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Friday May 23 6:00PM
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Lakers Standings
57-25, First, Pacific |
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7 Games Left, 7 Reasons Why The Lakers Will Be Champions.
Posted by: Lakers4Kobe on Apr 03, 2008 - 03:27 AM
lakers-blog
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With seven games left in the regular season for the Lakers, I though I would try to think up of seven reasons why the Lakers would be champions this season. Given the last few games (especially against Charlotte and Memphis) I had to reconsider some of my options but here goes:
1) Youth & Energy: The Lakers are the 4th youngest team in the league and they have a very bright future ahead of them. With players like Sahsa Vujacic, Jordan Farmar, Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza, the future looks very good for the Lakers. Even now the Lakers have, arguably, the scariest team in the league when healthy. Hell, even when they aren’t healthy they are still scary to go up against.
Because of their youth they are able to run opponents out of the gym. They are able to outlast almost any team with their one-two punch of the 1st and 2nd units, each playing a different style of basketball confusing the hell out of the opponents. Because of their youth, the Lakers are able to quickly adjust the tempo of the game. They can slow it down or speed it up, either way leading to the Lakers controlling the game.
2) Flawless Offence: The Lakers are one of the highest scoring teams in the league and they seem to be able to put on an offensive performance on any given night. Of course this helps when you have Kobe Bryant on your team but the rest of the team seems to step it up whenever they are asked to and this has been a big factor in the Lakers’ success this season. When they need to drive the lane, Kobe and Lamar will take care of it. When they need a perimeter shot the Lakers can get it out to one of their many great three-point shooters. When they need to feed the ball inside Pau and Bynum are there waiting for it.
3) Improving Defence: Most people are going to heckle me for this but I believe the Lakers have pretty good defence especially considering all the injuries they have gone through. Imagine having Gasol and Bynum protecting the paint and having Kobe and Ariza guarding anyone who is brave enough to jack up a perimeter shot. Unfortunately, injuries have restricted the Lakers from showing just how good they can be on defence, which is a shame because it would be amazing to watch. But still this team’s defence cannot be overlooked. They have been able to shut down teams when they needed to and have made key stops in pivotal moments of some games, just ask Baron Davis.
When the Lakers get Andre Bynum and Trevor Ariza back their defensive rating is going to significantly increase. Bynum is the big body this team is missing and Ariza is that perimeter defender that this team so dearly needs. When they come back, look out.
4) Veteran Leadership: When you have Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher leading your team there is not going to be a leadership issue. Derek Fisher has shown throughout his career that he is a level-headed guy that is known to help settle disputes. His leadership is a key part to this team’s success. On the other side of the coin, Kobe Bryant has not always been recognised as a player who makes his team mates better. He has been describes as a “Selfish ball-hog who cares more about his stats than the team.” Kobe has risen above these tags and has made his team mates ten times better then they were last year. I honestly think that his video sparked a fuse in theses players and made them want to show Kobe how good they could be. Who knew insulting your team mates could work for your benefit? Still, let’s hope it doesn’t happen again.
Kobe has not only shown he can make his team mates better, but he has also shown a whole new level of leadership. This year I have seen him fouled numerous times for defending a team mate or complaining about a call placed on a team mate. This, to me, shows just how much he has matured and how hungry he is to win the championship.
5) The Best Coaching Staff in the League: I don’t think anyone can argue that our HOF and 9 time champion Coach is anything but amazing. The Zen Master, Phil Jackson, has to be one of the greatest coaches ever. He has somehow stopped this team from imploding and lead to Lakers a season nobody expected them to have. Through his strange rituals and methods he has made this team one of the closest in the league and their chemistry is amazing.
I cannot forget to mention the assistant coaches; Frank Hamblen, Kurt Rambis, Brian Shaw, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Craig Hodges and Jim Cleamons. Throw in medical trainer Gary Vitti and this team undoubtedly has one of the best coaching staff in the league. Add all these guys with Phil Jackson and you have one of the best, if not the best, coaching staff in the league.
6) The Front Line: Any team that has to face a front line of Pau Gasol (7-0), Lamar Odom (6-10) and Andrew Bynum (7-0) must be very scared. No team can match up size-wise with this team. When these three finally get to play together the league is going to be in shock. Never before has such a long front line graced the courts of the NBA and it might be a while before we see another one. I cannot wait for these guys to play together. They will be unstoppable when the Lakers play the likes of Golden State and any other team that has a “Small-Ball” mentality. Basketball is a game of big men and the Lakers now have the biggest front line in the NBA. In a week or so Bynum will be back and then the league will be face-to-face with the three-headed monster of Odom, Bynum and Gasol. Good luck to everyone else, you’re going to need it.
7) Kobe Bryant: Is there any more that needs to be said? Kobe is the single most dedicated player in the game and his will to win is second to none. Nobody in the league has anywhere near the amount of dedication to success that Kobe possesses. He will work and work until he gets it right, no matter how long it takes. He is the epitome of what makes a champion. If you have Kobe Bryant on your team, you always have a chance to win, no matter who else is on your team.
It is amazing to watch Kobe take over games the way he does. He can single-handedly destroy opposing teams with his ferocious offence and he can destroy opposing players with his ridiculously powerful defence. Kobe can draw fouls from any player and it the amount of free throws he shoots is amazing. No wonder everyone is scared to go up against him.
What impresses me the most about Kobe is that if he makes a mistake he will come back and make sure he fixes it. I remember one game where Kobe missed a simple lay up on one possession and on the nest possession he came flying down the lane for a ferocious dunk. This is what makes him unique. Nobody comes close to the mental power that Kobe possesses and it will be a long time before you see anyone like him.
So there it is, my seven reasons why the Los Angeles Lakers are going to be champions this season. Sure, you can argue that they do not have enough experience or that they are too young but when you have Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum starting for your team, experience and age are not a factor.
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