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Yo, Reggie Miller just said on NBA TV, Lakers will challenge the Bulls 72-10 record
I think they can
I think they can
OFFICIAL LAKERS 2009/2010 (57-25) 2009-2010 CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by kb8sandiego,
- Start date
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I just wanna quote this for emphasis, because i feel like this is one aspect of this team that is often overlooked.
Say what you wanna say about this group - soft, lacks toughness, not a grind it out team, built on finesse, etc. - but these guys have proven time and againthat they can get themselves out of tough situations.
This team knows how to win, and this team knows how to battle adversity on the road. I think that's a big aspect of this team that's overlooked.
notorious 858
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[h1]Quiet summer suited Lakers' Kobe Bryant[/h1]
Kobe Bryant says he feels better than ever. Just what the rest of the NBA wanted to hear.
Coming off his first NBA Finals MVP performance, the Lakers' 11-time All-Star did something different this off-season: nothing.
No Olympic obligations. No international basketball duties. Just a lot of downtime.
He went with his family to France and also did promotional appearances for Nike throughout Asia. He picked up a basketball a little before his 31st birthday in August. It seemed as if an eternity had passed.
"The season ends so abruptly. You're used to going every day, and then it stops," Bryant said. "So you're kind of looking around for stuff to do."
If boredom was the punishment for not playing ball, Bryant's now feeling the reward.
"I feel fresher, healthier, as healthy as I've felt in a long time," he said. "I haven't had a chance to take a month and a half off in quite some time."
A year ago, Bryant and Pau Gasol were given several days off in training camp to help them ease into practice after long runs with their respective Olympic teams. (Bryant helped Team USA win gold over Gasol's Spanish national team.)
Bryant didn't need to ease into anything this October.
"He's looked very good and carried the energy of the corps down the floor, up and down," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said.
What's new, 'Drew?
Even though Kurt Rambis is gone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will have a lesser role in the development of Andrew Bynum, Jackson isn't worried.
"Just about everybody on my staff wants to have a piece of Andrew, so I think everybody will have something to say," Jackson said. "Particularly, my own focus is going to be in that direction because Kurt was really the guy that spent a lot of time with him, working on some of the details of this game."
Bynum, who turns 22 this month, has been bothered by Achilles' tendon soreness but is still running the court "pretty well," Jackson said.
"His conditioning looks good," Jackson said. "He's still getting acclimated to playing with other bodies around him in a crowd, which is always one of the things that happens to big guys over the course of the summer. They have all these moves they work on in the summer with nobody around and now there's a crowded lane, a crowded court. It makes it different."
Cuban vs. Artest
Someone definitely likes the Lakers' addition of Ron Artest . . . and not in a pro-Lakers way.
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he "couldn't think of anything better" to test the Lakers' chemistry and possibly slow down their championship hopes.
"If you would have said, what one player -- and I'll get killed over this -- what one player would you like to see on the Lakers? Ron Artest," Cuban said in an ESPN radio interview in Dallas.
"Could you imagine? Ron Artest has got the ball, and Kobe's standing there, 'Throw me the ball.' Thank you, Ron Artest."
Quick hits
Training camp two-a-days end today, and the Lakers play their first exhibition game Wednesday against Golden State in Anaheim. . . . Jackson said he might not coach that game, though he appeared to be joking with reporters. Jackson sat out an exhibition game last season in Anaheim because of soreness in his legs. . . . Reserve center DJ Mbenga has been slowed by a hip flexor, limiting his practice time. "It happened this summer while he was training with the Belgian national team," Jackson said.
Link:
http://www.latimes.com/sp...009oct03,0,1321029.story
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good read....im excited for the season!!!!
does anyone know how much league pass is this year?
does anyone know how much league pass is this year?
notorious 858
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[h1]Lakers' Sasha Vujacic hopes for a fresh start this season[/h1]
"The Machine," as Sasha Vujacic was affectionately known by Lakers fans late in the 2007-08 season and into the playoffs because of his prolific shooting, mostly was broken down last season.
And so his goal for this season is simple.
"Just bring 'the Machine' back, that's all," Vujacic said after practice Friday. "I don't want to talk and then on the court don't do anything. I want to play up to my potential and help this team win as many games as possible."
So far during training camp, "the Machine" apparently still needs to be calibrated.
"He hasn't shot the ball with the accuracy that he's known for. His 39% [from last season] is 38% right now," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson cracked. "Aw, I'm just kidding. But he has not shot the ball well right now."
When told of Jackson's comments, Vujacic smiled but agreed.
"I just think it is the beginning of the training camp," Vujacic, a 6-foot-7 guard, said. "I kind of have heavy legs. But I'm not worried about my shot at all."
Vujacic, known as the team's best shooter, according to Jackson, shot a career-best from the field (45.4%) and three-point range (43.7%) during the 2007-08 season. He averaged a career-high 8.8 points.
