Beyond Lamar Odom, how important is the bench to the Lakers championship run?
Fisher: We are a team. I know that it is popular in our game today, and in all of sports I guess, to statistically break down this guy’s position and these minutes and starter vs. bench player, but ultimately it is a team game, basketball. Regardless of how things work out, everybody on the team needs to make a contribution, and that may not always show up in the stat sheet as far as points, but you have to make a contribution and make an impact on the game. Last night, we had some guys that, offensively, made an impact on the game, and tomorrow night’s game they may have to impact it defensively, or another way, and you have to be able to do those things whether you are a starter or a bench player. Does Fisher feel like he’s getting younger every week? Fisher: No, I am not getting younger. But at the same time I don’t feel like I am falling off the wagon. I feel like I can still do a lot of things to help this team be successful. We know that our ultimate goal is to win the championsh
