Do you know anyone who predicted that the 2008 NBA Finals would feature the Lakers verses the Celtics? Me neither.
As of last night, the Lakers and the Celtics have the best records in the West and East respectively. Actually, the Lakers are tied with the Suns for the best record in the Western Conference, but the Lakers have beaten the Suns both times they’ve met this year, so the Lakers would have the number 1 seed in the West if the playoffs were to start today.
But of course, the playoffs do NOT start today, which is a good thing for the Lakers, since their promising young center, Andrew Bynum is expected to miss at least the next 27 games due to a knee injury.
However, if the Lakers start losing, it will be hard to know how much of that is because Bynum is gone, and how much of it is due to their schedule.
The Lakers next games are against Phoenix, Denver, San Antonio, Dallas and Cleveland. Then, after a home game against the Knicks, the Lakers embark on a grueling, nine-game road trip January 31 at Detroit. The Lakers only have 3 home games in February.
It’s possible that the difficulty of their coming schedule would have slid the Lakers back down the standings a bit anyway, but Kobe might beg to differ.
After last night’s overtime squeaker over the lowly Sonics, Kobe Bryant told KCAL TV, "We're a championship-caliber team when [Andrew Bynum] is in the lineup."
Wow, what a reversal! It takes a big man to admit he is wrong, and Kobe seems to be that man.
When Kobe trashed Bynum this last summer, Bynum’s numbers were about half of what they are this year, and most of us would have agreed that Jason Kidd or Jermaine O’Neal would have helped the Lakers more than Bynum had up until that point.
Kobe has already publicly acknowledged he should not have publicly trashed his teammate like he did, but sometimes people can turn criticism into a rallying cry or a wake up call of sorts.
It is reminiscent of when Larry Bird called out the Celtics for not being very tough after their loss to the Lakers in game 3 of the 1984 NBA Finals. Larry was right, but rather than whine about Larry publicly trashing them, Larry’s teammates came back with a vengeance.
To his credit, Andrew Bynum has likewise risen to the challenge.
This year, Andrew Bynum:
Leads the entire NBA in field goal percentage
Ranks #2 in the NBA in efficiency rating per 48 minutes
Is #4 in the NBA in rebounds per 48 minutes
Is #11 in the NBA in rebounds
Is #11 in the NBA in double doubles
Is #9 in the NBA in blocks
And Andrew Bynum is improving as the season goes on. Since 2008 started and before getting hurt, Bynum:
Has averaged 70% shooting
Averaged 17.4 points per game
Averaged 12 rebounds per game
Averaged 2.8 blocks per game
Bynum’s growing reputation has forced opposing defenses to pay more attention to him, making the game easier for the rest of the Lakers.
And yet Andrew Bynum is not even listed as someone you can vote into the All Star Game. Granted, Bynum will never draw more votes than Yao Ming, but Andrew Bynum is at least as deserving to be on the ballot as is Andris Biedrins, Brad Miller, Erick Dampier, Mehmet Okur, Pau Gasol, LaMarcus Aldridge, Tyson Chandler, Marcus Camby, and Chris Kaman.
This year Andrew Bynum has almost doubled his averages from last year and is everyone’s leading candidate for most improved player.
At age 20, there seems to be plenty of improvement ahead of Bynum. After Drew’s last outing, a 25 point, 17 rebound performance, he said, “I’m dying for a 20 and 20 game. I’ve been so close like that two, three times. Philly, this game, and I think another game I got like 10 boards in the first quarter and finished with 11.”
You’ve got to love how he’s set goals for himself and his improvement, and makes a real effort to reach them.
Jordan and Pippen. O’Neal and Bryant. And now Bryant and Bynum ... has Phil Jackson found his 3rd dynamic duo?
good article, and I actually heard alot of hype in my local sports bar preseason for the potential of a Lakers vs Celts final, but it was just probably due to the fact that the Celts were overhyped in a weak conference and us Laker fans were a little drunk,,, but it would absolutely great to see it come back full circle, and there last meeting although poorly played made me hate the Celts, for there thuggish play and classless post game interviews so its shaping up nicely.
[Laughing] I don't know that the Celtics and Lakers will be the last 2 teams standing, but it IS nice to see them both apparently back in contention.
