This is the third and final part of the 2010-2011 season preview for the Lakers.
Off-seasons are some of the most anticipated-but-dreaded part of the NBA because of the excitement that goes along with seeing new faces for your team or, in this case, watching the landscape of the rest of the league change in their hopes of challenging the Lakers for the throne.
So let's start.
Biggest Threats Out West
1. Oklahoma City Thunder: You'd be foolish to think the youngest squad in the league will not give the improved back-to-back champs fits this season. Unlike any other young teams out there, this Thunder squad deeply believes in what they stand for and in each other. That is the basis of a championship team. They also have the right superstar leader in Kevin Durant and a cast that simply isn't afraid of anyone. However, they still lack an inside threat, size and more defenders to throw at Kobe Bryant. Oh and not having more playoff experience will also be their downfall against the Lakers no matter how young, how active and how talented they are.
2. Utah Jazz: They may have lost Carlos Boozer to the Chicago Bulls but they got a bigger and better post-player on both ends in Al Jefferson. Keeping coach Jerry Sloan for a few more years should also secure more chances at stopping the purple and gold reign. But just like OKC (and a host of other teams), the Jazz doesn't have the size to keep up with the Laker frontline. Losing 3-point specialist Kyle Korver and promising young guard in Wesley Matthews (who did a decent job defending Bryant) will hurt them more than they will admit against the Lakers.
This is part 2 of our preview of the upcoming season for the Lakers.
Having 16 NBA championship titles, the most NBA Finals appearance in league history, and the highest winning percentage in NBA playoffs history, no franchise in the NBA understands the intricacy of winning it all more or have mastered the art of putting together a championship-caliber team more than the Lakers. And this summer was no different.
In order to get back to the NBA Finals for the third season in a row let alone defend their title successfully a second time in a row, the Lakers know they will need better help from the bench next season. With only a mid-level exemption of around $6 million and a veteran's minimum of around $1.3 million to work with, Mitch Kupchak orchestrated the acquisitions of three proven veterans that will never question their role in the team or go out onto the floor unmotivated.
The New and Improved "Bench Mob"
Steve Blake (PG): The Lakers wanted this guy for quite some time. Well, he's finally in purple and gold. Blake is a blue-collar type player that takes pride in playing the game. His abilities on offense is why he's still in the league. That's pretty impressive when you consider the amount of guards in the NBA that can do what he can. The difference is Blake can also play defense and is a very likeable guy on or off the court. However, he hasn't played for an elite team as big as the 2-time defending champs. Will the pressures of expectations of a three-peat or consistent productivity off of him affect him? We shall see.
Yes, we're still a month away from training camp. But there's nothing wrong with having an early look at our beloved Lakers. Right? I figured since the roster is now set (barring an unexpected trade now until pre-season), it's safe to plug away and put this thing out.
So here goes the first of three parts. (Sorry, I couldn't help it. So I apologize to those who hates reading.)
After a season that showed their very best and their frustratingly worse, the Lakers continue to forge their dynasty by having one of their most successful off-season in years thanks to General Manager Mitch Kupchak's ability to attract quality talent while keeping within the team's budget. With so much attention paid to the revamping of the Miami Heat, Kupchak went under the radar and retooled the back-to-back champions by chipping away last year's rough spots to make a sleeker and a more rugged championship team equipped to make a third run at a third title in as many seasons.
Gone are underachieving Jordan Farmar, rarely-used shooter Adam Morrison and solid-but-underwhelming bigs Josh Powell and DJ Mbenga. They are replaced by proven veterans that Phil Jackson can rely on more than the aforenamed players coming off the bench. Steve Blake should provide instant stability and offense from the point-guard position. Matt Barnes gives the second unit much-needed defense and toughness. Theo Ratliff's shot-blocking and rebounding add to an already impressive frontline.
The Lakers also signed their two second-round rookie forwards Devin Ebanks (non-guaranteed contract) and Derrick Caracter (2-year contract with guaranteed first year) on Friday bringing the roster to 14 players under contract. The NBA requires each team to have at least 13 players signed and 12 players suited throughout the entire season. Luke Walton is expected to be placed on the injured list indefinitely because of nagging pains in his lower-back.
Shannon Brown officially re-signed with the Lakers on Wednesday, took his physical and addressed the media in his press conference in the Lakers Practice Facility in El Segundo. Interestingly, he flat-out dismissed "false" reports that he was offered a contract in the $4–5 million dollar range to go play somewhere else which means that his market value isn't as high as some people thought it'd be. It also means that the deciding factor for Brown to stay with the back-to-back champs are that much easier.
