Anthony Davis dominated James Harden and the Rockets in the 2020 NBA playoffs. (Getty Images)

The Houston Rockets were eliminated from the NBA playoff bubble, and it is safe to say the microball experiment was an epic failure.

The Los Angeles Lakers, a team loaded with length and size, bounced the undersized Rockets in the Western Conference semifinals. The five-game series revealed what most basketball pundits wondered out loud. Could the Rockets make enough 3-pointers to make up for their lack of size? The answer was an emphatic “no.”

The second-round exit triggered what could be a very difficult offseason for the Rockets. Just hours after the playoff elimination, Mike D’Antoni reportedly informed the franchise that he was not returning. D’Antoni basically beat the Rockets to the punch. He knew what was coming. He went into this season without a contract extension as the Rockets brass operated on a wait-and-see approach before committing to D’Antoni for next season and beyond. What they saw was the Rockets have reached their ceiling under D’Antoni, and it’s time for a major strategy shift and revamp a roster built around two guards each making $38 million per season.

When the Rockets traded center Clint Capela on Feb. 4, 2020, as part of a massive four-team, 12-player transaction, D’Antoni and his staff went all in on small ball.

In the Capela deal, the Rockets acquired veteran shooter Robert Covington. The analytical thinking behind the move was the 6-foot-7 swingman provides D’Antoni another 3-pointer shooter to space the floor and solid perimeter defender who can switch on guards off pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop action. The Rockets also felt by having another long-range shooter on the court, it will create more space for iso-ball masters James Harden and Russell Westbrook more driving lanes.

Those are what the analytics showed. What the analytics didn’t show was small ball only works when you have a non-traditional center who can play center. In other words, you need a special 5 man who can anchor your defense and space the floor on offense. Think Draymond Green.

Draymond allowed the Golden State Warriors to play 5 “smalls” because even though he was undersized — listed at a generous 6-6 — he played much bigger than his actual size. Green is a tenacious rebounder with an uncanny ability to guard perimeters players, making it easier for the Warriors to switch everything on screens, and he’s the Warriors’ primary playmaker on offense. A point-center if you need to tag him. Green’s unique ability to handle the ball out in the perimeter gives the Warriors the flexibility on offense and play Steph Curry and Klay Thompson off the ball.

It’s also erroneous to describe the Warriors as a “small” team. Seven-footer Andrew Bogut was the starting center on their 2015 championship team, and he was widely regarded around the league as one of the best post defenders. When the Dubs do go their smaller lineup, they have the length and athleticism to switch everything on defense. Andre Iguodala (6-8), Thompson (6-7) and Green (6-6) are worthy candidates for the all-defensive teams. Curry (6-3) is the shortest Dubs starter but he is among the league leaders in steals. After losing to LeBron James and the Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals, the Warriors stunned the basketball world by acquiring Kevin Durant. Durant, a 6-10 forward who can play all five positions, made the Warriors nearly impossible guard and their defense got even better because Durant covered so much ground with his insane wingspan.

In the history of basketball, championship teams are built inside-out. Teams with dominant centers have always ruled the game. George Mikan’s Minneapolis Lakers. Bill Russell’s Boston Celtics. Wilt Chamberlain’s Warriors and 76ers teams. Kareem Abdul-Jabber’s Bucks and Lakers teams. Hakeem Olajuwon’s Rockets. Shaquille O’Neal’s Lakers. Tim Duncan’s Spurs.

There were a few exceptions such as Michael Jordan’s Bulls, Isiah Thomas’ Pistons, LeBron’s Heat squad and Steph Curry’s Warriors. But even those teams had good size up front.

The Bad Boy Pistons in the early ’90s may not have had dominant big men but they had several bruisers in Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn and James Edwards. Jordan’s Bulls didn’t have All-Star centers, but they had competent 7-footers who clogged up the paint in Bill Cartwright, Luc Longley, Will Perdue, Bill Wennington and Brian Williams.

