Los Angeles Lakers: With Mike Brown, It's About Defense First
The Los Angeles Lakers will definitely sport a new look next season, and it will not depend on which players are in the team. It’s all about their new coach. The legendary Phil Jackson is gone. There is also a lot of talk about the glaring personnel needs the former champs have, and the possible trades that “should” be done to improve the current roster, so there could be important new faces on the sidelines next season.
One of the main things that Lakers brass looked for in the new coach was to be a coach that would emphasize on the defensive side. Even Kobe Bryant has admitted that defense wins championships. That can only mean that “Showtime” will be back in LA next season, just that this time it will be a “Defensive Showtime.”
Mike Brown may not have been the best coach available, but contrary to what many people think, he was the best fit for the Lakers.
Brown’s reputation is about being a defensive-minded coach. Before he become a head coach in 2005, he developed his craft as an assistant under two coaches who know a thing or two about coaching and who have both been Coach of the Year, Gregg Popovich in San Antonio from 2000 to 2003 and Rick Carlisle at Indiana from 2003 to 2005.
After he became the Cleveland Cavaliers head coach on the 2005-06 season, the Cavs were consistently on the top 10 defensive teams, including leading the league on the 2008-09 season on both points-per-game and opponents-field-goal percentage. He was named Coach of the Year that very same season.
A lot of things can be argued about his handling of LeBron James, and his offensive schemes—which King James destroyed—and it's true Kobe Bryant could do the same thing. But, this is Brown’s second stint as a coach, and he has his “lessons learned.”—specifically with regards to knowing how-to-treat an elite player personality. Jerry Buss, his son Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak are no dummies. They know what they are doing, and their track record shows it.
The current Lakers roster could use an upgrade, most notably the point guard position and their bench players, but it has the makings of a good defensive team. Ron Artest and Matt Barnes are on the team because of their defense. A year of a focused Pau Gasol and an injury-free Andrew Bynum would give both the time to get familiar with playing alongside each other and provide a formidable and intimidating “Twin Tower” combo.
Brown’s biggest challenges won’t come from getting the players to buy into his system. The challenge will come from getting the players to buy into each other; to get the players to get their swagger and hunger back and really buy into the “we don’t play for second here” mentality.
They were just not mentally tough this season, and there were no Zen thoughts that could get them out of that funk. At least Brown so far has been very enthusiastic, and you've got to admit that is contagious.
What will remain to be seen is what offensive scheme is put in place in Lakerland. All we have learned so far is that it will run some bits and pieces of the Triangle Offense, most likely very small ones.
Whichever scheme they run, Kobe Bryant should pace himself, take a step back and finally allow the game to come to him, by letting the game be from the inside out, not the other way around. If Kobe Bryant wants to prolong his “productive” years, and get another crack at a championship, he must allow that to happen.
So far Brown has talked to and texted the players, specially his sit-down talk with Kobe Bryant, who appears to be on board with him. One thing you can be sure of the Lakers next season is they will have a different look. This might still be Kobe’s team, but it will be Mike Brown’s system, and it will be defense first!
