One Major Stat Separates the Spurs and Lakers

[Mombear]

One Major Stat Separates the Spurs and Lakers
Written by Jose Grijalva
Sunday, 20 January 2013 11:57

What are the San Antonio Spurs doing differently than the Los Angeles Lakers?

For a few years, the Phoenix Suns were known as a fast paced team looking to score in 7 seconds or less each possession. While those days are long gone, there's been a reunion between the two main catalysts of that era with the Los Angeles Lakers. Mike D'Antoni and Steve Nash were close in Phoenix and are looking to make the same magic with a lost Los Angeles Lakers team. When the Lakers fired Mike Brown and gave D'Antoni the head coaching job, it was supposed to be a team that could score at will. They necessarily wouldn't be like the Suns of old but maybe a mix of them and the Showtime Lakers. Instead, their fans have been treated to a team still searching for answers.

On the other side of the Western Conference, there's the San Antonio Spurs. They're throwing in a similar mix of the old Suns style, but with not such an erratic pace and looking for quicker ways to get high percentage shots over just getting shots up. The core for both teams are about the same age with the Lakers having far better talent in their starting unit mixed with great players and former All-Stars.

READ MORE AT MVPTEXAS.COM

[td4mvp2k]

They can have better talent but they dont have a better TEAM!

[choppsboy]

I thought the biggest stat separating the two was winning percentage.

He He.

[Mombear]

[theinswes]

i still think one of the biggest differences is Kobe vs Tim. Tim is a real leader who was willing to give up looks and allow other guys to flourish without any grudges. as a result, everyone else falls in line cuz there's no way they can complain when Tim sets the lead.

over in LA, Kobe is still somehow just as arrogant in refusing to concede to teammates. his version of leadership is to throw guys under the bus in the media, and even though he's more efficient this year scoring-wise, he blames everyone else for his shortcomings. trade Kobe for Lebron straight up and that Lakers squad would've been steam-rolling all competition.

[Guapo]

Excellent Article!!

[clovisnmspurfan]

The biggest difference is the reason I am a Spur fan, Spurs play team ball.

[alh1020]

One reason I'm a Spurs fan is that none of the other teams appeal to me. I was once a Lakers and Celtics fan but that was in the day of Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Bob Cousy, Sam Jones and Bill Russell. San Antonio has a class organization.

[bills0]

I don't understand all this angst over the Lakers. Until they are healthy and play under D'Antoni's system for a while, no one really knows what the Lakers team is capable of.

[choppsboy]

Originally Posted by bills0

I don't understand all this angst over the Lakers. Until they are healthy and play under D'Antoni's system for a while, no one really knows what the Lakers team is capable of.

I don't agree. We are looking right now at what they are capable of. They will never be healthy because of how old they are, and the fact that Howard is going to have back issues the rest of his career. We know what D'Antoni's system is, and it doesn't mesh with ball hog Kobe. That isn't going to change.

Time will not bring them together.

Hell, they just announced that Gasol will be coming off the bench. Wow, what a joke. Why is he going to come off the bench? Because D'Antoni is too stupid to be able to adjust to the skills of his players. If Pop can figure out how to play Duncan and Splitter at the same time, why can't D'Antoni figure out how to play Howard and Gasol? Especially when Gasol is such a good passer and can play very well in the high post.

No sir, time will not heal this. Only Kobe's retirement or firing D'Antoni will do the trick.

[Jose_TheGenius]

Originally Posted by choppsboy

No sir, time will not heal this. Only Kobe's retirement or firing D'Antoni will do the trick.

being from Arizona, i totally agree with you. D'Antoni's systems have allows been dependent on a pass first PG and an athletic big man. The Lakers have that, but they also have Kobe.

if you check out the article (yes cheap plug), check the stats from the Phoenix and this year's Lakers that make sense and you'll know exactly what's the problem. this isn't Nash or D'Antoni's team until Kobe stops taking too many shots. when he takes around 20+ or so, they lose. there's no ball movement at all.

If Mike Brown would've ditched the Princeton Offense and gone with a traditional offense (i.e. 5 Down, a Kobe play, and an occasional pick and roll with Nash) it would've worked. this team can't work in a Suns style where everyone shares the ball.

[ATHENEA]

Originally Posted by choppsboy

I thought the biggest stat separating the two was winning percentage.

He He.

[old timer]

d'antoni is the wrong coach at the wrong time on the wrong team. assist percentage for their shots is probably the most significant stat next win-loss percentage. as another poster said, "in one word, TEAM vs a bunch of individual stars!"

[b1gdon]

Originally Posted by Jose_TheGenius

being from Arizona, i totally agree with you. D'Antoni's systems have allows been dependent on a pass first PG and an athletic big man. The Lakers have that, but they also have Kobe.

if you check out the article (yes cheap plug), check the stats from the Phoenix and this year's Lakers that make sense and you'll know exactly what's the problem. this isn't Nash or D'Antoni's team until Kobe stops taking too many shots. when he takes around 20+ or so, they lose. there's no ball movement at all.

If Mike Brown would've ditched the Princeton Offense and gone with a traditional offense (i.e. 5 Down, a Kobe play, and an occasional pick and roll with Nash) it would've worked. this team can't work in a Suns style where everyone shares the ball.

This is why I've been saying Kobe should be coming off the bench. Run the SSOL with Nash for the first 6 minutes, bring in Kobe with the first substitution and run Nash and Kobe together for 3 more minutes until Nash sits. Then close out the last 6 minutes of the half with Kobe and Nash.

The Lakers two biggest problems on offense are a lack of depth and the need for both their guards to have the ball in their hands at all times.

***Please note that I fully take credit for this strategy as I have never seen any coach separate their ball needy all-star/future HOF guards in this manner. From hence forth this completely original tactic should be known as the 'b1gdon offense'.