Vujacic a Priority
Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak is expected to call Sasha Vujacic’s agent at midnight eastern time when this off-season’s free agency period officially begins. Both Vujacic and Ronny Turiaf are set to become restricted free agents, meaning the Lakers can match any offer sheet either player would receive from another team. It appears that the Lakers are focused on getting Vujacic to return but would also like to retain Turiaf.
Vujacic took major strides this season. He struggled to make the transition to the NBA during his first few seasons with the Lakers, but something finally clicked this year. Vujacic was a big part of the Lakers’ run to the NBA Finals and he performed well in the playoffs. Vujacic provides instant offense off the bench and is not at all bashful when it comes to hoisting shots. He’s a bolt of energy when he checks into the game, something that is very important for a championship-caliber team. Vujacic could receive an offer of up to $5 million per year. I believe the Lakers need Vujacic to return to the finals and should do anything within reason to keep the 24-year-old guard. Turiaf is much more expendable, but also provides energy off the bench and will likely remain a Laker.
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Lakers Grab Crawford
The Lakers used their only pick in the draft, 58th overall, to grab Kentucky guard Joe Crawford. Crawford played all four seasons of his collegiate career with the Wildcats and led the team in scoring last year with a shade under 18 points per game. He finished the season strong, netting two 35-point games in the last four contests.
I like the Crawford pick. I probably would have taken Davon Jefferson, as mentioned yesterday, but Crawford is a solid choice that late in the draft. Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak said he believed Crawford would be an early second-round pick and felt lucky to find him waiting for the Lakers at 58. Crawford won the team over with his pre-draft workout for them, according to Kupchak. Crawford is a bit undersized for the shooting guard position in the NBA and doesn’t have the incredible athleticism and length that could help make up for that deficiency. He’s a decent shooter and there is a possibility that he can handle some point guard duties. He played well at the Orlando pre-draft camp so that is a good sign. I’m not sure if he’ll make the Lakers’ roster, but he could be a decent guy to stick in the D-League for a while if he doesn’t decide to bolt to Europe for more money.
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Lakers’ Second Round Options
The Lakers do not have a first round pick in tonight’s NBA Draft due to the Pau Gasol trade, but the team does have its second round pick (58th overall). Now some people may think that second round picks aren’t important, but this is not the case. Gilbert Arenas, Carlos Boozer, Manu Ginobili, Michael Redd, Rashard Lewis and Mehmet Okur were all second round picks and have all made at least one All-Star team. The second round is also a good place to find solid role players such as Luke Walton, Kyle Korver and Brandon Bass, as well as an opportunity to take a chance on a young kid with a lot of upside, ala Monta Ellis or Louis Williams, without risking a first round pick.
I have seen a few different players being projected to go to the Lakers in mock drafts, including Davon Jefferson, J.R. Giddens and James Mays. I think Jefferson makes the most sense. He’s a versatile three with a load of talent. He played at USC so he’s a local product and he’s got a ton of upside. The Lakers aren’t going to get anyone that late in the draft that is going to come in and immediately crack their rotation, so they should take a guy with a lot of potential that can be groomed over a period of time. I think Jefferson fits the bill here.
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Kobe to Delay Surgery, Will Play in Beijing
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has decided to suit up for the USA National Team for this summer’s Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Bryant, an obvious selection for the squad, will delay surgery on a torn ligament in his finger so he can play for his country. Joining Bryant on the team will be LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Jason Kidd, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, Tayshaun Prince and Michael Redd.
This is a no-brainer in my opinion. The US team was embarrassed in the last Olympics and we need to put our best team out there. Bryant is the most gifted and versatile scorer in the NBA and will wreak havoc on any defender assigned to him. Team USA all started with The Dream Team way back in 1992 with guys like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. That team absolutely handed it to any country they played against. The competition has definitely risen since then and there are a lot of really good players from other countries than the U.S., but we still have the most talented pool of players to pick from, by far. I have a lot of confidence in this team because they know that they have to play together to win and are not taking this situation lightly.
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Shaq Rips Kobe, Ball in Bryant’s Court
So by now you’ve probably seen the clip of Shaq ripping Kobe Bryant in a freestyle rap whether on YouTube, Sportscenter or somewhere else. Shaq ridiculed Bryant over the fact that Kobe hasn’t won a championship since he “forced” Shaq out of town following the team’s defeat in the 2004 NBA Finals. The two superstars have had their differences, stemming back to their days as teammates, but had seemingly squashed any animosity in more recent years thanks partially to advice to do so from former Celtic great Bill Russell.
I think that this is a good opportunity for Kobe to show that he’s matured since Shaq left Los Angeles. Shaq has already made a statement saying that when he was on the Lakers, he, Kobe and other players used to freestyle about each other in the locker room and say much worse things about one another than O’Neal did in this most recent rap performance. He also made sure to point out that he didn’t mean any harm by it. Kobe has the chance to show he’s grown up by laughing it off and saying it was no big deal. Kobe has matured greatly on the court since Shaq’s departure from L.A. and now’s his chance to show he’s done the same off the court.
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Gasol and Odom Still Key
Even with the return of Andrew Bynum next season, there is going to be a lot of pressure on two players who didn’t seem to save their best ball for the NBA Finals this year, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. Gasol and Odom will be keys to the Lakers’ success next season. Without consistent performances from these two guys, the Lakers could find themselves as the runner up for the title once again next year.
The team formula is mapped out as follows. Kobe Bryant is the superstar; he’s one of the most talented scorers ever to play the game and is unquestionably the first option on offense. The team’s second option could be either Gasol or Odom, but it seems like neither is quite sure that they want to take on that role. It would be better if Gasol was willing to be the second option because he scores exclusively from inside and would provide a balanced one-two scoring punch with Bryant ala the Kobe/Shaq years. Odom would provide the best third option in the league as he’s sort of the poor man’s Scottie Pippen to Bryant’s poor man’s Michael Jordan. Bynum’s role would be laid out as a defensive presence and most of his buckets would come from dunks and put-backs. He isn’t going to have to focus on scoring on this team just yet, but defense and rebounding and providing a presence in the middle are important. Derek Fisher is the locker room presence and is there to knock down open shots. In the triangle offense you don’t need a true point guard in the traditional sense of the word and Bryant, Gasol and Odom are all elite-level passers for their positions. The Lakers have energy off the bench with guys like Sasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar and Vladimir Radmanovic. I think their roster fits their offense incredibly well and they’ve got one of the deeper benches in the league. If Gasol and Odom perform to the level that they are capable of, there may be no stopping the Lake Show next season.
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Laker Free Agents
With a solid roster that even Kobe Bryant approves of, the Lakers are poised to make another run at the NBA title next season. GM Mitch Kupchak does have a few decisions to make in the offseason though. The only draft pick the Lakers own is the 58th overall selection (Memphis owns their first round pick via the Pau Gasol trade) so I doubt Lakers management is going to have any difficult decisions to make concerning the draft, but free agency is another story. Two of the Lakers’ energetic bench players, Sasha Vujacic and Ronny Turiaf, are both restricted free agents, meaning the Lakers can match any offer the players receive from another team.
I think the more important guy to re-sign is Vujacic. He provides instant offense off the bench and guys who can score will always have value in the NBA. Vujacic had trouble adjusting to the NBA during his first few seasons, looking absolutely lost at times, but something seemed to click for the 24-year-old Yugoslavian this season. He was a big part of the Lakers’ run to finals and deserves a contract extension. Vujacic is a guy I could see winning the Sixth Man of the Year award in the future. Turiaf, in my opinion, is more expendable. He’s an energy guy who is always cheering from the bench, but I just don’t think he’s very good. He always gives 110 percent, but I don’t see him starting for an NBA team in the future or getting significant minutes off the bench. I really admire him for coming back from the heart condition that kept him out of action for his entire rookie season, but the NBA is a business and I think Turiaf is undersized at the power forward position and has neither the length nor the athletic ability to make up for it. If the Lakers are looking to let one of these players walk for financial reasons, I think Ronny is the one they should let move on.
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Odom Trade Speculation
Lamar Odom’s name is currently being thrown around in trade speculation after a disappointing performance by the Lakers squad in the NBA Finals. With the draft only a week away, there are a lot of names being talked about in trades, nothing out of the ordinary for this time of year. ESPN.com’s NBA Draft guru Chad Ford speculates that possible trading partners for the Lakers could be the Nets, Bulls, Kings and Grizzlies. Each of those teams has a small forward that they’d be willing to move. Odom will be forced to move back to the small forward position next season when Andrew Bynum returns, so trading him for a three would make the most sense if they were to swing a deal.
New Jersey could offer Richard Jefferson, and that’s something the Lakers would have to consider. Jefferson is more aggressive than Odom and could provide Kobe Bryant with a more consistent sidekick offensively. Sacramento could offer Ron Artest, which would give the Lakers a second elite perimeter defender. Chicago could offer Andres Nocioni, but I don’t see that being enough in an exchange for Odom. Memphis could offer Mike Miller, which is another deal the Lakers would have to consider because Miller is a dead-eye shooter and would likely get a lot of open looks due to the efficiency of the Lakers’ passing game. It’s unlikely that Odom gets moved, but I think the best deal for L.A. would be to acquire Mike Miller, who is highly underrated because he’s been tucked away in Memphis for years.
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Future Bright For Lakers
The Lakers’ season is officially over after losing last night in Boston 131-92, capping off a 4-2 series victory for the Celtics. Despite the way it ended, the Lakers had a banner season in 2008 and the future looks even brighter in L.A. The Lakers still have the best player in the NBA in Kobe Bryant and the best coach maybe ever in Phil Jackson. Lamar Odom and Paul Gasol are really good second and third options and young players like Jordan Farmar, Luke Walton, Sasha Vujacic and Ronny Turiaf are only going to get better.
The biggest bright spot that some may be forgetting about is 20-year-old center Andrew Bynum. Bynum was a force in the paint in 2008 before his season was cut short by a knee injury, averaging a double-double and more than two blocks per game. Insert him into the starting lineup and let Pau Gasol move into his more natural role as a four, and you’ve got a team that should go back to the finals next year. Bynum looks to have all the makings of a star big man and was already dominating this season when he can’t even legally consume an alcoholic beverage in this country. Bynum would have helped greatly against the Celtics and provided the physical inside presence the Lakers appeared to lack during most of the series. As of now, with a healthy Bynum, I would consider the Lakers the favorite to win the championship next year.
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Game 6 Tonight
Tonight the Lakers will try to stave off elimination from the playoffs for the second straight game. After going down 3-1 to the Boston Celtics, L.A. eeked out Game 5 at home but now have to travel to Boston to try and take two games in the TD Bank North Garden, a building the Celtics have lost only one game in this postseason. The Lakers have started games strong in the finals thus far; it’s holding their leads that they’ve struggled with. While Boston’s resiliency has been impressive, the Lakers have blown several double digit leads in this series at home.
For the Lakers to win tonight, they’ll need a hot start from superstar Kobe Bryant similar to that in Game 5, but they’ll need him to maintain a high level of play throughout the entire four quarters. What I think is the most important factor in Game 6 is the physicality of Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. These two guys really stepped it up inside in Game 5 and the Lakers will need a similar effort from them in order to force a Game 7. Gasol did a fantastic job guarding Kevin Garnett on Sunday and needs to duplicate that performance tonight. Odom has a tendency to disappear for stretches of the game, so more consistency from him would do the Lakers a lot of good. It also seems like the Lakers have created matchup problems for Boston when they’ve gone to a smaller lineup, using Vladimir Radmanovic at the four spot in order to spread the floor. I think we could see Phil Jackson using this strategy early and often in an effort to put a lot of points on the board.
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