Should the Lakers Make Adjustments for Game 2?

Lakers Head Coach Mike D’Antoni said the Lakers didn’t need to make adjustments rather tighten up some of the things they were doing. In his post-game interviews, D’Antoni minimized, the best he could, that the Spurs bench scored 40 points, the Lakers 10. Although it seemed like he tried to avoid the topic, he acknowledged that the Lakers losing the turnover battle 18-9 was not getting it done.

Whatever you want to call it, the Lakers have to make some changes because if they play like they did in game 1, it’s going to be a very short series.

We all know the Lakers are in a period of major change anyways with the sudden loss of superstar and 5-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant, who will miss the playoffs and at least half of next season with an Achilles injury.

Even though the Lakers drew the Spurs and not the Thunder doesn’t mean they’re going to come out on top without desire, big plays, a little luck, and of course some hot shooting and timely defense. In fact, most professional pundits have called it Spurs in 6, not surprising in a #2 v #7 matchup.

Game 1 Highlights:

So, what can the Lakers do to make this series competitive?

Keep Going to the Well

If Steve Nash were healthy, they could run the offense through him, but Nash only produced 16 points and 3 assists in game 1. The Lakers twin-tower approach with Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard worked well.

But after getting an effective first half from Howard, the Lakers were unable to capitalize on Howard’s advantage down low. He went 2/3 from the field in the 2nd half. When the Spurs outscored the Lakers 25-20 in the 3rd quarter, Howard had 0 points on 0/0 from the field.

The Lakers need to keep going to Howard and Gasol down low all game long. Play big man ball and force it down the opposition’s throats.

If they can. Doing that against future Hall of Fame power forward Tim Duncan would be some feat.

Second Chance Points

Another troubling sign for L.A. was that Howard and Gasol only had two offensive rebounds between them. Loose balls and offensive rebounds can lead to second chance points, and that can help the Lakers make up ground on the score board.

The Spurs execute with deadly efficiency, and if the Lakers want to win, they need to come to a sad, but true, realization: the Lakers can’t out-execute the Spurs. The Lakers only chance is to play with more desire, more heart, and more passion, the qualities that lead to second chance points.

Defense

And, if the Lakers really want to have a shot to win the series, Gasol and Howard will have to lead the way defensively. They can’t just leave it up to Steve Blake, who had an incredible 4 steals and 2 blocks, in addition to 12 points.

The Lakers need to focus their defensive efforts on 4-time NBA champion Tim Duncan and 1-time Finals MVP Tony Parker, obviously. Manu Ginobili is playing on 1 leg; otherwise, they’d need to concentrate on him, too. The usual dynamic duo is doing damage for the Spurs, as they have been for over a decade.

Keep it Close

Fourth and finally, L.A. needs to be aggressive, not soft. Play to win. Don’t be happy just to be here. There was only 1 lead change in the whole game. The Lakers lost contact with the Spurs when it was 13-10, Spurs. Several Lakers turnovers and missed shots turned into easy buckets for the Spurs, whose lead ballooned to 19-10.

Once the Spurs held their 24-15 led after the first quarter, they never relinquished it. That’s what the Spurs’ experience has taught them. Get a lead and keep it. The Lakers need to keep it close. If there is any gap, close it. If the Spurs have too much of a lead late in the game, these Lakers are in trouble.

As far as the Spurs go, if they can shoot a little better and continue to execute and clamp down on the Lakers defensively, they should have no trouble.