Los Angeles Lakers: No. 25 in NBA Watchability Rankings
Kobe Bryant is back for what could be his penultimate NBA season after missing most of last year with two injuries. But the Lakers have the look of one of the worst teams in the NBA if he can't carry them, and the potential frustration pushes them to No. 25 in our NBA Watchability Rankings.
2013-14 record: 27-55, missed playoffs
2014-15 projected record: 22-60, miss playoffs
What's new? Power forwards are everywhere. The Lakers brought in Carlos Boozer and Ed Davis in free agency and drafted Julius Randle seventh overall. They also added point guard and likely sixth man Jeremy Lin in a trade with the Houston Rockets. But the biggest change may be new coach Byron Scott, who has a 416-521 record in 13 seasons as a head coach but direct ties to the Lakers' glory years.
How good will they be? Bryant and Steve Nash, former MVPs now in their late 30s, need to be healthy. They combined for 21 games last season and didn't play particularly well in those games. If they aren't much, much better, this team will contend for a top-five pick.
What's the goal? On one hand, the Lakers don't want to squander Bryant's final years. But they also need to build for the future. Here's the best-case scenario: They are somewhat respectable this season, get a top-three pick in the draft lottery and add a big-name free agent next offseason so they can compete in 2015-16.
WHY YOU CAN'T MISS THEM
Kobe vs. Michael: Bryant is 592 points behind Michael Jordan for third place in the NBA record books. Given that we've spent the past decade-plus comparing their careers, this story line is going to be one of the most watched of the season. If Bryant stays healthy, third place should be his sometime in December or January.
"Swaggy P": One of the surprise decisions of the Lakers' offseason was signing colorful sixth man Nick Young to a four-year contract extension. Young averaged 17.9 points a game last season but doesn't offer much beyond chucking up shots. What will he do now, especially with Bryant back? It'll be fun, one way or another.
"Linsanity" in Hollywood: Lin's fan base is one of the NBA's most avid, even two seasons removed from his emergence for the New York Knicks. Given Nash's health issues and the Lakers' lack of an identity beyond Bryant, this could be the perfect setting for his aggressive dribble penetration. And if that's the case and "Linsanity" hits full stride, the Lakers could vault way up this list.
PROJECTED STARTERS (with 2013-14 statistics)
- PG: Steve Nash — 6.8 points, 1.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists a game
- SG: Kobe Bryant — 13.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists a game
- SF: Wesley Johnson — 9.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists a game
- PF: Carlos Boozer — 13.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists a game
- C: Jordan Hill — 9.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 0.9 blocks a game
NBA WATCHABILITY RANKINGS