Lakers’ Next Step in Rebuild May Be Leading Them on Path to LaMarcus Aldridge

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — You lower your standards in so many ways when things get rough.

You don’t even realize the slippage most of the time.

We’ve heard all about how the Los Angeles Lakers pride themselves on their rich history and their all-about-championships attitude. Now that they’re regaining some footing—understandably excited over lucking into the No. 2 overall pick and landing the gem that is D’Angelo Russell—it is time to remind everyone that some standards always drop.

The Lakers’ news conference Monday was all about that.

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak knew it, off-handedly mentioning at the beginning that they don’t usually have formal introductory events for three rookies at a time but “clearly we believe that the three players will be on our team.”

While Russell, Larry Nance Jr. and Anthony Brown were still at the dais and answering questions, Kupchak was already off to the side—talking on his cell phone, punching in keys for a text.

So much work lies ahead for Kupchak and the Lakers in July free agency. And make no mistake, it is and always was the important stuff.

This kids stuff is over. Which established star will take the Lakers’ money is what really matters.

LaMarcus Aldridge is the most likely candidate, DeAndre Jordan is the most intriguing and Greg Monroe is the most comparable to what long-term life would’ve been like with Jahlil Okafor’s post offense but dearth of explosiveness on defense.

It doesn’t end with a short list this summer. The Lakers have $23 million in salary-cap space this offseason, and they are determined to spend it on the longer-term contracts they’ve largely avoided in the past to carry hope over to future seasons.

The Lakers will come out of the free-agent period with two proven NBA players, regardless of whether one of their top targets chooses them. In that way, the worst is over for Lakers fans.

Yet how happy these new days really are depends on those top targets.

It remains muddy whether Kevin Love will make severe financial and competitive sacrifices in pursuit of a preferred quality of life and leave the Cleveland Cavaliers, although the Lakers haven’t given up on that.

LeBron James (Cleveland) and Marc Gasol (Memphis) aren’t expected to leave their teams, and tying up the Lakers’ money with three-day offer sheets on low-percentage gambits for top restricted free agents like Jimmy Butler (Chicago), Draymond Green (Golden State) and Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio) is almost futile.

That leaves Aldridge, who turns 30 in July, as the one available, established, in-his-prime standout.

He has made the All-Star team four years running, and he would be the one sure thing on a Lakers roster full of inexperience and Kobe Bryant questions.   

Not only would having that sure thing help for Bryant’s presumed final season, it would be absolutely critical to the franchise foundation that 2016 free agents will be evaluating to see how close the Lakers are to winning that next championship.

Whether Aldridge wants to be a tide-turning chess piece for the Lakers more than he wants the chance at an immediate title with San Antonio, going home to Dallas, staying in Portland or trying something else is unclear, but there is valid reason to believe the Lakers can convince him.

Like Love, Aldridge likes the Los Angeles area, and he has an offseason home near Bryant in Newport Beach. If a torch ever needs to be passed, Aldridge and Bryant can do it over dinner at Javier’s Cantina, a favorite restaurant of both.

Aside from his fitting initials, Aldridge’s signing would be ideal because of his uniform number: 12. The Lakers would like nothing better than to close the book on all the ugliness of the Dwight Howard experiment by meshing Aldridge’s arrival with their uptick in optimism now.

But until the Lakers actually secure a prime free agent such as Aldridge, the franchise can’t possibly operate on the level it once did.

Russell is 19. He is young enough to be Kobe’s son, so it’s only realistic to accept that he has a lot of growing up to do.

Bryant indirectly offered that reminder Monday, when Nance was recapping his relief at seeing Bryant’s text-message acceptance of his apology for suggesting Bryant was a “rapist” in a tweet from 2012.

“Hey, you’re a kid…” was the gist of Bryant’s note.

Indeed, the new kids spoke predictably and haltingly in their media session Monday. Nance admitted he was “terrified” of how mad Bryant might be at him.

Despite the formal air the Lakers public-relations department established, the event wasn’t interesting or meaningful because these guys honestly don’t have a clue about how to be interesting or meaningful in the NBA yet.

Still, the Lakers have upheld their standards in one key way.

They are here today, ready to offer their world to Aldridge and others because they stayed disciplined.

