A Look Back on the Season
Derek Fisher:
· “It was a tough year, too many ups and downs”
· Long period of being stagnant: “You have to constantly get better in this league”
· “We set ourselves up to have a fall."
Matt Barnes:
· “Definitely an up and down season”
· Are you feeling embarrassed? “Absolutely.”
Pau Gasol:
· “I obviously did not play at my highest level”
· “It’s unfortunate the way we ended it”
· It started in Game 1 (Dallas series), as the Lakers let the game get away.
· Worst part of it all: “Me not playing my best, no helping the team accomplish our goals.”
Lamar Odom:
· It was a compliment to him that the team needed him back.
· “I appreciate the time and the run that we had.”
· After talking to Fisher, he realized that all the fame and accolades don’t matter in the end.
· “When you play at a high level for three or four straight years, all teams are gunning for us.”
· Where did it go wrong? “We never got to that consistency of playing defense at a high level.”
· Team defense is the one thing you can always control.
· “I thought we were gonna win four championships in a row.”
Ron Artest:
· The Lakers were exhausted: “We had 6 players play 82 games.”
· Agreed with Bynum in stating that the team had lost some of its intensity from the previous two season.
· The Lakers will forever have a target on their back, and teams with nothing to lose will play their absolute best to beat the Champs.
· Winning AND losing are both team efforts—no individual member of the team or coaching staff should be blamed.
· If there is anything to motivate the Lakers at this point, a second round sweep should do it.
Kobe Bryant:
· Was the team mentally and physically exhausted? “Probably a little bit…”
· “It was a long run and a great run.”
· “Unfortunately, some guys felt they could take days off, ‘cause I wasn’t there.”
· How do you explain the rapid decline of the Lakers in exiting the playoffs? “Dallas played better than we did. But it is in no way the decline of the LAKERS.”
· How would you describe the season: “a wasted year of my life…” (chuckle)
What Lies Ahead in the Future
Derek Fisher:
· With a new coach and possibly new system, would you walk away? “No…Not even a question. This is too fun to just walk away from.”
· Fisher supports Brian Shaw 100%. Shaw and Fisher alike are self-proclaimed “Winners.”
· “Great things are born out of defeat.”
Pau Gasol:
· Off season will be a time to “sit back and analyze.”
· Pau will definitely need some time to emotionally and physically catch up.
Lamar Odom:
· “All we can do is learn from it…hopefully it’ll never happen again.”
· What type of coach would be best for this team? “One that can keep us bonded. We should be an easy team to coach. We are full of veterans that know how to play off each other.”
· Brian Shaw: “He knows us, he knows the system.”
Kobe Bryant:
· Off season: time to refocus, rest, train, and stay healthy.
· “We plan on coming back next year with a good sense of purpose.”
· “This will be a good summer for me to train and get strong.”
· “I absolutely believe we can come back and do it again.”
· Off season will give Kobe a chance to go to another level, which should scare opponents as Kobe seems to play at the highest level possible.
· What does Brian Shaw bring? “Familiarity: He knows how we like to be coached. Communication.” He gives it to the guys straight up.
· “When building a championship team, the DNA of the team must start on the defensive end”
