Lakers’ major defensive weakness is pointed out again
The Lakers faced another team with quality point guards Monday night, the New Orleans Hornets.
Seeing All-Star point guard Chris Paul and rookie Darren Collison was another opportunity for the Lakers to deal with the type of quick point guards that have given them problems all season, an opportunity to close a little bit of what many consider a hole in their defense.
It didn’t turn out well for the Lakers.
Paul and Collison penetrated and got to the basket too frequently in helping the Hornets to a 108-100 victory at New Orleans Arena.
“It was a great team effort tonight,” said Paul, who had a double-double with 15 points and 13 assists.
Paul and Collison went to work against Derek Fisher and Jordan Farmar. They used the pick-and-roll when they needed to.
That has become a nemesis for the Lakers.
“The pick-and-roll is such a difficult thing to stop, so everyone tries to work it to their advantage,” Hornets Coach Jeff Bower said. “But when I look at [the Lakers] on video, I don’t see any weaknesses.”
Perhaps Bower was just being nice. The Lakers’ pick-and-roll defense has been and remains a weakness.
“We try to be effective as far as the point guard position,” Collison, a former UCLA star who attended Etiwanda High, said after scoring 17 points on six-for-nine shooting off the bench. “The Lakers just have been having a hard time guarding the point guard.
“They are a very good defensive team. They do give problems with their length. But we make it our focus to just go out there and attack from any position. It’s just not from the point guard position.”
The Hornets won’t make the playoffs, but when the Lakers reach the postseason, they probably will face a team that has a very good point guard.
If the playoffs started today, the Lakers would face San Antonio, with point guards Tony Parker, who has been out because a broken right hand but is expected back by the playoffs, and George Hill, who scored 20 points in the first half against the Lakers in a game last week.
Parker uses his quickness to go by defenders and he’s adept in using the pick-and-roll.
Two other potential first-round opponents for the Lakers are Portland and Oklahoma City, currently in a virtual tie for sixth in the West, a half-game ahead of the Spurs.
The Trail Blazers have a quality point guard in Andre Miller, who likes to use his size to post up. The Thunder has point guard Russell Westbrook, a quick penetrator and gifted leaper who scored 23 points on 10-for-13 shooting and handed out six assists against the Lakers on Friday night.
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