They pitched only to cleanup hitters James and Carmelo Anthony and accepted the misses. They did not squander their salary-cap space on some Josh Smith, Lance Stephenson or Channing Frye out of impatience and desperation.

In that regard, the Lakers remained about championships.

And now they’re in position to pursue championships again.

 

Kevin Ding covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @KevinDing.

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Kobe Bryant Speaks About Retirement, Says Next Season Might Be Last

Speculation has circled the possibility of Kobe Bryant‘s 20th NBA season being his last for months, but he provided a bit of clarity during an interview with ESPN’s Jemele Hill at the BET Experience Saturday night.  

According to the Orange County Register‘s Janis Carr and ESPN.com’s Baxter Holmes, Bryant opened up regarding the possibility of closing out his career after two decades in purple and gold: 

Bryant’s sentiment backs up what Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said in a Sirius XM radio appearance back on May 22.

“He has indicated to me that this is it,” Kupchak said, according to Holmes.  

Bryant responded at the time by tweeting the following: 

After appearing in just six games during the 2013-14 season following extensive recovery from a torn Achilles before suffering a fractured left knee, Bryant played in 35 games this past season before a rotator cuff tear cut his comeback campaign short. 

Bryant is scheduled to earn a league-high $25 million during the 2015-16 season before his contract expires, according to BasketballInsiders.com. 

“I think it is clear,” Kupchak said, per Holmes. “He’s on the last year of his deal. There have been no discussions [about playing beyond next season]. He hasn’t indicated that he wants to continue to play.”

If this is, in fact, Bryant’s last year, he’ll help operate as a bridge between an old era and one that’s just getting started. With No. 2 overall pick D’Angelo Russell in tow, a promising future lies ahead for one of the NBA’s most distinguished franchises—even if Kobe won’t be scorching the net for much longer.  

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Kobe Bryant’s Response When Asked About Not Being a Great Friend Is Flawless

Line of the year. 

Kobe Bryant was being being interviewed by ESPN’s Jemele Hill at the Staples Center on Saturday night for the BET Awards when he was asked a bunch of interesting questions.

The question that stood out the most was about Kobe’s feelings on not being a great friend all the time. As everyone knows, friendships are made and lost while playing in the NBA. It’s how you balance them, or for Kobe’s sake, not balance them. Bryant’s answer was just…flawless:

Expect to see that line tattooed on people in the near future.

He also commented on his future in the NBA with a hilarious reference:

He also apparently made a teammate cry before:

Kobe gonna Kobe.

[Twitter]

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Lakers Rumors: Latest Trade, Free-Agent Buzz Following 2015 NBA Draft

Looks like the Los Angeles Lakers are back.

Well, kind of.

With the second pick of the 2015 NBA draft, the team picked up what it hopes is the next superstar in point guard D’Angelo Russell, an electrifying 19-year-old out of Ohio State. But general manager Mitch Kupchak still has other holes to fill on the roster.

L.A. will have hoards of cap room this summer, and the team will definitely be aggressive as Kobe Bryant heads toward the final chapter of his career.

What’s the word coming out of Los Angeles? Let’s look at three of the biggest rumors swirling around.

 

Dangling D’Angelo

No, this can’t be…can it?

So, after passing on Jahlil Okafor with the No. 2 pick, Los Angeles would really consider trading their new golden boy?

According to Mark Heisler of Forbes, it’s possible. He wrote: “If the Lakers and Sacramento Kings stopped talking about DeMarcus Cousins to take part in the NBA draft, it remains to be seen if that was merely a pause. A league source tells Forbes.com that the Lakers would still trade newly-drafted D’Angelo Russell for Cousins.”

Wow.

Opting to add Russell to an already guard-stacked roster when a big like Okafor was available surely shows that the team sees Hollywood-esque success on the lefty’s horizon. And this rumor doesn’t really change that.

Still, it’s alarming that Heisler would report that the team would send Russell packing if the Kings changed their mind on a trade for Boogie.

  

D.J. Looking at the Other Team in L.A.

DeAndre Jordan would cure L.A.’s big fella woes.

The Los Angeles Clippers center is an absolute freak on defense, guarding the tin like a momma bear guards her cubs—ferociously.

Jordan will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and he’s going to test the market and possibly leave the Clips—and his supposed feud with Chris Paul—behind.

Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reported on Thursday that “NBA officials not authorized to speak publicly on the matter said there indeed is a rift between Jordan and Paul.”

