An Interesting Article from Ken Berger of cbssports.com
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Listen to a Western Conference GM who pointed out that one of the biggest factors in this series will have nothing to do with talent. It will have to do with how Jackson and his coaching staff tactically adjust their defensive scheme to defend the 3-point line better than Cleveland did in the conference finals.
"Cleveland is very rigid as far as defensive rotations," the GM said. "Phil is a lot more flexible. That flexibility will allow the Lakers to use their length and defend the 3-point line better than Cleveland did."
And it all goes back to the question of whether you double-team Howard in the post or play him one-on-one and stay with the shooters. Teams like Cleveland, San Antonio and Boston are loyal to a rotation scheme that dictates doubling the post scorer and rotating to the shooters. You can't be stubborn that way against Orlando if you're going to solve that conundrum. Jackson is stubborn about some things, but solving conundrums is his specialty. If his previous championship teams are any indication, it might take the Lakers three, four or five games to figure it out. But they will figure it out.
So sometimes it comes down to coaching philosophy and the coach's willingness to adapt and change -- from series to series, within a series and within a game. If Mike Brown had been more adaptable and less stubborn, the NBA might've had its Kobe vs. LeBron matchup, after all. Don't believe me? Read this quote from the Cavs' Wally Szczerbiak after the Cavs lost to Orlando: "They had a dominant big man, they were knocking down 3s all over the floor, and they had our heads spinning in rotations the whole entire time."
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If LA can defend well against the 3 point shooters of Orlando, and let Kobe do the rest, Orlando is in trouble. It would be interesting also how SVG will adjust.