LakersNation: 5 Reasons Why Lakers Fans Should Be Excited About 2015-2016

Latest piece I wrote, couldn't copy and paste it from my phone so if someone could assist with that I'd appreciate it, hopefully the videos will transfer properly.

http://www.lakersnation.com/5-reaso...-feel-good-about-2015-2016-season/2015/10/20/

 

The 2015-2016 NBA season is nearly here and for fans of the Los Angeles Lakers that means that the slate is finally wiped clean. Last season’s frustrating slide into the uncharted waters of futility is behind us, and it’s time to look forward to the future. The Lakers had training camp in Hawaii (just like old times!), preseason games are being played, and optimism has replaced despair.

It’s true that the Lakers still aren’t title contenders, and they once again struck out on their top free agent targets over the summer, but there is still a level of excitement amongst Lakers fans that has been absent in recent years. The purple and gold faithful are slowly recovering from the melancholy of last season, and are ready to support a team that looks almost nothing like the one that limped through 2015-2016.

In other words, welcome back to Lakers Basketball.

With an eye towards sustaining the feel-good vibes radiating through the beleaguered fan base, let’s take a look at the top-five reasons for Lakers fans to be optimistic about the coming season.

D’Angelo Russell and Marcelo Huertas Are Bringing Passing Back

Last season’s Lakers squad was in the bottom seven in assist percentage, which should come as no surprise to anyone who suffered through the swarm of isolated 20-foot jumpers they took. With point guard Steve Nash lost to a luggage-induced injury (actually retirement) and backup Jeremy Lin struggling, the team didn’t have a true shot-creator and to set up teammates.

Enter D’Angelo Russell, the Lakers highest draft pick since they snagged James Worthy with the No. 1 pick in 1982. The dynamic Russell is known for a lot of things, including a sweet shooting stroke, ball handling skills, leadership, and impressive size (6’5”) for a point guard.

However, the one skill that stands above the rest is Russell’s passing. He is a creative distributor who uses his size and length to find unique angles, often hitting teammates before they even realize they are open. That, coupled with his quick reactions and the extreme velocity he can put on the ball, makes him the man to turn around the Lakers’ ball-movement woes.

Of course, Russell is a rookie and to hoist too much responsibility on his shoulders would be a mistake. To compensate, the Lakers brought in international veteran and passing wizard, Marcelo Huertas, who has set the preseason on fire with his incredible dishes. While his minutes were extremely limited due to a hamstring injury, Huertas instantly changes the flow of the game and makes everyone around him better. His passes are dazzling, and he gives Russell a phenomenal example to follow.



High-level distribution like Russell and Huertas provide can be contagious, and we have already seen players like Kobe Bryant and Julius Randle getting in on the act during preseason. When the Lakers move the ball, it can be insanely fun to watch, and brings an energy to the squad that has been sorely missed. They still have a long ways to go, but there have been a few faint glimmers of Showtime during the Lakers preseason play, and that’s something to be excited about.

Getting Defensive

Byron Scott has long been considered a defense-first coach who employs a grit-and-grind philosophy to keeping the ball out of the basket. When the Lakers brought him on board during the summer of 2014, the expectation was that his presence alone would improve a team that badly struggled to get stops under Mike D’Antoni.

Oops. Last season’s Lakers finished with the second-worst defense in the league. It was so bad that opposing teams looked genuinely thrilled to have an opportunity to run their offense against LA’s token defenders, knowing that it would get them great looks and big stat lines.

Of course, the blame for the poor defensive showing wasn’t solely on Scott, as the Lakers suffered an avalanche of injuries that made implementing a consistent, cohesive scheme nearly impossible. To make matters worse, none of the rotating list of healthy players Scott had at his disposal were plus-defenders individually, making for a perfect storm of defensive ineptitude.

