The BIG question I have been asking myself is what is the Lakers plan for the center position? Here are what appear to be the three possible options.
1. AD starts or plays half the time at the five like the title season?
2. Frank actually starts Dwight or DeAndre in a screwball version of JaVale McGee to start each half?
3. They keep three centers besides AD and Marc Gasol starts as this year’s JaVale McGee.
No way any option but #1 makes good sense with Russ at the point. This is the BIG cunnundrum facing the Lakers.
One of the things I’m excited to see is how Russell Westbrook’s unstoppable engine affects this Lakers team. Russ has never had the kind of supporting cast he will have on this Lakers team with two legitimate top-five superstars in LeBron and AD and a cadre of elite volume 3-point shooters to create spacing. The wild card factor in Russ joining the Lakers is his Mamba Mentality and how that is going to impact how the Lakers play and the contageous level of competitiveness with which Russ is going to infect the rest of the roster.
I think we’re going to see the best version of LeBron, Anthony, and Russell on this Lakers team and that’s what Mamba Mentality is all about in the end. Becoming the best version of yourself. To me, that’s Russ attacking the rim and making it easy for LeBron and AD to rack up points in the paint for all three superstars rather than shooting threes. As for the threes, the Lakers need to have at least two high percentage, high volume 3-point shooters in every lineup they roll out. Those are the guys who should rain threes to create space for Russ, LeBron, and Anthonly to attack the paint.
That’s the vision Russ, LeBron, and AD talked about before free agency and it’s the vision Pelinka has followed with laser precision as he totally rebuilt the Lakers roster, rejecting the run-in-back philosophy and instead embracing the small-ball-on-steroids lineup that won them the championshp in the bubble and the intrinsic value of a Superstar Big Three.
When the Lakers hang #18 and finally have the parade Covid cheated them out of, everybody will look back and realize the trade for Russell Westbrook was as important to the legacy of the Lakers as signing LeBron James and trading for Anthony Davis. It’s the move that catapulted the Lakers into another NBA dynasty.
There is no way to encapsulate the dilemma teams are going to face with the Mamba mentality that Westbrook could bring to the table with AD and LeBron doing their part terrorizing opponents, and shooters having a field day. That would feel like a horror movie. Of course, this is on paper, but don’t underestimate the power of LeBron, AD, and Westbrook with all those long-range bombers.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Buba. I’m not a religious person but willingly admit there are things in this universe that are beyond my ability to conceptualize. The Mamba Mentality link between Bean and Russ is one of those magical unknowns.
Frankly, I have this feeling in my heart that Russ coming to the Lakers is in a way a form of rebirth or reincarnation of the Mamba Mentality that we lost in last season’s Covid chaos but I’m hoping we rediscover this season. It’s hard when I watch Russ play not to remember the ferocity with which Kobe played.
For me, this is going to be the Mamba Season as we watch Russ’ bully ball attack mode terrorize opposing defenses and turn Lakers games into routs with the starters rooting from the bench as Frank and Rob unveil the LAL version of load management that has LA’s superstar big three resting most fourth quarters.
I’m most excited by the pace we’re going to play and how Russ and AD are going to dominate the non-LeBron minutes. Lakers will be top-five in offense and defense this year as they win their record setting 18th NBA championship.
#BronMVP, #ADDPOY, #RussMIP, #RobEOY, #FrankCOY
Tom, I agree with you 100%. Your comment is so powerful I am thinking you might have to save it in the archives on this blog if it’s ever possible, so we can revisit it when the season is done. You made such a powerful and compelling argument that I will refrain from adding even a single word to it so as not to dilute it. Great job hitting the nail on the head.
We are on the same page about this team to the point where I could not even watch the replay today on NBA tv between the Knicks and the Lakers that was played just before the playoffs. We won in overtime. I kept seeing almost an entire roaster that is no longer coming back. And that made the whole replay tasteless. The more I try to watch the replay the more my mind keeps fast-forwarding to the upcoming season. Man, this is going to be a long summer. Next season can’t get here fast enough.
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