During Miami’s championship run with LeBron and Dwyane Wade, the Heat’s best lineup was when LeBron, Wade, Mario Chalmers, Shane Battier and Chris Bosh were on the floor. Battier and LeBron could play either forward positions, and Bosh — who made All-Star teams in Toronto as a power forward — anchors the team as the center.

This season the Heat went back to the microball formula by moving away from traditional big Hassan Whiteside and handing the keys to modern-day big Bam Adebayo. Adebayo, a natural power forward, brings the same skillset as Draymond. Bam can anchor the Heat defense, rebound, switch on guards and be a playmaker on offense.

The Rockets were banking on P.J. Tucker to be their Draymond Green or Bam Adebayo. But Tucker — who stands 6-5 with shoes on — isn’t tall or athletic enough to be the backline of a defense and isn’t skilled enough to be a playmaker on offense. Tucker is a 3-and-D guy who can occasionally defend bigs in short bursts. He can’t do it for an entire game. Tucker might be a good center overseas like in professional leagues in the Philippines or Japan, but not in the National Basketball Association.

Houston is at its best when Harden, Westbrook, Eric Gordon, Covington and Tucker are on the court, with Covington being the tallest guy at 6-7. Not surprisingly, the Rockets’ best lineup didn’t match up well against the Lakers’ finishing lineup of LeBron (6-8), Anthony Davis (6-10), Kyle Kuzma (6-9), Danny Green (6-6) and Alex Caruso (6-5). Even when the Lakers “downsized” by inserting Markief Morris in favor of JaVale McGee in the starting lineup and moving Davis to center they were still significantly bigger than the Rockets. Davis and LeBron had their way with the Rockets in the paint. Davis dominated the boards in every game and often found himself doing the Mikan drill near the rim. For those who don’t know the Mikan drill, it’s when you stand under the basket and shoot layups with either hand.

As the series wore on, Davis — arguably the best big man in the league today — imposed his size and length on Tucker and the Rockets’ frontcourt. With exception of Game 1 when Houston matched L.A. board for board, the Lakers outrebounded the Rockets 186-117 in games 2, 3, 4 and 5. Game 1 was the only game the Rockets took from the Lakers.

Once the Lakers adjusted to what the Rockets were doing, it was a wrap. The 3-point shots were heavily contested and the driving lanes shrunk. Westbrook, who usually has his way against smaller guards in the paint, struggled against a swarming Lakers defense. Westbrook was met at the rim with plenty of resistance, mainly from LeBron, who spiked four or five Westbrook layups into the empty stands and let him know about it each and every time. The Rockets missed countless pointblank layups because they were seeing ghosts around the rim.

It’s back to the drawing board for the Rockets.

Eric Bledsoe brought athleticism and energy to the Phoenix Suns. (GETTY IMAGES)

The Los Angeles Lakers are suffering through one of their worst seasons in franchise history with their rash of injuries for the second straight season. The Lakers have been limited to 17 games between Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash combined, not to mention Pau Gasol, Xavier Henry, Jordan Farmar (has been hurt three times), and Steve Blake have all missed significant games due to injury.

They gave Bryant a heavily criticized $48.5 million extension, preventing them from bringing in two maximum salary free agents.

So, where do they go from here? I may have some answers.

The Lakers will get a top 5 draft pick most likely.

There are a lot of talented players available in this draft that they could select and bring in. Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid, Jabari Parker, Julius Randle and Dante Exum are all projected as the top-five players in this draft.

Parker has said he may stay at Duke. The incentive is there since the Blue Devils got bounced early in the NCAA tournament and they have a great player in high school All-American Jahil Okafor enrolling this fall.

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Wiggins, one of the best prospects to come out of Canada, is likely to be the No. 1 overall pick. The Lakers will need to secure more ping pong balls from new commissioner Adam Silver to make sure they get the first pick.