While this season’s Lakers roster still features a number of turnstiles, the overall team defense should be much improved. Players like Bryant and Nick Young will have their shortcomings, but new addition Roy Hibbert promises to help make up for some of those issues with his verticality-driven rim protection.



Young players like Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson will also be ready to pitch in, using their athleticism to harass ball handlers. Robert Upshaw also has the potential to be a rim-protector of the future, although he isn’t quite ready for prime time at this juncture. Even D’Angelo Russell, who was thought to be a sub-par defender, does a solid job of using his length to dig down into passing lanes and create turnovers.

Furthermore, the return of Metta World Peace will help the young guns to grow on the defensive side of the ball, as will Brandon Bass’ blue collar, bring-your-lunch-pail grinding on the inside. It still won’t be pretty, but the Lakers defense will take some much-needed steps forward this season, ones that will set the tone for years to come.

The Return of Randle

One of the most devastating moments from last season occurred when rookie Julius Randle broke his leg in the opening game of the regular season. Randle had been the highest draft pick the Lakers had received in decades, and was the lone silver lining to the horrific 2013-2014 season. Losing him was crushing to Lakers fans, and it set the stage for another difficult year.

Now, after spending last season observing from the sidelines, Randle is back in a big way. During Summer League, his play looked rushed as he tried to cram in as much action as he could while under a minutes limitation, but now that the preseason has started we are seeing a completely different player.

What is truly impressive about Randle is the way he combines strength, athleticism, and versatility into one package. Kobe Bryant recently called him “Lamar Odom in Zach Randolph’s body”, and that assessment isn’t far off. Randle posses the ball-handling, passin, and vision of Swiss Army knife Odom, but has the strength and frame of bully-ball specialist Randolph. Of course, Randle also happens to be left handed, making the Lamar/ZBo hybrid assessment that much more valid.

During the 2014 NBA Draft, teams were concerned about Randle’s defense, as he isn’t much of a rim protector. However, he has been making up for that (and then some) with his agility and quickness, which allows him to switch on screens and stick with guards on the perimeter. He has also been picking up pointers from MWP, which makes him a nightmare for opposing guards to get by. As Bryant said, “It’s not normal to see a guy that big move his feet so well and have such quick hands, and then be able to push the ball and finish on the break, it’s pretty phenomenal”.

Teammates have been raving about Randle’s dominance in Lakers practices, and he was rumored to be the one player that GM Mitch Kupchak refused to part with in potential deals for DeMarcus Cousins that flooded the rumor mill last summer. Thus far, Randle has exceeded the hype, becoming the Lakers’best player during preseason play.

He still has to work to improve his outside jumper, but Randle’s return and development as a player has given Lakers fans plenty of reasons to smile.

Youth and Chemistry

One of the criticisms of the Lakers over the past few seasons has been their lack of chemistry on the court. With nearly every player on the team on an expiring deal, the “me first” mentality started to creep in as the losses mounted.

That mentality doesn’t appear to be an issue this season. While there are still a number of players that are on expiring contracts, there is a concerted effort to develop a mentor relationship with the younger and older players. Kobe Bryant has taken D’Angelo Russell under his wing. Robert Upshaw has credited guards Lou Williams, Jabari Brown, Bryant, and Russell for helping him with his positioning on pick-and-roll situations, and of course Metta World Peace has been tutoring Julius Randle for most of the summer. With the youth movement in full swing (of the 19 players currently on the roster, 12 are age 24 or younger), that kind of positive learning environment will pay dividends not just for this season, but in the future as well.

For a Lakers fan base that has spent the past few years watching an aging club struggle to stay relevant, having a group of young guys who ooze potential and play within the team concept is refreshing. This camaraderie was perhaps best illustrated by Roy Hibbert’s involvement in the scuffle that Julius Randle got in with Jazz forward Trevor Booker:



Hibbert didn’t hesitate to step up and defend Randle, which speaks volumes about how this team supports each other. We will see whether this team-first approach continues when the dog days of January and February come around, but for now this Lakers group carries with it a very different vibe than last season’s.

