Q: Can you explain why it seemed like he started off so strong in those games before the playoffs, then seemed to lose it against Utah?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: I think just the scouting that everyone does for the playoffs, they identify the consistent threats and figure out a way to neutralize them.  He's moved up on everybody's list, in terms of (them saying) "You've got to do something about this guy, or his effect on the game is going to have you guys end up with a loss."  People understand that, and he's getting more attention than he's ever gotten in his life. 

Q: Does it make a difference that this is truly his first meaningful playoff experience?

KAJ: He hasn't ever played at this level, and at this type of intensity.  So it's a whole new situation for him.

Q: Is it a learning experience for him?  Did he go through some of that process in the Utah series?

KAJ: The playoffs are another level of basketball, and it's new to him.  I hope he's learning, yeah.

Q: Have you talked to him about what to expect?

KAJ: Yes.

Q: How has he responded to those conversations?

KAJ:  I think he's doing well.  I told him not to worry about the stats.  Just having the opportunity to be out on the court and not have to sit down with foul trouble means that he'll be out there and will figure it out.  He's very good at making adjustments to how he's being played. 

Q: Is it tough for a young player to realize that if he just rebounds and plays defense that the points will come as a natural part of the game? 

KAJ: Andrew wants to excel.  He's looking to dominate the game, but sometimes you have to be patient and allow things, the part of the game that comes to you, allow that to happen.  He's figuring it out.  By the end of the playoffs, people won't be talking about these issues.

Q: Psychologically, do you think it was tough for him to come off the bench and not get the playing time he was used to?

KAJ: I don't think so.  He saw that he didn't play very well, and Lamar has been doing a great job starting.  So it's not like we took a step backwards.  He had a few things to adjust to, and is seeing what that entails. 

I get the impression that Bynum is listening to those around him, because asked by a reporter the same question put to Kareem, about what has changed since the last four games of the regular season and the start of the playoffs, his answer is a nice hybrid of Kareem's response and what Odom told the media about Bynum after Game 5.  "It's funny, because LO told me that when he got hurt with his shoulder, the first couple games were easy for him.  I guess he was excited to be back, just like I was, and it carried through and he played well," Bynum said.  "But then it's the next group of games to come, and plus it's the playoffs and now everyone is studying you even more.  I have to learn and adjust, and I'm going through that period right now." 

Meanwhile, Derek Fisher (in the vid below) told the media that whether they play Houston or Portland in the next round isn't really important, because in the end it's "about us."  Does that mean the team best equipped to beat the Lakers is, indeed, the Lakers?

"Yeah.  I said it on September 30th when we opened, and I'll still say it now.  And I'm sure every team believes that.  The things we've to build the type of leads that we've built- against anybody- those are the things we're capable of doing for longer periods of time, without allowing that slippage.  In my opinion, it's not a matter of who we're playing against, if we're able to hold our focus and our intensity, it doesn't matter." 

So what's the difference, I asked, between a "blown lead," and those ebbs and flows when you guys might hit a rut or the other team simply starts playing better?

"Sometimes it's tough to tell the difference, but I think momentum is a very fragile thing in all of sports, and particularly in basketball because there are so many possession changes.  Momentum is key, and there are ways of sustaining it even if you're not playing great.  There are certain things you can continue to do, even if you're not shooting the ball well or the other team starts to shoot the ball a little better.  The way you execute your offense, the type of sets you get into to make sure you're getting a higher percentage shot or one that is later in the shot clock."

"It's a combination of things.  More than likely you'll get a higher percentage shot as you work deeper into the clock, secondly, you're also taking more time off the clock which is (the opposition's) biggest enemy when you've built a significant lead.  And then more times than not you're giving your defense a chance to get back and get set as you get deeper into the clock and take a higher percentage shot.  That's where leads disappear, when the other team (quickly) starts to score a lot of points."

Fish then spoke of continuity on the defensive end, and the maintenance of defensive cohesion, intensity, and focus.  Getting guys who may not always play together on the same page, communicating and continuing to follow the same game plan.  "On offense, in this league, there are a lot of times when you can get a ball to one guy and everyone else can just get out of the way.  Defensively, you can't do that.  That's what makes it hard to sustain over time."  Everyone has to be on the same page on every trip, something tough to do as games evolve and personnel changes.

Finally, his video:

The Lakers will practice tomorrow, but don't expect a heavy day.  The slow week continues if Portland manages to extend their series against Houston tomorrow night in Texas.

BK