Embiid is a raw project who reminds me of Michael Olowokandi, and his back injury may give teams caution when taking him too high.

They wouldn’t need a player like Exum if Bledsoe is acquired, unless they want to bring Exum as a possible replacement for Bryant in a few seasons. He has drawn comparisons to Michael Carter-Williams, except he has a better jump shot. Exum says he wants to play with Bryant (he and Kobe share the same agent in Rob Pelinka).

Exum could replace Bryant at shooting guard when he retires. When he played at the 2013 Nike Hoop Summit with Germany’s Dennis Schroder (rookie with the Atlanta Hawks) he played off the ball and was able to get to the rim off the dribble. He wow’ed NBA scouts, reinforcing that he was an impressive player to keep their eye on.

Anthony Bennett’s lackluster season may give teams a second thought in taking Randle. Randle is another tweener forward may cost a general manager his job if he doesn’t pan out.

Sign Eric Bledsoe to the poison pill contract that has been rumored.

Earlier this year, ESPN reporter Chris Broussard said the Lakers may be interested in overpaying Bledsoe (a restricted free agent) so that the Suns don’t want to match it and head in another direction. They have two point guards playing in the backcourt together and don’t seem like they will be able to keep both, the Suns have multiple selections in the upcoming NBA draft. If the Lakers offer Bledsoe $14-15 million per season that may be too much for Phoenix to match.

Bledsoe has had a breakout season with the Phoenix Suns (17.2 points per game, 5.7 assists per game, 4.5 rebounds per game) after being traded from the Los Angeles Clippers. Bledsoe is just 24 years old and has the dynamic personality and talent to replace Kobe once he retires in a few seasons. Bledsoe would be able to carry the torch for the Lakers as their next superstar to build a team around.

Sign Spencer Hawes to a 3-4 year deal worth $8-9 million per season.

Hawes is an underrated center who has always reminded me of Brad Miller, I like him a lot. He’ll be a seven year veteran but he’ll be just 26 when next season starts. He can score (13-14 points), rebound (8-9 rebounds), pass (3-4 assists) and he can shoot the 3-pointer (40% this season and 35% for his career). He isn’t a great defender but he’s a solid big man who could help replace Pau Gasol if he walks as a free agent, like he’s expected to. Hawes would give them a versatile big man who can step out and hit the outside shot, poor Mike D’Antoni would love to have him this season but D’Antoni will be gone by the time Hawes shows up in Los Angeles.

Sign Drew Gooden.

Gooden has only played in 11 games this season for the Washington Wizards but he’s still just 32 years old. Bring him in the veteran minimum of 1.8 million and he’s capable of putting up 10ppg and seven rebounds. He’s not going to play much defense but he can give the Lakers a serviceable PF, provided he stays healthy. If he can’t stay healthy, Kelly gets more on the job training as the stretch four (4?).

Use the stretch provision on Steve Nash.

If Nash doesn’t retire — and he has said he’s sticking around to collect the paycheck — the Lakers could use the stretch provision on him and his contract counts just $3 million towards the salary cap (instead of $9 million). Nash has shown he’s unable to stay healthy and they have a need to save as much money as possible with a lot of free agents this summer. Nash makes too much to keep as a backup to Bledsoe and they have to fill out a roster.

Re-sign some of the young players who have shown some promise this season.

Nick Young is most assuredly gone since he has had a good season (16.8 points and instant offense off the bench) and has a player option for $1.2 million. I’d be shocked if Young exercises that after having a solid enough season where he should be able to command $3-5 million as a sixth man off the bench for a good team.

Re-sign Xavier Henry. Henry showed some flashes this season but has played in just 40 games due to injury. They should be able to bring back Henry on a two-year deal worth $3 million, he made $884,000 this season. And the Lakers gave him a chance to save and revive his career.