He went on to write that the Dallas Mavericks, Milwaukee Bucks, Clippers and the Lakers will visit Jordan at his home in Houston sometime after July 1.

Imagine Jordan patrolling the paint inside as Russell and Jordan Clarkson wreak havoc on the break while Bryant dominates in the half-court offense.

Man, the Lakers could go from a zero to hero in a blink.

ESPN’s Mike Greenberg would be intrigued by this pairing:

Los Angeles will also be pushing hard for other big-time big men like LaMarcus Aldridge or Marc Gasol.

However he does it, Kupchak needs to add size to this roster. Getting Jordan in purple and gold would be an unbelievable catch.

 

Lakers Don’t Want Rondo

With Russell in, potential free-agent signee Rajon Rondo is out.

That comes to us courtesy of Sean Deveney of SportingNews.com, who dove in a bit deeper on this here rumor. He wrote: “The Lakers had long been connected with point guard Rajon Rondo in free agency, in part because of his friendship with star Kobe Bryant, but the addition of Russell ends that possibility. One source, when asked about Rondo going to the Lakers, simply said, ‘Doubtful.'”

Bryant has long admired Rondo for his rip-your-heart-out attitude.

“We get along extremely well,” the Mamba told ESPN.com’s Baxter Holmer in December. “We see the game in a similar fashion in terms of our aggressiveness and mindset. It was good to get together with him.”

Russell has a whole lot of swag himself, but right now his mentality is closer to Nick Young than Bryant. He could absolutely be the franchise’s post-Kobe superstar, but he’s yet to play a professional minute. L.A. would be crazy to hitch their future strictly on him.

That’s why Rondo coming to Los Angeles still makes some sense.

Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the PG is “intrigued with the idea of a potential one-year deal in Sacramento that could help to rebuild his league-wide value, sources said.”

Why couldn’t he sign such a deal with the Lakers? If he works himself into a starting role over Russell or Clarkson, his damaged reputation would be restored quite a bit. Running a well-oiled machine in the second unit wouldn’t be too bad either.

It’d take some convincing to get Rondo, a notoriously proud player, to accept such a role. But who better than Bryant to get him to buy in?

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In D’Angelo Russell, Lakers See Superstar Quality That Has Defined the Franchise

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — The Los Angeles Lakers‘ pick of D’Angelo Russell over Jahlil Okafor is being framed as a referendum on guards mattering more than centers in today’s perimeter-partisan NBA.

It’s more a testament on what makes a guard stand out, now and forever.

So many normal-sized people love the game of basketball that to rise above the rest—and almost all the giants—to the point that you become the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA draft takes a certain something.

The Lakers identified that quality in Russell. Coach Byron Scott explained it by saying, “Okafor is going to be a good center in this league. I think D’Angelo has a chance to be a superstar.”

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said the team would’ve been “happy either way” between Russell and Okafor, but described Russell as “a player we couldn’t pass on.”

That’s the fine line, much like in a relationship where you might fancy two different people but ultimately realize there’s one you truly can’t live without.

The question of how Russell became the guy the Lakers couldn’t live without can only be answered by understanding that positions still do matter in basketball.

A dominating big man who can score at the rim on one end and protect the rim at the other will always be practically a one-man team. That’s why Kupchak motioned toward the retired jerseys of Lakers centers Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal on the wall of the club’s practice facility Thursday night and reminded that he most definitely would’ve drafted any of them over Russell to play in this era.

The job description of a guard who can’t stand alone in the paint will always be different. You get to dribble the ball up the court, and the onus lies with you to share it with others in a meaningful, unifying way when you’re not filling it up yourself.

Greatness at the guard spot is about bringing the team together, by dominating on your own when necessary but also engineering a team machine.

Russell gets it. He so gets it.

“He’s got gifts that you can work really long and hard on—and still not acquire those gifts,” Kupchak said. “Some of them you’re just born with or someone sprinkles a little gold dust on you at some point. It’s just there.”

Asked to elaborate, Kupchak veered into what could be interpreted as criticism or limitation. Excellent athlete, but not one of the top-five athletes in the league. Great guard size at 6’5″, but not Earvin “Magic” Johnson 6’9″ size.   

What Kupchak was conveying is that a dominant guard doesn’t need to—and shouldn’t have to—take over the game with singular force.

