The new CBA has pushed the NBA into new territory. I've mentioned it before; how that big-market teams vs. small-market teams is the same as a 3 superstar roster model vs. a well-balanced roster model.
The Lakers, from what I saw in their opening game of the season, have both. The Lakers have 3 superstars in Bryant, Gasol, and Bynum. But, what they have coming off of the bench, in my opinion, is quality. The addition of McRoberts and Murphy has really stabilized the bench for the Lakers.
Both McRoberts and Murphy contributed 8 rebound in tonight's game and anyway you look at it, that is huge! McRoberts plays with energy, and Murphy plays with experience.
When Bynum comes back and McRoberts goes back to the bench, the Lakers are going to have a well-balanced roster. With Ebanks and Goudelock in the mix; this might be Kobe Bryant's chance to show the Michael Jordan aspect of his game. In other words: he has decent players around him, and now might be the time for Kobe to take over in the late stages of the game to pull it out for the Lakers. In other words: Kobe should build on his legacy as the greatest Laker of all-time.
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Coach Brown, in my opinion, needs to work on who finishes the game. Fisher shouldn't be out there to close the game. Why would coach Brown put Fisher on Rose at the end of the game when he had Barns' height to cover Rose? The guy, coach Brown, says he's a defensive minded coach, but how does he go with Fisher to cover the best point guard in the league to close a game? Fisher is 37 years old and is seriously slow. Where is the logic in this move?
This game was the Lakers all the way, but Gasol and McRoberts gave it away with missed free throws. And coach Brown contributed to the loss by putting Fisher on Rose to end the game. Small things like that, Fisher on Rose, don't make sense. Small things to observe for sure but a huge window into the observation of coach Brown's ego.
Other than that, the Lakers look like they have a nice mixture of 3 stars and quality down the bench. Kobe needs to identify what he has to work with, and to make it work towards a championship.
These are my opening thoughts to the season in which the Lakers aren't looking too bad, in my opinion.
mike t.
+100 Great analysis,superior over LA Time hacks (medina) etc
ReplyDeleteUnknown,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the kind words.
mike t.
As long as Kobe's on that roster, the Lakers are always going to be competitive.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, if you're a Lakers fan, it has to be a little disheartening the way they lost that game.
They had it won with forty-something seconds left only to see it drizzle away.
In a Western Conference that's not as strong as it's been traditionally, the Lakers will hang around until the end.
We'll see how far that end actually is and who's still on the roster at that point.
Hey, bro. I need your vote if you don't mind...
http://sportschump.net/2011/12/26/how-sweet-it-is-fan-support-vaults-sportschump-to-round-of-16/7819/
Sports Champ,
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting.
Sure, I'll drop by to vote for you.
mike t.
Mike..
ReplyDeleteI also think there was more positive to take away than negative. I think Brown gave fish the "veteran" respect. Moving forward, he rides the bench in that situation. I have no problem with giving fish a chnce to save his position. Brown is showing respect but wont do it again.
Mike,
ReplyDeleteWere you as annoyed with magic johnson as I was? He's starting to resemble a shill for the heat and laquit...I think he's too critical of the Lakers. I'm not expecting a homer, but not to give the team any credit at all is sad. Everybody has left this team for dead, and they just went toe to toe with the team with lkast year's best regular season record, and blew the game on a few errors. I can see positives because they did more than any of us expected..
Doc4DaLakeshow
Doc4DaLakeshow,
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting.
We'll just have to see about Brown and Fisher.
Magic Johnson? I don't understand anyone who picks the Heat to win it this year. Anyway you cut it, a NBA championship is won with a defensive center and the Heat don't have one. I'd pick the Mavs before the Heat. But, right now I'm not sure who' going to win it all.
The Celtics are missing a big man, too. I mean O'Neil is an injury machine so I don't see him lasting the year out. Who else? Why not the Lakers? They have 4 big men. Gasol, Bynum, Murphy, and McRoberts.
Why not?
mike t.