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Season PreviewNote: this Lakers season preview contains both facts, opinions and statistics. If you have any comments for this preview that are not appropriate for a public forum, please email me at otrforums@hotmail.com. Thank you, and enjoy the season preview. The 2005-2006 Los Angeles Lakers Off-Season Review & Season Outlook The Road to Redemption Last season was no fluke; the Lakers were bound to see the lottery, and it happened after Rudy Tomjanovich hit the road midway through the season. The purple and gold were left without a legit head coach, staring down a dark road filled with uncertainty and desperation. The triangle offense proved to be the wrong turn, and the Hamblen-led Lakers finished the season with a very disappointing record. However, the fingers pointed at Kobe Bryant, the one in the driver’s seat, the man leading the charge…the player pulling a defeated Lakers squad into their final game of the season, picking them up and preaching to never quit. Missing the playoffs may have been a shock to Bryant and the Lakers, as well as their fans, but it could be a blessing in disguise for the organization. A depleted lineup looked promising to Phil Jackson, and the Lakers used their lotto pick on Andrew Bynum. In fact, the team finally found a time to rest, take their mind off basketball, and think about the off-season for a change. That much-needed rest may have paid off. This rocky road has been traveled since their last championship, where the Lakers have went from a dynasty to a mere regular season team. For now, the label “bust” will be applied to our newest face, Kwame Brown. Odom will be that underachiever for just a little longer. Chris Mihm can be nothing more than a backup to the rest of the league. Aaron McKie takes the role of “old man with no more left in the engine.” Even Kobe Bryant can’t win without the Diesel by his side…for now. This road to redemption will be that same rocky road, but it’s up to Phil, Kobe and the Lakers to go out and prove their value, and furthermore, pave this road and find their way back into the West elite…no matter who stands in their way. ————————- Off-Season Transactions June 14th - The Lakers hire Phil Jackson as head coach Departing players: Caron Butler, Chucky Atkins, Brian Grant, Tierre Brown, Vlade Divac, Jumaine Jones, Tony Bobbitt ————————- 2005 Preseason Review 10/11 - Lakers 101, Warriors 93 10/12 - Warriors 112, Lakers 81 10/18 - Lakers 111, Wizards 108 (OT) 10/20 - Nuggets 105, Lakers 94 10/21 - Lakers 109, Bobcats 93 10/23 - Lakers 98, Bobcats 97 10/25 - Lakers 95, Jazz 85 10/28 - Lakers 105, Kings 103 ————————- Breaking Down the Lakers (Starters)
Assuming Mihm’s passing skills improve, he can be utilized more effectively, where our options don’t always point to Kobe creating for himself (or for everyone). This would serve as new ground to our shooters, in fact, who would love to take advantage of the ball being kicked out frequently to the open man. Mihm can bring a strong offensive game sometimes, and with Kareem working with our big men, I wouldn’t be surprised to see teams actually take Chris Mihm seriously once he receives the ball in the paint…which can translate into some easy buckets for the rest of our players, if Mihm’s offensive awareness and passing abilities are vastly improved.
When there’s a will, there’s a way, and a new environment can only be a positive for the already-defeated Kwame Brown. Who would’ve thought the Lakers would give up Caron and Atkins for a first round “bust” and Laron Profit? Well, it wasn’t much of a shocker to some, because with Phil back in Los Angeles, and a teammate in Kobe Bryant, Kwame’s game could do a complete 180. That crippling attitude may soon be washed away, revealing a Kwame we definitely could use on our way back to the top in the strong Western Conference. Kwame will be wearing #54 this season…let’s hope that Brown can soon produce much like the man wearing #54 in Chicago in the 90’s, Horace Grant, and then we can sit back and talk about how much of a steal it was trading for him.