The Lakers rewarded him with a three-year, $15-million contract in the summer of 2008.
But the Machine sputtered last season.
Vujacic made only 38.7% of his field-goal attempts during the 2008-09 regular season, but a respectable 36.3% of his three-pointers, although his scoring average dropped to 5.8 points per game.
Then he shot only 26.4% from the field in the playoffs.
He didn't score in the NBA Finals against the Orlando Magic, missing all six of his shots.
And things didn't get any better for Vujacic in the summer.
He badly wanted to represent his country, Slovenia, in the European championships. But Vujacic suffered a minor left knee injury while training with the Slovenian national team.
That led to some controversy for Vujacic, who was dismissed from the Slovenian team. He said it was because of the injury; the team said he was cut.
"Everything happened for whatever reason," said Vujacic, who also mentioned that he doesn't plan on playing for his national team any time soon. "I think everything helped me to mature and realize how last season went. I analyzed everything and took my mind off things. I had to see what mistakes I was making and what Phil was bringing across to me during the season."
Vujacic also cut his locks, something Jackson suggested, even cracking that Vujacic spent more time fixing his hair than playing.
Vujacic acknowledged that he needed an attitude adjustment.
"Throughout the season, I was just stubborn," Vujacic said. "We all are grown-ups and we mature in different ways. We make mistakes. The only question is whether you are ready to admit them or not. I didn't have the best season last year and I'm looking forward to having the best season this year."
Link:
http://www.latimes.com/sp...009oct03,0,7102118.story
That pic of Sasha shooting free throws with his eyes closed
notorious 858
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This commerical for NBA 2K10 is
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I'm not sold on Artest either. On defense, I love it for our team. But on offense, I just don't see where he fits in. With Kobe dominating the ball,Pau as our second option, the emergence of Bynum this season, and Lamar getting his, Artest is really going to have to settle with not getting very many shots.And while watching that Rockets series this past post-season, I saw a lot of chucking from him and I hope that was only because the team was without their twobest players. If you really think about it, Artest is probably going to have to get around the same amount of shots that Ariza had in order for this offense toreally flow well.
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damn kobe looked intense during that commercial
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I got tickets to the Mavs & Heat game
i'm *%!%%#% stoked
Still trying to get other tickets though, right now I keep getting PR seats
edit: Mavs game = perfect game for me to finally Un-ds my flight 95's
lol
& I had another pair of nosebleeds in my cart to the Heat game, but didn't pull the trigger. Maybe i should have
oh well i'm going anyways
and there are still tickets left to a few games, just not the premier ones. Hawks game for example still has some tickets left
btw, if anyone is trying to sell their opening day tix. pm me
i'm *%!%%#% stoked
Still trying to get other tickets though, right now I keep getting PR seats
edit: Mavs game = perfect game for me to finally Un-ds my flight 95's
& I had another pair of nosebleeds in my cart to the Heat game, but didn't pull the trigger. Maybe i should have
and there are still tickets left to a few games, just not the premier ones. Hawks game for example still has some tickets left
btw, if anyone is trying to sell their opening day tix. pm me
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got tix to the mavs and bulls
also got tix to the clippers home game against the lakers
also got tix to the clippers home game against the lakers
Cuban can kis my @#$.
Artest, so help me God, you had better be listening to every damn word these people are saying.
Celtics over here hangin empty banners, Nuggets sayin they the better team, Mavs folk talkin about things they know nothin about (winning) OC still not learninhis lesson from last years teachings........
82-0 16-0 I want it.
Last year we all wanted to see that lineup of Fish, Kobe, LO, Gasol, and Bynum. We never got it.
This season, Big game James mentioned us havin Kobe, Ron, LO, Pau, and Bynum out there all at once.
For the love of God let me see that. That would truly be something to watchfor a few minutes of a game.
Could you imagine Chris Paul havin toguard either Kobe or Ron Artest?
Or Tony Parker? Deron Williams? That would be a matchup nightmare. On our end we would be ok because we have basically 3 7 footers behind Kobe and Ron, so if CP3 drove in, we still havecoverage. What's Paul gonna do in the paint vs Kobe or Ron?
Itwould be a double team nightmare.
I wonder what team is going to take shots at us next.
Artest, so help me God, you had better be listening to every damn word these people are saying.
Celtics over here hangin empty banners, Nuggets sayin they the better team, Mavs folk talkin about things they know nothin about (winning) OC still not learninhis lesson from last years teachings........
82-0 16-0 I want it.
Last year we all wanted to see that lineup of Fish, Kobe, LO, Gasol, and Bynum. We never got it.
This season, Big game James mentioned us havin Kobe, Ron, LO, Pau, and Bynum out there all at once.
I wonder what team is going to take shots at us next.
