The Los Angeles Lakers completely revamped their team this off-season and they became title contenders overnight. With the additions of Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, the Lakers made themselves the most talented team in the league and put themselves in prime position to win the franchise’s 17th championship.
However, before the Lakers can be crowned champions, the players must get themselves on the same page. Coach Mike Brown has the most scrutinized job in the NBA right now and there is immense pressure on him to get the Lakers to play as a cohesive unit. This summer, Brown decided to implement the Princeton offense for his team and so far he has received some serious backlash.
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Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar spoke to 710 ESPN Radio Los Angeles and discussed his impressions on the Princeton Offense. Although Abdul-Jabbar admitted he had not been to a practice, the legend chimed in on the changes to Lakers’ system.
“The Princeton offense from what I remember of it is very simple. It is kind of limited in terms of options, you play the pro game you got to have a number of options because you got really talented guys out there.”
The Lakers have the most talented team on paper and an offense that limits their effectiveness on the court is not the recipe for success. Prior to the hiring of the Mike Brown, Phil Jackson ran the sidelines and he won a total of five championship using the Triangle offense. Although it is highly unlikely that Jackson returns to Los Angeles, many of the players on the team have the ability to play in the Triangle.
There have been times this season where the Lakers ran the Princeton well and it translated into easy buckets for the stars. Although scoring hasn’t really been a major issue for the Lakers so far, the players do not look all that comfortable on the court. It will take time for the Lakers to get fully adjusted to the new system and they may not fully click until a couple of months into the season.
Kobe Bryant has already expressed his anger to those worried about the team’s state, and at this point patience is all that is needed with the Lakers.
