Last yr, MWP came into the season totally out of shape and was showing some rapid decline, even faster than his decline had been in prior seasons. Once he got in shape though and we found out that he had been working on a nerve issue on his back/legs that had been bothering him for yrs, we saw MWP start dunking it repeatedly, with a spring in his step we hadn't seen as a laker. he flourished in kobe's absence.
A few weeks ago MWP talked to the LATimes about it, and how great he feels right now:
http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow ... 9117.story
“Last year I started to dunk the ball, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg,” World Peace said. “I wasn’t even peaking. That was only the tip. That was only a little taste of what I could do.”
So what are you envisioning now?
World Peace paused a few seconds before blurting out, “Wow,” World Peace said. “Just to be one of the best again.”
The best on defense?
“No,” World Peace answered. “The best in the league.”
Before the obvious rebuttal comes, World Peace brings up how he’s capable of replicating his 2003-04 season in Indiana, when he won defensive player of the year honors and averaged 18.3 points per game. He mentions how his current weight (255 pounds) marks a stark difference from when he entered training camp last season (270) because his back issue allows him to train extensively. Even though he practiced with Tuesday a handful of D-League and high school players, World Peace says the conditioning drills show he will be more effective next season.
“I’m getting to the basket any time I want,” World Peace said. “I couldn’t do that for years. I would miss layups. I missed so many layups. It was ridiculous. I’d be right under the basket and I can’t jump. Then I’d get blocked and miss a layup. Then I’m trying to pray for a foul. But later in the season, I was able to get it and dunk.”
Great to hear that physically he's feeling rejuvenated, something we got a glimpse of at the end of the yr before he went crazy and elbowed harden. The most promising thing though, he shot 39% from 3 in the playoffs. he def. had his legs back.
Then we got news that the Lakers are going to try to implement some of the princeton offense. Its no secret that MWP struggled in the triangle, and he really had no role in offense last yr where any real system never had a chance of being implemented. ron's lack of role was also mostly due to being out of shape most of the yr, unable to attack the basket. with the princeton offense however, combined with the spring in his step, he should be able to find a nice role. i expect it cause its something he did before, when he played an entire season under rick adelman's version of the princeton offense. during that season MWP shot a career high 40% from three. it was also the last time he made an all defensive team.
Taking all that into account, and then realizing that he'll be surrounded by kobe bryant, pau gasol, dwight howard, and the one and only STEVE NASH...i'm very optimistic he can have a 08/09 type season where he's knocking down 40% from 3 in the princeton offense while playing all-nba type of defense.