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Originally Posted by CP1708
This season, Big game James mentioned us havin Kobe, Ron, LO, Pau, and Bynum out there all at once.For the love of God let me see that. That would truly be something to watch for a few minutes of a game.Could you imagine Chris Paul havin to guard either Kobe or Ron Artest?Or Tony Parker? Deron Williams? That would be a matchup nightmare. On our end we would be ok because we have basically 3 7 footers behind Kobe and Ron, so if CP3 drove in, we still have coverage. What's Paul gonna do in the paint vs Kobe or Ron?It would be a double team nightmare.
I wonder what team is going to take shots at us next.
I heard Reggie & James talking about that on NBAtv. Imagine that lineup on the floor
I love how stacked this team is
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I wonder what team is going to take shots at us next.
it comes with the territory as the nba champs
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Originally Posted by CP1708
Cuban can kis my @#$.
Artest, so help me God, you had better be listening to every damn word these people are saying.
Celtics over here hangin empty banners, Nuggets sayin they the better team, Mavs folk talkin about things they know nothin about (winning) OC still not learnin his lesson from last years teachings........
82-0 16-0 I want it.
Last year we all wanted to see that lineup of Fish, Kobe, LO, Gasol, and Bynum. We never got it.
This season, Big game James mentioned us havin Kobe, Ron, LO, Pau, and Bynum out there all at once.For the love of God let me see that. That would truly be something to watch for a few minutes of a game.Could you imagine Chris Paul havin to guard either Kobe or Ron Artest?Or Tony Parker? Deron Williams? That would be a matchup nightmare. On our end we would be ok because we have basically 3 7 footers behind Kobe and Ron, so if CP3 drove in, we still have coverage. What's Paul gonna do in the paint vs Kobe or Ron?It would be a double team nightmare.
I wonder what team is going to take shots at us next.
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cant agree more, dudes got to 10-12 a game...
^^^Kobe does have moments were he is lazy on D, especially fighting over the screen and roll (CP3)
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Originally Posted by CP1708
This season, Big game James mentioned us havin Kobe, Ron, LO, Pau, and Bynum out there all at once.For the love of God let me see that. That would truly be something to watch for a few minutes of a game.Could you imagine Chris Paul havin to guard either Kobe or Ron Artest?Or Tony Parker? Deron Williams? That would be a matchup nightmare. On our end we would be ok because we have basically 3 7 footers behind Kobe and Ron, so if CP3 drove in, we still have coverage. What's Paul gonna do in the paint vs Kobe or Ron?It would be a double team nightmare.
the games dont mean a thing and plus you got to try it sometime. hopefully he does though...
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Aww man, that commercial was hilarious.
I'm still trying to get tickets for the Lakers @ Warriors game in November. I don't have money so far, but hopefully I can buy them before the end ofthe month.
I'm still trying to get tickets for the Lakers @ Warriors game in November. I don't have money so far, but hopefully I can buy them before the end ofthe month.
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Really disappointed Bynum is letting go of Kareem. He was so fortunate that Kareem invested so much time with him. Oh well
Hopefully Sasha or Adam prove to be knock down shooters this season
.
Hopefully Sasha or Adam prove to be knock down shooters this season
.
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Derrick Rose seem like a cool guy
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This...
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I was lurking in the thread while searching for Lakers tickets yesterday. Thanks for those who commented on the Premier seating, it helped my decision out alot. I'm super-amped for the season, and wish it would start already! But fantasy and 2k10 will have to do for now.
Quick question: any sites that consistently stream Laker games with decent quality? I know about #@%#*%#$@, so far. Any others would help greatly. I just movedto a place where we don't have cable. Rising student fees and California budget cuts FTL.
Quick question: any sites that consistently stream Laker games with decent quality? I know about #@%#*%#$@, so far. Any others would help greatly. I just movedto a place where we don't have cable. Rising student fees and California budget cuts FTL.
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i actually ended up getting premier seating the sunday game as well, just to try it out. i'm 100% certain it blows the 200's & 300's out of thewater(not knocking 300's, i've sat there countless times lol)
I guess it's good to try it out at least once
I CANNOT wait for the season to start
I guess it's good to try it out at least once
I CANNOT wait for the season to start
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Chris Hardwick's inverview with Mamba and Poo
... Hardwick's thad dude
notorious 858
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This is the dope NBA 2K10 Kobe commercial I saw during real training camp last thursday:
Must cop 10th anniversary collectors edition this tuesday
Must cop 10th anniversary collectors edition this tuesday
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[h2]2009-10 Forecast: Los Angeles Lakers[/h2] [h3]As the Lakers go for another ring, will Ron Artest seal the deal or seal their fate?[/h3]
Comment Email Print
By John Hollinger
ESPN.com
Archive
Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty ImagesNo. 24 ended 2008-09 on top of the basketball world once again, having won ring No. 4. Next: No. 5.