But Brown didn't seem like he cared if he was offered a lucrative deal because he's grown to love living in L.A., the fanbase, his teammates, his coaches, and a chance at doing something rare in this league of winning a third championship. However, Kobe Bryant may have persuaded him to stay probably more than anything he mentioned above. Bryant personally told him that he wants him back and that he will have a bigger role this time around. Could it be that Kobe is planning on playing less this upcoming season to get himself as fresh as possible for the playoffs? It's possible.
One thing's for sure, with the re-addition of Brown to the Laker bench is that the second unit has never been this deep since the Laker teams that completed a three-peat early this decade. Shannon provides the youth and the athleticism to go up against the younger teams in the league like the Thunder, Blazers, and (of course) the Heat. There's no doubt this upcoming season is Shannon's first true chance at making himself a bigger impact on this team. Hopefully, he'll take full advantage of it.
The Lakers end their free agent summer by re-signing uber-athletic backup guard Shannon Brown to a reported 2-year contract worth around $4.6 million dollars with the second year as a player option. With his addition, the Lakers will have 11 players under contract for next season leaving only rookie forwards Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter left to be signed should the team decide to keep both players. The NBA requires each team to have at least 13 players under contract for the entire season. Adding the two rookies will certainly meet that requirement.
Brown opted out of the final year of his contract of $2.1 million in hopes to be offered a multi-year contract by the Lakers or any other team. The Knicks were believed to have offered him a 1-year deal at $2.6 million. But Brown was adamant about staying with the team that gave him 2 championship rings.
Because of Jordan Farmar's departure to New Jersey and with the signing of 3 veterans, the Lakers are suddenly in need of young legs. Brown's freakish athleticism, upside, and familiarity of the Triangle at bargain price proved to be too much for the Lakers to pass up.
I've always liked Shannon's willingness to learn and improve his game without being a major distraction to the team. Let's not forget that Shannon was a benchwarmer and was coached by people who never really put too much emphasis on trying to make him a better player before being traded to the Lakers to eventually become Kobe Bryant's backup. Brown has a sense of loyalty to the Lakers because of all the things they've done for him as a basketball player and as a person.
His short contract makes him a low-risk investment should the Lakers see little to no improvement of his game from the past 2 seasons or should they decide to package him in a trade scenario during the upcoming season that should never be ignored. Either way, it's a win-win case for the Lakers and Brown.
For the second off-season in a row, the Lakers signed another former Kobe Bryant nemesis to add another piece to a bench that has become the deepest in several years. Free-agent forward Matt Barnes officially signed last Thursday a 2-year deal at $3.8 million. Today, he is being officially introduced into the Laker family.
Barnes said that Bryant's immediate and overwhelming support to his desire to join the Lakers was the catapult into his decision of taking less money to finally be in a position to win his first championship ring. He also mentioned that he's dreamed about playing for the Lakers since watching the Showtime era in the 80s.
That dream is now a full reality.
Because of the uncertainty surrounding Luke Walton's health (back) for next season, the Lakers pursued Barnes as soon as his proposed trade to the Toronto Raptors fell through because of cap space issues. Barnes' biggest contributions to the Lakers are his tougness on defense and his rebounding. The plus side is he is also an adequate three-point shooter and is a highly-active player on the court. He practically tries to make himself involved in almost every play on defense and in loose ball scenarios.
With Kobe, Ron Artest, Barnes, and (most likely) rookie Devin Ebanks, the Lakers will boast an impressive and formidable perimeter defense that make shooting against them even more difficult. Combine that with the size, length, and shot-blocking of Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, and newly-acquired Theo Ratliff, the Lakers have quietly built themselves a defense that compliments their potent offense.
We've waited long enough, Laker fans. But our wait is over next Tuesday, July 27th.
The Lakers 2010 NBA Championship DVD will finally be released! So if you pre-ordered yours, your order should've already shipped as you're reading this. If you didn't, maybe your buddy will let you borrow his or hers. These things can be hard to find in stores the first couple of weeks. But thank goodness for the internet!
Go to NBAStore.com to order yours or go to Bombo.com for more info on the DVD release.
