They Will Try New Angles By Lonnie White, Times Staff Writer Now that Shaquille O'Neal is officially a member of the Miami Heat, the Laker offense should have a totally different look next season even if Kobe Bryant re-signs with the franchise. No more pounding the basketball inside to O'Neal and no more players standing around on the perimeter waiting for the ball to get to them. The Laker offense should be fluid with plenty of movement and isolation plays to highlight the strengths of players such as Lamar Odom and possibly Bryant. That's new Laker Coach Rudy Tomjanovich's style. "I love that part of basketball," said Tomjanovich, who featured a variety of offenses when he coached the Houston Rockets, from a power game with Hakeem Olajuwon to a wide-open attack with Steve Francis. "Offenses are not going to be the same thing every year…. We may run some of the same plays, but that's not always set in stone. Sometimes our best plays may come out of something that I've never run before. It just happens like that." Tomjanovich is known as a players' coach. A former player who was an All-Star and a role player, Tomjanovich understands the simple nuances that keep players happy. "Rudy has always been a coach that really opens up for guys who are able to break people down off the dribble," New Orleans Coach Byron Scott said. If Bryant returns, Tomjanovich may have his hands full, because many NBA experts expect Bryant to dominate the ball. And without O'Neal in the middle, Bryant probably will have even more opportunities to shoot. But that's a challenge Tomjanovich would love to face. He said he can put together an offense that not only gets enough touches for Odom and Caron Butler — also acquired from Miami — but also point guard Gary Payton. "It's the coach's job to look at the personnel that you have and then design and tailor an offense to those guys' strengths," Tomjanovich said. "I'm a big tape watcher, and plus, I have a great memory. I will go back to things run in the past by other great teams and players and use them. I still remember some of the stuff Gene Shue ran when he was coaching the [Baltimore] Bullets in the 1970s." Tomjanovich figures that if he can get his top players to believe in his system, everything should work out fine. He also said that when he finds something that works, he won't be afraid to add it to the offense. "I remember when we picked up Clyde [Drexler] with Houston," Tomjanovich said. "Something happened with him and Chucky Brown, who we already had, whenever we ran pick-and-rolls. They had slips and other things that continued to work. That's what I love about coaching basketball. The chemistry and how certain things can be created. "I will be going back and trying to get most of the players' favorite plays put into the offense." One key for Tomjanovich will be utilizing the talents of Odom, who is coming off his best season as a pro. One Western Conference assistant said that the Lakers still will be difficult to defend, but not as tough as they were when they had O'Neal. "No one has anyone who can match up with Shaq, but there are a lot of guys who can run with Kobe and the guys they have now," the assistant said. But as Scott pointed out, if Tomjanovich can get Odom and Bryant to work together … watch out. "Lamar Odom is a terrific basketball player, and of course, Kobe, if he stays, can beat anyone off the dribble," Scott said. "They will be the main two go-to guys for the Lakers, and that's not a bad place to start. "For sure, the Lakers will be totally different, but I have no idea if they will be better. It really will depend on the other pieces they put in there. We will just have to wait and see." http://www.latimes.com/sports/baske...590.story?coll=la-headlines-sports-nba-lakers
I love Rudy, and I hope he has as much success with his Lakers offense as he did with the "wide open attack with Steve Francis."
What Freak is trying to say is he likes Rudy's fexibility, ability to adapt and that is something Freak doesnt like with JVG in terms of offense. It appears JVG has his system and will make sure the players buy into it. I think there is a middle ground there. I will say this, if JVG cant get Tmac and Yao to adopt his system, JVG will be the eventual loser.
What other coach could win 45 games in the western conference with Francis, Mobley, and a Dream that can barely dunk. I trully believe Rudy T did the best anyone could with the players that we had. Go Rudy!!!!
I HATE the Fakers but Rudy is Rudy and gotta give him some love and wish him the best. Anyone else see the interviews on Sports Center of Shaq. He gave Rudy lots of credit and said he would have loved to play for Rudy but couldn't b/c of his disagreement with management. He said Rudy was "old school" and knows how to win. He had nothing but praise for Rudy. He said I've seen it with my own eyes, Rudy knows to get the ball to big man, he gave the ball to Hakeem all the time and if it wasn't going to him he called a timeout and cursed the team out for not doing so. He even said we got our asses whipped by Houston (it's obvious but great to see him come out and admit it). I thought it was cool that he has so much respect for Rudy and our Championship teams, unlike the dumbass media.
but to death the myth that JVG works harder than Rudy [no noone as said it but it seems implied] Also I like that Rudy's flexibility Rocket River
Rudy is a good veteran's coach. He empowers the players and that's why veteran's love him. The problem with that philosophy with younger players is they havent earned the right to become empowered. They are still learning and they need structure, teaching. Especially these days with players coming right from HS. That's why Francis under Rudy just wasnt going to work long term. Francis just isnt disciplined enough to warrant that kind of leeway.
Thanks for the read, TheFreak. Yery nice. Man, I sure miss him! I wish him luck in LA, but not when they play us, of course.
I love the fact that JVG always looks like a walking zombie with no hair...makes me think that he is always working for the team...
I like Rudy. I appreciate the two championships he brought to Houston. But, he didn't win them. Hakeem did. His offensive set was: throw it to Hakeem and everyone stand as far away as you can. With Francis, it was iso ball: give the ball to Francis and everyone stand as far away as you can. Same concept, different position. Let's be honest here, Rudy lucked out and had Hakeem on his team. This is a guy who "stepped away" when he had Francis, Mobley, Cato, Yao and Taylor all on the same team. Let's face it, Rudy is no offensive genius. He wll do well next year because he will defer to Kobe or Odoms. Iso-ball revisited.
lets be honest here, the rockets were a sub .500 team when he took over and 2 years later we were celebrating a championship. that's pretty damn good. i often wonder what hakeem's offensive numbers would look like if rudy had been his coach his whole career.
Let's face it, Rudy is no offensive genius. Larry Brown has referred to him as just that. Thx Deuce ...