“He’s got skills that are very good on all levels,” Kupchak said of Russell, “but really his ability to understand the game, see the floor, make a play, display leadership characteristics…I think that’s his gift.”

Russell knows what sets him apart. He said it himself after his solo first workout for the Lakers, lamenting having neither teammates nor opponents out there to let his natural flow kick in.

Although many agents refuse to let top prospects work out with or against others, Austin Brown let Russell loose to play three-on-three in his second Lakers workout.

The results turned the Lakers’ dreams into realities.

“The way he commanded guys to do certain things,” Scott said. “The last guy to do that whom I played with was Earvin. Knowing how to get guys in certain spots in certain situations, he [Russell] did that in three-on-three with guys that he didn’t know. So, obviously, we’re interested in what he can do in five-on-five with guys that he’s going to be playing with on a regular basis.”

Remember, as maniacally driven as Kobe Bryant has always been to score, he is No. 30 in assists among all who’ve ever played the NBA game. Part of Bryant’s legend is being able to be the Lakers’ quarterback at times, especially during the O’Neal years, and the guy running for touchdowns all the others.

The Lakers very much believe Russell is like Bryant in core values, including tenacity—which is the element many sweetly generous point guards lack.

Chris Paul isn’t without that quality. And as he and Russell are both represented by Creative Artists Agency, it was arranged for Paul to work out against Russell as he ramped up for the draft.

Paul went to work out the frustrations of the Los Angeles Clippers‘ Western Conference semifinals collapse on Russell—much to Russell’s delight.

“Chris Paul is a competitive guy,” Russell said. “We got to go at each other. He didn’t take it light on me; I didn’t take it light on him. So it was great.”

Scott coached Paul into stardom in New Orleans and made sure Russell knew that when they had their predraft dinner. The pass-shoot balance is one thing Paul has down, but the tenacity is what keeps his game revved up.

“Like Chris Paul when he was 19, 20 years old,” Scott said of Russell, “I think he’s on that level.”

So if the main-course intangible to be a great guard is his feel for the game, the dessert is a fire to fry any Bananas Foster.

Russell has that, too.

“I know my confidence has gotten me over the hump many times,” he said.

Looking over to that Lakers’ wall of fame again, the only guards with their jerseys up there, besides Johnson, are Jerry West and Gail Goodrich. West’s intensity is legendary. The opening words in Goodrich’s Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame biography speak for themselves: “A tenacious and fiery competitor…”

Great guards conduct their teams’ orchestras magically…and are driven to do it over and over and over.

The upshot of that? Making your teammates—and your team—truly better.

And that’s the long-term relationship the Lakers realized they could not pass up.

 

Kevin Ding covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @KevinDing.

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Lakers Drawing Closer to Drafting D’Angelo Russell to Lead Team into Next Era

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — If the Los Angeles Lakers draft Ohio State guard D’Angelo Russell on Thursday night, as is the increasing likelihood, it will be for one simple reason.

They believe he is a star.

Although the Lakers respect Jahlil Okafor’s size and skill (his defensive potential, not so much), momentum and consensus have been growing in the front office that Russell, not Okafor, is the special one.

It’s not really so much the shift of the modern game toward the perimeter. This massive decision was always going to be about specific individuals, not the positions they play, and the vibe from Russell has been that he fits the mold of a leader, a winner and a Laker.

It didn’t help that, according to team sources, Okafor’s second predraft workout with the Lakers was a distinct drop-off from the first—whereas Russell was channeling Stephen Curry‘s velvety stroke in his follow-up workout with the team.

As trite as it might sound given Curry’s unquestioned popularity as MVP and champion right now, the Lakers believe the comparison is legit.

And they love that Russell freely puts it forth. “I see a great resemblance,” he said of himself and Curry after his first Lakers workout.

Russell’s magical pass-or-shoot feel for the five-on-five dance and the two-inch height advantage he has on Curry make it easy to envision Russell fitting right in with all the NBA guards of this generation who dictate play.

But the idea that he will be better than the rest is why the Lakers have come around more toward him than Okafor.

Possessing a slight build, like Curry, Russell comes from the land of the underrated and overlooked. His own family never even projected he’d be good enough to turn pro after one college season.

