With training camp five days away, the Lakers find themselves in a better place than they were last year. By all accounts Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash are healthier. The roster is much younger with additional creators in Jordan Clarkson and Jeremy Lin. Julius Randle’s addition to the front court has added depth to the power forward position. And Byron Scott, the local kid who snuck into Lakers games at the Forum by distracting the old security guard, is beginning his first year as Lakers coach. Collectively there are many feel good stories just as there are questions on how is it all going to look when the product is put together.
Apr 8, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Steve Nash (10) acknowledges the crowd after passing Mark Jackson (not pictured) to move into third on the all-time NBA assist list in the second quarter against the Houston Rockets at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Who starts at point guard? The candidates are Steve Nash, Jeremy Lin and Jordan Clarkson. Nash is 40.5 years old and hasn’t played much the last two years. The nature of his injury is so precarious that just bumping into another athlete on the court, as is routine in the NBA, creates setbacks. How much can Nash be expected to contribute? His advanced age makes it difficult for him to be able to handle the energy, explosiveness and overall skill of dynamic point guards in their mid-twenties who are going to simply blow by Nash. How do you use him defensively? As a helper? Is that practical given his recent injury history?
Jeremy Lin seems the right move as the starting point guard. How many minutes does he get with the first unit? Or is Lin a hybrid first and second unit player? Byron Scott recently mentioned that he wants a second unit that can press and create havoc. That seems tailor made for Lin’s athleticism and gritty toughness, plus his ability to finish in transition and at the rim.
Jordan Clarkson is mysterious only because he has not played in the national spotlight. He’s explosive and can get to the rim whenever he wants. He displayed a nice floater and offense at the rim in the summer league and he’s fearless in the paint. But if he’s a point guard at all he’s in the Russell Westbrook mode, shoot first, pass second. The feel of his game is more conducive to a shooting guard.
Does Nick Young come off the bench? Byron Scott mentioned he favored Nick on the second unit for offensive reasons. He is going to need another fearless scorer. Besides, the chemistry between a scorer like Kobe and a scorer like Nick may not gel even as they like to get their points in different places on the floor. Nick has starter talent but he excelled last year when he came off the bench. The flow of the game may insist Nick wait his turn until Kobe goes out.
Julius Randle vs. Carlos Boozer: Boozer had two terrible years in Chicago and the thought of him starting makes Lakers fans want to scream Hell NO!!!!! . But even as his offense has gone down the toilet he still rebounds and is active on the boards. He averaged 8 rebounds last year and only played 24 minutes. The Lakers will have more perimeter shooting this year than the Bulls had last year which means more misses for Boozer to clean up and put back into the hoop for easy points.
Julius Randle’s motor and intensity and competitiveness, not to mention his athleticism, may push him towards the starting job if he dominates training camp and shows that he is the better player. Randle’s challenge is in how he maneuvers in the paint. The NBA isn’t summer league and Julius Randle won’t be able to just bully his man down low, he is going to have to either out quick him, out think him or show some touch and finesse. This competition in the pre-season will be the most fascinating to watch and will say a ton about the psychology of both men. Who wants the starting job more: the veteran? Or the rookie whose college coach said he will be the Lakers starter.
Apr 11, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Wesley Johnson (11) dunks the ball during the game against the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center. Warriors defeated the Lakers 112-95. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Wesley Johnson???? Who is he in his fifth NBA season? Will he live up to his potential? Or will he just be one more role player on a roster with young talent? Byron seems to like Wes to start at the small forward position to balance the spacing on the floor with Kobe. He doesn’t need the ball, you don’t have to call plays for him but he has to be effective to keep defenses from loading up one side and ignoring him altogether. His defense is a huge plus. He’s long and active and under Mike D’antoni he was the Lakers best defender. Coached by Byron Scott he should take his defense to another level. But what about his offense? Will he win the job in training camp? Is he competitive enough?
7 Days of Hell: Byron’s camps are known for making men vomit and keel over with their eyeballs almost bleeding. If you come into his camp out of shape, well good luck. You will be miserable. From the start of training camp to the first exhibition game will be 7 days. You’ll know after day one and especially after day two who spent their summer staying in shape and who used their summer to party and have a good time.
Chemistry: It is the biggest x-factor. Most of the players are new to the team, almost all of the coaches are. How Kobe plays with an entirely new starting lineup, probably Lin, Johnson, Randle and Jordan Hill, will determine who starts and who doesn’t. If the second team can come in and create symmetry with one another- last year’s only shining moment was the second unit- is an indicator of what kind of Lakers team this is. Both the first team and the second team need an absence of selfishness and a whole lot of trust. The players have to buy into the toughness of Byron Scott and his system. Last year was a long, long year but the players liked each other a lot and had good chemistry. They didn’t have a lot of talent. The talent has been upgraded. Will it matter?