Los Angeles Lakers Bound for the Top?
December 5th 2008 12:23
Most basketball experts and fans alike are saying that the Los Angeles Lakers are bound to win the NBA Championship this season. What about the Boston Celtics? Aren't they capable of defending the title? What about the ambitious Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers? Can't they get themselves back to the NBA Finals and win it all this time?
Let us analyze if these Lakers are the true epitome of a championship team this coming postseason.
Head coach Phil Jackson has been there and done that. This guy has practically seen it all and has won so many championships that competing for the title seem like a routine. He had six with Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls and had three with the Shaq-Kobe combination with the same Lakers franchise.
Jackson sure took a break from coaching when the Detroit Pistons took them out couple of years ago but soon came back to resume his post in Tinseltown this time to win a championship without Shaquille O'Neil and with Kobe Bryant as the main man. When it comes to championship type coaching, it can't be denied that Phil is the man.
Head coach: Check!
Last season, the Lakers were doing just fine they ain't losing too much but they ain't winning by the bundles either. They were a good team but not good enough to be considered as title contenders even with Kobe Bryant leading the way. Bryant was rumored to be traded and it destroyed the concentration of the Chicago Bulls that led to a lottery stint. Despite that rumor things still went well for the Lakers who were definitely headed for another playoff appearance.
Bryant was his usual self with high-scoring production. Andrew Bynum was getting better before being taken down by injury that caused him to miss the ret of the season and the playoffs. Lamar Odom, Vladimir Radmanovic, Sasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar, Luke Walton and the rest of the shock troopers were all pulling together to play the best basketball that they can possibly can.
From being a decent basketball team, the transformation of the Lakers into a title contender happened in mid-season. Pau Gasol was traded to them and everything became as clear as day. Gasol's arrival ushered in the completion of the new Lakers juggernaut to dominate the league.
The Lakers wasted no time in capitalizing on Gasol's impact. They stampeded all the way to the top of the Western Conference and made the Finals despite missing Bynum. They may have been beaten by the Celtics to the title but, in our opinion, this was just the beginning of a revived rivalry from way way back.
This season were seeing it now, the Lakers racked up two 7-game winning streaks to start the season and is clearly the team to beat in the Western Conference creating a great deal of separation to the rest of the field.
The Lakers are the best scoring team racking up 108.7ppg and 4th best in field goal accuracy. Bryant is once again pacing the Lakers in scoring with a league 4th best 25.1ppg. Gasol is next with 17.4 ppg hitting at 55.6% from the field 9th best in the league together with 9.2 rebounds. Bynum continues to grow with averages of 13 ppg on 54.8% from the field, 8.7 rpg and a league 4th best 2.0 bpg.
Those three guys sure are on double-digits but this team could never have been this strong without the extraordinarily powerful bench.
Lamar Odom has clearly embraced his role as the sixth man conceding his starting spot to Radmanovic this season. Trevor Ariza has also been quite a spark by injecting versatility off the bench. Farmar has greatly matured this season and is more stable within the system. Derek Fisher is the starting point guard but looms more like a role-playing veteran shooting or distributing from the one spot. Vujacic still needs to work on his consistency but it will be soon before he completes that.
Defensively, they're quite alright. the Lakers are quite average at 11th overall in points allowed at 95.9 ppg but opponents are not hitting their shots so well against them forcing the opposition to shoot just 43.2% in field goals.
Ariza, Bryant, Odom, Farmar and Vujacic are combining are combining for 7.3 steals a game and andrew Bynum is the 4th best shot blocker in the league at 2 bpg.
Looking at their line-up, there is versatility littered all over the Lakers. This team can go big with Bynum and Gasol taking over bullying shorter opposition or they can go smaller with a lot more speed when you put Gasol at the five and Odom and Ariza at the wings. They're not shallow in their guard rotations like back then. Farmar and Fisher makes up the reliable rotation at the point and Bryant has an able back-up in Vujacic. Radmanovic is the tall shooter type that can extend the defense while Ariza is the more athletic swingman for aggressive attack purposes. Luke Walton is also around just in case there is a need for a defensive player.
With so many dimensions to work with, the Lakers definitely has the deepest roster in the NBA today. They have one of the most storied coaches in history. At first glance, everything is in place. But the determining factor is desire. They'd better harbor what it felt to be blown out in the Finals by the Celtics. That will keep their drive for sure. There won't be any surprise if they make the Finals again. It will be up to the Eastern Conference champion this season to try and put a stop to them.
