New Los Angeles Lakers guard Jeremy Lin is impressed with what he’s seen from veteran teammates Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash during scrimmages.
40-year old Nash and 36-year old Bryant were severely limited by injuries last season, but that appears to be behind both future Hall of Famers.
Per the LA Daily News:
“They both look really good and really healthy,” Lakers guard Jeremy Lin said Thursday at the Foot Locker in Westfield Mall at Culver City, both to promote his Adidas shoes and sign autographs for fans. “That’s the biggest thing for us. Health is going to be a huge factor for us this upcoming season. They were moving well and looked much better than they did last year.”
After missing 19 games amid a eight-month rehab process on his left Achilles tendon, Bryant appeared in only six games before injuring his left knee, sidelining him for the remainder of the season. Nash experienced similar frustrations, appearing in only 15 games amid persisting nerve irritation in his back forcing him to stay mostly confined in the trainer’s room.
“Just to see them out there and playing in pickup is just refreshing,” Lin said. “It’s been eye opening to see how Steve and Kobe are almost like robots in what they do. They know what they came here to do. They get it done, and then they leave. It’s very detail oriented and very robotic and they don’t mess around.”
Well obviously they’ll look better with a summer full of training instead of rehabbing. It amazing how people don’t understand this though I’m still concerned about Nash nerve damage doesn’t necessarily just go away for
good.
After seeing Jeter go out like a hero last night, I hope Kobe and Nash can have a memorable send off as well. Kobe more so than Nash, since Kobe played his entire career with the Lakers and basically built Staples Center along with Shaq.
Unlike Jeter tho, I don’t see Kobe bowing out gracefully when its time to hang it up.
who else is not surprised that jeremy lin is a doctor?
What do you mean?
Hang on too long? Look terrible physically? Have another “Colorado incident”?
What is it you’re thinking?
I’m excited by the ceiling this team has.
While no one expects Nash and Kobe to play 70+ games, IF they did, this season could be a lot of fun.
They have a lot of depth surprisingly. Not great talent, but great depth.
Yeah this team really isn’t THAT bad honestly. If they had a legit second option they would look a lot better. They did have the best bench in the league last year if I’m not mistaken.
My expectations for this year
1.kobe shuts a lot of people up
2.Nash will barely play
3.Lakers range from the 8th to 10th seed
Yeah they have flaws across the board. They will really need to play inspired ball to make anything happen. I hope Byron goes with the scoring by committee approach and keeps the rotations spinning. The best way to counter the defensive lapses at this point would be with energy, so I hope to see a lot of guys getting a medium range of minutes. As much as I’d like for Randle to just come in a be a nice 36mpg-17ppg guy, that’s not likely.
this season is definitely going to be a lot of fun, or at worst it’ll be really entertaining. but this isn’t a playoff team if everyone is at full strength. it would take a ton of luck for them to jump into that murderers row we call the top 8.
Yeah for sure
Yeah mostly injuries to other teams in the west. 8th seed is the best case scenario
best bench in the league last year? lol.
yes, you are mistaken
who on the team is an above avg defender at his position at this point in his career?
I’m surprised nobody has come with an asian joke in response to this comment yet. Very classy, Slam readers, very classy.
I’m thinking hang on too long. Like Jeter could probably play a couple more seasons at a decent level, and the Yankees would never turn him away. Instead, he’s going out while he can still belt a game winning single into the outfield.
Instead of Kobe going out while he can still hit that game winner, I see him hanging on until he can no longer elevate over a defender for that game winning shot.
Jordan Hill.
without knowing their roster in an and out, hill is the only one that came to my mind
I thought they were one or two with San antonio?
Jeter had a really bad year for his standards. Are you saying he can still start shortstop for a couple more seasons? If so no.. He can’t.
Sure he could stretch his career out a couple years if he takes a reduced role. So can Kobe…. But that’s the last thing they want to do.
Jodie Meeks isn’t terrible, but yeah pretty much they are awful top to bottom on that end. Good thing they just hired possibly the worst defensive coach in the NBA!
Gotcha. So how do you feel about KG currently?
jodie meeks just might be on another team, however don’t quote me on that.
But Jodie went to Detroit, remember?
I think Wesley Johnson is good as well. But not great.
Was about to post Thanks Dr. Lin! But your comment will do.
Kinda a random question haha.
No one in their back court. Sometimes X. Henry can show out on D, but it’s not a steady thing you can count on.
Their best defenders are all F/C’s.
Jordan Hill
Ed Davis
Wes Johnson
All are above average to good defenders, but they won’t be able to make up for the transgressions of the back-court.
For sure.
I used to hate Nash when he took the MVPs from Kobe and PHX eliminated LA for 2 straight years in the Playoffs. However, as he’s gotten old, I started to understand how great he was. Offensively, he is, arguably, the best PG ever. And in 2012-2013, I think he had a nice dynamic with Kobe, specially in the clutch.
