Now that the season is at the halfway mark, and all players have had a chance to take a breath during the All-Star break, let’s take some time to evaluate each player from the Los Angeles Lakers and grade their performance thus far.
When it comes to the Lakers, there is only one goal: Win a championship. Therefore, we will grade each player based on his role relative to the team and the level of play needed in order to achieve the aforementioned goal.
Let’s jump right in, starting with the Lakers’ franchise player:
Kobe Bryant (Grade: A): Bryant is averaging the second most minutes played per game (38:12) in the league, and is also the current scoring leader this season with 28.4 points. He has been aggressive, and his scoring average this year is the highest it has been since the 2007-2008 season, in which he won the league MVP award. However, his field goal percentage (43.5 percent) is down from previous years, as is his three-point shooting percentage (28.7 percet). His turnover rate (3.9) is close to a career high as well. A lot of this can be attributed to an injury to his wrist sustained in a pre-season game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Supposedly the wrist has fully healed, however.
Bryant’s rebounding (5.8) is up compared with the last few seasons, as are his assists (4.9) from last season. Much of the added scoring and assists per game have to do with his added role in the new offensive system. Early on, much of the offense was run directly through Kobe, which was a difference between this season and seasons past. In Phil Jackson’s triangle offense, Bryant dominated the ball a lot, but the offense was a “read an react” type of system, wherein Bryant didn’t necessarily make all the decisions. Under Mike Brown’s system early on, Bryant was forced to facilitate the offense and be the primary scoring option as well, as the team was still adjusting to the new offense.
Widely considered the most dangerous player when the game is on the line, Bryant hasn’t shown the kind of heroics we saw in the 2009-2010 season, where we saw an array of game-winning and buzzer-beating shots. Defenses appear to be bothering him when they really focus in on him, but his decision making can also be scapegoated due to the new offensive system. We expect Bryant to regain some of his magic, so to speak, in the second half of the season and playoffs.
The biggest positive for Bryant this season, however, is his health. The fact that he is averaging almost five minutes per game more than last season is a testament to his legs feeling much better. On top of that, he’s been doing this during a harsh condensed season, and hasn’t shown many signs of fatigue. Yes, he has had more “off games” than we normally see from Kobe, but at 33 years of age, he has held up exceptionally well.
Not many players can accomplish what Bryant has in his 16 year career, and somehow he remains an elite player despite all the mileage on his body. We expect Bryant to regain his shooting touch, and even look to attack the basket a bit more as the second half of the season gets underway. Bryant really zones in once the playoffs begin, so right now he is right on pace in terms of championship level play. He is playing at a very high level, but there is some room for improvement and even he knows it. Therefore out of respect for Kobe’s ability, we cannot give him a “Straight A” just yet.
The man takes no days off, and even during a season of uncertainty, never seems to lose his focus. He will always receive an A for effort.
Next Page: The Big Men
Kobe Bryant will always be the Lakers’ top scoring option, but the greatest advantage the Lakers have over their opponents is the size and scoring potency amongst their big men. Let’s take a look at the Lakers’ front line of Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol:
Pau Gasol (Grade: B): Considering that he was almost traded to the Houston Rockets in a deal that would have brought Chris Paul to the Lakers, Pau Gasol has played quite well. Constantly having to look over his shoulder, Gasol has managed 17 points (on 50 percent shooting), 10.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game. He is still a double-double machine, but his numbers are slightly down from his previous years with the Lakers (ranging between 18-19 points on no less than 53 percent shooting). Part of this can be attributed to Andrew Bynum’s emergence, which results in Gasol having less space around the basket and having to take more outside shots. And some of it can be attributed to trying to find his way through the new offensive system, as he had thrived under the Triangle.
However, often times Gasol has not looked focused or fully involved in the games. We’ve seen a few flashes where Gasol is assertive and aggressive, especially down the stretch, but he has definitely lacked passion this season. After Bryant’s recent public support of Gasol, and a players-only meeting in which the core message was to stick together, Gasol has looked more focused on basketball. Only time will tell if he can regain his passion, but he has seemingly picked up his assertiveness as of late, and looked to either create offense for others, or for himself.
If the offense can continue to run through him more often, Gasol looks poised for a solid second half. Additionally, after the March 15 trade deadline, if Gasol remains a Laker, we expect his energy level and focus to truly pick up. Gasol needs to get back to the level of play he had during the championship run, in which he was the secondary option behind Bryant and on many occasions helped provide the “1-2 punch” that really destroyed other teams. He is still the Lakers’ second best player, and has the ability to play poised under pressure, whereas Andrew Bynum still must prove himself.
