Nick Young’s absence is huge as he is probably the only comparable player who is able to get his shot off without help. Kobe has taken Young under his wing this season which should only help. The Lakers are missing their best bench player and last season’s leading scorer.
Don’t forget Nick can replace Kobe in the lineup or play alongside of him and shoulder the load of scoring readily. Kobe has touted Young as an extremely important piece to the Lakers success and rightly so.
Besides his scoring, Nick is an energy guy. He was positive force in the locker room last season despite their struggles. Similar to Derek Fisher’s analogy of “good cop” to Kobe’s “bad cop,” Young brings positive vibes that will be a boost for morale when he steps on the court.
If you’re not familiar with Nick Young’s charisma, just search on YouTube or watch clips of his media day appearance. It was noted Dwight Howard didn’t like the bright lights, but Nick loves them. But there is reason for hope. Young’s cast is off and his return looks to be only a couple of weeks away.
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Chemistry takes time. The Lakers coaching staff and players aren’t familiar with each other yet. Byron’s defensive strategy is sound, but any time you implement a new system it takes time, look at Cleveland’s struggles. They have the most talented threesome in the league, but they don’t know how to play together.
Last season Grizzlies head coach, David Joerger, tried to change Memphis’ style of play, but got overruled by the players because if it ain’t broke why fix it? Think of building chemistry like growing pains. The Lakers have to hit the bottom before they can climb to the top. That’s why at this point it’s unfair to point blame at anyone yet.
“Fit” is the reason why Byron hasn’t made lineup changes yet, because he’s giving the players time to figure out their role. Chemistry can trump talent when all the pieces are working together efficiently. When half your roster hasn’t played together before, on top of learning a new system, the learning curve on the fly is steep. Over time the rotation will shrink, guys will learn individual tendencies and a defined style of play will be established.
So consider the factors above when judging the Lakers so far. The record indicates a lack of execution, not turmoil. In fact, besides being discouraged and upset the team unity is quite strong.
For once the Lakers attitude inside the locker room is on the same page. Any losing streak is tough to endure and at least the Lakers don’t have the lofty expectations of other teams who are underachieving at the moment. The Lakers organization has never been used to losing and neither have the fans. But there’s reason to believe things will get better soon. There’s nowhere to go, but up.
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