# Season Wrap-Up?



## PauloCatarino (May 31, 2003)

Obviously, it was a disaster of a season.

Going in, the Lakers weren’t a contending team. The Dwightmare left the team with huge holes, Nash and Kobe were injured, and the Lakers had to round up the roster with role players or inexperienced guys.
Still, the eyes were on getting to the playoffs, hoping that, when Kobe returned, the Lakers could make a push for it.

But then, injuries depleted the roster. At one time or another, every Laker player was on the enfermary. Kobe played in just 6 games; Paul missed 22; at one time, the Lakers were out of PGs, with injuries to Blake, Farmar and Marshall. 
Things were so ugly that the Lakers had to call players like Kendall Marshall, Manny Harris, Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks to field a team.

Then comes Mike D’Antoni, who (IMHO) couldn’t handle coaching in such a scenario. 
The defense, obviously, was absent from Day 1, but his line-ups were mind-boggling, his Dog-House was always occupied (Chris Kaman, Jordan Hill…) and he never seemed to garner respect out of his players (with Pau, Kaman and even Kobe publicly question his directing of the team).

So the Lakers were bad. Historically bad.

Sure, there were some bright spots. Jodie Meeks had a good year, replacing no other than Kobe Bryant on the starting unit; Pau Gasol, when healthy, proved he still had some game left; Nick Young was an infectious scorer and mood-builder; Chris Kamanyourface showed he could deliver if trusted upon; Kelly showed some game for a rookie thrown to the wolves.

But the fact that many of the players were in one-year contracts or the last year of their contracts also helped the turmoil, with some selfish basketball being played.

Still, there’s hope. 

For the first time in a while, the Lakers will have money to spend on the market; also, they will have a draft pick no lower than #9 in a stacked draft; and Kobe should be back in full force next season (eventhough his contract renewal crunched the hopes of big signings from the Lakers in this off-season).
And eventhough the Lakers won’t be contenders next season (IMHO only after Kobe’s contract runs out they will they have that chance) they will certainly be much improved.

Yes, major tinkering will be needed. 

The coaching position is the greatest question mark. D’Antoni has 2 years left in his contract, and if he is to be the coach of the 2014-2015 Lakers it will take some magic to field a roster that maximizes his game plan. 
In the Draft, forget about Julius Randle, Vonleh or Aaron Gordon, cause MDA prefers a “stretch 4”: if the Lakers get really lucky, there’s the Exum Enigma; if not, there’s Marcus Smart (eventhough he is not exactly a good scorer)

Coaching gig aside, the Draft offers the chance to bring an impact player (at least for the foreseeable future) on board to pair with the 35-years-old Kobe Bryant. That will be interesting.
Obviously, there’s already talk (that Mitch didn’t shut down) about the Lakers packaging the pick to try and get a guy like Kevin Love on board. But, whatever happens with pick, it will always be good for the Lakers, considering the dire need to revamp the roster.

Unfortunately, the Lakers will have a hard time fielding the roster with a decent enough supporting cast to try and make a playoff run.
Guys like Jodie Meeks and Nick Young, who really flourished this year, will probably get bigger offers elsewhere, thus drifting away from the Lakers financial possibilities; Pau Gasol (eventhough saying he would like to be back) will probably prefer to join a contending team for the rest of his career (he has said that money wouldn’t be the major criteria for his career choice); and the rest of the players, well, there’s probably not one decent starter amongst them (with the possible exception of Kaman – who won’t be back if MDA is the coach).

The FA market is not that great, for the kind of money the Lakers seem to be willing to spend. The bigger names available seem to be guys like Kyle Lowry, Lance Stephenson and Luol Deng, but they are more complementary pieces than impact players, so it’s hard to see the Lakers making a big splash on the market.

Still, 

After the miserable season Lakers fans had to endure, the thought of the Lakers fielding a team with something the likes of 
PG – Exum / Farmar 
SG – Kobe / Meeks 
SF – Deng / Kobe 
PF – Kelly / Randle 
C – Kaman / Kaman 
Is enough for me to be anxiously waiting for next season to start already! 

And if this is to be the last Laker season of Pau Gasol, much respect for the spaniard. Without him, there would be 2 banners less in the Staples rafter.

Last but not least, even in the most dreadfull of seasons, big props to the Laker posters in this Forum, who sticked with the team thorought: dudes like KSF, DaRizzle and Basel, ceejaynj, mojopin and uncle drew. Even the WLPE Jamel Irief, who managed to spend some time away from antagonizing posters in this site to post his (“special”, for lack of a better word) insights.

