Phil Jackson’s triangle offense typically takes players at least one full season to process. Jackson commented that Ron Artest, in his second season with the Lakers, is starting to understand where he should be on the floor, while Matt Barnes, a first-year Laker, is still not fully on board with the offense. Unlike Artest and Barnes, Steve Blake, in his first season with the Lakers, has a clear grasp of the offense, making his transition to the Lakers seamless. Blake has a high basketball IQ, understands floor spacing, and makes smart basketball decisions. His statistics are far from phenomenal, averaging almost 6 points and 2 assists per game, but he is shooting nearly 50% from three point range - he strategically positions himself to relieve his teammates of double teams, resulting in wide open threes. Blake has the ability to be a high scorer as he is one of the best catch and shoot players in the league, but with the talent surrounding him on the Lakers, he instead works hard on the defensive end, finds the open man, and picks his shots. It is not easy for a point guard to add value to a back-to-back championship team, but Steve Blake has already made his mark.
