Say it with me: “WE ARE LAKERS FANS! WE ARE DIE HARD LAKERS FANS!”
You all must be. You’re here reading this blog. You are
insane humans, but I thank you for reading the blog just the same. J The blog I temporarily abandoned after Phil Jackson
retired. And abandoned yet again after the first time Mike D’Antoni ticked me
off last season. But you know what they say…the third time’s the charm. It’s
fresh new start, it’s a fresh new season, and this will be a fresh new blog. So
join me won’t you? Tag along for this unpredictable season of basketball
critique, and literary debauchery.
I promise it will be amusing, and maybe sometimes enlightening. But as always, it will be subjective, opinionated, and downright raw. I welcome your comments, opinions, ranting and ravings, and of course your spittle. No one will be censored in the comments (unless of course the host website does it, or you’re a Internet troll looking to stir the pot).
Last year’s attempt to resurrect this blog from the ashes of couch potato heaven failed miserably. I gave up writing the blog right after D’Antoni’s defense gave up consecutive 120 point-plus games (that would be last October when they graciously gave up a 125 points to Golden State, and then again six nights later when they surrendered 123 points to an aging Dallas team). I simply couldn’t put pen to paper anymore, or should I say, fingers to keyboard. My team, our team, trudging through a season of loss after loss after loss……often huge losses……night after night. It was just too depressing to blog.
Those games were a preview of a reoccurring theme in the Lakers 2013-2014 season: charitable defense. The Lakers allowed a horrendous 109 points per game last year, 2nd worse in the league. My friend’s turtle and four members of my high school’s chess club could have played better defense, but hey, it’s ancient history right?
I believe it was Antoni’s defensive philosophy, more so than our players, that allowed this farce to be. And what was his defensive philosophy? Shoot three pointers, and then run nothing like a constructive offense, oh…and get back on defense if you have the time.
Anyway let’s do a quick review of last year’s fun and be done with it shall we?
*The Win/Loss Disparity. The Lakers posted their 2nd worst record since they packed their bags in 1960, and left for Minnesota for the sunshine of Los Angeles. Die-hard Laker fans aren’t used to seeing their team losing two out of every three games. It was torture to see the embarrassing losses pile up night after night. To make matters worse, the Lakers lost seven of the nine games I attended. I was one loss away from having my season ticket holder status revoked by Jeanie Buss.
*Team Defense. Or should I say the lack thereof. It was noticeably absent from last year’s squad. We can blame Antoni for the sorry state of last year’s D all we want, but the truth is the roster wasn’t loaded with defensive stoppers. For the past two seasons we’ve been funneling players to the middle where there has been no solid rim-protector (a Lakers staple for decades). There were no players named Wilt, Kareem, or Shaq trotting out of the locker room. Hell I would have taken 2009-2010 Andrew Bynum in the pivot, but alas, we had Chris Kaman and Robert Sacre. Pau could still body up some players, when he was healthy, and Jordan Hill often gave a hell of an effort, but teams still ate us up in the paint. And the perimeter defenders weren’t much better. Even semi-quick guards blew by our defenses.
*INJURIES, INJURIES, INJURIES! Last year the Lakers led the NBA in games lost due to injuries with 319. It was surreal. Kobe missed 76 games, Steve “Built Like Ash” Nash missed 67 games, Pau missed 24 games, Jordan Farmar and Xavier Henry missed half the season, and Nick Young had to be held back 20 games (although he probably would have taken 20 shots a game in street clothes if he could). It was a medical nightmare for the team, and for the fans. They suited up 19 different players last year. I heard the garment district ran out of purple and gold thread for a short period.
*Absence of star
power. With the main guys out large parts of the season, the roster was not
exactly a championship- caliber group. Dwight “I’m all smiles” Howard decided
to bolt like a coward the year before, and Chris Kaman is not the center he
once was. Wesley Johnson, Henry, and Young were all former lottery picks that
needed to find a new home. Each had their moments, but none could sustain it
all season long. Kent Bazemore and Kendall Marshall were discarded players
discovered by the scouts. Both received ample playing time, and both may have
saved their pro careers thanks to team injuries. We literally became the “resurrect
your career” franchise overnight.
*Owner trouble. The ownership seemed in flux. Let’s face it, following the late Dr. Jerry Buss was not going to be an easy chore. Probably just as hard as having to follow Phil Jackson, or how hard following Kobe Bryant may be. But who was in charge? Jim Buss? Jeanie? One of the super fans: Jack Nicholson or that other guy who abuses his game program (Norm Pattiz)? The lunatics we’re running the asylum.
*The end result. Last
year was as hard of a season as fan should ever have to endure. There was a
game they ran out of players because of foul trouble, and often there were games
where there were more coaches than players sitting on the bench. The season
couldn’t end fast enough.
ENOUGH! That was
painful typing out those observations. As I said from the beginning, let’s
start fresh!
So here we are on the eve of the 2014-2015 season. We’ve got
a new coach (Bryon Scott), some new players, and hopefully a new approach to
keep us entertained. Pre-season wasn’t as bad as the record showed (3-5), and
certainly not as bad as those two 30 point losses to the Warriors and Jazz. Kobe
is back, and so is Nash…oh wait..…umm…...too soon?
