Hello Hoops Fans!
Last week I premiered on nba247365.com and wrote y’all a persuasive article on Dwight Howard’s candidacy for MVP, making a case that he should win the award over Derrick Rose. Rose responded by dropping 30 points and 17 assists that same night and making me look like a fool. In this weeks edition of Adam’s Random Ramblings, I’m going to do my best to avoid history repeating itself.
As Stephen so fondly pointed out in my introduction a week ago, I am a diehard Lakers fan. I watch every game, even though Lakers games often don’t end until the wee hours of the morning, and I know every player’s strengths and weaknesses. I want to celebrate a player who, in my opinion, gets a lot of flak and isn’t as appreciated as he should be.
Derek Fisher drives me crazy sometimes. He can’t finish at the rim. He has virtually no right hand. His shooting form is unorthodox, putting it nicely. He can’t guard anybody at the NBA level. Yes, Derek Fisher has made me scratch my head numerous times.
Fisher isn’t the most talented point guard on the Lakers’ roster. Shannon Brown and Steve Blake would both win in a game of one on one, and both of them have cut deeply into Fisher’s minutes as the season has progressed… but there is something to be said for guys who aren’t afraid of stepping in and taking charges, let alone guys who seek out contact- like D-Fish. There is also value in having a guy on the floor who Kobe Bryant knows and trusts, and everybody knows who Kobe wants by his side when the going gets tough. Derek Fisher has won five NBA titles; he knows what to do and how to prepare his teammates for the long haul. He gets it. His stat line has never been impressive–he holds career averages of 9 points, 3 assists, and 40% field goal shooting–but his value to the Lakers goes far beyond that. A prime example is his clutch shooting in the playoffs:
The Lakers are 16-1 in their past 17 games, and that’s mainly because Kobe Bryant has been terrific (31.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists in his past five games), Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol have finally emerged as the best front court duo in the game (in their past 10 games combining for 34.8 points, 21.9 rebounds, 3.5 blocks, and shooting very efficiently from the floor) and the team has finally dug up some defensive intensity… but the reason they will be alive in June is because of the qualities of Derek Fisher, which go far beyond the box score.
