Rest Period Over For Fisher, Lakers

The Lakers get back to work tonight, the days of resting Derek Fishers 34-year-old legs are over.
Since Jordan Farmar’s injury, Fishers minutes per game have jumped from 28 to 34 a game, more mileage than the Lakers coaching staff wanted to put on the veteran point guard. However, it’s hard to take him out right now because of how he is playing — Fisher shot 41.3% before Farmar went down and 49% afterward. He is getting more assists but not turning the ball over. He has stepped up his game, like you hope a veteran leader would. Since the...read full article

Rest time is over and big tests loom for the Lakers

Lakers point guard Derek Fisher, defending against the Knicks' Nate Robinson, has averaged 39 minutes in four games without backup point guard Jordan Farmar.

It won't be an easy month for L.A., with Utah on tap tonight and New Orleans, Cleveland, Orlando, Houston and San Antonio on the horizon. The Lakers practiced Thursday, the better to prepare for an upcoming stretch of 14 games in 26 days. In other words, break time's over. Tonight's game against Utah will be only their second in eight days, a quirk in the schedule that allowed them to savor their Christmas Day victory over the Boston Celtics, among other things. But they'll have...read full article

Derek Fisher wants the Lakers to play with urgency

The 13-year veteran guard knows the Lakers have a chance to win a championship this season and he wants his teammates to understand that.

Derek Fisher always has been a calm, steady influence for the Lakers. He has been a rock for his younger teammates, a coach on the floor and a friend for Kobe Bryant in his times of need. That hasn't changed, but Fisher senses the gravity of what's at stake and that is to win an NBA championship sooner rather than later and that has changed his way of dealing with his teammates.

"It used to be 100% calm and pretty chill," Fisher, 34, said after practice today. "I guess in my old age, it's dwindled down to about me being 75 to 80% calm and chill. But I mix in 20 to 25% of a little fire in there just to let guys know that this is important and that this is our job . . . and we've got to take it seriously. I try to make sure that I keep that on our minds." He spent his first eight years in the NBA with the Lakers before playing two years with Golden State and one season with Utah.

Fisher re-joined the Lakers a year ago as an elder statesman who has learned during his 13-year career how to become a leader.

"I feel like as a team we have a great opportunity," Fisher said. "I feel like individually I can help the team take advantage of the opportunity and I feel great about this time in my career, I really do."

Fisher was an integral part of the Lakers team that won three consecutive...read full article