CL Editorial: On the Eights (Part 5)

After 48 games, LA has now completed roughly 60% of their season. It’s now a fitting time to see how they’re trending.

Record: 29-19. LA has struggled mightily of late, dropping 2.5 more games back behind Phoenix over LA’s last 7. This is even with the return of Lamar Odom, but remember that Kobe missed one game for a (dubious) suspension. LA has lost 6 of their last 9 games, but they have also won 2 of their last 3 so it’s difficult to say what they’re doing right now. They are currently halfway through an eight-game road trip, which they have split thus far. LA should win at least two of the remaining four, and I would not be surprised to see them take three of them despite a 10-13 record on the road this season. The Lakers are on pace for 49.5 wins. Gulp.
Grade: B

Coaching: Removing Kobe from the lineup to start the fourth quarter has paid off, but when the Lakers led by 7 entering the fourth against Indiana, Jackson refused to insert Kobe until the lead had evaporated. A cold-shooting Bryant tried to lead the team back, hit two massive threes, but LA just didn’t have it in them. The decision to start Vlad Radmanovic (over, say, Cook), has paid off though. In his last five games, Vlad has averaged 13.4 points, 6.8 boards, and 2.2 assists, while drilling 8 threes. Phil has also shown a short leash with Sasha Vujacic, Kobe, and Smush Parker, to the delight of many fans. This is how you prepare a team for a playoff run.
Grade: B

Front Court: Odom is back. Back to his old self though? In six games since returning, Odom has averaged 15.8 points (vs. 17.1 for the season), 9.7 boards (vs. 8.9), and 4.7 assists (vs. 4.8). So he’s very close to where he needs to be. While Kwame and Mihm both tantalize with the promise of a return at some point, it is 19 year old Andrew Bynum who has shone down low for LA. He has averaged 10.4 points, 10.4 boards, 1.8 assists, and 2.2 blocks in his last seven games. Points aside, those are elite numbers for a Center. Bynum continues to impress (especially a 16 board, 7 block display in a loss to Charlotte), but it is evident that he does not provide the man defense that Kwame Brown does. According to 82games.com’s PER ratings, LA’s center position is outplaying its counterparts by a narrow margin (0.2) while the Power Forward position is losing to the tune of 2.7, which is significant. The Small Forward position now holds the largest advantage at +5.0.
Grade: A-

Back Court: Kobe Bryant struggled with his shooting touch a bit, but his 43 points, 8 assist, 8 rebound performance against Boston was one of the most impressive lines for the season. His 28.8 points, 5.5 assists, and 5.5 boards on career high FG and FT shooting percentages mean that Kobe is having one of his best seasons in a Hall of Fame career. At the PG spot, LA has finally gotten some offensive production in Smush Parker. Smush has been in double figures eight straight games, averaging 15.1 points, 2.5 steals, and 1.5 treys. His defensive effort against Washington’s Gil Arenas is either fool’s gold or a promise of the luster lying under the tarnish. LA’s back court, thanks to dreadful PG play, has been outplayed (in PER) by 2.3 points.
Grade: C+

Bench: The bench has been severely tested this season, and it has responded well. I would single out Sasha Vujacic (22 consecutive free throws, 7 steals vs. 2 to in his last seven appearances), Mo Evans (three double-digit scoring games in the past 7), Ronny Turiaf (a near double-double at 9 points, 10 boards in 25 minutes at Boston), and Shammond Williams (!) who has found a way into the lineup in four consecutive games for LA. According to a recent article on 82games.com, only six teams (Cleveland, Dallas, Indiana, Miami, Phoenix, and San Antonio) have better +/- ratings for their benches, almost certainly a sign that LA has one of the better benches in the league.
Grade: B+

Lakers’ Ace: Only one man can be panned by Lakers fans for a “disappointing” month when the player averages 28.9 points, 6.2 boards, 6.3 assists, and shoots 47-39-86% in the three shooting categories. Because those numbers can disappoint, Kobe Bryant is the best player many Lakers fans have ever seen.

Hot Seat: Smush Parker finally sits on a slightly cooler seat, thanks largely to one good defensive effort and a scoring spree. With Luke Walton slating February 5th as his return date from injury, it will be interesting to see who lines up with Parker, Bryant, Odom, and Bynum in the starting five. Walton has averaged 11.7 points, 4.9 boards, and 4.2 assists in starting 43 for the Lakers this season, but his counterpart, Vlad Radmanovic, has struggled off the bench (and his numbers as a recent starter, again, are 13.4, 6.8, 2.2). I would not be surprised to see Phil Jackson let Vlad start and see Walton serving as a stabilizer more with the second group, but there’s a reason Phil Jackson has 37,000 NBA championships and I do not.

Big Question: Recent Lakers interest in veteran Guard Eddie Jones makes me wonder if LA will make a move before the looming deadline. I can’t see anything big happening, so I won’t speculate. Also important is Chris Mihm’s return. He has been working out and is eyeing a return before the end of the regular season. His presence would give LA a huge boost in depth to an already deep team.

Preview: The Lakers disappointed with a poor end to January, but the next eight should be good. LA begins with four on the road (Atlanta, Detroit, Toronto, and Cleveland) before returning home for New York, Cleveland, Portland, and Boston. Because of the all-star break, LA will play just 12 games in February, and I think LA fans will be pleased with the results.
Prediction for the next 8: 5-3 or possibly 6-2 for the Lakers, which would put them at 34 or 35 wins through 56 games.