It seems that Derek hate is in the air.
O.C. Register: The Dallas Mavericks already had one guard who knows Kobe Bryant implicitly – and has the defensive prowess to defend him – in Jason Kidd. They went out and got another one at the trade deadline in Caron Butler.
Meanwhile, in the eyes of an ever-increasing number of Lakers fans, Bryant’s hopes for another championship could be foiled by another guard … on his own team.
Old buddy Derek Fisher.
Fisher is fast moving into Bryant longtime territory of being an uncommonly divisive player. That’s actually not altogether surprising given that Fisher has a lot of characteristics in common with Bryant. Both would never fail to believe in themselves, which means they’re perfectly willing to believe they’re better than they really are – which isn’t exactly an endearing quality.
But if Fisher believes he’s better than he really is right now, so does Phil Jackson. And ultimately, that’s where the Lakers are with this: They still trust Fisher to do what they need done, which I’ve tried to explain before can’t be boiled down to a shooting percentage or judged by the speed of a defensive slide.
It’s the Lakers’ trust that Fisher will do the right things for the team on the floor that keeps him out there.
That is rooted in but not limited to all the goodwill he has amassed in his past. It’s also that the Lakers don’t have anyone better – and that’s the angle that should be more of a concern for Lakers fans.
Continue reading ‘If Fisher fails, Lakers could get filleted’
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