Worst case scenario…should we even talk about it? Odom’s shoulder surgery seems to be less and less of a concern, but just what if he doesn’t fully heal, and both Lamar and the Lakers are brushing it aside a bit? During practices, Odom has spent his time going through cardiovascular exercises and combining those with drills set to intensify shoulder strength and durability…and even Odom says he’s available for full-contact play, so maybe the rehabilitation has efficiently worked Lamar back onto the court. All we can do is cross our fingers and hope that Odom will have a healthy (and strong) second season as a Laker, because we’re going to need him more than anyone else not named Kobe.
So what has Kobe done to prepare, and what role does he play in the triangle? These are great questions, but very unclear at the moment. His workouts have been quite impressive, where Kobe has put on muscle (which comes as no surprise) and has lost a great deal of body fat, making him look lean. His speed has increased as well. The good that comes out of this definitely outweighs the bad; less risk of an injury, more agility and endurance, and the availability to guard quicker backcourt players, including point guards. So far, he is doing just that…but offensively, he’s not the primary ball-handler. Instead, Kobe’s role is to play off pick and rolls, use screens and play off the ball more than he has ever done in the last 9 years. Is Phil attempting to model his game off of the great Michael Jordan, or bringing Kobe closer to fame using his own style and domination? Things will certainly develop as the season plays through.
The question remains: will Smush be the answer to our prayers? Can we depend on him to run the triangle and be our primary ball-handler? Well, to be honest, he won’t be…but that’s only because he will be there when Odom runs into a trap. That’s right, Lamar Odom…our primary ball-handler. Smush’s role is very important, where he’ll be asked to dump the ball to Odom and Kobe, then play through the triangle and free himself up to either hit an easy shot, or to reset the offense, if Odom or Kobe do find themselves in trouble. Keep in mind that this is all new to Parker, who has never played the triangle offense, nor had a bigger role in his career. If he can provide the security in our backcourt on offense, and give Kobe a reason to defend one player instead of two back on defense, he’ll be a great fit in the purple and gold starting five. Breaking Down the Lakers (Bench)
We know Devean George can play two positions: his primary position, small forward, and his secondary, the two-guard. At the moment, it’s unclear whether or not Devean will be coming off the bench to fill the wing, or even become the trigger man…but the least we can expect from him is a consistent three and crashing the boards on both sides of the ball. However, what we’d like is much different, and it starts with his defense. George’s length can make him an above-average perimeter defender, but talk is cheap; he is almost always beat to the basket on a quick first step, and sometimes it’s hard to tell if it’s just laziness or lack of defensive skills. If George wants to be that impact player off the bench, it’ll take an extra effort (and help from the coaching staff) to mold him into a pesty defender, and a consistent offensive threat.
Hate him or love him, McKie isn’t just a bag full of positives. Laker fans could argue that he’s more of a problem than he is a factor on the squad. McKie is one injury away from missing half a season, and even though this could be said about any player, star or scrub, we are talking about a veteran guard, logging a significant amount of minutes in a very mobile offense. This may be why you’ll find Bryant guarding the faster point guards, instead of Aaron, but the wear and tear will find its way into McKie’s body soon enough. On the other hand, with McKie finding his minutes off the bench, these guards may not do as much damage while Aaron is in the game, and being an underrated defender, he’ll give us a consistent defensive effort to keep us in the game while our starters sit and rest.
A huge question mark appears, however, because Phil Jackson has a reputation of sitting rookies for a couple of years before throwing them into the complicated mess we call the triangle offense. Assuming this is the case for the upcoming season, do we send Bynum to the D-League, or play him off the bench 5-10 minutes per game? Common sense would be to keep him benched, because even with the raw skills, Bynum is (at the very least) another body in the frontcourt. Who knows…maybe the high school giant will walk into the regular season lacking only experience, and leaving the hardwood each night with larger-than-life numbers. Unrealistic? Maybe, but there’s no reason not to expect so much from a larger-than-life teenager.
