The Assessment: The Good
The Lakers kept their core group together but added great pieces to play with their stars. The addition of Matt Barnes gives the Lakers more toughness on the defensive end, Theo Ratliff provides another shot blocker in the paint, and Steve Blake is a great reserve point guard who can give veteran guard Derek Fisher some rest.
Barnes is known for his toughness and his never-back-down attitude, and Laker fans got to know Barnes when he “fought” with Kobe. Every team needs a player like Barnes, and the Lakers got two of them. With Ron Artest and Matt Barnes in the lineup, the Lakers have the one of the top defensive front lines in the NBA.
Barnes averaged 8.8 points per game and 5.5 rebounds per game last year, so his offensive game should not be under-estimated. Barnes is very similar to Artest, in terms of the way he plays and his attitude towards the game. The numbers may not be as flashy as the other Lakers, but Matt Barnes will greatly help the Lakers.
Steve Blake is a solid point guard and has proven to the world that he is capable of running a team; he will not get the starting gig for the Lakers, but his presence will greatly help the team. With Blake in the lineup, the Lakers will have an opportunity to rest Derek Fisher so he is ready for big regular season games and the playoffs.
Last season Blake averaged 7.3 ppg and 4.8 apg, compared to 7.5 ppg and 2.5 apg by Derek Fisher. Based on the number, Blake is more productive as a point guard, but the leadership qualities and “clutchness” goes to Fisher. As I have stated, Steve Blake will play point guard so Fisher will be ready for when it counts the most.
What team doesn’t need another 6 foot 10 center who can block shots and is a presence down low? Well, with the addition of Theo Ratliff, the Lakers got their fourth player over 6-10. Ratliff is known for his shot blocking abilities and can grab key rebounds over the course of a game.
Ratliff averaged 2.4 blocks per game and 5.7 rebounds per game throughout his career, and I expect him to put up the same numbers next season. If a player beats Kobe, Ron or Matt on the perimeter, he has three shot blockers waiting for him.
The Lakers absolutely re-stacked their bench, and the improvement of their reserves puts the Lakers ahead of the competition. Unlike last year, where Lamar Odom was the only bench player putting up solid numbers, the Lakers now have three players who can control a game. So when Kobe, Pau or Derek take a breather, the opponent still has a lot to worry about.
The starting line-up and the coaching staff are the same as last year, but with one more year of experience. The players should be well rested by the time the season starts, and Kobe should be healthy. Bryant played extremely well last year with a broken finger, bum knee, back pains, and a twisted ankle; so a healthy Bryant will also be beneficial to Los Angeles.
The best coach in the NBA, the best player in the NBA, arguably the most balanced starting five in the NBA, and a revived bench— smells like a three-peat to me.
The Assessment: The Bad
There really isn’t much negative I can say about the Lakers and what they have done this off-season. The team acquired great players, and are the favorites entering next season. Matt Barnes bring the team toughness, Steve Blake is a great point guard and will allow Derek Fisher to rest, and Theo Ratliff is a great shot blocker. However, these players lack one thing, one valuable thing–experience.
Talent can only bring you so far, but at the end of the day you need experience in order to react properly. Luckily these three players will be playing with a championship team who has been through it all and knows what it takes.
If they joined a team like the Heat, they could possibly fall apart; Miami has talent, but very little championship experience. Look back at history and you will notice that every championship team has two or three veterans who carried the team in the locker room and through tough times.
In my eyes Barnes, Blake and Ratliff picked the right contract to sign. The Lakers have talent from top to bottom, have a system that works, have chemistry, and most importantly they have championship experience.
So at the end of the day, there haven’t been a lot of negative moves the Lakers have made since winning their second consecutive title. These players have talent, they want to win, and most importantly they have teammates who have won and know exactly what it takes to three-peat.
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