As many of you are well aware, Dwight Howard will likely miss the season opener for the Lakers and will be sidelined indefinitely as he completes rehab after undergoing back surgery in April.
However, there are now reports that Howard might actually be ready for the season opener.
In case he’s not ready, though, while the big man is getting his back strong, there will undoubtedly be a huge hole in the middle that needs to be filled, and it will take a few players to do it.
It may not seem like it, but to go without such a powerful force offensively and defensively, there is a trickle-down effect.
Obviously the whole team will have to elevate their play, but there are five players I think will have to step up in order for the Lakers to establish themselves as a powerhouse early on, without Superman.
Without further ado, let’s get to the list.
First Up: The Spaniard
Well, this one’s a no-brainer. Plenty of times Pau Gasol has had to fill in for Andrew Bynum at the center position, and he’s very comfortable doing so. In fact, last season his PER (Player Efficiency Rating) was higher at the center position (21.7) than it was at the power forward slot (20.1).
Similarly, his opponents’ efficiency ratings were lower when he was at the five (12.2) than when he played the four (15.6). That’s no secret, though, as he virtually shut down new teammate Dwight Howard at times during the 2009 Finals when both were basically playing the five spot (Andrew Bynum wasn’t at full strength which left Gasol to play at center for the most crucial moments).
Anyway, Gasol is the most skilled big man in the league today in my opinion, and the transition will once again be seamless for him. It could potentially benefit him as well because he’ll once again be the second option for the Lakers–at least to start the season–and will be able to develop an offensive rhythm in the process.
However, after coming off yet another long summer which included an Olympic basketball run with Spain all the way to the Gold medal game, Gasol will need some relief himself.
Additionally, he played the second most amount of total minutes of any NBA player; second only to 23-year-old superstar, Kevin Durant. So, he will definitely need some help from his teammates while he enables Howard to take his time getting back to full strength.
Next Page: Antawn Jamison
For Antawn Jamison, Howard’s injury will be beneficial, and could be a blessing in disguise for the Lakers. As the first option last season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Jamison is expected to lead the Lakers’ reserves next season.
A versatile forward who can score (he averaged 17.1 points last season and averages 19.5 points on his career), the 36-year-old Jamison could possibly find himself in the starting lineup at the start of next season beside Pau Gasol.
If he does, it could be beneficial for the team as a whole, as Jamison would get ample time out on the court with the likes of Gasol, Metta World Peace, Kobe Bryant, and Steve Nash.
Similarly, he would develop a chemistry with those guys for situations when Howard is taken out of the game–say in the last couple minutes of a tight game where the other team decides to employ a “Hack-a-Dwight” strategy.
Additionally, Jamison would receive some sort of a transition from being the number one option last season, to being the number four option at the start of next season, and eventually settling in as the sixth man for the remainder of the season.
Next Page: Jordan Hill
Jordan Hill showed a lot of promise last season. After barely seeing any playing time, Hill was thrown into the lineup at the very end of the season, and became a solid role player in the playoffs–often notching double-doubles.
While still learning the new offensive system after being traded to the Lakers in mid-March, Hill managed to become one of the only consistent bench players for the Lakers, which prompted management to sign him to a two-year, $7 million dollar deal.
Should Mike Brown decide to keep Antawn Jamison on the bench at the start of the season as an offensive spark and opt for a more defensive-able front line, Jordan Hill could find himself in the starting lineup.
At the very least, he’ll be called upon to spell Pau Gasol at the center position when he takes a breather, and likely also backup Jamison at power forward.
Next Page: Devin Ebanks
I know what you’re probably thinking: Devin Ebanks is a shooting guard/small forward, why would he have to step up?
Well, here’s why:
After the Lakers decided not to re-sign Matt Barnes, that left Ebanks behind Metta World Peace on the small forward depth chart. However, Antawn Jamison can play the small forward position, and if Ebanks isn’t performing up to expectations, Mike Brown easily can bench him in favor of the experienced veteran.
With Howard missing time, though, Jamison will spend most of his time on the front line, which will leave the backup small forward duties to Ebanks.
Ebanks showed some promise last season, even starting a few games at the beginning of the season, and then starting some more towards the end of it. I predicted he would have a breakout season last year, but I was wrong. I’m going to go ahead and predict it again this year and say “Devin Ebanks is going to have a breakout year.”
With a full training camp under Mike Brown this time around, and less uncertainty surrounding his role, Ebanks will have more freedom to make mistakes and essentially grow into the player we all hope he can be; he recently put on 10 pounds of muscle as well, which should help him when guarding forwards.
The start of next season might just be an indication of how his third season as a professional basketball player will turn out.
Next Page: Robert Sacre or Earl Clark
With Pau Gasol sliding down to the center position, Antawn Jamison starting at the power forward slot, and Jordan Hill back
ing up the two of them (or Hill starting and Jamison coming off the bench), it will likely leave room for another big man to steal a few minutes at the beginning of next season while Dwight Howard recovers. However, that is not a given as Mike Brown could easily opt for a three-man combination of Gasol, Hill, and Jamison.
Nonetheless, it will at the very least leave an opportunity during training camp for one of the Lakers’ other big men to prove themselves.
Rookie center Robert Sacre (7’0″, 260 lbs), who averaged 11.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks last season with Gonzaga, could potentially earn a couple minutes on the floor if he performs well.
Similarly, forward Earl Clark (6’10”, 225 lbs), who was a throw-in with the Howard trade, could potentially see some action. Clark has averaged just 3.1 points and 2.1 rebounds over his three-year career, but if he can find chemistry and a defensive tenacity with his new squad, he could even earn some time on the floor.
It will be a battle between those two, and neither will be a shoe-in for some minutes, but a little competition never hurt anyone. With so many talented big men, however, those guys will have to, at the very least, step up in practice to keep the rotation players ready.