Lakeshow Spotlight: What the Lakers Ought to Learn from the Rockets

[NJNJ]

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Imagine if the Lakers lost Kobe, Gasol and Bynum. What would their record be at this point in the season? Seeing as to how much trouble they have teams of the Sacramento Queen’s King’s caliber, I’d wager they’d be below .500 if their starting lineup was Fisher, Odom, Artest, Brown and Mbenga.

 

So how have the Rockets (20 – 15) performed at such a high level missing both of their superstars with no one filling the void?

 

The Rockets give the Lakers non-stop trouble every time they play despite missing Yao and McGrady, despite lacking anyone close to seven feet tall, despite lacking a go-to guy anywhere near Kobe’s skill level, and despite lacking anyone of Lamar’s versatility coming off the bench.

 

The Lakers are more talented and deeper at almost every position than the Rockets. Yet the Rockets manage to fight the Lakers to a virtual draw every game. But how?

 

The Rockets play textbook perfect basketball and squeeze the value and talent out of every player on the roster. The mercurial Lakers could learn much from the-little-red-team-that-could.

 

A few lessons the Lakers would do well to learn…

 

1. You don’t need seven-footers to play big – Players like Scola and Landry play tough as nails and are extremely effective post players. They know their game and play within their limitations. They hustle, they play hard, aren’t afraid of contact and fight hard for position. The whole team crashes the boards every time a shot goes up.They’ve outboarded the Lakers in previous games this season without a single seven footer.

 

That’s playing big.

2. You don’t need superstars to stay competitive – I have trouble thinking of anyone on the Rockets roster going to the All-Star Game this year, let alone anyone who’d be considered a “superstar.”

 

Basketball purists must squeal with glee watching the Rockets play pure, unadulterated team basketball. The team’s collective conscious probably has the highest basketball I.Q. I’ve seen in years. They move the ball effectively, make few mistakes, find the open man and all play their positions intelligently. Foolish mistakes and bad decisions are rare.

 

No one on that team is particularly physically gifted, but they all know their strengths and play to them.

 

3. You shouldn’t need to have a Kobe Bryant bail you out – As much as I enjoy watch Kobe put up 44 points, dish out 11 assists and drop game-winning 3’s, the Rockets don’t have the luxury (and it is a luxury) to have someone come in, put the team on his back and carry them to a W. They come in and play hard every single possession. Out of all these lessons, the Lakers need to take this to heart.

 

CONTINUE READING

[ChosenOne]

That was a good read. Who ever wrote that up did it perfectly, no flaws.

 

If the lakers played the hustel basketball like the Rockets do then they would never lose becase of all the talent they have on that entire roster, but they dont and that is why night in an night out teams like the Rockets and Kings give them a run that normally ends with Phil Jackson saying Kobe get to work. the Kobe heroics that we are so getting use to seeing is great, but I am not sure that it will work agaist good/better teams the Rockets.