Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant hit the tough fade-away over a double team with the Lakers trailing by 25 points and down 3-1 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals. But it didn’t matter. With 12 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the game was over. The series was over. The Kobe Bryant who once dominated the league looked old and tired after 16 seasons in the league. The Los Angeles Lakers team that won the championship just two seasons ago looked old as the younger Thunder team outran and outhustled them. Maybe it’s true. Maybe the Laker era is over.
Enter Steve Nash and Dwight Howard.
On July 11, the Lakers acquired point guard Steve Nash from the Phoenix Suns. The former two-time MVP is widely considered one of the top point guards in the league for his elite passing abilities. His floor vision is unparalleled and brings a new type of offense to the Lakers: the pick-and-roll. Gasol is the perfect complement to Nash in this offense as he can hit the open jumper and finish at the rim. Nash also provides what the Lakers desperately needed last season: three-point shooting. Nash shot 40 percent from three last season compared to the 33 percent of the Lakers.
The biggest trade of the offseason came on Aug. 10 when the Lakers traded for Orlando Magic center Howard. A three time defensive player of the year award, Howard grabbed an average of 14.5 rebounds and blocks 2.2 blocks per game last season. With him anchoring the paint, the Lakers will no longer be prone to dribble penetration that leads to three point kickouts and open shots.
The Lakers needed to acquire another big name player to stay competitive in the Western Conference, and they did just that by signing Nash and Howard. This improvement now makes them better than the reigning Western Conference Champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Nash can dissect the Thunder defense to give the Lakers better looks on offense while the presence of Howard prevents inside penetration by elite point guard, Russell Westbrook, and the best scoring forward, Kevin Durant. This officially makes them the team to beat in the Western Conference.
Although the trade makes the Lakers better than the Thunder, they are not, however, better than the Miami Heat. The reigning champions still boast LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, also known as “The Big Three.” The Heat are the most dominant team in the NBA and the Lakers have not yet proven to be at their level.
The Lakers have the potential to be a championship team this season. However, fans must not disrespect the NBA Champions, the Miami Heat. I am not saying that Laker fans should not be excited. I am, however, saying that we cannot yet crown the Lakers as the best team in the NBA until they raise their 17th banner.