Photo courtesy of AP.
Let us analyze if these Lakers are the true epitome of a championship team this coming postseason.
Head coach Phil Jackson has been there and done that. This guy has practically seen it all and has won so many championships that competing for the title seem like a routine. He had six with Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls and had three with the Shaq-Kobe combination with the same Lakers franchise.
Jackson sure took a break from coaching when the Detroit Pistons took them out couple of years ago but soon came back to resume his post in Tinseltown this time to win a championship without Shaquille O'Neil and with Kobe Bryant as the main man. When it comes to championship type coaching, it can't be denied that Phil is the man.
Head coach: Check!
Last season, the Lakers were doing just fine they ain't losing too much but they ain't winning by the bundles either. They were a good team but not good enough to be considered as title contenders even with Kobe Bryant leading the way. Bryant was rumored to be traded and it destroyed the concentration of the Chicago Bulls that led to a lottery stint. Despite that rumor things still went well for the Lakers who were definitely headed for another playoff appearance.
Kobe Bryant slams it down.
Bryant was his usual self with high-scoring production. Andrew Bynum was getting better before being taken down by injury that caused him to miss the ret of the season and the playoffs. Lamar Odom, Vladimir Radmanovic, Sasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar, Luke Walton and the rest of the shock troopers were all pulling together to play the best basketball that they can possibly can.
From being a decent basketball team, the transformation of the Lakers into a title contender happened in mid-season. Pau Gasol was traded to them and everything became as clear as day. Gasol's arrival ushered in the completion of the new Lakers juggernaut to dominate the league.
The Lakers wasted no time in capitalizing on Gasol's impact. They stampeded all the way to the top of the Western Conference and made the Finals despite missing Bynum. They may have been beaten by the Celtics to the title but, in our opinion, this was just the beginning of a revived rivalry from way way back.
This season were seeing it now, the Lakers racked up two 7-game winning streaks to start the season and is clearly the team to beat in the Western Conference creating a great deal of separation to the rest of the field.
The Lakers are the best scoring team racking up 108.7ppg and 4th best in field goal accuracy. Bryant is once again pacing the Lakers in scoring with a league 4th best 25.1ppg. Gasol is next with 17.4 ppg hitting at 55.6% from the field 9th best in the league together with 9.2 rebounds. Bynum continues to grow with averages of 13 ppg on 54.8% from the field, 8.7 rpg and a league 4th best 2.0 bpg.
Those three guys sure are on double-digits but this team could never have been this strong without the extraordinarily powerful bench.
Lamar Odom has clearly embraced his role as the sixth man conceding his starting spot to Radmanovic this season. Trevor Ariza has also been quite a spark by injecting versatility off the bench. Farmar has greatly matured this season and is more stable within the system. Derek Fisher is the starting point guard but looms more like a role-playing veteran shooting or distributing from the one spot. Vujacic still needs to work on his consistency but it will be soon before he completes that.
Defensively, they're quite alright. the Lakers are quite average at 11th overall in points allowed at 95.9 ppg but opponents are not hitting their shots so well against them forcing the opposition to shoot just 43.2% in field goals.
Ariza, Bryant, Odom, Farmar and Vujacic are combining are combining for 7.3 steals a game and andrew Bynum is the 4th best shot blocker in the league at 2 bpg.
Looking at their line-up, there is versatility littered all over the Lakers. This team can go big with Bynum and Gasol taking over bullying shorter opposition or they can go smaller with a lot more speed when you put Gasol at the five and Odom and Ariza at the wings. They're not shallow in their guard rotations like back then. Farmar and Fisher makes up the reliable rotation at the point and Bryant has an able back-up in Vujacic. Radmanovic is the tall shooter type that can extend the defense while Ariza is the more athletic swingman for aggressive attack purposes. Luke Walton is also around just in case there is a need for a defensive player.
With so many dimensions to work with, the Lakers definitely has the deepest roster in the NBA today. They have one of the most storied coaches in history. At first glance, everything is in place. But the determining factor is desire. They'd better harbor what it felt to be blown out in the Finals by the Celtics. That will keep their drive for sure. There won't be any surprise if they make the Finals again. It will be up to the Eastern Conference champion this season to try and put a stop to them.
Photo courtesy of AP.
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