prediction: Lakers reconstructed & still relevent next year

[Oznogrd]

How is it fisher's fault that all your team chemistry died?

[Jackal]

Team chemistry? Whats with everyone overreacting like this? This team went to three straight NBA finals. Three. Teams dream of that, LA did it three times. Suddenly out of the blue they have chemistry issues?

People need to relax. Fisher has been old for a long time, that's nothing new. Bryant has been a chucker for a long time, again nothing new. What changed? Gasol wasn't the elite big man he usually is. Not a knock on Andrew, but given no one could hit a shot to save their life, collapsing on Bynum was easy. Pick and roll basketball has always killed LA, even back with Shaq.

On to the next year...hopefully no lockout, not used to not watching a Laker game for this long of a stretch.

[puttincomputers]

Ok Laker fans who want a shake up, what do you think about this trade?

[shadowgrin]

I'm not a Laker fan but...that's retarded[/LeBron].

[Jackal]

Putsitincomputers, you my good sir..are an idiot.

[puttincomputers]

nice bear

[shadowgrin]

For those people advocating wholesale changes in the wake of the Los Angeles Lakers’ early exit from the playoff this season, Kobe Bryant has a message for you.

Forget about it.

The Lakers’ star made that clear Wednesday morning after his exit interview with Lakers’ brass at their practice facility. Sure, there are going to be changes. Phil Jackson is done coaching this team.......But Bryant is convinced that the nuts and bolts of a team that spent the past four season winning (two), losing (one) and competing for NBA titles needs to return intact if the Lakers plan on chasing another ring next season.

“This is nonsense,” he said. “I remember [the Lakers] had a pretty good era in the ’80s and they didn’t win three [titles] in a row. They didn’t break that team up.”

Bryant said he’ll leave the particulars of where to tweak the roster to Lakers’ general manager Mitch Kupchak......he has no doubts this group can get back to its championship form with a little rest and refocusing between now and the start of next season.

He was clear, though, about what this season looks like to him now. “A wasted year of my life,” he said when asked to describe it.

Like every one of his teammates, he expressed his support for longtime Jackson assistant and former Lakers player Brian Shaw as the Lakers’ next coach. But he stopped short of making a pitch for Shaw and said he will not make a case for Shaw or anyone else until someone asks his opinion.

“What I think about is shutting up the mofos that say I’m done,” he said and smiled. “That’s what I think about.”

.......Lakers center Andrew Bynum wanting an increased role with this team offensively. Bynum said Tuesday that he is looking to come back as more than just a third or fourth option and the Lakers’ defensive anchor, a role he played to near perfection this season while healthy.

But Bryant made it clear that the food chain for the Lakers won’t be changing anytime soon, at least not on his watch.

“Well, it’s tough to do on this team,” he said of moving Bynum up on the list of offensive priorities. “Ultimately, he’ll have to fall in line. Because I’m gonna shoot the ball. We all know that. Pau is going to get his touches. He’s no. 2. And then [Andrew] will have to fall in line.

A wasted year of his life. Such dedication and commitment to the game and not forgetting to shut up the motherfucking haters and telling his teammate who's the sheriff in LA. The true winner that is Kobe.



No wonder Pau became emo with the breakup. His ex is pretty 'flexible'.

[benji]

They're going to have a whole year to rest up and get over their ex-girlfriends anyway.

[Andrew]

But Bryant made it clear that the food chain for the Lakers won’t be changing anytime soon, at least not on his watch.

“Well, it’s tough to do on this team,” he said of moving Bynum up on the list of offensive priorities. “Ultimately, he’ll have to fall in line. Because I’m gonna shoot the ball. We all know that. Pau is going to get his touches. He’s no. 2. And then [Andrew] will have to fall in line.

That was a refreshingly candid statement.

[puttincomputers]

Ouch, thats some terrible leadership. A leader is supposed to serve his followers in order to help them get to a higher plateu. Kobe scoring used to be serving his teammates. Kobe now needs to serve his teammates and pass the ball.

Kobe = failure waiting to happen.

[Jackal]

Yeah...failure waiting to happen.

[Patr1ck]

Bynum is ready, and he wants to make a bigger impact. He is much more of a force down low than Pau. In other words, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWUarNWjgWk
Give him a shot, see how he does.

[air gordon]

Vanessa bryant= yoko ono of lakers

[Lord_JB]

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=5rb9kd5

well.... this is how i would do it... if i were a GM. its my opinion. feel free to ream me for it. i have also been up all night, so pardon my poor grammar.

how about giving LA, ORL, (still hoping to contend) and PHX, & DET (who are both rebuilding) something to build around instead of unrealistically gutting other teams in ways nobody would ever go for?

LAKERS (with a HUNGRY young Howard, a DESPERATE old Nash... and an upgrade in the spot up shooter category, i think this would put them right back in the mix at the top of the league. with a great 3 man rotation in the paint With Odom spelling Gasol or Howard at any given time, a rotation of SG/SF's who can spread the floor, chances are that at least one of these guys will be hot from outside on any given night. i dont mind Fish as a backup to Nash either)

Howard/Ratliff
Gasol/Odom/Smith
Reddick/Q-Rich/Barnes
Bryant/Brown
Nash/Fisher

MAGIC ( he is a top 5 center when he is healthy, so maybe Bynum can be like "Dwight lite". they would have Artest's perimeter D and some good shooters still coming off the bench... i would look for Ben Gordon to flourish on a team like this. good depth all around, i think. i think they would be damn near as good as they were last year)

Bynum/Anderson/Orton
Bass/Allen
Artest/Turkoglu
Gordon/Richardson
Nelson/Duhon

SUNS (losing Nash like i think they will anyways, why not get a set of scorers for their loss? Arenas wasn't fitting in in ORL and PHX needs a pointguard when Nash jumps ship)

Lopez/Gortat
Warrick/Frye
Pietrus/Dudley
Hamilton/Childress
Arenas/Blake

PISTONS (this is a team rebuilding, so give them a star in VC and let him re-team with T-Mac, Hamilton was basically benched the 2nd half of last season.. i dont see him staying in DET so thats why i see him headed to PHX with Arenas)

Wallace/Monroe
Maxiell/Wilcox/Villianuava
Prince/Walton
Carter/T-mac
Stuckey/W. Bynum

LOL that's REALLY unlikely to happen...