After a disastrous campaign last year many of us Laker fans
were left wondering, what will 2014 and the future have in store? Luckily
reports of Kobe Byrant’s improved health, as well as a slew of new and hungry
players have rekindled the hopes of many Lakers fans, however, be weary, this
season will be an up and down rollercoaster.
Many should be concerned about the 2014-15 season,
especially since the Lakers organization failed to attract any big name free
agents, and don’t be surprised if Lakersnation experiences déjà vu. The fact
that Kobe Bryant is on the team is both a blessing and a curse. Bryant’s
presence will restrict the Lakers from attaining any notable big name free
agents, but that may work to our advantage.
The 2015 free agent class lacks any headlining big names,
aside from Lebron James, Kevin Love, and Lamarcus Aldridge, which we will
assume all will be staying with their respective teams. Some notable
unrestricted free-agents for 2015 are Marc Gasol, Paul Millsap, Rajon Rondo,
Greg Monroe, and Rudy Gay. Out of the 5, Marc Gasol is probably the one pick
that every Laker fan should fall in love with. Marc is Pau 2.0, stronger,
tougher, and a proven contender, and by next year he’ll be exactly 30 years
old, which isn’t too shabby. My next pick would be a tie between Millsap and
Monroe, although I would prefer a Monroe-Gasol duo more so over a Millsap-Gasol
pairing. Kobe’s past two championship runs had a solid foundation of two
intimating interior presences, Bynum who was the bruiser, and Gasol who was the
finesse fundamental specialist. Although Millsap and Gasol would present an
interesting inside-outside tandem, the presence of Kobe will most likely cause
some problems for Millsap, who thrives on mismatches. Furthermore, Kobe’s
presence on the court will force Millsap to a traditional power forward
position, eliminating Millsap’s strongest advantage. Whereas a Monroe-Gasol
pairing would closely resemble the Bynum-Gasol duo that took the Lakers to 3
straight championship runs. Monroe and Gasol are above-average rim protectors,
they give the Lakers tremendous length inside, both players are fundamentally
sound, and neither player needs the ball in their hands to be effective. As the
Lakers are positioned to keep Kobe until he retires, it only makes sense to
surround him with players that play to his strengths. For instance, slow-paced
half-court sets, solid pick and roll big men who can pass out of traffic, and
lastly dependable wing defenders, which brings me to my least favorite choices,
Rondo and Gay. Although many Laker fans have clamored to have the PG position
addressed, realistically this position should be the Lakers least concern,
again because of Kobe. Rondo with the Lakers just isn’t a good fit, and Rondo’s
locker room disputes with coaches and players will undoubtedly cause
unnecessary drama. As for Gay, his trigger happy shooting tendencies will not
bode well with Bryant’s presence either. So who will address our PG woes? Well
the jury is still out on Jeremy Lin, but I’m confident that Lin will be a
serviceable starting PG who can guard the likes of elite PG such as Chris Paul,
Russell Westbrook and Tony Parker, and let’s not forget that Lin is still very
young and will only get better. I’m a fan of Wesley Johnson and what he brings
to the table, and I’m in full support of Swaggy P. Furthermore, if Ed Davis
somehow pans out then he’d be an outstanding back-up PF/C.
Laker fans should be hopeful for the 2015 free agency, even
if they don’t attract any franchise changing players. As for the 2014-15
season, as predicated earlier, expect a lot of ups and downs. Lakersnation’s
greatest concern is the Black Mamba’s health, and rightfully so, Bryant’s
health will single-handedly dictate how the next 3-4 years will play out, so
expect Scott to monitor Bryant’s minutes closely. But Laker fans should realize
that this year isn’t so much about Kobe and his return. It closely resembles a
season long try-out for the rest of the 14 guys on the roster. Expect to see a
lot from Lin, who will be playing the last year of his contract. Furthermore, the
rookies, Randle and Clarkson, have much to prove, mainly Randle. Bringing in
Boozer was a smart decision by the Lakers front office; Randle can emulate
Boozer’s success easily, but coming off the bench will be extremely important
to build up his confidence and hopefully mold him into an outstanding
undersized PF. As for our big men, I’d expect the Lakers to move Hill sometime
this year, hopefully clearing some cap space for the 2015 free agency, or
possibly a big game-changing trade? With Scott running the team and
implementing a Princeton style offense, fans should expect lots of turnovers
and erratic scores, while the defense is still left to the imagination.
Although this Lakers squad isn’t a championship contender just yet, the team
should do what is necessary to make it into the playoffs. Again, since this
will be another year long try-out for the rest of the 14 guys on the roster, it
should be of utmost priority to see how the rest of team can play in a playoff
setting, remember only 4 of the 15 guys have played substantial meaningful
playoff minutes (Boozer, Bryant, Lin and Nash).
It’ll be another year before Laker fans start seeing some
real improvements, but there’s a shining light shimmering towards the 2015-16
season. Although the Lakers will most likely lose out on the big name free
agents, it’s still a possibility that the purple and gold will end up on top.
This year will have little room for error as the Lakers gear up for what looks
to be a tough, nail-biting 2014-15 season. Let’s hope that the basketball gods
shines brightly on the city of Angels.
