Los Angeles Lakers need a fresh approach – NBA Special Report
In the midst of the National Basketball Association lockout players planning to take their talents has been the talk of the town. This and the ongoing wrangle over the Labour issue has taken all the spotlight away from what the
teams lacked in the last season and the way they need to strengthen their rosters.
The team that needs to address this situation the most are the Los Angeles Lakers. There had been a vibe that the Lakers are interested in landing Orlando Magic’s and NBA’s top centre Dwight Howard in their team. Many pundits of
the games believe that Kobe Bryant and Howard combination will prove deadly for their opponents.
So it’s a yes from the majority, if the Lakers are planning something like it.
However, if we take a close look at this plan the first question that comes to mind is that whether Howard is the answer for all the troubles that Lakers are facing.
If Howard join forces with Kobe then Bryant have to play the exact role that he played during the Shaquille O’Neal era. A supporting job by Kobe will make Howard more effective and turn L.A into one of the most dangerous offensive
units in the league. However, this will divert rival teams focus on Los Angeles’ fragile defence and that would cause lot of trouble.
The Lakers are having trouble with their backcourt and to deal with this matter they brought in the best defensive coach in the league Mike Brown. So he can guide them how to enhance their defence. However, this is not enough as
the team needs players that can lift their defence with their consistent performance.
If we analyse the previous record we will come to know that in the last 10 years or so no champion team had a leading centre. Except for the Miami Heat and L.A and that was too in the form of O’Neal. This would definitely give
any team an edge over the others to have a dominating centre like Shaq.
However, players like Shaq came after decades and it’s hard to find anyone like the calibre of O’Neal. So in order to bring parity in their defence the Lakers should import fresh and skilful talent. To prove my point let me give
you the example of the Dallas Mavericks series. During which the Mavs counter the Lakers defence by some excellent shooting from the perimeter.
So if we put Howard in this example defending from the charity stripe. It makes him completely ineffective for the Lakers since the Mavs were not driving in to attack the basket.
In addition to that getting Howard would not be easy for the Lakers, as the Magic will try draw a lot from L.A in return. The Lakers might have to give up either Pau Gasol or Andrew Bynum or may be both. This will turn L.A weak
from the inside.
The need for the new comers is also necessary because current players have lost the touch due to lack of form or due to health issues. So instead of pursuing Howard it would be better for the Lakers to find someone like Tony Allen
or Kyle Lowry. These players have the heart to play hard under stress and they still have that room to perk up.
With Phil Jackson gone and so is the triangle strategy, it remains to be seen how the new head coach will deliver and what measures L.A will take in order to enhance their backcourt.
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