The NBA season is just a few weeks away and I can hardly contain my excitement. The best teams in the league all improved and made significant changes to their rosters. Shaq was traded to Cleveland, Vince Carter to the Magic, Richard Jefferson to the Spurs, Rasheed Wallace to the Celtics, and Ron Artest to the Lakers. These are all additions that dramatically changed the landscape of the league. Over the next couple of weeks I will be giving a short preview of these top five teams along with my analysis on the additions and subtractions of the players. What better way to start the season off with a preview of the World Champion Lakers?
Last Season Record: (65-17)
Additions: Ron Artest
Subtractions: Sun Yue(Thank God)
Fresh off a NBA championship against Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic, the main concern entering the off-season for the Lakers was the resigning of key free agents Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom. At the start of free agency, rumors of the two key players signing with other teams were all over the media. The Lakers shocked the NBA world by doing the unthinkable and signed Ron Artest while letting Trevor Ariza walk and join the Houston Rockets. Many Laker fans have been skeptical of how Artest will fit into the Laker system; questions of his character, off court issues, and questionable shot selection have all left fans scratching their heads. Analysts of the game need to look at this move from a basketball perspective and understand the positive effect Artest can and will have on the Lakers.
The biggest impact Artest is going to have on the Lakers will be on Kobe Bryant. Even with Pau Gasol, there were plenty of times when Kobe had to take over the game on both defense and offense. Most people seem to take for granted how much energy Kobe has to expend throughout the season by leading the team on offense as well as guarding his opponent's best player. The addition of Artest allows Kobe to play more of a roamer on defense while still having the capability to be a lock down defender. Phil Jackson has already discussed playing a line up featuring Kobe, Artest, Odom, Gasol and Bynum. That will be an intimidating defensive line up that only Boston could match up with.
Artest will also add toughness that the Lakers have lacked for the last couple of years. He can change the defensive culture of the team alone with his intensity and commitment to the defensive end of the floor. The Lakers will miss Trevor Ariza, but Artest gives them a lot more versatility on both ends of the floor, something that was a necessity after all the other top teams improved.
With the core of the team returning with a championship under their belts and roles clearly defined, the Lakers have an outstanding chance of repeating. Their largest issue currently is figuring out the point guard rotation and which of the young players out of Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar will emerge to spell Derek Fisher. Overall the Lakers are a deep team who can cause match up problems for anyone. Kobe Bryant will be on a mission to add to his legacy and keep his name in the conversation with Michael Jordan. With a ring for each finger on his hand, Kobe will have to be an unquestioned member of the top 10 players ever to play the game.
Projection: 1st in Pacific Division/1st in Western Confernce
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