Los Angeles Lakers needs veterans to excel in the next NBA season? NBA Feature (Part-1)
Los Angeles Lakers received a major setback in the play-offs last season just when they were eyeing for a three-peat in the last season. Despite of having rich experience, unmatchable strength and most of all the confidence of
winning two straight NBA titles, the Lakers fell apart against the veteran Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference semi-finals.
Followed by a dramatic exit from the 2011 play-offs, the Western Conference elite Los Angeles Lakers faced another huge setback when the legendary head coach Phil Jackson handed over his resignation.
With the departure of the Hall of Famer Jackson, who led Lakers towards five NBA titles, the whole burden will be on the big names of the team in the next season. The franchise hired former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown
as Phil’s successor who is planning a new offensive strategy against the triangle offence which will run through the senior members of the team. Under Mike Brown’s offence, the frontrunners of the squad have to put an extra effort compared to the previous
triangle offence.
Lakers’ eminent shooting guard Kobe Bryant is always soaring and scoring and performs above expectations. So he won’t be having any problem adjusting to the new system. However other big names of Los Angeles Lakers Pau Gasol, Lamar
Odom and Andrew Bynum need to step up as the fans and the team management will be expecting another proactive year from them with more intensity.
Here is what Los Angeles Lakers’ fans can expect from the senior players of the team in the 2011-2012 season whenever it stars.
Pau Gasol: More Physical Game
Coming into Los Angeles Lakers from Memphis Grizzlies during the 2007-2008 season, one thing that didn’t change for the big man Pau Gasol was his consistency. The 31-year-old Gasol continued his all-round domination despite of
facing more challenges and toughness in Lakers. Gasol’s incredible shooting abilities and rebounding skills is what makes him one of the best power forward in the league.
One thing that has improved and needs further improvement in his game-play is his physical game. And that’s exactly what Gasol will be focusing on under the offence of Mike Brown to be more aggressive. With the height of 7 feet,
Pau Gasol physical game-play will only make him a more dangerous player in knocking down the defensive system of the opposition. Pau Gasol is fast, accurate, sensible and a little more of aggression added to that will strengthen his offensive game tremendously.
Pau Gasol: Offensive Production
For the first time in his splendid career, the dynamic power forward Pau Gasol’s consistency was questioned as he performed well below the expectations during this year’s play-offs. At the time when everybody was hoping that Gasol
will once again prove himself as the vital performer in helping Los Angeles Lakers to nab the third successive NBA title, the big man’s performance condensed dramatically from an average of 18.8 points and 10.1 rebound to 13.1 point and 7.8 boards in the post-season.
Gasol still have some good years left in his career and he will be looking forward to get back on his 20 points mark per game in the next season to remove the doubts that a downfall in the play-offs was in fact the start of Gasol’s
decline.
Tags: