STRENGTHS:
Kobe Bryant might be the NBA’s
clutch player…He draws so much defensive attention,
allowing for open shots for his teammates ... Bryant remains
a shutdown defender … An underrated defense led the
Lakers to second best league point differential last season
... The Lakers have great depth and length in the frontcourt
... Outstanding rebounding team ... The best offseason move
was re-signing Lamar Odom ... During the
postseason Odom was the NBA’s plus/minus leader (plus
167) ... The addition of Ron Artest gives
the Lakers some previously lacking toughness ...
Pau Gasol is a matchup problem either as a power
forward or a center ... Gasol’s shot selection is impressive
... Bryant and Gasol are ironmen, having played 82 and 81
games respectively after competing in the Olympics ... Derek
Fisher is a great decision maker and was fourth in
assist-to-turnover ratio (3.63) ... With 10 NBA titles, Phil
Jackson gives the Lakers a major advantage on the
bench ... The Lakers are a strong interior defensive team.
WEAKNESSES:
Fisher can be an inconsistent shooter ... At 35, Fisher’s
minutes may have to be cut slightly ... The past two years
have been marred by injuries for Andrew Bynum,
still looking to reach that next level ... Artest must prove
that he’s all business and not revert to previous shenanigans
... While still having a reputation as a strong defender,
Artest can’t always keep up with top small forwards
... Aside from Odom, the depth off the bench is questionable
... Jordan Farmar has been inconsistent in
his quest for more backup point guard minutes.
PROJECTION:
1st in the Pacific Division / 1st in the Western Conference
.PROJECTED STARTERS
Point
guard Derek Fisher
Shooting
guard
Kobe Bryant
Small
forward Ron Artest
A
heady point guard who has played his best basketball
already. Can he still hit clutch shots at the same
rate he used to?
The
team's only superstar. Hasn't had much rest the last
two years. May have to coast a little through the
regular season.
Not
many questions about what he can do on the court,
but he's been known to disrupt the chemistry of teams.
Power
forward Pau Gasol
Center Andrew Bynum
Sixth
man Lamar Odom
Fits
perfectly into what the Lakers do. Excellent offensive
player with a much improved defensive effort.
One
of the big question marks on the team. The talent
and size are obviously there, but does he care enough?
A
borderline All-Star. Crashes the boards, scores, handles
the ball... Does a little bit of everything for the
Lakers.
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