You say, “Well, I’m still glad we have the guy.” That’s very true…I believe Cook does have a few positives that I’d love for him to continue to work on, such as his rebounding. In limited minutes, Cook grabs three boards a game. Not bad, huh? In those 15 minutes, I’d like to see four or five, but hey…he’s coming off the bench for a reason, so I won’t push it that far. Cook also has the flawless ability to get open for a shot. If only he could hit them consistently, we could be a 60-win team, correct? Brian’s off-the-ball play may seem a bit overrated, though, because of the double teams his teammates face, but he does pretty well losing his defender “oh so quietly” and sneaking into the corner for a freebie. The mobility he’ll find in the triangle may work to his advantage, and I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see Cook netting shots more consistently than before…but don’t bank on it just yet, because Phil may soon change Cook’s recipe, and we may see a whole different player in 2006.
There’s a hint that Phil likes Sasha; as a tall guard with the ability to handle the ball and make plays, Vujacic could be a nice backup for the Lakers in due time, whether it happens this year or two years from now. The fans spend so much time bashing him for his size, and even I joined in a few times, but the fact remains that Sasha can only get better at this point. He may have little to no triangle experience (Hamblen’s triangle doesn’t exactly count, in my books), but it does help a bit that he did play a handful of games running the point, cutting and creating for others. The important thing is that Sasha knows his role in the offense, not as a scorer or a shooter, but as a passing guard who will crash the boards and use his court vision to find the open man. His defense needs a little work, because we know that bigger, thicker guards like Billups and Davis will completely pick him apart, but nothing comes free; it takes time and commitment, something I believe Sasha can give the Lakers organization in years to come, and hopefully turn out to be worth the time as well.
Can we safely say that he could be our backup center or forward this season? All of us would love to say yes, but we all know that Bynum and Cook can give us more in 20 minutes than Slava can, and when we think back to the 2004 NBA Finals, it’s unfortunate that we had to rely on Medvedenko as a starter. However, I do believe that Slava is one of two big men we have (Cook being the other) that can hit shots outside of 15 feet, and with the triangle focused on spacing and versatility, he could become a decent shooting forward off the bench late in the game. Slava hits shots when he’s open, and we’ve seen the guy drive to the basket a couple of times (in his career, anyways), so it’ll be interesting to watch him work under Kareem and see what else the man can do for us this upcoming season.
Laron Profit should enjoy the triangle in his limited minutes on the floor, especially the freedom it gives him to roam and play out of position. You can expect him to crash the boards quite a bit, and most of his points will come off his cuts and receiving passes from the Laker guards. Phil and the staff may even decide to let Profit defend the quicker guards late in the game to keep him active and pushing for a larger role throughout the season, which is part of Phil’s coaching strategy, to encourage players such as Profit and Kwame, making them believe that they can be a part of success, rather than bystanders. Laron wants it bad enough, and if he continues to play like he did this preseason, he can do just that for the first time in his career, and there’s no better place to start than in Los Angeles. Breaking Down the Lakers (Inactive List)
The sixth man role may not be for Luke just yet, but with him coming off the bench, the Lakers can cause some damage late in the second and early fourth quarters, where Luke can be the most effective player on the court. It’s no joke; the bench could be the weakest in the NBA…or it could be the most underrated. With early suggestions that Walton could be a possible starter down the road, there’s no reason not to have faith in Luke. Out of everyone on the bench, Walton does have a great deal of experience in the triangle, which gives the coaching staff one less player they have to spoon-feed the offense to. Word of advice: don’t give up on Walton just yet.
Will Jackson give Wafer a shot at the point? I highly doubt it. If you do see Von bringing the ball up and defending the point guards, it will be late in the game, where Bynum and Sasha will be our feature players out on the court. Hey, don’t chuckle…we may need these guys someday. Many will suggest that Wafer packs his bags and heads to the D-League. Either way, Wafer will gain knowledge and experience playing limited minutes alongside Kobe when, or if, he comes off the inactive list. The Lakers cannot afford to lose a starter this year, and if this happens, we have to rely on our reserves to step up and take bigger roles. In the case of Von Wafer, his impact at the college level brought him into the league, regardless of the time he was drafted, and that level will become a factor at a time such as this. Assuming that Wafer can come out and show potential, such as Marquis Daniels did in Dallas, we could be underestimating a very solid bench player in years to come.
