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Is this the year of 73 wins? What should be ours.
Posted by: SPQR on Sep 30, 2009 - 10:22 AM
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I know last year there was talk of us busting the Bulls amazing 72 win season. In the end, injuries (Drew), subpar play by expected contributors (Sasha) and defensive liabilities were too much to overcome in trying to retake that record our organization had for so long before the Bulls took it away.
One thing last year taught was an appreciation of just how hard it must be to win 69 games (the old record we had) or 72. Allot of things have to go right both physically and mentally and the team has to have very few letdowns, night after grueling night.
Yet even with our flaws and injuries the team did take 65 wins out of the regular season. Given Drews loss and the inconsistant defense we played it does beg the question: if things do go right, if the gods smile upon us, can we reclaim the regular season win total from the Bulls?
I would give a qualified yes to this question and here is why: First off I don't see complaceny being any factor with this team. Kobe does not know what that word is or that it is even a part of english lexicon. He is leader of this team and everything flows from him. Ron Artest is another fire brand type of guy who has won.....nothing. He is now at the point of his career where he sees and empty legacy at the end of a long career. If anyone perhaps is as hungry as Kobe (who of course is insatiable for victory) it is Artest. With these two strong personalities, both of whom need to win more than breathing itself (for different reasons) it is hard to imagine any player on this team being lax or blase for long without recieving a talking to by these two gents. Complacency will not be an enemy of the 2009-2010 Lakers.
When one looks at the defensive problems last year, there is good reason to believe that this years version will be much improved in this department. In this case it is the addition of two players-a healthy Andrew Bynum and Ron Artest. If Drew recovers the immediate pre injury form he was showing last year, the paint will be a much harder place to make a living for teams than it was last year. The Drew that was blocking shots and rebounding like the devil right before his injury would do so much to shore up our problems down low on the defensive side. Artest will now be here to guard small forwards who make their living scoring on us and feasting out on the three point line as has been the case so often in the past few years. There is a fine line between good defense and great defense and if Bynum and Artest pan out the way they could (and should) then we may cross that line into defensive greatness and consistancy. Having Shannon Brown develop into a good defensive point would push us a long way to this goal. He seems to have the athleticism to do it. Throw Kobe into the mix and the odds of having a much improved defensive team are there. How many more wins over the 65 would this bring us during the year? Three? Five? Eight?
With the addition of a healthy Drew and Artest the offense will also be even more varied and consistant than the machine we saw last year. Just a pre injury Drew shoots this teams offensive capablities so much higher than last year. How many more wins than last year would this factor into the equation?
And if Sasha finds the wherewithal to become the player of two years ago and not the non entity of last season? How much of a help would that be to this team?
How much of an impact will the rest an injury free Drew and a rejuvinated Sasha would afford other players impact on our won-lost record this year?
When looking at what could be, if things fall right, beating that 72 win season is not impossible. We would have to win 8 more games than last year. Would any of you out there say the addition of Artest, the reimergence of Drew and a reinvigorated Sasha and all the bounty those things would entail for this team not equal 8 wins?
Yes it is asking for allot of things to go right. But no more is in the asking than it did for the 69 win Lakers or the 72 win Bulls. Sometimes asking is answered with a yes.
In a normal season, with this team, I cannot envision less than 65 wins and more like 68 to 70. If the asking is answered, then 72 wins or more is more than conceivable but actually probable.
The Lakers hold almost every record in NBA history. The record for regular season wins was held proudly by this organization for decades. To not be its keeper is something less than it should be. All due respect to the Bulls, but they are not the Lakers and this record should be with a storied franchise, a legendary organization, not one that rode the coat tails of one great player to a momentary flash of greatness in NBA time.
That record should be here with us. Not some flash in the pan. A long side the championship banners, the decades of triumph and greatness, among the legends of Lakers past and present: Mikan, Baylor, West, Kareem, Magic, ONeal and Bryant. It is only fitting. It is only correct.
I would throw down the gauntlet to this years Laker team. Don't just win a title, but have the drive and passion, the desire for imortality. Go out and reclaim what should be ours to have. If this team were not capable, I would not ask it. Since I think it is, I will.
This is not the moment for equivocation. Not the time for the timid. Not a year to settle. For greatness, it never is. Let loose the dogs of war and make this season one for the ages. Nothing less.
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