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Real’s 07-08 Lakers Season Preview
Reading my last three season previews, you would be familiar with the way I begin, and end, each one. You would be able to recall my tone, identify my style, and state my point of view. Taking these last three seasons and leaving the rest untouched, it’s fairly easy to write a book about the drama in Los Angeles. We, as Laker fans, have been subject to anger, hatred, excitement, winning, losing, and amazement, among other things. Unfortunately, for us and for our franchise, the Lakers are in a state of emergency. Some may not agree, but the storyline is clear, the plot is thick, and as we speak, the climax is just beginning. As the 2007-2008 NBA season approaches us, we are reminded that there is more to basketball than just playing the game. Emotions, relationships, desire, determination, teamwork, and individuality all come to mind, but above all that, having something to prove could very well propel this team into a 50-win franchise. If that is heads, a devastating season, missing the playoffs, would be your tails. If there’s one fan who’s confident that we will be a contender, there might be three others who expect worse. This season preview is about my personal views on the team, from Kobe Bryant to Coby Karl, and everyone in between. If you can’t stand negativity, I suggest you plan on buying your 2008 Lakers Championship hat. In the same hand, if you are against any positive discussions, there are plenty of football games to watch until February; you won’t see any Los Angeles teams winning in the NFL, so you can have your Kwame cake, and eat it, too. In addition to what I feel will be an in-depth look at not just the team, but my own feelings and opinions as well. So, without further delay, here is your 2007-2008 Lakers season preview.
Any fan who has maintained a pulse since the 2006-2007 season has been educated about the sticky situation between Bryant and the Lakers…or better yet, Kobe and the front office. For those who were rejuvenated by the start of training camp, here’s the rundown: Bryant wants out. Don’t try reading in between the lines; there’s nothing keeping him here other than the fact that the Lakers can’t get a decent amount of talent back if they do trade him immediately, due in part to his no-trade clause, which relates to his personal preferences as to which team he will go to and who remains on that roster after the deal is made, and his fairly large contract. Sadly enough, the fanbase is torn; half of them are angered by his behavior and want him out as soon as possible, and the other half understand his frustration. Quite frankly, his attitude worsened with every passing day the Lakers missed out on an opportunity to become immediate contenders, which should be the direction of any team not set on rebuilding for the next few years. If you had the best player in the league, paired with a coach waving two fistfuls of championship rings, would you rebuild, or build? With all that said, expect this season to be one of Bryant’s best yet. Statistically, at least on the offensive side, you may not see as many 50 and 60-point performances as you did last season, but the true test will be ran in the wins column and his defensive efforts. Adding veteran guard and longtime friend Derek Fisher, along with a steal in rookie guard Javaris Crittenton, Kobe’s incredibly large role as the scorer on this team may decrease just a bit, giving him enough energy through four quarters to defend and facilitate.
The biggest question on everyone’s mind is if Odom really has what it takes to be a championship “sidekick” as he reaches the prime of his career. Pippen comparisons have been shot down successfully, and with all that weight lifted off his shoulder, Lamar only has to prove to himself that he’s a legitimate all-star forward in the rugged Western Conference, a challenge that has ousted many talented players in recent years. Expectations may not be as high as they have been in his last couple of seasons, but oddly enough, it seems like Lamar may be playing out of anger and possibly depression, rather than a legacy or superstar status, like all NBA players hope for. The death of Odom’s child, the multiple surgeries, and other misfortunes Lamar has run into seem to have taken their blows very early, which has been most noticeable after losses. His demeanor and tone are quite different from everyone else in the locker room, almost to where he acts as if he’s the only man who puts every loss behind him within five minutes of him walking off the court. If this is the Odom we will see for the next year or so, his career may be sliding downhill quicker than expected. On the other hand, in a case where he puts his personal life aside and overcomes all that ails him off the court, Lamar’s future can only exceed our predictions as they stand today.