Re-sign Wesley Johnson. Johnson was one of the few players who gave 100% effort on the defensive side of the ball. When he signed him, Mitch Kupchak said he could turn into a Michael Cooper-type defensive player, while that is a stretch Johnson has been a consistent defender all season. Sign him to a two-year deal worth $3 million also.

Re-sign restricted free agents Kent Bazemore and Ryan Kelly. Bazemore showed he could play after the trade from Golden State, averaging 13.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists. He can be re-signed relatively cheaply, say $1-1.2 million or so, a slight raise from this seasons $788,872 salary. Have him come off the bench as Young’s scoring replacement.

Kelly has averaged just under 10 points since January 1st and has shown the capability of being a shooter off the bench. He has also shown he is a better rebounder than expected coming out of Duke. He had 24 points and 11 rebounds in a 134-126 loss to the Denver Nuggets on March 7. He had a career-high 26 points in a loss against the Philadelphia 76ers in February.

Fire Mike D’Antoni and hire Byron Scott.

First, let’s get this out of the way. Is this season D’Antoni’s fault? No.

They have been snake-bitten by injuries like I mentioned earlier. But life isn’t always fair as any coach knows and Byron Scott is just biding his time, waiting for the job in the Time Warner Cable SportsNet studio. Any incoming coach has to signed off by the Mamba. Scott returned to Los Angeles in 1996-97 (after playing for the Pacers and Grizzlies) and mentored Bryant when he was a rookie. They got along well and Bryant has a lot of respect for Scott.

He would most likely bring Michael Cooper as an assistant and he’d help give the Lakers some defensive focus, something they desperately need.

Here’s the Lakers’ potential lineup next season:

PG-Bledsoe
SG-Kobe
SF-Henry/Johnson
PF-Gooden
C-Hawes

Bench

Exum, Henry/Johnson, Kelly, Kendall Marshall, Robert Sacre, Bazemore, second round pick.

Is this a playoff team? Probably not. But, it’s a team that could be in the mix and competitive, which is all you can ask from a team that has to manage the salary cap. It also leaves them some flexibility in a few seasons when Kevin Love hits the free-agent market and Kobe retires.

Darren Jacks is a regular contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @djroxalot.

Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade share a laugh after the Heat-Lakers game on Christmas Day at Staples Center. (GETTY IMAGES)

Wins and losses are all that matter in the NBA. However, on Christmas Day, the Los Angeles Lakers managed to give the defending champion Miami Heat a battle before ultimately losing, 101-95, at Staples Center.

“The last two games we were just getting murdered, getting killed,” Nick Young told the L.A. Times. “To come back and fight like that today is a step forward, I think, for us.”

L.A. was playing without their franchise player in Kobe Bryant, who was out with a fractured bone in his left knee. Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade each scored 23 points to lead the Heat.

“Those guys are the best the league has to offer,” Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni told The Times. “You see some plays that you just don’t normally see. LeBron’s so strong and Wade, they come at you. It’s impressive.”

With the game tied at 81, Norris Cole scored seven points during an 11-2 run to give the Heat a 92-83 lead with a little over five minutes to play.

Young led the Lakers with 20 points (7-for-20 shooting) and continued his stellar play, replacing Bryant’s scoring production. He’s averaging 18.3 points per games the last 14 games.

Jodie Meeks scored 17 points, Xavier Henry pumped in 14 points, Pau Gasol scored 13 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

Jordan Farmar returned from an injured left hamstring to give L.A. a true point guard to run the offense after Steve Nash and Steve Blake all sustained injuries. However, Farmar wasn’t in game shape. He managed just three points and two assists in 32 minutes.

Darren Jacks is a regular contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @djroxalot.

Jordan Hill fuels the Lakers defense against the Kings. (GETTY IMAGES)

Jodie Meeks and Pau Gasol scored a team-high 19 points as they led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 106-100 victory over the Kings Friday night in Sacramento

“We have had different guys that have stepped up for us this season,” Mike D’Antoni told Time Warner Cable Sports Net’s John Ireland.

