As arguably the one of the persons with the most pressure to succeed next season, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Mike Brown will have his job on the line right out of the gate with the revamped roster. Brown may be under contract for one more year after the upcoming season, but that won’t stop the Lakers’ front office from making a change if he clearly can’t handle arguably the most talented roster in the NBA.
Brown recently made a radio appearance on the Mason & Ireland Show that airs daily on ESPN 710 to talk about the upcoming season and addition of Dwight Howard via ESPNLosAngeles.com:
“His athleticism, combined with his power and strength, and his quickness, and energy is phenomenal,” Brown said. “I mean defensively here’s a guy, that in my opinion, is one of the best pick-and-roll big defenders in the game, to ever play the game. He’s one of the best paint protectors to every play the game. You know, just knowing that he’s down and around the basket is a deterrent.”
With the additions of Steve Nash and Howard, Brown will be put under a microscope over the course of the 2012-13 NBA season and may very well take the fall if the team fails to live up to the expectations.
Team chemistry will be crucial for the Lakers’ success moving forward as it will take some time for Nash and Howard to get acclimated to their new surroundings and teammates. Without chemistry between the four biggest names on the roster, this squad may ultimately turn out to be the best team on paper rather than on the basketball floor.
Brown will certainly be the fall guy if the Lakers are unable to make a deep run in the playoffs. A trip to the Western Conference Finals or possibly even as far as the NBA Finals might be what it takes for the former NBA Coach of the Year to keep his job in Los Angeles.
The competition will be stiff once again in the Western Conference with the Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder standing in their way. The Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies may also become forces to be reckoned with and potential road blocks for the Lakers on their path to the Finals.
As of right now, the Lakers’ roster looks as good as any in the league. There’s no question heading into the upcoming season that the Lakers are legitimate title contenders, but it remains to be seen if this new combination of superstar talent can come together in a few short months of playing together in order to conquer the best in the West.
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This week’s edition of Locker Room Talk discusses who defenses will double-team this season.
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