Dwight Howard’s departure looks good on Mike D’Antoni and Pau Gasol.
Following a 31-point beat down handed to them by the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Lakers are 1-1 on the season. Which is fine. They were supposed to be 0-2, having opened the year against the Los Angeles Clippers. Emerging victorious from one of those two division match ups exceeds existing expectations.
Regardless of record, the Lakers have already secured the ultimate victory—chemistry. We can laugh at their roster all we want—it is kind of funny—but there was no rapport in Tinseltown last season, only superstars butting heads and being marginalized by injuries and situational misfortunes.
This season, the Lakers may rarely win. Losing may become a fixture until Kobe Bryant returns—whenever that is—and even then, age-imposed limitations of their core could prohibit the Lakers from contending for a playoff spot. Such are the perils of relying on unproven role players like Xavier Henry and Wesley Johnson, and making mid-tier talents like Chris Kaman and Nick Young focal points.
Ignore all of that, though. This was the hand the Lakers were dealt and forced to play. The plans has always been to chase superstars in 2014. Always. For as long as we can remember, anyway. Difference is, the Lakers weren’t supposed to endure a season like this. Kobe should’ve been healthy, for one, and the team Los Angeles wagered it all on last season shouldn’t have flamed out or at least been able to start a fire to begin with.
But again, it is what it is, and right now, the Lakers can be thrilled knowing their two-most important components, Gasol and D’Antoni are on the same page, per USA Today‘s Sam Amick:
“It was very uncomfortable,” D’Antoni, the Lakers coach, said about the Howard-Gasol dynamic last season. “I knew I was messing on (Gasol) last year. That’s not fair to him. But that was the situation we were in. How do we make the best of it? I was just trying to make the best of it. But no, it wasn’t fair to him.
“I think it was all (politics). It was all that. We wouldn’t do that (normally). If nobody had names on their jerseys, and we were just playing? You go through Pau. There’s not a question. No question.”
Tough to argue with anything D’Antoni said there. His system isn’t one that’s built for playing two post-oriented bigs together for long stretches at a time. He was forced to manipulate his offensive ideals and the pairing between Gasol and Howard still didn’t work. Or even come close to working.
This time, there is only Gasol. Not even Kobe can get in the way for the time being. Gasol is D’Antoni’s most productive big by far, and the relationship between them stands to strengthen without the threat of Howard or phrases like “sixth man” being thrown into the equation.
Will it matter? Standings wise, maybe not. The obstacles put in front of the Lakers may be too difficult to overcome. Steve Nash isn’t healthy and God only knows when Kobe will be eligible to be Kobe again. In a wildly deep Western Conference, the Lakers, just like any other fringe team, could fall out of the playoff hunt rather quickly.
One thing the Lakers won’t be stripped up of their chemistry. It shows in the way the ball moves on offense and in every shot they make or miss. The entire team is on the same page. Through losses, through wins—through it all.
“It’s a different situation, a different team,” Gasol said, via Amick. “I’m happy and proud to continue to be here, despite everything. I’m ready to play and have a great year.”
Having a great year seems far more plausible knowing Gasol and his coach are finally fighting for the same thing.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
