LA Lakers 2006 - 2007 preview
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2006 Los Angeles Lakers Preview
Power Ranking: No. 15
Projected Record: 42-40 (8-game improvement)
Odds to Win the NBA Title: 33/1
Win Total Over/Under: 41.5
Offseason Grade: C-
Drafted (Grade: D)
1. (10) Andrew Bynum, C, High School
2. (37) Ronny Turiaf, PF, Gonzaga
2. (39) Von Wafer, SG, Florida St.
Signed (Grade: B-)
Aaron McKie, SG, Philadelphia
Luke Walton, SF, (Re-signed)
Smush Parker, PG, Phoenix
Corie Blount, PF/C, Toronto
Acquired (Grade: D)
Kwame Brown, PF/C, Washington
Laron Profit, SF, Washington
Lost
Caron Bulter, SF, Washington
Chucky Atkins, PG, Washington
Brian Grant, PF/C (Waived)
Tierre Brown, PG, Toronto
Position Battles: Aaron McKie vs. Smush Parker vs. Sasha Vujacic at point guard. Advantage: McKie.
Breakout: Smush Parker. It's too early to know if Smush Parker will even make the team, let alone win the starting point guard job, but he's a dynamic talent who may just find his niche roving the outskirts of the triangle offense.
Burnout: Kwame Brown. All the talent in the world doesn't mean squat if you don't have a love for the game and a passion to be great. Brown is a perfect example and you can bet he'll shrink under Kobe and Phil's constant glares of disapproval.
Catalyst: Lamar Odom. He's the archetypal point forward and if he takes to the initiator role that Scott Pippen perfected, the Lakers will be a burden to defend.
2006 Free Agents: McKie (Player option), Tony Bobbitt (Restricted), Von Wafer (Restricted), Brian Cook (Team option), Jumaine Jones, Devean George, Stanislav Medvedenko
2006 Salary Cap Space: About $19 million over the $49.5 million cap.
Projected 2006 No. 1 Pick: (No. 10) Daniel Gibson, PG, Texas (Pick goes to Boston if outside the Top 10)
Top Trade Chip: Cook. He showed off an impressive outside touch last season, but the Lakers aren't hurting at small forward and he doesn't figure to ever develop the toughness to suit his frame.
Move We'd Make: Given his size and perimeter touch, Cook could make a tough cover on the Nets. Meanwhile, Zoran Planinic could start at the point for L.A. instead of being stuck behind Jason Kidd and Jeff McInnis. A match made in heaven.
State of the Franchise
Pride is what ruined the Lakers dynasty, turning the franchise from the predicted "greatest team of all time" prior to the 2004 season into a 48-defeat flop at the conclusion of the 2005 campaign. As much as competing on the court meant, the competition to earn the lion's share of the credit for the team's remarkable run wasn't far behind. Neither was the end.
Like some riff on "Highlander", there could apparently be only one in Los Angeles. It turned out to be Kobe and it turned out Kobe couldn't carry the Lakers on his own. The demise of the franchise was greatly exaggerated: L.A. sat 32-29 on March 14 before a disastrous 2-19 finish that hid the fact that the team overcame the loss of Kobe for a month and the sudden departure of head coach Rudy Tomjanovich.
But that 2-19 meltdown left a bad enough aftertaste for the organization to suppress its pride and re-hire Phil Jackson as head coach, just months after he filled the air with acrimony when discussing his tenure in L.A. The absence of pride on both parties is a positive step in the right direction -- Jackson will glue a disparate collection of players to avoid a repeat collapse.
The talent and chemistry a far cry from the glory days earlier in the decade, so don't expect big results from the Lakers in 2005. But they've regained their footing and learned all lessons after just one season of misery. In Hollywood lingo, the Lakers have gotten the greenlight on the ultimate goal again.
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