There’s no reason not to play Green, but he’s just not ready to come off the bench just yet. Devin and Von Wafer may find themselves in the D-League, which may not be a bad idea at all by the Lakers, giving them a chance to develop more skills to apply on a professional level. The discipline is there, but the adjustments for Green, and the transition from Hampton to the Lakers, will take more than just a preseason, possibly more than a season. However, Green is still young, and his expectations are extremely low, considering a lot of analysts figured that he would be the odd man out of the Lakers’ lineup for Corie Blount. If Green does get his big chance, he’ll be behind Kobe Bryant, and there’s nobody better to learn from than the best guard in the game. ————————- Our Coaching Staff
Phil Jackson - Coach (Profile) ————————- Get Well Soon, Big Man
Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true. ————————- 2005-2006 Laker Girls
First row, sitting left to right: Tiffany D., Angela, Jenna, Nancy, Allison ————————- Team By Team Analysis Atlanta Hawks - Phil’s main concern vs. the Hawks will be one man in particular: Joe Johnson. His tenacious defense may prove to be a hassle for the Lakers’ backcourt, especially Aaron McKie and our bench…but you can’t leave out his underrated offensive game, either. Aside from Johnson, the Hawks have a young, athletic team, including Josh Smith, Josh Childress, Marvin Williams and Al Harrington. However, don’t expect too much from this experienced squad…the Lakers should win both meetings. Boston Celtics - this Celtics team jumped at the opportunity to pick up Gerald Green with their 18th pick, and we could see Green go up against Kobe within the first five minutes, depending on their starting five. Most would say Paul Pierce is the factor against the Lakeshow, but Ricky Davis could be a pest if he comes off the bench against our mediocre reserves. The Celtics may pull out a win at home, but the purple and gold will return the favor, either way. Charlotte Bobcats - rumor has it that Emeka Okafor has put on a few pounds of muscle this offseason. If that’s the case, he could be the Cats’ starting center, and that only spells trouble for Chris Mihm. Los Angeles shouldn’t be worried about Charlotte’s backcourt, especially if Brevin Knight starts over Felton, but the Bobcats beat the Rockets in both meetings last year. Will they repeat this against LA? It’s possible, but I don’t believe the Bobcats have enough to stop Kobe and Odom. Chicago Bulls - with their new additions, Sweetney and Thomas, the Bulls may be a tough team to beat this season. Let’s not forget a healthy Deng and Mr. 4th Quarter, Ben Gordon…the Chicago backcourt can score at will. If Kobe has to chase around the PG’s all year long, Gordon will take advantage of this vs. the Lakers. Unfortunately, their frontcourt is just as weak as ours, and they won’t pull out a win against Los Angeles. Cleveland Cavaliers - adding Larry Hughes, Damon Jones and Donyell Marshall to their lineup, the Cavs have grown significantly. Uncertainty still remains for the Cavaliers, but there’s no doubt this team can cause problems for the Lakers this season. LeBron will get his, but will the Lakers’ defense hold up against the backcourt of Jones and Hughes? I’d like to hope so, but having Zydrunas dropping his usual in the frontcourt disables our team even more. Lakers could split this series. Dallas Mavericks - losing Finley makes no difference to Cuban and the Mavs, who look to, once again, cause damage in the Western Conference. Young sensations Josh Howard and Marquis Daniels will play even bigger roles this season, where veteran Jerry Stackhouse should see more minutes with the absence of Finley. Don’t be surprised to see Howard defend Kobe well; he is one of the few who does seem to do so. The Lakers will have to look to Odom and Kwame to lead this team past Dallas, because Kobe can’t do it alone. Defense is the key, not outscoring the Mavericks, and the Lakers will pick up at least one win this season versus Dallas. Denver Nuggets - our first game of the regular season is against the Nuggets, who were on fire in the second half of the 2004-2005 season. Camby’s defense, along with K-Mart’s offense, will crush our weaker frontcourt, so it’s safe to assume that Kobe Bryant and the Lakers’ guards will have to step it up a notch to keep up with Karl’s Nuggets. Preventing easy baskets off the guard penetrations and forcing bad