Andrew Bynum (Grade: A-): The biggest positive for Andrew Bynum this year has been his health. He has played in every game he has been allowed to (he was suspended for the first four games of the season), and looked healthy so far. His conditioning looks suspect at times, but overall he looks nimble and is able to finish around the basket.
Bynum’s numbers prove this, as he is averaging a career-high 16.3 points and 12.8 rebounds per game in 34:36 minutes. His free throw percentage (62 percent) has fallen off from his career average of 67.8 percent, however. He has looked dominant at times, but still has trouble playing against double teams, and also has issues with consistency in marquee games.
However, Bynum’s maturity this season has been an equally positive aspect of his game so far. After longing to be selected to his first All-Star team, Bynum finally had arrived as the Western Conference’s best center. However, the fact that he opted for a medical procedure–in which his right knee was injected with a synthetic lubricant during All-Star weekend–proved his maturity and dedication to his long term progress. As a result of the injection, Bynum’s knee was sore, and he asked to play no more than six minutes in the exhibition.
If he can continue to grow as a player and remain healthy, we expect a promising second half of the season for Andrew Bynum.
Next Page: Role Players
With Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum comprising the Lakers’ “Big Three,” let’s take a look at the team’s “role players,” Derek Fisher and Metta World Peace:
Derek Fisher (Grade: C+): Never one to impress through stats, Fisher will always receive an A for effort. Always the consummate professional, Fisher has maintained a streak of 500+ consecutive games played, which is a testament to his conditioning and toughness. He is always available, and is always willing to make the big play down the stretch. However, his play this season has not lived up to expectations.
Fisher is averaging just 5.5 points per game on 37.1 percent shooting. More worrisome is his three-point field goal percentage, which is just 28.3 percent compared with a 37.3 percent career average. Much of this can be attributed to the fact that, as the President of the NBA Player’s Association, Fisher spent more time at the negotiating table than in the gym during the lockout. At 37 years-old, Fisher takes his training very seriously. Because he was unable to train with the intensity he normally likes to during the off-season, he has had to try and make up for it during the regular season, and it has shown.
Additionally, when Steve Blake went down with an injury, much of his minutes landed on Derek Fisher. Combine Fisher’s age and unpolished off-season training and we have the result of a struggling point guard.
Many consider Fisher to be the Lakers’ weakest link, and have been clamoring for an upgrade at the point guard position. The inability to guard opposing teams’ explosive guards has definitely been an “Achilles heel” over the years for the Lakers. However, although the Lakers could definitely use an upgrade at the position, Fisher has proven he is able to get the job done time and time again. After all, Fisher has played alongside Kobe Bryant for all five of his championship titles, and never had eye-popping stats during any one of them. Fisher knows how to be a role player and step up in huge moments, but this season it appears as though he has really been struggling to be consistent. In a more traditional offensive system, Fisher’s assists have picked up to 3.4 per contest, but he no longer possesses the ability to penetrate opponents’ defenses that he once had. His biggest threat is his outside shooting, but that normal constant for him has faltered this season. The return of Steve Blake, however, should help alleviate Fisher’s responsibilities going forward, and allow him to pick his spots better.
Even during a grueling condensed season, we expect Fisher to correct his shooting woes somehow, and find a way to get his legs under him. If there is one word that describes Derek Fisher, it is “clutch,” and we have faith that he will get back on track when the Lakers need him the most.
Metta World Peace (Grade: C-): Unlike in Derek Fisher’s case, the Lakers need solid production from their starting small forward. World Peace’s production has sharply dropped off since the Lakers’ most recent championship run in 2010. This season he is averaging 4.9 points (on 33.5 percent shooting, 24 percet from three), 2.8 rebounds, and 0.8 steals in 22:48 minutes per game. Compared with his averages of 11.0 points (on 41.4 percent shooting, 35.5 from three), 4.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.4 steals in 33:47 minutes of play from the 2009-2010 season, it is safe to say that World Peace is struggling. Although World Peace doesn’t like stats, and prefers to play within the feel of the game instead of worry about numbers, Metta has been largely inconsistent this season.
To be fair, a lot of what Metta does will not show up in the stat sheet, as he is appointed as the Lakers’ primary defensive stopper. However, his defense this season has not been up to his normal standards either. In the 2009-2010 season, he was able to be a lock-down defender, and disrupt the opposing team’s best player. This season he has only shown flashes of this, but has seemingly picked it up as of late.
If the Lakers look to make a push during the second half of the season and playoffs, Metta World Peace will have to find an offensive rhythm and get into a defensive groove. The good news (hopefully) is that there isn’t much room for regression for Metta.
