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That. No one on that team outside of Kobe and Fish knows what it's like to be the hunted.Nothing will come easy for the Lakers this season.
15 things the Lakers need to repeat as champs
Keeping Odom happy, Bynum healthy and Artest out of trouble is just the start
By Janis Carr
The Orange County Register
Winning championships never is easy for any sports team, whether it's the Super Bowl trophy, NCAA le or NBA le. It takes hard work, determination and sometimes a stroke of luck.
But for the Lakers to repeat as NBA champions there are many factors that need to happen this season, such as Andrew Bynum staying off crutches and Derek Fisher refusing to blow out any more birthday candles.
Can the Lakers stay healthy and avoid the new-and-improved contenders, not only in the Western Conference, but the east as well? Time and games will tell whether the Lakers are destined for le No. 11.
Bryant's Health: For the Lakers to have a chance at winning a second NBA le, they need a healthy Kobe Bryant -- and that means from head to fingers to knees and toes. Staying out of the training room will be a challenge for the newly turned 31-year-old.
A 3-Point Threat: Now that Trevor Ariza is in Houston, the Lakers are going to need to find someone reliable to hit 3-pointers, not only in clutch situations (i.e. Derek Fisher).
Sasha Vujacic: After last season's dip in offense, a minor knee injury and getting kicked off the Slovenian National team, Sasha Vujacic will need a healthy boost of confidence to be effective for the Lakers.
Jackson's Health: The Lakers success will rely heavily on Phil Jackson's health and interest after winning his record 10th le. What will be his motivation now that he has put Red Auerbach to rest for good.
Gasol Summer Training: Pau Gasol's extra time in the weight room last season resulted in the Lakers muscling their way to the NBA le. Hopefully. the Spaniard has lifted a weight or two during the summer to stay in shape. It will makes holding two trophies that much easier.
The Bench: The Bench Mob will need to learn how to maintain leads late if the Lakers are going to have a chance at winning back-to-back les.
A Happy Odom: Much of Lamar Odom's success (and happiness) last season was a result of his increased playing time when Andrew Bynum went down with an injury. The Lakers will need to find him enough minutes -- not just candy -- to keep him smiling.
Rambis Replacement: The good times could be over if the Lakers don't find someone to handle Kurt Rambis' duties, which included the team's defense. Can Phil Jackson go it alone? Will Brian Shaw or Frank Hamblen be chanting "D-fense!" from the bench?
Fisher's Leadership: Having Derek Fisher's experience and leadership around would make the Lakers' chances of a repeat much greater. Maybe the Lakers should look into cyrogenics.
An Eastern Brawl: The Lakers need the Eastern powers to beat up on each other during the regular season so they won't be much of a factor. Boston, Cleveland and Orlando all added key free agents, which could prove a tough task for the Lakers.
A Trade: Eeny Meeny Miney Mo -- which of these reserves should be the first to go? The Lakers should trade one, maybe more of their bench players for a quicker point guard. Someone needs to take over for Derek Fisher.
Bynum For A Whole Season: The Lakers would repeat handily if Andrew Bynum first stays injury-free and then produces double-doubles on a regular basis.
Focused Artest: The Lakers are going to need Ron Artest (TruwarierQB) to focus his energies on basketball instead of Twitter once the season begins. The mercurial guard also needs to stay out of trouble.
Take Denver Seriously: Chris Andersen re-signed with Denver, making the Nuggets once again a formidable opponent for the Lakers in the playoffs.
Watch Out For Spurs: WIth the addition of Richard Jefferson, the San Antonio Spurs once again will be contenders and tough opponents in the Western Conference. Nothing will come easy for the Lakers this season.
That. No one on that team outside of Kobe and Fish knows what it's like to be the hunted.Nothing will come easy for the Lakers this season.
wish you could change your screen name right about now dontcha? ...
but man, seriously i wonder why vujacic dropped off the map so much. He was a pretty good shooter jus two years ago.
Lakers don't need Vujacic. And a trade? Unless it's a steal, they don't. Eastern brawl? not so much. The better team usually wins.
The rest, I agree with.
How will merely "watching out" for the Spurs help the Lakers repeat? Saying they need to merely watch out for them suggests they don't need to do anything else. That's stupid.
#1, PRAY the Spurs will not be 100% healthy.
the list could just be one bullet point. health. thats it.if they have it , its a done deal
That'll be new for Culburn. I've always prayed they were healthy to aid in the suppression of the Suns....and it always worked\\\suppression achieved!
two words: contract year
but man, seriously i wonder why vujacic dropped off the map so much. He was a pretty good shooter jus two years ago.
btw..dont make me put back the sasha sig and avatar.
lol there's only one thing the lakers need and what they got last year: an unhealthy celtics team. i dont care what they did in the regular season, lakers arent mentally tough enough to duke it out 7 games with the celts. only the celts and spurs have champion pedigree (aka swagger) to mess with the lakers. cavs/magic/whoever else dont have anything on these 3, when healthy, teams.
Agree. Kobe has never had a truly quality Finals win. Another non quality Finals win would goose the number from 15 to 16, but, it would not elevate Bryant. He needs that seminal event Vs. the Celtics, needs to see it, recognize it and then execute it. He does that and it will transcend him forever.
He knows it. He knows what Magic did in '84 & '85. I just don't know if he has "it" in him. And I don't think he knows.
in your dreams, Pedro... in your dreams
It's going to be oh so sweet when Duncan is holding that 5th trophy at the end of the season.
Health, Artest, Bynum & Bench. That is all.
A trade for a PG would be scary. Getting for instance Raymond Felton would improve the Lakers significantly. I also do think that the Easter Brawl theory is utterly bullsh*t. Although I'm not sold on the better team usually winning.
Funny thing is the Lakers stomped the Spurs even when L.A weren't healthly either missing two starters so Spurs fans shouldn't really bring up that excuse either.
Every team will need to do 16 things to win the le.
They need the Blazers to drop out of the league.
Please.
You're 1 & 38, daddy-O.
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