Coming into the 2014-2015 season, expectations are much different than in years past for the Los Angeles Lakers.
There’s not much chatter of championship hopes, and making the playoffs seems like the most reasonable aspiration for this Lakers team at this point in time.
The Lakers were unable to lure a superstar to Los Angeles over the summer, and instead of spending big money on an above average player, decided to maneuver their finances to remain flexible for the summer of 2015 — essentially leaving the team in a state of rebuilding and many fans disillusioned.
However, after a 27-55 season in 2014 in which the Lakers missed the playoffs, there isn’t much room for the Lakers to go anywhere but up, right?
After all, Kobe Bryant is back following two serious injuries, and Steve Nash appears to be in much better health than he was coming into last season.
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Begin reading the five reasons why the 2014-15 Lakers could really mesh together: [divide]Kobe Bryant After His First Game Back
PAGE 2: Five Reasons 2014-15 Lakers Could Really Mesh Together
1. Byron Scott/Leadership
While the Lakers didn’t go with my first choice at the head coaching position in the form of Mark Madsen, Byron Scott is seemingly turning out to be the perfect coach for this team. A team usually takes on its leader’s personality and Scott’s professional, old-school style is a great one to implement into this team going forward. (On a side note, Scott added Madsen as one of his assistant coaches, so I’m happy about that.)
In terms of philosophy? While Scott may not be Phil Jackson, Kobe stated the following after his first practice under B. Scott, via the Los Angeles Times: “We see things the same way. In terms of philosophy, it’s like identical.” Just a few days prior, Bryant not surprisingly revealed that he and former Lakers head coach Mike D’Antoni didn’t quite share the same philosophy on winning.
Scott having not only the support of his superstar, but also a trust built on a long-standing relationship dating back to Kobe’s rookie year (in which Scott was Kobe’s “rookie mentor”) is paramount.
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Kobe Bryant After His First Game Back
PAGE 3: Five Reasons 2014-15 Lakers Could Really Mesh Together
2. Defensive Philosophy
Another factor that could help this Lakers team mesh together is its defensive philosophy under Byron Scott.
The Lakers simply have not been a good defensive team over the last few years. Too often did opposing teams put up ridiculous numbers against the Lakers and it led to a very bad reputation in scouting reports. Reports from training camp thus far, however, have detailed the emphasis being placed on defense. As in, almost everything Byron Scott has been preaching reverted to defense in one way or another.
Over the last two seasons, you’ve seen frustrations mount between players as countless defensive assignments were blown.
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Nick Young for taking the challenge to guard him in practice, and also praised Wesley Johnson and Ed Davis’ defensive prowess.(UPDATE: Young has since been sidelined with a torn ligament in his thumb, ironically as a result of attempting to guard the Black Mamba.)
When you’ve got Kobe Bryant praising younger players for their defense, it only makes them want to work harder and get after it even more. It seems as though defense is going to be this team’s bread and butter, which is a great sign for Lakers fans going forward if that is indeed the case.
[divide]Kobe Bryant After His First Game Back
PAGE 4: Five Reasons 2014-15 Lakers Could Really Mesh Together
3. Offensive System
Offensively, Byron Scott brings his background with the Princeton Offense into the locker room with him.
Princeton Offense? Where have we heard that before?
That’s right, back in 2012-2013 when Kobe brought the idea to Mike Brown. Kobe subsequently thrived in the offense briefly, before Brown was fired and Mike D’Antoni was brought in. Most fans don’t have the fondest memory of the Princeton, but essentially what happened was Brown effectively handled the defensive efforts while Eddie Jordan was brought in to teach the intricacies of the Princeton.
The Princeton could work very well with this team because Kobe loves an out-think-your-opponent style of offense predicated on ball and player movement and, more importantly, Scott is well qualified to teach it as a head coach.
You may recall Steve Nash not looking much like Steve Nash in his brief stint running the Princeton (mainly in preseason), which is true. Nash — who at the time was still healthy and coming off a solid season with the Phoenix Suns — was virtually relegated to bringing the ball up the court and initiating the offense instead of freestyling and being allowed to utilize his creative brilliance. Unfortunately, Nash suffered an injury which would change the course of his career and not allow him to thrive in his usual run-and-gun role under Mike D’Antoni.
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and post play, simultaneously — as former head coaches not named Phil Jackson were unable to do in recent years.If he is able to do this, it could make for a very balanced offensive attack.
[divide]Kobe Bryant After His First Game Back
PAGE 5: Five Reasons 2014-15 Lakers Could Really Mesh Together
4. Mentoring
When you look at the way this team is built, there’s a lot of younger players, a handful of veterans, and then future Hall-of-Famers Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash. Nash has always been a great mentor for younger players, and Kobe has seemingly taken on that role as of late. Kobe was a solid leader and teacher before, and would occasionally take a player or two under his wing, but now he’s putting in the time to truly get to know his younger teammates and mentor them to become thinkers of the game.
Nash is certainly qualified to mentor the young guards, while Kobe is qualified to literally teach at any position. However, the other veteran presence who can be of use is Carlos Boozer. Boozer is a physical player who plays the power forward position in a traditional sense. He has plenty of knowledge to pass on to a young big man such as Julius Randle, or even give a few pointers to a seasoned veteran like Jordan Hill, who is continually expanding his game year after year.
Mentoring doesn’t always mean simply teaching and/or leading by example, though. Sometimes it means passing on wisdom and also allowing for the the mentee(s) to go out and try something on their own, and then giving input that will help the individual(s) grow.
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Kobe Bryant After His First Game Back
PAGE 6: Five Reasons 2014-15 Lakers Could Really Mesh Together
5. Attitude/Mentality
The last bullet point here — and possibly the most important one — is attitude and mentality. This team appears to have the right attitude going into the preseason. The leaders of the team are locked in and ready to get things rolling, the veterans are open to new challenges and eager to learn as much as possible from Kobe and Nash, and the young players are a complete open book excited to play for Byron Scott and play alongside the two perennial All-Stars.
One of the most important aspects, however, is every player’s attitude on defense. Each player is taking defense as a personal challenge — or at least saying they are — as the regular season approaches. When defense is a key priority and every player wants to collectively shut another team down each and every night, that’s a great attitude to come in with.
Kobe Bryant will set the tone with his tenacity, Steve Nash will exude positivity all around to keep the team upbeat, and Carlos Boozer will exhibit his level-headed mindset as a reminder to some of the younger players that it is a lengthy NBA regular season, and there will be ups and downs. The attitudes and personalities of those respective players could be the perfect combination to maintain what appears to be an extremely optimistic and opportunistic Lakers squad.
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Kobe Bryant After His First Game Back