Los Angeles Lakers: 12 Reasons The 3-Peat Is a Foregone Conclusion in 2010-11
Anyone who has been following the NBA recently knows that the Los Angeles Lakers have been off to a great start in this young season thus far.
As one of the top franchises in professional sports, the Lakers organization sets forth a winning mentality each year. And any team with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Coach Phil Jackson is going to be expected to play for a championship.
The past two years has seen the Los Angeles Lakers win back-to-back titles. This year, Phil Jackson has the opportunity to earn an unprecedented fourth three-peat, including his second in 12 years with LA.
The bad news for the rest of the league is that the Lakers have returned much improved this year. Barring any doomsday scenarios occurring, it seems as if the Lakers are nearly guaranteed to bring home another Larry O’Brien trophy next June.
The following pages detail the reasons why the Lakers will earn its 17th championship this season.
1. New Players Are an Improvement
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Over the offseason, the Lakers shored up their weaknesses of backup point guard, backup shooting guard and overall bench depth.
Out are players that were inconsistent much of the time—Jordan Farmar, Josh Powell, Adam Morrison, and D.J. Mbenga.
Replacing Farmar is Steve Blake, who has proven himself throughout his career to be one of the NBA’s best backup point guards. Through eight games, Blake is averaging 6.9 ppg and hitting half of his three-point attempts.
He wasted no time in winning the hearts of Lakers fans by nailing a game-winning three-pointer in the opening game against the Houston Rockets.
The signing of Matt Barnes represents a major upgrade over Luke Walton as backup small forward. So far, Barnes is averaging 9.1 ppg and 6.1 rpg while providing energy, hustle and impressive defense off the bench.
In fact, Barnes has impressed so much that he has played better at times than Ron Artest when Artest has struggled with his shot.
Theo Ratliff also represents a huge upgrade over his replacement D.J. Mbenga. Although he is being played sparingly, he knows his role of rebounding and playing interior defense.
Gone are the days of Mbenga throwing up crazy shots and disrupting the offense, thinking he can score like Hakeem Olajuwon.
Add in talented rookies Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter and these five players represent a major improvement over their predecessors.
2. Shannon Brown Is Better Than Ever
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With Lamar Odom delegated as a starter until Andrew Bynum returns, Shannon Brown has proven to be the best player on the Lakers bench.
He is one of the leading bench players scoring 9.0 ppg and shooting around 50 percent of both his three-pointers and shots overall.
Brown worked hard during the offseason on all facets of his game. He simply wants to be known as more than just a high-flying dunker this season.
Few people know that Brown was one of the top defensive players in the NCAA when he was an All Big Ten Defensive selection with the Michigan State Spartans. As part of his efforts to become a complete all-around player, Brown has noticeably been better on the defensive end of the court this year.
Compared to last year, Brown does not seem to get lost on defensive rotations as easily, and his footwork also seems much improved.
Shannon Brown also worked hard on his outside shooting and has been nearly unstoppable from the wings of the half court.
With Brown’s stellar play, the Lakers’ bench has performed so well that, despite being a weakness for Los Angeles last year, the bench play this year has to be a concern for the rest of the NBA.
3. Hunger of New Players
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Prior to this year, the three new veterans on the Lakers (Theo Ratliff, Matt Barnes, and Steve Blake) have played a combined 29 years in the league.
Leading the way is Theo Ratliff with his 15 seasons of play. He knows that this may be his last opportunity to win a championship and cap a solid career.
Matt Barnes seems to play as if every game is his last. Nothing is a guarantee in this league and as a journeyman playing for his eighth team in as many years, Barnes knows that this is his best opportunity to win a championship.
After having led his Maryland college team to the NCAA championship in 2002, Blake knows what it takes to come through in big games and he is hungry to get a taste of the ultimate prize in basketball.
In addition, these three players (along with the rest of LA’s roster) are eager to prove Las Vegas odds-makers wrong in crowning the Miami Heat as the favorites to win a championship this season.
When one combines the hunger of these players with the motivation Ron Artest has shown (knowing he has to win another ring to replace the one he is auctioning off) and the ultimate competitiveness of Kobe Bryant, the team has many reasons to stay focused on playing to its potential.
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4. Andrew Bynum
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According to most reports, Andrew Bynum should be returning to the Lakers’ lineup within the next few weeks.
When news of his delayed return from offseason knee surgery first came out, many fans started to worry. About that same time I wrote an article about the likely implications for the Lakers. Most of my predictions have since come true.
