• MONDAY'S SHOW: Hall of Famer James Lofton ... NBC college football broadcaster Pat Haden ... Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio
Phil Jackson on Bynum-Gasol and Kobe's intensity
Sample1
Phil Jackson's Lakers have jumped out to a 2-0 start.
AP

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson called in to discuss the upcoming NBA season.

Two games into the season, Jackson sees his team committing to defense like never before. This year's squad has depth and is able to play various styles of play.

Jackson never envisioned coaching this long, but he still has a passion for the game and feels a loyalty to players and coaches who are counting on him to succeed.

Charles Barkley commented that Kobe Bryant has reached a point where he can't get any better. Jackson thinks Kobe may have reached his pinnacle, but now understands how to conserve energy throughout the season so he can really turn it on in the playoffs. He compares that mentality to Michael Jordan, who thrived after he came back from his first retirement.

Unlike Mike Singletary, Jackson doesn't need to do crazy stunts to get his team's attention. About seven or eight years ago, he threw a can of coke against the wall to get his team's attention after a poor first half, but he tries to avoid that kind of emotional outburst.

Jerry West commented last year that Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum would not mesh well on the court together. Jackson has noticed that Gasol is unselfish and trying hard to get Bynum involved. The two of them together are a weapon few teams can match and he thinks they will be fine together.

Comments ()

Remember to keep it clean. Bad words will get filtered, and offensive comments will be removed. More Guidelines

ENTER YOUR POST HERE
 
Dan Patrick and StubHub are teaming up to give you access to the tickets you want for the season's biggest games.