Derek Fisher to the Rescue

Kobe Bryant wasn't getting it done, so one of his key running mates from his rookie year (minus a few seasons) had to step in on the biggest stage and save the Lakers from what very likely would have been a death knoll. Derek Fisher has never been the star of the Lakers lineup, but he's always been sturdy when his team and city needed him. He did it against the San Antonio Spurs in 2006 with the 0.4 shot and his team needed him again last night when no one else –not even the team's go-to closer, Kobe – could. And so DFish did. Key shot after key shot, with the highlight coming in the last minute of the game – a coast-to-coast drive that had all 6-1, 210lbs of Fisher courageously take on nearly 700lbs of Celtics defense (Garnett, Davis and Allen) and come out the victor. Forget all that Rajon Rondo overhype (courtesy of ESPN), it was the 35-year-old Fisher who helped turn the series. Hell of a showing. Hell of a game. Game 4 on Thursday.

Photo: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

Lakers/Magic, Getting Defensive

Unlike the majority of Lakerland and the mainstream media, I don't have warm, fuzzy feelings about how these Finals will play out for the Gold & Purple. I'm not ready to crown the Lakers before either team has taken the floor. Give me until at least the end of the first quarter. I need to see which Lakers team decides to show up for this, the 30th Lakers Finals appearance. Is it going to be the disinterested bunch that surrendered leads like they enjoyed the drama or is Kobe going to be able to instill that oh-so-lacking sense of urgency and 48-minute commitment in his supporting cast?

Regardless of which Lakers persona takes the floor tonight at Staples Center, this series does not hinge entirely on if they decide to win. What scares me most are the match-ups, the lack of offensive rebounding, and the inability to close out on the three ball. Each of those three areas are out of Kobe and Zen Master Phil's hands, and far more important than whether or not Pau Gasol gets his touches or Lamar Odom plays like he's on a sugar-high or in a sugar coma. The Lakers will score, there's no question, but defense, the part of the game that fans don't really care to pay attention to or talk about, is going to decide this series.

The defensive problems for the Lakers are that their Bigs don't play like Bigs, and the perimeter defenders like to take too many chances, leaving guys open to knock down shots without a body within five feet. These are two HUGE problems heading into a series against the Orlando Magic, who have super-fit big man Dwight Howard inside, and then a firing squad of sharpshooters sitting around the arc. Sure, there's the old idiom, "Live by the three, die by the three," but in the case of these Magic, they've been thriving by the three. They've made it through the two Eastern Conference favorites (Celtics, Cavs), and in the Conference Finals against the Cavs, they won in convincing fashion. Neither the Celtics or Cavs have the Lakers' offensive firepower or range of athletes, but those were two solid wins that say a lot about this Magic squad.

I'm not going to go into position by position match-ups at this point (though I seriously considered it), but I will say that I'm really looking forward to this series. It has the potential to be a classic after some real dullards over the past 5 years. With tip-off looming, get your lucky pre-game traditions in order, send the LeBron lovers to YouTube to watch more puppet shows, and say a prayer to the to the great playoff god in the rafters (or whoever/whatever used to possess Robert "Old Reliable" Horry come playoff time).

The NBA – Where Overhype Happens

All the conspiracy theorists in and around the NBA like to talk about how the league is pulling for a Kobe vs. LeBron final, and it's doing everything in its power to make that happen. Uh, duh! Let's keep in mind that the NBA is a business. Competitive disparity, solid basketball and credibilty matter, but ratings and marketing dollars matter more. As long as you know and accept that, all the political BS that comes with the sport is somewhat bearable. It's not perfect, but it's better than baseball.

What's worst right now is that all the so-called critics, pundits and experts are actually buying into the series being a foregone conclusion. The media is dishing out Cleveland Cavalier hype like pink slips at AIG (that Game 1 loss to Orlando brought them down a peg or two). I'll contend that LeBron James is a once-in-a-lifetime talent, and is damn close to surpassing Kobe as the best player in the league, but in a team game, the guy has a weak supporting cast. Mo Williams is decent, but mainly he's just fortunate to play alongside LeBron, which makes his role much easier and look much more glamorous than it really is. From there, W-E-A-K. Like David Beckham's bicep weak. Yeah, they're a fun team to watch. True, they bulldozed the competition in the first two rounds. But a team capable of greatness, they are not.

As for the Lakers, they are a team on the verge of greatness ... if only they could sift through their apparent sense of lethargy and/or entitlement. Maybe they didn't get the mass text from Phil, but they qualified for the playoffs and are a popular pick to win it all. They're playing like these games are preseason throwaways. They play the prolific style of basketball that they're capable of until they get bored and just watch as teams come storming back. It's makes the average fan want to reach into their television and bitch-slap Ariza and Odom into waking from their asleep-on-their-feet state. The team is loaded with potential, and it's shown flashes of that greatness, but they've yet to do so consistently. That's where the great players are supposed to step up. That's where Michael would speak up in the huddle, look his guys in the eyes, and will them through the tough times. Kobe has yet to master the mind games.

We've got two great match-ups in the Conference Finals. But before the media crowns King James' Cavaliers as NBA champs, or predicts the awakening of the Lakers, let the games tell the tale. I realize it's their job to make assumptions and critique, but sometimes the bandwagon mentality just gets old.

For the record: I do foresee a Cavaliers/Lakers Final, and I think it'll take both teams 6 games in their current series to get there. From there, Lakers in 6.