Los Angeles Lakers Midterm Grades
Mid-season has arrived for the Los Angeles Lakers and currently they are riding a seven game-winning streak with the lowly but dangerous Los Angeles Clippers next on the schedule. The Clippers have been playing good ball the last week and a half even though they currently have the third-lowest record in the Western Conference. They've won three of their last four games and that's no fluke with two of those games against the Heat and Denver. They're playing competitive basketball, and I would not be shocked if the Clippers put a stop to the Lakers seven game-winning streak.
After the Clippers game, the road gets considerably tougher for the back-to-back champs. Of their next 5 games, four of them are against opponents with records above .500. Those 4 games will be nationally televised, with the exception of the Utah game which will most likely be voted as the fan night game since it is on a Tuesday.
The Los Angeles Lakers have not performed well against opponents with winning records and if they're going to right that ship, they have to show up to these next four games. There should be no excuses as to why they cannot perform well against good teams barring injury the next two weeks.
It would have probably been better if I wrote this article five games later but technically this is midpoint of the season and the other reason is because I couldn't wait.
In this article, I will be grading each Laker on how they've done thus far in the 2010-2011 season.
Andrew Bynum
1 of 10
It's hard to grade Bynum based off just 17 games and 10 starts but I thought he has played well coming off surgery. It was rough the first couple games back but it was expected. He isn't quite a 100 percent yet but is getting there. In the last four games, he has scored in double figures (last against the Nets he was in foul trouble). The Lakers have missed his presence on the defensive end and so has Pau Gasol, who has now played less minutes in addition to playing more of the four. In the Lakers' two championship runs, Bynum wasn't needed as much but this season might be different. The key is to keep Bynum healthy for the postseason and hopefully his knees will hold up come playoff time because this is a different Laker team without the big fella. GRADE: B
Steve Blake
2 of 10
Steve Blake was brought in to be our most consistent outside shooter, but what we were sorely searching for was already on the team (Shannon Brown). Steve is still shooting a respectable 39 percent from three-point range but has done little else. Acquiring Blake and Barnes was supposed to fortify the second unit and that hasn't happened. The bench has taken big strides since last season, but that credit goes to the improved play of Lamar Odom and Shannon Brown. He averages a shade under 20 minutes a game and that has been disappointing for Laker fans, who hoped for Blake and Fisher to split minutes. Having Fish fresh for the playoffs will make every Laker fan happy, as we all know he'll come through in the clutch. I still believe Blake can revert back to his early season form, where he was hitting on all cylinders. GRADE: C+
Matt Barnes
3 of 10
Matt Barnes has simply outplayed his contract. He has been a consistent force on the offensive and defensive glass, while also playing his usual excellent on the ball defense. I expected his three-point percentage to be higher but both Barnes (before the injury) and Blake are in a shooting slump. The difference between Blake's and Barnes' performance is that Matt has contributed in other areas of the game while the same can't be said about Steve. His injury will definitely hurt the Lakers, but on the bright side it will give Artest more minutes and hopefully some confidence because he has had a horrid start to the 2010-11 season. GRADE: B+
Lamar Odom
4 of 10
Lamar Odom is simply an All-Star this season. He has played a big role in the Lakers seven game-winning steak and was fantastic as a starter in the place of Bynum. Odom is averaging close to 15 and 11 per night, and I expect him to stay at those averages even though he'll play his usual sixth-man role. I knew Odom could put up those stats as a starter but he has similar numbers coming off the bench these last few weeks and that is very impressive. His improved play along with Shannon Brown has lifted the bench from mediocre to decent, and if Blake remerges, the second unit will be feared once again. GRADE: A
Derek Fisher
5 of 10
Derek has looked his age this season. Actually, he has looked his age these past two seasons during the regular season, but the playoffs are a different question. Laker fans can take comfort in that they know Fisher will come through in the postseason despite his regular season struggles. His on the ball defense has looked atrocious at times, as several speedy point guards have had huge games, but he still plays great stationary defense (taking charges, forcing offensive fouls). GRADE: C
Shannon Brown
6 of 10
Shannon should be a contender for sixth man of the year. He has transformed from just an athlete to a more complete NBA player. He leads the team in three point shooting (at about 41 percent) and is very efficient from the rest of the floor (45% FG). He's working on every part of his game. His decision making is what has impressed me the most. He looks comfortable with both the first and second unit and understands the balance between shooting jump-shots, driving and making the right pass.