Go Lakers!


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## Uncle Drew (Dec 16, 2013)

I'm a little younger, so this is easily the toughest two year stretch of Lakers basketball I've lived through. 

Even in the Smush and Kwame era, we had the best player in world, so at least we knew we were always a player or two away. 

I have faith though. We'll be back. We're the Lakers dammit.


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## PauloCatarino (May 31, 2003)

> The NBA has informed teams that it is projecting a rise in the salary cap of nearly $5 million for next season, which could aid clubs such as Chicago and Houston in their attempts to steal free agent-to-be Carmelo Anthony from the New York Knicks, according to sources familiar with the forecasts.
> 
> Sources told ESPN.com that all 30 teams were informed this week via league memorandum that an increase in the cap from this season's $58.6 million to $63.2 million in 2014-15 -- thanks to increased revenues -- is now expected. A corresponding rise in the luxury-tax threshold from $71.7 million to $77 million is also projected, sources said.


http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/10808291/nba-salary-cap-projected-rise-nearly-5-million

This is interesting... Considering the Lakers have "only" 34M on the books for next season, this "extra" 5M of cap space can be valuable in the Lakers effort to rebuild.

Now, i know the Lakers are only willing to spend major money if they can get a super-duper player on board (not that it seems likely), but at least they have the money to try and keep (via salary raise) a couple of guys that could very well be part of the Lakers' future like Meeks and Young.
Let's keep in mind that some dudes played heavy minutes for the Lakers for the cheap, like Meeks (1.5M), Young (1.1M), Farmar (1.1M) and Wes (.916M)...

http://hoopshype.com/salaries/la_lakers.htm

Exciting times indeed...

EDIT: 



> $5 million increase is a big deal.
> 
> Eric Pincus reports:
> 
> ...


http://www.chatsports.com/los-angeles-lakers/a/Good-News-Team-Cap-Space-to-Rise-2-9698087


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## PauloCatarino (May 31, 2003)

"Fan Perspective" Season In Review: Kent Bazemore



> Kent Bazemore had a 23 game tryout. Players develop by playing. With the Lakers, Bazemore got plenty of opportunity to do more than lead the cheers off the bench. He had a scintillating debut showing off his vast array of offensive and defensive skills and then he was inserted into the starting lineup. Bazemore’s talent was unearthed. The moment he became a Laker he instantly became their second most talented perimeter player.
> 
> He has great speed. He can beat almost anyone off the dribble one on one. He can finish right or he can finish left. He can elevate over the rim. However his speed is his flaw. Velocity needs pace. Bazemore often doesn’t control his third gear. Often on the fast break he is too fast. Tempo is everything. He sometimes finds himself hurtling out of bounds before he can finish at the rim. Then he appears out of control. But to his credit he is a physical player who is also a finisher. His concentration needs work especially when he is in situations facing a defender in the paint. He misses more layups than someone with his athleticism should miss. He has the ability to get three point plays on a consistent basis but when he gets into the lane for his shot he doesn’t draw the defender into his space and into contact. Instead he makes contact with the defender and sometimes gets called with an offensive foul or no call at all.
> 
> (...)


http://www.chatsports.com/los-angeles-lakers/a/Season-In-Review-Kent-Bazemore-2-9704507


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## PauloCatarino (May 31, 2003)

"Fan Perspective" Season in Review: MarShon Brooks



> Well, he put up a respectable 6.4 PPG average and an even more respectable 49% field goal percentage. But as we’ve seen in the past for MarShon Brooks, his efficiency wanes as he gets more time on the court and he falls back down to Earth, leaving fans and coaches wanting more.
> 
> Brooks has the potential to be a big time scorer in the NBA. He is a 6’5″ shooting guard with an absolutely ridiculous 7’1″ wingspan. He is great at getting to the basket and can do it with a multitude of moves. He has a good first step and surprising strength to finish with his back to the basket or through a big. In 2011-12, Brooks shot 58.9 percent in the restricted area. Brooks even has a 38+ inch vertical to help him finish at the rim. He has an aggressive scorer’s mentality that Kobe would be proud of and most importantly, the ability to create his own shot anywhere on the floor.
> 
> (...)


http://www.chatsports.com/los-angeles-lakers/a/Season-in-Review-MarShon-Brooks-2-9705345


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## PauloCatarino (May 31, 2003)