Russell has been under the radar, having struggled to find the proper point guard platform to showcase all he can do until his one brilliant season at Ohio State. Despite not being as heralded as many prep prospects, Russell somehow has managed to build the ideal sort of confidence, one that he is perfectly willing and able to articulate. It’s a trait that draws people to him.   

And while Russell sees a comparison to Curry in his work ethic, it is that sense of charisma where the comparison is clearest. And it’s that kind of charisma that has helped memories of Russell’s 4-of-17 shooting debacle against Mitch Kupchak‘s alma mater, North Carolina, fade.

Ultimately, it will be the Lakers general manager’s call with the No. 2 overall pick. As Kupchak said, “It doesn’t have to be a consensus. Really, it’s going to be my decision, with the support of ownership.”

As of Thursday morning, the possibility also existed that the Lakers can put a deal in place with the Sacramento Kings, to be executed next month, to acquire disgruntled center DeMarcus Cousins using this No. 2 overall pick. But the Lakers’ unwillingness to trade last year’s seventh overall pick, Julius Randle, who has been an absolute beast already in summer workouts, makes it tough to see how a trade can happen.

Even if Randle and Okafor might not be the most sensible best frontcourt tandem, Russell would be a bold choice…particularly after Kupchak invoked the name of Michael Jordan as the example of when you might want to decline hard-to-find size in the draft and take a guard.

Jordan went No. 3. Chris Paul went No. 4. Dwyane Wade went No. 5.

Russell would be going No. 2.

And with all due respect to second-round find Jordan Clarkson—and no matter how much Randle has always revered Kobe Bryant—Russell would be the one expected to follow in legend’s footsteps, those of a guard with unrelenting drive.

Russell even made plain in an interview with Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski that he would relish the chance to come from Kobe’s shadow and carry the Lakers’ legacy.

Longtime Shaquille O’Neal fan Okafor wants that, too. But it’s up to the Lakers to determine in whom they truly believe.

Passing on Okafor could lead to him dropping past the Philadelphia 76ers at No. 3 and into the lap of Phil Jackson with the New York Knicks‘ No. 4 pick. That could be an even better situation for Okafor, his sublime post game being installed in Jackson’s triangle offense the way O’Neal‘s once was.

But Russell wouldn’t need to take any theoretical torch from Bryant.

Byron Scott’s last season as an NBA player was spent tutoring a rookie Kobe. If Russell is the choice Thursday night, Bryant’s farewell season would be spent in a similar fashion, sharing the backcourt with the symbol of the next Lakers era.

 

Kevin Ding covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter,@KevinDing.

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Nike Kobe X ‘Independence Day’ Release Date Schedule, Pics and Retail Price

If you want to grab attention at a barbecue during the Fourth of July weekend, Nike is about to release the ideal sneaker for you.

The Kobe X Independence Day editions are just days away from release. As you can see from the image provided by Sneaker Bar Detroit, these patriotic sneakers pay homage to Old Glory in a major way. Here’s a look at the release and price information for the shoe, per Sneaker Bar Detroit.

Date	Retail Price	Colorways
June 27, 2015	$180	University Red/Reflect Silver-Photo Blue

The original version of the 10th edition of Kobe Bryant‘s Nike sneakers were released on Feb. 7, per Sneaker News. As was the case with the Kobe IX, the Independence Day edition colorways are set to commemorate the adoption of the United States’ Declaration of Independence.

The bright university red really makes the shoe pop and stand out, while the photo blue creates a patriotic balance. Here’s a few more looks at the shoe per Sportz Visionz:

The interior of the shoe adds a splash of white. It almost looks as if there’s a cloud-like effect.

The top-down and back views of the shoes from Sportz Visionz show off some of the sneakers’ other qualities:

With different logo designs on the back of the right and left shoes, this design offers an even more unique presentation that goes beyond the colors of Americana.

If you’re a sole man or woman, this image also from Sportz Visionz shouldn’t disappoint:

Last but not least, if the lights go out at the party, the glow-in-the-dark technology will help to keep your whereabouts clear and leave friends with no excuse to step on your sneakers:

There will be a good number of Independence Day editions released just before the holiday, per Sneaker Bar Detroit. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving have patriotic versions of their shoes on the way, but the Kobe X’s stand favorably among them.