GO TO: 2008-09 Recap Offseason Moves BiggestStrength/Weakness Outlook
http://
[h3]2008-09 Recap[/h3]
Is there an opposite of "team of destiny"? The Los Angeles Lakers won 65 regular-season games and needed five games in the NBA Finals to cruise tothe championship, but at no time did it feel preordained. In fact, for much of their playoff run the focus was more on the Lakers' problems -- thestruggles of Andrew Bynum and Derek Fisher, the lack of toughness that derailed them a year earlier against the BostonCeltics, and a couple of woeful efforts in the second round against Houston.
And despite the white-hot spotlight that glared on the league's most popular team, Boston and the Cleveland Cavaliers stole a lot of the Lakers'limelight during the regular season. For their part, the Lakers didn't really look like champions until the fifth game of the conference finals … at whichpoint they won six out of their next seven to storm to the crown.
The Lakers also threw us off their championship scent with an embarrassing showing in Games 4 and 6 of the Houston Rockets series. Despite playing withoutYao Ming, Houston exposed every L.A. weakness -- complacency, softness, lack ofquickness at the point guard spot, and shot selection in the backcourt -- en route to a pair of lopsided wins.
In a way, perhaps the Lakers should thank the Rockets. Seeing such a harsh light shone on those weaknesses seemed to compel L.A. to address them, and thesloppy play magically cleaned itself up over the final month. Shannon Brown cementedthe guard rotation, Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher stopped forcing the action, and theLakers benefited from not having to face a point guard with Aaron Brooks' quickness the rest of the postseason.
[h4]HOLLINGER'S '08-09 STATS[/h4]
W-L: 65-17 (Pythagorean W-L: 63-19)
Offensive Efficiency: 109.8 (3rd)
Defensive Efficiency: 101.9 (5th)
Pace Factor: 96.7 (7th)
Highest PER: Kobe Bryant (24.46)
Additionally, history should have taught us that second-round struggles are a common problem for eventual champions. As I noted at the time, the Lakers are the seventhstraight champion to hit a major speed bump in the second round, and surviving those scrapes seemed to propel them toward the championship rather than slowtheir progress.
That was certainly the case for L.A. But before it could reach that point, a number of events needed to happen to push them to 65 wins and a top seed in theWestern Conference. For starters, Lamar Odom accepted a bench role, moving from smallforward to power forward in the process. That move netted two huge, positive effects for the Lakers. First, it allowed L.A. to use a devastating three-manfrontcourt rotation of Gasol, Bynum and Odom that few opponents could battle. Second, it permitted Trevor Ariza -- filched from Orlando in a trade the previous season -- to move into thestarting lineup and solidify the small forward spot.
Less well documented is perhaps the greatest salary dump in franchise history. The Lakers are more renowned for accumulating payroll than shedding it, butit was their divestment of the Vladimir Radmanovic mistake that reaped rewards thistime. Guard Shannon Brown, included as a throw-in from Charlotte, provided much-needed stability as a backcourt reserve and hit some huge shots in the playoffs-- most notably when he turned the tide in the crucial Game 5 of the conference finals with an earth-shattering third-quarter dunk.
Brown's addition helped the Lakers overcome two major disappointments -- the off year from Jordan Farmar and the inability of Bynum to come back at full strength from a midseasoninjury.
Slated as the heir apparent to Fisher at the point, Farmar suffered a nightmare season and was largely out of the rotation by the playoffs. As for Bynum, heplayed extremely well early in the season, a performance that made L.A. notably stronger at the defensive end over the first half of the season. But for thesecond year in a row a midseason knee injury threw him off stride. While he returned in the postseason, Bynum proved ineffective until the Finals and neverregained the All-Star caliber form he'd shown earlier in the season.
The fact L.A. won the title despite huge setbacks from its two most prominent young players is a testament to the depth and quality of the Lakers'talent. With Bryant and Gasol, the Lakers were a fearsome offensive team even when others struggled, as evidenced by their third-place finish in offensiveefficiency.
Unusually for a dominant offensive team, L.A. wasn't particularly good at long-range shooting. The Lakers nailed only 36.1 percent of their 3-pointers,a bit below the league average, and didn't attempt the shot with great frequency.
Instead, L.A. overwhelmed its opposition two points at a time. L.A. claimed the league's fifth-lowest turnover rate and, thanks to the size advantage inthe frontcourt, it's third-best offensive rebound rate. As a result, only two teams averaged more shot attempts per possession. Additionally, they werepotent shooters inside the arc -- L.A. converted 50.5 percent of its two-point shots, again finishing third in the league. While primarily an offensive team,the Lakers demonstrated an improved defense as well. They ranked fifth in defensive efficiency, with exquisite 3-point defense being their primary callingcard.
