Kobe Bryant: Not Enough to Save Los Angeles Lakers' Season

The Los Angeles Lakers’ season is off to a poor start as expected, as after flopping in free agency this offseason the Lakers’ roster is not very talented after missing out on Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh. The loss of Steve Nash for the rest of the season was a tough blow, and that was followed up by the loss of Julius Randle for the season with a broken leg.

Despite the injuries to his teammates, Kobe Bryant is back and doing everything he can to try and keep the Lakers respectable in the Western Conference. The bad thing for the Lakers is that even with Bryant playing quite well right now, they still haven’t won a game this season.

Bryant looks to be pretty healthy right now, and head coach Byron Scott is playing him at about 32 minutes per game, which seems to be a good number for the aging Bryant.

This season, Bryant is averaging 24.8 points per game, which is very impressive for Bryant, who has been hit hard by injuries in the latter part of his career. Bryant’s shooting percentage is a bit low at 41% right now, but a large part of that is due to a rough first game against the Houston Rockets, when he shot 6-17.

So far this season the Lakers have only kept it close in one out of their four games, as against the Los Angeles Clippers they were able to only lose by single-digits, which seems like a victory in itself this season.

Sadly for the Lakers it is looking like they very well be a bottom-feeder in the West, but Bryant playing a high-level still will still draw fans to the Staples Center, but it isn’t enough to help them win games.

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5 Steals Of The 2014 NBA Draft

Written by Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

The 2014 NBA Draft was one of the deeper ones in recent memory. With so many talented players, there was undoubtedly going to be some players that fell further down the draft board than originally expected. Those players would become steals for the teams in which laps they fell into. Here are the five biggest steals from the 2014 NBA Draft.

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Cleanthony Early, Small Forward, Wichita State: The former Wichita State forward was expected to go anywhere from 14-24 in the first round. His scoring ability from the perimeter and interior was strong, and he rebounded well for his position. He also plays both ends of the court, as he is as much a capable defender as he is scorer.

The only negative that people had would be his transition from college power forward to NBA small forward, with his ball handling being the only thing holding him back. It also caused his falling into the second round, where the New York Knicks picked him up with the 34^th pick. The rest of the NBA’s loss will be the Knicks gain as they finally have a small forward option behind Carmelo Anthony, who is returning to the team.

Early will have a chance to learn from one of the best scoring and rebounding small forwards in recent NBA history, and have the ability to grow as a player without immense pressure of a high pick. Sure he would have rather went earlier, but this is a strong landing spot for the former Shocker.

Early should have a role right from the start with the Knicks as a reserve wing. He fills a huge hole the Knicks had, as Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith and Tim Hardaway Jr. can stop being played out of position and back to their normal spots in the backcourt. If given the chance to grow, which he should have with the Knicks, Early has a chance to become a more than solid contributor at the NBA level.

Jordan Clarkson, Point Guard, Missouri: Clarkson was another second-round pick that made a surprising tumble down draft boards on draft night. The athletic combo-guard put on great performances in the pre-draft process, but still found himself waiting to have his name called until the 16^th pick in the second round.

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

Clarkson needs to continue on developing his jump shot, but he should have plenty of chances to grow as he landed on the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers are desperate for a youth infusion, especially in the backcourt, and Clarkson should help with that.

He has excellent ball-handling skills, and can score from anywhere on the court. Even with the lack of a consistent jump shot, his size and athleticism combination from the point guard position gives him a big edge.

With a roster in transition, the Lakers have found themselves a strong piece to get them back to relevance. Clarkson should come in and be productive right away and see plenty of minutes on a Lakers team with very few other options.

Gary Harris, Shooting Guard, Michigan State: Harris falling to the 19^th pick in the first round was one of the bigger surprises on the night. The Denver Nuggets will reap the benefits of that slide, getting Harris in a trade with the Chicago Bulls.

