Friday, July 26, 2013

Why the Los Angeles Lakers Will Be Fun to Watch in 2013-14

Sometimes a Train Wreck Can Be Beautiful ... As Long as No One Gets Hurt

COMMENTARY | These aren't your father's Los Angeles Lakers. In fact, they're not the players you're used to watching, either. With little superstar power, L.A. has a new look, relatively new coach and new organizational direction. The Lakers are in a transitional phase as a franchise, and that's part of what being a team in the current landscape of the NBA is like. 
 A series of anomalies dating a few years back have forced the Lakersto rethink the way they approach next season -- Chris Paul's trade being blocked, the firing of Mike Brown five games into the 2012-13 season and the entire Dwight Howard debacle. Now the Lakers have an issue on their hands of how to move forward, and it'll be entertaining to watch it unfold.
Can lightning strike twice?
Last season was a train wreck, but it came as a surprise. This year, the Lakers have bandaged the same broken train with nothing more than duct tape and sent it defiantly out on the same balky track. Will there be another glorious accident?
Part of the Lakers narrative is always what goes on off the court and if last season was not a mirage, but a trend, then the antics are sure to be entertaining if things go wrong again.
Why would Lakers fans enjoy this?
For one, the most savvy among the purple-and-gold faithful understand that the Lakers are planning their future for 2014-15 and beyond. They're not going anywhere anyway, so why not embrace the struggle? L.A. fans don't take kindly to losing, but the sting of failure will be lessened by the fact that the roster is already uninspiring. They have virtually no expectations and certainly no real championship aspirations given their personnel constraints.
But the real dangling carrot here is that the Lakers could enter the draft lottery if they're bad enough. After painfully waiting until pick No. 48 for a selection in 2013, fans would have something to look forward to come draft day as there will be no shortage of potential talent in the 2014 pool.
 The Lakers are not tanking per se, but if they happen to struggle then no one will really care. Who could blame fans for rooting for this?
Nick Young and Kobe Bryant
I wrote earlier that this pairing is going to be spectacular -- not in a LeBron James or Kevin Durant-like sense of the word, but more like the "anything JaVale McGee does" kind of spectacular. In other words, it's going to be must-see TV on a nightly basis. To watch two ball-dominant wings literally fight for shots on the floor is going to be worth the astronomical price of admission into Staples Center.
Young has already hilariously stated that he won't stop shooting just because of Kobe, which is even more reason to be giddy with excitement in anticipation of watching this materialize on the floor. Why let a little thing like playing with one of the greatest scorers in history stop you, Nick. Keep jacking it up!
David Stern and his boys aren't making any rule changes allowing for the use of two basketballs at once any time soon, so this is going to be outstanding.
 Lakers fans are going to like Chris Kaman. As difficult as it will be for some to embrace him after the initial shock of losing out on Dwight Howard, they'll quickly learn that he's a capable big man and a good interview too. He should pick up where Metta World Peace left off to a degree and give fans good insight and candid thoughts, win or lose.
 He's already begun to exercise some of that charisma and wit via social media. His Twitter timeline is one of the most underrated and entertaining among NBA players. An example: 
Dang I just sold my house in Manhattan Beach a few weeks ago! #Canisleepinyourbasement
So is it wrong to take more napkins than you need from a fast food restaurant to last you a few weeks at home?
If he's getting loose like this in the offseason via the Internet, then he's likely got some wonderful nuggets in store for everyone during the year.
Wesley Johnson and Jordan Farmar
Wesley Johnson is easy to root for. He's a likeable guy with good talent who should fit in well in an up-and-down scheme. He, like many players in the NBA, he's struggled to get quality minutes consistently. In three NBA seasons, they've declined each season. He averages just 23.1 minutes per game in a three-year span and has a career player efficiency rating of 9.5, well below the league average of 15.
Still, Jim Buss indicated that he had an outstanding workout and was hitting shots from everywhere. If he's taken a step forward in his development, he could turn into a solid young addition. Working alongside a tireless grinder like Bryant will only help him achieve that.
Farmar is an L.A. native who will look to prove himself capable of a bigger role on an NBA team. For him, the chance to do so in his home town should motivate him to continue to work at it.
Both players will be exciting to watch because they can provide much-needed athleticism off the bench in a reserve capacity. That's a far cry from a season ago when they didn't have the players to keep up with collective youth and speed throughout the rest of the league.
"Give us an 'A' or an 'F', Mike D'Antoni!"
 Will Mike D'Antoni thrive now that he has players who suit his system? That's the question that's burning in the minds of many hoop-heads and Lakers fans alike. The excuses from last season are well-documented. There was no training camp, no chemistry and a slew of unlikely injuries that contributed to D'Antoni's inability to take the team deep into the playoffs as demanded. 
Now, the focus has shifted and the Lakers have lowered expectations. That means that if D'Antoni fails miserably, the Lakers could still "win" because of the upcoming draft. If they exceed expectations and make a playoff run, it will be an ironic role-reversal for traditionally spoiled fans to act as underdogs.
Mamba-watch '13-14
And then there's Bryant -- the face of the franchise and the sole reason that many Lakers fans exist. He suffered a catastrophic injury just as things were starting to gel with the squad and looked promising heading into the playoffs. In the blink of an eye, their postseason was effectively over as Bryant clutched his Achilles tendon on that fateful night.
Due to the nature of the injury, a lot of fans and onlookers doubt Bryant's ability to come back from such a severe career setback at what will then be 35 years-old. Fans want to see how he responds, what he looks like on the floor and how hungry he is to prove everyone wrong. Bryant has been the biggest draw for the Lakers since he first put on an NBA uniform, and that won't change next season.
For more on the Lakers and the NBA, catch up with this author on Twitter @MikeJonesTweets.
Michael C. Jones covers the Los Angeles Lakers and the NBA as a Southern California-based sports journalist and editor. He contributes to SB Nation in addition to Yahoo! Sports and is the managing editor and founder of Sports Out West.

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