2009 Los Angeles Lakers Outlook

As the NBA calendar turns to 2009, three teams have emerged as the clear favorites to be playing for the Championship in June. Surprisingly, two of those contenders hail from the Eastern Conference, as the reigning Champion Celtics have not lost a beat from last season, while the Lebron James-led Cavaliers have improved dramatically from a season ago. In the Western Conference, however, the Los Angeles Lakers have gotten off to a sizzling start and seem destined to return to the NBA finals. But have the Lakers of 2009 improved enough to from a season ago to capture the Championship or will they inevitably fall short to whichever of the powerhouses that wins the East?

The most noticeable difference for the Lakers this year is the return of 21 year-old center Andrew Bynum. Bynum, who missed the second half of last season due to a knee injury, has returned to full health and has made a significant impact, especially at the defensive end of the court. Bynum's size and athleticism enables him to cover the top inside presence on most nights, thus allowing the much thinner Pau Gasol to slide to his natural position of power forward. This tandem has been critical in making the Lakers one of the league's best rebounding teams this season, while Bynum's shot blocking presence (1.8 blocks per game) has deterred many opponents from driving to the rim. On the offensive end, Bynum has been decent but at times inconsistent, as he is still adjusting to his role playing on the block alongside another big. On most possessions, one of the two stays in the low post while the other shifts to the high post. Gasol is better suited to play out of the high post, as he can then utilize his polished passing skills, as well as his touch on 15-foot jumpers. Bynum has worked hard to improve his jump shot from a season ago, however, so he too can play out of the high post on certain possessions when Gasol looks to operate inside. This versatility has allowed the duo to play considerable minutes on the court together, and combine for approximately 30 points and 17 rebounds a night. While Bynum's overall numbers are slightly down from a season ago, his offense will likely improve as he learns to co-exist with Gasol, and his impact on defense has been considerable.

The reinsertion of Bynum into the lineup this year has meant that Lamar Odom has come off the bench for the first time in his NBA career. Odom, who was the Lakers second option for many seasons, has now been relegated to a much reduced role, and he is on pace for a career low in several statistical categories. Ideally, however, his transition to the bench bolsters an already talented second unit, thus making the Lakers bench the most potent and versatile in the entire league. Odom, who was expected to be the primary option when coming off the bench, still defers to his teammates the vast majority of the time, but his efforts often help facilitate the play of his fellow second unit Lakers. Like Bynum, Odom has shown his value defensively, as he has increased his steals and blocks from past seasons despite playing fewer minutes.

With Odom playing a passive role, the most successful and perhaps surprising member of this bench has been small forward Trevor Ariza. Like Bynum, Ariza was injured the second half of last year's campaign. Since returning from his broken foot injury, Ariza has been a disruptive defense force, averaging nearly 2 steals a game in under 25 minutes of play. He's also added more than 5 rebounds a game, and has improved tremendously offensively, scoring 9.2 points per contest. Confidence is the primary reason for his newfound scoring ability, as Ariza is taking many shots he was passing up in years past. Ariza has also improved his range, and his 3-point touch has helped spread the floor for the Lakers.

The recurring theme in these adjustments from last year is that they all focus on shoring up the defense. With Kobe Bryant leading the way, unquestionably the Lakers are the most talented offensive team in the league. Their challenge this season will be to maintain a high level of play defensively. Due to their newfound dedication to defense, which was instilled all throughout summer and training camp by Head Coach Phil Jackson, the Lakers rank near the top in many defensive categories thus far. Through 32 games, the Lakers lead the league with over 9 steals per game, collect the second most rebounds, force the third most turnovers in the league, and rank eighth in blocked shots. The return of both Bynum and Ariza, along with the new role for Lamar Odom have been critical in the Lakers efforts defensively for the first half of this NBA season. How they play in the second half and especially in the playoffs will determine whether they will fall short of their goal again or will be hoisting the championship trophy this time around.