Monday, October 27, 2014

My Basketball-Eve Wish List

It's the night before NBA tip-off and I'm returning from a much-needed vacation to drop some more Laker-goodness.  Everyone knows it's going to be a trying season with frustrating losses outnumbering the heartwarming wins.  Some days Kobe will look like Kobe and others he will look like a guy barely hanging on.  Nick Young will shoot the team into games as well as out of them.  Some days Carlos Boozer will miss his jumpers while others he will just punch a referee in the cash and prizes.  Those are the ups and downs of an NBA season, and we have to be ready for them.    

In spite of it all though us winter soldiers can't wait for the purple and gold to take the floor once again.  It might not be Showtime, the Shaq/Kobe One-Two Punch, or even the Pau/Mamba connection anymore, but it's still Lakers basketball.  

With the craven Dwight Howard and his floppy comrade James Harden awaiting the Lakers on opening night here's my wish list for this basketball eve.  

Defend Dwight


Last season's Lakers routinely got scored on in bunches and it made me want to punt kittens.  While this year's squad doesn't have the personnel needed to be near the top of the league in defense I do expect them to at least be respectable.  After all, that was the big selling point of hiring Byron Scott: a old-school, defense-first coach who would have the team competing hard every single night.  The anti-D'Antoni, or maybe the Pretzels to his Pringles, if you will.  

The Rockets lineup features Dwight Howard, who for some reason or another will be motivated to stick it to the team he already stuck it to.  Jordan Hill, Robert Sacre, and Ed Davis are going to struggle containing Howard but if they can keep him from catching the ball deep in the paint and give the guards a chance to dig down on him Dwight will cough the ball up more times than not (Lakers fans set the world record for face palms after watching "Superman" act like the ball was made of buttered-up Kryptonite two seasons ago).  

So on this basketball-eve I'd love to see Dwight Howard finish the game with 5+ turnovers.  And a billion missed free throws.  

Houston Can't Handle Randle


 The Rockets bench is significantly weaker than it was last season, thanks in part to the Lakers pilfering Jeremy Lin last summer.  They also lost defensive stalwart Omer Asik, which means that the Lakers second-string should be going up against a Houston defense that is lacking in rim protection and bulk.  

Enter Julius Randle.  The Lakers rookie consistently improved his play during the preseason, eventually settling into a rhythm and showing a knack for pushing the ball coast to coast following a defensive rebound.  On the offensive end his best moves saw him attacking after facing up from the perimeter, using his surprisingly quick first-step and strength to bully his way to the basket.  

Houston's second unit seems well-suited to a Randle attack, and as long as the Julius can avoid throwing anymore forearms to the throat (sorry Rudy Gay) he should be able to have a solid night.  

I'm wishing for 10 points and7 boards from Randle (20 minutes played) with a flash or two of future brilliance.  

Put A Hurting On Harden

I don't want to advocate any athlete getting hurt or any kind of dirty play, but James Harden is going to flop, fall, and fool the refs into one free throw after another.  If he's going to get the call anyway the Lakers might as well get their money's worth.  

Harden needs to feel it, really feel it, if he's going to drive into the lane and flail around in hopes of snagging a whistle.  Make him think twice about attacking the paint so he has to settle for the jumper, which is still deadly but much more watchable than a parade to the free throw line.  

Maybe we need to bring back MWP for a game....

The Lakers have been talking about playing "smash-mouth defense" for the past week or so, and with Harden they need to really put that plan into action.  Smash-beard defense?  Sounds like a perfect basketball-eve wish to me.  I want to see Haren held to less than 20 points on 40% shooting or worse with at least two or three plays that make him glad his beard provides a little shock-absorption.  

                                          



Ronnie Price has a sore knee.  Jordan Clarkson isn't quite ready for major minutes running the offense.  Steve Nash is so old they ruled him out for the season because he hurt himself picking up a piece of luggage (I wish that was a joke).  

Enter Jeremy Lin.  The plucky point guard who set the league en fuego in 2012 finds himself on the grandest stage of them all going up against the team that relegated him to the bench in favor of Patrick "Westbook Kick" Beverly.  