The relatively easy schedule has allowed LA to win its share of games. Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol have stepped up their output and the new players have had a few extra minutes in games to continue to learn the offense.
But adding Bynum to the team should make the Lakers nearly unstoppable. Last year Bynum averaged 15.0 ppg and 8.3 rpg on 57 percent shooting. Not only does Andrew score at an efficient clip, but few opposing centers can match up with his size.
When Bynum is on the court with Pau Gasol, LA boasts a formidable twin towers lineup. With their length, the Lakers will be able to dominate the boards and interior defense similar to last season.
It may take Andrew Bynum a few weeks to get into top shape, but a healthy Bynum provides Los Angeles with a player that can play at an all-star caliber.
Consider likely matchups in the Finals with the Lakers. With Andrew Bynum, the Lakers can matchup better with Dwight Howard with the Orlando Magic and the interior size and toughness of the Boston Celtics.
Should Los Angeles meet Miami in the Finals, the Lakers should be able to dominate the Heat at their weakest position in the middle.
5. Team Chemistry
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In case having one of the NBA’s best starting lineups and bench units was not enough, the Lakers have an advantage that is shared with only a handful of teams: team chemistry.
This season marks the 11th that Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant will be teamed up. Of those years, nine of them have included Derek Fisher. In comparison, Michael Jordan only shared seven and a half seasons with Jackson.
To say that Fisher and Bryant know how to play with each other and understand the triangle offense would be quite the understatement.
It helps to have two of the smartest big men in the league in Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol. In two and a half seasons together, they have learned to play off of each other to near perfection. Any true fan of basketball has to appreciate the crisp passes and ball movement generated by this tandem.
Truly the core group of players on the team has mostly played multiple seasons together. Past years spent on players getting acclimated to the offensive flow and learning each other’s defensive tendencies will pay off this year.
6. Experience
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Experience is one of the areas of the game of basketball that doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves.
Consider the Boston Celtics of the past few years. Despite having one of the oldest core group of players, the Celtics won a championship in 2008 and beat out the pundits to come within a few minutes last year of winning another title.
Years of experience in the NBA leads to intangibles that are not easily measured, yet can make the difference in determining winners.
And the Lakers roster has a lot of experience. Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher have 14 years of experience and Lamar Odom and Ron Artest have played in the NBA for 11 years. Pau Gasol has been in the league for 9 years and Theo Ratliff tops all players on the team with 15 years of experience.
Most of the core players have been through many playoff battles together and have had nearly every scenario thrown at them. This has helped the Lakers remain calm under duress whereas younger opponents crack under the pressure.
Having great leaders and pressure players in Fisher and Bryant also help keeps the team composed.
Being that one of the biggest aspects of the game is the mental component, it is likely that no other team has mastered this as well as the Los Angeles Lakers.
7. Improved Bench Can Allow Starters to Rest
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While the bench of the Lakers was almost a liability last season, things are different this year. Gone are the days where the starters would build up double digit leads, only to be consistently surrendered by the poor play of the reserve unit.
Already in this young season, the bench has not only extended leads but has also made some big contributions in the close games.
The improved bench play has been important in allowing the starters to get more rest during games. This proved especially helpful in the team’s first back-to-back games this year, allowing the starters to play extended minutes in a close game against the Sacramento Kings.
The impact of the bench can be seen by Kobe Bryant’s average of 31.3 minutes per game and Ron Artest’s 28.1 average.
While these figures are unlikely to stay this low all season long, getting the starters more rest throughout the season will help them stay healthy and steamroll into the playoffs at full force.
8. Improved Outside Shooting
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One of the weaker areas of the Los Angeles Lakers last season was outside shooting. During the 2009-2010 season, the team shot just 34 percent from behind the arc.
By contrast, the Lakers rank 1st in the NBA this season in three-point accuracy at 44 percent. Four players are shooting at least 50 percent of their long ball attempts.
While it is unlikely that the team will continue to hit these numbers all season, the bench unit seems to be drastically better at shooting outside shots over last year’s squad.
By making outside shots more consistently, this will open things up for Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Kobe Bryant down in the low post. Any double teams will likely lead to a wide-open three-point shot.
Opposing defenses will have to choose to give up a likely two points down low or commit a double team that will likely lead to surrendering three points.
