Article: LA Daily News - Farmar Handles Playoff Pressure

[SoCalMike]

Farmar handles playoff pressure

By Rich Hammond Staff Writer
Inside SOCALArticle Last Updated:04/22/2007 10:40:59 PM PDT

PHOENIX - The pressure had never been more intense for Jordan Farmar, the minutes never bigger.

Farmar, the Lakers' newfound starting point guard, made his playoff debut Sunday and fared well for the most part, although he sat with foul trouble while the Phoenix Suns went on their game-winning charge.

In 31 minutes - three more than he played in any regular-season game - Farmar, the rookie out of UCLA, had nine points, two steals, two assists and one turnover.

The Lakers' problems came when Farmar left the game with 3:36 left in the third quarter after he picked up his fourth foul. With Smush Parker in the lineup, providing mostly inadequate defense against Leandro Barbosa and the Suns' backcourt, Phoenix turned a seven-point deficit into a two-point lead.

By the time Farmar returned, with 7:37 left in the game, the Lakers trailed by four.

Farmar acquitted himself well against two-time league MVP Steve Nash, who made only 7 of 17 shots from the field.

Lamar Odom needed five stitches over his left eye after the game. Odom took an elbow from Nash in the first quarter and missed two minutes as he had the wound bandaged.

This is the second consecutive year in which a Jackson-coached team has lost the first game of a series.

Jackson previously had a 14-0 record in playoff series openers.

Kwame Brown, expected to be a big part of the Lakers' game plan, took just six shots and scored four points. Jackson said Brown was taken out of the game early by a perceived non-foul, a missed dunk and a play that Brown believed should have been goaltending.
rich.hammond@dailynews.com (818) 713-3611



Source: http://www.dailynews.com/lakers/ci_5729644

[lakerfreak]

He did handle the pressure very well.

I dont understand what Phil sees in smush anymore. I used to see a lot for Smush but not on this team. SMush clearly doesn't wanna be here.

[SoCalMike]

Do you think Smush will be happy anywhere he goes?

[gts]

Originally Posted by SoCalMike

Do you think Smush will be happy anywhere he goes?

well if he goes to a team where he's coming off the bench as a shooting gaurd then he could have some success, he is not a point gaurd and he never should have been put in that position in the first place...

if he were to go to a team like the clippers where you have a great fundamentals coach like dunlevy where he could learn the craft then he may find a home....

but as long as he is treated as if he knows what he is doing then he will fail, because as we have seeen he really doesn't know how to play the game...

[lakerfreak]

I just hope this bull$hit talk of "the triangle doesnt need a PG" is put to rest.

We learned now that we do need a PG like everyone else.

[gts]

Originally Posted by lakerfreak

I just hope this bull$hit talk of "the triangle doesnt need a PG" is put to rest.

We learned now that we do need a PG like everyone else.

as long as you have a good ball handler to initiate the offense you can get away with a second SG in the triangle instead of a PG, it's nice to have a decent point gaurd but it's not a must have, i'd be just as happy with a good defensive gaurd who can cover a point gaurd and hit the perimeter shot and letting lamar, luke or kobe handle the ball to begin a set with...

smush's problems are not bringing the ball across half court and passing it to lamar or luke, his problems are defensive and his shooting is streaky...