Back-to-back off days don’t happen often in the NBA, and a savvy veteran like Derek Fisher knows that, even early in the season, this additional time to practice is what can make the difference come playoff time.
Fish told the Los Angeles Times that the Lakers take these early season practices very seriously.
"These
[practices] are extremely important," Derek said after the Lakers finished up on Thursday, before heading down to the desert to play the Phoenix Suns tonight."These are the practices that ultimately make a difference in your season. As the games start to add up, and you throw travel into the mix, often times it’s tough to have good quality practices."
No. 2 said that as injuries add up, it’s tough to get the full squad on the practice court, so any chance that can happen, like this week, the Lakers need to seize the opportunity.
"Having all your guys available and healthy [is important], and right now, even though we still have Andrew out, and Kobe’s still picking his spots where he’s getting his work in, we’re still able to get some things done here on our own practice court. We view that as a positive, and we’re going to try and get better here early in the season."
In Derek’s assessment, the workouts LA had on Wednesday and Thursday were top-notch.
"We got some pretty good, intense work in yesterday. Today we kind of balanced it back out, did a little more brain work, thought about some things we wanted to do offensively and defensively. Overall it was a good day; I think we had the opportunity to get better."
EXPECTATIONS ARE ALWAYS HIGH
When asked post-practice about the performances of Steve Blake and Matt Barnes, newcomers to the Purple and Gold, Fish said he wasn’t impressed.That doesn’t mean they didn’t play well, No. 2 said. It’s just that when you come to Los Angeles, you’re expected to perform from the get go.
"Impressed would only be the word I’d use if I didn’t expect or anticipate the way it would be. I’m not surprised at all. I think Steve, Matt and Theo all came here for a particular reason, to be a part of something special, and they have a willingness to be a part of our team, recognizing that we had a couple guys here, but they wanted to add to it."
Now that the first game is under their belts, Fish can attest to the fact that the expectations only grow.
"I think they are going to continue to do those things to help us win, a lot of games. Were going to be a really, really good team. I’m excited about what those guys are going to add for us."
DOWN TO THE DESERT
When Fish and Company play the Phoenix Suns tonight they will see a markedly different team from the one they beat in the Western Conference Finals.Gone is a dominant big man, Amare Stoudmire, and in is versatile swingman Hedo Turkoglu. D-Fish believes that makes the Suns a much more dangerous team.
"It enhances some of the things they like to do, spreading the floor, moving guys around. Having guys like Turkoglu and [Josh] Childress at a forward spot forces you to space the floor defensively, which then open’s it up for Nash to do what he does best."
"They may miss Amare’s physicality, but as time goes on, their ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter, and Nash’s penetration will balance things out."
Fish said that the influx of shooters on the roster could make the Suns even better as the season plays out.
"You have better shooters setting high screens, that will be stepping back, popping shots and it puts a lot of pressures on your defense. It’ll be another early test in terms of things we are trying to accomplish."
Tip-off from US Airways Arena is scheduled for 7:30 PST and the game can be seen on ESPN.
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