Winter Ecstatic About Gasol, But He Wants Odom To Play Better
By Roland Lazenby | The Show with Roland Lazenby, Los Angeles Lakers
The triangle offense has long been known as a difficult adjustment for players coming to the Los Angeles Lakers. But Tex Winter, the guru of that offense, says that post players have the easiest time adjusting. It stands to reason. Post players don’t have to do all the passing and cutting and reading that forwards and guards do in the triangle. Post players merely have to get in position to get the ball in the right position, which is often point-blank range.”Our offense is predicated on someone scoring inside, on our getting the ball inside,” Winter explained in a phone interview. “It’s a center-in, post-up offense.”
That’s why Kwame Brown, for all of his defensive quickness, wasn’t much help. That’s why Winter didn’t like the idea of getting a Ben Wallace from Chicago to bolster the Lakers frontcourt. Neither offered someone for guard Kobe Bryant to play off of.
It’s easy, then, to understand why Winter’s elated at the trade for center/forward Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies. “Gasol’s a real player, particularly offensively,” Winter confirmed. “He knows how to score. He’s got great hands, and he’ll fit in nicely too. We can get him the ball in position where he has the opportunity.” With the development of center Andrew Bynum before his recent knee injury, Kobe Bryant reminded Lakers fans that he knows well how to play off a big man who can catch and score.
“Kobe’s always looking for somebody who can score the basket,” Winter said. “I hope Kobe learns how to use Gasol the right way. I think he will. He’s really shown how well he can do that.” Winter, who recently spent five weeks with the Lakers despite battling a painful case of the shingles, said he has visited with Bryant often in recent weeks and has really been pleased with his growth in leadership. It is definitely one phase of Bryant’s game that is not Like Mike.
“Something I see Kobe doing is really energizing those young guys,” Winter said. “Kobe likes working with them and being positive, instead of being critical.”
Winter coached Jordan in Chicago and observed his very powerful leadership style. “Michael was very critical, which is OK sometimes when team members have the confidence to accept it. Some people couldn’t handle that from Michael. We ended up with only the people who could take it. Kobe has taken a different approach in his leadership. That’s good. Because guys like Lamar Odom and Luke Walton are already so low in their confidence, you’ve got to build them up. And I think Kobe has tried to do that.”
Bryant seems to have save his harshest criticism for himself, particularly after his recent 11 turnover game, Winter said. In case people get the idea that Winter has softened as he nears his 86th birthday, think again. He has fussed all season that the Lakers need to change the way they play the screen and roll, especially how they choose to bring help from the wings, where opponents have their three-point shooters waiting. He says the Lakers too readily leave shooters open, and he favors getting the help on penetrating guards from the big man in the post.
That would mean the Lakers would have to help the helper, the common basketball phrase, but that would force the extra pass from the offense. He was fussing in particular about Odom helping and leaving his man open late in the loss to Detroit. “I’ve made a lot of suggestions,” Winter grumbled. “I don’t know if I’m being listened to. There are a lot of coaches on that staff, a lot of voices. I don’t know who has Phil’s ear.”
Winter’s basic suggestion is that the team focus harder on fundamentals so that players “basically execute their skills better. Passing, cutting, screening, ballhandling, we don’t do those things well. We’re haphazard about them in our execution.” Meanwhile, the longtime coach says he stays out of team personnel issues other than to point out that Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak has done a remarkable job of building the team through draft picks and personnel moves.
Winter does fear that Odom may be the next on the trading block if he doesn’t begin to play up to his vast potential on
a consistent basis. “Odom, I don’t know what’s wrong with him,” Winter said. “He can’t seem to find his way. He’s been with us a long time. He’s been awfully good at times. It’s really hard to figure out why he hasn’t played better this season.”
In some ways, Odom may benefit most from Gasol’s presence. With less of a scoring burden on him, Odom may be able to focus better on rebounding and pushing the ball on the break. That stands to reason, although Winter wouldn’t confirm such a notion, saying instead that Jackson will have to wait and see how the team grows with the move. Winter did guess that Jackson would miss Brown. “Phil sort of liked the challenge of seeing what he could do to help Kwame be effective,” Winter observed, adding that God had played a cruel trick on Brown, giving him an impressive body but withholding key elements that would make the former number 1 overall pick an NBA star.
With the Lakers needing scoring in the post so badly, Kupchak had long been looking for a quality big man to help the team. There was once hope that big man would be Kevin Garnett, who went to Boston instead. But with Gasol, the Lakers have scored nicely, Winter said.
To get Gasol, Los Angeles traded promising rookie Javaris Crittenton to Memphis, plus two first round draft picks and the rights to Gasol’s brother, Marc Gasol. “Crittenton’s gonna be pretty good. He’s a player,” Winter said. “But he won’t be ready for another year.”
