Lakers Need Some Inspiration From the Bench

If a coach’s No. 1 job is to have his team ready to play, then the Lakers’ Phil Jackson has been outcoached by Sacramento’s Rick Adelman. Since Game 1, the Kings have made the right adjustments, while the Lakers have played in a funk. That’s why Sacramento looks to take a commanding 3-1 lead today in the best-of-seven Western Conference series.

Although Jackson is not on the court shooting bricks as his players have been the last two games, he hasn’t inspired his team enough to shut down the Kings, who have exploited the Lakers’ sagging defense with passing and unselfish play.

But don’t count out the Lakers yet. The two previous times Jackson has coached a team looking for its third consecutive NBA title, the third playoff run was the most difficult.

In the 1992-93 Eastern Conference finals, Chicago fell behind, 2-0, to New York before bouncing back to win its third championship in a row. In the 1997-98 conference finals, Indiana took the Bulls to seven games before Chicago advanced to defeat Utah in the NBA Finals.

The way the Kings dominated and laughed at the Lakers in Game 3, they definitely have the two-time NBA champion’s attention now. A breakdown of Game 4:

LAKERS’ MOVE: In Game 1, the Lakers cruised past the Kings because they made open shots and helped on defense. However, in the last two games, the Lakers have done more standing around, which has made it easier for Sacramento on both ends of the court.

Don’t look for the Lakers to start off playing the same frenetic style of basketball that sparked their fourth-quarter comeback in Game 3. But they do need to play with that same type of energy. The Lakers must get back to movement in the triangle offense, which means using Shaquille O’Neal in the middle but not counting on him to do everything.

Kobe Bryant should have more confidence thanks to a strong shooting finish on Friday. But both Bryant and O’Neal need Derek Fisher, Rick Fox and the rest of the Laker role players to step up and make quicker and better decisions. The Lakers should realize by now that they have a better chance of beating the Kings’ sagging and clutching defense when they move the ball inside-outside and then inside again.

KINGS’ MOVE: It’s a good thing Mike Bibby is starting to get the credit he deserves because he’s dominating the Lakers. Bibby’s ability to control the tempo is something the Lakers have not truly faced since Utah and John Stockton had their number a few years ago.

The Kings should continue to feed the Lakers’ pick-and-rolls until they’re stopped. As long as Chris Webber and Vlade Divac make smart decisions if the Lakers double-team Bibby, Sacramento will have an edge. The one constant problem area for the Lakers throughout their championship run has been defending pick-and-rolls. O’Neal has often been the target of the Kings’ picks and they will probably continue to have success until the Lakers get on the same page to defend this tactic.

KEY POINT: If you noticed the Lakers’ body language on the bench early in the fourth quarter of Game 3, they definitely did not look like a confident and united team. The lack of emotion on the faces of Fisher, Fox and O’Neal was not positive. Another bad sign was how the Lakers have been bickering. Samaki Walker, Devean George and Lindsey Hunter have been on the receiving end of a ton of on-the-court advice from their teammates.

The Kings can’t help but feel good when they see this from the Lakers. It used to be Sacramento that began to point fingers when things got tough, but the Lakers have done that lately. Give credit to the Kings’ leadership. Divac, Doug Christie, Webber, Bibby and especially Adelman have been solid in their support of each another.

The Lakers can’t afford to fall apart now. This challenge is what establishes a dynasty. If they go down without a fight, losing to the Kings would make them seem like the big bully on the block who got knocked out. It’s up to Sacramento to keep making things difficult for the Lakers to regain their rhythm.