"Fan Perspective" Season in Review: Xavier Henry



> What does this mean for Xavier Henry? He has upside. He has the athletic tools. He doesn’t demonstrate the hoop IQ just yet to warrant extended minutes, but makes for a great spark off the bench. He was one of the few players that gave the Laker roster a boost of energy with the occasional highlight play. More often than not, he cut into passing lanes and got the team in transition, a quality sorely lacking even during the two more recent championship runs. He showed interest in staying a Laker. As a Laker, he would get the minutes and opportunities to allow his talent to mature.
> 
> He should stay. There’s no other team that will give him the flexibility of rotating between both shooting guard and small forward positions. He has yet to be part of a true winning team, and it’s possible he could impact the team on both ends of the floor consistently.
> 
> (...)


http://www.chatsports.com/los-angeles-lakers/a/Season-in-Review-Xavier-Henry-wvideo-2-9716374


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## PauloCatarino (May 31, 2003)

"Fan Perspective" Season in Review: Pau Gasol



> Pau Gasol, when healthy, and properly utilized can be one of the best, most versatile big men in the NBA. This season, he was not much of either. Gasol played in 60 of 82 games, averaging nearly 17.4 ppg, and 9.7 rpg, both up from last season’s career-lows. Like the rest of the Lakers’ squad, Gasol battled through his share of injuries, including a case of vertigo to end the season.
> 
> With Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash out for the majority of the season, Gasol was seen as the on-court face of the franchise, but unfortunately he continued to show why he is far more suited being the 2nd option behind Bryant. While the coaching staff shuffled the line-up nearly every game, Gasol was one of the only mainstays, but with other players on one year or limited contracts eager to show their worth, Gasol was often lost in the shuffle. Coach Mike D’Antoni is notorious for implementing a run & gun offensive system, which Gasol often clearly struggled with, being much more comfortable with a half-court offense. He and D’Antoni had their disagreements, one instance going so far as to exchange verbal jabs at each other over Gasol’s touches
> 
> (...)


http://www.chatsports.com/los-angeles-lakers/a/Season-in-Review-Pau-Gasol-2-9715983


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## PauloCatarino (May 31, 2003)

"Fan Perspective" Season In Review: Jordan Farmar



> Jordan Farmar showed growth, leadership, and proved that he is one of the NBA’s best long range shooters. Although he was limited to just 41 games due to hamstring and groin injuries, Farmar was on many nights the team’s best player and leader. At age 27, he still has room to grow.
> 
> For the season, Farmar averaged 10.1 points a game with 4.9 assists in just 22 minutes a night. Both stats were near career highs, but his production in starter’s minutes this season gave hope that the Lakers have a potential starter at an affordable price for next season and beyond, if the Lakers can’t land a blue chipper. He finished 6th in the NBA in 3 point shooting percentage at 43.8%. Inside the line however, he had the worst performance of his career, making less than 40% of his 2 point shots. Farmar has yet to develop a floater or a runner to help supplement his deep shooting. As a passer and defender, however, he has improved significantly.His championship experience and relationship with Kobe Bryant, gives Farmar a certification few Lakers past or present possess.
> (...)


http://www.chatsports.com/los-angeles-lakers/a/Season-In-Review-Jordan-Farmar-2-9709889


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## PauloCatarino (May 31, 2003)

"Fan Perspective" Season in Review: Jordan Hill



> Despite his excellence this season coming in only flashes, Hill has certainly done a fine job at marketing himself to the rest of the league. His trademark energy output and rebounding skills, especially on the offensive end, have made him a valuable target for a number of teams needing to bolster their frontcourts.
> 
> His PER of 19.3 for the year matches his career high (the other coming in his first 7 games in LA, hardly a comparable figure) and comparing this number to his last 72-game season (Houston, 2010-2011) where he managed 13.0, we can see how the enhanced stats similarly demonstrate his improvements.


http://www.chatsports.com/los-angeles-lakers/a/Season-in-Review-Jordan-Hill-2-9718879


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## PauloCatarino (May 31, 2003)

"Fan Perspective" Season In Review: Wesley Johnson



> In his first season with the Lakers, Johnson had his best season as a pro, with career highs in scoring, field goal percentage, blocks, steals, three point percentage, free throw percentage, rebounds, and assists. With that being said, his numbers were modest. He averaged 9.1 ppg, with 4.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.0 block. He shot 43% from the field in 28.4 minutes a game.With Johnson, you have to dig deeper to find his true value. He was second among all small forwards in blocks.
> 
> He was the Lakers “swing” player, logging minutes at shooting guard, small forward, and for the first time in his career, power forward. Offensively, he played within himself, strictly taking long jumpers and finishing plays at the rim. He shot a respectable 37% from three and a excellent 64% at the rim.
> (...)