Next Page: The Bench
The Lakers bench has not been high scoring by any means, and actually ranks amongst the lowest in the NBA. However, despite the collective inconsistency, the Lakers bench has had some solid individual play.
Matt Barnes (Grade: B): The good news for the Lakers is that Metta World Peace is backed up by the energetic Matt Barnes at the small forward position. Barnes’ numbers don’t jump out at you either (7.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 21:36 minutes per game), but Barnes can always be counted on to cut to the basket either before or after a shot. He has had plenty of crucial hustle plays, and continually plays with a very high energy level.
However, at the small forward position, three-point shooting is necessary for a team that features two targeted big men and Kobe Bryant. Barnes is shooting just 25.5 percent from three-point land, which is seven percent less than his career average of 32.5 percent. We expect Barnes to pick up his shooting percentage, and be a consistent contributor going forward for the Lakers.
Steve Blake (Grade: B+): Although Steve Blake missed 12 games due to a rib injury, he has definitely shown his value for the Lakers. Blake struggled last season, averaging just four points in 20 minutes per game, but has seemingly bounced back a little bit this year under the new system. The Lakers’ backup point guard is averaging 6.8 points and 3.8 assists in 25 minutes per game. Although Blake’s 34.6 percent three-point shooting isn’t great, it doesn’t necessarily reflect the way he has been shooting the ball during certain stretches. Before Blake went down with the injury, he showed promise in the form of sharp shooting.
Additionally, after he came back and got back into a rhythm, Blake had a breakout game against Portland recently, scoring 17 points on 5-6 shooting from three-point range. Although we would like to see Blake be more of a play-maker on offense in order to alleviate Bryant’s duties, Blake is showing that he can be counted on to knock down big shots. The aggressive play that he exhibited upon his return showed the Lakers how much they really missed him when he was out.
If Steve Blake can continue his solid play, it will also allow Derek Fisher to get more rest and hopefully regain his shooting proficiency. We hope that he becomes more aggressive in the second half of the season, and remains healthy.
Troy Murphy (Grade: B): Murphy’s numbers by no means have been spectacular (3.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 19 minutes per game), but he has been a spark for the Lakers nonetheless. Murphy is leading the Lakers in three-point percentage at 43.1 percent, and has exhibited hustle on the defensive end. Never known as a defensive player, Murphy has seemingly bought in to Mike Brown’s defensive system, and attempts to get as many deflections and/or blocks as possible. His biggest asset for the Lakers, though, is his three-point shooting. His ability to knock down the open shot allows Pau Gasol and the rest of the Lakers to operate in the post with more space. He isn’t asked to create his own shot, facilitate the offense, or become a defensive stopper, so we feel that he has done what has been asked of him pretty well so far.
Andrew Goudelock (Grade: B+): For a rookie who was taken in the second round, the Lakers didn’t expect much from Andrew Goudelock. But, he has been a bright spot for the team. Lacking a player who can create his own shot, Goudelock has proven he has the ability of creating instant offense for the Lakers, so much so that Kobe Bryant nicknamed him the “Mini-Mamba.”
His stats (4.7 points in 11 minutes per game) won’t reflect the impact he has had overall. He has shown that he can make open three-pointers, as well as drive into the lane and convert on a tear drop shot that has gained the nickname “the Glock Drop.” However, Goudelock has had trouble being consistent, which is expected of a rookie. At the same time, compared with the almost nonexistent expectations from the coaching staff and Lakers’ fans at the beginning of the season, Goudelock has been a surprise player for this team. We hope the “Mini-Mamba” can continue to grow going forward as he should maintain his stay in the regular rotation.
Rest of the Bench (Grade: Incomplete): The jury is still out on the rest of the bench, as the players have not had adequate playing time to be graded. Jason Kapono was expected to be the Lakers’ knockdown three-point shooter, but he hasn’t shown the promise that was expected of him, and therefore has not played much. Josh McRoberts became an early fan favorite after displaying his high-flying ability, but the coaching staff has opted to play Troy Murphy ahead of him because of his shooting ability. McRoberts appears to be a solid hustle player off the bench, but it is unlikely he will get the time on the court that many expected him to get at the beginning of the season. The rest of the guys (Devin Ebanks, Darius Morris, and Luke Walton) simply haven’t had the playing time to receive judgment. Ebanks started the first four games and appeared to be an offensive threat, but Mike Brown saw some faults in him and quickly pulled him out of the line up, and eventually sent him down to the D-League.
