Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown have the potential to be important pieces in the Lakers' quest for a repeat, but so far their inconsistency has mirrored the rest of the team's for much of the season.
Brown and Farmar definitely have the ability and talent to make a difference for the Lakers, but finding out how to motivate them and get them to focus has been a different issue altogether.
Brown is the taller and stronger of the two, and ideally he is the player most would prefer when it comes to defending a player like the Oklahoma City Thunder's Russell Westbrook.
Westbrook has terrorized the Lakers in the team's playoff series, and his penetration and strength has been something which veteran Derek Fisher has been powerless to stop.
Fisher lacks the size and foot speed to stay with Westbrook, and Brown is better suited in each category, but he lacks Fisher's defensive discipline. And when he is defending Westbrook, each possession becomes an adventure.
Brown is a great athlete and has the potential for spectacular plays, but that athleticism doesn't help him when it comes to falling for head-fakes or failing to close out on shooters, and Brown is guilty of both.
But he has been a member of the Lakers long enough to understand what is expected of him, and his failure to grasp the small nuances of the game have to be disappointing considering his experience.
It's time for Brown to recognize the urgency of the moment; it's time for him realize how important consistent defense and disciplined play is to his team's chances in the postseason.
The Lakers don't need him to be a star, but they do need Brown to be a stead...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
