Lakers Bloggers-
Hey. Two big games this weekend. Massive. Gargantuan. No question, the kind of games you'd normally have two live blogs to from which to pick and choose. Unfortunately (or fortunately, if that's what you'd rather have anyway) you only get one. Some long planned, unchangeable, unavoidable, unbreakable travel plans with my fiance will keep me out of LA on Friday and Sunday.
So bring home a couple winners, and I'll be guaranteed a shot at Game Six... or better yet, take two at home and Game Five in Phoenix, and hopefully it'll set up a Lakers-Clippers Round Two that will create more buzz in Los Angeles than news of Brad Pitt leaving Angelina Jolie for Billy Bob Thornton.
Okay. Enough on programming notes, more on hoops. Here's today's question. Phil Jackson has developed a game plan that has managed to, paraphrasing PJ's own words, stymie and befuddle the Suns. In Game One, the Lakers had a chance to steal the game with a better showing on D and a couple clutch shots. Didn't happen. Game Two was another story entirely- an often dominating performance forced Phoenix to play catch up, no fun for even fun-and-gun NBA teams.
So here's the question. You're Mike D'Antoni. What adjustments do you make going into Game Three? How would you break the Lakers D, or force the Lakers offense to play to your tempo. Would you try to force the purple and gold to rely on Kobe? Would you have to see a shrink just for thinking of that sort of strategy?
And more importantly- because no Lakers fan wants to think of a good idea and give it away to the enemy- afterward, after removing your sombrero de D'Antoni, put on your PJ hat. What adjustments should Jackson make in anticipation of D'Antoni's moves? Or is it a question of, "You know what we're going to do, but we're betting you can't stop it?"
If cliches have taught us anything, it's that the playoffs are a chess match. What moves are coming next?
BK