Ok, not that we have had a few days to digest the Dwight Howard to the Lakers blockbuster deal, it is time to take an educated look at this move and try to decipher how much of an improvement this ultimately will be. Many in the media and the league have already proclaimed the Lakers to be the favorite going into the 2012/13 season. With a starting lineup of Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest (I refuse to call him his other name), Pau Gasol, and Dwight Howard, it is easy to understand why so many assume that the Larry O’Brien Trophy is the Lakers to lose. The thing is- we have been here before with the Lakers, and although the teams aren’t exactly the same, there are some similarities that are stunning and it almost feels like the Lakers are determined to win with their “superteam” this time around. I am not convinced they can do it though.
I will start by saying that this team is downright scary. I am not looking forward to watching my team in green deal with this Lakers squad next year, although I do hope they play about 8 or 9 times when the season is all said and done. After watching the two teams conduct their offseason, I believe this championship matchup might come to fruition. It comes down to health for Boston and chemistry/defense for the Lakers. The Lakers offense is going to be explosive. Kobe Bryant has never played with a point guard like Nash before, and with Bryant getting up in age, he can’t win off the dribble as easy as he once could and he has to be better at coming off picks to catch and shoot.
Nash will facilitate this as long as Bryant understands it must happen. Bryant likes the ball in his hands, but I have the feeling that after scoring an effortless 25, he might buy in pretty quickly. Gasol will also benefit from Nash, using the pick and roll to abuse teams that simply cannot match up. Howard being integrated into the offense will be the most interesting development. Bynum was a low post scorer, a better offensive low post player than Howard and an easier guy to use on offense. Howard is light years better on defense than Bynum (which should make up for the awful defense of Steve Nash) but he is not simply a low post guy. His athleticism, as long as his back is healed, will help the Lakers in an area they were sorely missing (just like the Celtics did) but again, how the Lakers use Howard on offense is the biggest question mark going into this season.
I mentioned history earlier, and this is why. I am sure everyone remembers the Shaq-Kobe-Malone-Payton foursome that was supposed to walk to a title. They had a strong bench and a center and unstoppable shooting guard in their prime who had three titles already; nobody thought anyone had a chance to beat this team. Something strange happened- they didn’t gel. These four players had never played together before, and although Shaq and Kobe were in there prime, and Malone and Payton were still very good, they were beat by a team that executed better offensively and defensively. The 2004 Pistons are the type of team that is kryptonite to “superteams” like the Lakers and Heat. Stacked teams, even though supremely talented, need time to come together just like any other team, and sometimes it doesn’t work at all due to egos.
Next season is going to be interesting in the NBA. I feel lucky to root for the Green team because they are relevant, and there would be nothing better than the Celtics replicating the 2004 Pistons and upsetting the Lakers in the finals. If the Lakers can figure out what works for them, they will be there, but if egos swell and things don’t start well, this experiment might fail just like it did in 2004.
C.S.
Chris Simoneau
chris_simoneau @twitter.com
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