Don't forget to follow me on twitter @a_santiago1517!
The 2013 offseason hasn't even concluded yet, and many people are already looking forward to the 2014 offseason. This offseason was headlined by Dwight Howard and where he would ultimately end up going to. Would he stay in LA with the Black Mamba? Would he choose to go elsewhere? Dwight chose Houston. Ultimately, this duo was nothing compared to what Kobe and Shaq once were. At the beginning of the season, many critics had the Lakers as favorites to make a trip to the NBA Finals after the acquisitions of PG, Steve Nash and C, Dwight Howard. Many people also compared Nash, Bryant, and Howard to the Big 3 across the country in South Beach. This was simply a roster put together that seemed great on paper, but not when put in action. It was quite strange to see the Lakers bring in Steve Nash simply because for years, we've seen Kobe take over the PG position and take control of games. Some may argue that Kobe is even a ball hog, but when you have the talent that Kobe has, I think you have the right to hold on to the ball a little more. Dwight was never able to be the Dwight Howard we all are used to seeing. Let's take a look at Dwight's past three seasons:
2010-2011:
37.5 MPG
22.9 PPG
14.1 RPG
0.596 FT%
2011-2012:
38.3 MPG
20.6 PPG
14.5 RPG
0.491 FT%
2012-2013:
35.8 MPG
17.1 PPG
12.4 RPG
0.492 FT%
We see that Howard had his minutes per game decrease the past two seasons as well as his PPG, RPG, and FT%. Some may argue that it was due to his back issues and the injuries that sidelined him this past season. I'll argue that Howard was never a match in LA. So, what's my point? Dwight Howard needs to be the man in charge on whatever team he plays for. Howard needs to be heavily involved to be effective in games, and with Kobe and Nash in the picture, that simply wasn't going to happen. This ultimately leads me to the point of the blog.
Next offseason, teams will be very interested as the Free Agent market will be headlined by All Stars, Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James. I have been mainly talking about the Lakers in this blog simply because there has been a rumor that the Lakers want to reel in both players. Carmelo and LeBron have two things in common, and that is they ultimately want to win NBA Championships! LeBron has won two straight in Miami, while Carmelo is still seeking to win his first. Another thing that both these players have in common is that they both need the ball in their hands, just like Kobe. Now, I will argue that none of these players can fit into a team with Kobe's style of play, as well as his play after an Achilles tendon injury. This year will speak volumes in the decision making for both Carmelo and LeBron.
What do I think?
I don't even know! I could very well see Carmelo staying put in NY. I think he has found his niche with all the fans at Madison Square Garden as well as with the players. I think he likes the direction and believes that they're not too far from a ring. However, I can see him getting paid A LOT of money elsewhere on a team who is trying to make a serious push. It'll be interesting to see what Carmelo decides.
On the other hand, I can see LeBron staying put or going elsewhere. LeBron is unarguably the best player in the NBA, so he will definitely have a crap load of money coming his way if he decides to hit the market instead of re-signing with the Heat. People tend to ask, why would LeBron leave the team he got his only two rings with? The answer is simply, Dwyane Wade is aging pretty quickly and injuries are starting to catch him every season now. We all know D-Wade can still play, but in order to repeat for another championship, the Heat need him at 100% and nothing less than that. Also, we don't know what the future holds for Chris Bosh. I would say he's "underperformed" this past season, which raises many questions in the Miami front office. I could see LeBron staying, but I can see him also going elsewhere. I just simply don't see Carmelo and LeBron getting anywhere near LA. Kobe isn't getting any younger, and who knows how much Nash has left in his tank, but that's all that the Lakers have left. Imagine him going back to Cleveland, and playing alongside Kyrie Irving?! Okay, Okay, I got ahead of myself for a second, but anything can happen.A Food For Thought, if Dwight Howard wasn't the solution, then what will be? I just don't see there being room for more egos on the Lakers. We have one more season before anything is set in stone, so let the wait until next offseason commence!
Thanks for reading!
No comments:
Post a Comment