Warriors vs. Lakers: Perimeter Defense on Trial
The Lakers first pre-season game hit all the marks. The Lakers held the Denver Nuggets to 39% shooting and 95 points. They outrebounded the Nuggets and scored more points in the paint. Jordan Hill had a double-double while the Nuggets didn’t have a double digit rebounder. The Lakers had more assists than the Nuggets. Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant and Jeremy Lin racked up 20 assists. The Lakers took 10 three pointers, not the 20+ that Mike D’antoni was fond of. The takeaway from the first pre-season game was that the team is buying into the Byron Scott system. And the players are in very good conditioning shape.
Oct 6, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Jeremy Lin (17) and center Robert Sacre (50) defend Denver Nuggets guard Randy Foye (4) during the first half at Valley View Casino Center. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Tonight and Sunday, when the Lakers play the Golden State Warriors, their defense will be challenged, primarily on the perimeter. The Warriors are not constructed to punish opponents on the inside but they were a good rebounding team last year, 4th in the league. But on offense the Warriors don’t finish at the rim and get to the line. The only team(s) who had fewer free throw attempts last year than the Warriors were San Antonio, Orlando, New York and Memphis.
The Warriors strength is on the perimeter with their long range shooters. How deeply the Laker guards have absorbed Byron Scott’s defense will be immediately answered. Can they interrupt Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, Brandon Rush, Leandro Barbosa who move the ball quickly around the perimeter, find the open shooter and utilize their quickness. Collectively, on defense, the Warriors speed and agility create multiple turnovers and fast break opportunities.
How are the Lakers going to handle an up tempo offense? There wasn’t much transition defense needed against Denver who plays a hybrid style of up tempo and half court. But Golden State is on the go all the time and Byron Scott’s defense will have multiple opportunities to ruin fast break attempts. Can they?
Against the Clippers on Tuesday night, the Warriors scored 112 points quite easily. They shot 48% and took 47 free throws as the Clippers fouled jump shooters 20 feet away from the basket. Byron Scott has already acknowledged that his team’s physical play is going to result in free throw attempts for the other team early in the season as they create their identity. It will transform itself once the referees identify the Lakers as a defensive team. They’ll let the Lakers play their style.
Byron Scott guaranteed that Ronnie Price will play on Thursday night. One of the standouts in camp, the Lakers are deciding if they want Ronnie Price as their third point guard. Or do they just want to keep two (Steve Nash, Jeremy Lin). If they keep two guards, they are rolling the dice on a Steve Nash injury, possibly adapting to a back court of shooting guards in sections of the game if Steve Nash does get hurt. The addition of Ronnie Price eliminates that adjustment altogether. Tonight the Lakers will get a good look at how he plays.
Steve Kerr, the first year coach, has analyzed the Lakers multiple times but this is his first chance at coaching them. How does he approach Kobe? Does he double team him or just let Klay Thompson guard his idol, one on one.
Of note, the last time Kobe Bryant played in a game at Staples Center it was against Phoenix last December, a Tuesday night. Ten months later, he will emerge from the tunnel once again.