Don't bother asking why the Lakers are trading away their draft picks and don't even bother asking why they are not even in rebuilding mode yet because if the Lakers were in rebuilding mode, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace would of have been traded away already for draft picks and/or younger players. The Lakers acquired Steve Nash in a sign-and-trade deal and traded Andrew Bynum for Dwight Howard during the offseason. They also signed Antawn Jamison from the Free Agency market. It is obvious Lakers want to win a title now. Kobe Bryant has two years left in his contract and said that it is a possibility he will retire after his contract expires. Steve Nash has been a great point guard throughout his career, but why in the world are the Lakers signing the aging veteran? Well, it is because he has never won a championship and his career is coming to an end for the 38 year old veteran. Since there is only two years left in Kobe's contract, that is possibly the years they are giving themselves for this team to win a championship because if they do not win a championship in two years it has all been a waste of time in acquiring Dwight Howard and Steve Nash.
Yes, Howard is still young and is not even 30 years old and is may be the face of the franchise after Kobe retires, but Dwight Howard is not going to want to be in a full circle again like he was with Orlando Magic where he was really the only player carrying the team on his back. So, do the Lakers have the talent to win it all? Of course they do. Steve Nash is a soccer player on the court. He has great court vision and is able to find his teammates open by drawing a double team or the good ol' pick and roll play with ease. With that being said, he should have no problem finding Dwight Howard open in the paint. Dwight Howard is a great shot blocker and rebounder. The only negativity these players have is Nash's defense is not all that great and Dwight Howard's free throws is just terrible. Nash is not as fast as he use to be and he will definitely have a hard time when he is defending explosive point guards like Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, etc. As for Dwight Howard, his free throws are what makes the fans cringe, unless you are the opposing fans. Dwight Howard is a terrible free throw shooter and since he is with the Lakers, hopefully he will improve his shooting percentage and shoot at least over 60% instead of 55% or below.
It does seem the Lakers do have enough talent to win it all because let's not forget about Kobe Bryant. Kobe was second in scoring last season, however he shot a career low 43%, which has was his worse since his rookie year. Kobe is not getting any younger. He is going to have to play his best ball in his final two seasons if he wants to win another title. Despite Kobe Bryant shooting only 43% last season, he was still able to average 25 points per game so as long is he is able to average the same points like he did last season, there really is nothing much to worry about except for injuries. Then comes the bench. The Lakers never really have had a great bench. When Lamar Odom was with the Lakers, he was a solid ball player, but after the Lakers traded him away, the bench has had its struggles. Jordan Hill and Steve Blake are really the only reliable players off the bench. But the problem is not being consistent throughout the season. Steve Blake will have a few good games and then all of a sudden he goes on a drought. As for Hill, he has been reliable. He seems to spark the team with his hustle at playing and when it comes to the rebounding, he is great, especially at grabbing offensive rebounds which helps the Lakers get second chance points. With the addition of Jamison, the bench has improved and should be even better. Jamison has been a good player throughout his career there really is no problem with him. Lakers should dominate in the paint against every team they play since they have Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol. The only problem the Lakers will face this season are the teams with speed. The "old" team Lakers are not as fast as other teams like the Thunder and the Heat. If the Lakers can control the tempo of the game and play how they want to play by slowing the game down, they will once again be crowned as NBA champions.
Yes, Howard is still young and is not even 30 years old and is may be the face of the franchise after Kobe retires, but Dwight Howard is not going to want to be in a full circle again like he was with Orlando Magic where he was really the only player carrying the team on his back. So, do the Lakers have the talent to win it all? Of course they do. Steve Nash is a soccer player on the court. He has great court vision and is able to find his teammates open by drawing a double team or the good ol' pick and roll play with ease. With that being said, he should have no problem finding Dwight Howard open in the paint. Dwight Howard is a great shot blocker and rebounder. The only negativity these players have is Nash's defense is not all that great and Dwight Howard's free throws is just terrible. Nash is not as fast as he use to be and he will definitely have a hard time when he is defending explosive point guards like Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, etc. As for Dwight Howard, his free throws are what makes the fans cringe, unless you are the opposing fans. Dwight Howard is a terrible free throw shooter and since he is with the Lakers, hopefully he will improve his shooting percentage and shoot at least over 60% instead of 55% or below.
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