With the D'Antoni era about to begin (I can't believe this is happening), I figured I'd review the first few weeks of the blog, recap the 3-5 start and preview what life is going to be like with Mike D. But before I really dive into it, I want to offer some food for thought: If you are ever a GM of a major professional sports franchise and you are going to make a controversial coaching hire, please try your best to make sure the guy you hire doesn't hobble into his introductory press conference on crutches. It really makes for a pathetic sight as well as visual confirmation that your franchise is off its rocker with its hire. Watching D'Antoni struggle his way to the presser table might as well have been a punchline. While I actually think the guy is going to get it done and actually spoke well, most skeptics won't be able to get past the whole crutches thing. It almost screamed "regret" as loud as that Bobby Petrino press conference when he had to comment on his impending firing AND his alleged affair with a 20-something while wearing a neck brace from his affair-caused motorcycle crash.
So yesterday was the first time I went back and read each of my first six blog entries in chronological order. My initial reactions? Clearly, Mitch Kupchak is an avid reader of Purple and Gold and Silver because I pretty much detailed--in a nice crescendo--what became his public reasoning to fire Mike Brown. If you still think the Lakers jumped the gun with that decision, go back and read the initial blog entries because I unarguably justify it. My comments after that Utah loss--the "Groundhog Day" entry--were not only spot on accurate, but also spot on as to where the brains of the Laker brass were at that time. The thoughts I shared with James Worthy about "enough with the whole process act and this will take time crap" were obviously also shared by the people that actually count in the Laker organization...Once again, another tangible sign that I missed my calling as an NBA front office man.
The fact that Mike D has taken the exact opposite stance as Mike Brown on this whole "process" thing has been my favorite part about the hire so far. He is immediately talking championship and not hiding from the big picture. He is simplifying the mission and cutting right to the chase instead of taking the importance of his role in the journey too seriously. In other words, he realizes he has a stacked group and he is going to stay out of the way. He is like the anti-Brown and I hope his learning from Brown's mistake is a sign that he will learn from the ones he made in NY.
Without anymore hesitation, I am going to jump into the heart of the situation at hand. I'm going to quickly roll through the Laker roster, talk about what I have seen and what I think/hope to see under the tutelage of Mike D. Here goes nothing:
Kobe Bryant: This guy is unreal. He is "the reason why I play the game." (Sidenote: "the reason why I play the game" is a phrase my brother and I use to typify why we do certain things. For example, you usually pick an Asian restaurant because of the appetizers or you play a video game strictly for offense and statistics. So, in other words, the Asian appetizer, stats/offense on video games are "the reason why you play the game." Translation: Kobe is the human version of an Asian appetizer). Probably one of the most annoying parts of the 3-5 start is that we are wasting some great Kobe games. His efficiency--many times his weakness--has been off the charts. I expect this to continue under Mike D. Anyone that doubts him fitting into the new system is a moron. It's Kobe Bryant. In his 17-years he's dropped 25-30 or won big in a traditional system, the triangle, the Princeton, with Olympians, with other stars, etc...To think he can't fit into this (or anything else) is just ignorant at this point. He is the least of the worries.
Dwight Howard: I am not going to lie here. I have been underwhelmed by his offensive game and his defensive dominance thus far. I will give him a pass considering he is fresh off of back surgery, but his ability to clean the glass and finish inside needs to improve big time. We saw some flashes vs. San Antonio, but he needs to take a major jump...and like right now. Under Mike D, I see him flourishing because he can run the floor and play pick and roll. I don't quite see him as Amare because he can't go off the bounce like Stoudemire did in Phoenix, but he will finish tons of plays and, most importantly, start the break with his rebounding and block shots. This fit is going to be great.
Pau Gasol: He's been soft. He's been weak. He's been the 2008 vs. Boston Pau Gasol thus far. His jumper seems on, but his physical toughness is just not there. I feel like I could push him off the block right now and force him into a bad shot and I'm 5'7 175. Under Mike D, he is the big X factor. His wide-ranging skill set could make him phenomenal, but I think it's more likely he will struggle to to find his niche. Having him and Dwight on the floor together will become increasingly awkward and I predict the "Pau for Josh Smith" rumors will grow as the season progresses. I love Pau, but he's got to figure this out or else...
