Are Lakers going to be unbeatable when Bynum returns next year?

[The_Game]

Makes you think the Lakers are playing this well without their big man in the middle.

next year if everything goes well with his knee they will have a 7'2 monster in the middle who can score, rebound, block shots and play defense. Pau Gasol gets to move back to his natural position and they become even deeper

makes me wonder does anybody have a shot at taking down the Lakers next season?

[ShowtimeRedux]

Odom will be an 18 and 12 number 4 option... so no, no one has a shot unless someone gets injured

[LakerFanSince84]

makes me wonder does anybody have a shot at taking down the Lakers next season?



This is one of those rare occasions when the unbiased diplomatic answer is identical to the biased homer rose colored glasses wearing answer.

Barring major Injuries the answer to your question is simply -------------> NO!

[endrity]

While Laker fans day dream about their chances, let's first understand that this current group has a very good chemistry that might easily be disrputed.

Second, their main advantage has been in playing a very skilled 4/5 combo of Odom and Gasol. If they were to play a frontcourt of Odom-Gasol-Bynum I think the Lakers would lose a lot of the speed that makes them so hard to defend. Odom as a 3 is not a good idea, the rest of his career should tell you that. And we have to find out if there is enough space for both Gasol and Bynum in the paint, as Gasol is not a great outside shooter. All I am saying is that it's hard to replicate what they got going with Gasol and Odom up front right now. Odom has finally found a place, you don't wanna ruin that.

[ShowtimeRedux]

While Laker fans day dream about their chances, let's first understand that this current group has a very good chemistry that might easily be disrputed.

Second, their main advantage has been in playing a very skilled 4/5 combo of Odom and Gasol. If they were to play a frontcourt of Odom-Gasol-Bynum I think the Lakers would lose a lot of the speed that makes them so hard to defend. Odom as a 3 is not a good idea, the rest of his career should tell you that. And we have to find out if there is enough space for both Gasol and Bynum in the paint, as Gasol is not a great outside shooter. All I am saying is that it's hard to replicate what they got going with Gasol and Odom up front right now. Odom has finally found a place, you don't wanna ruin that.

Bynum had chemistry with the Lakers before Gasol did, he knows the triangle better than Gasol because he has been in the system longer. Gasol's natural position is a high post power forward with finesse, while Bynum works on the low block. I don't remember Duncan and Robinson having much trouble playing together... do you? What makes you think Odom would be a bad 3? He is very quick, very long, and light for a power forward, he is even quick enough to play the point sometimes, so why would he have trouble playing the 3? Pau and Odom are also very very fast for their positions, and run the floor very well. People forget that Bynum was becoming an offensive force, and averaged over 2 blocks a game. He has soft hands and impressive hops for a big man (unlike Gasol) He was literally throwing down lob passes anywhere near the basket, and shooting at a 61% FG rate. If you don't think the Lakers will improve next year, think again.

[PwrGetter]

Endrity;

I agree with most of your points, but Pau is actually a great 10-15 foot shooter, which would make him a great Power Forward, since he'd be playing more of the high post.

With Bynum in the front court with Gasol, it could slow the laker offense down in terms of the amount of fast breaks and pass and pop plays we run, but if you watched any of the pre-Bynum injury games, lakers were still actually pretty efficient at their transition game.

Only time will tell how well a line up of Bynum, Gasol, Odom, Kobe, Fisher would be.

[AFBlue]

Nobody is "unbeatable", and there will likely be some MAJOR re-tooling by a number of teams this summer....so it's too early to call the Lakers "unbeatable".

BUT, based on the rosters at this point I'd say it's hard not to make them the clear favorite.

Who knows though....maybe Elton Brand opts out of his contract and signs a vet min deal with the Spurs to win a title. A man can dream can't he?

[ecksodia]

^^ Hahah.

The big question is if a frontcourt of Odom-Gasol-Bynum will work.. If it does, well..

[fishrap]

They will not be unbeatable. These dream teams have a way of diluting. The first game that Shaq, Kobe, Malone and Payton played together they treated the opposing team like a middle school team. Opposing coaches soon picked up on the vulnerabilities and the successes began to decline. As stated above speed, defense and quickness will be a problem.

[KidCongo]

one player will have a dispute and leave

[ecksodia]

I'm impressed to hear that from a Laker fan!

I don't think ego will be an issue though.. I think Odom's actually HAPPY that he became their #3 option.. Granted this does not mean that he will automatically be happy when he becomes their #4.. Still maybe PJ's learned something from '04?