Regardless, the Lakers seem to have too many weapons for most teams to handle. The dominant outside shooting has led the team to average a league high 112.1 ppg.
Once the Lakers improve their defense to last year’s level, there may be many more blowout victories coming LA’s way.
9. Pau Gasol Is Playing Like an MVP
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Last season Pau Gasol was selected to the All-NBA 3rd Team for the second consecutive year. Playing like the best all-around big man in the league, that selection was certainly a snub.
This year Gasol seems determined to show the media voters the fallacy of their decision-making. With Phil Jackson encouraging him to be more aggressive, Pau Gasol is averaging 23.4 ppg, 10.8 rpg, and 4.8 apg while shooting 55 percent from the field.
Having started his basketball career by playing point guard, Pau Gasol quickly developed impressive passing skills which complement his ambidextrous moves well. Few players can slow him down given his size, quickness, and knowledge of the game.
With Gasol’s ability to run the offense as well as Kobe Bryant, the Lakers have yet another advantage not afforded to most other teams.
10. Phil Jackson Is Still the Coach
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Some point to the biggest signing of the offseason as the Miami Heat’s acquisition of Lebron James.
I would beg to differ. Phil Jackson is hands-down the best coach in NBA history. His .706 regular season winning percentage is the best all-time, as are his 11 championship rings.
He also has the most playoff wins and has won more playoff series than any other coach. But the most telling statistic is that Phil Jackson’s teams have gone 48-0 in playoff series when they win Game 1.
In other words, when the playoffs roll around this year, you can forget about it if LA wins the first game of each series.
Some people say Jackson has won only because he has coached great players like Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant. But that is a misguided assertion.
All great coaches have had their share of superstars in order to win championships. Additionally, both the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers had nearly the same roster before Jackson took over, yet they couldn’t find a way to win a title.
Phil Jackson is a master at the mental game and pacing his team to peak at the right time as the playoffs approach.
The Lakers definitely have things to work on as the season progresses: namely rebounding and defense. But come April, you can count on Jackson to have fixed these issues.
11. Gasol and Odom: Two of the Most Versatile Bigs in the NBA
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NBA teams are lucky if they have one talented big, but the Lakers boast three players in Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Andrew Bynum that can play at an all-star level.
But Odom and Gasol specifically have proven to be hard matchups for most teams due to their versatility.
Regarding Pau Gasol, he can play both the power forward and center positions. Filling in at center while Andrew Bynum has been out, Gasol has played like an MVP.
When Andrew Bynum returns to the lineup, Pau Gasol will be even more effective as the starting power forward as his 7’0” frame towers above most opponents at that position.
Since the Lakers usually bring in Gasol to play backup center when Bynum sits on the bench, Gasol can easily dominate other team’s backup centers.
Lamar Odom proves to be perhaps a more difficult challenge to guard. He may be the only player in the league that is 6’10” that can rebound the ball, lead a fast break, and then score on a layup shot. Not to mention that Lamar can play all 5 positions on the court.
Relentless on the boards, Odom can also prove to be a tough matchup as he can make open looks behind the arc. Although he can be a bit inconsistent at times, Odom might be one of the most underrated players as he has a knack for doing the little things to help his team get wins.
With these two players, the Lakers have possibly two of the top five best playmakers among big men in the NBA.
Is this unfair? Perhaps, but the Lakers played by the same rules as everyone else. The current roster that the team has is due simply to excellent team management.
12. The Lakers Have the Game’s Best Player
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As if the previous eleven reasons did not give the Los Angeles Lakers enough advantages, the Lakers have the ultimate fallback weapon: Kobe Bryant.
As Kobe has recovered from his offseason surgery, he has proven once again why he is the best player in the NBA.
Other players may end up with better statistics, but Kobe Bryant’s all-around dominating game also includes intangibles that few others have. This has in part led him to be one of the top 5 players of all-time.
If Michael Jordan was the greatest NBA player for his all-around dominance and impact on the court, Kobe Bryant’s game is certainly close to Jordan’s.
When games get close in the 4th quarter, Kobe Bryant gives LA the league’s best closer. Even if his shot is off one game, he’ll find a way to rebound, make the right plays, and get to the foul line for extra scoring.
After 14 years in the league, Kobe Bryant understands that it doesn’t matter whether he scores 20 points or 40. All that matters is getting wins.
And by continuing to win up through the last game of the playoffs, the Lakers can ensure that another championship banner will be hanging in the Staples Center next year.
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