Fisher’s Composition Not the Write Stuff

They didn’t go down without a write.

Another prominent Laker, though not quite as mighty as Jerry West, went to the power of the pen in hopes of sparking a turnaround, with starting point guard Derek Fisher this time composing a message of inspiration and giving to teammates in the locker room before Sunday’s Game 4 of the Western Conference finals. The two-page note, hand-written in all capitals and with every “us” and “we” underlined, was written Saturday night.

“At times during this season we have played inconsistent,” it began. “We allowed our opponent to play harder than us. We allowed our opponent to come in to our home and beat us. At times, we just didn’t come to play!!

“However, like good teams do, we didn’t give in. We didn’t allow the peripheral opponent (media, friends/associates, family) to divide us. We stuck together and believed in one another. We persevered and played our best basketball the last month and a half of the season. We continued to play well to start the playoffs, playing with heart, pride, youthful enthusiasm and emotion, as if there was no tomorrow.

“Since the conference finals have started we have played inconsistent. We have allowed our opponent to play harder than us. We have allowed our opponent to come in to our home and beat us. At times, we just haven’t come to play!!”

Said Fisher of the note: “It was just from the heart. I didn’t know what would happen. I didn’t think because I wrote the letter we’d start to play this magic basketball. But like the letter said, there’s no tomorrow.

“I had been wanting to do something, but wasn’t sure what. I didn’t want to come in yelling and screaming and cussing, because guys don’t take that well.”

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Nick Van Exel, after having some of the greatest moments of his career come in the playoffs, finished these at 33.1% overall and 31.4% on three-pointers. That included 23.8% (10 of 42) and 19% (four of 21), respectively, in the four games against the Jazz.

“I’ve been getting pretty decent shots and the shot’s been just going in and out,” he said. “I’ve been feeling good, comfortable out there, relaxed, taking the shots when they come to me. They just haven’t been falling. I get a little frustrated, but I try not to get too frustrated because I know it’ll just hurt me even more.

“This series, I just didn’t shoot the ball well,” he said. “I can’t blame anybody but myself.”

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Training camp begins Oct. 2 in Honolulu, labor relations permitting.