Ron Artest is visiting people's houses and singing karaoke to Celine Dion songs. Lamar Odom is out there marrying some reality star and making people wonder whether this is REALLY a marriage. Yup. These are the Los Angeles Lakers. They provided such a circus in the offseason that people forgot that they're actually a championship basketball team, not a primetime drama on NBC or a reality show on E!
Remember? A championship basketball team.
Like fan bases of other teams, the Laker fan base is predicting huge things for the 2009-10 version of the Laker team. I'm not going to go out there and predict they'll win 73 or 74 games. In fact, they may win LESS games than the previous year when the Lakers were on the winning side 65 times in the regular season. But the Lakers are more focused on winning something else and that will be the 2009-10 NBA Championship. After all, the Houston Rockets of 1994-95 won only 47 games and Clutch City repeated as champions. But this team looks more like a 60-plus win team, not 47. What's more? Everybody but one is returning to the cast of the Lake Show and prepared to make a sequel to last year's title win. Let's take a look at what makes the Lakers tick.
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LeBron James is putting up monster stats but Kobe Bryant is still arguably the best player in the game. He's not athletic as he's used to (he's still pretty damn athletic) but so what? His will to win is what sets him apart from everyone. Kobe has shown a willingness to trust his teammates. And if Kobe has to score 40 points to pull a victory out, he'll do it. He can score from anywhere and has a plethora of moves. Fadeaway J? Bomb from deep? Spin move into a jumper? 360 dunk? Put two guys on him on the elbow? It won't matter. Kobe will beat his opponent. And when focused (probably the first of many times I'll use that word), he's one of the better defenders in the game.
When the game is on the line, he's second to none. You can definitely trust Kobe Bryant to win you the game.
And Kobe will tell you that he's glad that he's got great teammates to fall back on. As great as Kobe is, the Lakers wouldn't have won the title without his sidekicks.
THE INSIDE FORCES
Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum provide something that most teams wished they had: size and length. Pau Gasol is one of the best basketball players in the world and has amazing movement for a 7-footer. Gasol gives any team an easy 19 and 9. He has a great post game and an outstanding midrange. And with the arrival of the aforementioned Artest, he may even develop the toughness that everyone says he lacks (the name Ga-SOFT is one of the STUPIDEST I've ever heard in my life).
Now Bynum is just a difficult case. It's frustrating to see him make strides on his games (and even dominate, at times) and then he doesn't make it past January of the season. I don't care if they were going against mediocre teams but his statline in the last five games before he went down against Memphis? 26.2 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 3.2 swats per game. Those statistics are nothing to sniff at. The key right now for Bynum is to stay healthy. And it really sucks because the knee injuries that happened to him were freak injuries. If he can stay healthy, then he can keep building his confidence throughout the season... and the Bynum we saw on last year's postseason will be a distant memory.
Also, the best thing about Bynum is that he's 21. But we won't be able to use that excuse two or three years from now.
These guys will make it difficult for any team to score on the inside. You can teach skills but you can't teach height. It's definitely a luxury to have seven-footers. And skilled seven-footers at that.
THE SIXTH MAN
Lamar Odom has been the poster boy for non-focused athletes. But he was more reliable than not last season and provided a spark when Bynum was carelessly getting into foul trouble in the playoffs. Lamar's versatility is hard to find in the league and I thought he'd be a bigger loss than Ariza had they BOTH bolted for supposedly greener pastures. Odom can run the show and pass like a true point guard, rebound with the best of 'em, spread the floor with his 3-point shooting (his 3-point field goal percentage jumped up from 32 percent in the regular season to 51 percent in the playoffs!), AND also provides length (he's 6'10" and wiry). At his best, Lamar showed that he is capable of carrying a team.
His focus will be tested again this year. Lamar's marriage to one Khloe Kardashian has been scoffed at. Recently, the newlyweds got matching tattoos. How cute. I think.
Bottom line: as long as Lamar is bringing it on the court, the Laker faithful won't complain (too much) about him keeping up with a Kardashian.
