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| Fisher's leadership as made him a winner over the years. |
Los Angeles blew a 16-point lead late in the third quarter and were upset in Game 1 of the conference semifinals at Staples Center by the Dallas Mavericks.
The good news for Los Angeles, it's only Game 1 and were able to overcome a Game 1 loss at the hands of the New Orleans Hornets in the first-round, but by no means is it a recipe for success.
Along the way, Derek Fisher is showing why the aging veteran was brought back to Los Angeles in the offseason with a new three-year contract.
Fisher has been heavily criticized this season for his shaky defense and inconsistent shooting. The fact is the Lakers brought Fisher back for his leadership ability and clutch performances in the postseason. This postseason has been much of the same for the 15-year veteran averaging 9.1 points per game and shooting 52 percent from the field in the team's first seven playoff games.
Those numbers are well above his regular season averages this season, where he only averaged 6.8 points per and shot 38 percent from the field.
Fisher has also shot well from beyond the arch to start the postseason at 54 percent compared to the 39 percent he shot in the regular season.
Even though Fisher, 36, has lost a step on defensive side of the ball, he had some extremely good sequences in the first-round series against the much younger 25-year-old Chris Paul. There is not too many point guards Fisher is going to run into at more of an advanced then him, but that is what he has exactly done.
Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd is still very productive at age 38 and finds himself in the middle of dog fight of two talented veterans. Fisher has the hardware, while Kidd has the Hall of Fame resume, it should be a relatively even matchup between the two point guards, who are no longer going to impress anyone with their speed and athleticism .
Fisher has been known as a gamer and always been willing to give up his body for his teammates.
Some consider Fisher one of the best in the NBA at selling offensive fouls, which is why he is always among the league leaders in charges drawn.
Los Angeles was 18-1 this season when their point guard scored in double-digits. Fisher scored only eight points on three of six shooting Monday night and the end result was a loss. There is no question if the Lakers and Fisher want to capture their third straight NBA championship and second three-peat under Phil Jackson, they will need him to live up to his playoff reputation once again.
Who can forget Fisher's game-winning shot in San Antonio in Game 5 of the 2004 Western Conference semifinals with 0.4 left on the clock. How about Fisher's two clutch three-point baskets in Game 4 of the 2009 NBA Finals that sealed the Orlando Magic's fate. Fisher hit the game-tying three with just under five seconds left in regulation to force overtime. In the overtime, Fisher would hit the eventual game-winner with about 30 seconds left in the extra period.
Most recently, Fisher continued his postseason magic, while single-handedly taking over Game 3 of the NBA Finals in Boston a year ago with 16 points in a 91-84 victory. Fisher would return in Game 7 of that series with a game-tying three-point bucket in the closing minutes of the decisive series-clincher, setting a new record for most three-pointers for a career in the Finals.
It couldn't have come at a better time.
It's not a question of if, but when will Fisher hit his next big playoff shot in this year's postseason. When he does it will be nothing but the bottom of the net and we will be waiting to say, "Told you so".
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