Overall (Grade: C-): Individually, certain players have shown their worth, but collectively, the bench has not been consistent enough to receive a decent grade. This may not make sense, but think of it as a group project in which the group as a whole simply can not compete against the other groups. Or perhaps each member did what was asked of him, but the group as a whole decided to put off the project until the last minute and figured they would still do as good of a job as the other groups. All the members participated and did the job that was assigned to them, so the blame couldn’t fall on one individual, but the overall planning just couldn’t compete with the other groups’ preparation.
The bench’s main problem is being inconsistent, particularly on the road. Most of the time, the “Big Three” plays relatively consistent at home and on the road, so the disparity between wins at home and on the road (15-2 at home, 5-12 on the road) largely falls on the bench. The bench tends to play much better at home, and much worse on the road. The rest of the team follows this as well, but to a lesser degree. The bench needs to somehow find a way to play consistently.
Perhaps the inconsistent rotations have had something to do with this, which leads us to the man who controls those: Mike Brown.
Next Page: The Coach
Now, let’s take a look at the leader of the Lakers, coach Mike Brown:
Mike Brown (Grade: B-): When it comes to grading coaches, there’s only one thing that matters: Wins. All things considered, the Lakers are 20-14. No, by Lakers’ standards, the team is definitely not where it would like to be at this point in the season, but there have been obstacles for the coaching staff. First, there was the lockout. This made it impossible for Mike Brown and his coaches to communicate with their players during the off-season. Then, with practically no training camp and a new offensive system, the Lakers had to (and are still having to) learn the new system on the fly. In addition to this, there has been no shortage of controversy, with the trade rumors (and the almost executed trade) involving Pau Gasol, and Metta World Peace and Andrew Bynum openly expressing their differing opinions from their coach on certain issues. After the trade involving Gasol and Lamar Odom fell through, Odom demanded to be traded. After the front office granted his wish, this left Mike Brown without a crucial piece of the Lakers from the last seven years. Odom provided so much for the Lakers: scoring, rebounding, versatile defense, hustle plays, unselfishness, great passing, etc. You name it, and Lamar Odom could do it.
Despite all of this, Mike Brown has managed to put together a very solid defensive system that throws even the most high scoring teams off of their respective games. The offensive system is admittedly a work in progress, however. But, especially in this condensed season, Brown has come to grips with the fact that the offense will be choppy for a while, and therefore stressed the importance of solid defense. If the offense is going to take time, the defense is going to be the constant for the Lakers that gives them a chance to win in his view. He seems to have the right idea.
As for the offensive struggles, some can be attributed to Brown still learning his players and some can be attributed to personnel issues (the lack of a true point guard in his more traditional offensive system). Many argue that Brown never had a sound offensive scheme in Cleveland with LeBron James, and will have a faulty system with the Lakers and Kobe Bryant. This has yet to be proven or dis proven, as there are too many variables at this point to make a sound judgement. The offense has shown signs of improvement lately, but there is still a wide gap between the high powered teams of 2009 and 2010 and this current team for whatever reason.
The biggest negative so far for this team is the inconsistency on the road. The Lakers are a miserable 5-12 on the road, and there is little explanation for this. Inconsistent rotations may have something to do with this, particularly among the bench players, but there is no way to be sure. Brown will have to somehow motivate the Lakers to play better on the road moving forward. For now, he gets a bit of slack with all things considered.
At the end of the day, with all of the variables, Mike Brown has coached this team to a 20-14 record. If the second half of the season reflects this record, then Brown will have failed in many people’s eyes. He will have to get his team playing much better for the second half of the season, especially on the road, for him to gain credibility among Lakers’ fans. The goal is always a championship when it comes to the Lakers, and regular season wins help position a team in the playoffs. The record is what it is, 20-14, and therefore warrants a grade of B-.
Next Page: The Front Office
Now let’s discuss the much criticized Lakers’ management:
The Front Office (Grade: C+): This grade is given out perhaps not based on the moves that were or were not made, but more in terms of how the moves were made. First, let’s start with the dismissal of Assistant GM Ronnie Lester.
Lester was GM Mitch Kupchak’s longtime assistant, and was let go following the 2010-2011 season. His contract, along with many other longtime employees, expired at the end of the season. However, Lester claimed that Mitch Kupchak wanted to keep him, but there was conflict involving Lakers’ owner Jerry Buss’ son, Jim Buss. It has widely been reported that Jim Buss has been taking over more of the basketball related decisions and holds more authority than Mitch Kupchak. According to Lester, “They’ve done a great job for us and it’s just sad that the organization is letting people go without communicating with these people during the course of the [lockout] situation…It affects people’s lives. Not only those scouts, but they have families too and it affects their lives. That’s what is so depressing about it, so sad about it.”*
That was the first gaffe. The second was not at least consulting Kobe Bryant during the hiring process of the new coach. Management obviously went with Mike Brown, but Bryant verbally supported former teammate and assistant coach to Phil Jackson, Brian Shaw. Bryant has maintained that he trusts Mitch Kupchak and Lakers’ management, but it would have been a nice gesture for them to at least consult their franchise player and hear his opinion, regardless of the ultimate decision.