Shannon understood that he wouldn't be playing 25 to 30 minutes a game, but still looked to improve in the offseason. It shows his dedication to the game of basketball and he should have many suitors this coming offseason. His defense has been a little bit spotty but that's a little blemish on what has been a fantastic first half of the season for Shannon. Mr. Buss will have to open his expanding wallet a bit more to keep Shannon from bolting this coming offseason. GRADE: A
Ron Artest
7 of 10
Ron Ron still has a championship hangover. His performance thus far into the season has some Laker fans questioning why we got rid of Ariza, even though Artest played a crucial role in last year's championship run. He's shooting about 39 percent from the three-point arc and 41 percent from the field. Ron is averaging career lows in points, rebounds and minutes. The triangle looks just as confusing as the first day he was in a Laker uniform and that is concerning. He's usually just hanging in the corner waiting for the open three-point shot not wanting to mess up the offensive rhythm. Yet, when he does try to get involved (sometimes posting up or taking his man off the dribble), it usually doesn't end up as a good possession for the Lakers. His defense has fallen off a bit and that is the most surprising part of his struggles. Quick forwards have been a thorn in Ron's side but his strength usually makes up for the speed he has lost over the years. I expect Ron's defense to return to shutdown level come playoff time, especially if he improves on the offensive end. When anyone performs well on the offensive end, it usually spreads to other parts of their game. I feel Ron needs to regain his confidence on the offensive end, and everything should return to normal. GRADE: D+
Pau Gasol
8 of 10
Pau is the best big man in the game. He hasn't played like that in the last two or three weeks. Everyone has been saying that Pau doesn't get many attempts but that isn't the sole reason he has struggled the last couple of weeks. It's his lack of aggressiveness and the emergence of Bynum in the starting lineup that has affected the Spaniards play. I don't count how many attempts Gasol has, rather I watch how many times he touches the ball. At times, Gasol doesn't attack aggressively and the possession usually ends in a turnover or a bad shot. Also, with Bynum on the floor more, Gasol plays in the high post a lot. We all know Bynum can only play in the low post because he hasn't developed 15- or 16-footer, while Gasol has pretty much mastered that shot in a Laker uniform. Playing in the high post also has factored into the lack of aggressiveness Gasol shows at times. At one point, Gasol was considered a MVP candidate but his numbers have fallen from 24 and 12 to about 18 and 11. Those numbers are still considered All-Star worthy (even as a starter) but in the beginning of the season Gasol was looking like a superstar. GRADE: B+
Kobe Bryant
9 of 10
Kobe Bryant's will to win will never waver and he continues to have an all-around impressive season. He's averaging about 33 minutes a game, which is fantastic. Kobe should have fresh legs come playoff time. He's averaging about 25, 5 and 4 (on par with his career averages), which is what many expected coming into the season. Kobe won't average 30 a game anymore, he doesn't need to and probably doesn't want to as well. He's been criticized for taking too many shots, but I believe that is an unfair judgment. Statistically, the Lakers are a better team when he takes less than 22 shots a game but there's a reason for the high volume shots. Kobe only tries to take over the game on the offensive end when the team is not playing aggressive or is just struggling on that end. I'm pretty sure he doesn't want to strain himself trying to carry the team, but he has to try if the rest of the team isn't producing.
Like Fisher, Kobe will come through in the clutch whether it's the regular season or postseason and should be high on everyones MVP ballots (that will depend on where the Lakers finish record wise in the regular season). Overall, a good season for what I think as the best player on the planet right now. GRADE: B+
End of The Bench
10 of 10
End of the Bench (only seen during Blowouts):
Devin Ebanks, Derrick Caracter, Luke Walton, Joe Smith, And Theo Ratliff
Luke might see a little more action because of Barnes injury but it won't be a significant bump. Devin has been in the D-league for a bit, and has rarely seen any action this season. Same goes for Smith who was just recently acquired for insurance, while Caracter played a bit early on in the season with Bynum out of the lineup but completely lost Phil's trust. It's understandable as he is a rookie but many expected big things from Devin and Derrick after their strong summer league performances. The rooks haven't had the opportunity to play, which I expected with Phil Jackson as the coach and how loaded the Lakers are at forward. Ratliff has been injured and the Lakers really needed him when Gasol was playing huge minutes. With Bynum's return, Theo and Smith will be the insurance bigs (new nickname). GRADE: INCOMPLETE
