2009-2010 Los Angeles Lakers Preview

2008 Record: 65-17, 1st in Western Conf. Pacific Division, won NBA Championship
Head Coach: Phil Jackson, 5th season
Key Additions: G-F Ron Artest
Key Losses: F Trevor Ariza
1st Round Draft Picks: None
2nd Round Draft Picks: C Chinemelu Elonu

2008-'09 Lakers Review:

Championships are always sweet, but it's hard to deny how especially cathartic the 2009 title proved to be for this Laker locker room. Kobe Bryant finally won a Shaq-free crown and stamped himself as a high-level leader of a group that needed and received his guidance. Coach Phil Jackson won his 10th title, tops on the all-time list, and molded a disparate collection of role players into a cohesive unit. Lamar Odom cemented a superb career transformation by becoming the indispensable piece on this roster. Pau Gasol permanently shed the "soft" label that haunted him in previous years. Trevor Ariza--who made the single biggest play of the season by snagging a decisive Game 3 steal in a tied Western Conference Finals at Denver--rose from the shadows to announce his presence as a valued NBA commodity. Derek Fisher struggled for most of the season, but in Game 4 of the NBA Finals at Orlando, Old Man Fish was there to land a big catch and essentially secure another world title in Laker Land. One redemptive postseason journey wiped away a great many tears in Hollywood--scripts don't get much better than that.

2009-'10 Lakers Preview:

How will the math add up for the Lakers in 2010? Will it be, "Ron Artest Minus Trevor Ariza = Repeat", or will that equation end in disappointment? Will the return of Odom, coupled with the addition of Artest, make the Lake Show an even more awesome juggernaut, or will the loss of Ariza prove to be bigger than a lot of observers expect? Will Fisher's increasing age put Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar into situations they can't handle in the backcourt, or will Phil Jackson bring along his less-credentialed players in a bid for another title? You can count on Kobe to deliver another stellar season in Southern California, but there are legitimate questions about the ways in which the rest of this roster will (or won't) come together. Ultimately, the historically volatile Artest--who defends well but is prone to hoisting ill-advised jumpers--holds the real key to the direction of the Lakers. If the Zenmaster can tame him, Artest will become a terrific new part of a loaded Laker lineup. But if the Brawler of Auburn Hills becomes mentally erratic, as he's been known to be over the years, the Lakers' bid for a repeat could get really ugly. Buckle up--win or lose, it should be an anything-but-boring postseason at Staples.

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By Matthew Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer

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