shots (especially from Melo) will wear down the Denver offense, and the Lakers will scratch in a win against this potential Northwest Division champ. Detroit Pistons - the key to defeating the Pistons is not to hold them to under 100 points, but to outscore them. An important factor will be the loss of Larry Brown, who made this squad a defensive army. There is no real weakness in the Pistons’ starting five, but the Lakers have a chance to keep up with Detroit now that Flip Saunders is the head coach. If Flip’s coaching strategy against the Lakers leans towards the red and blue’s offensive game, Los Angeles can steal a win at home. Golden State Warriors - the Laker fans will agree: games against the Warriors are very exciting, even when the Warriors were without Baron. This year should be no different, with both teams missing a few pieces for a strong frontcourt. This may not be a game featuring our stars, but our young players instead. However, don’t be surprised to see Devean George become a huge factor off the bench, and Sasha’s defense will be tested by Fisher late in the game. Warriors split this series with Los Angeles. Houston Rockets - the Rockets could be a frontrunner for the conference finals in the West, with new additions Stromile Swift, Rafer Alston and Derek Anderson. Yao Ming looks to have added muscle, and then there’s McGrady…and the Lakers can only hope to find answers at all positions versus this loaded roster. Phil’s main focus will be to put Yao in foul trouble early, then attack the basket while he’s out. Odom and Kwame may play out of position to hold Swift and Ming to limited rebounds, and Devean will contribute enough from the bench to keep the Lakers in the game. However, the Rockets may win two or three, with a close overtime loss in Los Angeles. Indiana Pacers - Rick Carlisle’s bench is possibly the strongest in the Eastern Conference, and the reason for this is last season, where these guys had 34+ different combinations of starting lineups. With Artest back, the Lakers may have to look to their big men to grab boards and score for the first half, and hand it over to Kobe and Parker to wear down Indy’s backcourt and create shots for their teammates. The Pacers have the ability to contend for a title this season, and there’s a chance they’ll draw two victories against the Lakers. Los Angeles Clippers - the Clippers have added Cassell and Mobley to their lineup, two experienced vets who can cause a great deal of damage in the backcourt. Some believe the Clips are now the best team in Los Angeles, but with Phil back in LA, no one can be so sure of that just yet. The Lakers will need to contain Brand and Maggette, which is the obvious, but they can’t let Cassell and Mobley light them up from downtown. These games can be close, but I expect the Lakers to win three against the Clippers. Memphis Grizzlies - expect Gasol to have a huge game against the depleted Laker frontcourt, but don’t count out Eddie Jones. EJ may turn the tables late in the game with his shooting and defense. After losing Williams, Posey and Swift, the Grizz seem to be a few men short of a playoff team, but we can’t underestimate this team, no matter what. Kobe will lead the Lakers to three wins versus Memphis, possibly a season sweep. Miami Heat - we talk about team chemistry, but the truth is, the Heat and Lakers both could find themselves searching for it come Christmas. Last year, the Lakers kept up with Miami, without Caron, and I expect them to do it again. The Heat are most effective in a fast-paced game, where Wade can control the tempo, and with Shaq slowing them down a bit, the Lakers can capitalize and win one game, most likely in Los Angeles. Don’t be surprised to see a battered and defeated Laker squad in Miami, though. Milwaukee Bucks - stealing Magloire from the Hornets only made them stronger. The Bucks can defeat the Lakers, especially with a healthy TJ Ford, but I’ll need proof that this team can be a better East team than they were last season. Bogut’s playing time is a big question mark, but the anticipation is high for him to meet Kobe Bryant in the paint. If the Bucks go with a starting five of Magloire, Bogut, Simmons, Redd and Ford, the Lakers may have to move Kwame to center and play Odom and George to win both games. Minnesota Timberwolves - one name: Kevin Garnett. We know he’ll get his usual 26 and 15 against Los Angeles, but how will the rest of his teammates do? McCants is a