Starting Lineup
The Bench Mob (As Of June 19th)
PG - Derek Fisher/Jordan Farmar/Sasha Vujacic
SG - Kobe Bryant/Sasha Vujacic/Coby Karl
SF - Lamar Odom/Luke Walton/Trevor Ariza
PF - Pau Gasol/Ronny Turiaf/Vladimir Radmanovic
C - Andrew Bynum/Chris Mihm/DJ Mbenga
Reserve(s): Ira Newble, Sun Yue
Outlook: Not too shabby, but after what I've seen in this Finals, we have to make some serious adjustments.
What We Need/Our Pressing Issues
1. Post/Strengthened Perimeter Defense
2. A Slasher/Shooter
3. Continued development from our young core (Farmar, Vujacic, Bynum, etc.)
Solutions
1. Should be taken care of with the integration of Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza into the lineup. Ariza was doing very well for us before the injury. Bynum is self-explanatory.
2. I've had my eye on Mike Miller since the Olympic Trials last year. This guy can drive the lane and hit the three with the best of them. I'm pretty sure he can be had at a decent price. Mike's defense isn't exactly a DPOY Candidate, but it's not that much of a liability. Another prospect is Corey Maggette. The guy plays good defense, and knows how to get to the line when needed. We could use that on this team (especially off the bench).
How To Potentially Pull A Deal(s) Like This Off
Mike Miller Trade Idea #1: The Lakers send away Vladimir Radmanovic and Chris Mihm (along with the 58th and the Draft Rights to Sun Yue-face it, he's never coming over here.) in exchange for Mike Miller and their second round pick. This would bring that combo forward to our team, and give Kobe Bryant some kind of break as well as a consistent option off the bench.
Trade ID #4661199
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Mike Miller Trade Idea #2: In this particular incarnation of the "Mike Miller Move", the Lakers ship out Vladimir Radmanovic, Luke Walton, Coby Karl, the Draft Rights to Sun Yue, the 58th Pick, and a Future Consideration for Mike Miller, Hakim Warrick, and a future Second Rounder. Hakim brings length and athleticism to an already impressive frontcourt. He and Ronny Turiaf would work well together.
Trade ID #4661239
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Corey Maggette Idea #1: The Lakers pull off a deal in which Vladimir Radmanovic, Chris Mihm, and a the 58th Pick are jettisoned across the hallway for the likes of Corey Maggette & Josh Powell. This move bolsters our perimeter defense and gives us a consistent scorer off the bench. Josh Powell is a young untapped talent that could flourish here.
Trade ID #4661032
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Corey Maggette Idea #2: The Lakers ship out Vladimir Radmanovic, Chris Mihm, Luke Walton down the hall for Corey Maggette & Tim Thomas. I'm sure we remember what Tim Thomas did to us two years ago in Game 6. Well lets put the hatred aside because this guy is going to add some veteran experience (and three point shooting) to our frontcourt to add to the spacing. Andrew will love having the post all to himself with shooters lined up on the outside. Maggette is self explanatory. This deal also clears out the logjam at the small forward spot (and some useless trash), and adds toughness to our squad.
Trade ID #4661132
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Bottom Line: VladRad's got to go. We won't win a championship with this guy getting major minutes. Moving right along, let's take a look at our development status.
Development
-We're going to really put our pressure on this particular aspect of the offseason. The current team was good enough to clinch an NBA Finals Berth, but not a Championship. That's got to change. I've pointed out quite a few Lakers that need to work on certain aspects of their game over the summer, so that we are able to erase mistakes/weaknesses come Playoff Time 2009.
NOTE: I'm only going to include the guys that are guaranteed spots on the team next year, so trade bait won't be included (that includes the entire bench except for maybe Sasha Vujacic and Ronny Turiaf, who are unique cases in that they're restricted).
1. Andrew Bynum: The most important aspect of our future lies in this young, talented big man. As he continues to rehabilitate his successfully operated knee, Andrew's got to put some continued emphasis on his strength and cardiovascular training. Once that's set, he'll have the energy to build on last season's successful campaign (pre-injury).
Based on what I've seen from him last season, Andrew's going to have to either perfect the sky hook taught to him by Kareem, or work on perfecting a go-to move that will catapult him into elite player status. His aggressiveness around the rim has to increase, and so should his basketball IQ. We want him to use his power at the right times.
Last but not least, Andrew's got to form a chemistry with his future frontcourt partner Pau. We already know that Pau's a very smart player, but we still need to ensure that Bynum and Pau know each other well enough come November to explode out of the gate. This is going to be huge as our major need is Post Efficiency.
2. Lamar Odom: As the third/fourth wheel in our Lakertank, Lamar's got to come back next season stronger than ever. I would like to see Lamar work harder on his right hand. That's got to be strengthened. Now we all know that being a lefty is already an advantage, but sometimes that advantage isn't there. In that case, he's got to have a move to surprise the defender.
Lamar's not done yet. He's got to work on that jumpshot. Sometimes (believe it or not considering his length/quickness) that layup isn't going to be there. After watching Anthony Randolph's play in workouts, I'll be damned if some rookie has a better jumper than the guy he's being compared to. If we are to have success at that small forward position, he's going to have to develop a better shot if he's to mesh well with our new team.
3. Pau Gasol: Some testicular implants vs. the real Power Forwards would be nice. First and foremost, Pau's got to get fully healthy. He was productive after he came back from the ankle tweak, but something was different about him. Compared to the first few games after the trade, his creativity around the rim wasn't as great. That's got to be worked on.
His strength training has to improve as well. I hate seeing guys his size flop around like they were 125 lbs. It pisses me off. In other words, Pau's got to get BIG, and play that way. Speaking of BIG, Pau's not going to be alone anymore in the frontcourt. With the impending release of Andrew Bynum, we will finally be able to give opposing teams a heavy dose of Prescription Bynumol. If we want these hapless fools to overdose, the chemistry has to be there. Simple as that.
Anything Else.....?
-Of course! Seeing as how Kobe has really brought this team together over the course of the season, I would love to see that continue on for the next few years. I want us to be a family. Since Kobe's got a few "Golden" Obligations this summer (
), its on Lamar Odom to bring this team together over the summer. We have to stay sharp for the Regular Season! I would love to hear about a majority of the team training together and having scrimmages with some of the Assistant Coaches.-Overseas Scouting: Has to improve. I want our scouting talent to improve with the team over the next few years. I want to be the second coming of the San Antonio Spurs. There is so much untapped talent out across the ocean that the Spurs are largely keeping a secret. I want some of that! Let's do it!
Goal: To be hoisting that trophy high above our heads in mid-June.
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Basically in a nutshell of what I want my beloved Lakers to do over the summer. Feel free to add your ideas/opinions news as well. I haven't really seen an Offseason thread around here yet so I figure I break the proverbial ice. Happy posting!
