Dwight Howard, Laker at Last

 
Dwight Howard is a Los Angeles Laker. The reality sinking in has been a slow, meticulous process. All of the build up for one singular moment, a moment the Lakers franchise has been chasing the shadows of for years. Superman has returned, and this is Shaq without kryptonite. The Lakers have acquired one of the most electrifying superstars to wear an NBA jersey over the last decade. Dwight freakin' Howard, ladies and gentleman. Despite all the Brooklyn talks, it was always going to be Los Angeles. In the end, losing out on Chris Paul, really, only meant cashing in on retaining Pau and adding Steve Nash. A “problem” most teams would love to have.

Andrew Bynum; Consolation Prize or Leading Contender?

Andrew Bynum just had a career year with the least talented version of the Lakers that has hit the hardwood over the last four seasons, will be working with Steve Nash as the facilitator of a lifetime, and will have a serviceable bench with the addition of Antawn Jamison and return of Jordan Hill (and possibly more to come). Now, more than ever, he is primed to step into his own. Despite all of this, rampant speculation that the Los Angeles Lakers are feverishly pushing to swap Andrew Bynum for Dwight Howard is lurking around every corner. Seeping from every "source". While Dwight Howard may be the ultimate "end game" for the final act of the Kobe Bryant era, here are five reasons to be excited that being stuck with Andrew Bynum as the worst case scenario is just another reason the Laker fans should be ecstatic with the off-season Mitch Kupchak has put together.

Bitter Sweet Bynum

The 2004-2005 NBA season marked a new beginning for the Los Angeles Lakers. Gone was the Zen master Phil Jackson, being replaced by Rudy Tomjanovich (who was later replaced by Frank Hamblen). Shaquille O'Neal was sent to Miami, cutting the strings away from the centerpiece of the three-peat era. The Lakers missed the playoffs entirely, finished with a meager 34 wins, and were shuffled along to the NBA draft lottery where they landed the 10th overall pick for the 2005 NBA draft. It seemed like a stretch of the imagination at the time, but that 10th draft pick would change the fortune of the franchise.

Work in Progress

Steve Nash will be facilitating the Los Angeles Lakers' offense next season. The initial shock is still washing over the Laker fan base, however, there is still work to be had for Mitch Kupchak and the rest of the front office. Despite the obvious benefit of having a point guard the caliber of Steve Nash, the Lakers still have glaring issues on the bench, and only a handful of ways to address this. Here are a few questions that still need to be answered before the 2012-2013 NBA season tips off for the re-tooled squad.

X's and O's, Not Stepping on Toes

While the collective basketball world weighs in on Andrew Bynum’s maturity and motives, his drastically improved abilities on the court have taken a back seat. This has been a season of growth for the first time all-star, and the pace with which he has improved is phenomenal. During games he tinkers with new facets to add to his ever growing game. 15 foot jumpers, fade-aways, and banks that Tim Duncan himself would happily deposit within. His talent and abilities are unquestionable in the post, but while he may be the most offensively gifted young center, he is still “second best” to Dwight Howard. To be the dominant big man of this era, to be a true franchise center, his game must continue to grow, and not just his repetoire of post moves. Just over his shoulder lurk both DeMarcus Cousins and Greg Monroe, two young, talented centers who are gifted in their own right. There is no room for complacency for Andrew Bynum, but there is still plenty of room to grow.

Sessions and the Gang

The Lakers have been anything but consistent since the trade deadline, posting up a record of 6 wins, 4 losses, over the last 10. However, despite issues in minutes, rotations, and lineup management overall, there have been bright spots to latch onto since the arrival of Ramon Sessions. Sunday night's game with Golden State the Lakers stacked on 120 points, but gave up 112 to a team averaging 98 points a game on the season. As it has been lately, the bright spots largely circulate around Sessions' play-making ability.

Ramon Sessions ability to get into the paint will have to be a key in the Lakers' championship hopes. Simply put, good things happen when he's aggressive and attacking the rim. Whether it's drawing fouls, finishing at the rim, keeping defenses off balance, creating lanes for put backs, or finding a man to dump the ball down to, his ability to make a play when driving to the rim is phenomenal. The Lakers have been lacking what Sessions brings at the point for far too long, and while it has been a period of adjustment, it is clear that the offense is piecing together little by little.

The Blame Games

As the season trickles closer to the playoffs, a time where the clarity of games past should be amounting to expectations, the Lakers have only created more questions than answers as of late. Whether it's Bynum launching a transition three, followed by him trotting back on the defensive end as David Lee practices his pre-game layup routine, blown leads (a common theme all season), an inconsistent offense, or a defense lacking effort, there is plenty to discuss in regards to the Lakers right now. To be fair, as beaten to death, the Lakers currently sit as the third seed in the Western Conference. Standings are irrelevant, though, because what matters is the product on the court. And it is simply unacceptable.

There are plenty of fingers to point, but the problem begins with Kobe Bryant's field goal attempts. Flat out, he is shooting far too much. Early in the season, on fresh legs and rest, he looked brilliant. The stretch of forty point games was an unexpected gift from Germany, but it hasn't been sustainable, and it has been far from efficient. Granted, Kobe has never been known for his shot selection, and while this Laker group may not be the most talented he has played with, he has all of the pieces around him necessary to succeed. Andrew Bynum is a legitimate post threat and is coming into his own, Pau Gasol is still clinging to his skill, and Ramon Sessions is the relief he needs from ball handling duties. From a distance, it is difficult to read what the Lakers offense is doing. Is Mike Brown calling for Kobe isolations like they're going out of style (hint: they are), or are they simply freelance and Kobe being Kobe? Either way, it's an issue, and Thursday night going against the top seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, Thabo Sefolosha and James Harden got the best of Kobe Bean yet again. 7 for 25? Atrocious.