Are the new look Los Angeles Lakers ready for a championship challenge? – NBA Feature Part 2
With the new Princeton offensive system in place, the Los Angeles Lakers would not only be getting rid of their one dimensional tactic but also be creating opportunities for other players other then Kobe Bryant.
However, that is not all there is to it. In order for the new offence to work the main focus will shift to Mike Brown who had an unsuccessful first year and will have to mould himself into a role that has been perfected by Miami
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.
Brown needs to listen more to his players for starter and he has to make proper use of his bench, which may not be the best, but still make an impact if used properly. He will also have to focus on the player minutes, especially
at the start of the season, and will have to take special care of Dwight Howard, who will be starting afresh after an elongated absence due to back surgery.
Apart from managing the minutes, Brown will have to learn to put his foot down – something he was not able to do last season as Bryant dominated the on court proceedings.
As talented as Bryant is but gone are the days when he could take over a game. So, for the Lakers to have a strong chance some sacrifices will need to be made on Bryant’s part, especially on the offense and Brown will be the one
to tell him that.
Last season, Kobe seemed obsessed with taking shots, even when the percentages were low. That has to stop and there is no second opinion to that.
Steve Nash will be the key to the Lakers offence come next season and the burden of creating shots will lie on his shoulders.
His major responsibility will to get Pau Gasol going. The Spanish power forward has been under the cosh for the last few seasons, and that has mainly been due to the lack of an offensive role for him. There is no doubt that Gasol
can create his own shots, but with Kobe around to carry the offence, he has grown comfortable in the play making and defensive role, and there is a definite hesitation in his game when it comes to taking shots.
That needs to be changed and a quality one guard like Nash can do that easily. He can be the trigger behind the resurgence of Gasol and if that happens, the word formidable might seem a little less descriptive of the Lakers potential.
To complete the puzzle, the Lakers will require Metta World Peace to come into his own for the coming season and for once get rid of his histrionics and disciplinary issues.
To sum up the situation, the one thing Lakers need to work on next season is their team chemistry. Individuals will have to sacrifice their shots at glory and make people around them look better.
Bryant, Nash, Howard and Gasol might be time tested players, but if there is no team spirit, there ain’t going to be a championship by the end of next June.
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