How to Win an NBA Finals game for Dummys: LA Lakers Edition PART 2

Yet still the Celtics kept the game close, which is a very very bad thing for the Lakers. In game 4 or 5, I the Celtics are up entering the 4th quarter, mark my word the outcome will not be the same. Had Paul Pierce drained a couple of the easy buckets he missed, or Sasha missed one of the 3 pointers he made, the Celtics would be up 3-0 right now. Here’s a list of no-no’s the Lakers need to correct in order to ensure an easy victory in game 4.

#1 Luke Walton and Ronny Turiaf should NEVER shoot the ball

0-4, 0 points, 4 personal fouls, 3 blocks, 3 rebounds in a combined 30 minutes of game time for the two. That’s ridiculous. How does Turiaf not get a rebound in 19 minutes of game play?? Even Jordon Farmer had 4 rebounds. Wow. Phil Jackson might need to give them a little warning before game 4, because Pau Gasol’s struggles are the result of having no relief from his replacements. If Turiaf and Walton can grab some rebounds, get some assists, and NOT shoot the ball, you’ll probably see Pau Gasol get little bit more rest, and be a lot more productive.

#2 Free Throws are FREE POINTS
How a team can shoot 18% better from the free throw line versus the three point line is beyond me. Maybe the Lakers should just start shooting from 10 feet back of the free throw line to boost their percentage. In any event, the Lakers got away with this in game 3, might be able to get away with it in game 4 and 5, but in Boston, they will lose for sure if they don’t shoot better than 75% from the free throw line.

#3 Trevor Ariza needs more minutes

I know he’s working his way back in. But he came in, went 2-3 in 8 minutes of play, had no turnovers, no fouls, and can D up Ray Allen. Maybe let him stay on the court for 11-14 more minutes instead of 8-9. Might be an extra 2 or 4 points that the Lakers can benefit from.

#4 and probably the biggest dilemma: Force Fischer to pass the ball

Derek Fischer is the Lakers’ weakest link. He’s getting owned game in and game out. Not only that, he’s shooting poorly, going 1-6 in this past game. Unfortunately he has to start, because no one else is capable of doing so. But if he reduces his shot count to 3 instead of 6 and he focuses more on trying to produce an easy shot for Gasol, he could prove to be an extremely important asset for the Lakers.

#5 Kobe has to be Kobe again


Sadly, Kobe can’t depend on his team for this series. He has to score 30+ every night for the remainder of this series. He actually would’ve topped 40 points this game if he didn’t miss 7 free throws. Nevertheless, it was an amazing game and it will have to be repeated at least 3 more times for the Lakers to win the NBA Finals.

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