Andrew Bynum, the L.A. Lakers center, is seven feet tall. He weighs 285 pounds ( almost 130 kilograms ). His main job with the Lakers is to provide a defensive presence in the interior. Andrew Bynum’s task is to grab rebounds, block shots and convince people not to drive to the basket.
Game Five of the championship series between the Celtics and the Lakers means possible elimination for Coach Phil Jackson’s team. The Lakers trail the series 3 - 1. A win in Game Five (or Game Six or Game Seven) means a championship for the Boston Celtics. Game Four was devastating for the Lakers. It was a historical collapse and losing a game in which, at one point, the Lakers had a twenty four point lead. Phil Jackson commentary was:
“…I just told them as a team, they had their heart ripped out. It’s tough to recover from that, but they will. This thing is not over, and we want to force the action, want to continue to force the play.”
About forty years ago, Dr. Martin Seligman described in the psychological literature a phenomenon called ‘learned helplessness’. He drew parallels between learned helplessness and clinical depression. In learned helplessness, the subjects of his studies felt that the outcomes were beyond their control. They perceived that they were, in effect, helpless to change outcomes.
This might be Phil Jackson’s greatest challenge. His main task might not be plays and substitution. Instead, Phil Jackson’s focus may be to convince his team that indeed they can win. The Lakers know that a lead over the Celtics is not insurmountable. With outside shooters and an inside presence, the Celtics have shown that a twenty four point deficit is manageable. If the Lakers have a lead, the question will haunt them as to whether the Celtics will be able to erase the deficit.
If the Lakers fall behind in the game, will learned helplessness determine play? Will the Lakers feel that this Boston team will dominate them, as they did in the first two games in Boston and in Game Four in Los Angeles. Will an early lead by the Celtics seal the fate of the Lakers?
The best scenario for the Lakers is securing an early lead and building upon that lead relentlessly. In Dr. Seligman’s learned helplessness model, the Lakers have to convince themselves that they can control the outcome. Phil Jackson’s task will be as much ‘head therapist’ as head coach.
Much of the outcome of Game Five will depend on Kobe Bryant. After the Game Four melt-down, will Kobe Bryant trust his team mates? Will Kobe Bryant try to carry the Lakers through Game Five by taking over the game from start to finish? Kobe Bryant’s reputation took a beating in Game Four. Professional basketball’s reputed ‘best closer’ could not protect a twenty four point lead. Some basketball reporters have said that should end all Kobe Bryant comparisons with Michael Jordan. The sentiment is that no Michael Jordan team would squander such a huge lead, in a championship series. That will be a debate that will not be answered soon. The pressing issues is whether Phil Jackson can convince this team that they can win Game Five and prevent the Celtics from celebrating a championship… on the Lakers’ home court.
Catherine Forsythe
In Game Five of the Lakers - Spurs series, the Spurs built an impressive seventeen point lead. Clearly, the Spurs had a sense of urgency about this possible elimination game. They were more energetic than the Lakers. Some might say that they were more desperate.
With the Spurs holding a seventeen point lead, Phil Jackson made a key coaching decision. He played his bench rotation with one starter. He put on the court Sasha Vujacic, Ronny Turiaf, Luke Walton, Jordan Farmar and Lamar Odom from the starting unit. It was a calculated risk. With the Spurs holding a seventeen point lead and playing well, any increase in the points deficit could have meant an insurmountable edge. That would have meant that the Spurs would have Game Six on their home court.
This second unit, along with Lamar Odom, did not allow the deficit to increase. They managed to narrow the Spurs lead from seventeen point to a manageable eleven points. It made the game a contest again.
Phil Jackson could have stayed with more of his starters and relied on his best lineup to close the deficit. Instead, he trusted his bench players and he kept to his usual player rotation. He allowed four of his starters their normal rest. Perhaps it was a calculated gamble, since the starting unit had allowed the Spurs to build the lead. The decision to play the second unit, with Lamar Odom, showed a trust in his young players. It was relying on the experience and playing time acquired during the regular season. Phil Jackson believed and trusted his young bench players. And they did not disappoint.
Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster: http://flyinghamster.com/
Jordan Farmar’s post season play has been remarkably different than his regular season performance. Some of the media scribes have called it a “slump”. It was more a coming of age as a professional basketball player for Jordan Farmar. First, the Lakers faced the Denver Nuggets in the initial playoff round. With that, Jordan Farmar had to contend with Allen Iverson. In the next playoff series, it was the Utah Jazz and it was lessons from Deron Williams. And now, it is the San Antonio Spurs and a very quick Tony Parker facing Jordan Farmar.
Based on the stakes at hand and the on-court struggles that Jordan Farmar was having, the coaching staff of the Lakers could have justified reducing the playing time of their young point guard. To Phil Jackson’s credit, he trusted Jordan Farmar and played him in his regular rotation with the second unit off the bench.
In Game Two of the Lakers - Spurs series, Jordan Farmar richly rewarded the faith that his coach had in him. Jordan Farmar scored fourteen points, with five baskets on seven tries, one blocked shot and one steal. He shot fifty per cent from three-point territory. Further, Jordan Farmar made one of the spectacular defensive plays of the night. He chased down Ime Udoka and, from behind, he elevated and blocked an almost sure layup. Jordan Farmar did not give up on the play.
link: Game Two
Often, Phil Jackson is not given full credit for his coaching acumen. He has had superstar like Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant. Some have wondered how much coaching is involved with stars such as these, except to have them at the arena by game time. However, these stars did not start winning until Phil Jackson was their coach. And as with Jordan Farmar, Phil Jackson is going through the process of watching some miserable play in order for his player to find success. In Game Two, Jordan Farmar started to repaid the trust.
Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster: http://flyinghamster.com/
Phil Jackson, the head coach of the L.A. Lakers, has a point guard problem. The problem is what to do with Jordan Farmar, his backup for Derek Fisher. Jordan Farmar has not been able to score in Game Three nor in Game Four, against the Utah Jazz. The series swings back to a critical Game Five in Los Angeles on Wednesday, May 14. It seems that Phil Jackson has three options:
This is the type of decision for which Phil Jackson is paid millions of dollars to make. It is drama. It is the mental part of the game that goes beyond just athletic ability. - And here is where basketball fans do some ‘back seat driving’ and speculate. I would play Jordan Farmar. He is part of the what has brought the team this far. Let’s see if he has the ‘championship stuff’. There is one sure way to find out - and that is by playing him - and trusting him.
Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster
