Friday Fire: Can Kobe Bryant And The Los Angeles Lakers Win The NBA Championship?
Run by the Commission for Old School Friday.
Fallin’ from the roof. Thanks Coach Lynam 😉
It’s simple. Can the Lakers do this? If not, what’s holding them back?
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The Starting Five 
January 4, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Nope. They don’t know how to win yet. The talent is there, but the cohesion isn’t…every game. The effort isn’t…every game. They don’t do the simple things…every game. They’re as dangeraous as anyone in a 7 game series, so anything is possible, but I’ll be happy with getting to the WCF.
January 4, 2008 at 6:34 pm
After seeing this team up close and getting the chance to talk to Kobe and Phil Jackson, I notice a focus and determination at least to do whatever it takes and get to the next level. In today’s sports world anything is possible, and as you said D, the Lakers definitely have almost everything needed to win.
January 4, 2008 at 7:19 pm
well Kobe won’t let them get a loss in the 1st Round. I’d hold off judgment on the ‘Chip discussion until the season coalesces a bit more and we know seedings. Because the Lakers match up better with a run-and-gun team, and I think they’d be more than happy to not have to deal with an experienced playoff-tested team for as long as they could get away with it.
January 4, 2008 at 7:38 pm
LOL..Who is that cat in the suit standing up in the Kobe picture.
Back on topic, I don’t know. I think the Lakers have a little more maturing to do before they make a run, but I’m starting to see a nucleus form.
January 4, 2008 at 7:43 pm
I love my Lakers, but they are at least another year away from contending for a championship. While everyone is giving Bynum his props, he’s still not where he needs to be for the Lakers to be able to match up with some of the better teams. I’ve watched most of the Laker games this year. He has some moves, but for the most part, the guy doesn’t move outside of six feet from the basket. However, he does give the Lakers a good defensive presence. Fisher gives the Lakers some leadership. Turiaf should be a lifelong Laker. I love him coming off the bench just because of the energy and effort he brings. Odom is still too inconsistent. Kwame Brown is, well Kwame Brown. Crittenton will be good one day. Farmar is losing favor. Luke Walton, healthy will help, because he’s good with passing the ball, and knows the triangle. Ariza is better than I thought. Vujacic can give you some good games. Kobe is still the best player in the NBA. Not as many scoring outbursts this year, which is a good thing. I like Kobe better when he plays a more balanced game and gets his teammates involved. No one can do it alone, though. I think Kobe is finally understanding this and has become an even better player for it. I’ve always been disturbed by Phil Jackson’s insistence on trying to find some way to run the triangle. There’s more than one type of offense and I just don’t see this team as it’s currently assembled, being suited to flourish in the Triangle. If they meet Phoenix again this year in the playoffs, they’ll beat them (of course assuming Kobe doesn’t get hurt). I can see this team getting to the Finals, provided someone else knocks out San Antonio, or Tim Duncan has an aberration like the Finals last year. I could see them winning it all, as long as Boston or Detroit (who I think will be the East’s representative) isn’t on the other side.
January 4, 2008 at 7:44 pm
DMac I’m blind as hell. I have no idea so I won’t speculate. I”m sure Laker fans know.
January 4, 2008 at 7:53 pm
I don’t know what’s more amazing about that pic. How high Kobe is off the ground or the fact that Aaron McKie was actually active for that game.
I don’t know who is standing up. I wanna say Smush, but I believe he played in every game that year. Maybe Von Wafer.
January 4, 2008 at 8:51 pm
The Lakers have some pieces but they aren’t quite ready to win an NBA title. Bynum needs to continue his development and the team needs more of a banger at the power forward position, a Charles Oakley type that will serve as Bynum’s bodyguard as he takes punishment in the paint. Turiaf has the potential to be that guy but as the poster above states, he is better suited for coming off of the bench and providing his Rambis-esque energy and hustle.
I do like the direction the Lakers are headed in.
January 4, 2008 at 9:36 pm
That’s Horace Grant standing up in that pic.
January 4, 2008 at 9:45 pm
I think it all depends on how well they play down the stretch (April – June). The Lakers always seem to start off the season playing pretty good. But after the All-Star break they don’t seem to play consistent “play-off” ball. They need to break away from that trend if they’re gonna make a serious run.
I personally think they’ll win 50 games this year and get to the 2nd round of the playoffs IF Kobe plays within the “scheme of things” and trust his teammates more. This needs to happen as the season progresses, meaning now and hereafter.
I just don’t see them getting to the Finals this year. They’re too young and ‘wet behind the ears’. Sure, they’ll make some noise if Lamar Odom can stay healthy but I have a feeling that Dallas, San Antonio & Phoenix will be playing their best ball come June.
January 4, 2008 at 9:48 pm
@GrandNubian
Man Horace looks like the black Col. Sanders in that picture, that coupled with him looking like he is seeing Jesus is what makes that standout.
January 5, 2008 at 1:18 am
Yeah, it’s Horace Grant during game 2 of the 2004 Finals…
January 5, 2008 at 1:21 am
Also, with the Lakers, it’s just a matter of health and consistency on getting the ball inside to Bynum. Teams that turn the Lakers into a jump shooting team will be able to toss them aside rather easily (see what Boston did to them last Sunday). But if they can get Bynum going off of penetration, pick and rolls, and straight up post ups. Bynum and health…those are the keys.
January 6, 2008 at 6:32 am
The Lakers can definitely win the title, THIS year, but it is unlikely as several things have to happen.
Bynum has to develop a true post game. Last night’s game was the best he’s ever played as for the forst time, the majority of his points weren’t off of lobs or put backs off of offensive boards.
Last night he scored off of a nice feed and power move to the basket, an offensive rebound followed by a half-turned drop step slam, posted Dalembert on the block, faked right, spun left gard and sank a pretty jump hook, took the ball at the three point line, faked left, spun right, dribbled through traffic and threw down a monster jam, took the ball in the low post, took a half step out and then drop step to the basket for the dunk and finally took a feed in the extreme low post and dunked. I think the terrible game against the Celts has spurred him to try to take the mvoes he has learned in practice and take them into the game. Last year I thought he was a stiff, but this year, he seemingly grows by leaps and bounds every two weeks or so. He needs to be a consistant 20/12/3 guy for the Lakers to go deep.
The addition of Ariza is absolutely huge for us. Brian Cook and Mo Evans are simply bad basketball players and Luke Walton is nothing more than a competant back-up. Getting rid of Cook and Evans, dropping Luke from the starting lineup in favor if Ariza has been a HUGE upgrade for the team.
Luke’s problem is that he’s too slow of foot to guard the smalls and too weak to guard the bigs, that is the exact opposite of my man Kwame. He’s a terrible offensive player, but rarely in the history of the league has there been a physical specimen who has combined his strength and lateral movement. If he can stay on the court he’ll be huge as a defensive presence.
The guard rotation is much improved from last year with Fish, Farmar, Sasha and Critt all seemingly able to contribute.
The forward rotation is much better, assuming health as Lamar seems to have settled into his best position at the 4, Vlad, Ronny and Ariza are all contributers.
The team needs Bynum and Farmar to cintinue to develop, good health and most importantly a continued committment to playing D.
I think there are several teams that can win it all this year
Detroit, Boston, San Antonio, The Lakers, and the Hornets. Everyone else is a pretender including the Suns and Allas.
January 7, 2008 at 12:12 am
YEP!
January 7, 2008 at 1:48 am
Hmmm… only because it was asked can they win… and not will they win shall I say, yes… just know that they can, but they won’t, at least not this year!