Los Angeles Lakers: 30 Teams in 30 Days

2008 Statistics

Finished 65-17, first in Pacific Division, first in Western Conference

Postseason

First Round: Beat Utah Jazz 4-1

Semifinals: Beat Houston Rockets 4-3

Conference Finals: Beat Denver Nuggets 4-2

NBA Finals: Beat Orlando Magic 4-1

Key Additions

Ron Artest via free agency, Chinemelu Elonu via draft

Key Losses

Trevor Ariza via free agency, Sun Yue via waivers

After a disappointing end to their 2007-08 season with an NBA finals' loss to the Boston Celtics, the Los Angeles Lakers knew there could be only one destination if they wanted to consider next season a success.

Mission accomplished.

The Lakers made short work in that finals appearance by beating the Orlando Magic in a quick five games. The Lakers appeared to be the stronger team at every position and proved they wanted the NBA championship more than anyone else...and that Kobe Bryant was going to get his fourth championship at all costs.

Kobe emerged as the emotional and physical leader, which has brought him three championships prior, and willed his team to an easy finals victory. He came up big in the waning minutes of games throughout the regular season and postseason, and he eliminated every comeback that any team would try and make against his LA team.

This championship meant more to Kobe than any of his others. Throughout the season and the closer the finals got, Bryant heard the same thing over and over: "Kobe can't win a title without Shaq."

He had to suffer through it last offseason after the Lakers lost to the Celtics, and he had to suffer through it all regular season as the Lakers got closer to the NBA finals.

There are no doubts anymore, Kobe's true leadership won this championship for the city of Los Angeles.

Bryant averaged 30 points per game, the third highest in his playoff career, including three-40 point games. His points production in the regular season wasn't up to his par at 27 points per game, but because of his reliable supporting cast Kobe wasn't forced to carry the load as he had in the previous years.

Pau Gasol was brought in to be Kobe's right-hand man, and he handled the position very well. Gasol averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds last season and came up big through the playoffs in the title run.

He averaged a career playoff high of 11 rebounds and two blocks per game while averaging 18 points. The role of big man has finally been filled by the Lakers, and Gasol appears to be the perfect fit.

The matchup between Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest in the semifinals was a battle between one of the top offensive players and the top defensive player in the league. But now, Kobe won't have the trouble of going against Artest anymore, as the Lakers brought him in this offseason.

Artest is known for his hard-nosed, in-your-face defense and could be just what the Lakers need for a repeat and a chance to climb over the fabled 70 win mark. In his lone season at Houston, he was able to lead the team to their first second-round appearance in 13 years.

Ron averaged 17 points and five rebounds last season and was a part of the two-man core that led to the Rockets' success in the regular season and through most of the postseason, before a number of players went down with injury.

By gaining Artest, they are compensating for the loss of Trevor Ariza. Ariza is coming off of his first healthy season since his rookie season, and he brought length and a reliable shooting touch to the floor.

Because of his breakout season last year, he was offered a lucrative deal by the Rockets that he couldn't refuse. The Lakers knew they did not need a third small forward and let him go with little resistance.

This past offseason, however, brought a lot of drama from the mind and pride of Lamar Odom. Odom, who was a free agent this year, wanted to explore his options outside of LA and was quickly disowned by the Lakers' GM Jerry Buss.

Buss took his offer from the table and let Odom go to what appeared to be the Miami Heat. At the 11th hour though, the Lakers came through and sent Odom another deal to try and bring him back.

Odom broke a lot of Heat fans' hearts that day. Odom went back to the Lakers and is in store for another championship run, rather than taking more money in Miami.

The Lakers are still waiting for their starting center Andrew Bynum to have his break out. And he does appear to be getting near it, after having his best season last year. Bynum averaged a career high 14 points and eight rebounds last year, but injuries persisted and allowed him to only play in 50 games.

Bynum has the size, speed, and potential to become an all-star, but his health problems have halted any sort of major progress. If Andrew can stay healthy, the team's championship can all but be assured if the final piece of the puzzle is ready to fit in.

The Lakers have everything an NBA team can ask for: an outstanding shooter, a reliable big man, and a star-studded bench that could give starting lineups trouble. The Lakers are looking to repeat and with the roster the team has now, it appears easier than ever.

Projected Starting Lineup

PG: Derek Fisher

SG: Kobe Bryant

SF: Ron Artest

PF: Pau Gasol

C: Andrew Bynum

This is part 13 of a 30-day series of 2009-10 season previews of each NBA team. My profile will contain every other team that has been previewed before.