Steve Nash: The dude broke his leg. Call it what you want, but Steve Nash has been out with a broken leg. Only John Stockton in the 1992 Olympics had a more underratedly broken leg than Nash does now. I hope, like Stockton, he somehow fully recovers because he may become another Asian appetizer. I can't wait to watch this guy pick and roll teams to death like he did to us all those years. His healthy presence alone justifies the D'Antoni hire. His healthy presence alone justifies the whole "D'Antoni's style is a better fit" argument. I can't wait to get this guy back.
Metta World Peace: Since the Brown firing, MWP has been behaving like any student would when a substitute teacher is in charge...he has irrationally shot the ball every single time he has touched it for the past week. Watching this dude has been a whirlwind of emotions and it's only going to get more crazy with this new system. I actually expect to see him look a bit better offensively with Mike D and I also expect him to moonlight a little bit as an undersized 4-man. Expect him to take full advantage of the green light he will be given. I just hope he doesn't think he can lead the break considering the dude doesn't know how to dribble yet somehow has been in the NBA for 14 years.
Antawn Jamison: As previously stated, despite the big expectations, this guy has looked more like Laker Mitch Richmond and Knicks Glen Rice than the 17 ppg super-sub we were trying to bring into the mix. However, I think this Mike D hire might be just what the doctor ordered..."shoot the 3 and rest on D." Honestly, I think the new system will make Antawn prosper. He can play multiple positions, score from a variety of areas and handle the ball a bit.
Jodie Meeks: I can't believe this guy got recruited by Kentucky (although it was by Gillespie), flourished at Kentucky, got drafted by an NBA team, started games for an NBA team, was stolen away by another NBA team and did ALL OF THAT while playing guard AND without knowing how to dribble a basketball. Stuff like this blows my mind. The dude flat out cannot dribble...and he has a quick Mike Skrocki-esque (google Mike Skrocki) release. That's all I have learned about him so far this year. However, despite being an NBA guard that can't dribble, I think he will be a weapon off the bench for Mike D. He will have nights when he fills it up...and he will have some other nights when he sucks sh-t and Mike D only plays him one stint. I'm excited to see what this guy will do.
Jordan Hill: I love this guy. Other than Kenneth Faried, Hill may be the best version of this type of guy in the league. He is an absolute animal with a bottomless pit of energy and uncanny knack for the ball. I just hope is offensive deficiencies don't keep him off the floor with Mike D. If they do, that could be a major point of contention between myself and the new coach. I can't wait to get my #27 Hill jersey soon!!
Steve Blake: While I haven't been anti-Steve Blake to the core of my whole existence yet this year, I am hoping that the new coach/new system will finally spell the end of Blake getting big minutes for this team. Despite his best efforts, it has been a series of disappointments for Blake since coming to the Lakers, which in sum have added up to one massive disappointment. Considering he is a shooter that hasn't consistently made shots in three years, I think the other backup PG options are probably better.
Chris Duhon: I never liked this guy. I always thought that he thought that he was cooler than he was. However, while a NY Knick, he put up some good numbers on a bad D'Antoni squad. I was at a game once where he had 20+ assists....I swear I was. If he can push the ball, run the system and knock down 3s for 12 minutes most nights, I will take that over Blake.
Darius Morris: I've been killing this guy since last year. And while I agree with Bernie that "he has to take some sugar off of his game", I kind of like what he has given us. His corner 3s have been pure luck, but his athleticism, pesky on-ball defense and his ability to push the ball has been a bit refreshing to watch. If he can come in and do that when called upon without breaking the turnover-per-minute record every once in awhile, he may be alright with Mike D. (Anyway we can trade him and pick up Kevin Anderson....google him too).
Devin Ebanks: He physically looks like Trevor Ariza out there. He actually has a versatile skill set that could work wonders in this new system. Too bad it looks like he may have drank and drove his away out of the organization through all off this recent hoopla.
Robert Sacre: Like his fellow Gonzaga alum and former Laker Rony Turiaf before him, this guy can certainly wave a towel! He can cheer on his teammates with the best of them. I like watching him on the bench because he cares almost as much as I do. Sidenote: no way this guy would have made the team if D'Antoni ran training camp.
Darius Johnson-Odom: Very left handed...I think. Scary looking guy. Bizarro Cuttino Mobley in fast-forward.
Earl Clark: Couldn't pick him out of a lineup. No chance he will be relevant at any moment this year beyond being a throw-in in a trade.
Well...there it is. Let's see how these predictions play out.
"I play because the 37th pick in the draft usually doesn't. I play for Prime Sports" - Nick Van Exel (1995)
No comments:
Post a Comment