At the start of the season, Phil Jackson had a good feeling about the current Lakers squad. Such a good feeling, that he even made the proclamation that is was his deepest Lakers team aside from the 1999-00 bunch that included the likes of Brian Shaw, Derek Fisher, Rick Fox and Robert Horry coming off the bench.
Okay, so maybe comparing the Lakers’ current bench squad of Lamar Odom, Shannon Brown, Matt Barnes and Steve Blake to the aforementioned squad is a bit unfair, but if there’s definitely more fact than fiction to that statement.
Recently we’ve seen the Lakers’ reserve build leads, blow leads and create an air of inconsistency. They let a 17-point lead dissipate to six in the fourth quarter against New Orleans last Sunday, allowed the Clippers to cut a 16-point lead down to four the previous game and couldn’t put Phoenix away after getting ahead by 21-points, leading to the Lakers’ first triple-overtime game at home since 1969.
These are just some examples of how the bench has fared as of late, it should be noted that the Lakers couldn’t be 15-1 since the All-Star break without at least some contribution of their key bench guys. The regular season is one thing, but the playoffs are a whole different monster.
If Jackson stays true to what he’s done in the past, he’ll stick to a 9-man rotation throughout the playoffs. Assume it’ll be the five starters, Odom, Brown, Blake and Barnes playing the majority of the minutes during the playoffs. You wouldn’t expect Luke Walton to come in unless either Artest or Barnes succumbs to foul-trouble or injury.
So how does the current Lakers’ bench fare to last year’s? Actually, quite well if not better. That is of course setting aside the fact that the bench didn’t set the bar very high last year.
Next: Odom and Brown mature, the Lakers benefit
Lamar Odom
There’s only one word that separates Odom’s 2010-11 campaign with last season’s and that word is consistency. In terms of guys coming off the bench, few deliver what Odom brings to the Lakers. He can play any of the five positions on the court, go coast-to-coast on a fast-break and has the ability to create his own shot or facilitate shots for his teammates. Odom’s versatility puts him above the rest and makes him instrumental in the Lakers’ championship title hopes.
This season he’s averaged 14.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, while shooting at a high 53.8-percent. His point and shooting percentage are significantly higher than last year’s and it’s all due in large part to the consistent effort he brings each night on the court.
Outside of Odom being consistent, he’s benefited from playing alongside players with a pass-first mentality. That’s something that lacked from last year’s list of reserves. Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic were mostly interested in finding their own shots, at times leaving the Lakers’ number one advantage—their interior size—by the wayside. With Barnes and Blake the ball moves around more, creating opportunities for open shots and keeps the opposing defense on their toes.
Advantage: 2010-11’ Odom
Shannon Brown
Mostly known for his high-flying dunks, Brown set out to prove this season that he also had a jump-shot and could shoot from long range. This was much more apparent at the start of the season when Brown started off hot with an above-average shooting percentage. He cooled off slightly, went through a mid-season slump and is starting to settle into some consistency.
Last year, this wasn’t always the case. Brown struggled at times with his jump-shot, never really giving the Lakers any help with perimeter shooting. In order for the renegades to be effective, Brown has to step-up when needed and provide the Lakers with quality minutes while Kobe isn’t on the floor. Perhaps that’s easier said than done, but in Bryant’s absence Brown can provide athleticism and quickness in running the break, can take to the basket collapsing the defense and finding the open man or make shots from long range.
He’s been doing a good job of it for the most part, save a few mental mistakes along the way. Most importantly for the Lakers, having evolved and added to his game from the previous year teams will have to either pay more attention to him or pay the consequence should he burn them on offense.
Upgrade from 2009-10′? Definitely.
Next: The Lakers finally find an effective sub for Fisher
Steve Blake vs. Jordan Farmar
When the Lakers signed Blake in place of Farmar over the summer, on paper it appeared as though the Lakers upgraded instantly. For the most part, that still holds true. Farmar was more over-dribbling and calling his own shots than the Lakers coaching staff would’ve preferred, plus he was never really accepting of Jackson’s system.
To be fair to Farmar, he did have his moments. When last year’s bench played well they took advantage of their speed and athleticism. Farmar would at times create opportunities on the fast-break using his speed and having Walton as a facilitator, when healthy, helped. However, those times were few and far between. With Blake they get a combination of both facilitator and perimeter-shooting threat. Less we forget what the Lakers gain on defensive from Blake which was sometimes questionable from Farmar.
Overall, Blake provides what the Lakers couldn’t really get consistently from Farmar. A guy who would take some of the pressure off Odom to setup the offense, a reliable shooter from the perimeter and someone who could effectively come in and cut-off some of Derek Fisher’s minutes. There were times this season when Blake could’ve been more aggressive for the Lakers, but as March begins to dwindle and the playoffs start to roll around, we’re seeing more of the qualities the Lakers were hoping to get out of Blake from the get-go.
Advantage: Steve Blake, slightly.
Next: Barnes provides defense and grit off the bench
Matt Barnes vs. Luke Walton
Yes, I’m aware that Luke Walton still plays for the Lakers. That being said, with Walton mostly out of the Lakers’ rotation last season due to injury, there wasn’t ever a legitimate sub-in to provide Artest with any rest. If Artest needed to take a breather, Jackson would move Kobe Bryant to the wing and insert Vujacic or Brown and the two-guard. Not that it caused Bryant to be any less effective, he’s perfectly capable of playing at the three-spot, but being over-worked isn’t always conducive to maintaining fresh legs come playoff time.
Insert Matt Barnes and almost instantly the Lakers’ problems backing-up the wing were solved. In fact, Barnes pre-injury was doing so well that some people thought the Lakers would be better off putting him in the starting lineup and having Artest come off the bench. That was mostly due to Artest going through a funk, but he’s worked his way out of it for the most part since the All-Star break.
Now all Barnes has to do is provide a spark off the bench, spot-up and hit a few shots while providing a defensive intensity last year’s second unit lacked almost completely. He’s been a little up-and-down since coming back from knee surgery, and even though he’s not quite up to the same production on offense, he’s still contributing by grabbing rebounds, mostly on the defensive end.
Advantage: Matt Barnes, no contest.
At the end of the day, the reserves must attempt to break games open instead of giving up leads and making Jackson have to resort to re-insert the starters. The most important part in achieving this is sticking to a game plan that works. Good ball movement, finding the open man and not giving up on defense.