Laker Grades This Season

With the regular season finally over, how would you guys grade each player on our roster?

I'll start. Not really sure what criteria I'm using. Just a combination of production/expectation I guess.

Andrew Bynum - He started the season off a bit slow. He was able to score points, but didn't really show too much effort on rebounding. Phil called him out for it, and he produced. He had a monster game against the Clippers, and played allstar caliber basketball for a stretch of games, before getting injured. The injury put him out for most of the season, but upon his return, he played as if he never left the court. His defense and presence alone in the paint is invaluable for this team, and he is a much better option at center than Pau. We're gonna need him this postseason if we want to win the ring. B

Pau Gasol - I really have absolutely no complaints about Pau this year. If you look at his gamelog, you'd see he came to play pretty much each and every game. He was probably the most consistent player this season, and stepped up admirably when Drew went down, producing even when he was playing nearly 48 minutes a night. Only complaint about Pau is that at times he doesn't focus and challenge shots defensively, but that's minor based off of what he gave us this year. A-

Trevor Ariza - He came off the bench along with Lamar this year, and was easily our most productive player from the bench. His athleticism and ability to steal the ball helped gave us many game changing plays, as well as many highlights on Sportscenter. He played well enough to secure a starting spot, and there, he showed off his newly developed three point shot, and mid range jumper. His shooting tailed off a bit later on in the season, but he's hit a lot of big shots for us, including 2 three pointers against GS to help us seal the win. Lately, he's been attacking the rim more often and dunking the ball instead of settling for jumpers. That's the Trevor I like to see. B

Kobe Bryant - Best player on our team, one of, if not the best basketball player in the world. Not much to say here. He usually comes up big when we need him the most. But just to be critical, he seemed disinterested quite often out there, and his defensive effort has not always been there this season. But in big games, he always shows up with A effort. A-

Derek Fisher - Fish provides us with veteran leadership, a calm voice in the locker room, and some stability at point guard. He's nothing special, not a star, but he does his job. At 34-35 years of age, he's not the quickest or most athletic guy on the court. Defensively, he struggles a bit, but puts out good effort. With Drew back manning the paint, it will make Fish's job a lot easier. He's a dangerous shooter when left open, and that's something we need. He always has the knack of hitting big shots, and that's something we will need as well. But his play this regular season has been erratic. His shot selection has been well documented, and has been frustrating at times for Laker fans. Driving to the paint and shooting layups is also a no no. I want to see Derek play within himself. Set up teammates and shoot only when left open. That's when Derek is at his best. C+

Lamar Odom - Hard to complain about Lamar. He took a bench role, and was relatively silent about it. He's a team player, and a good locker room guy. When Drew went down, him, along with Pau stepped up to lead the team. His play is inconsistent at times, and at times frustrating, but us Laker fans have grown accustomed to this. Bottom line, he's a good team guy, and a great player to have coming off the bench. B-

Luke Walton - The player everyone loves to hate. He stole Vladrad's starting job, and many, including me, were not happy about it. Not the best player on the court, but Phil loves him, and he does help direct the offense. Lately though, he has found a niche coming off the bench. With nobody on the second unit able to set up and run the offense, Luke has been that guy for us, and lately has been the most consistent guy off the bench. C

Sasha Vujacic - He's famous for being a pest and annoying the crap out of everyone. He does this so well that he pisses off Laker fans as well. His effort has been there, but his production has not. He's been playing pretty well lately, as the season is coming towards an end. Had a great game yesterday, shows flashes of Machine here and there, but overall, disappointing season. Hopefully he redeems himself in the playoffs. C-

Jordan Farmar - I try to be as non biased and nice as possible, but there's nothing that can salvage him from this horrible season. Honestly, besides 2 or 3 games he has been an absolute liability out there, and has played horrible basketball. He pretty much got handed the backup point guard role and lost it to an NBA journeyman with less than half a season under the triangle. He can't pass the ball, he can't shoot, he can't hit free throws, he doesn't attack the paint, he doesn't play defense. The organization mentioned they are not happy with his development. Honestly he gave us nothing all year, his effort and attitude are questionable as well. F

Shannon Brown - Came in with little expectations, has grown into a crowd favorite. He reminds many of a little version of Trevor Ariza, and rightfully so. His athleticism is amazing, his dunks make you jump out your seat. He puts in effort, and is solid defensively. His shooting is apparently his weak point, but he only shoots when left open, and in his short stint with us, he usually converts a high percentage. Nice to have some stability in the second unit, and a backup point guard who isn't a complete liability on both ends of the court. B