Fisher isn’t going to defend opposing guards as well as we prayed for, but he’s five steps above Smush Parker in that department. He knows how to use his body on defense, and he won’t find himself trailing on every single possession. That’s right, Laker fans: the matador is now in Miami, and we actually have someone who wants to play defense. Derek does have some competition at the starting point guard spot, though. If he does lose that role as a starter, he could do even better for us coming off the bench. With Kobe playing around 40 minutes a night, Fisher can, and most certainly would, score much-needed points off the bench to regain, or hold, leads going into the next quarter, or to the locker rooms at the half. In addition to that, his leadership qualities will be valued on and off the court, where some of his teammates may opt out of their friendship with Kobe, hopping the Fisher bandwagon early, if things do in fact get ugly with Bryant and his teammates, or management.
The truth is, Kwame’s play will have to increase greatly to reach that status. Where you do see flashes of him playing defense much better than he had in previous years with Washington, Brown is still miles away from being a solid offensive player in the paint. His hands may not be as bad as Samaki Walker’s, but there’s no question he needs a pair of receiver gloves if he’s going to catch passes under the rim. Speaking of that, did anyone see his left-handed catch and dunk in the preseason? There are instances where you start to believe he’s got it in him, but you can’t help but question his talent as a past number one pick, and so-called bust. Doesn’t it seem like half of our roster can be called underachievers? By mid-season, there’s a great chance Bynum will be starting, and Brown will be coming off the bench, especially if the Lakers struggle offensively. Kwame does give the Lakers a stronger defensive presence inside, but a leaner Bynum has improved as a scorer, and if the Lakers are having trouble outscoring their opponents (thanks to their pathetic defense), Phil’s best interest could be to bring in more firepower, leaving Kwame benched and possibly landing a swift blow to his already-depleted self-esteem.
Turiaf is still a monster, don’t get me wrong, but as a starting power forward, he may be too foul-prone. At the same time, this places Luke Walton on the bench, a guy who knows how, and wants, to distribute the ball to everyone on the court. Who else can come off the bench and electrify the crowd like Ronny? The bench has life to it with him waiting to come in and contribute, and where we all know that players are best coming in for starters, it’s clear that, at least for now, Turiaf can still do that effectively. On the other hand, if moving Odom down to the small forward position is a must for the Lakers, Turiaf is best suited as our starting four. He has no problems catching the ball, showing that he has very good hands, and will get physical when necessary. If we were looking for a Rodman, maybe Turiaf is a beefed-up version, less annoying and more conservative than the Worm. Sure, he’s not going to snatch 15 rebounds a night, but his hard work and determination on the defensive end can lead to an above-average defensive player, if his eyes are set in that direction. It’s what the Lakers need, and coming from a second-rounder that nearly had his career up in smoke before it even started, you couldn’t ask for more.
Luke’s role in the offense has increased every year since he was drafted. Entering his fifth NBA season, Walton’s minutes will more than likely topple 25-30 a game for a second time in his career, and you can expect his numbers to go up if this is the case. Where Kobe has created shots for Shaq in his early years, Walton now has a chance to do the same for Bryant in his, but the biggest test will be letting Luke do that. Too many times in the past, Kobe has taken over a game, and for the right reasons, but with an improved passing forward willing to dish the ball every play, it very well could be the time to flip the switch and give Walton the green light to create for the Lakers’ scorers. Coming off the bench as Los Angeles’ sixth man, or starting at the small forward position, Walton will definitely see minutes with the ball in his hands.
Andrew’s offense has come around. His hands are soft, he’s developing an accurate hook shot, and he has a decent skillset in the post. Furthermore, he’s a bit stronger than he was when he first entered the league, as expected. However, his defense is still suspect, and staying out of foul trouble isn’t one of his strengths. Overall, there’s an improvement, but the Lakers won’t be able to use him as an anchor just yet, which may spell devastation down the road if it all doesn’t pan out for the young kid. Playing behind Kwame, Bynum will more than likely push to become the Lakers’ starting center as soon as possible. It all comes down to Phil’s trust in him; if he believes Andrew’s offensive presence will benefit the Lakers more than Kwame’s defense, “A-Bomb” will eventually start. Otherwise, Bynum will finish his third season as a backup center, leaving plenty of questions in the air for 2008.
