Kobe already got some great news this summer when he found out the Lakers got Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, but he understands more needs to be done. Bryant is used to having the pressures of winning on his shoulders, but the expectations for the 2012-13 season will be something he has never experienced before.
Here are five birthday wishes Kobe Bryant would certainly love to see come true.
5: Dwight Howard and Steve Nash fit perfectly with the team
The Los Angeles Lakers formed the most talented team in the NBA during the off-season when they acquired Steve Nash from the Suns and Dwight Howard from the Magic. Those two will be teaming up with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, which makes the Lakers the favorites to win the 2013 NBA title.
However, many people doubt the Lakers can get all the talent to mesh together. The Miami Heat put three stars on the same team, and there were always questions about whether or not the Big Three could win a title. The Heat finally got over the hump in 2011, and now it’s the Lakers’ time to prove the critics wrong also.
If the Lakers can get all of these egos to make the ultimate sacrifice, there will be a plethora of more championship banners hanging from Staples Centers in the near future.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boATrkv3sx0&feature=plcp
Next Page: Number Four
4: Pau Gasol returns to his old form
There is no doubt Pau Gasol has not been the same player he once was in the past two post-season. Gasol was a dominant power forward for the Lakers in 2009 and 2010 during the Lakers’ back-to-back titles.
The team could rely on Gasol to give 100 percent in every game and he erased the notorious “soft” label from his reputation. However, the Lakers have been eliminated from the second round in the past two years and many have put most of the blame on Gasol.
Gasol played a key role in the Lakers’ rout of the Orlando Magic in 2009 and was a key contributor in the Lakers’ Game 7 win over the Boston Celtics. However, all that intensity of physicality was lost during the 2011 post-season and again in the 2012 Western Conference Semi-Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Gasol and Dwight Howard would make an incredible team, and Bryant is hoping he sees the same Gasol that helped him win two rings.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQQobw_JrJU
Next Page: Number Three
3: The bench responds after dismal 2011-12 season
The Los Angeles Lakers had one of the worst benches in the league in 2011-12, and the team rarely had success when the reserves were on the court. The pressure to score and play defense was all on the starters and that took a lot out of the players. Bryant had to play more minutes than usual, and at this stage of his career, it was not really something Kobe wanted.
There were no reserves who could offer Kobe some rest while at the same time keeping a high level of play on the court. In previous years, the Lakers had Shannon Brown and Sasha Vujacic, who were able to score, but both of them have found homes elsewhere.
In 2012-13, the Lakers front office did a great job adding talent to the bench highlighted by the addition of Antawn Jamison. The Lakers also brought in Jodie Meeks, Chris Duhon and Earl Clark. Jamison is a proven veteran who will do whatever the coaches ask him to do, and he is already familiar to Mike Brown, someone he played for in Cleveland.
Meeks is a lethal three-point shooter who is a great back-up shooting guard for Kobe Bryant. As for Duhon and Clark, they were part of the Howard deal and can contribute to this Lakers squad.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=981tKFPoasE&feature=plcp
Next Page: Number Two
2: New coaching staff brings more success
Kobe Bryant has never won an NBA title without Phil Jackson, and he hasn’t had a lot of success with other coaches. The Lakers named Mike Brown the head coach prior to the 2011-12 season, and many people wondered how Kobe and the Lakers would adapt to the new lead man.
On the defensive end, the Lakers were a much improved team and Bryant respected Brown’s dedication on that end of the court. However, the biggest adjustment was on the offensive end where Kobe and his teammates had to abandon the well-known Triangle offense. Bryant had won five titles with that system and it took time to get familiar with Brown’s new system.
Now with the addition of Eddie Jordan, the Lakers will instill some of the Princeton offense, another system the team would have to be comfortable with. Bryant will wish that with one year already under the belt his relationship with Brown would strengthen and that he will be more adept with his coaching style.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF3bQ5JgO_Y
Next Page: Number One
1: Entire roster stays healthy
Kobe Bryant has made the knee procedure in Germany famous and it is clear he would like to keep his body at optimal condition. Bryant is not the same athlete he once was, and there is no doubt he has lost some explosiveness. Still, Bryant is a smarter player now and beats opponents with his footwork and technique.
As Kobe Bryant has gotten older, he has taken better care of his body in terms of how he eats and trains. Luckily for Kobe, he has God-given basketball abilities that will remain with him for the rest of his life. It is something that separates Bryant from the competition and has helped him win five titles.
Nevertheless, injuries can impair Bryant’s skills and he needs to be 100 percent in order to be the best player possible. The Lakers can do some amazing things next season and a healthy Kobe Bryant would make everything better.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_qUhD5rq3Y