To put it simply, the Los Angeles Lakers came out for Sunday’s playoff opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder and took care of business.
Many will attribute the game one victory to the play of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. But Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times digs a little deeper, and in a must read piece, attributes the Lakers win to the leadership of Derek Fisher.
"The Lakers gathered together Thursday night for a video session as preparation for the team’s first-round matchup beginning Sunday against Oklahoma City. But what transpired from that session also involved a speech from Lakers guard Derek Fisher, who implored his teammates to turn around a sluggish 17-day period."
 Derek is helping the Lakers find the unity they need to repeat (Getty Images). |
But for what Andrew Bynum spilled, when speaking with the press, the speech and its contents remain behind closed locker room doors. Still, Medina said its impact was both visible and audible.
"There’s no denying the fact the Lakers saw Fisher’s speech as the latest example of how his leadership presence helps the team."
Kobe Bryant viewed the talk as just another way Derek’s presence helps define the Lakers,
"It’s tough to call him a glue guy because he’s much more than that."
Medina notes that anyone who criticizes Fisher for not offering tangible elements to this year’s Laker team knows not of what they speak.
"I understand when fans sneer at the whole leadership argument, saying it’s something that sounds cliched and undefinable. But as his most recent speech demonstrated, it is definable. Bynum credited that as a significant factor into why the Lakers played so soundly in Friday’s practice."
Friday wasn’t the only example. Medina cited numerous occasions that Fish has stepped up when the chips are down and his words have helped to right the Lakers’ ship.
"Fisher was involved in an air-it-out meeting during the team’s winless three-game trip in early March. Although the execution was far from perfect, the Lakers responded with a better effort in a loss against Orlando. He gave a half-time speech two days later when the team played uninspired basketball against Toronto. Though the game was essentially decided by Bryant’s game-winner, the team credited Fisher’s discussion as laying the foundation for a better second half."
Even more, Medina notes, for every Fish moment the media hears about, there are countless others that truly show the character of No. 2.
"An anonymous NBA player in a recent issue of ESPN The Magazine brought up another point about Fisher’s value to the team. In the article, the player mentions Fisher’s name in passing as a guy who helps steer players away from trouble.
"Surely, there are times he has helped prevent potential problems, and I’m talking about ones that could threaten the locker room. For all the struggles the Lakers have experienced this season, there hasn’t really been much drama. You can surely bet part of that has to do with Fisher’s leadership."
That’s why, Medina says, the Lakers want D-Fish out front and center as they embark on what they hope is a two month long playoff journey.
"There’s no denying he’ll still be helpful to the team along the way. And fortunately, for Fisher’s sake, the Lakers fully understand and embrace the way his leadership leaves an imprint on the team."
FISH’S FACIAL FUZZ
Derek can rally the Lakers when it comes to elevating their game, apparently he’s not very good at convincing them to put down their razors.
No. 2 says he made a pact with a fellow Laker, about growing out their beards for the playoff push, but that player backed out almost immediately.
"I won’t say any names, I’ll just say No. 18 (Sahsa Vujacic), we made a pact that we were going to grow the beards out for the playoffs and we’d see how many guys we could recruit in, and lo and behold, two days into it, he shaved. I’m left with the scruff, but I’m going to hold on and hopefully some guys will join in."
Fish does still have some ability to rally the troops, Ron Artest and Lamar Odom are joining him in his hair-raising run through the NBA Playoffs.
NEXT UP
No. 2, budding beard and all, will lead the Lakers back into battle tonight at the Staples Center at 7:30 in Game Two against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Quarterfinals. The game can be seen nationwide on TNT.
RELATED ARTICLES
Derek Fisher’s speech: The latest example of how his leadership helps the Lakers (LA Times, April 17, 2010)
http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/2010/04/derek-fishers-speech-latest-example-of-why-his-leadership-helps-the-lakers.html
The Lakers are growing playoff beards (Ball Don’t Lie, April 19, 2010)
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/The-Los-Angeles-Lakers-are-growing-playoff-beard?urn=nba,235103