{"id":139239,"date":"2020-12-22T17:15:11","date_gmt":"2020-12-22T14:15:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/lakers-zion-williamson-and-scott-brooks\/"},"modified":"2020-12-22T17:15:11","modified_gmt":"2020-12-22T14:15:11","slug":"lakers-zion-williamson-and-scott-brooks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/lakers-zion-williamson-and-scott-brooks\/","title":{"rendered":"#Lakers , Zion Williamson and Scott Brooks"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2d7c1ba5202\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2d7c1ba5202\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/lakers-zion-williamson-and-scott-brooks\/#Biggest_question_of_the_season\" >Biggest question of the season<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/lakers-zion-williamson-and-scott-brooks\/#This_will_end_up_being_a_big_story\" >This will end up being a big story<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/lakers-zion-williamson-and-scott-brooks\/#What_I_think_well_see_out_of_Zion_Williamson\" >What I think we\u2019ll see out of Zion Williamson<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/lakers-zion-williamson-and-scott-brooks\/#This_team_will_be_better_than_expected\" >This team will be better than expected<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/lakers-zion-williamson-and-scott-brooks\/#This_team_will_be_worse_than_expected\" >This team will be worse than expected<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/lakers-zion-williamson-and-scott-brooks\/#This_player_will_emerge_this_season\" >This player will emerge this season<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/lakers-zion-williamson-and-scott-brooks\/#This_player_will_regress_this_season\" >This player will regress this season<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/lakers-zion-williamson-and-scott-brooks\/#If_I_were_this_coach_Id_be_worried_about_my_status\" >If I were this coach, I\u2019d be worried about my status<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/lakers-zion-williamson-and-scott-brooks\/#MVP_Prediction\" >MVP Prediction<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/lakers-zion-williamson-and-scott-brooks\/#Finals_prediction\" >Finals prediction<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#Lakers , Zion Williamson and Scott Brooks<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Post NBA writers Marc Berman and Brian Lewis and columnist Mike Vaccaro tackle 10 of the biggest storylines of the season:<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Biggest_question_of_the_season\"><\/span>Biggest question of the season<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Berman<\/strong>: The NBA aced the Orlando bubble avoiding COVID-19 disruptions, but this is a new animal. The league is precariously sending teams across the country with the same regularity \u2014 and a handful of teams are permitting fans. Those road protocols limiting players from leaving hotel is key to season\u2019s survival. Just one positive test came back last week.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lewis:<\/strong> James Harden\u2019s status will loom over the entire season until he\u2019s moved. Will he end up in Brooklyn, Philadelphia, elsewhere, or sulking in Houston all the way to the deadline?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Vaccaro:<\/strong> How much season will there be? Encouraging <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> about vaccines notwithstanding, will every team be able to play the full 72?<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"This_will_end_up_being_a_big_story\"><\/span>This will end up being a big story<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Berman:<\/strong> Everyone is gifting the Lakers another championship trophy after adding rugged forward, Montrezl Harrell, center Marc Gasol and live-wire point guard Dennis Schroder. But expect early struggles because of the incredibly quick turnaround after the bubble title in mid-October. LeBron James and Anthony Davis will have difficulty finding motivation at outset as they get used to their new mates and flying to the East Coast again. Either way, the Lakers\u2019 bid for an 18th title is must-watch theater.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lewis :<\/strong>The bubble may have been the safest place in America. But without it, just watching the chaos in college football portends the havoc COVID may wreak on the NBA season.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Vaccaro:<\/strong> Turmoil in Tinseltown. Will the Lakers suffer a championship hangover? Will the Clippers realize Doc Rivers wasn\u2019t the problem?<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" alt=\"LeBron James; Scott Brooks; Zion Williamson\" class=\"wp-image-16879792 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/12\/brooks.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/12\/brooks.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=640 640w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/12\/brooks.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/12\/brooks.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/12\/brooks.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2000 2000w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>LeBron James; Scott Brooks; Zion Williamson<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_I_think_well_see_out_of_Zion_Williamson\"><\/span>What I think we\u2019ll see out of Zion Williamson<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Berman:<\/strong> It\u2019s all about his knees staying right. Zion\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a> is as electrifying as advertised and he\u2019d win the Sophomore of the Year Award if there was one.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lewis:<\/strong> Expect more minutes, 25.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and a ton of frightening dunks the NBA will market the hell out of.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Vaccaro:<\/strong> He will officially enter beast mode. A year of learning what it takes in the NBA will yield a healthier version, one ready to become one of the league\u2019s most prominent faces.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"This_team_will_be_better_than_expected\"><\/span>This team will be better than expected<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Berman<\/strong>: I don\u2019t want to place the Berman Jinx on this, but Tom Thibodeau is a coaching wizard and the young prospects, particularly RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson and Kevin Knox, showed preseason signs of vast improvement for the Knicks. Las Vegas placed the Over\/Under for wins at 22.5. Take the north side, especially with rookie point guard Immanuel Quickley looking real.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lewis<\/strong>: The Suns took a quantum leap in the bubble. But adding Chris Paul could lift them up the West standings and Monty Williams into the Coach of the Year picture.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Vaccaro:<\/strong> Now, maybe you don\u2019t count it as much when it\u2019s surpassing such a low bar but seeing the effect a real coach can have on the Knicks will be fascinating.