Sunday, December 18, 2005
Los Angeles went 5-1 on its road trip.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Phil Jackson's triangle seems to be taking shape.
The Los Angeles Lakers got off to a slow start this season in Jackson's second stint as the team's coach, but played their best basketball of the season on a recent road trip.
The Lakers went 5-1 on the trip, climbing above .500 after spending the early part of the season in last place in the Pacific Division.
"It gives us confidence," Kobe Bryant said after the Lakers closed the trip Wednesday with a 94-79 victory at Memphis. "It shows that our play is not a fluke. We move the ball consistently and play defense consistently. This bodes well for our confidence."
The problem
The Lakers struggled at the start with Jackson's triangle offense, forcing Bryant to take too many shots. He had 30 or more field goal attempts six times during a seven-game span earlier this season, but averaged 21 shots during the road trip.
"He was just taking some bad shots. He knew it," Magic Johnson said. "There were shots that normally you've got to kick that ball, rotate it.
"When the Lakers started playing well on this [trip], you saw Kobe was taking his shot and then giving that shot to Lamar [Odom] and the other guys. "He realizes he needs those guys to play well for the Lakers to win."
Like Bryant, Jackson had to learn to trust players who weren't there when he previously coached the team. The players now seem to have grasped his offense, scoring more than 100 points three times during the trip.
Odom, the only other top player on the team, was expected to contribute. But Jackson also has been getting surprisingly strong play from the likes of Smush Parker and Chris Mihm.
Bench has helped
"Our bench has helped us," Jackson said. "We're shooting the ball well because the ball is moving. Our players are developing better chemistry. This team has confidence and can play with anyone."
Still, Johnson thinks it might be another month before the Lakers hit their peak.
"I thought it was going to be a team in January or February anyway because of all the new guys trying to learn the triangle," Johnson said. "They're probably still on that timetable."