How NBA Defenses Will Try to Shut Down L.A. Lakers Four-Headed Monster

The Lakers are blessed to have four of the best offensive players at their respective positions set to suit up for their organization. Their skills are so refined and their production so established, that actually doling out the accolades to Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Pau Gasol, and Dwight Howard would be overkill. However, I will say that their reputations as offensive forces as individuals are well deserved and the fact that they'll all be wearing the same uniform is sure to keep head coaches up at night.

After losing those hours of sleep, though, head coaches will still be tasked with slowing down the Lakers fantastic four. And while it won't be easy, they'll have ample history to work off of. All of these guys at one point or another has been the focal point for his respective team (yes, even Gasol who before Andrew Bynum's emergence was the Lakers key post weapon).

Coaches, then, can simply call on old game plans and strategies to try and limit these players as individuals. And when they face off against the Lakers, here is how they will try to do it...

Steve Nash

Defending Nash will probably be opponents' biggest challenge, strictly from a conceptual standpoint. Nash is a player that consistently seeks out the best shot for himself or his teammates and rarely makes the type of mental errors or mistakes that bail out a defense.

This doesn't mean there aren't sound strategies to slowing him down. Nash, like most ball handlers, can be pressured into spots on the floor that he doesn't like and can be put into positions where his options become limited to the point that he becomes easier to defend.

Ultimately, this should be the approach defenses take when defending him. 

For example, when Nash is playing in the pick and roll, teams will vary their looks against him but should skew their attack towards trapping him hard to take the ball out of his hands. While Nash still possesses ...

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