In fact, Lin's time in Houston was so unremarkable that he now finds himself underrated by fans and media pundits alike.  The stigma of being reduced to a bench role caused many to overlook the fact that Houston mainly went with Beverly because they needed a defensive ace at point guard in order to take on the tough assignments that James Harden was unable (and unwilling) to handle.  

The fact remains though that Jeremy Lin is a very good point guard.  Maybe not an All-Star (although he will be one this year) but he will be much better than most expect.  He's a hard worker who plays the game with fire and passion.  The Staples Center crowd is going to love Jeremy Lin and he is going to do big things in purple and gold, mark my words.  

On this basketball-eve I'm wishing for 18+ points and 6+ assists from Jeremy Lin, with a steal or two and a couple of threes thrown in for good measure.  

Lastly, This....So Much This



Just once.  If there is any karma in the world the basketball gods will bring us an old-fashioned Kobe posterization of Dwight Coward.  Tea, anyone?  

Don't miss Lakers vs. Rockets tomorrow night at 7:30!  Follow me on twitter @16ringsNBA for more Lakers fanaticism.  

Friday, October 3, 2014

Top 5 Positive Storylines of the Lakers Season

Everyone knows the Lakers are in a tough spot.  They are a franchise based around championships that won't be contending anytime soon.  They have an aging superstar who has suffered two serious injuries in consecutive seasons and just got an enormous contract extension.  Their starting point guard is the oldest player in the league at 40 and looked completely finished as a player last season.  Over the past two off-seasons they have lost two of the best big men of the modern era to free agency, receiving nothing in  return save for cap space.  They have also struck out in their pursuit of superstar-level talent, as they don't have a roster that would provide such a player with an opportunity to win a championship.  Their draft picks have been depleted through poor win-now decisions that were made over the past few seasons, and in the midst of it all their owner, the benevolent Jerry Buss, passed away.

In short, the Lakers are slowly fading away, and the fans of the 29 other teams in the league are celebrating their demise.  Fear not though, resilient Lakers fans.  It takes more than a few down seasons to kill the greatest franchise in the history of sports.  The Lakers will be back.  Take these difficult times and use them as a way to make us appreciate the good times that much more.  

With an eye towards optimism let's take a look at the top 5 positive storylines for the Lakers this season.


1. The Development of Julius Randle- Julius Randle is the one positive thing that the Lakers received for being so terrible last season.  While some experts have questioned whether or not he has the upside of some other members of his draft class, such as Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker, there is no question that Randle has the tools to be a very good NBA player.  He has an ability to attack the basket and create off the dribble that few bigs can match.

He's not without his share of challenges, such as an over-reliance on his left hand and questionable defensive abilities.  There are also concerns about his ability to shoot over lengthy defenders, which is something that nearly every NBA team has the days.

Still, every rookie areas of weakness, and only a year ago Randle was projected to be one of the favorites to be drafted #1 overall this summer, yet the Lakers landed him with the 7th pick.  LA hasn't had a rookie of his caliber in quite some time and watching him grow as a player will be a joy to watch.

This should also make Lakers fans smile: When he was going through pre-draft workouts Randle, a life-long Lakers fan, chose not to workout a second time for the Celtics (who had the 6th pick), which helped ensure that he would be available for the Lakers to draft at 7.  Gotta love a guy who will pass on the Celtics so he can be a Laker.

2. Do or Die For Jordan Hill- Jordan Hill has long been a fixture on the Lakers bench, providing hustle, rebounding, and an interior presence that is a must-have in today's NBA.  While Hill has struggled with injuries his game has intrigued Lakers fans, as many wondered if he could continue his production if given starter's minutes.

Next season the question should finally be answered.  After the unceremonious departure of Pau Gasol the Lakers moved quickly and signed Hill, the next-best big man on the market (aside from restricted free agent Greg Monroe) for $18 million over two seasons.  While this was a substantial pay raise for Hill the Lakers made a shrewd move when they made the second year of the deal a team option.

As a result, should Hill not live up to the expectations of his salary the Lakers can instantly free up cap space next summer by simply declining the option in his contract.  He could also be an interesting trade chip for teams who are looking to clear salary cap space.

