Post by Lakers GM on Feb 24, 2006 16:44:56 GMT -5
Team Strength:
Good options at every position. Every starter has at least a B+ in one category, and the frontcourt boasts two A-'s inside. Ronald Steele is good for 16+ and is one of the best distributors around. We also steal the ball pretty well. Last, we are very flexible. We can run bigger lineups with Carr or Turoglu at SF and James at SG, or we can keep Darell Griffith and Nolan Smith at the wings.
Weakness:
Perimeter defense. Granted, Griffith, Steele and Smith are all exceptional defenders, but with Smith and Griffith both undersized, the pieces don't add up. Teams abused us in preseason for over 110 ppg. Another weakness is the lack of a number one option. Darrell Griffith hasn't shown the consistency or the ability to go for over 20 a night. Nolan Smith has never simmed to his potential, and is only a second or third option quality scorer. Steele, Boone and Donaldson are all better off as second or third options.
Franchise Player:
Ron Steele.
The temptation is to say otherwise; Donaldson had a huge training camp and is now an elite center ratings-wise. Griffith has a complete offensive game and is a good defender. However, Steele is the rock of the team. His assists will always be high, even though he's never had the best options to dish to. He can score 20 as a third option, as he did for awhile last season. His turnovers are very low. He's good for two steals a game. His percentages are high. In LA, he's the main attraction.
Outlook:
The buzz in LA is that the playoff drought will end this year. It's been three years, and if last year's team was enough to finish one game out of the eight spot, this year's improvements should mean a playoff spot. However, early indications did not say so. In two preseason sims, the team was a combiner 12-15. The question is, is that a 100% indicator of how the team will perform in the regular season, or will play improve, as originally expected?
Good options at every position. Every starter has at least a B+ in one category, and the frontcourt boasts two A-'s inside. Ronald Steele is good for 16+ and is one of the best distributors around. We also steal the ball pretty well. Last, we are very flexible. We can run bigger lineups with Carr or Turoglu at SF and James at SG, or we can keep Darell Griffith and Nolan Smith at the wings.
Weakness:
Perimeter defense. Granted, Griffith, Steele and Smith are all exceptional defenders, but with Smith and Griffith both undersized, the pieces don't add up. Teams abused us in preseason for over 110 ppg. Another weakness is the lack of a number one option. Darrell Griffith hasn't shown the consistency or the ability to go for over 20 a night. Nolan Smith has never simmed to his potential, and is only a second or third option quality scorer. Steele, Boone and Donaldson are all better off as second or third options.
Franchise Player:
Ron Steele.
The temptation is to say otherwise; Donaldson had a huge training camp and is now an elite center ratings-wise. Griffith has a complete offensive game and is a good defender. However, Steele is the rock of the team. His assists will always be high, even though he's never had the best options to dish to. He can score 20 as a third option, as he did for awhile last season. His turnovers are very low. He's good for two steals a game. His percentages are high. In LA, he's the main attraction.
Outlook:
The buzz in LA is that the playoff drought will end this year. It's been three years, and if last year's team was enough to finish one game out of the eight spot, this year's improvements should mean a playoff spot. However, early indications did not say so. In two preseason sims, the team was a combiner 12-15. The question is, is that a 100% indicator of how the team will perform in the regular season, or will play improve, as originally expected?