shooter, and Wally will be a threat anytime he touches the ball (quite underrated, in my opinion), so the Lakers will have their hands full with those two as well. Jaric may not pose a threat, and we know Olowokandi isn’t the greatest center you can find. A safe prediction would be a split between the two teams, two games a piece. New Jersey Nets - a healthy Kidd, Carter and Jefferson will prove to be too much for our Los Angeles Lakers. The Nets will more than likely win the Atlantic and could press far into the playoffs. If the Lakers do want to steal a victory, they will need huge contributions from Odom and Kwame, and for Parker to stop Kidd from getting a triple-double. Krstic and Jackson shouldn’t have problems with Mihm and Kwame, and the Nets’ fastbreaks will beat us in a close game in New Jersey, with a possible overtime win for the Lakers in Los Angeles. New York Knicks - these two games will be the only two hyped for the coaches, instead of the players themselves. Brown versus Jackson, a rematch from the 2004 NBA Finals…except this time around, both are working with different players. I expect Brown to change his gameplan to throw off Jackson’s triangle, which is what he did in Detroit, but I don’t believe it’ll have that big of an effect with this Knicks roster. However, the Knicks can win a game against the purple and gold, which could make for one interesting series, from one coast to the other…but for now, I’ll give both games to Los Angeles. Oklahoma City Hornets - trading Magloire could have been a big mistake for the relocated Hornets. Desmond Mason returns to Oklahoma, but the Hornets’ big men contain a terrible dunker and a vet who may not have enough left to play 82 strong games. Paul and JR Smith won’t be enough help for Mason, and the Lakers will sweep the Hornets this season. Orlando Magic - after losing their first rounder, the Magic return with a similar team…minus Grant Hill for a few weeks. Nelson and Francis will be their starting backcourt, but the Lakers should turn their attention to Hedo Turkuglu, a very underrated contributor for the Magic. If underestimated, he will shoot all night, and the Lakers can drop a game to Orlando this season (obviously, a game with Hill in the lineup)…not to mention Dwight Howard, who is getting better by the day. Philadelphia 76ers - Iguodala and Iverson can tear into any backcourt in the league, but Philly’s secret weapon versus the Lakers is Chris Webber. Some will argue that C-Webb is aging too quickly, but just last season with the Kings, Webber put up two consecutive triple-doubles. A preseason makes a huge difference, and Cheeks can get Iverson and Webber on the same page this season. Lakers lose one at home, but Kobe plays well in Philly and takes a victory in return. Phoenix Suns - a disaster struck Phoenix when Amare Stoudemire went down with an injury, and some say four months is the minimum. The Lakers will definitely capitalize on this, but playing the Suns won’t be so easy. Nash and Marion are still capable of holding a .500 record until Amare’s return, and a nice Marion/Odom matchup could be interesting, to say the least. The Lakers need to force Marion’s shots and watch for Raja Bell, and they should be able to win one or two games versus Phoenix. Portland Trail Blazers - McMillan’s presence could turn this team around, but it’s going to take a couple of years, and the Lakers won’t mind playing them this season. Telfair and Webster are still young, inexperienced players, and it’ll be up to Randolph to dominate the ball and keep up with Los Angeles. However, I don’t believe the Blazers have the defensive talent to stop Bryant and Odom, and the Lakers should walk off with a victory each time. Sacramento Kings - losing Webber may have been a mistake, even though there were a few Kings fans who praised the organization for trading him. Shareef and Bonzi are the new additions, but Sacramento doesn’t exactly have a true power forward. The preseason game between LA and Sactown was very exciting, and what we got out of it was that the Kings’ bench players are strong…very strong. Garcia and Martin are big threats late in the game, and the Lakers will have to contain them if they want to escape with a few wins. Sacramento should win a couple of games against Kobe and the Lakers. San Antonio Spurs - the best team in basketball has just gotten better. The Spurs have added Van Exel and Finley to their roster, and it now seems evident that