They won't be unbeatable, that much is certain.. Lebron, et al, are waiting in the wings, too.

[PwrGetter]

Lakers will be really tough next season... but so will Portland =x

[Deuces88]

I remember when people thought the Lakers of 04 were unstoppable until the Pistons wiped the floor with them.

[ShowtimeRedux]

I remember when people thought the Lakers of 04 were unstoppable until the Pistons wiped the floor with them.

Malone was injury ridden and old, and Payton straight sucked balls, Fish should have been starting.

[dg7md]

They'll lose 24-25 games like the rest of the elite and continue through the playoffs losing a few games per series like how every team, regardless of talent, does.

Basically, healthy Bynum or not, you can't undermine the rest of the league. Talent alone does not win, and if any team knows that, it's the Lakers, 2004 being the prime example.

[mystargtr34]

Next years Lakers will be clear favourites.

But i think they should move Odom for a good defensive wing who can shoot the 3 ball... when Bynum becomes eligble for an extension... Buss is gonna be paying .. what... $60 mil per season for 4 players... theyll be about $30 mil over the cap

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

Lebron will inherit the Earth possibly. All he needs is a second complimentary all-star and role players. And maybe the new kid Greg Oden could challenge the Lakers.

It's hard to predict the span of 7 months. No way did we envision the Lakers being back on top last year, when we were having our cake walk to the 4th 'ship.

[Indazone]

David Stern will let Lebron opt out of Cleveland and let Lebron join Kobe in Los Angeles for NOTHING!! It's a vast conspiracy.

[mystargtr34]

:lol

I think Splitter could be a stud... At least were gonna have an actual 7 footer who can jump and finish playing the C spot next season... i fully expect him to crack the rotation early and stay there..

Hes not a typical rookie... hes an all Euroleague 1st teamer.
Im not saying hes gonna be equal to Bynum but hes gonna be a big addition... at least we wont be overwhelmed

[ginobili's bald spot]

Next years Lakers will be clear favourites.

But i think they should move Odom for a good defensive wing who can shoot the 3 ball... when Bynum becomes eligble for an extension... Buss is gonna be paying .. what... $60 mil per season for 4 players... theyll be about $30 mil over the cap

You are exactly right.

[Indazone]

going to be tough. In the East I think that Detroit will add a big man to get better and Boston will be tough again. The West will be as ridiculous next year as it was this year. All top 8 teams will again battle it out and it'll be anyone's game.

Lakers/Spurs/Suns/Rockets/Hornets/ will be the top tier

Nuggets/Mavericks/Warriors/Trailblazers will be the next tier

[gospursgojas]

Bynum= Most overrated player of this time.

Never seen so many people on a 13 ppg player's jock as now. He's still very young and who knows how well he'll play after a surgery. He had a couple of really good games right before his injury. And thats it.

Get over him. He hasn't proved anything.

[romsho]

Unbeatable, no. But contending teams will be shaping their rosters to find ways to match up with the Lakers...much like a couple of years ago when the Dallas/Phoenix style of play forced teams to adapt with less focus on size and more on athleticism. Don't sleep on Portland either- the West is ridiculously loaded.

[Nbadan]

You can't ever predict how good a line-up is gonna be until they get a full season under their belts....maybe someone goes down to injury again, maybe another team makes a move in the summer that the Lakers have a hard time matching....that's the thing about the NBA and why I never gamble on 'a sure thing' in this league....

[Indazone]

It'll be interesting to see what the Warriors do in the offseason. It's obvious to anyone watching them that with their current lineup they will not win anything. They need to get a big man in the middle and they have too many Pt Guards.

[tlongII]

The Blazers are adding Greg Oden, Rudy Fernandez, and the #13 pick.

[Nbadan]

Portland has a lot to prove...even moreso than next years Lakers....

[Indazone]

As do all the teams. Suns are going to want to prove that they can play slowdown defensive basketball and win now with Shaq. Rockets are going to want to prove they belong and can get through the season uninjured. Portland with their group of youngsters. Hornets which are a younger carbon copy of the Spurs. Mavericks will want to prove that coaching was their achilles heel last year. Lakers will be tough as usual as will the Spurs. Again, it's going to be a free for all in the West. Denver and Golden State will be at the bottom rung again unless they do something to their rosters. Denver has the horses to win now. They just need to get better defensively.

[samikeyp]

No.

[Nahtanoj]

Well their 2nd unit is going to rebound and defend the paint better, that's for sure...

[Don Quixote]

I think they're unbeatable now, without Bynum.