7. "blueprint right there in front of them: Kobe faciltate, D12 play D/Board" In response to In response to 5
Nash look for his shot and help when Kobe's in trouble, Pau beast off the bench as their primary post-player/#1 option on the floor versus second units, the rest is gravy is those four fall in line.
Can they sacrifice individual concerns & put ego aside for the sake of the group?
Time will tell but the formula is glaringly obvious now.
They have no excuse to miss the playoffs & possibly make noise in them if they stick to that script.
The question isn't whether they'll stick to it while on this little win streak, the question was whether old habits, finger-pointing & bitchassedness resurface when they finally lose a game to a hot shooting team because they're never gonna be able to play perimeter D worth a damn.
If they're smart, they'll realize that ain't important as long as they stick to the core principles of what they need to do to win together on offense.
Btw, Herb needed a timeout during that 'bench' run with Gasol & Blake out there. He's got a young-ass team, they don't need to rest just because the Lakers first-unit is, that Rivers/Jason Smith trash is gonna get you run out the building before you even bring Gordon/Davis back.