rebound.
But Gasol's performance was the most troubling, because if he and star guard Kobe Bryant play up to their potential, the Lakers can still win without the benefit of big games from their teammates.
Bryant did his part by scoring 34 points and drawing the Lakers within four points late in the fourth quarter of Game 1, but Gasol looked old, tired and disinterested.
To be honest, Gasol hasn't been the same player since suffering a slight knee injury in a late regular-season game against the Denver Nuggets, but that can't be used as an excuse against the Hornets.
Even on one leg, Gasol is bigger and more talented than any other post player on the Hornets roster, and in order for the Lakers to win, he needs to remember that.
Contrary to some opinion, there is no reason for any panic in Los Angeles, and the return of point guard Steve Blake should help the Lakers at least a little with their Paul dilemma in Game 2.
Point guard defense has been a thorn in the Lakers' side for the last few seasons, but there is no way that one player should be able to beat a team as talented and experienced as Los Angeles.
I'm sure Coach Jackson will remind his players of that fact before the Lakers hit the court for Game 2, and he might want to set aside a little time for Gasol in his pre-game speech as well.
A veteran like Gasol shouldn't need to be reminded of how critical his performances are to the Lakers hopes of a three-peat, but if I were Jackson, I would tape a stat sheet from Game 1 in Gasol's locker for good measure.
John Baker Brad Davis Logan Morrison Mike Stanton Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox
Keine Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen