LA Basketball Preview
Answering the Lakers and the Clippers big questions heading into the season
Kobe is back, the Clippers got better after they almost got worse, and the two teams from Los Angeles might be back in the playoffs at the same time. Emphasis on might.
With the season for these two teams starting Tuesday night, here are the biggest storylines for each team this year:
Lakers
There is always preseason intrigue surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers, and this year is no different.
The Lakers actually have an NBA-caliber roster this season, adding Lou Williams, Brandon Bass, and Roy Hibbert through free agency, along with D’Angelo Russell through the draft. They are also bringing back Julius Randle, who missed almost the entirety of last season with a broken leg.
With a variety of mismatched pieces, an aging superstar, and a head coach who hasn’t been over .500 since 2008, there are reasons to be skeptical about the Lakers this season. However, Lakers fandom in LA is still alive and well, as the Lakers are the team bet on the most to win the NBA Finals this season.
But before they do that, they’ll have to answer the biggest question from this season:
Do the Lakers have a real chance to make the playoffs?
Let’s begin with their starting five. A group of D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson, Kobe Bryant, Julius Randle and Roy Hibbert doesn’t exactly strike fear into opponents, but it does have some serious intrigue. If Julius Randle can live up to his preseason hype, if D’Angelo Russell’s absurd passing skills can translate to the NBA, and if Roy Hibbert can regain his ability to…you know..play basketball, the Lakers might have a decent squad.
That’s a lot of “ifs”, but aside from Kobe, the Lakers have a nice collection of young, exciting players.
D’Angelo Russell should finally give the Lakers the true point guard they haven’t had since Derek Fisher. If you exclude Steve Nash, the Lakers have been a black hole at the point guard position for the last 5-plus years. Russell not only brings excellent court vision, but some flash and excitement as well.
Jordan Clarkson is more of a combo-guard, but he did have flashes of brilliance last season. Averaging 12–3–3 last season, Clarkson wasn’t spectacular, but he brings a well-rounded game even if he’s not excellent in any area.
Coming into the 2014 draft, Julius Randle was pinned as the most NBA-ready big, and had a decent start before breaking his leg in his second game. He would bring post-scoring to a front court that was led by Jordan Hill and Carlos Boozer last season.
All of that being said, the Western Conference is simply too good for the Lakers to make a run at the playoffs. It wouldn’t come as a total shock if the Lakers finished with a win total in the 30s, but that’s not nearly enough to make the playoffs in the West.
Is this Kobe’s last season in LA?
Kobe is in the last year of his monster contract, and most people doubt he will take a pay cut to stay in LA. The Lakers would be smart to not re-up him at his current rate, but some fans feel the organization at least owes him that.
As far as his on-court performance, saying he’s in decline is a bit of an understatement. Kobe has not played a full season in two years, and even when he is on the court, his numbers haven’t been Kobe-esque. His field goal percentage last season was the lowest of his career, and by all metrics, he’s actually making the Lakers worse.
Kobe said himself today, “It’s pretty amazing we’re still playing” when he was asked about himself and Kevin Garnett.
The biggest factor in whether or not the Lakers will keep Kobe might be the fact the Lakers have such a promising young core. Bringing back Kobe at such a high price could set back the development of the three up-and-comers.
The answer is most likely no, but with Mitch Kupchak in charge, anything is possible.
Clippers
The Deandre-saga defined the Clippers’ offseason, but the headline should’ve been the positive additions they brought in. The bench of the Clippers has been a punch line for years, but after bringing in Paul Pierce, Lance Stephenson, Wesley Johnson, Josh Smith, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, and Pablo Prigioni, the Clips are all of a sudden one of the deeper teams in the league.
The question is:
Are the additions enough to push the Clippers over the top?
At first glance, the answer is yes. Paul Pierce regained his reputation as one of the best big-shot makers in the league last season with Washington, and he will bring another offensive weapon to a team already loaded with talent.
Doc Rivers will most likely bring Pierce off the bench, and start Wesley Johnson, in order to keep Pierce’s minutes down, keeping him fresh for the playoffs.
The Clippers know they should’ve been in the Conference Finals last season, but didn’t thanks to their epic collapse against the Rockets. They decided to follow the idea, “if you cant beat them, join them” and brought in Josh Smith and Pablo Prigioni, two role players vital to the Rockets run last season.
The Clips have all the makings of a championship team. They have two big-shot makers, two MVP candidates, a DPOY candidate, depth, and a great coach. The question now, is whether they can put it all together at the right time and make a run for the title.
