Defensively, Brown was one of the best options available. Mentally, the Lakers have been a very weak defensive team in recent years. They play it when they want to –- which unfortunately, for the sake of their three-peat chances, was only when they absolutely had to, and it subsequently hurt them.
“You have to play defense,” said Brown. “The last 15 NBA champions finished in the top 12 or better in the NBA defensively. 14 of those 15 finished in the top eight. The two right now, are going to keep that trend alive. That’s something that we’ll preach from day one, is that end of the floor.”
However, as Brown comes in, the triangle offense appears to be on its way out.
“We’re not going to run the triangle offense, but we will have bits and pieces of it that we run. … “A lot of what I’m going to take offensively will stem from the time I spent in San Antonio. I was in San Antonio for three years; we won a title in 2003. We had two skilled seven-footers in Tim Duncan who is currently there, and David Robinson.”
The idea of using Gasol and Bynum in a similar fashion that the Spurs used Duncan and Robinson for two championship runs in San Antonio is enticing. While the Lakers’ offense has been heavily influenced by their two big men, it has never relied so heavily on it before. And although this might strike worry into some fans who believe that the offense should be Kobe, Kobe, Kobe — it’s what is for the best of this team, and for Kobe.
If Brown can successfully utilize Gasol and Bynum in ways similar to the Spurs’ usage of Duncan and Robinson, it is going to work. They are two, very skilled and capable seven-footers who, when working together at a high level, create the best front court in basketball.
Aside from being a confident diplomat, Brown is an optimist. Despite the Lakers massive struggles in 2010-11, and their embarrassing exit from the playoffs, Brown doesn’t see anything that is incapable of being fixed.
“Everything is correctable. If you have the determination and will, everything is correctable in life,” said Brown.
From what he has gathered with talking to some of the Lakers roster, he acknowledged that their earliest start to summer since 2007 has positively influenced this team, and that they are hungry because of it.
“Hopefully when we start training camp, I have 15 angry men I have to deal with,” he said of the team’s determination heading into next season.
He may not know what size shoe his predecessor, Phil Jackson, wears; nor should he be expected to fill the proverbial shoes left before him by the Zen Master. But one thing is for sure, Mike Brown is going to be Mike Brown and just as he is, I am confident that if he does that — the Lakers will be in good hands.
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