Will 2015 mark the rebuilding phase of the Los Angeles Lakers?
The LA Lakers have been one of the most talked about teams during this off-season. It is tough to decide whether this season will be about Kobe’s return or the focus will be on the young talent who might be the future of the team. Byron Scott will be put to a test this season regarding handling Kobe’s minutes per game and also making the youngsters work together.
Re-building process has seen Lakers scout for quite a few players this season, With 14 players currently on the roster, the Los Angeles Lakers have a nice blend of veterans and prospects – D’Angelo Russell, Larry Nance and Anthony Brown from the draft and Lou Williams with a multi-year contract, Brandon Bass from their rival Celtics and Roy Hibbert from Indiana. And recently Lakers have agreed to terms with Metta World Peace on a one year contract. On paper Lakers seems like a good team, will they live up to expectations on the court ?
From what the roster looks like, Kobe Bryant is in the cards to be spending a lot of time at the Small Forward position this season. At this stage, it seems very likely that D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson will be starting backcourt with Kobe at three. With Kobe being a player who always plays with the ball, making some off-ball runs this season may seem to be a challenge, but the Black Mamba, as he’s popularly known, has zero problems with that.
From training, Kobe is pleased with the two youngsters making plays as he is poised in their performance. When Kobe was asked about playing Small Forward, he said, “I don’t see what the big deal is about it, honestly. What does that even mean anyway? Everyone plays small ball anyway. You got forwards that play like guards. Centers that play like small forwards. What’s the difference? Find me some actual small forwards and power forwards that actually post up now and then.”
Kobe has said all of the right things about working with the Lakers’ young players and prioritizing their development this season. Some, however, still question whether Kobe would be willing to take a step back and allow the Russell-Clarkson duo to take lead at times, by being a mentor.
Kobe has been cleared fit and will be present for the pre-season opener. Also, Byron Scott has to take necessary precautions to ensure Bryant’s fitness, as no one would want to see the Future Hall of Famer end his NBA career with an injury.
The pre-season opener will be on 4th October against the Utah Jazz and the regular season opener will be on 28th October against the Timberwolves. A promising season lies ahead for the Lakers if the plans they have made are executed well-enough. Securing a play-off spot in this season might be a bit of a struggle, but the NBA is full of surprises.