As I posted in your blog, there are some POSSIBLE upsides to Andrew Bynum's injury:
o Kwame Brown has only played in 15 games this season and looks pudgy. All these extra minutes could get him in top form by the playoffs.
o Chris Mihm will be back in 2 weeks, and all the extra minutes may get him in shape and ready for the playoffs more quickly.
o Bynum will come back in March, which might be enough time for Bynum to get back to top form before the playoffs.
o Bynum comes back with enough time for his team mates to adjust to him again before the playoffs.
o Playing without Bynum, the Lakers will get good looks at the Suns, Spurs, Mavericks, etc., but they won't get a complete look at the Lakers.
o When Roni Turiaff goes back to playing power forward, after playing center for awhile, he may be more confident going up against smaller power forwards.
Any reasonably intelligent knowledgable NBA fan knows that you don't win a title without at least two dominant players these days. Of course the haters will continue to say PJ never won without talent. As if anyone ever has. Red only had a minimum of two future hall of famers on his Celtics teams every single title he ever won.
Kwame Brown is a still a stone cold solid stiff. Lamar Odom showed exactly his lack of heart last night by going 3-15 when they needed him to step up and be the second man again. He's a perfect third man but second man he ain't.
Yes Phil has found his dynamic duo for the third time but not this year. Bynum needed the rest of the season to continue to mature and now he's behind the curve. Next year if they can convince Kobe to stay and they both stay healthy. Bet on it.
Last edited by TheOutLawChronicles on January 15th at 5:47 PM.
You are probably right: Bynum would be better off if he would have had the whole season to develop.
Kwame has only had 15 games this season, plus he is a bit pudgy now. His hands will probably never be great, and he'll probably never be an all star, but I think we need to be patient as he works himself back into shape. The Lakers defense sure suffered when Kwame went down last season; he does contribute.
Chris Mihm will need to work back into shape too in a couple of weeks, so the Lakers may be climbing again in turnover stats.
And as Stu Lantz said, Odom is probably more comfortable as the 3rd scorer rather than the second. He should have stepped up, but Luke Walton or Derek Fischer could have as well.
Kobe's right when he says the Lakers are a championship-caliber team with Bynum in the lineup. Look at the NBA champions through the years. The one common thread is that each champion has a great center. The Celtics of the 60's had Russell. The Knicks of the 70's had Willis Reed. The 1972 Lakers had Wilt Chamberlain. The 80's Lakers had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Bad Boys Pistons had Bill Laimbeer. The 90's Bulls were the exception. The Spurs' championship teams had David Robinson and now Tim Duncan. Each of these centers (with the exception of Laimbeer) are Hall of Famers, and Duncan will be a Hall of Famer.
A lot get said about how a point guard like Steve Nash makes people around them better, but a dominate big man makes the game easier for the whole team.
A big scores inside where the percentages are higher. A big gives teams more shot attempts by grabbing offensive rebounds. A dominate big gives teams easy fast break baskets by grabbing defensive rebounds. A dominate big deters shooters and keeps them shooting outside. All dominate players draw double teams, but bigs draw them near the basket, creating easy scoring (or free throw) opportunities for their teammates.
Bynum going down may put the Lakers on the fringe of making the playoffs, depending on how the other players step up.
With THE BIG DREWSKI's emeregence, THE KILLER B's (Bryant and Bynum) have now formed nucleus of the next great Lakers' dynasty. And this one will last much longer than the Shaq-Kobe Lake Show.
This goes to show how great Lakers fans really are because they know how to analyze basketball and base their analyses by actually watching the games and paying attention.
The one thing I'd like to throw in there is that THE YOUNG GUNS will be successful (no matter what seed they end up with) because they have the perfect ingredients of a chamionship nucleus.
They have balance in every aspect of the game - size, speed, athleticism, playoff experience, youth, a great coach, a great closer, a great floor leader in Fisher, rebounding, the ability to play inside or out, three-point shooters, mid-range players, etc.
And the fact that we have an excellent record against the West elite goes to show that the we can hang with ANY team, unlike the SUNS for example.
The Lakers are not pretenders contrary to the belief of haters.
The SUNS, on the other hand, are the biggest pretenders to hit the court since Rick Adelman's Sacramento Kings.
And when the Lakers sign Chris Webber, it'll be all over for the rest of the West.
The Lakers are responding the way I thought they would back in 2006 when I started pumping them up in these blogs.
Those same people who called me delusional are now hiding in their holes like the prairie dogs in the fields near Devil's Tower.
THE YOUNG GUNS' ASSAULT CONTINUES...
Last edited by J-DIZZLE on January 16th at 3:12 PM.
I like pretty much all sports, but to make time for the more important things in life, I have chosen to follow just one: basketball.
I have more blog posts at Basketballog y.com.
Do you know anyone who predicted that the 2008 NBA Finals would feature the Lakers verses the Celtics? Me neither.
