Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike Brown: Derek Fisher has a different role at Oklahoma City Thunder
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Mike Brown has said that it is unfair to question his franchise’s judgment over trading away veteran point guard Derek Fisher following the player’s relative success with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Fisher was traded away by the Lakers to the Houston Rockets at the trade deadline earlier this season by the Lakers after he was associated with the franchise for many long years. In fact, Fisher is one of the most decorated Lakers in history, with 5 NBA
World Championships to his name.
The player didn’t want to play for the Rockets and after negotiating an exit, joined the Oklahoma City Thunder because he wanted to play for a contender. As fate would have it, the Thunder and Lakers have come face to face in the Western Conference Semi
Finals and Fisher is right in the middle of it.
Although the player’s involvement in the series has led to some debate, Mike Brown feels a comparison between this Fisher and the one who played for the Lakers would be off the mark. The head coach pointed to the fact that Fisher for OKC was a role player,
coming off the bench, whereas for the Lakers he had much more responsibility as a starter.
“The roles are different,” Brown said. “Derek Fisher was our starter. Derek Fisher for these guys is a backup. I don’t think you compare the two situations because we were relying on him for a completely different role than what Oklahoma City is relying
on him for.”
Thus, the Lakers wanted much more out of him than OKC do, because they didn’t need a starter. In Ramon Sessions, the Lakers have found the pace and youth at the point guard position that the team thought it lacked with Fisher, whereas the Thunder already
have those attributes in Russell Westbrook.
“I don’t know if anybody would disagree the combination of starting (All-Star Russell) Westbrook and Derek Fisher as a backup is a pretty good combination because you’re young plus you’re experienced.”
Fisher has perhaps provided valuable experience and leadership to the Thunder, but his role on the court was still greater when he played for the Lakers. The Thunder however are happy with him, because they have got out of him exactly what they wanted.
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