Phil Jackson
Phil Jackson
Philip Douglas "Phil" Jacksonis an American professional basketball executive, former coach and former player, currently serving as president of the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association. Jackson was the head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 until 1998, during which Chicago won six NBA championships. His next team, the Los Angeles Lakers, won five championships from 2000 until 2010. In total, Jackson has won 11 NBA titles as a coach, surpassing the previous record of nine set...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionCoach
Date of Birth17 September 1945
CityDeer Lodge, MT
CountryUnited States of America
It was a good practice session, but then we started tailing-off, just as most players do during exhibition games and we started shooting more instead of executing.
You have to give that team some credit. Three-point shooting is not an easy task.
Obviously when the threes aren't going it's time to stop shooting them. We kept going to it and got desperate at the end trying to hit home runs. We can't do that.
Poor decisions and free throw shooting haunted us. I was disappointed in our ball control.
They're shooting almost 40 percent. That in itself is remarkable, unheard of. It converts to a lot of points. And to have to recycle our team to find a way to match up against them is not easy. It's not conventional.
It was designed for him (Bryant) to catch the ball and find what he could find available. I have to give him credit that he can shoot that shot. I have to allow his judgment to be so he felt like he could do that at the time. I wanted him to penetrate.
I don't think I ever used the word passive, but I do think he was looking to feed his teammates. He was looking to pass first and shoot later. This game, I want him to carry the threat.
We were relying on Kobe and Kobe couldn't shoot the ball because of a hand injury. He was just reluctant to shoot.
There are times and moments and there will be one in this playoffs where he will do the offensive work. He's going to be on fire and feeling the ability to go out there and shoot anytime, any place. Right now, I think he's just moving the ball well and doing the right things for us.
That doesn't matter to me about those things, ... They are pathetic. It was a poor offensive game. We didn't move the ball right. We didn't shoot the ball right. But those things, they'll happen. ... Those are just numbers.
We couldn't overcome a tough shooting game for Kobe. They threw an extra man at him, and we didn't make good adjustments. Offensively, I don't think we grasped the concepts of what we are trying to do here.
When he's shooting well, I encourage him. We're trying to measure personal achievement with team goals.
I'm sure he's going to juice up, as far as playing against Kobe.
I know these teams have to have an answer, and it's time for the draft to commence and things to happen. I'll be off the queue here in another day or two.