Astonishing Offseason Puts Lakers in Front (Part Two)

As I wrote in my column last week, let’s take a look at the positional matchups of the L.A. Lakers and OKC Thunder to see why the purple-and-gold now look like the team to beat:

Perhaps the most difficult matchup to give an advantage to, as the two-time MVP lacks what the 23-year old Westbrook doesn’t, and vice versa. While Nash’s superior three-point shooting and exceptional floor leadership/passing skills have helped maintain the 38-year-old’s status as one of the top point guards in the league, his lack of explosiveness and especially poor defense are drawbacks. Still, after leading the NBA in total assists last season while playing for a team with no true firepower, Nash has proven time after time just how special he really is.

This two-time all-star is arguably the best scoring point guard in the NBA, as the UCLA prodigy plays with the passion and drive coaches strive to see in a youngster. While he has been criticized in recent years for selfish play and poor shot-selection, Westbrook has the quickness and strength to stick with any opposing point guard, though his iffy three-point shot and his penchant for wildly inefficient shooting displays to reach his 23.6 points per game are an ongoing issue. While Nash is a better shooter and passer, Westbrook is the better defender and pure scorer of the two.

Is it fair to say that the Black Mamba is still top dog when it comes to shooting guards in the NBA? The second-best player to ever lace up faces the daunting task of squaring off against one of the league’s top defenders in Thabo Sefolosha. While Bryant’s offensive arsenal has proven too great time and time again to be shut down by the pesky Swiss, it’s always a good match-up to watch one of the premier NBA defenders square off against the Hall-of-Famer.

The 28-year-old defender can knock down the open shot and fly in for athletic buckets when others create for him. Otherwise, his offensive arsenal is nothing special, as he is relied on primarily to shut down opposing teams’ top scorers. Still, Sefolosha’s efforts of shutting down the Laker legend are deemed successful if he can simply slow him, as anything more is impossible.

The 2004 Defensive Player of the Year is The reigning three-time NBA scoring

to Durant as Sefolosha is to Bryant. The champ has the smoothest shot in the

main differences between Peace and NBA, as the 6’11” forward can pull

Sefolosha are age (Peace is 32 and has up from just about anywhere while

always lacked the raw athleticism that knocking down one ridiculous shot

permeates Sefolosha’s game) and the after another. His athleticism is

ability to create their own shot (Artest unprecedented for a player his size,

was a primary offensive option during his making him the total package that

tenure with both the Indiana Pacers and only LeBron James can match. While

Sacramento Kings). Peace’s strong hands Peace is physically stronger, Durant

and surprisingly quick defensive reactions owns the advantage in every other

help him remain a premier NBA defender category, making this a match-up

for opposing team forwards. that clearly goes in the Thunder’s

Often heralded as one of the most skilled Perhaps his most memorable

forwards of all-time, this four-time moment came in last season’s

all-star and two-time NBA champion Western Conference Finals Game 4,

continues to be a matchup nightmare for when he went 11-for-11 from the

opposing forwards. While the 32-year-old field and four-of-four from the line

Gasol has the length and skill set to keep to solidify the notion of his steadily-

up with most other forwards, Ibaka’s raw improving jumper and increased

athleticism and continuing-to-improve efficiency on offense. Oh yeah…

jumper might make him a double-edged and he’s no defensive slouch,

sword for Gasol to compete against. Still, the either, as his league-leading 3.65

Spaniard’s vast knowledge and skill set are blocks per contest were a full

too much for the 22-year-old to handle over block-and-a-half more than JaVale

a seven-game series. McGee’s second spot on the list.

The best center in the NBA has no peer, as With no offensive skills, Perkins’

his six all-star game selections and three grounded game is best served to

DPOY awards can attest to. This push opposing centers further out of

force-of-nature wreaks havoc on all their comfort zone than they’re

opposing centers both offensively and used to. What Perkins lacks in

defensively, and his superior athleticism offensive firepower, though, he

makes him the most physically-gifted makes up for with his defense. He

center in the league. Perkin’s big brings exceptional defensive

body may provide some issues for Howard positioning, essentially serving as

down low, there’s no way he can hang the NBA’s only potential Howard-

with Howard for a long series. While nullifying force. Perkins is the

Howard’s free-throw shooting woes are perfect player to keep Howard at

well-documented, there’s nothing else bay, assuming that means Howard’s

the high-school prodigy and 2004 top draft statistical greatness drops to really

Top Bench Contributors: Antawn Jamison, Top Bench Contributors: James

The Lakers’ bench last season was the worst Last season, sixth man of the year

in the NBA. This year, with the additions of James Harden provided the spark

Jodie Meeks and Antawn Jamison, the the Thunder needed to maintain,

purple-and-gold’s bench has gone from and occasionally even build, the

horrifying to decent. As long as the two-time lead that the Thunder starters

all-star remains healthy, Jamison will be earned. After swiping five-time NBA

the key to the bench’s inevitable offensive champ Derek Fisher from the Lakers

improvement. With support from mid-season, the Thunder gained

incumbents Steve Blake and Jordan Hill, veteran leadership as well to help

this Lakers squad has a chance to be push them past the other Western

better-than-average if those two can Conference squads and into the

continue their late-season play of last Finals for the first time since they

season. relocated from Seattle to Oklahoma

News reporter with substantial professional writing experience. High premium on writing creative and feature-type articles. Focus on sports, human experiences and life dramas. Graduated from Chico State in May 2012. Interned with the Chico News and Review newspaper for two years, wrote on the nationally-recognized campus newspaper, The Orion, as the assistant sports editor the year before that.