The Lakers held opponents to only 34.5 percent shooting from the arc, which was the third-best mark in the NBA. They further amplified the impact byconvincing opponents to fire from distance -- only three teams allowed a higher rate of 3-pointers per field-goal attempt. While normally that's a badsign, because L.A. defended the 3 so well, it turned into a positive. In fact, their opposition had a better true shooting percentage inside the arc, which isunusual.
This appeared to be part of a larger defensive strategy by L.A. -- they'd let opponents fire 3s off the dribble on pick-and-rolls, and keep their bigmen back to protect the basket. Some quick guards were able to take advantage, but many opponents shot themselves out of the game trying. Like most of PhilJackson's gambits, it worked, and as a result he won a record-setting 10th championship. That wouldn't have shocked anybody if you'd told thembefore the season, but for much of the spring it seemed they were on a very different path.
http://
[h3]Offseason Moves[/h3]
It's a bit much to call the Lakers fiscally "conservative" -- they're probably going to have the league's highest payroll this season,and their willingness to shell out $15 million more in luxury tax was what made the 2008 heist of Pau Gasol possible.
But for a world champion team that is pulling in revenue by the fistful, L.A. definitely shows caution with marginal payroll increases. In addition to lastwinter's salary dumps of Radmanovic and Chris Mihm, the Lakers held the line incontract negotiations with three rotation players this summer and avoided trades that would take on additional salary.
Let Trevor Ariza go, signed Ron Artest for five years, $34 million.This was the biggest roll of the dice in the Lakers' summer. They didn't want to pay Ariza more than the midlevel exception and turned to Artest whenthey couldn't agree on a deal with Ariza. While the risk of paying Artest for five years is huge -- nobody knows what he'll do five minutes from now,let alone five years -- L.A.'s willingness to venture into the tax makes it better able to withstand the risk than most.
The Lakers also benefit in a couple of other ways from this deal. First, Artest is capable of playing the 4, which adds to the Lakers' lineup options.Second, he's a much better spot-up shooter than Ariza -- Artest hit 39.9 percent on 3s last season, while Ariza is at 29.9 percent for his career.Ariza's hot shooting from the corners in the playoffs last season convinced some people that he's a good long-range threat, but history says he'snot.
Obviously, this comes with some risks, too. Artest is half a decade older than Ariza, isn't nearly as good a finisher, and may submarine the offense ifhe isn't willing to become L.A's fourth option. And of course, he's Ron Artest. But the Lakers weren't likely to repeat if they stood pat giventhe arms race going on in the East, and Artest is unquestionably the league's most qualified player to defend LeBron James one-on-one -- a salient point given the likelihood of facing Cleveland in theFinals.
Re-signed Shannon Brown for two years, $4 million. This was a fair value deal for a great bench energizer in last season's playoff run.Brown had never played well before so he couldn't command the salary he might have as a more proven quantity, but he's a solid insurance policy againstflameouts by Fisher and/or Farmar.
Re-signed Lamar Odom for four years, $33 million. This was unquestionably the biggest story of the summer in L.A., as the two sides brieflywalked away from the negotiating table when the Lakers wouldn't meet Odom's number. This would have proven hugely costly if Odom had been willing torelocate, because L.A. had no way to replace his spot under the salary cap rules. Fortunately, it turned out to be a great poker move by the Lakers. Odom lovesSouthern California and desperately wanted to return, so he ended up agreeing to a very favorable deal for L.A. The fourth year is a team option at a lowernumber than the first three, giving the Lakers a great deal of salary flexibility as they move into the future.
Drafted Chinemelu Elonu. The late second-round choice was a stow-away pick and is almost certainly headed for Europe. His name is betterthan his game -- he's a project forward who may be heard from in a couple years, if ever.
http://
[h3]Biggest Strength: Frontcourt[/h3]
Sure, they have Kobe Bryant, and that's enough of an advantage on many nights. But the advantage that doesn't get enough attention is theLakers' size and quality up front. A lot of teams just can't deal with L.A. because of the size of Bynum and Gasol up front. Bynum is the big bruiserwho occupies the opponent's biggest post defender, with the Lakers frequently using him to register first-quarter body blows in the post before turningthings over to Bryant and Gasol.
Although Bynum's presence often forces Gasol to play away from the basket, it also allows the 7-footer to feast on size mismatches against smaller 4s.Additionally, it spares Gasol the physical pounding of being a full-time center and instead lets him indulge in the finesse game that he plays so well.
And then there's the change of pace with Odom. The few opponents who have the size to deal with Gasol and Bynum rarely have a big man who can match upagainst Odom farther from the hoop. His ability to take bigger players off the dribble provides an offensive staple for the second unit, and on some nightscreates even more mismatches than the Gasol-Bynum starting combo.
