Lakers Assistant Kurt Rambis Not Sure Team Can Play At a Fast Pace

The Lakers, sans Dwight Howard, will be a little less focused on dumping the ball into the post in 2013-14 than they were in ’12-13, but according to Assistant Coach Kurt Rambis, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be playing any faster. Rambis told the LA Times a little about what he expects from the team during the upcoming season: “Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis hopes to help improve the team’s defense, but he also had some thoughts to share on the offense. ‘The [Lakers] still have big people and I think you have to take advantage of the big people,’ said Rambis in a phone interview with The Times on Thursday. ‘You can’t ignore them because they are an asset to your offense.’ Coach Mike D’Antoni prefers a fast-paced offense but Rambis cautions that the coaching staff still needs to evaluate the players during camp, especially from a health perspective. Kobe Bryant is recovering from a torn Achilles’ tendon. Steve Nash is almost done recovering from hip, hamstring and back injuries that bothered him late in the season. Gasol still hasn’t been cleared completely from knee procedures to help alleviate tendinosis. ‘In order to run, you need a push guard. That’s Steve Nash,’ said Rambis. ‘It remains to be seen whether he’s coming back from his injuries, and continues to [push] at an elite fast-break pace.’ … ‘You need guys that can really get out and fill the wings because that pushes the defense down,’ said Rambis. ‘That’s not necessarily the way that you would look at this team and describe them.  You might say that with Nick Young, but it’s not necessarily Kobe’s forte nor was it Metta World Peace’s forte last year.'”