Moving pieces to make for a chess game
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - Before the Lakers rushed from the practice court to the tarmac for a flight to Boston yesterday afternoon, they talked about what they expected to face at TD Banknorth Garden in the NBA Finals tomorrow night.
The players sounded relaxed, focused, and determined to stick with the defensive strategies that helped them win the Western Conference championship.
"Every game will be its own game," said Derek Fisher. "You can't go into a series and say we have to take out this one guy or we have to do this in order to win. Then, you don't allow yourself to go out and play the game and be in the moment and get it done.
"Obviously, defensively, we have to have an impact on their team. Who we try to have the most impact on, each game will determine that for us.
"Before the game starts, we won't have a game plan for one particular guy because I think that limits your ability to adjust. You have to be flexible."
And what about executing offensively?
Well, the Lakers think they know what to expect from the Celtics' defenders, even though the Green are promising to be even more aggressive.
"They won [66] games," said Lamar Odom. "The record speaks for itself. You have to respect your opponent.
"If [Paul Pierce] says they have the best defense, I guess they have the best defense. We'll just have to come out here, play tough, take our time, and execute."
Advice column
Since Fisher, Kobe Bryant, and Luke Walton are the only Lakers with Finals experience, there may be more of a "feeling out" process than normal for many of the younger players.When asked if he had any advice for the youngsters on the team, Fisher said, "The only thing I think you can offer is to make sure they understand this is an opportunity that takes a lot of sacrifice and a lot of hard work by a lot of people.
"It's not an opportunity that should be squandered by complacency or feeling as though this opportunity will come again. That's the only message that I send out to guys that haven't been here before."
Odom predicted it wouldn't be long into Game 1 before the players felt comfortable.
"Until the middle of the first quarter, both teams are like jab, jab, jab," said Odom. "After that, you start throwing the hooks."
To help his players quickly settle into a routine, coach Phil Jackson planned to keep his substitution patterns the same.
"It gives them a rhythm about the game," said Jackson. "They understand how they start to get loose, they get to watch the other opponent for a while. Normally, that's the way it works." 