Team Expert/Cool Guy: Kurt from the reflective Forum Blue And Gold, which takes an in-depth look at both the Lakers and the NBA. Kurt answers from a fantasy basketball point of view since that's my real forte, but you'll still get the gist of what to expect from the "real" Lakers team.
Questions and Answers:
1. How will Kobe Bryant's offseason knee injury/surgery affect him for this upcoming season? Last season, he seemed to do everything for the Lakers, almost willing them to win some games. Does he need to
shoulder as big a load again or will other players step their game up?
I wouldn't worry much about the knee surgery, Kobe more than any player in the league is driven to keep in condition and be ready when the bell rings. While his running has been limited, he has worked on high-post moves and other ways to get shots that require less pure athleticism and more basketball IQ. He'll be just fine by day one.
But, from a fantasy perspective, I would expect Kobe's scoring to be down slightly this season. He is still going to have a few games where he just carries the team on a night where the rest of the guys aren't focused for the third game in four days on a road trip. But two things will somewhat reduce his scoring. First, the team as a whole is better in the triangle offense, so Lamar Odom and Luke Walton and Vladimir Radmanovic will get some of those shots that Kobe used to have to take because everyone else was confused and just gave him the ball and got out of the way. Second, Maurice Evans gives the Lakers a competent backup for Kobe, something they didn't have last year. When Kobe left the game you just hoped they didn't blow the lead and prayed he be back soon. With Evans Kobe will get a little more rest, maybe play three or four fewer minutes a game, and that's fewer shots he takes.
2. Kwame Brown says he feels more comfortable with the Lakers entering his second year with the team. Is there any way that he lives up to his number one overall draft choice status?
Kwame will never live up to the lofty standards of being the number one overall pick you expect those players to be the kind of guy you build around, a franchise guy. Kwame is not that. But what he can be is a solid center, a big, strong body on defense and someone who can crash the boards and give you a few points. Maybe a 13-9 guy nightly (the Laker brass set the goal at 15-10, we'll see). He's saying all the right things and looked okay in the preseason. He's not going to be a fantasy hoops monster like most first overalls, but he can be the kind of inside presence every team needs to succeed on the court. He just needs to prove it for a season.
3. Will the addition of perimeter-happy big man, Vladimir Radmanovic, help open lanes? How well does he fit into the offense.
You hit the nail on the head. Radmanovic can shoot the three - a career 38.1% guy from beyond the arc who shot 41.8% with the Clippers last year. And he'll get his chances. But it is the threat he provides that is just as important. On my blog, author Roland Lazenby compared him to what Steve Kerr meant to the 90s Bulls you knew if you left him alone he'd bury the three, so you had to have a guy out close to him, but that left more room for Jordan and Pippen to drive, it made the rotations slower because guys had farther to go. I expect Vladimir may take a month or two of the season to really feel comfortable and find his spots in the offense, which happens
with the triangle, but by he second half of the season he should be putting up good numbers.
4. Anything else you want to say about the Lakers?
A couple guys to watch for fantasy players. Don't sleep on Lamar Odom, he is going to have a monster year. For one thing he is more comfortable in the offense and finding his spots, which you saw in the playoff series against the Suns (remember he abused Marion). Another thing, and this may sound odd, but the basketball court has become his refuge from the pain of losing his son this summer and he has looked like a man taking his struggles out on his opponents. The other guy is Luke Walton, who played very well at the end of last season and has come in looking more confident shooting the ball than ever. He'll get you some points and assists nightly.
Also, no one is quite sure how the point position will shake out as the season wears on. Smush Parker has the starting job but Shammond Williams will get minutes and Sasha Vujacic will get some. Plus, Jordan Farmar is playing well and I think by the end of the season could be stealing minutes from those guys. Whoever plays the best "D" will get the most minutes, offense is somewhat secondary (the Lakers will score plenty).
5. Who wins the NBA Finals this coming season (besides your team, that is)? Just give me a team name at least.
The Phoenix Suns.
Kurt, thanks for taking time out from your schedule to send some West Coast love to the East Coast here in the NYC area. See... we can all get along.
MY TAKE - Things Go Right If These Three Things Happen:
1. Kobe Bryant comes back like the same old Kobe after having knee surgery. Perhaps even three times better as his jersey number changes from 8 to 24.
2. Everyone is in tune with Head Coach Phil Jackson's triangle offense and execution is a lot better and crisper.
3. Lamar Odom becomes equal to Bryant as far as effectiveness, but in other ways than scoring.
MY TAKE - Things Go Wrong If These Three Things Happen:
1. Kobe isn't the same player or misses time and needs to go on the shelf.
2. Vladimir Radmanovic doesn't make his outside shots, which he should because he'll be open a lot with Kobe and Odom driving in or posting up. Radmanovic was signed to do one thing and that's to hit J's.
3. If last season was a fluke for Smush Parker who basically came out of nowhere to be a solid scoring option and three-point shooter as well as a great steals guy.