The defense really stepped up in the final quarter after L.A. trailed, 87-81, entering the final quarter. The Kings scored just 13 points on 3-for-16 shooting in the fourth. Jordan Hill had blocks on back-to-back plays and the Lakers had five of their seven blocks in the quarter as the defense tightened up. L.A. also swiped 10 steals.

Nick Young added 14 points off the bench, Steve Blake chipped in with 13 points and 10 assists, Wesley Johnson scored 13 points and led a strong defensive effort with five steals, Robert Sacre added 11 points in his first start of the season and Hill had seven points and nine rebounds off the bench.

The Lakers made 37.5% (12 of 32) 3-pointers and Meeks converted on five of seven outside shots.

Kobe Bryant is expected to make his much anticipated return this season on Sunday against Toronto after being out for nine months with an Achilles injury.

“We are getting these young guys some experience and chances to show what they can do this season,” D’Antoni said when asked how Bryant’s absence has impacted the team.

DeMarcus Cousins and rookie Ben McLemore scored 20 points each for Sacramento. Cousins also added 11 rebounds, four assists and steals while McLemore contributed six rebounds and two steals.

Darren Jacks is a regular contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @djroxalot.

Mike D’Antoni didn’t like the way his Lakers started against the Timberwolves. (GETTY IMAGES)

The Minnesota Timberwolves scored a season-high 47 points in the first quarter on their way to easy 113-90 win over the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on Sunday night.

The Timberwolves made 76.3% of their field goals in the first quarter. They were on fire and it seemed like all their 3-pointers were falling in the basket. For the game, they converted 50% (10-of-20) of their 3-pointers. In contrast, the Lakers made just 38.5% (10-of-26).

“We came out soft,” Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni said during his postgame press conference. “They made tough shots, there wasn’t enough intensity on defense. Sometimes, we don’t have enough speed on the floor.”

Steve Blake led the Lakers with 19 points (7-of-11 shooting) and seven assists.

“They made a number of shots with guys in their face,” he told Time Warner Cable SportsNet’s John Ireland, “so you have to give them some credit.”

Kevin Martin scored a game-high 27 points; Kevin Love added 25 points and 13 rebounds; Corey Brewer scored 17 points, swiped four steals and blocked two shots; Nikola Pekoic poured in 14 points and snagged 10 rebounds, and Ricky Rubio had an amazing game with 12 points, 14 assists, 10 rebounds and five steals.

Jodie Meeks added 16 points (6-of-10 shooting) and Pau Gasol chipped in with 11 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks and four assists. Steve Nash played just 13 minutes before leaving with a back injury.

Darren Jacks is a regular contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @djroxalot.

Mike D’Antoni and Kobe Bryant endured a tumultuous 2012-13 season. (GETTY IMAGES)

The Los Angeles Lakers completed a very difficult season in a most embarrassing way by getting swept out of the playoffs by the San Antonio Spurs. Now, the organization has to figure out how to remake this team on the fly and try to stay competitive in the stacked Western Conference.

They need to start by firing Mike D’Antoni and hire Byron Scott

DA was too often clueless on how to incorporate his players into the offense, mainly Pau Gasol. Gasol and Howard give the Lakers a huge advantage over most teams with two very good big men, but DA alienated Gasol almost immediately (upon being hired) by benching him rather than working with him.

Antwan Jamison was left out of the playing rotation earlier this season and he complained before DA started to trust him more in the second half of the season.

Byron Scott was recently fired by the Cleveland Cavaliers after failing to improve the team, but he would be an excellent choice for a veteran team like the Lakers. His Laker past would help him bring an air of credibility and he would step into a situation where the talent is plentiful. He never had these kind of players when he took over coaching jobs in New Jersey, New Orleans and Cleveland.

