We continue our playoff team previews here at The No-Look Pass by talking to some of the best writers/bloggers on the internet!
Seed: #3 (West)
Record: 41-25
Stat Leaders: Kobe Bryant (27.9 PPG, 1.2 SPG), Andrew Bynum (11.8 RPG, 1.9 BPG), Ramon Sessions (5.5 APG).
Opponent: #6 Denver Nuggets, 38-28
Record Against Them This Season: 3-1
Writers: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky (@ESPNLandOLakers)
Web Site: Land O'Lakers
Our boys in purple and gold have had quite the unusual season. They ended up at the third seed in the West... and I have absolutely no idea what their potential is. So I got the help of the Kamenetzky Brothers (Andy and Brian) of Land O'Lakers in ESPN Los Angeles. They school me in terms of Laker knowledge and how things are going to go against the Nuggets. Fire!
Overall, did Mike Brown do a good job with this squad?
ANDY: This may sound like a cop out, but that's hard to answer until we see the how the playoffs shake out. If the Lakers make a credible run, the inconsistent rotations, bouts with obvious skepticism by the players and periodically uncreative offense over 66 games won't matter. If the Lakers don't look particularly good or prepared, it becomes very easy to wonder if Brown lacks either/both the chops or gravitas for this gig.
BRIAN: When you stack all the obstacles he faced in front of him -- replacing Phil Jackson, no access to his team over the summer, a laughably short training camp in which to install new systems on both sides of the ball, the CP3 debacle leading to the loss of Lamar Odom, working with a roster worse than the one the Lakers had last year, very little practice time, and so on -- I think he did pretty good work. Is he Jackson or Popovich? No, but he's managed to adjust his approach to his players in a few ways and find at least some consistency in his rotation, despite legitimate depth issues. All in all, a decent job under tough circumstances.
Were you surprised on how Kobe Bryant performed this season?
A: Yes, in that I didn't expect him to remain as healthy as he did all season. Were one kick to his shin avoided, he probably wouldn't have missed a game this season, save #66 against Sacto. He somehow played with a wrist ligament held together by scotch tape, and that German doctor is destined to become an exceptionally wealthy man. No, in that his exceptionally high usage rate and decreasing field goal percentage were trends beginning last season. Either way, it's amazing to watch a 33 year old maintain his status as one of the game's elite players. Another year in what's been an amazing career.
B: A little, mostly because I wasn't sure how healthy he'd be coming into the season. By the end of last year, it was pretty clear his knee was a limiting factor, and at his age and with his mileage (almost two decades worth of regular season and playoff minutes) you never know how well a guy will respond. I was blown away by his efficiency early in the year, but as things went on his shot started to falter. At one point, he was in a pretty significant shooting slump. From a production standpoint, he finished about where I thought he would, but the scoring numbers were higher because his minutes were way up. I didn't factor that sort of jump in my preseason predictions.
What do you make of Andrew Bynum's behavior? And do you think he'll pull something offbeat again in the postseason?
A: I think it's a combination of self-absorption, entitlement and 24-year old rebellion. Drew's a very bright, confident kid, which probably feeds into his headstrong nature. At times it also felt like he was going through an identity crisis of sorts, trying way too hard to cultivate a 24/7 persona as the baddest dude on the block. Still, his behavior during the playoffs isn't a particularly big concern to me. Unfortunately, his consistent engagement is.
B: At times this year, he's been a bit of a jerk, disrespectful to his teammates and the organization. Other times, he's just shown more garden variety immaturity, the type of thing some might expect from a 24 year old. While Bynum has been a good player in the NBA, this is the year he truly arrived. He's reached that point where he's going to be a max guy, whether in L.A. or somewhere else, and it's very possible some of that has gone to his head. The signs were coming over the last couple years, whether you're talking the hit on JJ Barea in last year's playoffs or the handicapped parking incidents. The biggest problem has been effort. There have been plenty of moments where he's simply not playing hard. Still, all that said Bynum's overall production has been outstanding. That can't be forgotten when talking about his immaturity.