HE'S JUST A THRILLER
Trevor Ariza is gone. He played his role well. He made open shots, played hellish defense, and made all the hustle plays. Ron Artest can do that and more. Artest is capable of being the #2 guy... or even the #1 guy... on another team. In a loaded Laker team, he's the fourth or fifth option. Whatever Trevor Ariza couldn't do? Ron Artest can. #37 is a bull. He is a monster inside, a better slasher than Ariza, has a good midrange game, and still one of the better lockdown defenders in the league. Lost a step or two? It remains to be seen but, even still, there are guys on the interior backing him up.
Artest won't be asked to do much (like his previous stops). As seen in the preseason, the fear of him trying to take over a game should dissipate; he wasn't looking for his shot. Artest's biggest criticisms are his shot selection and that his 3-point shot is not a threat. But he will get the open looks here in L.A. and when he starts hitting those... oh, man.
Another thing that Artest can provide is FOCUS on an L.A. team that lacked it for about half the season (including some of the playoffs). When focused, L.A. is nearly invincible. Ron wants that ring and it'll show in his play. His energy will hopefully pass on down to the rest of the team. Say what you want about his activities off the court (which have been, for the most part, fun for a lot of the fans) but he will bring it on the hardwood.
NOT ON POINT
The "1" position is easily the weakest link of this Lakers team. Good thing that the Triangle Offense doesn't require having a great point guard but it'd certainly be nice to have a premier ballhandler on the floor (i.e. Jason Kidd, Chris Paul).
In any case, Derek Fisher has seen better years. Most Laker fans gave him a pass for being clutch (Magic fans still remember those daggers in Game 4 of the 2009 NBA Finals) but the fact is that, while his locker room presence is undeniable, he played like Bobby Fischer for most of the playoffs.
Jordan Farmar got hurt in December and was never able to find a rhythm the rest of the season after coming back prematurely. He has made it known that he wants to start and is definitely capable of doing that. But, first, he has to stop making us think he's allergic to defense and control himself on the floor. Farmar is not exactly a great fit on this Lakers team but he does provide a change of pace in Phil Jackson's controlled offense. And with Fish claiming that he's going to play beyond this season and Shannon Brown in the mix, this may very well be Farmar's last chance to be the future point guard of this historic franchise.
Speaking of the 6'4" Shannon, he can play both guard positions and is a highlight waiting to happen. Laker fans have definitely taken to his exciting play. He has been very good in his limited play but I'm not sure how he'll be on extended minutes. And Farmar is definitely better as a true point guard. Nevertheless, Brown provides a second option for Coach Phil Jackson in case Farmar isn't playing well.
The thinking here is to get Fisher ready for the postseason. Fish is probably expected to play less minutes on this team so the pressure will be on both Farmar and Brown to carry the duties while Derek rests his 35-year-old legs. If Brown played like he did last year and if Jordan recaptures his 2007-08 form... then the Lakers will be more than okay.
THE BENCH MOB
If people watched the preseason... oh, man. Life is looking good in Lakerland.
Luke Walton is one of the most unathletic players in the NBA but his basketball IQ is valuable to Jackson and the Lakers. Not a lot of people like his game but he keeps the offense rolling and is more important to L.A. than most people think. Sasha Vujacic (new haircut and everything) is looking to reclaim his 2007-08 form (like Jordan Farmar is) and was hitting shots in the preseason. His work ethic should never be questioned but Sasha shouldn't press when things aren't going his way. I'd also love to see him go back to being the pesky defender that he was in that same 07-08 campaign. Josh Powell is a reliable seventh or eighth man in any other roster but the Lakers have him on the end of the bench, which is a nice luxury to have. And D.J. Mbenga's play was encouraging in the preseason as he swatted away seven shots against Denver.
The biggest pleasant surprise in the preseason has been Adam Morrison. He is just hitting shot after shot after shot, much like what Vladimir Radmanovic used to provide for the Lakers (without the complaining). The Lakers can certainly use another deadeye shooter. I'd like to see one of them become a complete threat from three-point land (much like Steve Kerr and John Paxson were for the Chicago Bulls... Sasha? Fish? Adam?).
THE OPPOSITION
Laker fans should NEVER, EVER OVERLOOK THE OPPOSITION.