[h3]Biggest Weakness: Point Guard[/h3]
The Lakers are rock solid at four of the five positions, but point guard remains a major question mark. While Fisher righted his ship enough to hit some bigshots in the conference finals and NBA Finals, he was brutal for the first half of the playoffs and wouldn't start for most of the league's teams. L.A.was fortunate to avoid quick point guards in the final two rounds last season, but playing in a conference with the likes of Chris Paul and TonyParker means they may not be spared such a fate in this go-round.
Brown was the best of the Lakers' three point guards in the postseason, but he's also the least accomplished, careerwise, and is more of a 2 than a1. He's a nice stopgap to have off the bench, but he's nobody's idea of a long-term starter at the spot.
That leaves Farmar, who's undeniably the most talented of the three despite a horrid campaign last season. He's the one Laker with the quickness todefend the speedy guards that give L.A. problems, but he'll have to improve his focus and technique and, above all, he has to make more shots.
http://
[h3]Outlook[/h3]
Despite the fact that Orlando and Cleveland spent the summer arming up while L.A. largely stood pat, the Lakers have an excellent chance to repeat aschampions. They won 65 games and a title a year ago despite Bynum's and Farmar's struggles; if those two recover and the others hold steady, the Lakerscould be phenomenal. Bynum, in particular, presents the prospect of a big performance jump if he can just stay on the court for the whole season.
Of course, while other teams would kill to have the Lakers' problems, it's worth noting that they do have some warts. For instance, Bryant is 31 andhis free-throw rate dropped precipitously last season, Fisher is 35 and his two backups don't inspire waves of confidence, Bynum has missed nearly as manygames as he's played the past two campaigns and Artest is on another planet.
That said, the Lakers are an overwhelming favorite to win the West, especially since the other perennial contenders have fallen off the past two years.I'm projecting them to prevail by a whopping 10 games, so even if some players fall well short of my estimates, they should still finish as theconference's top playoff seed.
For a second year in a row, the Lakers also may benefit from their Finals opponent. Last season they got a break with a Jameer Nelson being hampered forOrlando, after he was one of many quick point guards who riddled the Lakers' defense in the regular season. This time around they may benefit again --Nelson is back, but I'm projecting Cleveland to meet L.A. in the Finals. With Artest in tow, the Lakers couldn't possibly match up better against theCavs, which means Phil Jackson may be able to break out his "XI" hat next June.
[h3]Prediction: 65-17, first in Pacific Division, first in Western Conference[/h3]
Comment Email Print
By John Hollinger ESPN.com
Archive
Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty ImagesNo. 24 ended 2008-09 on top of the basketball world once again, having won ring No. 4. Next: No. 5.GO TO: 2008-09 Recap Offseason Moves BiggestStrength/Weakness Outlook
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[h3]2008-09 Recap[/h3]
Is there an opposite of "team of destiny"? The Los Angeles Lakers won 65 regular-season games and needed five games in the NBA Finals to cruise tothe championship, but at no time did it feel preordained. In fact, for much of their playoff run the focus was more on the Lakers' problems -- thestruggles of Andrew Bynum and Derek Fisher, the lack of toughness that derailed them a year earlier against the BostonCeltics, and a couple of woeful efforts in the second round against Houston.
And despite the white-hot spotlight that glared on the league's most popular team, Boston and the Cleveland Cavaliers stole a lot of the Lakers'limelight during the regular season. For their part, the Lakers didn't really look like champions until the fifth game of the conference finals … at whichpoint they won six out of their next seven to storm to the crown.
The Lakers also threw us off their championship scent with an embarrassing showing in Games 4 and 6 of the Houston Rockets series. Despite playing withoutYao Ming, Houston exposed every L.A. weakness -- complacency, softness, lack ofquickness at the point guard spot, and shot selection in the backcourt -- en route to a pair of lopsided wins.
In a way, perhaps the Lakers should thank the Rockets. Seeing such a harsh light shone on those weaknesses seemed to compel L.A. to address them, and thesloppy play magically cleaned itself up over the final month. Shannon Brown cementedthe guard rotation, Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher stopped forcing the action, and theLakers benefited from not having to face a point guard with Aaron Brooks' quickness the rest of the postseason.
[h4]HOLLINGER'S '08-09 STATS[/h4]
W-L: 65-17 (Pythagorean W-L: 63-19)
Offensive Efficiency: 109.8 (3rd)
Defensive Efficiency: 101.9 (5th)
Pace Factor: 96.7 (7th)
Highest PER: Kobe Bryant (24.46)
Additionally, history should have taught us that second-round struggles are a common problem for eventual champions. As I noted at the time, the Lakers are the seventhstraight champion to hit a major speed bump in the second round, and surviving those scrapes seemed to propel them toward the championship rather than slowtheir progress.
