Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Lakers 2015-2016 Preview





Hi fanatics! Welcome to my season preview for the Lakers.

Here we go again down the road less traveled: a season that more than likely will end with the Lakers missing the playoffs for the third year in a row (a Los Angeles Lakers first!). Most experts have pegged the Lakers to be one of the worst teams in the West, and Las Vegas has us at 300 to 1 odds to win it all.
 
Well to h@ll with that! There’s more to this year’s team than those dire predictions of them ending up in the league basement.  This season has potential in different ways. Specifically:


*The swan song of Kobe Bryant. “He may stick around” rumors aside, this is probably everyone’s last chance to see the future Hall of Famer in action. I, for one, am hoping for a few more highlight moments.



*The future younglings are loose! I am looking forward to watching the young guys learn their chops. Julius Randle, D’Angelo Russell, Larry Nance Jr., Anthony Brown and Jordan Clarkson could very well be our starting lineup next year. Think about it: youth, speed, athleticism…and a league that has very few true centers. I’d love to see them all on the court at the same time and have Coach Bryon Scott let them run free. These kids might be the modern day version of Showtime!

Russell, Brown and Nance Jr.


*Metta World Peace is back! Anything goes with this guy, and with him and Nick Young on the same team, there’s going to be some colorful, in not numerous, technical fouls. 



Okay let’s break it down further:


GUARDS

The starting guards on opening night will probably be Clarkson and Russell, two young thoroughbreds that were born to run. Clarkson earned his position, but D’Angelo, despite being the #2 pick in the draft, needs some seasoning. I wouldn’t be surprised if Coach Scott starts NBA-newbie Marcel Huertas at times. Huertas is 32, and he has years of pro ball under his belt, albeit not in the NBA. If pre-season is any indication, he’ll do fine at the point.

Marcel Huertas


Clarkson’s back up at the shooting guard position will Lou Williams. This savvy veteran is the reigning 6th Man of the Year. I think he’s going to be great spark plug off the bench for us. And unlike pre-season, he won’t have to handle any point guard duties, which should allow him to light it up.

Rounding out the core of guards is rookie Anthony Brown and, veteran Nick Young. You know what you get with Swaggy P, now we would like a little more. Specifically I want more defense, and so does Scott. I think Nick knows that if he’s not playing defense, he’ll have to watch out for splinters while he’s riding the pine.


 
Brown is a rookie from Stanford who excels at three point shooting and defense. He looks pretty confident out on the floor.  I think he’ll eventually be a nice fit for this team.



FORWARDS


The starting forward should be Kobe and Randle. For Kobe, sliding up to the three spot should be a blessing. It will be a little easier for him guarding small forwards as opposed to speedy shooting guards. If he stays injury-free, Kobe will give us a solid numbers across the board. If this indeed his final season, I doubt he’ll allow himself to go out with a whimper.



Randle might be the most exciting player on the team. There’s loads of potential everywhere on this squad, but watching this guy sprint out on a break and finishing at the rim has me smiling. Since he only played one game last year, there were those who felt he might not be ready. I think this kid, before season’s end, will be in the top 25 in at least two offensive categories. Hopefully it won’t be turnovers and fouls.

Rounding out the forwards we have core veterans Brandon Bass and World Peace, a youngster jack-in the-box in Nance, and man-bun holdover Ryan Kelly. Bass will be a nice addition to the front court. He’s solid and works hard. With World Peace, it’s a crap shoot. I think he can still do a few things out there, but I like that he’s mentoring Randle. The Lakers been soft as a team these past few seasons, and we could use a tough veteran on the bench.
 
 

Man-Bun-Hairdo Kelly

As for Ryan Kelly……really? Is the free agent pool so dry that we had to bring him back for a third season? I have yet to see anything from him that proves he deserves to be on this roster. Can him and save some salary. 




 CENTERS


Last but not least, we have our guys in the pivot. Starting at center this year will be longtime Indiana Pacer Roy Hibbert. He slimmed down over the summer, and he displayed a very positive attitude throughout the pre-season. All I want from the big guy is some defense, some block shots, and some intimidation. I don’t need him to score big points. Just man the center position the way it hasn’t been manned since Andrew Bynum had that one (emphasis on the one) good year.




Tarik Black was brought back for his 2nd year. I love his energy, toughness and activity level. I just wish he were a little taller, and wasn’t as foul prone. Otherwise, he’ll be an adequate back up at the five and four positions.


Robert Sacre is in the same boat as Ryan Kelly: he just keeps hanging around and somehow makes the roster. Apparently it’s an impossible task finding a quality backup center. Sacre will loom in the paint and lumber down the floor again, while occasionally having a solid game. Even if he could double his output from previous seasons, I’m not sure that would be enough.








So what should we, the diehard fans of the Lakers, expect?  Don’t expect a post-season appearance. While I haven't completely ruled it out, I find it hard to believe that this team will qualify. They're better than last year, and I think they can win 30 to 35 games, but there is too much youth, and not enough star power.

So what I want is fast, fun entertaining team. One that can defeat the lower dregs, and compete with the league's elite. Give me a great effort for 48 minutes while sowing the seeds for the future, and honoring the greatness of number 24. 




You're tired of this missing the playoffs, I get that. But barring a huge trade, or an over-achieving season, I think we're headed for another season ending in April. If they don't sign any big free agents next year to go along with our maturing youth, a regime change will be in order, as promised by Jeanie Buss.

Will Kevin Durant be a Laker Next Season?


I'll check in with you again soon after this team gets some games under their belt. Until then, keep your fingers crossed and enjoy the season!