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Harris is one of the only true two-way players in this draft. Offensively, he is strong and physical. He may be a little undersized, but he finishes at the rim with great efficiency because of good athleticism coupled with his physicality. He can score from the mid-range as well, with the only knock being his jump shot is a little streaky. It is a problem that can be fixed, but if he continued attacking the way he’s capable of it should not hinder him much.

Defensively, Harris is just as strong. His motor is always running, as he never takes plays off on either side of the court. His size hinders him slightly defensively, but he does not back down and sticks with it.

He will have an opportunity to grow in his first season behind the recently acquired Arron Afflalo, who is one of the better two-way guards in the NBA currently. Harris can learn from him and is in a great situation with the Nuggets.

Kyle Anderson, Forward, UCLA: This was too perfect a pick and is arguably the biggest steal in this draft. The point-forward from UCLA landed in the perfect situation with the San Antonio Spurs. This landing spot will be what makes Anderson into a lengthy career veteran instead of a three-year flame out.

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The Spurs have the perfect mentor on the team already in Boris Diaw, as Anderson is essentially a Diaw clone. The versatility Anderson has will be a huge asset to the Spurs and the system they employ under Gregg Popovich. Like Diaw, Anderson possesses excellent court vision and has a sneaky offensive game. He is strong at the mid-range, but also has a vastly improving three-point shot that is becoming a strength.

He has some things to work on, as his athleticism and quickness are not strengths. This causes him at times to be a liability on defense, as he cannot keep up with the smaller, quicker players he is sometimes forced to guard against.

Another thing people will point out as a negative is the unique qualities he has as a player, but that is irrelevant here. The Spurs are the perfect system for him, and he should succeed right away given the support group there and the way he plays. This was a perfect landing spot for Anderson and makes him a big sleeper to succeed.

Marcus Smart, Point Guard, Oklahoma State and Julius Randle, Power Forward Kentucky: 

Brody Schmidt/AP Photo

These two make the list as not exactly the exact definition of a sleeper or steal, but as players who will surely out perform their draft slot. With a draft this loaded, players are surely to fall and these are two that slipped a little bit. The Boston Celtics and Lakers, two storied franchise in a hole right now, will benefit and kick start their rebuilds.

For Smart, he has a great chance to learn from Rajon Rondo, if the Celtics do indeed keep them. Neither are strong shooters, but the tenacity both bring attacking the basket and on defense, head coach Brad Stevens can make it work.

Randle will have an opportunity to play right away with the Lakers lacking many assets and Pau Gasol leaving this offseason. He is easily the most talented big man on the roster, and his work ethic and playing style should endear himself to the uber-talented and competitive Kobe Bryant.

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Prospect Examination: Julius Randle

"Kentucky will always have a special place in my heart, but growing up as a kid," Randle said as he declared for the NBA Draft. "there's always been my dream to play in the NBA, and there's no better opportunity for me to achieve that goal than now."

"I came here to win a national championship. I came here to mature on and off the court, and I did that," Randle said. "I came (up) one game short of winning a national championship, we did as a team. But everything we went through this year was just an experience I'll never forget. That alone kept me at peace."

Before declaring for the draft, Kentucky freshmen forward Julius Randle took his time talking to many to help him make a decision; but ultimately Randle is another “one-and-done” player. Randle had a tremendous season leading the Wildcats to a 29-11 record but a better NCAA Tournament as he led his freshmen dominant team to the championship game for the first time since 2012 but difference is, he lost and the 2012 team won.  

But in general, Randle was a man among boys this season and was constantly in “Beast Mode”showing that he should've deserved the hype in which Jabari Parker and Andrew Wiggins received from the media and fans. Despite the lack of recognition with his tremendous play the Dallas native has cemented himself as being one of the first few players called in June on draft day as he is elected to be in the Top-5. Watching Randle play and looking at his stats, it's quite evident that he showed inconsistency in his lone season with John Calipari.