A small complaint about Jordan last season was his consistency. The triangle offense opens the door for shooters, so back on offense, Farmar’s main focus should be on his field goal percentage. He will need to find a clean distinction between taking a bad, contested shot, and taking a high-percentage one. Also, his decision-making will be under the microscope, where Jordan has to know when to pass the ball versus when to score on his own. It’s definitely not a guarantee, but you can bet Jordan Farmar is our future starting point guard in Los Angeles. Javaris Crittenton may give him a run for his money down the line, but once Fisher takes a knee, Farmar’s door will finally open.
Maurice is more than just scoring, though. His defense is unappreciated. Evans is a physical specimen, very difficult to lose, and even more difficult to drive through. He may not have the quickest hands, but he’s a rock and as tough as they come, especially for someone with roles off the bench most of his career. Okay, wait…playing time? Fine…it’s wishful thinking. Unless Bryant misses games due to injury, you won’t see much of Evans, as Odom and Walton are now sharing duties at the small forward position. The start of the regular season will give Evans a chance to prove himself against the two other backups at his position, Sasha Vujacic and Coby Karl. I couldn’t be more sarcastic when I say, “Mo, it’s a tough road ahead.”
On a serious note, it’s time for Vladimir to earn his contract. This Lakers squad will require shooters if they want to win 50 games, and from what we were told, the reason we signed Radmanovic was to be our Toni Kukoc (sorry, still wanting to compare all of them to Chicago’s daggers). Vlad will wear his shoes out more than he wants, though, if Odom does stay at the small forward position, because a) Ronny Turiaf is a fouling machine, and b) Cook is a fouling machine. If the four spot wasn’t such an experiment, Cook and Radmanovic wouldn’t be in Los Angeles, but the Lakers are looking for that poor man’s Dirk Nowitzki to compliment Bryant in the triangle offense, so one is going to have to shine very soon.
Since he started receiving fatter paychecks, Cook hasn’t shown any improvement at all, other than the usual teasers every 20 games or so. He seems to be a bigger, darker version of Sasha Vujacic: flip the switch for a game, then disappear for a handful. Granted that he does contribute more than Sasha, he still makes the organization out to be fools by being a pile of Fool’s Gold himself. Brian’s shooting will never exactly hurt the Lakers, but his defense will. The best way to use him would be late in the first and third quarters, placing him outside and asking him to rack up a few points against lesser opponents.
Still, Sasha’s forte isn’t his defense (again, it’s average throughout the entire season), but his shooting in the clutch. Inconsistency hurts him the most, but when he’s on fire, he turns into a regular Peja Stojakovic from downtown, and it seems as if Kobe recognizes it and trusts him more than he does others standing at the three (Radman, for instance). If Vujacic’s intentions are to steal more playing time away from Evans and maybe Crittenton, his shooting will need to be on point for longer than a minute or two per game. Shooting under 40% for the season every year, yet showing you can shoot lights out for 60 seconds, won’t get you anywhere.
Where Chris isn’t going to give us much to cheer for defensively, he makes up for it on offense. He’s not a poor scorer; he has a decent hook and may still be able to finish better than Kwame at times, but the performances aren’t consistent at all. This season, Mihm starting for the Lakers would be more of a liability than anything, so don’t expect him to be the center in a jumpball anytime soon.