That was certainly the case for L.A. But before it could reach that point, a number of events needed to happen to push them to 65 wins and a top seed in theWestern Conference. For starters, Lamar Odom accepted a bench role, moving from smallforward to power forward in the process. That move netted two huge, positive effects for the Lakers. First, it allowed L.A. to use a devastating three-manfrontcourt rotation of Gasol, Bynum and Odom that few opponents could battle. Second, it permitted Trevor Ariza -- filched from Orlando in a trade the previous season -- to move into thestarting lineup and solidify the small forward spot.
Less well documented is perhaps the greatest salary dump in franchise history. The Lakers are more renowned for accumulating payroll than shedding it, butit was their divestment of the Vladimir Radmanovic mistake that reaped rewards thistime. Guard Shannon Brown, included as a throw-in from Charlotte, provided much-needed stability as a backcourt reserve and hit some huge shots in the playoffs-- most notably when he turned the tide in the crucial Game 5 of the conference finals with an earth-shattering third-quarter dunk.
Brown's addition helped the Lakers overcome two major disappointments -- the off year from Jordan Farmar and the inability of Bynum to come back at full strength from a midseasoninjury.
Slated as the heir apparent to Fisher at the point, Farmar suffered a nightmare season and was largely out of the rotation by the playoffs. As for Bynum, heplayed extremely well early in the season, a performance that made L.A. notably stronger at the defensive end over the first half of the season. But for thesecond year in a row a midseason knee injury threw him off stride. While he returned in the postseason, Bynum proved ineffective until the Finals and neverregained the All-Star caliber form he'd shown earlier in the season.
The fact L.A. won the title despite huge setbacks from its two most prominent young players is a testament to the depth and quality of the Lakers'talent. With Bryant and Gasol, the Lakers were a fearsome offensive team even when others struggled, as evidenced by their third-place finish in offensiveefficiency.
Unusually for a dominant offensive team, L.A. wasn't particularly good at long-range shooting. The Lakers nailed only 36.1 percent of their 3-pointers,a bit below the league average, and didn't attempt the shot with great frequency.
Instead, L.A. overwhelmed its opposition two points at a time. L.A. claimed the league's fifth-lowest turnover rate and, thanks to the size advantage inthe frontcourt, it's third-best offensive rebound rate. As a result, only two teams averaged more shot attempts per possession. Additionally, they werepotent shooters inside the arc -- L.A. converted 50.5 percent of its two-point shots, again finishing third in the league. While primarily an offensive team,the Lakers demonstrated an improved defense as well. They ranked fifth in defensive efficiency, with exquisite 3-point defense being their primary callingcard.
The Lakers held opponents to only 34.5 percent shooting from the arc, which was the third-best mark in the NBA. They further amplified the impact byconvincing opponents to fire from distance -- only three teams allowed a higher rate of 3-pointers per field-goal attempt. While normally that's a badsign, because L.A. defended the 3 so well, it turned into a positive. In fact, their opposition had a better true shooting percentage inside the arc, which isunusual.
This appeared to be part of a larger defensive strategy by L.A. -- they'd let opponents fire 3s off the dribble on pick-and-rolls, and keep their bigmen back to protect the basket. Some quick guards were able to take advantage, but many opponents shot themselves out of the game trying. Like most of PhilJackson's gambits, it worked, and as a result he won a record-setting 10th championship. That wouldn't have shocked anybody if you'd told thembefore the season, but for much of the spring it seemed they were on a very different path.
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[h3]Offseason Moves[/h3]
It's a bit much to call the Lakers fiscally "conservative" -- they're probably going to have the league's highest payroll this season,and their willingness to shell out $15 million more in luxury tax was what made the 2008 heist of Pau Gasol possible.
But for a world champion team that is pulling in revenue by the fistful, L.A. definitely shows caution with marginal payroll increases. In addition to lastwinter's salary dumps of Radmanovic and Chris Mihm, the Lakers held the line incontract negotiations with three rotation players this summer and avoided trades that would take on additional salary.
Let Trevor Ariza go, signed Ron Artest for five years, $34 million.This was the biggest roll of the dice in the Lakers' summer. They didn't want to pay Ariza more than the midlevel exception and turned to Artest whenthey couldn't agree on a deal with Ariza. While the risk of paying Artest for five years is huge -- nobody knows what he'll do five minutes from now,let alone five years -- L.A.'s willingness to venture into the tax makes it better able to withstand the risk than most.
The Lakers also benefit in a couple of other ways from this deal. First, Artest is capable of playing the 4, which adds to the Lakers' lineup options.Second, he's a much better spot-up shooter than Ariza -- Artest hit 39.9 percent on 3s last season, while Ariza is at 29.9 percent for his career.Ariza's hot shooting from the corners in the playoffs last season convinced some people that he's a good long-range threat, but history says he'snot.
