Hoops Nation

“It’s a great offense,” Bryant told Yahoo! Sports. “It’s exactly what we need. It takes us back to being able to play by making reads and reacting to defenses. It takes a great deal of communication, but that’s where we’re at our best: Reading and reacting as opposed to just coming down and calling sets. Calling sets make you vulnerable.

“There’s so many threats, so many options, it’s very tough to defend. Against the type of defenses that teams play nowadays, they load up on one side and are constantly coming with help from the weak side. The Princeton offense makes it very, very tough to lock in on one particular player.

“From my experience, those types of principles – ball movement, changing sides on the floor, everybody being involved – those are championship principles. That’s championship DNA.”

Over dinner in Barcelona, Bryant and Gasol discussed the changing face of the Lakers’ offense and a Hall of Fame point guard who can get them high-percentage shots, where the smarts and skills of Bryant and Nash, Gasol and Bynum make this an ideal partnership of system and talent. The Princeton demands post players with passing skills, and which 7-footer has ever been as deft moving the ball as Gasol?

“Steve is going to make it easier for Pau, because he’s an incredible distributor, but the system is perfect for [Gasol],” Bryant said. “His ability to pass the ball, to make plays from the high post – to shoot – is the perfect system for him.

“I’m excited for Pau because this is right in his wheelhouse.”

(Via Yahoo!)