In a way, it’s good to know we have so many point guards. Our entire guard experiment has gone wrong since Fisher’s departure in 2004, from an aging Gary Payton to Chucky Atkins, Tierre Brown and Smush Parker, our field goal percentage would be in the lower 20’s if this were a shooting contest. Javaris has experience with the triangle offense as well, just as Farmar had before becoming a pro, and his defensive awareness and basketball IQ already seems to tower over that of Parker or Atkins. Crittenton may take a couple of years to come along, but the wait will be worth it if in fact the Lakers are set on rebuilding. If Javaris develops well and reaches his potential, he could force his way into a third option on this squad within 3-5 years. The downfall? He’s got a quick learner in Farmar to compete with, and…okay…maybe even Sasha.
Behind both Evans and Vujacic, Karl may get little playing time, but this was also the case for Luke Walton in his first NBA season, and now he’s starter-worthy. It’s only a matter of time before Coby gets his chance, but under what circumstances? Worst-case scenario for the Lakers: injuries. If Coby does find his way into the rotation with decent minutes (for a rookie, that is), expect to see a shooter who works hard to get the job done.
If there’s one ultimate gameplan for the Los Angeles Lakers this season, it’s for every player to give it their all, 48 minutes a game. Surely this can’t be done on the court by anyone, since each will average under that, but this goes deeper than running up and down the court. Bench support, learning from teammates, and vocal leadership in the huddle: each can be used to build confidence, momentum, hunger and strength, both on the road and at home. Working with players during timeouts and tending to injuries can also breathe life into a team, so everyone from the coach and star player, to the last bench player and the team trainer, fulfill roles throughout the season. Forty-eight minutes of offense has to be matched with the same amount of defense. Our balance has been completely off for quite some time now, where in some games, we’ll score less points by playing better defense and wearing down quicker. In other games, we slack off and try to outscore our opponents. In both cases, we find ourselves digging our own grave, which leads to us looking to Kobe Bryant to pull us out of it. It can’t be done every season, especially in the playoffs. The San Antonio Spurs are the best team in the NBA, hands down, and are a top three in both offensive and defensive ratings. They have two excellent defensive starters in Duncan and Bowen, as well as three distinct scoring threats. The balance is visible, and the Spurs use that to coast through the regular season and have the needed energy for the playoffs, where they turn it up a couple of notches. The end result is a championship, the only thing us Lakers fans should be interested in right now. The most exciting games are close for a full 48 minutes, but the focus is to pull the plug on the excitement much earlier this year. We need to have games won midway through the fourth quarter. It’s great watching the Lakers fight, going down to the wire and screaming after a game-winner, but doing so for an entire season not only makes our players more prone to injury, it also wears down those who last 82 games. By the time the playoffs roll into town, the Lakers are running on empty, while teams such as the Suns and Mavericks were taking games off after winning their division, watching us battle for our playoff position. It’s something we have to avoid this year, or we can all expect the same consequences suffered in April and May of 2007, which may lead to the demise of our team as we know it.
Regular Season Record: 47-35 (pending injuries)
Through trade or simply letting him walk, the Lakers are going to hit a speed bump once Bryant is gone. If a trade comes along, it’s going to be highly difficult to replace a superstar who has carried a team on his shoulders for three seasons now, at one point having to average over 37 points per game just to reach the playoffs. Los Angeles will be extremely fortunate to get back two stars that can put up a combined 35 a night. What’s even more disturbing is if the organization decides to wait and let him walk, which is so ridiculous, it can only be a McHale strategy at this point…but if there’s a slight possibility of this happening (say, the relationship is mended, but then it fails again, and he opts out), it’s lottery city for the franchise. There’s always light at the end of every tunnel though, and many fans believe that, even though it will take quite a while to recover, the Lakers will be better off building for the future, rather than for Kobe and Phil. Either way, there’s still a can of worms to be opened in Los Angeles, and the battle between the team’s present and future could prove to be a fatal blow if the outcome doesn’t produce wins. “Most people are prisoners, thinking only about the future or living in the past. They are not in the present, and the present is where everything begins.” - Carlos Santana  Sound off in the Lakers Forum!
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