Here's what you'll find in the DVD:
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH: Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Ron Artest, Derek Fisher, Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, Head Coach Phil Jackson, General Manager Mitch Kupchak, among others FORMAT: Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC LANGUAGE: English NUMBER OF DISCS: 1 RATING: Not Rated RUN TIME: 75 minutes DVD EXTRAS: - Sounds of the Playoffs: 1st Round - Sounds of the Playoffs: Conference Semi Finals - Sounds of the Playoffs: Conference Finals - Top Plays of the Year - Belief - Unity - The Journey - Dream
Here is the first 2 minutes of the DVD:
Here is the segment on the history of the Lakers/Celtics rivalry:
Before Thursday, the entire Laker nation were pumped about the possibilities of adding veterans Tracy McGrady, Raja Bell, and/or Kurt Thomas. Well scratch all of that now. The Lakers, instead, officially signed free-agents forward/guard Matt Barnes and center Theo Ratliff. Two defensive-minded vets to bolster a Laker bench that lacked even the slightest idea of just how important it is for the second unit to play defense more than scoring.
Sure, neither player is a shutdown defender but their ability and mindset to play defense first will pay dividends for the back-to-back champions, especially when the key starters are resting or in foul trouble in a close game.
Barnes (30) originally was headed to Toronto as part of a sign-and-trade before the salary cap for both Raptors and Magic got in the way negating any notion of him moving to Canada. Cleveland offered Barnes a bigger paycheck (between $3 to $4 million), but the deal wasn't impressive enough for a non-title contender. So, that leaves only the Lakers to become his 8th team in his 7-year career in the NBA. The Lakers signed him for 2 years (with the second year as a player option) at around $3.8 million.
One of my favorite Laker ever didn't bolt to the Miami Heat like you know who. Instead, Derek Fisherstayed with the team and family of fans he help bring the last 5 titles and will help gun for another next season. Fish is signed up for 3 years (with the final year as a player option) for around $10.5 million. The move will most likely secure Fish to end his career with the Lakers (and hopefully retire his number later on).
Fish credits his loyalty to long-time teammate and close friend Kobe Bryant and all the Laker fans as his ultimate reason to return to the back-to-back champions. But the Lakers value his leadership on and off the court, mental fortitude, experience, and his uncanny ability to hit big shots in the biggest games.
His signing, along with Phil Jackson, greatly improves the Lakers' chances of completing their second three-peat of this decade. That's what you call a dynasty!
Steve Hanson Blake is now part of the Laker family! It took years to get him in purple and gold, but like they say "better late than never." The seven-year veteran point guard officially inked himself to a 4-year, $16 million deal Wednesday morning before rounding out some questions from the media regarding his role with the Lakers and his new Twitter account. Blake is "extremely excited" about being on a championship team and feels that he's in his best opportunity with the Lakers.
Mitch Kupchak revealed that the Lakers had strong interest for Blake since coming out of the University of Maryland when the Lakers invited him to a workout and were impressed by his passing, shooting, ability to run an offense, and toughness on the defensive end. The Washington Wizards eventually drafted Blake as their 38th pick of the 2003 NBA Draft. But Portland snagged him in his second year when Washington didn't match the offer sheet he signed with the Blazers. Blake was then traded to Milwaukee, Denver after, then back to Portland, and finally to the Clippers last season.
Blake's pass-first mentality, shooting, and scrappiness on defense will help the Lakers more than what most people credit that scenario for. He's everything what the Lakers had hoped in getting out of Jordan Farmar but didn't. Consistent production and leadership from the point guard position off of the bench was one of the most glaring problems for the Lakers last season. Blake should solve that problem next season. He's also heralded for his ability to mesh with his teammates. Being a point guard, that is an invaluable asset to Steve and to any team he plays for.
Blake's career numbers are: 41% shooter (39% in 3s), 78% in free-throws, 2.1 in rebounds, 4.3 in assists, and 1.5 in turnovers per game. His true jersey number is 25, but he'll have #5 for the Lakers since #25 has been retired in honor of the great Gail Goodrich.
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Bloguin is the revolutionary blog network specifically focused on helping bloggers get the most out of their websites. We're currently working on building a large network of online communities and hope to expand our blogging coverage to include a wide range of topics. 
The Bloguin Network allows advertisers to promote their products and services to our ever-growing number of visitors. We offer both site-specific ad placements as well as the ability to run a network-wide campaign. If you're interested in working with Bloguin to meet your advertising needs, please contact us.
The Bloguin Network is always looking to expand. We're specifically looking for blogs in the sports, entertainment, and video games field, but are open to adding any type of quality site. If you're a blogger and interested in joining our network, please fill out our application form.
The Bloguin Login gives you full access to everything our network has to offer. Your name and password will work for each and every one of our sites. Signing up is simple, and will allow you to post in all our forums, create member blogs, and access other cool features! What are you waiting for? Create an Account! 