An excerpt:
“At its roots, the Princeton offense uses several basic tenets. It de-emphasizes the notion of true positions such as point guard and small forward. It opens the area beneath the basket by using a high post player who should be a good passer. It relies on constant movement, off-the-ball screens and back cuts, ideally breaking down defenses with patience and precision. Think about the overwhelming personnel on the Lakers and ask yourself if this sounds like a good fit.
“It de-emphasizes the notion of true positions such as point guard. Nash has won two MVP awards – one more than Bryant, by the way – as a true point guard. At 38, he remains one of the most effective playmakers in the game because his dominance of the basketball is belied by his selfless willingness to surrender it at the ideal time.
“Nash also is one of the best pure shooters in the game, making him virtually unguardable in the pick-and-roll. And with the Lakers, he can have twice the fun in Howard and Pau Gasol, both of whom are strong pick-and-roll big men in their own ways. But Jordan’s offense calls for an overt sharing of the ball, which minimizes Nash’s effectiveness.
“It opens the area beneath the basket by using a high post player who should be a good passer. Gasol is an ideal fit for this role; he is among the most intelligent and best-passing 7-footers in NBA history. He also is a threat to knock down an elbow jumper.
“The Lakers also have Howard, generally regarded as the most dominant low-post player in the game. The offense moves him away from where he is most lethal – providing unexpected relief to opposing defenses – and puts him at the high post, where his effectiveness is somewhat limited to the initiation of the pick-and-roll. And while years of facing double-teams has made Howard an acceptable passer, no one would ever confuse him for a good passer, which also makes things easier for opposing defenses.
It relies on constant movement, off-the-ball screens and back cuts. Does constant movement sound like a good idea for a lineup with four players 32 or older? Should Bryant only be getting the ball after a precision back cut? Should clearly defined positional players such as Nash and Howard be screening away for Metta World Peace, who stops the ball as often as he moves it?