For Hill though, this contract essentially means that he has 9 million reasons why he should have the best season of his career.  At 27 years old he is in his prime and will finally be given an opportunity to be the starting Center for the Lakers.  In the past he has bounced around from backup PF to backup C, but also showed the most promise when starting at the Center position.

This year will provide an opportunity for Hill to prove once and for all that he deserves to start and can handle the responsibilities that come with it.  Lakers fans should be excited too: in 8 games starting at Center last season (admittedly a small sample size), Hill averaged 16.6 points, 10 boards, and nearly 2 blocks per game.  If he can live up to those lofty numbers then the massive contract that most pundits have mocked all summer will end up looking like a bargain.
 
3. Back to Defense- Last season the Lakers defense was apparently based on the strategies employed by France during World War 2.  It was disheartening to see the opposition light the Lakers up each and every night.



With Mike D'Antoni preaching more offense than defense the Lakers got scored on in bunches.  It was obvious to any poor souls watching that teams playing the Lakers were excited to run their offense because they knew that just about everything would work.  Scrubs were getting career-highs on a nightly basis.  In fact, it became a sound fantasy basketball strategy to play guys who would be going up against the Lakers because they were all but assured to put up big numbers.

So what has changed?  Not much, except for the departure of Mike D'Antoni.  Most of the Lakers squad remains the same from last season, which isn't necessarily a good thing.  The team doesn't have a single player who would be considered a lock-down defender, and as such expectations for their defensive improvement have to be tempered.

However, Byron Scott is an old-school, defense-first coach that if nothing else will have the team competing hard on that end of the court every night.  While we can't expect the Lakers to transform overnight into a defensive juggernaut we should see their help rotations tighten up and their schemes become more sound and consistent.

At the very least they should return to respectability, which in these dark times is something to celebrate.

4.  All Lin For LA- The biggest offeason move for the Lakers was arguably the trade for point guard Jeremy Lin.  Instead of pursuing restricted free agent Eric Bledsoe or mini-might Isaiah Thomas the Lakers instead made a deal with the Houston Rockets to land Lin and a first-round draft pick.

While the deal itself was a phenomenal one for LA (especially after Houston whiffed at their attempt to land Chris Bosh with the money freed up by the trade) the acquisition of Lin gives a slight spark to an aging and relatively uninteresting roster.

While no one is expecting a return of the "Linsanity" days of 2012 there is no question that Jeremy Lin is a very good point guard.  He isn't an All-Star level player (though he may be voted in as one) but he has a fantastic ability to get to the basket and finish.  His mid-range and three-point game are nearly as good, making him a dangerous offensive player that can help the team in a number of ways.
The biggest question marks surrounding Lin are his defense and his ability to run a team.  Fortunately for Lin his competition at the point guard spot, Steve Nash, will be a great mentor in one of those areas while coach Byron Scott will help him with the other.

To top it all off Lin is in a contract year, which means that Lakers fans should get some great performances out of him this season.  He connects to the fans, wears his heart on his sleeve, and competes each and every night.  He just may endear himself to the Lakers and their fans that he sticks with the franchise long term.

5. Kobe Bryant: The Return- Kobe Bryant is perhaps the greatest Laker ever, having waged countless battles while wearing the Golden Armor.  He is also in the twilight of his career and coming off two serious injuries which cost him nearly all of last season.  Kobe spent the majority of his career defying the limitations of the human body and playing through injuries that would have decimated other players.  It was as though he would simply Hulk up and become impervious to harm.


                                                                Kinda like this

The question now is, at 36, is Kobe finally mortal?  Or can he be the Black Mamba once again?  We know that he won't be flying through the rafters like when he was 22 or have the defensive chops that he did at 28.  He is still one of the most intelligent players in the league with no offensive flaws, and if he stays healthy could average 20 a night just on his savvy alone.

No one wants to see Kobe fade away in a sea of injuries, so a strong, injury-free season would be such a relief for a weary fan base.  After paying Kobe $48 million for the next two seasons a healthy Mamba would also take some heat off of Lakers management and allow them to sell the team a bit more to potential free agents next off-season.

Kobe is the heart and soul of the Lakers, and while contention may be currently out of the question it's going to be phenomenal to watch Kobe defy expectations yet again.