This season promises to be one of the most exciting in the NBA’s history! After rekindling their fierce rivalry with the Celtics before losing out to them in the finals it’s going to be interesting to see how Phil Jackson and his team respond this time around.
Kobe Bryant is renowned for his refusal to fail and last season’s Finals loss will have got to him more than anyone. Kobe is seen by many as the greatest player on the planet, a view supported by last season’s MVP award. However much he may not say it, he still feels he has a lot to prove. He is still yet to win a championship with his ‘own’ team, as the three he won at the turn of the century are judged to be Shaq’s, and for these reasons I would expect more of the same from Kobe.
It could be the return of Andrew Bynum which is the difference this time around though. Bynum looked to be making great progress last season under the tutelage of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar until injury cut his season short. If Bynum is able to pick up where he left off and link up with Pau Gasol, these two players could form one of the most feared front courts in the league.
This partnership could take some work though as they appear to look for the same spots on the floor. I would also be looking for a bit more from Pau this season. When in form he is a great option for Kobe out of the double team, but a lot of the time, during the playoffs in particular he went missing when his team really needed him. Maybe the competition from Bynum to be the club’s premier threat inside could be just what he needs to become a champion.
Then there is Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher. With Derek Fisher you know what you are going to get, a safe pair of hands who can make a big shot when called upon (Kings Conference Finals a couple of years ago?). But perhaps the most important thing about Fish is that he has won championships, you can never have too many of those guys on a team.
Odom can be unstoppable at times and seemingly uninterested at others. It’s not that he’s uninterested at all, but his form is sporadic. If he can produce his best at the right time he could finally produce the performances he has always had in him.
Off the bench LA look stronger this year as well. Sasha Vujacic showed he can be trusted in the playoffs and will be a lot better off for the experience, as will most of the team. Vladimir Radmanovich can take some attention away from Kobe when needed, Luke Walton’s passing always creates space and Trevor Ariza can score when called upon.
Overall the team looks stronger and with Bynum back in contention it is like having a new signing. It remains to be seen the influence rookie Sun Yue and forward Josh Powell will have but the side looks tougher, despite the loss of Ronny Turiaf.
Verdict: I think it’s Conference Finals at the very least ,but I would hope for a championship. The only teams I would fear are the Celtics and possibly the Spurs, with the Suns in transition and Cleveland struggling to support LeBron.
The champs look even hungrier than last time and it will be the same old Spurs. Houston could be a threat with the addition of Ron Artest but they will need time to gel.
Kobe Bryant is renowned for his refusal to fail and last season’s Finals loss will have got to him more than anyone. Kobe is seen by many as the greatest player on the planet, a view supported by last season’s MVP award. However much he may not say it, he still feels he has a lot to prove. He is still yet to win a championship with his ‘own’ team, as the three he won at the turn of the century are judged to be Shaq’s, and for these reasons I would expect more of the same from Kobe.
It could be the return of Andrew Bynum which is the difference this time around though. Bynum looked to be making great progress last season under the tutelage of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar until injury cut his season short. If Bynum is able to pick up where he left off and link up with Pau Gasol, these two players could form one of the most feared front courts in the league.
This partnership could take some work though as they appear to look for the same spots on the floor. I would also be looking for a bit more from Pau this season. When in form he is a great option for Kobe out of the double team, but a lot of the time, during the playoffs in particular he went missing when his team really needed him. Maybe the competition from Bynum to be the club’s premier threat inside could be just what he needs to become a champion.
Then there is Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher. With Derek Fisher you know what you are going to get, a safe pair of hands who can make a big shot when called upon (Kings Conference Finals a couple of years ago?). But perhaps the most important thing about Fish is that he has won championships, you can never have too many of those guys on a team.
Odom can be unstoppable at times and seemingly uninterested at others. It’s not that he’s uninterested at all, but his form is sporadic. If he can produce his best at the right time he could finally produce the performances he has always had in him.
Off the bench LA look stronger this year as well. Sasha Vujacic showed he can be trusted in the playoffs and will be a lot better off for the experience, as will most of the team. Vladimir Radmanovich can take some attention away from Kobe when needed, Luke Walton’s passing always creates space and Trevor Ariza can score when called upon.
Overall the team looks stronger and with Bynum back in contention it is like having a new signing. It remains to be seen the influence rookie Sun Yue and forward Josh Powell will have but the side looks tougher, despite the loss of Ronny Turiaf.
Verdict: I think it’s Conference Finals at the very least ,but I would hope for a championship. The only teams I would fear are the Celtics and possibly the Spurs, with the Suns in transition and Cleveland struggling to support LeBron.
The champs look even hungrier than last time and it will be the same old Spurs. Houston could be a threat with the addition of Ron Artest but they will need time to gel.
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