LOS ANGELES — It was supposed to be the end — yet again — of another championship era in Los Angeles Lakers’ history.
Following three straight NBA Finals appearances and back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010, the Lakers were beaten in the second round of the playoffs the last two seasons: humiliated in 2011 with a sweep by eventual champion Dallas, then losing to Oklahoma City in five games last season.
LA was way over the salary-cap threshold, leaving general manager Mitch Kupchak with seemingly little room to sign or trade for the type of player who could turn the franchise around before Kobe Bryant hung up his Nikes for good.
Most of the other teams in the league were giddy. After 10 championships from 1980 to 2010 — one every three seasons on average — it was over.
Sure, they had Kobe and an All-Star center in Andrew Bynum, but Kobe had played a lot of games in 16 seasons, and who knew how long he’d continue? Bynum was the type of player who always looked downcast and sullen; perpetually unhappy unless he was acting like a petulant child by defying his coaches.
It was said that Kupchak’s hands were tied and he would never be able to get that player.
Those chirping were right. He got two of those players.
Getting rid of Bynum’s sour disposition, he was somehow able to acquire the best center in basketball, Dwight Howard. He’d already gotten Steve Nash in a sign-and-trade deal with Phoenix.
He also added two-time All-Star Antawn Jamison to lead a rebuilt bench. Jamison brings a 19.5 career scoring average with him. There will always be injury concerns with an older team, and Bryant's status for the season opener is uncertain because of foot problems. Howard, meanwhile, is returning from back surgery. But if the Lakers stay reasonably intact physically, reaching the Finals for the fifth time in the last seven years becomes more of a probability than a possibility.
Last season: 41-25, 1st Pacific Division. Lost to Oklahoma City in second round of playoffs.
Coach: Mike Brown (second season with Lakers, 41-25; overall: seventh season, 313-163)
Top Returnees: SG Kobe Bryant, PF Pau Gasol, SF Metta World Peace
Key Additions: C Dwight Howard, PG Steve Nash, F Antawn Jamison, Assistant coach Eddie Jordan (he brings the Princeton Offense with him)
X-Factor(s): Age and Health. Bryant and Nash are both beginning their 17th seasons in the NBA. World Peace is heading into his 14th season, while this is No. 11 for Gasol. Howard is in his ninth year and is a young pup compared to his new teammates, but he must prove he’s over his back injury and then stay healthy.
Strengths: Bryant still has amazing skills and the will to win that goes along with them. Howard dominates down low on both sides of the floor and Nash’s focus on making the right play nearly every time he touches the ball could make the Lakers championship favorites. Nash is also a leader and will complement Bryant in that department.
Weaknesses: The bench. One of the worst in the league last season, the Lakers feel they upgraded their reserves as well as their starting lineup during the offseason. But Jamison, Blake, Jodie Meeks, Chris Duhon and most of the other reserves have been anything but stellar in the preseason, and the Lakers could miss Matt Barnes, who took his reserve-high 7.8 ppg to the Clippers along with his defensive intensity. If the bench is as useless as it was for most of last season, Bryant and Nash will be forced to play more minutes, which could compromise the team’s ability to make it into mid-June.
Outlook: On paper, this is the team that will face Miami for the NBA championship in 2013. Howard looks healthy and had 19 points and 12 rebounds in his first game since April. If you believe him when he says he’s going to play out his contract and test the free-agent market next summer, he’s playing for around $130 million. Bryant and Nash will likely step into the Hall of Fame five years after they retire and Gasol is the best-passing big in the game — as well as one who can score 18-20 points per game and grab double figures in rebounds. World Peace is in fantastic shape and could be in the mix for his second Defensive Player of the Year trophy — as long as he keeps his head screwed on. The keys are keeping the team healthy and getting nightly contributions from the backups. If that happens, the Lakers will be hanging banner No. 17 next October.
Prediction: 62-20.