Orlando, their Finals opponent, may have the deepest roster outside of the Lakers. Vince Carter might have a rebirth in his new surroundings. Dwight Howard can only get better and he's still young. The additions of Matt Barnes and Brandon Bass plus the return of Jameer Nelson can only help. Cleveland added size in Shaquille O'Neal but also added athletic wings Jamario Moon and Anthony Parker. Those might be underrated pick-ups. Boston gets back Kevin Garnett and added Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels (the most underrated pick-up of them all). And San Antonio added youth in DeJuan Blair, a cagey vet in Antonio McDyess, and a borderline All-Star in Richard Jefferson. Dallas added Shawn Marion and Denver will still be very good next year. I can go on and on.
Lakers are loaded, yes. But so are other teams. Also remember that if Charlotte can sweep the Lakers annually, one of those top teams can beat the Lakers in a seven-game series.
FOCUS AND DEFENDING
Here we go again.
Ya know, maybe this Laker team could've won 70 games last year. They went 65-17 and these Lakers sleepwalked through the season. I recall telling people that they were really focused in the beginning of the season, the 6-0 road trip where they beat Cleveland and Boston, and the last two Playoff series. It frustrated me when the stars would come back in the fourth quarter when their 20-point lead gets cut in half. I don't think it's because the bench lacked the talent (resounding NO) but it's because they would run away from what got them the huge lead.
We can hardly question their offense. That roster can fill it up every second. However, I want to see more of this: while they got better at it as the season got deeper, they have to let the Laker bigs pound the ball inside in the later stages of the game. They can't go away from it. I've mentioned how much the Lakers have the size many times. Use it. It would also be nice if Pau wasn't taking 45 seconds on the post to make a decision. Anyway, this inside game will open up the outside. Players like Ron and Kobe will have that corner 3 open for most of the game.
In those two final playoff rounds, they definitely turned up their defense. Perimeter defense has been a HUGE weakness for L.A. With Artest, they should be MUCH better. We can only hope that his defense is contagious. The other plus about this is that Kobe can save his energy a little bit as Ron Ron takes on their best perimeter player.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Oct. 27, 2009 (vs Los Angeles Clippers): THAT'S A FEW HOURS AWAY, FOOLS. However, we got the late-breaking news that rookie sensation Blake Griffin may be out for up to six weeks. Thanks, Eric Pincus, for this.
Anyway, y'all know some of my boys cheer for the Clippers. And the Clippers are my second team. It'll be fun to watch this game but Griffin being out has taken a lot of luster out of the match-up.
Nov. 13, 2009 (at Denver Nuggets): Rematch of the Western Conference Finals. No love lost there.
Dec. 25, 2009 (vs Cleveland Cavaliers): The Christmas match-up! Run those Vitamin Water commercials 1,000 times again.
Jan. 8, 2010 (at Portland TrailBlazers): It's no secret that the Lakers haven't won in Rip City in years. Here's hoping the streak breaks here.
Jan. 12, 2010 (vs San Antonio Spurs): Lakers Reloaded Vs Spurs Reloaded. This is going to be war.
Jan. 18. 2010 (vs Orlando Magic): Rematch of last season's NBA Finals. Hi, Colleen. Love ya!
Jan. 31, 2010 (at Boston Celtics): I HOPE this is a Finals preview.
LAST WORDS
As mentioned, the Lakers are NOT the only loaded team in the league. However, they still have to be considered a slight favorite. I think they're still better than San Antonio in paper... but those guys will give them a war that will remind us of the earlier part of this decade. They did beat Boston in the regular season but it's a whole other animal if they meet in the Finals. And I think the Lakers have a psychological edge on both Cleveland and Orlando.
With possible distractions coming from a woman and the media making a huge deal of whatever Ron Artest does, we can only hope that the Lakers can keep their eyes on the prize. But I don't think they'd lose (IF they lose) because of the lack of focus and Ron Artest (as he claimed that he'll take the blame for the Lakers losing); they'd lose because the league as a whole (including the Lakers) got better. I don't need to repeat who the opposition is.
I say they go 64-18 and repeat as champions. But no matter how many wins they get in the regular season, anything less than a title win will be a disappointment.
Find me on Twitter. My name is @TheNoLookPass.