The Lakers, meanwhile, have shown they’re much about right now.
Roland Lazenby is the author of “The Show, The Inside Story Of The Spectacular Los Angeles Lakers In The Words Of Those Who Lived It”
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Great article coach!
Rolands stuff is the best stuff on this site regarding the Lakers.
Oh, and Odom should be looking to step up the defense on guys like Marion, AK47, Al Harrington, etc. and fill up the line with something like 12-12-6-2-2 every night. Sort of like a AK47 role, but his ability to rebound and push is something that really sets him apart.
I guess you could go with a three man rotation at the 4/5 with Odom off the bench. Pau(4)/Bynum(5) to Odom(4)/Pau(5) to Odom(4)/Bynum(5) and back to Pau(4)/Bynum(5). And then of course keep the Farmar/Fish/Kobe/Odom/Rony for the up-tempo run and gun. SOOOO many looks with this team. So very exciting.
Yeah, that was a great article. Very substantive and a lot better than the God-awful Plaschke column that the LA Times continues to force down the throats of LA sports fans.
Anyway, I think Odom’s personal loss from last year has taken his heart out of the game. I doubt he’s ever going to live up to his potential to be one of the best players in the game. Be that as it may, Odom at the 3 and as the team’s 4th offensive option is a hell of an asset. He also fits very well into this team, often quietly amassing 15 boards and finding new ways to contribute. So I hope the Lakers focus on what he is, not what he is not, and I hope they keep him.
Couldn’t agree more Mark. The fact he’s a 3rd or 4th option on offense, and because of his physicality he is such an asset on defense makes him a critical part to the Lakers having the best depth in the NBA. Damn this team is good on paper. And I think they;ll be just as good in practice. Maybe even right out of the gate.
Always appreciative of your input Roland L, and Tex’s too.
I agree completely with his views on LO.
Speaking of Plaschke, pretty much any sportswriter that goes on Around the Horn is a complete joke. Plaschke in particular is revolting. I cancelled my 2 (home and office) LA Times print subscriptions because of him several years ago.
It’s funny that it has taken the rise of web publishing platforms to really put some validity back into journalism (and sports journalism in particular). Not that all blogs or bloggers are good. Most suck, but at least they have an excuse.
What is Plaschke’s excuse?
I totally agree with Mark.
I believe that Lamar is more comfortable being a 3rd or 4th option scoring-wise, and that the effort and things he brings to the Lakers are underappreciated.
I believe also, due to his performance in Miami that one year, and the fact he was to, in a sense, replace Shaq, put alot of unrealistic pressure on him to be someone he is not (ie, “Scottie Pippen”).
Lamar has always tried to please, and he was put in a situation that was a set-up for him to fail, as he IS NOT the player that the Lakers organization wanted him to be.
With the addition of Pau Gasol, the burden to do so much has hopefully has been lifted, and Lamar can bring his hard hat and lunch pail and do what he does best and be appreciated for it.
In some ways, LO is almost a victim of his own versatility. He can do so much and at times seem to control the flow of a game, that you wonder why he can’t do it all the time. Having a chance to be around the team, I never question his heart or desire to win… the guy cares, there’s no question. But there’s something that’s always been missing- not to play armchair psychologist, but he doesn’t have the mentality or makeup to be a conventional superstar. He’s much more comfortable greasing the wheel than being the wheel itself (that makes sense in my head, at least).
From a practical standpoint, I really hope that this deal allows LO to thrive. He won’t have to score, but wil be in a position to do a lot of the other things that can make him effective. Down the road, I don’t know that, even if he’s successful with the new alignment, that they’ll be in a position to resign him, but hopefully in the meantime he’ll have a chance to play well. he was miscast in the trade that brought him here. Now, in theory, he should be in a better comfort zone.
It’s just frustrating, because those times where he’s on, he really can control a game. He’s incredible in the open floor, is a natural rebounder, and a resonably good defender. He’s so good in those moments that it makes it that much more disappointing to watch him in those moments where he disappears.
Brian-
That’s the best in-a-nutshell synopsis of Lamar I’ve read. And yes, they won’t be in a position most likely to resign him (unless he signs for a LOT less money than most teams will pay for him). He would be an extremely valuable player for a sub .500 team. He’d be like Magic Johnson Light if was the feature guy on an eastern conference team. He’s the kind of a quiet leader and a good locker room guy that a young team would love to have to sort of shape up the younguns. I see him going to the Brooklyn Nets or the Knicks after his stint is over with the Lakers (with maybe an outside chance of the heat or Blazers). I sure hope he stays in LA though. I’ve always loved Lamar, even if he can be a bit frustrating.
