LakerAlert: Derek Fisher Admits Regular Season Motivation Is Elusive

Ever wonder why the Lakers struggle against teams that they should demolish? Well starting point guard Derek Fisher pointed out the obvious following a recent 76ers-90-los-angeles-lakers-99/">lackluster win over the Philadelphia 76ers .

“There isn’t anything that compares to being in the NBA Finals and what that emotion, passion and intensity feels like,” Fisher told the Los Angeles Times . “You can’t duplicate that against the Sixers. Its just not possible. That doesn’t mean you don’t respect guys in the NBA or opponents, but it’s a different game.”

It’s understandable that a battle-tested, veteran, defending champion might have a hard time getting up for every game, but it should also be noted that these games decide who has home court in the NBA Playoffs.

Or have the Lakers forgotten about 2008 when the Boston Celtics punked them 4-2 in the NBA Finals with home court advantage.

Another interesting stat is that the Lakers are 4-8 against division leaders this season, something that the defending champions use to excel at, when they were motivated at least.

“We haven’t found that thing that gives us the desire to prove we’re the best team on the floor every night,” Fisher continued.

They obviously didn’t show it in their two performances against the Cleveland Cavaliers, their biggest threat to another NBA title.

Even Kobe Bryant acknowledged the same thing after Sunday’s win over the Denver Nuggets .

“We are happy or content at winning games sometimes and not really playing to our potential,” Bryant explained .

Well the time to put things together has come, maybe that’s why Phil Jackson sat Pau Gasol in the 4th quarter against the Denver Nuggets and played DJ Mbenga and Josh Powell with the team down by 13 in the 1st half.

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