BAE Index, 10/9/2015: Kobe Bryant and Julius Randle get back to business
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Kobe Bryant and Julius Randle get back to business
The Los Angeles Lakers probably aren’t going to be very good this year. They have lots of great young pieces searching to grow into the modern NBA but they don’t seem to mesh well with the philosophies of coach Byron Scott, and maybe more importantly, they don’t seem to fit with the basketball stylings of Kobe Bryant. It’s difficult to mold young players into a future when they have to coexist with a 37-year old gunslinger. It just doesn’t work well. And, while this roster chemistry may be too difficult to have cohesion for 82 games, during certain games, or on individual plays, this team’s level of talent alone will make for some great basketball sequences to happen.
Big Daddy Canada crams one home
After being taken 1st overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2013, Anthony Bennett has failed to make his mark in he league. He will spend his 3rd season with his 3rd different team, the Toronto Raptors. Not living up to the hype of being a top pick seems like it would be frustrating, and if that’s so, Bennett was able to let off a little steam with a thunderous jam over the Los Angeles Lakers’ rookie, Robert Upshaw.
Rajon Rondo and Rudy Gay get acquainted
Already dubbed the “Suicide Squad“, the Sacramento Kings are a group of talented and sometimes ornery group of basketball misfits. From DeMarcus Cousins, to Rudy Gay, to Rajon Rondo; a bulk of their key players have, at one time or another, been rejected by NBA followers due to either their play or their temperament. Now united, they are talented enough to do some damage in the league, that is, if they can keep their own house in order. This is just the beginning.
David Lee still has it
This past year in the NBA Finals, David Lee didn’t see much playing time, even though he was the highest-paid player on the Golden State Warriors. He played the role of the consummate teammate for most of the season, not because he’s washed up, but because Lee playing heavy minutes for Golden State just wasn’t a good option because of how fast of a pace they play with. Lee’s getting a chance to get back to being the high-production player he used to be, though, as the Boston Celtics acquired him in the offseason. If this gorgeous spin move into a dunk is any indication, his scoring ability is still alive and well.