McHale should be burned at the stake for not taking him and Bynum. Instead they got a bunch of scrubs and the next Zach Randolph. Who knew that several months later the Lakers would be BETTER OFF not getting Garnett in that trade? Amazing.
Your relationship with Tex has really opened a side of the Lakers not normally visible to us fans.
I feel I not only understand Tex a little better, but PJ and the Lakers as well.
Thank you Mr. Lazenby
With the welcomed additional of Gasol, Is it possible for the Lakers to do another trade? Like getting Jason Kidd for LO.
Thanks.
This is a great article. Tex Winters thoughts are so important to this team and I found it interesting that he mentioned Phil Jackson having such a big coaching staff that his word often doesn’t get heard. Hopefully someone can finally step up and teach Lamar how to really contribute in this offense. He can potentially be the key to making everything flow smoothly, especially if they move him to the bench.
Jason Kidd would be horrendous, why would the Lakers want (or need) him? He can’t shoot, and isn’t even that great a defender anymore.
Also am I the only one who thinks that the Lakers were championship caliber without Gasol (with Bynum healthy, that is)? Apparently so, seeing the insane reactions to the Gasol trade. We were fine, we were going to sneak up on people this year. Now we’re the Patriots.
Would it be a terrible idea to trade Odom for Artest right now? I feel our defense won’t exactly be top notch with Gasol and Odom as the forwards. Artest, along with Kobe on the perimiter, would help alot. Of course, Artest is a risk for being a locker-room cancer and distraction, but I feel that it’s a risk worth taking. Artest will be happy as long as he is winning. Playing alongside Kobe, Pau and Bynum would ensure that. It would certainly add some toughness and I also have a feeling Kobe would love chasing guys around with Artest, who is as relentless a defender as he is.
Whether Kings would accept such a trade is however unlikely. They’d probably want Browns expiering contract more. And Lakers are out of picks to trade too.
I agree with Dingle that trading for Kidd right now would not help us at all. Kidd doesn’t play the kind of defense he did just a season or two ago. And as Dingle said, the guy can’t shoot to save his own life, which is key to the triangle. I’d rather wait and see if any of the young stud PGs are available in the summer. Or BD maybe if he opts out.
I don’t think Ron Artest is a risk worth taking for the Lakers in particular, especially since they are a young team with many fragile guys (LO, Luke). Why mess with a good thing? The more veteran teams are better equipped to handle Artest in case he turns out to be a cancer.
We have two players coming off the injured list next month. Bynum and Ariza. Ariza is a two way player. His D is excellant as he showed with Orlando. He’s still an infant in the triangle but will be a factor by the end of the regular season and in the playoffs.
Don’t expect too much from Gasol until he has a month or so in the triangle. Playoff success will depend on how he and Bynum mesh in the system and how hard other teams try to push the ball against the Lakers.
I am so happy to find some other people who think Plaschke is a lousy hack. He’s always been been bent on controversy and affects that “hard-bitten” style and then there’s the phonied up attempts at sounding like the late great Jim Murray. He too is one of the reasons I cancelled my Times subscription.
We need to trade Lamar now - No one is looking at this logically… We can’t resign him in 2 years, because we won’t have the money, period. We should make a move to acquire 2 wing players, with more quickness and agility than Lamar, or perhaps one really great shooter, and a really great defender. Trade him for a Rick Fox, Robert Horry type of Combo. Although neither player was as good as Lamar, collectively they do more for a championship caliber team.
I agree with Boozy. LO needs to go. He’s had his chance. The guy is not dependable and never will be according to his past history.
This was a really great article. I always love hearing Winter’s thoughts. I have a few of my own on the discussion:
1. I don’t understand the hate on Plaschke. Is there a specific column you guys are referencing? I don’t always agree with some of his conservative views, but I think he is very objective and maintains a good sense of perspective.
2. The Lakers were not a real championship contender this season before the Gasol trade. Or even if Bynum had stayed healthy. I love Bynum’s potential more than any other Lakers fan, but let us not forgot how basketball inexperienced he is. Even with Kobe, this team would probably have to elevate to the conference championship before they can get to the NBA Finals. With a healthy Bynum and Gasol, however, I agree they have as good a chance as any.
3. No Kidd! No Artest! Please, both players are living off their reputations as much as any other players in the League.
4. Give Odom some time to adjust playing with Gasol before you demand he is traded. Mitch has done an unbelievable job building depth in the roster. Now let the current roster forge some chemistry in the second half of the season. Ariza and Gasol are new. Farmar and Bynum are basically new in the sense of their increase in playing time. Another major move could really jeopardize the ability of this team to jell before they hit the REAL season.