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00:12 / 14.06.2004
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Yo. Audycja krótsza ale wporządalu. Troche ludzi dało znak że słucha. To napawa optymizmem i zachęca do dalszej pracy.


Teraz najważniejsze. Ten artykuł mówi wszystko. Całą pieprzoną prawdę. Jak ktoś poswięci troche czasu na przeczytanie przyzna racje. Zgadzam się z nim w 100% i tak właśnie wyraziłbym sytuacje Gary`ego w tym momencie. Nawet Billups jest pełen szacunku i wie czemu jest tak a nie inaczej:


Steve Kelley / Times staff columnist
Struggling Payton can't find himself in Lakers' scheme




AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — For the first time since his rookie season 15 years ago, Gary Payton is having a crisis of confidence. His jump shot isn't going down and, now, he seems reluctant to shoot it.

It's unsettling to watch Payton in these NBA Finals. The swagger is missing. The fast-forward chattering is gone. Payton isn't looking, acting or playing like himself. And after watching him play some 500 games since 1990, it's strange and sad to watch him this way.

"It looks to me like he's out there and he's just got handcuffs on," Detroit point guard Chauncey Billups said. "He has the ability, but he doesn't have the freedom to come back at me. He has to throw that thing to the big fella (Shaquille O'Neal) or throw it to Kobe (Bryant)."

More than 100 games into this season, Payton still isn't comfortable in Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson's triangle offense. He is hamstrung by his lack of touches and frustrated with his incredibly shrinking minutes.

Added Billups: "It's tough watching him like this because he's dominated this league for so many years and he's a guy I always looked up to and said that, 'Maybe some day I can get my game close to that. To be able to dominate like that.'

"I know that if he was in a similar situation like I am and had the kind of freedom I have, he'd still be getting big numbers. He just doesn't have the opportunities now."

In the three games of these Finals, Payton has been outscored by Billups 68-11. For a big-game, big-play player like Payton, that truth is painful.

"When I played against Chauncey before, he knew I always had opportunities to go after him," Payton said yesterday. "But that's not the way it is now. I made sacrifices to come here to the Lakers and it's a whole different system for me. It's a whole different everything.

"It's something that's happened. I'm not going to sit here and dwell on it. But I'm not happy about not being able to do what I need to do, either. When I was in Seattle, I could do a lot of things, but it's not that way here. I've got to adjust to it. Then, when the year's over I'll make my choice about what I want to do next year."

Payton has been the fall guy for everything that is wrong with the Lakers in their dysfunctional championship run. He didn't talk after the first game and was fined $5,000 for his no-show at Monday's media session.

Payton's never been good at hiding his frustrations but, historically, he's chosen to mute himself, rather than publicly rip his teammates or coaches. And he's never been more frustrated in his professional career than he is now. He is trying to make the transition from superstar to role player, but he feels he needs more of a role.

Payton always has been the man. When his teams have had problems, he's always believed he was the best solution. When they needed a field goal, he expected to score it.

But on this Lakers team, the solution always is Kobe first, Kobe second and Shaq third. When the Lakers get in trouble, Bryant kicks into savior mode, often at his teammates' expense.

Payton has had trouble with that.

"I'm used to having the ball in my hands," Payton said. "Right now I can't get into a rhythm, can't get a bead on it. It's all about confidence. I'm used to getting 20 shots a game, now I'm getting six or seven shots. It's just a really difficult thing for me right now. But I've got to go through it.

"I didn't think it was going to be this tough. But you get into a situation and you got to deal with it. I thought it was going to be an adjustment to all of the players, but it wasn't, so I got to deal with it. Right now we've got Kobe and Shaq who get all them opportunities. But I made the sacrifice to do this, so that's the way it is."

Some believe Payton is angry about his diminished numbers. But he already has all the numbers he needs. Early next season when he scores his first 44 points, he will become the first player in NBA history to have 20,000 points, 8,000 assists and 2,000 steals. He is a future Hall of Famer.  - masakra !!! ;)

He's frustrated because he believes he can help the Lakers win. He's frustrated because, on offense, he feels like an accessory. In the triangle offense, he often stands around and watches Bryant dribble and dribble before launching some low-percentage jump shot.

"I'm not going to tell you I'm comfortable with this, or I'm used to it, because I'm not," Payton said. "I'm used to having the ball in my hands a lot. But it's not all about me. Just because people don't see me scoring 20 points any more, for this one year, guys are really concerned about me. But let's just worry about what I can do to make everybody else on the team better."

Payton, who turns 36 next month, believes he can be the same Gary Payton who carried the Sonics through some glorious seasons in the 1990s. He has the option of staying with the Lakers next season and earning $5.4 million, or he can leave and test the free-agent market.

If Jackson stays, the triangle stays and Payton will probably leave. If Jackson goes, Payton will stay. Payton's best option besides the Lakers could be the Portland Trail Blazers.

"I want to get back to my old self," he said. "That's the way I want to be. That will come after this. This is first. I want to win a championship, then I'll deal with everything else later."

He came to the Lakers to get a championship ring and, yesterday at least, Payton seemed willing to trade his swagger for the ring.



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