The columnist from the "Los Angeles Times" published a commentary: Bickerstaff has shown us the correct way to utilize Kobe + Gasol + Nash. If Hill were replaced with Howard, I dare not imagine how terrifying the Lakers could have been this season. This is not a disrespect to Jack, as my saying this exactly proves that in my eyes, he’s as outstanding as Kobe.
That commentary resonated with the fans.
The fans also felt that last night’s game was the Lakers’ best teamwork of the season.
With Nash, Kobe, Gasol, and Howard, the four superstars brought together, each of their abilities inevitably had to be sacrificed. Mike Brown and D’Antoni were also making adjustments, but they did a terrible job.
Gasol had no authority to shoot, though he was of age and more suited to protect the basket underneath, he was forced to go out and poorly execute help defense;
Howard wasn’t playing pick-and-roll, instead posting up low, not helping in defense but rather staying under the basket;
Nash, at his age, was still asked to orchestrate offense without a pick-and-roll element;
Kobe was supposed to be a pure scorer, yet he had the highest assists average of his career...
Only after Zhang Yang and Howard switched teams did the situation start to change, but the core of the play style remained largely the same, after all, 52 games had been played. Zhang Yang had to join the Lakers and immediately play in games. Adjustments could only tweak the details. Zhang Yang’s playstyle during the latter part of the season was just a more rational offensive version of Kobe’s playstyle, plus an enhanced defensive version.
It wasn’t until the first round’s G1, when they were pressed hard by the Thunder Team, that Bickerstaff had no choice but to make disruptive adjustments, and fans finally saw the ’Four Giants’ being used the right way.
Gasol took on the core role, Zhang Yang had a reduced role focusing solely on initiating offense and scoring, Nash played as the sixth man... The three no longer hindered each other and displayed an astonishing offensive performance, scoring 130+ without the Thunder Team’s prepared defense.
Media, experts, and fans eventually came to—praising Bickerstaff, criticizing Mike Brown and D’Antoni...
In the Oklahoma City Four Seasons Hotel, as Harden went to discuss their on-court roles with Durant, the Lakers’ coaching staff was urgently using the time before heading back to the airport to discuss their meeting and analyze last night’s game.
The G2 victory seized the home-court advantage, but the situation was still not in their favor, the disparity in line-up was too great.
As people said, they changed their way of playing, took advantage of the Thunder Team’s lack of preparedness for one game, and that was it.
However, now that a breakthrough had been found, there was hope for victory!
By the end of the meeting, they also brought up the topic: ’If Bickerstaff had been coaching during the regular season, the Lakers’ strength would have been comparable to the 66-win Miami Heat team.’
Bickerstaff himself refuted this argument: "It’s not that the two Mikes didn’t know that way of playing was unsuitable for the four of them, but they had no choice, Howard was unwilling to be a blue-collar player, let alone cooperate with Steve in pick-and-roll. When he was supposed to execute pick-and-rolls with Steve, Howard would cut to the basket before Steve even got around the screen. Howard certainly couldn’t take on a blue-collar role like Joe (Hill).
Neither Mike dared make arrangements that would upset Howard, as the most important task for our team at the beginning wasn’t to achieve a good record, but to get Howard to extend his contract early. They didn’t want to become the one responsible if Howard didn’t re-sign."
The young Darwin Ham responded: "That’s true, you’re the only coach on our team who could hold Howard down. During those five games you coached, Howard followed your arrangements."
Bickerstaff shook his head: "I couldn’t suppress him forever. He wouldn’t keep giving an old man face, and over time he would become unhappy."
Hearing this, Ham sighed: "Ah, if only we had accepted the Pacers’ offer back then, trading Bynum for George, to get a younger and stronger forward... Or accepted the rebuilding Chicago Bulls’ offer, trading for Deng and Noah, we definitely wouldn’t just be eighth in the West now."
Bickerstaff gave Ham a look. This youngster really dared to say anything.
He replied: "In that case, how could we have gotten Jack? Only with a bargaining chip like Howard would the Spurs be willing to give us Jack. Otherwise, even if Jack wanted to come to us at the end of this season, we wouldn’t have had the cap space to sign him... Jack won’t even be 25 for another two months; he has a brighter future than Howard, George, or Noah."
It only then occurred to Ham that they, as coaches, shouldn’t be longing for the ’Four Giants’ anymore, or regretting the regular season...
On Zhang Yang’s side, he was repeatedly watching the recordings of G1 and G2.
He had already offered all the advice he could, unable to provide better strategic suggestions, he decided not to meddle, letting the professionals do their job. He was focusing on studying the opponent’s footage, thinking about how to better get the ball through the hoop.
The two rest days quickly passed, and on April 26th, the Lakers, back on their home court, faced the third game in the series against the Thunder Team.
Just as Zhang Yang expected, the opposition revised both their offensive and defensive strategies effectively.
As guessed, Harden really did seize control!
Seeing Harden’s power-grabbing history over the past two years, Zhang Yang felt that his old buddy was evolving into a ball hog.
Tonight, the Thunder Team’s main offensive was Harden!
Though the Thunder Team’s offensive efficiency had dropped, this adjustment directly shattered the Lakers’ defensive strategy of relying on Metta World Peace + wing guards + twin towers to exhaust Durant alone.