they are reloading for another championship season. The Lakers won’t be able to stop Duncan in the post, and if they do, they’ll find themselves looking to hold Manu to under 20 points. If so…oops…Parker is dropping 20. The Lakers can keep the games close, but the Spurs will win each meeting. Seattle SuperSonics - don’t deny the Sonics their playoff spot yet; they still have Ridnour, Ray and Shard. However, you won’t see Seattle win the division, and they’ll find these Laker games tougher than expected. Kwame may end up posting big numbers on Radmanovic and the Sonics’ frontcourt, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see Mihm and Bynum do the same to their opponents. The Kobe/Ray showdown may be the highlight of each game, but the frontcourts will decide the final score. Lakers split this series with the Sonics. Toronto Raptors - Villanueva’s critics could be shocked. Maybe Babcock’s critics as well. The Lakers may not have trouble against the Raptors, but Villanueva will do his damage against the Lakers’ defense. Mike James and Smush Parker will provide us with an interesting matchup; that is, if Kobe isn’t defending him. The Raptors could hang in there for the first three quarters, but it’ll come down to Bosh and Jalen Rose to keep them in the game, and the Lakers could be a strong 4th quarter team next season. Lakers win both meetings. Utah Jazz - Utah may be the most underrated team in the league right now. Flashbacks of last season would prove this, where Utah piled through everyone, including Los Angeles, until injuries put them out of the playoffs. Deron Williams will surely give the Lakers trouble, and if Boozer can stay healthy, Kirilenko’s defense will factor in, and it should add up for two or three wins against the Lakers, especially if Harpring and Giricek find their shot early in the games. Washington Wizards - it’s a shame we only play them twice. Atkins and Butler will play their hardest, but you can believe that Kwame (and maybe even Profit) will compete with a newfound passion against their former team. Jamison may get the better of his ex-teammate, and Arenas wouldn’t be himself if he scored less than 20 points, but the Lakers will more than likely share a loss with the Wizards this season. ————————- Better Than Last Season The Lakers have been subject to change since the 2003-2004 NBA season, bringing in Malone and Payton, then trading Shaq and losing Phil and Fisher, and finally bringing back Jackson and the triangle offense. It’s no lie that last year’s squad was nothing short of a failure from the point Rudy Tomjanovich left. The coaching change turned teammates against each other, and gave new meaning to the word dysfunctional. Chemistry was lost, and Hamblen ended up winning just 10 of his 39 games as head coach. Changes are not only a necessity this season, but a demand, by fans and players wearing the purple and gold, and for everyone tuning in this season, the Lakers have done just that in hopes to make an impact in the Western Conference once again. Defense - the Lakers were 7-41 when teams scored over 100 points last season. If that doesn’t make it obvious that our defense was below average last season, I don’t know what does. It’s sad enough to say that we allowed over 100 points that many times in the first place, let alone look at the number of losses it gave us. We have replaced Chucky Atkins and Tierre Brown with Smush Parker and Aaron McKie, which is a huge upgrade defensively. Also, moving Lamar Odom down from the four will help us as well; Kwame Brown has all the goods to be a great defender, but it’s going to take his dedication to reach into that potential. Kobe Bryant will be defending the star point guards this season, which explains his increased speed and a more lean body than last season. Blocked shots and steals are also a concern this season. Last year, the Lakers were in the bottom half of the league in blocks and nearly dead last in steals. Bringing in Scottie Pippen, one of the greatest defenders in NBA history, will only help our players develop a strong defensive presence, as individuals and as a team. Scoring - last season, you could say that Los Angeles had their share of scorers. Outscoring their opponents…that’s a different story. This time around, the frontcourt scoring may increase dramatically, and it starts with Kwame. Our very own Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has been assigned our special assistant coach to