What the Lakers should expect this 2014 season and beyond.

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.