Kobe Bryant: 10 Things He and the Lakers Must Do To Return To NBA Finals
With the exception of losses to the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets, the Los Angeles Lakers have been on cruise control for the first few weeks of the NBA season.
Kobe, Gasol and the rest of the Lake Show have been running through opponents with relative ease but does that mean that the defending champions are the best team in the NBA?
They are deeper and more experienced than last season and bigger than just about any team in the NBA but they are not perfect. At least not yet.
Check out the 10 things that the Lakers need to do in order to secure the third three-peat in team history.
10. Improve Defensive Rotations
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In the Lakers' home loss to the Suns on November 14, they gave up far too many good looks. The Suns nearly set a record for three point shots made with 22 treys. The team shot 55 percent from three making the Lakers' perimeter defense look horrible.
Jason Richardson alone went 7-for-10 from downtown, while Turkoglu shot 5-for-7. Steve Nash arguably the team's best shooter only put up three from beyond the arc and the Suns still won 121-116.
The Lakers faced the Suns last year in the Western Conference Finals and though they are now Amar'e-less LA may still have to see the sharpshooting Suns in the playoffs.
9. Give Shannon Brown More Time at PG
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Derek Fisher can still hold his own offensively but with more and more young, strong offensive minded guards in the Western Conference, Fisher is going to have to take a seat.
Russell Westbrook had his way so easily with Fisher in the first round of the playoffs last year that Phil had to put Kobe on him to slow the Thunder down.
I'm not saying that Fisher should be benched. He is definitely the guy you want in the game during clutch moments but Shannon Brown is more athletic than D-Fish and he knows the offense better than Steve Blake.
The Lakers need a strong, athletic guard other than Kobe that can guard Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Russell Westbrook. Brown could be that guy.
8. Keep Ron Artest Sane
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This is no knock to Ron Artest and his much publicized mental health issues. Personally, I love Ron Ron but Phil and Kobe run a tight ship and in order for the Lakers to make it back to the big shoe, Artest needs to keep it mellow.
We've all seen what can happen when Ron checks out or when he loses it and we can all agree that it's not a pretty sight.
Last year he bought into the system and became a fan favorite. Hopefully things stay that way.
7. Get Better Production Out of the Small Forward Position
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Matt Barnes and Ron Artest were not brought to Los Angeles to be big time scorers. Their defense, rebounding and toughness were what attracted the Lakers to them but these guys have to step it up on offense.
Barnes and Artest are averaging a combined 18,4ppg, which is not all that horrible considering the number Pau and Kobe put up. However, they are also shooting a combined 43.9 percent which is pretty bad.
Barnes is new to the triangle offense so it will take a few more weeks for him to get used to it but Artest has no excuse. For the Lakers to continue winning these guys have to contribute more on the offensive end.
6. Get Better Production from the Point Guard Position
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Not to further tarnish D-Fish's game but he and Steve Blake are not getting it done on the offensive end either.
Both are shooting below 43 percent from the field yet they are both lighting it up from beyond the arc. Clearly they are getting open shots and lanes but not fully taking advantage beside wide open three-pointers.
Not to mention Fisher is averaging only around three assists a game and Blake, two assists per game; meanwhile, Kobe is averaging five per game.
5. Pick Up Another Big Body
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The Lakers won the championship last year because they were bigger than every other team. When the Celtics lost Kendrick Perkins it was over.
In addition to Odom, Gasol and Bynum, the Lakers routinely pick up a big body. This year that guy was supposed to be veteran big man Theo Ratliff. Unfortunately Ratliff had surgery on a torn meniscus and will be out four to six weeks.
Rookie Derrick Caracter could fill that need if Bynum and Ratliff stay on the shelf but he's young and untested.
4. Keep Lamar Odom's Role on Offense a Consistent Priority
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Lamar Odom is great as long as his head is in the game. The Lakers would not be nearly as good if he went back to being the inconsistent Odom that NBA fans had become used to.
So far this season Odom's minutes per game are second only to Pau Gasol and he is averaging nearly 15ppg. Odom getting big minutes is a major reason why the Lakers are 10-2.
Everyone hated on Odom marrying Khloe Kardashian but it seems that the nuptials ramped up his focus to the point where he is now consistently one of the best PF's in the game.
3. Get Andrew Bynum a Driver
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Bynum got pulled over last month in California going double the speed limit in his 2010 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano.
Fortunately for the often injured star, he was not cited for reckless driving due to lack of traffic at the time.
For all intents and purposes Bynum is a good character guy but driving 110 in a 55 mph zone is just plain stupid. A guy this big shouldn't even be driving a Ferrari anyway. Dr. Buss needs to get this guy a driver asap.
2. Keep Kobe Fresh
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It was clear to anyone who watched the Game 7 of the NBA Finals last year that Kobe Bryant was fatigued. Much has been made of all the games the veteran guard has played in his storied NBA career and it is time for Kobe to start thinking about coasting.
In order for the Lakers to make it to the finals again they will need a fresh and healthy Kobe Bryant. So far Kobe is only playing 33.3mpg, which is his lowest total since his second year in the NBA.
No one can tell Kobe that he is not going to play so I'm assuming that he knows he has to take it down a notch until the playoffs.
A healthy and rested Kobe will be a nightmare for the rest of the league.
1. Keep Andrew Bynum Healthy
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Andrew Bynum has to be healthy for the Lakers to make it to the finals and repeat. Without his size and skill the front line for the Lakers is truly lacking against the size of Orlando and Boston.
Bynum is currently out with a knee injury but according to Coach Jackson he is expected to be back by December 10. Though he is currently practicing with a heavy knee brace, Bynum is nowhere near 100 percent. The Lakers are playing well enough without him and they should wait until he is ready for him to play regular season games.
Simply stated, no Bynum means no three-peat.
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