Talk to and amnesty Kobe

See if Kobe would be willing to be amnestied and come back in the 2014-15 season when they would be able to re-sign him. He would be able to rehab and collect the $30 million owed to him. But, amnestying him would save LA close to $80 million with the new CBA structure. As difficult as it sounds, this needs to be done so that the franchise can make the necessary improvements to be able to sign players and compete.

Most likely, Kobe will want to try and come back by the All-Star break … so in all likelihood he has played his last game with the purple and gold. The Lakers have to consider and ultimately use the amnesty clause to try to help improve the team and ease a huge financial burden.

I think he would probably sign with the Chicago Bulls to give them a pretty solid backcourt, even if Kobe won’t be the same player he once was.

Re-sign Howard and Earl Clark

Howard is the centerpiece to the future of the franchise. He is the best rebounding and defensive big man in the game and he is eager to prove he can carry the load on offense. He has made numerous comments about playing inside-out and wants to be the one to carry the torch for this great franchise.

Clark has stated he wants to remain with the Lakers, even if it means taking less money to do so. The Lakers should bring him back and play him at the small forward position. Their biggest weakness this past season was the lack of a perimeter defender. At 6-11, Clark would give them an excellent defender and he would upgrade a weakness. He’s too tall for most SF’s and he has the speed needed to keep up with most wing players; kind of like when Lamar Odom was playing small forward early in his career with the Los Angeles Clippers. Not that Clark is the scorer or passer Odom was. But, his height advantage and length give him a clear advantage over other small forwards.

They also need to decide what to do with Gasol

Do they try and trade Gasol to help improve the bench or keep Gasol and let his deal come off the books after next season. It all depends on what happens with DA, but I think a new head coach would work with the two big men and try and take advantage of their strengths. Gasol’s passing skills are a huge advantage and I think he actually played well over the last few weeks of the season. I’d keep him.

The Lakers have the ability to rebuild on the fly and still be a factor, but it all hinges on what they do with the head coach and Kobe.

Darren Jacks is a regular contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Send him an email at djroxalot@hotmail.com

Dwight Howard returns to Orlando and drops 39 points on his former team. (GETTY IMAGES)

It wasn’t quite the same venom as the time when LeBron James returned to Cleveland as a member of the Miami Heat, but Dwight Howard’s return to Orlando was still dramatic.

There were plenty of boos and some fans brought vulgar signs. The worst was the “FCK D12” shirts, and the “Dwight Coward” reference was sorta clever. But all the boos and all the negative energy that surrounded the Orena seem to fire up Howard, who is slowly returning to form after a long and arduous rehab from offseason back surgery.

Howard was active on both ends of the floor, and his activity translated to more touches and more paint points. He finished with 39 points and grabbed 16 rebounds. But the most impressive part of his Orlando homecoming was his free throw shooting. Despite the Hack-a-Howard strategy, which put the Lakers center on the line a NBA record 39 times (tying Howard’s own mark set in 2012), Howard hit back by sinking 25 of 39 foul shots, including 16 of 20 in the second half.

“I missed a lot of free throws, but it was good that I made a lot of free throws,” Howard said after leading the Lakers to a 106-97 win.

Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni joked that the Hack-a-Howard gimmick was the best offense the Lakers have going, and he was glad Orlando fouled him that many times.

Every time Howard stepped to the line he was booed, which was expected. The Magic fans are still seething at Howard for turning his back on a team that basically raised him since he entered the league in 2004 out of high school. Despite all the fans’ anger aimed at him, Howard had nothing but love for the Magic fans.

“I wanna thank everybody here in Orlando who supported me for my eight years,” he said. “I don’t care how many times they boo me, I don’t care how many times they make signs or whatever I still got love for these people.”

In an interview with Kevin Frazier, Howard says he apologizes for the way things unfolded in his final days in Orlando.

“I am sorry for everything that happened,” Howard said. “Some things I could have handled a lot better. But never intended to hurt those people. At the same time, I’ve moved on. I needed a change for my life. I needed everything that could have happened so I could become a stronger man.”

