The Lakers Play Well with Turiaf, But Jackson Says He Still Won't Start

By now, you're probably familiar with Ronny Turiaf's story. After being drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2005, Turiaf had to undergo surgery to repair an enlarged aortic root, and was expected to miss all of the 2005-2006 season. Miraculously, Turiaf made it back before the end of the 2006 season and quickly became a fan favorite for his positive attitude, cheerleader mentality, and his unique dance moves.

This year he's become more of an on the court contributor than last. Whenever the Lakers are short on energy, Ronny comes in the game and provides it. He crashes the offensive and defensive boards, blocks shots, and runs the floor at full speed. He's also slowly developed a bit of an offensive arsenal, as his jump hook and mid-range jumper have definitely become more reliable. As well, he's developed a great relationship on the court relationship with Kobe Bryant, as Kobe often hooks Ronny up for dunks whenever he penetrates and draws a couple of defenders. When Ronny's in the game, it's obvious that his energy permeates to the rest of the team and that they just play harder. So why is it he doesn't play more?Here's what Lakers Coach Phil Jackson told L.A. Times writer, Steve Springer on the matter:

"Ronny is a different type of cat. He doesn't have a 40-minute game in him. The players who have it in them take the brunt of the minutes. The players that are bench players come out and perform at the peak that they can perform at for short periods of time, and Ronny is perhaps one of those guys."

"It's [a lineup with Turiaf] obviously is our best, most active team," Jackson said. "But it's not what's going to win the game for us in the fourth quarter. [That unit] might give us a good start, but it wouldn't last the night."

Oh really, PJ? How do does Jackson know that it wouldn't last, if he hasn't tried playing Turiaf for 30+ minutes. I mean, Kwame Brown and Chris Mihm are hurt, and Bynum is obviously not ready to play extended minutes yet. So with the Lakers in desperate need of players that play with more energy, why wouldn't he give Ronny a chance to play extended minutes? Anyone that saw their game against Phoenix last Sunday would know that the Lakers were a much better team with Ronny on the floor.

Also, isn't this the same coach that starts Smush Parker? If he can take a chance on Smush, a guy with a poor attitude, who definitely shouldn't be starting on an NBA team, then how come he can't give Ronny a try? I guess that's why PJ makes the big bucks and I don't.