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"This_team_will_be_worse_than_expected\"><\/span>This team will be worse than expected<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Berman:<\/strong> The Toronto\/Tampa Bay Raptors will be away from home the entire season and will feel the losses of role-playing big men Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka. This was a team built on quality depth. Now that Fred VanVleet has his big contract, he\u2019ll face a whole new wave of pressure, and Kyle Lowry turns 35 in March.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lewis:<\/strong> The East is getting better and Kyle Lowry is getting older. After winning the 2019 title and finishing second in the East last season, the Raptors could easily fall to sixth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Vaccaro:<\/strong> The Heat were the darlings of the bubble and they will still be one of the league\u2019s most intriguing teams. But they can no longer sneak up on anyone. How will they adjust?<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"This_player_will_emerge_this_season\"><\/span>This player will emerge this season<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Berman:<\/strong> Caris Levert\u2019s bubble stardom was no fluke. In his new role, figure on Levert emerging as Sixth Man of the Year for the Nets, the likely Eastern Conference champions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lewis:<\/strong> With Jerami Grant and Torrey Craig gone, watch what the Nuggets\u2019 Michael Porter Jr. (22 &amp; 8.6 in the seeding games) does with those extra minutes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Vaccaro:<\/strong> The Suns\u2019 Devin Booker has always had the goods to make for a worthwhile watch. But now that he has a legit wingman in Chris Paul there\u2019s no telling what he might be capable of.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"This_player_will_regress_this_season\"><\/span>This player will regress this season<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Trae Young\" class=\"wp-image-16879812 lazyload\" width=\"260\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/12\/trae.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/12\/trae.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=640 640w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/12\/trae.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/12\/trae.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=260 260w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/12\/trae.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=520 520w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 260px\"\/><figcaption>Trae Young<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Berman:<\/strong> Hawks point guard Trae Young has done nothing but lose in Atlanta, but now the focus is on Atlanta emerging as a playoff team. Young is a terrible defender and needs to not only pile up points (29.6 ppg). The 2019-20 All-Star has to be a floor <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a> guiding his upgraded team to key wins late in games.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lewis:<\/strong> Spurs big man LaMarcus Aldridge is 35, coming off three-year lows in points and rebounds and had rotator cuff surgery in June.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Vaccaro:<\/strong> I hope I\u2019m wrong here, but Denver\u2019s Jamal Murray was such a spectacular force in the bubble it\u2019ll be hard to duplicate that. And now he\u2019ll be a guy far more eyes than ever will be on.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"If_I_were_this_coach_Id_be_worried_about_my_status\"><\/span>If I were this coach, I\u2019d be worried about my status<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Berman:<\/strong> Scott Brooks is on the hottest seat in D.C. aside from Donald Trump \u2014 with Russell Westbrook on board for a reunion. Figuring Brooks signed off on this move, the Wizards better be among the top 10 or it\u2019s over. There\u2019s too much talent here \u2014 including second-year prospect Rui Hachimura and rookie Deni Avdija.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lewis:<\/strong> Scott Brooks got through last season, but his seat has to be even hotter now.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Vaccaro:<\/strong> Part of the deal you make when you take on a talented team is expectations. But it would really behoove Mike Budenholzer to lead the Bucks to the Finals, at last.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"MVP_Prediction\"><\/span>MVP Prediction<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Berman<\/strong>: Kevin Durant will be the feel-good story as the extra time to heal his Achilles due to the pandemic is a benefit. KD puts the Nets on the map for good in Brooklyn with a stellar season that vaults the franchise back to The Finals.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lewis:<\/strong> Giannis Antetokounmpo has the built-up equity to win the award again, but fast-rising Dallas star Luka Doncic will probably deserve it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Vaccaro: <\/strong>Giannis Antetokounmpo has gotten better every year he\u2019s been in the NBA and he\u2019s still only 26 years old. Expect him to be fueled by the Bucks\u2019 bubble flameout and, of course, justify his new mega-contract.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Finals_prediction\"><\/span>Finals prediction<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Berman:<\/strong> In a rematch of the 2002 Finals, Lakers take out Nets in 7 games in a LeBron-vs.-KD classic.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lewis:<\/strong> After surviving the Clippers in the Western Conference Finals, LeBron and the Lakers drill the Bucks to defend their crown.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Vaccaro:<\/strong> Mavericks over the Bucks in 7. And, gosh, would that ever be a fun one to watch.\n            <\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2020\/12\/22\/nba-season-storylines-lakers-zion-williamson-and-scott-brooks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#Lakers , Zion Williamson and Scott Brooks&#8221; Post NBA writers Marc Berman and Brian Lewis and columnist Mike Vaccaro tackle 10 of the biggest storylines of the season: Biggest question of the season Berman: The NBA aced the Orlando bubble avoiding COVID-19 disruptions, but this is a new animal. The league is precariously sending teams&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":139240,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/12\/brooks.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[87405,70487,71376,60955,71190,87426,72932,87427,87428,28587],"class_list":["post-139239","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-12-22-20","tag-brooklyn-nets","tag-giannis-antetokounmpo","tag-kevin-durant","tag-los-angeles-lakers","tag-nba-preview-2020","tag-new-york-knicks","tag-scott-brooks","tag-trae-young","tag-zion-williamson"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139239","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=139239"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139239\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/139240"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=139239"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=139239"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=139239"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}