not only polish Kwame’s game, but to assist him with new ways of scoring. This also applies to Mihm and Bynum, as well as our other big men. Our backcourt, minus Kobe, may get used to the passing game more than taking in a scoring mentality, but keep in mind that McKie can shoot from beyond the arc, and Smush has a nice shot himself. As far as Odom goes, we all would love for him to attack the basket more, and it’s going to be Phil’s job to make him our secondary scoring option, unless he decides that Kwame can handle the load. Bench scoring should be covered by Devean George, who will be our sixth man, and the likes of Luke Walton (when he returns) and possibly Andrew Bynum, who could develop quicker than imagined. Passing - one of the Lakers’ problems in the 2004-2005 NBA season was their passing game. Kobe Bryant was under the microscope all year long, throwing turnovers left and right after being called one of the most selfish players in the league. Ironically, Kobe led the team in assists, and he wasn’t assigned as our point guard. In Rudy’s system, Atkins was a three-point machine, and most of the scoring was off the Lakers creating for themselves. In Phil’s triangle, expect this to change. The offense will be spread out, 10-15 feet between each position, with numerous cuts and screens. The open man is crucial in executing the triangle, and passing to that man is only necessary. With Kobe playing off the ball, the primary ball handlers (which will include Odom) will need to make sure they keep the ball moving at all times, and resetting the triangle when necessary, instead of forcing shots. Rebounding - surprisingly, the Lakers were one of the top five rebounding teams in the NBA last season, averaging a hair over 43 boards a game. When looking back, it seems impossible that the Lakers could outhustle 24 or more other teams on the glass and still come away with a lottery pick. This year may provide us with the same results, hopefully in just the rebounding category. Odom is now the undersized three, and in limited minutes, Kwame is known to pull down a few boards himself. In the triangle, it is suggested that four players crash the boards after a shot, and one drops back to get an early start on defense. With the larger guards playing the point, and our frontcourt’s shortest player being nearly seven feet tall, we should have no problem cleaning the glass each game. Forced Turnovers - although this does belong in the defense category, I decided to pull this out and say that the Lakers were second to last in forced turnovers last season. This is uncalled for, period. Turnovers lead to momentum changes, and in some situations, second-chance points; things that we need to focus on eliminating this season. As mentioned above, we were also 29th in steals, which falls into both defense and turnovers. With a great deal of our turnovers leading to fast break points, it didn’t help that our transition defense was terrible as well. Translation: no defense, no success. ————————- Season Predictions My Prediction hZm Showtime.Revival.05 BryantDunkGiant The Nugget jsm0331 KB8@CL Phil Danny Ainge ————————- Fasten Your Seatbelts The Los Angeles Lakers have no reason to backtrack this year; in fact, they have no room to. Kobe Bryant has one option, and that’s to win. Phil Jackson came back with one purpose, and that is to win. The Phil and Kobe saga continues where it left off, but maybe with a bit more flair. The world is watching these two NBA faces, some expecting failure, and some anticipating success. The desire, the will to win, the competitive attitude…it spreads like wildfire from one Laker to the other, through the coaching staff, and in the hearts of fans all over the world, but let it be known that the greatest feeling of all begins with the worst: failure. The Los Angeles Lakers, from Kwame and Kobe, to Odom and even Phil himself, have tasted failure; in the regular season, in the Finals, and off the basketball court. The stinging words of the media and the criticism expressed by writers and opposing fans have burned deep into their souls, some for a full season, a few throughout their professional careers. The humiliation is over, and the city of Los Angeles has no reason to hang up their purple and gold for red and blue, because the Lakers are looking to go full-throttle, non-stop, through the 2005-2006 NBA season with one destination: success. |
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