Are the new look Los Angeles Lakers ready for a championship challenge? – NBA Feature Part 1
The Los Angeles Lakers made some of the biggest moves during the summer and by doing that they have definitely become genuine title contenders for the coming season.
First they made a sign and trade deal with the Phoenix Suns to bring over Steve Nash and then put an exclamation mark to the Dwight Howard saga via a four team block buster trade.
The current Lakers line up is undoubtedly the strongest in the NBA. The two new signings combined with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace does present itself as a formidable weapon for teams all around the league and apparently has even more muscle than the mighty Miami Heat.
However strong they may be, the real question remains whether the Lakers are ready to live up to title expectations especially after going through two dismal post seasons which saw them go out in the second round.
They certainly do have man power required to pose a challenge for a title but in recent times, having star players alone is no guarantee to success as we saw the Miami Heat struggle in their first season with the big three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
So what did Miami do? What changes were made to the mentality of the team to win the NBA Championship?
One of the major changes took place was the role James played on the Miami team. He cemented himself as the leader and the go to guy in crunch situations. Another major change which resulted in success for Heat was that they became a team rather than a side which revolved around three personalities.
There is no doubt that the current Lakers line up is stronger than that of Miami, but that is all on paper and a lot of changes need to be brought about for success to follow.
One of the major things which needs to be addressed in the coming season is the offensive strategy. A Bryant dominated offence has to branched out and for that Mike Brown needs the ball to be in the hands of Nash – who even at 37, is as good a ball handler as there is in NBA.
They have certainly taken the first step in changing their style of play by hiring Eddie Jordan who will bring with him the famed ‘Princeton offence’. This new style of play will require the Lakers to make use of their big men and instead of running set plays, the entire team will have to shift its focus on setting screens and making back door cuts.
If LAL are able to pull off this offensive style then no matter how long it takes them to perfect it, they will certainly reap its benefits. Importantly this new approach is quite similar to the triangle offence which was used by Phil Jackson and is a system Bryant and Gasol are more familiar and have been successful with.
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