As the Lakers look to mend on the heels of a short-term slump by taking a break this All-Star weekend, Derek Fisher will be working for the long-term welfare of the entire NBA.
The All-Star Break marks one of the only times during the season that NBA owners and the Player’s Association can get together to discuss the NBA’s expiring collective bargaining agreement. Derek, as president of the NBPA, will be leading the talks from the players’ side and he is well aware of the task at hand, as he recently told HoopsWorld:
"We’ve got a lot of work to do and the more opportunities we get to spend some time talking and fleshing things out the better," D-Fish.
But Derek enters the weekend unsure of what the talks will bring.
"I think it depends on if we’re willing to discuss the real issues," he said. "Oftentimes things do turn quickly once you get some momentum going, typical of a negotiation process. It’s tough to get that momentum started. That’s been the most difficult part thus far, but we’re trying to remain patient, optimistic, focused on what the end goal is, and just getting a deal done so we can continue to play basketball."
That the discussions are occurring during All-Star Weekend, D-Fish thinks, is a good thing because the league’s biggest names will be there to offer input and feedback.
"It’s important because they are our most visible guys, our most notable guys – their opinions matter," he said. "But it’s also important that we have high numbers of players involved in the process. Obviously it’s great to have our star players, but that doesn’t mean our other guys, that we don’t need or want them to be involved in the process like our star players will be."
To read the entire HoopsWorld article, in which Derek draws some parallels between the NFL and NBA collective bargaining agreements and discusses what both sides in the NBA talks can learn from the ongoing NFL negotiations, click here.
BIG NIGHT FOR NAUGHT
That he’ll have his hands full with his team off the court this weekend might also give Derek some time to regroup from what’s going on with his team on the court.
In the last game before the break on Wednesday night, D-Fish enjoyed the best game of his season, but it wasn’t enough to rally the Lakers, who fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers, 104-99.
Fish scored 19 points, eclipsing his season-high by putting on a clinic shooting the basketball. No. 2 knocked down 8- of-12 shots and went 3-for-4 from three-point range.
The veteran’s night began early when he hit a long jumper two minutes into the game. But following a second quarter rest, Fish really got hot and proceeded to score 17 points in just 27 minutes of play. He reignited his game with a 17-footer off a Shannon Brown feed, then notched his lone assists of the game before sinking a long jumper, which briefly gave LA a 42-41 lead in the second quarter. But the Cavs ended the half on a run and the Lakers trailed by five at halftime.
Fish scored five more points in the third knocking down a jumper and then his first three of the game. In the fourth, No. 2 sank a trey to tie the score at 82. Later, he stopped a 14-4 Cavs run with another triple to cut the Lakers’ deficit to seven with just under two minutes to go. But the Purple and Gold couldn’t close the gap, instead falling for the third straight time.
NEXT UP
The Lakers have plenty of time to regroup and are off for the next six days as the NBA’s All-Star Game invades the Staples Center this weekend.
D-Fish hopes that, upon their return, the Lakers can focus on fixing some of their concerns on the court. He told the LA Daily News that includes hammering home the idea that, in their system, defense creates offense.
"I think what you will find, at least for our team, is there are nights where offensively if it’s a struggle defensively we’re just not in rhythm and in sync as a team," Fisher said. "I think sometimes we forget that offensive and defense are connected.
"They aren’t just two separate things. In order to be a great defensive team, there has to be a certain level of efficiency on the offensive end. So, when you’re not shooting the ball well it makes it tough to grind out the defensive stops you need."
LA is back in action on Tuesday to host the Atlanta Hawks at Staples. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 PST on FS West.
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