Obviously, this comes with some risks, too. Artest is half a decade older than Ariza, isn't nearly as good a finisher, and may submarine the offense ifhe isn't willing to become L.A's fourth option. And of course, he's Ron Artest. But the Lakers weren't likely to repeat if they stood pat giventhe arms race going on in the East, and Artest is unquestionably the league's most qualified player to defend LeBron James one-on-one -- a salient point given the likelihood of facing Cleveland in theFinals.
Re-signed Shannon Brown for two years, $4 million. This was a fair value deal for a great bench energizer in last season's playoff run.Brown had never played well before so he couldn't command the salary he might have as a more proven quantity, but he's a solid insurance policy againstflameouts by Fisher and/or Farmar.
Re-signed Lamar Odom for four years, $33 million. This was unquestionably the biggest story of the summer in L.A., as the two sides brieflywalked away from the negotiating table when the Lakers wouldn't meet Odom's number. This would have proven hugely costly if Odom had been willing torelocate, because L.A. had no way to replace his spot under the salary cap rules. Fortunately, it turned out to be a great poker move by the Lakers. Odom lovesSouthern California and desperately wanted to return, so he ended up agreeing to a very favorable deal for L.A. The fourth year is a team option at a lowernumber than the first three, giving the Lakers a great deal of salary flexibility as they move into the future.
Drafted Chinemelu Elonu. The late second-round choice was a stow-away pick and is almost certainly headed for Europe. His name is betterthan his game -- he's a project forward who may be heard from in a couple years, if ever.
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[h3]Biggest Strength: Frontcourt[/h3]
Sure, they have Kobe Bryant, and that's enough of an advantage on many nights. But the advantage that doesn't get enough attention is theLakers' size and quality up front. A lot of teams just can't deal with L.A. because of the size of Bynum and Gasol up front. Bynum is the big bruiserwho occupies the opponent's biggest post defender, with the Lakers frequently using him to register first-quarter body blows in the post before turningthings over to Bryant and Gasol.
Although Bynum's presence often forces Gasol to play away from the basket, it also allows the 7-footer to feast on size mismatches against smaller 4s.Additionally, it spares Gasol the physical pounding of being a full-time center and instead lets him indulge in the finesse game that he plays so well.
And then there's the change of pace with Odom. The few opponents who have the size to deal with Gasol and Bynum rarely have a big man who can match upagainst Odom farther from the hoop. His ability to take bigger players off the dribble provides an offensive staple for the second unit, and on some nightscreates even more mismatches than the Gasol-Bynum starting combo.
[h3]Biggest Weakness: Point Guard[/h3]
The Lakers are rock solid at four of the five positions, but point guard remains a major question mark. While Fisher righted his ship enough to hit some bigshots in the conference finals and NBA Finals, he was brutal for the first half of the playoffs and wouldn't start for most of the league's teams. L.A.was fortunate to avoid quick point guards in the final two rounds last season, but playing in a conference with the likes of Chris Paul and TonyParker means they may not be spared such a fate in this go-round.
Brown was the best of the Lakers' three point guards in the postseason, but he's also the least accomplished, careerwise, and is more of a 2 than a1. He's a nice stopgap to have off the bench, but he's nobody's idea of a long-term starter at the spot.
That leaves Farmar, who's undeniably the most talented of the three despite a horrid campaign last season. He's the one Laker with the quickness todefend the speedy guards that give L.A. problems, but he'll have to improve his focus and technique and, above all, he has to make more shots.
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[h3]Outlook[/h3]
Despite the fact that Orlando and Cleveland spent the summer arming up while L.A. largely stood pat, the Lakers have an excellent chance to repeat aschampions. They won 65 games and a title a year ago despite Bynum's and Farmar's struggles; if those two recover and the others hold steady, the Lakerscould be phenomenal. Bynum, in particular, presents the prospect of a big performance jump if he can just stay on the court for the whole season.
Of course, while other teams would kill to have the Lakers' problems, it's worth noting that they do have some warts. For instance, Bryant is 31 andhis free-throw rate dropped precipitously last season, Fisher is 35 and his two backups don't inspire waves of confidence, Bynum has missed nearly as manygames as he's played the past two campaigns and Artest is on another planet.
That said, the Lakers are an overwhelming favorite to win the West, especially since the other perennial contenders have fallen off the past two years.I'm projecting them to prevail by a whopping 10 games, so even if some players fall well short of my estimates, they should still finish as theconference's top playoff seed.
For a second year in a row, the Lakers also may benefit from their Finals opponent. Last season they got a break with a Jameer Nelson being hampered forOrlando, after he was one of many quick point guards who riddled the Lakers' defense in the regular season. This time around they may benefit again --Nelson is back, but I'm projecting Cleveland to meet L.A. in the Finals. With Artest in tow, the Lakers couldn't possibly match up better against theCavs, which means Phil Jackson may be able to break out his "XI" hat next June.
[h3]Prediction: 65-17, first in Pacific Division, first in Western Conference[/h3]
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