“Dwight genuinely loves Orlando,” D’Antoni said. “I’m sure for him there was a lot of emotion, but he got through it.”

Howard, who is deeply religious, says getting traded to the Lakers was the right play for him, although it didn’t appear that way for months when Howard seems real uncomfortable wearing the purple and gold, and was constantly dropping hints that he was unhappy in L.A. But Howard said all the negative press has been blow out of proportion, including his reported riff with Kobe Bryant. Howard claims he and Kobe are “cool” and that he’s started to get more comfortable in his role with the Lakers.

“I think all this stuff is good for me, as a person, as a man,” Howard said. “We didn’t allow the outside chatter to affect us as a team. We found a way to get better.”

Dwight Howard says his Lakers needs to be more like the Clippers. (GETTY IMAGES)

In the aftermath of the L.A. Lakers’ five-point loss to the Clippers Friday night, Lakers center Dwight Howard criticized his own team’s lack of chemistry following Saturday’s practice.

“(Chemistry is) something we have to do to get better,” Howard told ESPNLosAngeles.com. “We have to play like we like each other. Even if we don’t want to be friends off the court, whatever that may be, when we step in between the lines or we step in the locker room or the gym, we have to respect each other and what we bring to the table.

“It really starts off the court. I think you have to have that relationship and that chemistry off the court for it to really blossom on the court. It takes time to develop that. You just don’t come together and then expect to be best friends right away. It just doesn’t happen like that.”

Howard lauded the Clippers’ chemistry, saying, “Those guys on the Clippers team, they really enjoy each other off the court and it shows.”

Howard’s comments came after Lakers forward Jordan Hill injured his ankle on a play, but none of his teammates came over to see how he was doing or to help him to his feet. Howard’s claim seems to be a little bit off the mark — much like his free throws — because when Hill went down with an ankle injury he was helped up by Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest. Once Hill was up he tried to walk it off on his own. Maybe that’s what Howard saw.

Nonetheless, Howard makes a good point in that the Lakers need to improve their communication on and off the court. But building team chemistry takes time, and right now the Lakers look like a team that was just put together this offseason and head coach Mike D’Antoni has yet to figure out how to fit all the pieces into his system. Steve Nash is still figuring out where he fits in the offense even though he’s the point guard. Pau Gasol is completely lost in D’Antoni’s small-ball concept, and the Lakers’ bench is one of the worst in the league.

The Lakers’ lack of chemistry is only part of the problem. It is a team without an identity and the parts simply don’t fit. D’Antoni is trying to implement a high-powered offense using second-hand parts. It’s like driving in a 1997 Honda Civic while trying to win the Daytona 500.

Lakers forward Pau Gasol is not fitting in Mike D’Antoni’s system. Gasol is averaging just 12 points per game, a career low. (GETTY IMAGES)

Consistency. Lack of defense. Lack of discipline.

Those were the postgame remarks from L.A. Lakers All-Star Pau Gasol after the Orlando Magic came to Staples Center on Sunday and stunned the Lakers, 113-103. Clearly, Gasol was frustrated by the lack of discipline on the court by his teammates, but what could be eating at him more is the fact that he was benched in the fourth quarter when the game was still in the balance.

When Los Angeles Times reporter Mike Bresnahan asked Gasol if he was “irritated” about being on the bench in the fourth quarter the Spaniard responded by saying, “I don’t get irritated,” but then went on to quip that it was “upsetting.”

“I like to be out there. It’s upsetting for me as a player, but I won’t allow it to irritate me,” the Lakers forward said, who is averaging a career-low 12.7 points through the first quarter of the 2012-13 NBA season. “We all try to figure out and do our best to win the game, and coach makes his decisions and you gotta respect him.”

Gasol is a true professional. He won’t rock the boat or disrupt team chemistry by going rogue when things are going sour, and right now the Lakers are feeling very salty with the way the season has started for them. Gasol may not say it publicly but he is not happy with how he’s being used.

