This article is part of our NBA Team Previews series.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
By Adam Eichstedt
RotoWire Writer
STATE OF THE FRANCHISE
Falling just short of a championship in 2007-08, the Lakers put all the right pieces together in 2008-09 to win the franchise's 15th title. It also marked the 10th for Phil Jackson (most all-time) and the fourth for Kobe Bryant, who was finally able to earn a ring minus Shaq. Though Bryant garnered Finals MVP honors, it was the performance of Pau Gasol that truly stood out. Going toe-to-toe with Orlando's Dwight Howard, Gasol averaged better than 18 points and nine boards a game, all while keeping "Superman" grounded.
The offseason featured a marquee "trade" as forwards Trevor Ariza and Ron Artest, formerly of the Rockets, exchanged teams via free agency. Though Ariza proved his worth defensively in the postseason, the overall team defense certainly will remain one of the best in the league. The frontcourt rotation of Artest, Gasol, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum and Luke Walton should make interior scoring extremely challenging for Lakers opponents.
Offensively, questions remain on how Artest will fit in with Jackson's triangle offense and with quality scorers who need consistent touches for L.A. to win. Often seen as a heavy dribbler and stubborn with the ball in tight situations, the forward will quickly need to realize (and may need reminders throughout the season) that this is Phil and Kobe's team. Regardless, the Lakers looked well stocked for another championship run.
PLAYING TIME DISTRIBUTION
Bryant's minutes have steadily dropped each of the last four seasons and last year reached the lowest average since his sophomore season of 1997-98. He could again see yet another small drop-off in 2009-10. The emergence of Sasha Vujacic and arrival of Artest might provide Jackson with opportunities to rest his star in already decided games and keep him fresh for another strong postseason. Expect Bryant to be in the 35-37 range. Derek Fisher surprisingly logged nearly 30 a contest last season, but should see a significant decline to 25, with Farmer and Vujacic receiving more floor time at 20 and 18 minutes, respectively.
The health of Bynum and Artest will be the determining factors in floor time for the bigs. A healthy Bynum should get closer to 33-35, provided he remains out of foul trouble. Gasol and Odom's time should remain much the same, with the Spaniard around 35 and the aging Odom just under 30. When the Lakers need to go big, expect Bynum to get the first jump in minutes and for Odom to possibly drop a few.
Artest should log a solid 35, minimum, especially now that he doesn't face ejections for guarding Bryant. That should leave 20 for Walton, who could see an increase during blowouts. Left to pick up some garbage minutes will be Adam Morrison, Josh Powell and Shannon Brown, who should each see upwards of 10 per contest.
PLAYER OUTLOOKS
Center
Andrew Bynum: High expectations exist this season for Bynum, whose production level always coincides with his health. With additional minutes in 2009-10, he possesses a higher fantasy value. The fifth-year pro showed improved strength and skill in the post last season, as he seems to have figured out what it takes for success as an NBA big man. With that said, a focused Gasol and aggressive Artest may cut into some of his numbers, both offensively and defensively.
D.J. Mbenga: The Congo native has appeared in nearly 50 games for the Lakers, with few minutes coming during critical junctures of a ball game. Much the same should be expected this season, especially considering the already deep front line.
Forward
Pau Gasol: Not many players have had a better 2009 than Gasol. He followed up one of the best postseasons of his career with a fantastic showing at the Eurobasket tournament, leading Spain to its first gold medal and taking home MVP honors. The ninth-year pro should put together another solid season, one that could see an improvement in his offensive numbers, as opposing defenses will be hard-pressed to find ways to account for all of L.A.'s weapons.
Ron Artest: The Lakers signing of Artest further imprinted the target on their backs as the team to beat in the league. Long known for his defensive prowess, Artest performed admirably for the Rockets in 2008-09 trying to make up for the losses of Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. His offensive game has steadily improved throughout his career, making him a very solid pick in any fantasy league. However, the question this season will be how much of a hit his offensive production takes as he shares the floor with Bryant, Gasol, Odom and Bynum. Health has also been a factor during his 12-year career. Artest has played in at least 65 games just six times, only two of which have come in the past six seasons.
Lamar Odom: The veteran saw his numbers fall off during last year's championship season. Odom's per game averages for points (14.2-11.3), rebounds (10.6-8.2), assists (3.5-2.6), and minutes (37.9-29.7) all dropped from 2007-08. Age and nagging injuries have certainly slowed the versatile forward, who may begin to rely more on his outside touch, especially if/when Jackson goes with a bigger lineup. That means his fantasy stock may fall further, but do keep an eye on certain matchups as the season rolls on.
Luke Walton: A heady player, Walton's numbers continue to dive from his best season in 2006-07. Walton will see the floor even less this year behind Artest, but his passing and outside shooting are always assets to the Lakers.
Adam Morrison: Morrison's pro career has sputtered since his much-heralded college days ended. A torn ACL set him back significantly following his rookie season. He still remains a defensive liability, and until that improves, won't see the floor time he might deserve offensively.
Josh Powell: This season will mark the first time in Powell's career in which he begins the season in the same location where he ended the last one, which won't translate into much value for the team.
Guard:
Kobe Bryant: The Finals MVP remains a top-five fantasy option despite declining numbers in every key offensive (points, rebounds, assists) and defensive (steals, blocks) category, as well as minutes. The good news is Bryant continues to shoot a very good percentage for someone who takes upwards of 20-25 attempts a game. As one of the league's top players, those looks shouldn't decrease despite the recent additions or improved players around him. Bryant has always been his best when attacking the rim, which many around the team expect him to do more often in 2009-10, especially if the other guards and Artest shoot well from deep. One last point to keep an eye on, if L.A.'s man-to-man defense improves like it should, expect Bryant to see an uptick in steals, as well as a high-percentage fast-break buckets.
Derek Fisher: The vast amount of offensive firepower around Fisher makes him a rather undesirable fantasy pick, even though he's the starting point guard on the best team in the league. He averaged just 3.2 assists and less than 10 points a contest last year. He will lose additional time to Farmar this season, as well as some typical PG touches to Bryant and Artest.
Jordan Farmar: Best known for his shooting touch, there is reason for concern after Farmar's field-goal, three-point and free-throw percentages all took a hit in his third season with the Lakers. He should still see increased playing time while working to become the team's starting point guard in the years to come. If he can regain his stroke and show the ability to consistently find the right guy in the triangle, there may be reason to add him late in some fantasy leagues.
Sasha Vujacic: The sixth-year pro remains a true role player for Jackson and the Lakers. Minutes are limited due to the talent ahead of him; however, consistent long-range shooting and hard-nosed perimeter defense may result in some extra opportunities. If and when that happens, there could be some reasons to consider snatching Vujacic off the wire as a reserve.
Shannon Brown: An aggressive attacker towards the rim, Brown shoots a high percentage from the field and has shown a decent long-range shot from time to time.
Sleeper:
Andrew Bynum: The man-to-man attention the Lakers will force opposing defenses to play at all five positions should create more opportunities to go to work down low. A healthy season will translate into big numbers as L.A. features plenty of good passers to get Bynum the ball. Jackson will also look to run more of the offense through the young center, in part, to keep Bryant fresher as the season wears on.Bust:
Ron Artest: It's hard to figure out a way for Artest to continue putting up the consistent numbers he has during his career. This is hands-down the best talent the forward has been surrounded by, which means he'll be asked to do less on offense and likely won't be worth even a middle-round draft pick in 2009-10. His value to the Lakers as they try to repeat will not come in ways that lend themselves to fantasy points.
Article first appeared on 9/30/09