So I’m praying hard for them to stay healthy.
I agree, hence why I’ve never stated that they have a chance at the 8th seed without a bunch of (bad-luck from the other teams)luck.
ahhhhh sh*t I forgot that it was Stan Van who overpaid him. Yeah, Johnson is average at worst. my bad.
“I’m excited by the ceiling this team has.”
as excited as one could be for an 8th seed as a teams ceiling i guess…
this team could indeed be fun to watch with everybody on board, but i dont expect big from them at all. its kind of sad, for whatever reason i would like to see bryant on a good lakers team in his last seasons.
he is, you are quoted.
“It’s been eye opening to see how…..”.
Sorry. Couldn’t resist. Have a great weekend….
ahh Ed Davis. forgot that guy
wait, aren’t you excited about the Knicks? who are at best, what, a 7 seed?
Some things you don’t ask
lol, I’m actually curious… I’m wondering if DFrance thinks that one should go out how they wanna go out, or go out when you’re looking good.
Myself, I think you should play till the wheels fall off. Or whenever YOU decide it’s time.
He will counter his diminishing lift with the self-patented quintuple pump fake mid-range fade away…left handed to thwart the help defender and impress advanced statisticians.
Are you implying that Jeremy Lin is not very smart?
Thanks Dan for the input… Enjoy your Knicks squad.
not really excited as in expecting a big season. ill be excited to see how far jackson will go to change the franchise culture. if they will actually get the team to run the triangle properly. if they manage to overachieve a little (reaching the 7th or 8th seed) in order to attract anyone during the next free agency. etc…
dont think im delusional lol
Realistically, I wish he would have retired when Doc left the Celtics. As a stan, I want him to limp around the court foreverrrrrr!
I think they have a legit shot for a bottom seed and being a very fun team to watch.
Lol, I definitely think you should play as long as you want and as long as a team will have you. I was strictly responding to the notion of Kobe having a heroic memorable send of.
I totally get it man.
My two favorite athletes are Anderson Silva, and Kobe… So I’m dealing with this two-fold currently.
I said play at a decent level for a couple of more seasons, not necessarily start. Jeter saw the writing on the wall, I think Kobe will be to stubborn to do the same.
We’ll always have youtube bro. At least a portion of KG and Kobes primes are in HD. lol
dude, i know that the on court product is more or less trash for at least one more year.
i just dont see a high ceiling worth mentioning for neither the knicks nor the lakers.
Did I say their ceiling was high?
That’s why I’m saying “F*ck off.” I was just getting all stan-fan with my fellow Laker compadre. I wasn’t looking for what Dan the Knicks fan was thinking about me saying I’m excited for the Lakers.
None-the-less, it’s a free to comment board, so continue on.
HD… People should bow to their televisions each day. It use to be so hard to analyze basketball as a fan. Now all I gotta do is rewind and replay in slow-motion any move I want in high definition…
Poor ref’s though!
chill man, i just thought meantioning a ceiling implies that this ceiling was worth mentioning at all.
no need to take any comment by me on another team as “shots fired from a knicks fan” lol
haha, I get your point, and I think you get mine.
yup, all good
Let me get this racism out of my system real quick under the shield of a joke.
Humble-bigots.
“Myself, I think you should play till the wheels fall off.”
Indeed.
“Or whenever YOU decide it’s time.”
Indeed x2
Live your dream, not someone else’s fantasy of you.
No he’s got too much Asian in him to be dumb. I’m referring to people who assume Kobe will look like last year while ignoring the fact that he didn’t even train last season
Jodie Meeks isn’t with them anymore
Kobe and the Spider. Very nice Lake. Just to know your opinion, do you really believe Weidman is better than Anderson or cockiness and a freak accident were the only reason why Silva lost twice?
As in risk doing what Nash is doing right now.
“Took the MVP’s from Kobe…” No.
Sorry, but a team that wins 34 and 45 wins CANNOT produce an MVP.
Ahh, so you like living a delusion?
The best bench? Don’t make me laugh. Are you talking about the bench that was non-existant? Who think’s a bench with Sacre, Meeks, Kelly Ryan, Farmar, etc. is the league’s best bench?
You had basically no bench considering not only was half of your roster wiped out, they also couldn’t produce much for a bench, and that’s pretty low. You are mistaken my friend.
And you will not range from 10th to 8th seed, y’all are in the Western Conference for one, also, you have a long ways to go before you can see the Lakers ceiling being high. Gotta build through the draft, ex: Look at the Orlando Magic.