http://www.chatsports.com/los-angeles-lakers/a/Season-In-Review-Wesley-Johnson-2-9722319


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## PauloCatarino (May 31, 2003)

"Fan Perspective" Season in Review: Ryan Kelly



> As the season progressed, Ryan Kelly’s playing time went up. Pau Gasol and Jordan Hill fought off injuries, but Kelly didn’t sulk under the pressure of early playing time. Instead, he played with veteran poise; staying within the context of his talent and playing positive, impactful minutes on the floor.
> 
> One indicator of his offensive IQ is his assist-to-turnover ratio. Most front court players with average IQ are 1:1. Anything above that is a huge bonus. It’s a reflection of their skill level, but also their court awareness and unselfishness. Ryan Kelly’s is 2:1.
> (...)


http://www.chatsports.com/los-angeles-lakers/a/Season-in-Review-Ryan-Kelly-wvideo-2-9728635


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## PauloCatarino (May 31, 2003)

"Fan Perspective" Season in Review: Jodie Meeks



> This season was completely divergent from his first season’s impression. Meeks came into this season with fans questioning his worth and his playing time. But what Meeks did for the Lakers this season was amazing. Meeks averaged 15.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.4 steals, and hit 2.1 threes per game on 40.1% shooting from beyond the arc. Meeks also managed to improve his shooting % from a dismal 38.7% to a very respectable 46.3%.
> 
> Contrary to what many in the national media believe, Meeks’ improvement wasn’t simply a case of “good numbers on a bad team.” The NBA’s Most Improved Player came out earlier this week, which was awarded to Phoenix Suns point guard Goran Dragic. With the voting for the NBA’s awards available to the public this year, it is clear the Lakers’ terrible season turned off voters from casting any sort of vote for Meeks. Jodie received one 2nd place vote from Bill Oram, a writer for the OC Register. Somehow, Patty Mills, the Spurs 18.9 minute per game point guard, managed to finish in the top-10 of Most Improved Player voting, by raising his scoring from 5.1 to 10.2 points. Surely, an admirable improvement, but nothing close to the leap Jodie made.
> (...)


http://www.chatsports.com/los-angeles-lakers/a/Season-in-Review-Jodie-Meeks-2-9734435


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## PauloCatarino (May 31, 2003)

"Fan Perspective" Season in Review: Robert Sacre



> Despite lacking supreme athleticism or even great size (for a center), Sacre has worked incredibly hard to develop into a reliable big off the bench. The role of a backup player, particularly a backup center, is frequently under appreciated and often criticized. Sacre fills every need you would have from a bench player: hardworking, physical, driven, reliable and team oriented. While the repeated celebrations can be over the top at times, the passion and energy brought by those actions are something the Lakers haven’t seen in a long time. He was willing to understand he may not receive the most playing time, but he was going to prove he wanted to be there and he wanted his team to succeed.
> 
> (...)


http://www.chatsports.com/los-angeles-lakers/a/Season-in-Review-Robert-Sacre-2-9738500


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## PauloCatarino (May 31, 2003)

"Fan Pespective" Season in Review: Steve Nash



> Martin Luther King once said that “if a man has not discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.” Following the trials and tribulations of Steve Nash this season has been something of an irritation for Lakers fans, but it’s been even harder for the broken man who, after eighteen seasons in the league, may finally be facing the end of the road. Nash knows who he is, what he represents and what he lives for, and all of the above are slipping beyond his once graceful control.
> 
> What can we say about Steve Nash that hasn’t already been said? Just three years ago, the 6-foot-three guard was enjoying reasonable health and averaging a double-double in points and assists. The fact of the matter is that after his move to LA, nothing went right. Instead of pursuing his goals of reaching for his first championship ring, Nash’s first foe was father time, a battle which he began to lose. Although it had been far from clear sailing for him since his sign-and-trade move in 2012, you could bet your bottom buck that he wasn’t about to step aside gracefully. There was always that final goal to chase. That was, and remains, the goal of glory.
> 
> (...)


http://www.chatsports.com/los-angeles-lakers/a/Season-in-Review-Steve-Nash-2-9738713


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## PauloCatarino (May 31, 2003)