Kobe’s Swan Song

Most Lakers fans aren’t looking forward to the end of Kobe Bryant’s career. He has been synonymous with the purple and gold for as long as many can remember, and spent year after year growing before our eyes. His impact has been so enormous that Bryant has become ingrained into the very culture of Los Angeles basketball, as much a part of the city as Griffith Park and the Hollywood sign.

In spite of Bryant’s success in Los Angeles, some pundits have recently been making the case that a separation from the Black Mamba will ultimately be the best thing to happen to the Lakers, perpetuating the image of Bryant as an anchor preventing the team from moving into the future.

However, we shouldn’t be so quick to characterize the potential retirement of Bryant as a positive thing, regardless of the case that can be made for the cap space and spotlight that it would open up for another star. Bryant has done too much in his glory days to receive that kind of treatment now that winter is here. Instead, Kobe’s 2015-2016 season should offer an opportunity to reflect on the career of one of the greatest to ever lace them up.

Regardless of where people stand on the Kobe retirement issue, all should be able to agree that Bryant has been an incredible player to watch over the course of his career . Many Lakers fans matured along with him, cheering year in and year out as he pushed his body to the limits and beyond. As polarizing as he can be, Bryant’s work-ethic and impact are bullet-proof, and it’s these things that we should be celebrating.

There will be moments this year where Bryant looks like what he is: an aging superstar. Shots will fall short, opposing players will blow past him, and days off for rest will be needed. However, there will also be moments of clarity, where Bryant’s legs have a little extra spring in them. He will dazzle us with a no-look pass or frustrate defenders with an unstoppable fade-away, and in that moment he will take us back in time with him, back to better days when Kobe ruled the league.

When that final whistle blows on Kobe’s Hall of Fame career, fans will have an opportunity to show their appreciation, and that’s truly something to look forward to.

The 2015-2016 season is almost here, Lakers fans. In spite of all the negativity out there, all the naysayers, there is a heck of lot for the supporters of the purple and gold to feel good about. Enjoy the journey as the Lakers build their way back; it only makes the ultimate destination that much sweeter.

 

I tried to all of it. Hope it helps...

 

Thanks!

 

Summed it up perfectly. This season is going to be fun and there are way too many "fans" that are pessimistic about it. You can't expect us to, overnight, be championship contenders. Instead watch these kids grow together. We have star potential young guns, a group of solid vets and very capable role players, this team will be fun to watch again. Enjoy it people.

 

I think we are heading into Showtime Part 2.
*Kobe Huertas Russel - How many teams have 3 flashy passing players?
And what flashy guys needs around them?
*Shooters. Young Williams and Kelly are one of the best in the buisness.
* Who dosen't love the allyoops? Clarkson Randle, Black and Nance are ready for the call.
*Physically our guys look in great shape. Each and every one of them. Well maybe except Sacre.

I don't know what about our defence, but we are heading into a fun season.

 

Very good read, I really enjoyed it. And I agree with whose who mentioned there are more reasons to be looking forward to this coming season. This team is going to surprise a lot of people, I'm sure of that.

Considering the latest developments - including the much improved play from Randle and Kelly, flashes from Nance and surprisingly good defense played by Russell - how do you assess the Lakers chances of advancing to the PO at this moment? I remember a few weeks back most members didn't give us a chance and estimated approx. 35 wins, some even below 30. I'm positive this team can achieve this goal if everything goes well. BTW, I just made a bet with two colleagues from work that the Lakers do advance. Let's hope I don't have to buy them my favorite beer while mourning over the next bad season ...

 

Sacre may be a number of things less than stellar as a player, but not being in great shape isn't one of them. He's in shape.

 

I don't think I want a chucker like Lou to be a part of our core ... Nice point though .

As for unpossibl1 post , I hope to see these defensive improvements he's talking about but let's say... I will believe it when I see it