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How Rumored Dwyane Wade-Kobe Bryant Pairing Could Work for Los Angeles Lakers

Admit it, NBA fans. The thought of a potential Dwyane Wade-Kobe Bryant pairing for the 2015-16 Los Angeles Lakers is at the very least, intriguing.

Yes, both historically prolific scorers are in the final stretch of their careers, the point where both Father Time and the injury bug loom as constant threats to their current production. And yes, the two parties would only come together if Plan A options don’t pan out.

In a perfect world, the Lakers, who only have $35 million committed to next season’s payroll, would use their financial flexibility to acquire younger players who don’t have Wade’s injury history. And Wade, who holds a $16.1 million player option for 2015-16, wouldn’t leave the only home he’s ever known.

But free agency is rarely a period of best-case scenarios. For Wade, there are already ominous clouds of uncertainty hanging over his potential journey to the open market.

In May, multiple sources told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that “there’s a significant difference” in what Wade and the Heat feel he should be paid in the coming seasons. A Wade associate has been telling people that the scoring guard “would welcome” a new deal with an average annual salary of $20 million, per Jackson.

But Miami’s initial offer to Wade was believed to be less than $10 million per year, via Bleacher Report’s Ethan Skolnick.

With that canyon-sized split between them, the thought of a South Beach staple like Wade leaving Miami isn’t nearly as outlandish as it may have originally sounded.

The Lakers should be keeping a close eye on the proceedings.

League sources told Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated that mutual interest exists between Wade and the Lakers:

Sources also told Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com that the Lakers “would have interest in speaking with [Wade],” though he is reportedly only one of several L.A.’s potential targets.

There are numerous obstacles to clear and avenues to explore before these two sides could come together. But assuming this Wade-Bryant relationship eventually comes together, how might it work?

From an on-court standpoint, both have the talent to fit well alongside one another.

“Wade can play 2-guard and Bryant shifts to 3,” CBS Sports’ Matt Moore wrote. “It’s not great from a defensive standpoint given where they both are physically, but there would be nights where they’d turn back the clock and dominate games.”

Production isn’t a problem for Wade when he’s able to suit up. Last season, he averaged 21.5 points on 47 percent shooting, 4.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. To put those figures in context, only three players matched each of those marks in 2014-15: Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Blake Griffin.

Injuries have proved to be the only thing capable of stopping Wade, who has missed 48 games over the past two seasons. Injuries have been even more of an issue for Bryant, who made just 41 appearances the past two years while dealing with a torn Achilles, a fracture in his left knee and a torn rotator cuff.

Before the injuries hit, though, Bryant was still a dominant force inside the lines. In 2012-13, he tallied 27.3 points on 46.3 percent shooting, 6.0 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game. Since the 2000-01 season, only five players have averaged at least 27 points, 6.0 assists and 5.5 rebounds over an entire season: Bryant, Wade, James, Russell Westbrook and James Harden.

If the Lakers could keep Wade and Bryant healthy—and that’s an enormous if—they could have two No. 1 options to throw at opposing defenses in late-game situations. Wade had the third-highest fourth-quarter scoring average this past season (6.9 points), and Bryant ranked second in the category during the 2012-13 campaign.

Having a pair of proven, productive closers could work wonders for what could be an otherwise youthful Lakers team. Not to mention one looking to rebuild and field a much more competitive group than it has the past two seasons.

Young guys like Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and the Lakers’ selection with the No. 2 pick in Thursday’s draft—assuming they keep the selection—wouldn’t feel the pressure to perform when the stakes are highest. More importantly, they could have the chance to build confidence when crunch-time shots come their way if defenses sell out on stopping Wade and Bryant.

Clarkson, in particular, has plenty to gain from this experience. Assuming Wade and Bryant hold the two wing spots, L.A.’s floor-general-in-training could ease himself into a playmaker’s role. For their careers, Wade and Bryant have averaged a combined 10.7 assists per game. The 23-year-old Clarkson could pick his spots as a scorer with the veterans handling the bulk of the facilitating duties.

Injuries are obviously the major concern with Wade and Bryant, but floor spacing doesn’t rank too far behind.

Wade rarely strays outside the three-point arc. When he does, the results are underwhelming at best (career 28.9 three-point percentage).

Bryant is much more willing to fire away from distance, but he’s only a 33.4 percent shooter from long range in his career—and his single-season accuracy rate hasn’t been that high since 2008-09. Last season, he launched 5.3 long-range shots per game but hit just 29.3 percent.