The third involved the events surrounding Lamar Odom. With today’s real time information availability, it is only a matter of seconds before big news can break out. In the case of the Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom for Chris Paul trade, who knows how much time passed between deal being finished and the deal being all over the internet. Odom found out from a reporter who called to ask him about the trade.** It is not the responsibility of management to tell a player that he is being shopped around to other teams, as this happens all the time, but it should be their responsibility if the trade goes through. Who knows if management had the intention of reaching out to Lamar after the trade or not. Perhaps they knew they still needed the approval of David Stern, and didn’t want to say their goodbyes until it was official, but either way it essentially backfired for the Lakers. Odom felt disrespected and demanded to be traded, and management felt their hand was forced and traded him for a trade exception. Bryant felt that Odom would have eventually gotten over it, and has voiced his displeasure with the deal because it didn’t bring anyone in return for Odom. Most Lakers fans were just as baffled at this, but held on hope that perhaps management had a different mega-deal in place. No such deal has come yet, however.
If Jim Buss is truly running the show, then he deserves some credit. Yes, you read that correctly. Fans have continually voiced the need for a new point guard, and management (whether it was Jim Buss or Mitch Kupchak) pulled off a deal to bring the best point guard in the league to the Lakers in Chris Paul. But, as we all know, David Stern killed that deal in an unprecedented move. Had the deal gone through, most fans would have absolutely loved the deal, and the Lakers would have pulled off yet another incredible deal and secured a franchise player for years to come. Some didn’t want to see Gasol and Odom go, especially because at the time Andrew Bynum would have been the sole big man, and have to be relied upon to be a healthy low post presence. But, the deal itself would have been great for the Lakers, having freed up tens of millions of dollars in cap space, and allowing for more big moves and financial flexibility for years to come.
Mitch Kupchak has proven himself to be one of the league’s best GMs in recent years, but at this point nobody knows who is truly calling the shots. Fans expect a big deal, but we all have to understand that big deals like the Chris Paul one don’t come around every day. No one truly knows what deals have been presented since that deal didn’t go through, so it is hard to speculate on what they should or should not have done. Similarly with the Odom decision, management obviously felt that Odom would be a distraction if left unmoved, and perhaps felt that getting his contract off of the books would help in the immediate future if they looked to attempt another big deal. Only time will tell whether or not that deal should have been handled the way it was; Either by the March 15 trade deadline or in the summer. But, essentially, Lakers’ management was put in a very tough position after the trade was vetoed, and not many other GMs would have known what to do either.
Therefore, the ultimate moves did not result in this grade of management. It is nearly impossible to grade the moves, because the move that didn’t go through (which many would have lauded management for) resulted in a seemingly forced move (which many are angry about). There are just too many variables regarding the actual moves. The facts are that the team is 20-14, has a new coach and system, and is in a bit of a restructuring phase.
However, the communication between management and players/employees does not seem to exist. Even Coach Mike Brown doesn’t seem to have much communication with management. Had management consulted him, perhaps he would have convinced management to keep Odom. Again, this is all speculation. But the facts are that there seems to be a communication barrier between management and everyone else.
Long gone are the days of Mitch Kupchak and Phil Jackson assessing a team’s structure together.
Now, let’s look at our final grades for the first half of the season.
Next Page: Gary Vitti
No, we are not really evaluating Gary Vitti’s performance in the first half of the season, but decided to end this report card on a lighter note and give a shout-out to Vitti at the same time, so here goes:
Gary Vitti (Grade: A+): Head Trainer Gary Vitti has been with the Lakers since the days of Magic Johnson, 28 seasons to be exact! Vitti has dealt with numerous injuries, many involving Kobe Bryant, and often has to work around-the-clock to get players ready for game day. Luckily, Vitti has had a relatively relaxed year with not too many injuries. Or, perhaps he and his training staff have prepared and conditioned the Lakers well, resulting in very few injuries. Either way, keep up the good work, Gary!
This season has been an odd one for the Lakers to say the least. With failed and forced trades, the shortened season, and a feeling of uncertainty in the air, the Lakers have done relatively well. If we had to grade the Lakers on their first half performance, all things considered, we would award them with a solid “B.” Hopefully they can build on this report, and get back to their A-level playing days in the second half of the season.
Grade Received: B
Sources:
* Turner | L.A. Times
** Bresnahan | L.A. Times