League scouts are worried with the 6'11" wingspan which is shorter than other undersized NBA bigs — Paul Millsap (7'1.5"), Brandon Bass (7'2.5") but other players with a exceptional skill-set have a wingspan smaller than 7'0" — Blake Griffin (6'11.3"), Kevin Love (6'11.3") and Thaddeus Young (6'11.5"). Basically Randle is going to need to improve his game vastly if he doesn't want to be lunch meat in the league where veterans and youngsters truly learn the meaning of NBA "No Boys Allowed." Now notice, the players who are either undersized in height or have a wingspan below 7'0" can make perimeter shots and rebound at a high rate, but Randle can't shoot as he shot around 30% outside the paint.

Randle was the best player on a very young Kentucky team which started five freshmen (sound familiar) and gained a abundance of comparisons to the University of Michigan's Fab-5 from the 1990s. Randle shared the spotlight Andrew Harrison, Aaron Harrison, James Young and Dakari Johnson; but it's clear that Michigan had the better Fab-5 with Chris Webber and Jalen Rose but that's another discussion for another day. At 6'9", 250-pounds Randle was thought of to dominate college basketball at his position but didn't do exactly that but did put up respectable stats.

Year	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
13-14	15.0	10.4	1.4	0.5	0.8	0.500	0.167	0.706

Advanced stats

Year	PER	TS%	USG	TRB%	ORtg	DRtg	WS
13-14	24.5	0.567	25.4	19.2	115.9	97.8	5.9

Randle's true value is under his opponents basket on the offensive end as he is bigger than most of his defenders as he plays “Bully Ball” with his 250-pound frame. Randle uses his left hand to get hit shot up and can take contact from defenders and end up at the free-throw line as he scored half of his 599 points there. He has no problem getting into position on the left or right block. But the ugliest part of his game is his jump-shot as it's just flat out weak but if he improves it then he will become a threat on the defensive end of the floor, Randle won't lead the league in blocks but will be a good rebounder and post-defender of that end.  

Just by reading this so far you could tell that Randle is very limited compared to other prospects and just like other soon-to-be draftees he has his notable weaknesses. Many believe Randle would use his intimidating stature more on the low block instead of trying to become a stretch-4 and take jump-shots because at this stage in his development that's not his identity but is could be once he's with a shooting coach. It's quite clear his shot is his huge weakness, but he can become obsessed with it. Randle's obsession with the mid-range is the equivalent to a guy trying to flirt with a girl but not getting the hint that he has no chance because she's not into him but possibly over time if he changes something then he might have a chance.

A major physical problem for Randle which he couldn't control is his wingspan which is ultimately the reason why he has the defensive stats he does. The short arms of Randle has become subject to criticism as he has been called "T-Rex" for his great height and weight but small arms. Just because of his arms, he will struggle on both ends of the court as he will struggle to shoot over his opponent, drive to the hoop etc., which is a good reason why he probably likes being close to the rim.

When drafted Randle will bring toughness, strong rebounding, strength and handles to whoever team takes him. His former college coach John Calipari believes Randle was "Shaq'd" this season as he was alluding to him being constantly double and triple teamed. Randle is a intriguing prospect nonetheless as he was great strengths and scary weaknesses and his defensive skills and shot are a work in progress.

"I think he's the surest thing in the draft," one GM said. "There's nothing he can't do and there just aren't that many bigs in the NBA with that set of skills. He's going to be a 10-time All-Star and will make a major impact on your team in Year 1. Wiggins might have a little more upside and [Parker] is so attractive as well, but if you take someone else, you're really risking your job."

"He's NBA ready, and he's going to be a top-seven pick in this draft," ESPN draft analyst Chad Ford said. "When you look at the motor that he has and the NBA body that he has and his ability to rebound, those are attributes that NBA GMs salivate over. Could he improve his game with another year at Kentucky? Sure. But I think he's one of the two or three most NBA-ready players in the draft."

Best Fits: Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers or Orlando Magic

NBA Comparisons: David Lee, J.J. Hickson, Carl Landry, Zach Randolph and Brandon Bass

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