By Sam Amico
Pro Basketball News
For the Los Angeles Lakers, a trip to the NBA Finals can hardly be considered a bad thing.
True, they were overmatched for the majority of the series, their dream season reaching an ugly end in a 131-92 spanking at the hands of the world champion Boston Celtics in Game 6.
But this Lakers team was about more than this game, this series, this season. It’s about building a program the right way, learning from the losses, realizing that they’re not that far away from a title of their own.
Like all great franchises, the Lakers have a guy who can carry them when things aren’t clicking, a man with era-defining talent and unmatched drive. And now, Kobe Bryant is at the pinnacle of his career and surrounded by a more-than-capable cast.
So about 0.2 seconds after the Celtics claimed their 17th banner, and Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Finals MVP Paul Pierce were fitted for championship rings, the Lakers were No. 1 again. At least, they’re No. 1 in the West heading into next season, which begins right now.
Obviously, the pain of defeat, and losing their final game of the year in the manner in which they did, will linger.
Then training camp will arrive.
Then injured center Andrew Bynum will return, joining Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom to form the best frontcourt in pro basketball.
Then youngsters like Sasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar and Ronny Turiaf will enter the season after having experienced a Finals for the first time.
Then veterans like Bryant and Derek Fisher, and Coach Phil Jackson, will be as hungry as ever. All will be aiming to prove that the sting from such a nasty last-game defeat can only help you grow.
None of this is an earth-shattering proclamation, as most people who reach this level enter the upcoming season with a renewed sense of hope, a belief that something truly special is in store. But no one has the right to feel as confident as L.A.
A lot of NBA analysts considered this year’s Lakers to be a power. They have a Hall of Fame coach in Jackson, one of the greatest players of all time in Bryant, and a foreigner with frightening skills in Gasol. And that’s all great.
But dig a little deeper than that and you’ll see the Lakers are a relatively average bunch. Or at least they were on paper.
Fisher is far from a genuine point guard, as he’s never been one of those playmakers who directs the offense or makes setting up teammates his life’s purpose. Odom is very good, a borderline All-Star even -- but he won't exactly ring up any memories of James Worthy. And Vladimir Radmanovic can really shoot, but sometimes, it’s easy to forget he’s even on the floor.
As for everyone else, well, you never really knew what you were gonna get.
That’s not meant to belittle the Lakers’ role players. It’s just intended to show that, when you really look at this team, nobody outside of Bryant ever needs to be the focus of your defense. Basically, nobody outside of Bryant has consistently proven he can beat you.
So when you really look at this team, you’ll see that this was Jackson’s greatest coaching job to not end in a title – and more importantly for the Lakers, Bryant’s greatest season as an individual and as a teammate. He’s matured into the type of veteran who understands that it should only be about him when the need calls for it, and he’s smart enough to determine the very moment such a situation arises.
Both the coach and star spent the entire year making believers out of guys who had little reason to believe, and instilling passion in players who occasionally did just enough to get by, and little else.
Yes, the midseason steal of a deal for Gasol helped considerably. But it’s how the Lakers came together after the trade that was really impressive.
Are they champions? No, not today. Can they take pride in what they were able to accomplish this season? Absolutely, but of course, that’s never enough.
Is there reason to believe that things can be even better next year and beyond?
No doubt about it.
And that truth should be enough for the Lakers to spend the summer thinking, “Hey, it’s all gonna be alright.”
And there's sure nothing bad about that.
