Lakers Season Preview: Breaking Down the Backcourt
The discussion of the Laker backcourt begins and ends with Kobe Bryant. As he goes, the Lakers will follow. KB24 is the best player in the game. That is not up for debate. That guy in Cleveland is a beast but his resume is a few pages shy of being included in the thin pile where you’ll find Mr. Bryant’s.
We’re talking about the resume stack you’d find on James Naismith’s desk with the likes of Jordan, Magic, Bird, Wilt, Kareem and Russell. This is where you’ll find Kobe and if he takes another step closer to matching the jewelry total of one Michael Jordan then you’d better believe that the title of G.O.A.T. will be up for grabs soon.
However, the greatness of Kobe cannot support the entire backcourt alone.
Even though the Purple and Gold hung another banner in Staples, the point guard position was the albatross that hung around the Lakers’ neck in the playoffs.
Aaron Brooks lit up Derek Fisher and Jordan Farmar like they were ballin’ in church shoes in the playoffs.
Of course, this is nothing new. It wasn’t so long ago that the same Derek Fisher was making Troy Hudson look like Tiny Archibald.
What Fisher gives up with his surgically repaired feet, he more than compensates for with his clutch instincts. But that doesn’t mean that having to sit through another 82-game slate of watching the likes of Beno Udrih and Marcus Banks – not to mention CP3 and D-Will – torch the Laker guards will be any more tolerable.
Beyond Kobe, the rest of the minutes are going to be allotted to Fisher, Farmar, Shannon Brown and Sasha “Why am I still in the NBA?” Vujacic.
Here is a look at the Lakers’ guards and how they’ll factor into the rotation.
Kobe Bryant – The man, the myth, the legend. He’s the heartbeat of the Lakers who sets the tone on both ends of the court. KB24 is flirting with history as he attempts to lead the Lakers to back-to-back NBA titles while also adding a near Jordan-equalizing 5th ring.
Shannon Brown – Shanwow was just a throw-in for the Vlad Radmanovic/Adam Morrison deal. Little did he know that Phil Jackson was going to throw him into the deep end in the NBA playoffs. Brown is already a fan-favorite for his on-ball defense, clutch shooting and freakish athleticism. Shannon is a combo guard bred to play in the triangle offense. Don’t be surprised to see him getting big minutes late in games this year. Don’t be shocked if he puts a few people on posters this year too. Mikki Moore already got a taste.
Jordan Farmar – Jordan is the biggest mystery in the backcourt. He shows flashes of brilliance that make you believe he’s ready to take over the reigns from D-Fish. Then he’ll turn around and go brain-dead, disappearing like Mike Penberthy. Farmar’s knee injury came at the worst time last season as he was helping lead the charge of the Laker’s Bench Mob. Since then, his confidence has waned and his production has dipped. He’s going back to his UCLA roots by sporting #1 this season and if Jordan gains the confidence of PJ he could be the #1 option to cut in on Fisher’s minutes.
Derek Fisher – Fisher is the most important voice in the locker room. His jump shot was MIA for most of the postseason until he buried two daggers into the hearts of the Orlando Magic and then delivered a post-game speech that kept the team’s focus to close out the series. D-Fish is routinely exposed when facing the quick point guards of the NBA and his offense comes and goes. None the less, his fearless nature and clutch shooting has been a staple in any Laker title run since 1999. If there is one thing Fisher is going to have to give up the reigns on, it is being the team enforcer. This time around, it will be Ron Artest who lays out Luis Scola.
Sahsa Vujacic – Where to begin with Sasha? How about this: In the ’08 Finals, were it not for Sasha and his 20-points off the bench and clutch shooting in game three, the Celtics might just have swept the Lakers. One year later, Vujacic and his $15-million contract didn’t make a single shot in the Finals against Orlando. His size (6’7″) makes him a valuable asset in the backcourt but it means nothing if all he’s doing is camping out in the corner and bricking open shots. Trevor Ariza stepped up to be the surprise long range threat needed to keep opposing defenses honest in the playoffs. With Ariza gone, Vujacic is on thin ice. He could easily get lost in the shuffle, finding himself in warm-ups more often than shorts this year. Hey, somebody’s got to fill the void left by Sun Yue.
Keep it locked here on Lake Show Life as we get you prepped for the start of the NBA season.