I can’t think of another Lakers player in recent memory that’s drawn such ambiguities from Lakers fans as Derek Fisher has since his return in 2007. To some he’s indispensable, a magnetic personality in the locker room and clutch down the stretch—especially in the playoffs. To others he’s too slow on the defensive end and a liability on offense. For the majority of Lakers fans, Fisher falls somewhere in between.
If Fisher wasn’t that productive, if he was dispensable, then why sign him to a 3-year contract extension over the summer? A contract that, for the bargain price of $10.5 million, will keep the 14-year veteran guard in his purple and gold uniform for a guaranteed two years, and a player optioned third. In all likelihood, by the end of his second stint in Los Angeles, Fisher could potentially be 38-going-on-39.
For the majority of last season, Fisher’s numbers often left something to be desired. Come playoff time, however, it was a whole different story. Fisher was easily the MVP of Game 3, where he left the Celtic faithful at the Garden gasping for air, catapulting the Lakers to victory in the 4th quarter with his clutch play. He picked his team up, just like he had done numerous times before.
We’ve come to love Fisher as a player, accepting that regardless of what happens for the majority of the standard 48-minute game, he will almost always come up big and usually when it matters the most.
There’s no confusing that sentiment.
In some regard, credit Fisher for being the epitome of professionalism, always showing up to camp physically ready for the 82-game grind and the playoff push. According to NBA.com his streak of 413 consecutive regular season games played ranks second, league-wide. For the Lakers to continue that trend, they’ll want to keep Fisher between 25-30 minutes.
Next:The Lakers failed attempts at finding an heir for Fisher The Lakers did attempt to transition a guard to take over Fisher’s minutes or at least match them. Someone who could churn out the same production value Fisher brought while on the court. Javaris Crittenton (at the time), Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown (in 2008) were all brought for a shot at eating the bulk of Fisher’s minutes and inheriting a spot in the starting line-up. Three years and a new contract for Fisher later, the job is still available, Crittenton enjoying an extended vacation, Farmar now playing for the Nets and Shannon Brown still a Laker, but being groomed for other purposes.
Enter Steve Blake. It was never a question that Farmar was unhappy in Phil Jackson’s system, his departure from the Lakers eminent. What caught most people by surprise was the Lakers’ front office move on the second day of free agency, signing Blake to a 4-year $16 million dollar contract. Lakers fans should have no reason to doubt the front office after what they’ve been able to do for the franchise over the last few years, and this was no exception. The signing of Blake was the right move.
Seven games into the young season, the expectations for Blake have been met, if not exceeded. He’s picked up the triangle offense seemingly quick, proved himself clutch by nailing back-to-back three point shots against Houston on opening night in the final seconds of the fourth quarter and unlike Farmar, actually wants to be here. In fact, Blake played the entire fourth quarter of that game against Houston, which led many to believe that he would see an equal amount of minutes as Fisher sooner rather than later.
“I’m not here to challenge him for a starting spot. I’m here to be his teammate,” said Blake. “He helps me if I’m on the court. We’re always communicating and trying to make each other better.”
Not that Fisher minds giving up his minutes to Blake, he’d probably be the first to tell you he’s okay with it so long as it’s in the best interest of the team.
Next:The Fisher-Blake combination is just part of L.A.’s 7-0 start The combination of the two guards, as opposed to one overshadowing the other has worked better for the Lakers than anticipated. Actually, Blake hasn’t come significantly close to even equaling Fisher’s minutes. He’s still only played an average of 19 minutes per game to Fisher’s 27 minutes. Don’t blame Blake for being unable to lighten Fisher’s load. Fisher is proving himself too valuable to be out of Jackson’s line-up. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, in the early go around, Fisher has been putting up an average of 9.9 points per game on 46.8 percent shooting and 66.7 percent beyond the arc. Not that Blake’s averages of 7.4 points per game on 43.2 percent shooting and 50 percent in three-point land are pedestrian either.
So what if Fisher doesn’t have the foot speed to keep up with every quick point guard in the league? Okay, maybe that’s a concern, but to say Fisher doesn’t contribute to defense is incorrect. What Fisher brings to the defensive table are steals, charges and a knack for getting a hand in to break a play for the opposing team. For example, in an otherwise uncontested attack, Fisher tipped the ball out of bounds off DeMar DeRozan to protect the Lakers 93-90 lead over the Raptors just a few nights ago. We saw it in Sacramento also, when he displayed flashes of the same hustle plays from just a few months earlier during game 3 of the NBA Finals.
“I get as much and sometimes more, you know, joy, satisfaction, gratification out of the little plays,” Fisher told ESPNLosAngeles.com’s Brian Kamenetzky Friday after the Lakers win over the Raptors. “Those little things that make the difference, you know they might not show up on the stats sheet every time, but because your teammates or coaches recognize those things…that’s when it means the most.”
The relationship between the two guards isn’t competitive, but rather cooperative. They can be integrated into the line-up, regardless of which starts, accommodating to each other’s style to get the job done. Already reaping the results of having Blake available to come in for Fisher, Jackson has been able to keep Fisher’s minutes between that all-to-important 25-30 minutes range.
It seems as though Jackson has a problem on his hands that 29 other coaches in the NBA would love to have. He’s got two very efficient, game-changing and scrappy guards, who can produce numbers at almost the same rate of efficiency, in a moment’s notice.
It’s only one of the many facets of this Lakers squad attributing to their 7-0 start.