Payton frustrated in LA

[Ruff Ryder]

Funny how a GP thread ended up into a Kobe or Shaq thread.

[GloveGuy]

That's because you can't really put a lot of blame on Phil Jackson. It's Kobe's ego that's getting in the way of Payton's productivity. He's taking away Payton's role on the team. It's not necessarily Phil who's doing it.

[Wall St. Peon]

Whoever called Payton and Malone "role players" and said they should defer to Kobe is an idiot....Payton and Malone could both be putting up 20+ ppg on different teams, but they wanted rings. They have defered - like Psycho (?) said - to Kobe and Shaq (especially Kobe), and they're being delegated to the same roles as Stanislav Medvedenko and Derek Fisher. Now, if Gary fucking Payton has the same role as Derek Fisher because of Kobe Bryant, something isn't right, don't you think?

Ruffryder, Payton and Kobe should share the playmaking abilities - not just Kobe. Isolating Kobe might work, but it's only going to make Payton and the rest of hte Lakers stand around and watch - which is what someone said Payton was doing.

Kobe needs to be less selfish and take 2 or 3 less shots and drive more; if he drives more, he can dish off and get fouled, thus making up for the points he isn't getting from taking the shots...everyone's happy.

[Fresh8]

Man...as many articles have suggested, the Lakers should do reality t.v.

Man, first they have Kobe and the Kobe Bryant case....then we have the Shaq and Kobe 'love' issue

We then had Karl Malone getting injured which triggured (of course Karl didnt cause the others injuries...) a line of injuries....We have Phil Jackson and his contract issue and then Kobe and him disputing

Shaqs contracts issues and him saying he should be GM

Steve Kerr interfeirng with 'who should be THE man"

Gary Payton on his GT...

And the list will keep going on...donb't forget Rick Fox who said this is wat drives the team and how this on-going 'drama' is good!

[Andrew]

I still think there needs to be some damage control. Beyond the Big Four, the Lakers are a little weaker than previous years. If they lose Kobe and Payton this offseason, it will obviously be a tremendous blow. I know that Kobe continues to say he wants to be a Laker for life and Payton is just frustrated at the moment, but I was Mitch Kupchak or Jerry Buss, I wouldn't take the risk.

EDIT: Another article.

Ringing the Triangle