"Fan Perspective" Season in Review: Mike D’Antoni



> Last summer Mike D’antoni was asked to do the unthinkable. He was challenged to bring cohesion to a collection of rag tag players, a group forced to accept one year deals. Usually that is chaos for a NBA coach; everyone thinking about contracts means everyone is not thinking about the team and their principles. But the motivation of trying to recover a career was something D’antoni was familiar with. He had been there himself. Besides, what he liked about this group was what he disliked about Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant and their traditional way of executing an offense. D’antoni coached pace. He coached ball movement. He coached perimeter shots quick in the offense. He was ready to put the nightmare season of 2012-13 behind him. But then, a few weeks into the summer, Mitch Kupchak signed Chris Kaman, a big man with excellent post footwork and skill. He was the sort of player D’antoni had spent most of his career trying to avoid, the ones who ruin spacing and clog the paint and hold the ball too long. Plus Kaman was a veteran with a veteran’s disposition. If Kaman wasn’t happy he was not going to be silent about it.
> 
> (...)


http://www.chatsports.com/los-angeles-lakers/a/Season-in-Review-Mike-DAntoni-2-9742795


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## PauloCatarino (May 31, 2003)

> Los Angeles Lakers Player Grades: Nick Young





> Many wondered how Young would fit in with this Lakers team, and considering the contract that Young was offered this year, Young contributed much more than what his contract was worth. Young averaged 22.8 per 36 this year, completely bought into his sixth man role and ostensibly gave Lakers fans a guy they could collectively root for. If nothing else, the Nick Young experience was awfully fun this season. Plenty of off the cuff post game quotes, the bad shots were often hilarious (see above) and the made shots flit down the hard wood, hunched over, with three fingers almost scraping the floor. In a year when the Lakers set a franchise low in wins, you have to take your wins when you can, and Young was definitely a win this year.


http://www.forumblueandgold.com/2014/05/06/los-angeles-lakers-player-grades-nick-young/


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## PauloCatarino (May 31, 2003)

> Before the season, the front office and coaching staff talked as if the playoffs were in reach, but anyone who really paid attention to the team had to be reading between the lines. The team's three resident All-Stars, Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol had all had very significant injuries in the past twelve months and wouldn't be completely ready for the beginning of the regular season (and in Pau's case, getting back into shape after spending much of the summer off his feet). With those players at the very least starting off slowly and the other front court players being youngsters like Robert Sacre and Ryan Kelly, the opportunity looked ripe for Kaman and Jordan Hill to get major minutes. For the second consecutive season, it felt like the stage was set for Kaman to put up a nightly 16/8 and grab himself a two- or three-year deal.
> 
> Sadly for Kaman, the clock ran itself back once again. From the outset, it seemed as though Coach D'Antoni couldn't quite get a feel for how he wanted to use his new center, reluctant to play him alongside the bounding Hill or the plodding Gasol. Offensively, there was little doubt that Kaman could get the job done, hitting that sweet 10 foot jumper with consistency and demonstrating a still potent low post scoring acumen that had gotten him handsomely paid for years with the Clippers. Still, whether it be that he felt the even more offensively varied Gasol was a better option or that he liked Hill's defensive skills, MDA slowly worked Kaman out of his rotation. The big man ended the year with just 39 games played, with many absences the result of the very ignominious DNP-CD variety. As the year progressed, Kaman found himself phasing in and out of the rotation depending on which Laker had been hit with the injury bug, as well as sitting in lieu of developing guys like Sacre, Kelly and Wesley Johnson.


http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2014/5/8/5684180/rolling-it-back-chris-kamans-constant-rebuilding-of-value


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## PauloCatarino (May 31, 2003)

> *Los Angeles Lakers Player Grades: Pau Gasol
> *
> (...)
> 
> ...


http://www.forumblueandgold.com/2014/05/09/los-angeles-lakers-player-grades-pau-gasol/


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## PauloCatarino (May 31, 2003)

> Top 10 Lakers Plays of the Season (w/GIFS)


http://www.chatsports.com/los-angeles-lakers/a/Top-10-Lakers-Plays-of-the-Season-wGIFS-2-9800386


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## PauloCatarino (May 31, 2003)

> *Los Angeles Lakers Player Grades: Jordan Hill
> *
> (...)
> 
> ...


http://www.chatsports.com/los-angeles-lakers/a/Los-Angeles-Lakers-Player-Grades-Jordan-Hill-2-9809557


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## PauloCatarino (May 31, 2003)

> *Los Angeles Lakers Player Grades: Jordan Farmar*
> 
> Overall Grade and Summary
> 
> ...


http://www.chatsports.com/los-angeles-lakers/a/Los-Angeles-Lakers-Player-Grades-Jordan-Farmar-2-9824058


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