The graphic below shows the shooting zones both where Bryant and Wade have attempted their career shots and how they have fared in each area.

That’s a lot of mid-range work and point-blank shots. If the Lakers can’t put other three-point threats around these two, defenses will crowd the interior. That is because Clarkson shot just 31.4 percent from deep as a rookie, Randle wasn’t a jump-shooter at Kentucky and Jahlil Okafor (if he ends up with the Lakers) isn’t much of a threat outside the paint.

But it’s possible the Lakers could still field a functional offense. NBA defenses are programmed to force players off of the three-point line and outside of the paint. In other words, they’re looking to run opponents directly into the areas where Wade and Bryant do some of their best work.

Living and dying off mid-range jumpers is a dangerous path in today’s game and one that offers zero margin for error. But if a team is willing to take that risk, the Lakers might be the one to do it. They would not only have two mid-range maestros in Bryant and Wade, they’d also have one of the few coaches who welcomes that shot in Byron Scott.

Inevitably, a conversation involving a potential new teammate of Bryant has to examine the psychological side of the pairing. As former Lakers center Dwight Howard can attest, the Black Mamba’s hyper-competitive style isn’t for everyone.

While it’s impossible to get inside a player’s mind, there are reasons to believe Bryant and Wade could make it work.

For one, Wade respects Bryant’s body of work. At All-Star media day in 2013, Wade dubbed Bryant “the greatest player in our era,” via Lakers Nation’s Daniel Buerge.

More recently, Wade said he doesn’t subscribe to the theory that Bryant’s best days are definitely behind him.

“Kobe has found ways to be effective after so many years in the league. So never count him out in bouncing back next year and doing it all over again,” Wade said in March, via Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.

Not to mention, these two have worked well together before. USA Basketball teammates for multiple years, including the gold medal-winning group at the 2008 Olympics, Wade and Bryant have history.

“We’ve been close friends for a long time,” Bryant said in March 2012, via ESPN.com’s Dave McMenamin. “Myself, Melo (Carmelo Anthony) and him. We’ve been really, really close.”

The Lakers can’t give Wade a great on-court situation. But they could scratch a lot of his other itches, as Bleacher Report’s Fred Katz noted:

The Lakers have room to offer the max on a short-term contract, allowing Wade to team up with Kobe Bryant in what would be a slightly more promising transition year before loads of cap space opens up during the summer of 2016. They’re in or by Hollywood, where Wade’s wife, actress Gabrielle Union, could bring it on.

The aging effects are real, and the health histories for Wade and Bryant are frightening. But there is a ton of talent between them, along with genius-level hoops minds, mutual respect and some of the richest resumes in the business.

It probably wouldn’t be the NBA’s most successful pairing, but it could be a fascinating one. If the basketball gods bring Wade and Bryant together, fans would get to see two transcendent talents fighting against age, injury woes and seemingly insurmountable odds.

At the very least, that’s a battle worth watching.

 

Unless otherwise noted, statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com. Salary information obtained via Basketball Insiders.

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Kobe Bryant Takes to Instagram to Remind Everyone How Good He and Shaq Were

Kobe Bryant threw it back to 2001 in an Instagram post Wednesday, just a day after the Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers to bring the Larry O’Brien Trophy home to Oakland.

The Black Mamba remembers the glory days: the three consecutive NBA titles he and Shaquille O’Neal brought to L.A. at the turn of the century.

His post commemorated the second of the three—when the Lakers went 15-1 in the 2001 postseason, led by his and Shaq’s ridiculous performances.

Don’t worry, Kobe, we have not yet forgotten.

[Kobe Bryant]

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Kobe Bryant Defends LeBron James’ High-Volume Shooting During NBA Finals

LeBron James‘ per-game field-goal attempt average has risen from 18.5 in the regular season to 26.8 in the playoffs, ballooning to 35.7 in the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors.

And Kobe Bryant approves.

The Black Mamba offered words of wisdom during Game 3 on Tuesday night, comparing the Finals to a shootout and encouraging James to keep letting it fly:

He also noted a perceived difference in how the Cleveland Cavaliers and Warriors were playing:

The five-time NBA champion probably knows a thing or two about what it takes to win—we would take his advice.

[Kobe Bryant]

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