The Los Angeles Lakers get Kobe Bryant back this season, but the big question is if this team will be able to keep Kobe healthy and in the lineup for at least 60 games if not all 82.
What Went Wrong Last Season?
The first and most obvious thing is that Kobe got injured early on, playing only six games and then being out of commission the rest of the way. Without the Black Mamba, the Lakers were severely constrained in so much of what they wanted to do and hoped to achieve. Coach Mike D’Antoni was quickly robbed of his ability to put his best lineup on the floor, particularly the ability to have Kobe teamed up with Pau Gasol in the low post. Gasol needed Kobe to accompany him in the lineup. Without those two cornerstones together, the Lakers fell well below where they wanted to be. D’Antoni had little choice but to send out a bunch of second-rate lineups with younger players who had to learn on their own and could not benefit from Kobe’s presence on the court. Bryant would have done two things for last year’s Lakers. First, by being on the court, he would have drawn the focus of opposing defenses, giving the less proven Laker players more looks at open shots. Second, Kobe could have brought along players by teaching them on the court during games, not just as a mentor on the bench, where teaching is a lot more conceptual and isn’t really part of the actual experience of playing basketball.
Because of the absence of No. 24 in the lineup for 76 of 82 games last season, the Lakers predictably tumbled. The team finished 24th in two-point field goals made, with a lack of production in the paint from Gasol (unsupported on the perimeter) being the main cause of that statistic. Offensive rebounding was a huge weakness, as the Lakers finished 27th. The team finished 25th in terms of overall rebounding as well. The Lakers were also 21st in the NBA in turnovers. Being a D’Antoni team, the Lakers shot the ball well and often from three-point range, but they couldn’t play very much defense. Los Angeles allowed just over 109 points per game in a high-powered Western Conference, putting the Lakers at 29th in the NBA. Other basic metrics of defense – field goals allowed, field goal percentage allowed, and two-point field goals allowed – showed the Lakers at or near 30th in the NBA.
Offseason Changes
Kobe will hopefully be back and healthy for the full season, but he won’t be joined by Pau Gasol, who went to Chicago to join the Bulls. Chicago no longer has Carlos Boozer, who is now a Laker. That’s not a good swap for Los Angeles. Jeremy Lin came to the Lakers from Houston to provide support at the point. Julius Randle was taken with the seventh pick in the draft last June. Jordan Clarkson was a later-round draft selection on the perimeter. Ed Davis is a new addition to the roster, while Steve Blake, Kent Bazemore, and Chris Kaman are gone, too.
Projected Finish
The Lakers just have very little to offer beyond Kobe. They will make small gains because Kobe’s there, but beyond that, they’re extremely thin. This is not a team built to survive over the long haul.
Pick: 11th in the Western Conference