We’ve added some young, talented players from the draft in
Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson. I like
both of them. I think Randle has a huge
upside, and Clarkson was a steal in the 2nd round of the draft.
Other notable additions to this year’s squad include Jeremy Lin, Ed Davis and Ronnie Price. They each showed a desire to compete during the pre-season and showed they could play under Scott’s no-nonsense defensive approach. That’s good enough for me. I’m not expecting an NBA Finals appearance from this squad, but I would like to see some exciting and competitive basketball.
Unfortunately we lost one of my favorite players in Pau Gasol (and arguably one of the best power forwards, in their prime, to suit up in a Lakers uniform…….debate anyone?), but we gained a Boozer. What Carlos B. lacks in size, he can hopefully make up in girth. He’s solid front court player who’s experienced and can rebound when motivated. Scott should keep him motivated. He’s no Pau, but he can play the game.
We also lost Kaman, Farmar, Steve Blake, and half of the free agents in the NBA, but who’s keeping track? And of course we lost Nash for the whole season. Putting that in perspective, the Lakers paid $28 million for Nash and he’ll end up playing 65 games out of a possible of 246. That’s nice work if you can get it!
The Nash experiment, after the NBA stole Chris Paul from us, seemed worth it at the time. In hindsight, not so much. The Buss family should make him clean the Staples Center restrooms, or sweep the gym on a daily basis. I think that’s the least he do for the $9 million he’ll receive this season just for polishing the bench with his behind. His injury, a fractured hairline or something like that, will allow more playing time for Lin and Clarkson. They both seem to have something to prove, and both looked competitive, if not overly eager, in the pre-season. I loved their energy.
I think that’s what Bryon Scott is bringing to the table: the will to make his players compete and play hard. Scott played in Lakers era where anything less than a Finals appearance just wasn’t acceptable. If this team plays with heart, and they can reinvigorate the fan base, it’ll probably go a long way to attracting future free agents to this fine fair city.
It’s just not possible that they could pull a stinker like last year right? That streak of injuries had to be a freak of nature kind of thing, and not some curse laid on us by a bandwagon Clipper fan. I’ll ignore those rash of injuries that occurred this pre-season. The biggest injury, other than Nash’s, was Nick Young’s shooting hand (because that’s what he contributes to the team, the rest of his body is inconsequential). But Nick, or should I say his hand, will be back in a few weeks. In fact, until he learns to pass or play defense, in my blog he will be referred to as the “Hand”. Keep that in mind if you dare to stay a reader of this blog all season long. I like his instant offense, but he needs play smart, and he acquire the aforementioned skills.
The biggest thing going for us, and one of the biggest reasons we’ve enjoyed the team’s success for nearly two decades, is Kobe Bean Bryant. Despite the injuries, despite the age, and despite the rash of critics tearing down his game lately, Kobe will be the biggest difference maker this season. He may not propel us into the playoffs, but I boldly predict (while keeping my fingers crossed behind my back) that he’ll help the Lakers get to .500 this year, if not pretty close. Note to detractors and news writers alike: He’s still Kobe!
The man has amazed us for the last 18 years with his talents. His will, his desire, and his ability to recover from injuries quickly still continue to astound the experts. Love him or hate him, he’ll be our main piece for two more years…so just go with it.
The season begins tonight, and I for one, am ready for it. Last year’s blues are tomorrow’s forgotten nightmares. I don’t want an ulcer or unneeded stress this season. I just want this team to be competitive. I don’t need 55+ wins (although I miss those days horribly), but please, just entertain me.
You and I, we are the diehard fans. The ones that watch every game (you do watch every game don’t you?). The ones that defend our team and its players until reality slaps us in the face. We are the bad drivers who weave through bumper-to-bumper traffic to get to games on time, or finish dinner early to get the best seat on the aging couch. As Lakers fans we are very demanding. It’s hard not to be when you look up at the eleven championship banners hanging up in the Staples Center rafters. But right now, we just want a team will erase our memory of the misery that was the 2013-2014 season. Last year wasn’t a rebuilding, it was a tearing down. This year we just to move on. We want our Lakers back. And you know, I think in the end we’ll all be pleasantly surprised with the results. Or we’ll all be hooked on Xanax. Either way it’s a win/win!
So…let’s see what happen, and come what may, let’s enjoy it. Hopefully you’ll be along for the ride with me. I won’t blog after every game like I used to, but I will speak my mind every four games or so. Perhaps more, perhaps less depending on how the season goes. I hope you stick it out with me until the end. Thank you oh desperate reader o’ mine!
Some last notes before tonight’s game against the Houston Rockets and Dwight “The Brick” Howard:
*The LA Times Sports page today ran an article of LeBron James as its main story instead of a season preview of the Lakers, or their angry stepbrothers, the Clippers. What sellouts!
*My condolences to all the Dodger blue fans out there. I was just as angry as any of you. For some great stories, check out my friend Oscar’s Dodger blog at: http://alltradebait.blogspot.com/, or at the Lasorda’s Lair blog page: http://lasordaslair.com/author/netchuc/
*I’m a little rusty from years of blog-neglect, but I’ll get back up to speed once I’ve seen a few games. Hope you enjoy it!
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