This is part two of a two part article. This section previews the Lakers’ 2010-2011 season.
The Lakers will open the season against the Houston Rockets, after receiving their 2009-2010 championship rings. Rockets’ center Yao Ming will also make his return that same game, which means Pau Gasol will have his hands full on opening night.
After the opening night showdown with the Rockets, the Lakers will play two more games in October. One against the Phoenix Suns in the US Airways Center, and the other a Sunday night home game against the Warriors.
November will be a little more challenging month for the Lakers, as they will play teams like the Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz, and Milwaukee Bucks on their home court.
However, the Lakers have fairly “easy” opponents in the first few weeks of the month, as they will square up with the Kings, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, and Pistons just to name a few.
Some highlight matchups include hosting the Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, and the new-look Chicago Bulls. The Lakers will not be 100% early on in the season, since injuries are plaguing the team.
Center Andrew Bynum may not be back until late November, and star Kobe Bryant is still trying to get back in shape after his knee surgery in the off-season.
Kobe may see limited minutes early on in the season, which means Pau Gasol will have to carry the team for the first few months. Kobe may not be able to score effectively, so expect Gasol to be leading the team in the scoring category.
Since Bynum will absent the paint will belong to Gasol, and so will all the rebounds and blocks. Don’t be surprised to see Gasol put up MVP type numbers early on in the season.
As December rolls around, the players should be returning and getting closer to 100%. The new guys will most likely establish a good understanding of the Triangle Offense, and the Lakers should “catch fire.”
December is headlined by the Christmas Day showdown with the Miami Heat. The entire world will be watching the new-look Heat take on the defending champions, and let’s hope this season’s Christmas Day game is better than last season’s.
Next: The Second Half of the Season
January and February include some marquee games, and special matchups. On MLK Day the Oklahoma City Thunder will come to Staples Center, and Boston makes its only visit to Southern California on January 30th.
As for February, the Lakers will make their only visit to Boston to face the Celtics, and then they will take their lone trip to New York City.
As the All-Star weekend approaches, the Lakers and the rest of the NBA should be at full-steam ahead. Players should be situated with their teams and should understand the new offenses.
The Lakers will most likely ignore action during the trade deadline, and instead they will be setting up the All-Star festivities.
The 2011 NBA All-Star weekend will be held in Los Angeles and the Lakers will have many representatives for the crowd.
Shannon Brown may try to redeem himself in the Dunk Contest, and Andrew Bynum has a chance of making the All-Star team. The All-Star festivities should be exciting, and if any city can host the events, it’s Los Angeles.
The remainder of the regular season should be an exciting stretch. The Lakers will most likely lock-up the Western Conference at this point, and will have to wait and see who they will play in the first round. March of 2011 is headlined by the Lakers’ only visit to Miami and the Orlando Magic’s only game in Los Angeles.
As April wraps up, the Lakers will be getting ready for another title run. The team will most likely finish as the top team in the West, but may face a 50+ win team in the first round.
Next: Previewing the Playoffs
Another season—another title run for the Los Angeles Lakers. A season without a championship would be considered a failure, and the Lakers are aiming for nothing less.
The ideal Finals matchup would be the Lakers and the Miami Heat, but the Lakers must first get passed a tough Western Conference. Last season, the conference’s top eight teams had won 50+ games, and this season shouldn’t be any different.
However, you must never, “under-estimate the heart of a champion.” Many people say that the Lakers are too old or too slow, some people even believe the Mavericks or Thunder can knock out the Lakers. But, for the past two seasons the Lakers have been silencing critics and playing as a team.
“I see the Lakers finishing atop the West,” said Eric Pincus of Hoopsworld. “The key is getting and staying healthy. That’s no easy chore given that 40% of their starting lineup (Kobe and Drew) are hobbling on weak knees.”
The Lakers may face some challenges during the first three rounds, but it is very unlikely that the Lakers will not make it to the NBA Finals. The 2010-2011 team has greatly improved since last season, as the bench has been revived.
Last season, the reserves cost the Lakers many games and they usually gave up big leads. However, these back-ups are talented and all have starting-player skills. Barnes and Blake both started for their teams last season, while Odom, Brown and Ratliff all have starter abilities.
Whomever the Lakers play in the Finals, they still should be considered the favorites. The team is experienced and knows how to win big games.
Final Prediction: The Los Angeles Lakers are a very talented team who know how to get the job done. Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson are back at it again, and both individuals have three-peated before.
If Boston, Miami, Orlando or any other East team meets the Lakers in the Finals, it will be an interesting final round. It will be a blood-battle, but the Lakers will come-out victorious.
“I think they are going to three-peat,” said Mark Medina from the Los Angeles Times. “They have everyone back as far as their core.” If all the pieces fall in place, if the Lakers stay healthy and if they have a little bit of luck, banner number 17 will be raised to the rafters.
Next: Strengths and Weaknesses
The Lakers are known for their size and veteran leadership, which have been the key ingredients for the past two seasons. The front court of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, when healthy, are virtually unstoppable.
The team has an uncanny knack for playing defense, which always leads to deep playoff runs. More defensive minded players have been added to the roster, and opposing teams will find it very difficult to score baskets against the Lakers.
In some games, the team’s defense may not be on-point, and the Lakers may play stagnant offensively. If a game does come down to the wire, the Lakers have the ultimate luxury in Kobe Bryant.
“When Bryant is on his game, the Lakers are really tough to beat,” Pincus said. “Bryant has proven that he can hit big shots down the stretch of a game. Nine times out of ten, Kobe will hit the game winning shot.”
Early on in the season, the Lakers will face many injury problems, which can lead to a slow start. “I don’t think LA will shoot especially well as a team until they’re fully healthy,” said Pincus. “There are a lot of newcomers and the triangle will sputter here and there.”
Kobe Bryant will not be 100% for the first few weeks, and Andrew Bynum will not return until November. Even the new guys will be confused in the early parts of the season, as they will still be learning the Triangle Offense. Matt Barnes has already expressed his difficulties handling the Triangle Offseason.
“This is the most thinking I’ve had to do about playing,” Barnes told the Los Angeles Times. “I feel like a robot sometimes because I don’t really want to do something wrong.”
Last season, the Lakers sometimes took games off, and seemed to be “bored.” This team has played extended seasons in the past three years, and that kind of play is inevitable. “It is possible that the Lakers may be complacent at some point, because they are the two-time defending champs,” said Mark Medina. “The NBA season is a grind, and it is hard to stay motivated.”
Perhaps the biggest weakens the Lakers will face, is how the team will face the pressure of three-peating. As Medina put it, “There is a lot of pressure the Lakers are facing, they are still the team to beat.”
The Los Angeles Lakers are preparing for a three-peat run. They will face may obstacles in their way, from injuries to tough opponents.
However, whenever Phil Jackson, Kobe Bryant and a stacked team are working together, anything can happen.
Lakers Nation, get ready for a fun-filled, championship season.
NBA TV weighs in on the Lakers’s upcoming season.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMEE8PE_MEY