Hornets.com’s 1-on-1: Los Angeles Lakers’ Spero Dedes
March 23, 2007
Dedes
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Hornets.com’s Jim Eichenhofer interviewed Los Angeles Lakers radio play-by-play broadcaster Spero Dedes for a preview of Friday’s game in New Orleans between the Lakers and Hornets.
Dedes is in his second season as a Lakers broadcaster. Already an accomplished TV talent despite his youth, in 2004, Dedes was the youngest member of NBC’s broadcast team during the Athens Summer Olympics, at age 24. Dedes also has served as play-by-play voice on the international broadcast of the Super Bowl and done extensive work for the league’s 24-hour cable channel, NBA TV.
Los Angeles Lakers broadcaster Spero Dedes
Q: Since the Lakers play in Memphis on Thursday, you guys won’t be flying into New Orleans until the wee hours of Friday morning. Are you still planning to hit the French Quarter?
A: Actually, it won’t be too late when we land in New Orleans Thursday night. And by Bourbon Street standards, anything before 2 a.m. is still considered early, right? We’ll see how things go in Memphis, first. I’m sure a bunch of us will try to get out. So much to see in New Orleans – staying holed up in a hotel room in that town is just not right.
Q: What are some of your favorite stops in New Orleans?
A: I’m still getting acquainted with the city. Last season was actually my first trip to New Orleans, and it was a great time. A few of us ventured into the French Quarter. Dinner was fabulous (as expected), and afterwards we took a nice long stroll down Bourbon Street to digest, and soak in as much as we could. It was nice to see things slowly getting back to normal in that part of town.
Q: Turning to the team you call games for, Kobe Bryant continues to amaze, scoring 65 and 50 points in consecutive games vs. Portland and Minnesota, ending the Lakers’ seven-game losing streak in the Trail Blazers game. In your opinion, is there any question that he’s the best player in the NBA right now?
A: Watching him play nightly, I’m biased, so let me preface my comments by saying that before I took this job, I shared in some of the popular sentiment out there that Kobe Bryant had been a selfish player in the past. Now, two years into this gig, I’ve totally bought into what he’s about. To answer your question – yes – he’s the best player in the NBA in my humble opinion. Aside from all his gifts, the thing that’s struck me about Kobe the past two years has been his mental approach to the game. His competitiveness is through the roof. He takes as much pride in outworking guys as he does outplaying them. Case in point: Last January, four days after scoring 81 against Toronto, he was on the floor three hours before a game against Golden State undergoing a rigorous core-training session with his trainer. The arena was empty. The few of us who were there were taken aback. He is relentless.
Q: The Lakers were one of the surprises of the first half of the season, with many of their younger players thriving. Aside from injuries to a couple starters, what has been the reason for the decline in performance by some of the Lakers’ role players recently? Is it fatigue? Has it been the pressure of the stretch run?
A: It’s been fatigue more than anything else. The injuries have overextended this bench. And the shortage of bodies has really exposed this team defensively. Even when they’re healthy, this club has been average at best with its defense. And that needs to change if they plan on making a run into the postseason.
Q: L.A. went 6-15 during a recent stretch when forward Luke Walton was injured for 21 games. How do you explain why Walton appears to be so important to this season’s Lakers squad?
A: Before his injury, Luke was a very early candidate for Most Improved Player in my opinion. He looks like a totally different player this season. His confidence has skyrocketed. The biggest technical difference in his game has been his stroke. It’s less mechanical, and much more fluid and natural. Add that to his all-around game: smarts, unselfishness, court awareness and pinpoint passing. Luke has become quite the player. The team will look to reward him with a nice, fat contract this summer.
Q: It seems like the Lakers’ success in the near future will likely be tied greatly to the development of big men Kwame Brown and Andrew Bynum. Give us an update on how those two players are progressing.
A: The injuries have forced some of the young players into frontline positions, Andrew being one of them. He’s been the starter for the most part, with Kwame missing so many games. And while Bynum has showed flashes of efficiency, he’s still struggling with the physical grinds of an NBA season. At 19, his body just isn’t used to this kind of grind. But the team remains confident he has a very bright future ahead of him.
Kwame’s main contribution has been his low-post defense. His defensive positioning really makes up for his lack of shot-blocking. Offensively, however, it just doesn’t seem like Kwame will ever break out. His hands are like stone, and even more important is his lack of confidence. He just doesn’t demand the ball enough – and that could severely hamper his future development. Kwame has all the tools. I’m just not sure he’ll ever put it together.
Q: Do you project that the Lakers will be a dangerous first-round opponent in the playoffs, assuming they make it, like they were in 2006 when they took Phoenix to seven games?
A: Absolutely, I do. If in fact this club stays healthy, I’m not sure there’s any team in the West who wants to see them in the first round. Whether it’s Dallas, Phoenix or San Antonio, the Lakers will match up and make a strong push. Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant are worth a playoff win – or two – by themselves. Something tells me Lamar Odom will have a nice playoff run that could put them over the top.
