Los Angeles Lakers will strike back next season – NBA Special Report (Part-2)
Lakers have something to prove
The Los Angeles Lakers had an abrupt end to the 2011 play-offs. Barring a missed shot at the three-peat, the most frustrating thing for the Lakers was the meltdown they faced in the Western Conference semi-finals against the Dallas
Mavericks as they were swept out from the championship run in a record setting fashion.
The Lakers will be geared up in the next season to prove that a dramatic meltdown in the post-season was not the start of their downfall. Los Angeles Lakers is comprised of prideful group of players who carries a number of NBA
championship under their belt. The team is considered as the top championship threat and they won’t let the reputation go away.
In order to carry the legacy and prove to the world of NBA that they are still a very competitive side, the Lakers will bounce back strong in the next season to command the league once again. Having the legendary player Kobe Bryant
on the roster, who has spearheaded the team tremendously since more than a decade, the Lakers can win a number of more championships without any doubt and this is what the franchise will be looking for right from the next season.
Pau Gasol will strike back
After having a dominating 2010-2011 regular season to guide the Los Angeles Lakers into the play-offs, the veteran power forward Pau Gasol failed to carry the momentum on the big platform which left Kobe Bryant as the only scoring
option for the team.
The 31 year old Gasol’s scoring average dropped down to 13.1 in the post-season from 18.8 points per game and a considerable decline was observed on the rebounds as well. Gasol is known as a constant double-double and he will bounce
back aggressively in the next season to maintain the reputation which will eventually help Lakers to get back on the track.
Since Pau shifted his talent in the Los Angeles Lakers, he constantly posted top quality performances and averaged more than 18 points in the last three seasons until this year’s play-offs. So there is no doubt that Gasol will
recover from his post-season slump to lift the momentum once again.
Kobe Bryant has more time to fuel the engines
The face of the Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant has been quite busy since the 2007 offseason and didn’t have much rest. Although Bryant was the lead performer for the team in the last season however he was not the Bryant which spearheaded
the Lakers in the 2009 and 2010 championships.
As the NBA has locked out its players with the expiration of the previous Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and there is no certain time-line available regarding when the league will get back to business, the aging body of
the All-Star Bryant will be well rested and have more time to fuel the engines.
Kobe’s knee injury which hampered him from providing his best in the play-offs can be properly examined and rested as well which will bring in a fresh Bryant in the next season. The more time Bryant receives to recuperate his strength,
the stronger he will strike back in the next season which will be a bad news for the NBA teams.
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