Lakers vs. Spurs Game 1: Kobe, Better Late than Never!

May 22nd, 2008 – Dr. Browntorious

After watching Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals tonight between the LA Lakers and San Antonio Spurs, I felt like I just had some strange form of NBA déjà vu.

Haven’t the Spurs already played this team? Hmmm….

Oops wait, their opponents jerseys are a different color this time. First they played a purple team, and then they played a blue team, now they are playing a yellow team.

Seriously though, what are the major differences in playing style between the Suns, the Hornets, and now the Lakers. All three of the Spurs opponents thus far have been strong offensive teams, mediocre defensive teams, and have a one two scoring punch focused on a superstar tandem and an up-tempo style of play. Think Steve Nash-Amare Stoudemire, Chris Paul-David West, and now Kobe Bryant-Pau Gasol. Although the first two tandems would normally try and pick and roll teams to death, the Kobe-Pau tandem is more focused on isolation plays for Kobe Bryant combined with lob or drop passes for Pau Gasol off of defensive double teams on Bryant. When you really watch Pau Gasol closely with the Lakers, he acts as sort of a bona fide garbage man. Although given his skill and ability he’s more like the entire cleanup crew.

With that being said, half of that Lakers tandem IS Kobe Bryant, one of the greatest scorers we have seen in the NBA since Michael Jordan left the game. The interesting thing about this series is going to be watching Kobe’s offense facing one of the greatest defensive teams this league has seen in the last decade. I can already smell a heated clash at some point between Kobe and defensive specialist Bruce Bowen.

Kobe Bryant was magnificent in the second half of Game 1 against the Spurs. But last time I checked an official NBA playoff game is still 48 minutes long. Kobe seemed to be nonexistent in the first half of Game 1, allowing the Spurs to jump out to a large 20 point lead early in the third quarter. Phil Jackson characterized Kobe’s first half play by saying he must have “taken a vacation to the Bermuda triangle, instead of playing in the Lakers offensive triangle.”

Every player is entitled to play like a dog from time to time, given they are only human. But what you don’t want to see if you are a coach is your star player come out of the gates in an important Conference Finals opening game with little to no energy on either end of the floor. Being the star player on a team has its responsibilities. One of which is to set the tone for the rest of your teammates early in games. This doesn’t mean you have to necessarily score a ton early on. This can be something as simple as dropping a few nice dimes, working your tail off on defense, or making some hustle plays. The important thing is just to give the role players something to feed off of.

Tonight’s example of this type of leader was Tim Duncan. The “Big Fundamental” came to play tonight, as always, from start to finish. Duncan worked the glass, hustled on both ends, and was focused throughout. Finishing with 30pts and 18 boards 2 steals and 4 blocks, Duncan is the “Big Stat Stuffer.”

So the Spurs must have won easily right? Nope. Final score 89-85, Lakers.

Why? How?

Kobe Bryant is scary good. He had only 2 pts in the first half, the Spurs were up 20pts early in the third quarter, then Kobe must have decided he felt like winning. Mid-way through the third quarter Kobe hit a three, then a fade away, then a drive to the hoop, then some more jumpers. All of a sudden by the final minutes of the game, the Spurs were the ones trying to claw their way back into the game.

It must be terribly frustrating for a coach watching a player of Kobe’s caliber just “turn it on” at will as he did in the third quarter, knowing that he has the ability to dominate a game but only comes to play in spurts in such an important game in your championship run.

Who knows…maybe Kobe is just pacing himself. And contrary to what parents have been telling their kids for years, at the end of the day the team remembered is the one who wins, and the LA Lakers did that tonight.

If Kobe decides to bring it for 48 minutes a game the rest of this series, it will be all Lakers. If not the Spurs experience will probably result in wins more often than not in these chippy close games, especially the ones in San Antonio.

To paraphrase the great Phil Jackson: Kobe, there is plenty of time to visit the “Bermuda Triangle” in the off-season. For now just focus on the “Lakers Triangle.”