Nash deserved those MVP awards. Kobe Bryant wasn’t even a lick away from having his name in MVP talks back then…
This
racism ? I would have made the same joke about battier or casey jacobsen
Theblakers are Orlando loo. And for most of the season last year the Lakers did havebthebfirst or second highest scoring bench in the league but that does matter if you can play defense. People always ficus on the offense so much that was isn’t the major issue last year it was the fact that they couldn’t stop anything that moved
The Spider=GOAT
Surprised no one mentioned Ed Davis…..
You think I’ll hang around and average 18,19 points hell no!-Kobe bryant 2012
I wish racists would call black people doctors :/
Shut-up you overzealous fool.
#drysnitch
That’s ridiculous and false. Last time Kobe played a full season, he was the third best player in the league. Jeter isn’t very good anymore. He’s decent. He can’t be a starer for a few more years. Kobe, if he can stay healthy will be vastly superior to Jeter in his last two years.
It is NOT arguable that Nash is the best PG ever, offensively, defensively, or overall.
not sure about nash..i expect mamba to win asg mvp at the garden and be first all nba team..yeah i said it!
This sh!t is why no one takes you seriously.
I like how you proclaim your idiocy, makes it easy for the rest of us.
Lakeshow is a sensitive little girl. I really don’t see this dude having male friends in real life, at least not dudes that aren’t really effeminate. Imagine how annoying it would be to talk sports in person with a “guy” who gets all butthurt when you talk about his man crushes. If reading his comments is obnoxious, imagine listening to him speak.
You’ve got too much black in you to be smart. See how the whole stereotype thing works? Im not saying Lin is dumb. I’m saying your reasoning behind is intelligence level is the same as mine.
I was making fun of danny ferry I wasn’t being serious lol
offensively is the only real debate… He’d probs win the debate. but yeah, only offensively.
Offensively its a debate defensively it obviously isnt
What he said wasn’t that outlandish it could very well happen
The notion that Nash is the best PG ever is what makes you wrong. Magic is simply better.
Really.
ASG MVP, maybe. That’s a big f*cking maybe, considering 1. he may not even MAKE the all-star game this year (Curry and Paul may grab the starting positions) and 2. he may not be healthy for it
All-NBA 1st?
Paul
Curry
Westbrook
Harden
Rose
He would need to outplay 4 out of those 5 at minimum for All-NBA first. You can’t actually believe that. Especially since the last time Kobe outplayed the season Curry just had was ARGUABLY 2 years ago. (And I’d still take Curry’s 2013-14 over Kobe’s 2012-13).
Stop kidding yourself.
Umm I think you are looking at this the wrong way. First of all ASG starters are chosen by the fans and if you think either Curry or Paul has a chance of getting more votes than Kobe then I’d like a hit of whatever you’re smoking. Kobe’s votes from China alone will put him in the ASG. Seriously though you know Kobe’s overall career will get him more love than either of those guys regardless of who plays best. Unless Kobe is injured he will start this game.
Now to NBA 1st team…. I really don’t think he has to outplay anyone but Harden to get this. If he has a better season than the NBA’s current heir apparent at the 2 then he will get the benefit of the doubt. Unless OKC starts slotting Westbrook at the 2 that is… If they decide to start Reggie Jackson things might get more interesting. But Paul, Curry, and Rose will not be in this particular discussion.
Kobe will make the all star game off popularity alone let’s not be silly now. Do I expect hinhim to outplay all those guys to get all NBA first no but would I be surprised of he pulled it off not really. Joakim Noah ended up getting first team when Dwight was clearly better. Sometimes popularity and perception plays a role
You are aware that All-NBA teams are by guards/forwards/center, right? So, yes, 2 point guards can get on the same All-NBA team (like Parker and Curry on the 2nd team last year).
Meaning, Kobe needs to still outplay 4 of those 5 guys. And he hasn’t outplayed Chris Paul since Rose’s MVP year.
and what about that Dr. J?
You still know nothing.
By the most important measures of the game, Noah had a better season last year.
And just to be clear:
Paul: 20/11/4
Curry: 25/8/3
Russ: 24/7/5
Harden: 25/5/6
Rose: 21/8/3
So, Kobe is outplaying 4 of those guys? And that would NOT surprise you? For f*ck’s sake, you’ll be saying Kobe has a chance to win MVP next.
what about doc rivers?
And you are aware that just because something can technically be done doesn’t mean it isn’t considered bad form? There are a lot of very deserving PG’s in the league right now and not very many quality 2 guards so things like sticking two pgs on a single all-nba team are going to happen on occasion. My point was and remains that if Kobe plays well enough to show he’s still the best 2 guard in the league then he will be selected all-nba first team even if doesn’t have quite as good a season as some of those pgs you mentioned. It may not be fair but so long as he outplays Harden it’s my feeling he will be selected based on his overall career and the fact that while two pgs are technically acceptable it’s more “proper” to have a two guard in the lineup. After all, Harden got the nod last year and I could argue that he was outplayed by a few of the guys on your list.