“Within the system, I’m gonna try to find positions where I can be more effective and be more comfortable in the positions I’ve been playing through my entire career,” Gasol said, “positions that made me so successful as a player.”

Head coach Mike D’Antoni so badly wants to play small ball, and he has dropped hints of that by increasing Antawn Jamison’s playing time at the expense of Gasol’s floor time. Jamison is a stretch 4 — or a small forward who can play power forward — who fits better with Dwight Howard. That’s the way D’Antoni’s Phoenix Suns teams spaced the floor, with Shawn Marion playing outside and allowing Amare Stoudemire to play exclusively inside and run pick-and-roll with Steve Nash.

Even though Gasol can face up and knock down shots from the free throw line, he’s more of a back-to-the-basket big man. He likes to handle the ball in the post and is an excellent passer for a 7-footer. But the biggest challenge for D’Antoni is figuring out how to get more speed on the court without alienating Howard and Gasol. Teams are countering the Lakers’ size advantage by playing faster and putting Howard and Gasol in pick-and-rolls.

”I think our problem is just not coming out with the intensity and the purpose that we need to have. … We’re slow right now,” D’Antoni told the Associated Press. “Just athletically, we’re struggling with young teams that run up and down.”

When asked how can the Lakers fix the problems on defense, Gasol said the team has “scramble at all times.”

“I think we did better in the third quarter when he held them to, what was it, 20 points. But then fourth quarter they scored 40 points,” Gasol said of what the Magic did to them on Sunday. “It’s just not something we can afford and allow as a team. We’re too good of a defensive team.

“We have to find ways to cover for each other and not allow easy looks, or open jumpers, then dunks. A lot to work on, just got to be a little more disciplined.”

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Mike D’Antoni’s Suns teams averaged 110 points in four of his six seasons in Phoenix. (GETTY IMAGES)

So, the Lakers settled for Mike D’Antoni rather than caving to Phil Jackson’s demands to coach the team again. It caused a big Hollywood drama.

A lot of critics are saying DA’s offense can’t work with the older players in Los Angeles, and they point to his days with the Suns.

In Phoenix, the Suns averaged 94, 110, 110, 108, 110, and 110 points per game. Now, it would just be silly to think D’Antoni is going to run this team ragged with older players such as Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest, and Pau Gasol. That would be foolish because they would be gassed once the playoffs start.

But D’Antoni made adjustments to his offense when he coached the Knicks because he didn’t have the same personnel he had in Phoenix.

In four years in N.Y., the Knicks averaged 105.2, 102.1, 106.5, and 97.8 points per game. They ran at times, but they never scored as much as his Suns teams did and there is a reason for that. Like any good coach, D’Antoni tweaked the offense and they ran a lot of halfcourt sets and pick-and-rolls with Raymond Felton and Amare Stoudemire.

Felton had a career-best season 17.1 points and nine assists. In 2006 with the Suns, they went 54-28 in the regular season and lost in six games in the Western Conference finals to the Dallas Mavericks. That team had Nash, Joe Johnson, Boris Diaw, and Raja Bell. Amare played in just three games all season due to microfracture surgery on his knee.

The Lakers also have more talent in L.A. with Nash, Kobe, Howard, and Gasol as a fourth option if he isn’t traded) than the Knicks or the Suns ever had. Sure, the Lakers will run when Nash sees the opportunity, but Nash being an extension of DA on the court will also slow it down to save wear and tear on the veteran players.

L.A. has a very good team and will be a team to be reckoned with come playoff time, especially with Oklahoma City missing James Harden and the Spurs getting older and fighting injuries. The team the Lakers need to watch out for is the other Staples Center tenant — the Clippers.

We could easily see a Lakers-Clippers matchup in the conference finals if the Lakers can adjust to the D’Antoni system.

Darren Jacks is a regular contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Send him an email at: djroxalot@hotmail.com