A great season opener for the Lakers, and not just because we won. Kobe was still clearly the dominant player, but he didn't look as forced as last year. He was clutch, but the team looked fine when he wasn't in control or even on the floor. A big part of that was effective point guard play, as Smush Parker had a great game, but Lamar and Kwame filled their roles nicely. And who would've guessed it, but Devean George actually appeared valuable for once.
But most tantalizingly, I really liked what I saw in Andrew Bynum for the few minutes he was on the floor. I didn't notice him come in, and when he swatted a shot down, I swear I thought for a second it was Shaq. Wishful thinking, I know. But he looked good, if overeager. Imagine if he could break into the starting lineup by the end of the year. Then our RESERVE squad could be Aaron McKie, Luke Walton, Devean George, Brian Cook, and Chris Mihm. That's a solid backup group even if you swap Mihm and Bynum.
There were downsides of course- the Lakers could not manage to stop the alleyoop dunk off the baseline. It was ridiculous how many times the Nuggets ran that, it got frustrating after a while. And Sasha Vujacic, I just don't get how he's better than the best 6' guy you find on Venice Beach (or presumably somewhere around here, but I haven't checked out Rutgers or the cage much).
Anyway, here's to a fun season, and I'm not going to panic if the Lakers go .500 for November; they have a very tough schedule, and this was a great win to get.
(P.S. If the Nuggets aren't going to play Earl Watson, we'll take
him!)
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