Josh Powell - Came in with little expectations. Played well in limited minutes, stepped up when Lamar got suspended and played his best as a starter. Lately his production has decreased, along with his minutes. Hopefully he steps up in the postseason, but we probably won't need him anyways. C

DJ Mbenga - Dacos was on the bench for most of the season. When he did get minutes, he usually gave us pretty good production. He's a fan favorite and an upgrade over Chris Mihm at least. C

Adam Morrison - I don't think he has a future with this team. Probably tradebait next year along with Jordan, as expiring contracts. Didn't play many minutes this year, but when he did play, he didn't show much. Incomplete

Sun Yue - Didn't play too much in the NBA. Spent most of the time in the D-League or on the bench. I don't think he has a future in this league, but we'll see what happens. Incomplete

 

Kobe Bryant - A
Pau Gasol - A-
Andrew Bynum - B
Derek Fisher - B-
Trevor Ariza - B+
Luke Walton - C
Lamar Odom - C+
Jordan Farmar - D
Sasha Vujacic - D+
Josh Powell - C
Shannon Brown - B
Adam Morrison - Incomplete

Some notes on my grading:

I give Kobe an A. He might not have given full effort all the time (as mentioned), but something that was mentioned during last nights TNT broadcast was that this was intentional. He did put forth less effort at times to get his teammates involved. We all know Kobe can turn it on whenever he wants to and can get his whenever he wants to, so I will never fault him for lack of effort, because it was usually to get others more involved.

In regards to Odom, I loved him finally becoming content as a bench player, though his production was really steady during the year, nor was it what I think a lot of people expected of him

I think 'Drew would have stayed healthy all season, he'd have gotten an A- or so from me, especially with how he was playing before that injury. My main gripe with him is he does need to focus more on getting rebounds and playing defense sometimes, and he needs to not get discouraged if he's not getting the ball, which he did do occasionally.

 

My rankings and comments on the team:

Kobe Bryant A- ~Amazing year for Kobe but not an A for his standards. We're saving him up for the post-season.

Pau Gasol A- ~ Pau was consistent and I'll give him props for gutting out so many wins and minutes on his own in February/March.

Andrew Bynum B+ ~Great young center, this time he came back and played in 50 games.

Lamar Odom B ~Lamar played 2300 minutes, Drew was at 1400 so I ranked them almost similarly, Drew has more potential obviously and is a better player. I love Lamar for mostly stepping up when we needed him too.


Trevor Ariza B- ~Trev should have gotten more time to prove himself, he got into a little shooting slump but he's a very nice small forward for us.


Derek Fisher C+ ~Derek knows his role in the starting lineup and can hit some big shots for us. Aside from his performance in April he could be counted on to produce virtually every night. He's the kind of vet teams need in the locker room and for intangibles. Just don't drive to the basket, this rule only applies to you.


Luke Walton C ~I thought Luke was a complete scrub but he manned up on the bench in a time when we had no one to guide them. He's a nice all-around player that will post up people as well, his play improved from January onwards.


Shannon Brown C ~Shannon reminds me of a mini-Trevor, just on a smaller sample size of work and slightly more prone to turning the ball over. That said his athleticism is ridiculous, and I think he has a future as a legit backup at the 1, 2, or even 3 on occasion. I only gave him a C because he just arrived and started playing on our squad, but I do really like Mitch's trade.


Dacos C ~Dacos is a nice energy guy but he broke even due to minutes and some erratic play. If you have good leadership on your bench from the perimeter and a 4 who can score, this guy is a very nice complementary piece. Gasol and Mbenga weren't enough to stop our bench's slump but within his role he was respectable.


Sasha Vujacic D+ ~Sasha only turned it on at the very end and really struggled without Drew. However he has been known to play with the starters at the 3 sometimes (which raises his value a bit), to give us extra shooting. With all that attention off him he can flourish, he has given us glimpses of his talent again.


Josh Powell D ~Powell had a very up and down season, even gutting out a nice win over the Rockets when Lamar got suspended one game for getting off the bench. But as a backup his D has been pretty bad it seems, and his effectiveness declined as the season progressed.


Jordan Farmar D- ~ A couple of nice games here and there saved him from an F. He might still be feeling the effects of his knee problems. Overall he was our most ineffective bench player who consistently saw minutes.


Ammo~ Victory personified, if he's forced out there I like our chances. :]