NBA Basketball: Mavericks at Lakers 10-30-2012
channel | TNT
Dallas at Los Angeles Lakers. Big
men Chris Kaman and Dwight Howard join point guards Darren Collison and
Steve Nash on new-look lineups for these recent NBA champs, who both
lost to Oklahoma City in last season's playoffs.-
Disappointing playoff outcomes led the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas
Mavericks to retool their rosters in hopes of again rising to the top of
the Western Conference.
Each team, though, surrounded its long-standing - yet ailing - superstar in different manners.
Kobe Bryant's status is up in the air and Dirk Nowitzki won't play as these new-look squads open their seasons Tuesday night in Los Angeles.
The Lakers were bounced in five games in the second round of last season's playoffs by Oklahoma City, the eventual West champion that swept Dallas out of the postseason the previous round.
Bryant averaged 27.9 points in the regular season for the Lakers (41-25) - finishing one-tenth of a point behind scoring leader Kevin Durant - but he was critical of teammate Pau Gasol in the postseason and seemed to have the desire for more help.
General manager Mitch Kupchak made a pair of big offseason acquisitions, getting two-time MVP Steve Nash in a sign-and-trade deal with Phoenix before parting with Andrew Bynum - among others - in a blockbuster four-team trade to land Dwight Howard.
With Bryant, Gasol, Nash, Howard and Metta World Peace, the Lakers seemingly have one of the most formidable starting lineups in the NBA supported by a bench that includes acquisitions Chris Duhon and Antawn Jamison.
Each team, though, surrounded its long-standing - yet ailing - superstar in different manners.
Kobe Bryant's status is up in the air and Dirk Nowitzki won't play as these new-look squads open their seasons Tuesday night in Los Angeles.
The Lakers were bounced in five games in the second round of last season's playoffs by Oklahoma City, the eventual West champion that swept Dallas out of the postseason the previous round.
Bryant averaged 27.9 points in the regular season for the Lakers (41-25) - finishing one-tenth of a point behind scoring leader Kevin Durant - but he was critical of teammate Pau Gasol in the postseason and seemed to have the desire for more help.
General manager Mitch Kupchak made a pair of big offseason acquisitions, getting two-time MVP Steve Nash in a sign-and-trade deal with Phoenix before parting with Andrew Bynum - among others - in a blockbuster four-team trade to land Dwight Howard.
With Bryant, Gasol, Nash, Howard and Metta World Peace, the Lakers seemingly have one of the most formidable starting lineups in the NBA supported by a bench that includes acquisitions Chris Duhon and Antawn Jamison.
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