As for the playoffs, I think he'll be fine, and highly motivated. I'm not anticipating anything "offbeat," but if a series turns sour, it wouldn't shock me.
Ron Artest/Metta World Peace won't be back in the first round unless this goes to seven games. Do you expect Devin Ebanks to get ample playing time?
A: Absolutely. Mike Brown has already named him the starter and Matt Barnes may be hobbled with a sprained right ankle, so the minutes will be available at small forward. And Steve Blake struggles badly guarding two's, so Brown may opt to give some of the minutes spelling Kobe to Devin.
B: He's going to start, and if Matt Barnes ankle acts up, will get huge minutes. As it is, he'll be a significant player, charged with three things-- Crash the glass if possible (LA's 3's will have to be judicious, given Denver's ability to run), get out on the wing when the Lakers are in transition, and play defense on Danilo Gallinari. They might not run a play for him all series, but if he does this stuff well, the Lakers will be happy.
Was Ramon Sessions all you expected to be? Or more?
A: Basically, "all." Sessions' outside shot has been better than advertised, but that unexpected asset is negated somewhat by how staggeringly right-handed he is. He's basically the Bizarro-Lamar Odom. But otherwise, Sessions is essentially what I expected. A good distributor with speed and the ability to penetrate... who struggles to defend anybody with the same skill sets. He's struggling of late, and it's tough to know whether that's because of his shoulder, teams figuring out how to defend him with the Lakers, or the byproduct of more responsibilities in a tougher conference. He'll need to pick it up in the playoffs.
B: I'd say he's been about what I expected. The outside shooting has been a bonus. It's always tough to tell if a guy's breakout year from the perimeter is real or fluky, but he's been solid with his jumper. It helps, because teams consistently challenge him by going under screens. He's great with the ball and adds an element of speed the Lakers haven't had in years. On the flip side, Sessions was advertised as a subpar defender, and on that front has generally delivered. It's not so much a lack of effort as what seem like mediocre instincts. He struggles to get through screens (could be the bum shoulder he's been fighting) but just as importantly tends to lose his man away from the ball, and talking to coaches his help D could be much better. Still, while his on/off splits have narrowed since his arrival, Sessions is still a massive upgrade over what they had.
The Lakers draw the Nuggets. Keys for the Lakers to beat this Denver team.
A: They need to control the tempo. The Lakers have a definitive size advantage in Gasol, Bynum and even Kobe, and it's imperative they use that height and length to dictate the terms of this series. If the Nuggets are allowed to run, thrive in transition and move the ball at will, they'll absolutely push the Lakers to the limits.
I also consider Gallinari something of a wild card. He's capable of filling it up, but he's been largely quiet this season against the Lakers. Then again, that's in large part due to the defense of Metta World Peace, who won't be available until Game 7. Ebanks and Barnes are hard working, energetic defenders, but not in MWP's class. I'm definitely concerned Gallinari could emerge a headache in this series.
B: 1. The Lakers must limit the Nuggets in transition. No easy task as Denver is (via Synergy) the NBA's 3rd best transition team, and had more possessions on the break than any team in the league. Meanwhile, the Lakers are deep in the bottom fifth defensively in transition.
2. Pace. The Lakers can't play at Denver's pace. Doing so will fuel their break and likely turn the Lakers into jump shooters as opposed to a slow-down team able to pound the ball inside. Speaking of that...
3. Pound the ball inside. Andrew Bynum destroyed Denver in four regular season games, and Pau Gasol was also very good. Use them. Get Kobe on the block. Do whatever you can to limit the number of perimeter jumpers, which a) are less likely to go in, and b) fuel Denver's break.
Series prediction?
A: Lakers in 7.
B: I've gone back and forth on this one between Lakers in six and Lakers in seven. Ultimately, I think it's going to be a very close series. I'll go Lakers in seven.
Anything else you want to say?
A: Haven't I babbled enough?
B: Nope!
PHOTO CREDITS: 1) Rich Pedroncelli/AP. 2) Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images. 3) Evan Gole/Getty Images.
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