The Past, Present and Future of this LA Lakers Squad

Dirk and the boys deserve all the credit for this one.

It’s been more than 24 hours since the Mavs completed their dramatic sweep against the two-time defending champions, and I’ve finally cleared my mind of anger. If I had written this right after the game, it would be an incomprehensible fury-driven rant with no thoughtful insight whatsoever. I decided to wait it out so I could put my ideas into proper sentences.

The more I analyze that game, the more I see how it was representative of the entire Lakers season: inconsistent, unmotivated, stagnant and inexplicable. Anyone that watched even 5 minutes of this series could tell there was something seriously wrong with this team, more than just poor play. Something was happening in the locker room that only those involved with the team truly understood. How could a team that has been through so much together lack chemistry and drive? Where has Kobe’s magic gone? Why did Phil seem relieved after yesterday’s game? All these questions, and more, need to be posed in order to understand where this squad is going, and why they collapsed like they did.

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There was never any doubt that the Lakers inexcusably lacked drive and consistency all season. As devout fans, we kept telling ourselves to wait for the playoffs. Well, the playoffs have come and gone, and our problems were magnified on the big stage. Is the quest for a threepeat appealing to anyone other than Kobe, or has the team gotten fat and lazy with two rings? How could communication and trust break down so thoroughly after all this squad has been through? I think the answer is a quite simple one that is probably often overlooked and dismissed: loafing. I get it: back to back championships and three straight finals appearances is tiring, and making a fourth straight is a seemingly impossible task. And I get if the Lakers felt like they could coast through certain regular season games, like when they got embarrassed at home against Milwaukee. But the Lakers (i.e. Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant) have always had a very open relationship with the press, and with loafing, inevitably comes failure. With failure, comes blame. Unrighteous tension and mistrust were created by unfair blame and their open relationship with the press just magnified these problems to a point where all trust finally disappeared. Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, Phil Jackson – these guys are used to the attention. It doesn’t bother them or get in their heads. Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, the Killer B’s – they aren’t. It clearly affected Pau, judging by his monumentally poor performance this postseason; Drew even voiced the issues to the press after Game 2. Now, you would think that the strong locker room presences of Kobe, Fish and PJ would be able to keep everyone together, but those three also had their problems this season. I have been getting the feeling all season that Phil wasn’t into it. He’s had his eyes set on the prize for months, and the prize wasn’t another championship. Rather, it’s his home in Montana, where he will return to for good in the coming weeks. When your coach and teacher isn’t motivated, it’s tough to persevere. Phil never truly believed in this year - he’s just relieved to get home.

Kobe, on the other hand, has never been more motivated. His goal is singular: more rings. The problem here is that Kobe is not the player he once was. There is no doubt that he is still the leader of this team and one of the best in the league, but he picks his spots very carefully and isn’t as aggressive as he was a couple of seasons ago. In 2006-2007, “Kobe taking over a game” meant dropping 25 in the second half and getting to the line with ease. It was something to fear. Somewhere between then and now, the meaning of “Kobe taking over a game” has changed drastically:  he shoots more, usually in double coverage, and freezes the offense. When Kobe breaks the Triangle at the end of a game, he alienates his teammates because he thinks he can carry his team like he used to do. Like in Game 1 against the Mavs when he had 36 points, not one of them off a layup. That’s not to say that he’s not capable of hitting big shots or that he shouldn’t be given the ball in crunch time, but Kobe MUST adapt to the limitations of his body and recognize the smart play. When you’re double-teamed, SOMEONE’S open – find him and make the pass. Run the offense and establish your bigs. These are all things Kobe has to work on, and I think that this offseason will revitalize him. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see a much more vibrant and hungry Kobe next season.

Will Dwight Howard be able to carry the Lakers back to glory?

But who will be playing with him? Right now, the only other untouchable on this lineup is Derek Fisher, but who knows if he still wants to play, especially with a lockout looming. There are a couple of unmovables, like Pau with his $19 million salary next season, and Ron with niche skills and invaluable defense, but I think this team will be torn down and rebuilt over the next couple of seasons with Kobe as the veteran leader. Note how I said “veteran leader” and not “first option and best player”.  Kobe’s not going anywhere – he will retire a Laker and likely get very involved with the franchise after he’s done. But he needs someone to relieve the pressure from his worn old shoulders.  Well, no one in the league has broader shoulders than Dwight Howard, who I see becoming a Laker within the next two seasons. Let’s ignore all Shaquille O’Neal comparisons and look only at Dwight’s current situation and the Lakers’ current situation: Dwight is undoubtedly the most talented and dominant big man we have seen since Shaq was in his prime. A couple of years ago, we were unsure of Dwight’s offensive potential. We thought maybe he was destined to be someone who cleans the glass and gets easy buckets off misses, but never someone with a finesse game and fancy footwork. Orlando made a fatal error in underestimating his talent, and they built their team as a jump shooting team to compliment Dwight’s presence down low.  They figured he’d be there to clean up the garbage. Well, times have changed, and Dwight asserted himself more than ever this season as a multidimensional player with a much more refined low post game, and now Orlando is stuck with a poorly built team and a franchise player that doesn’t get half the touches he should. On top of that, he played sublime basketball in the first round, only to get ousted by the Hawks. His supporting cast didn’t “support” him very much at all. Dwight needs a change of scenery.

Now, let’s look at the Lakers: clear trust issues (as I mentioned before) and a dire need to rebuild. Their second option, Pau, has shown that he is not capable of carrying this team after Kobe retires and Shaq has shown us how effective the Triangle offense can be when run through a dominating big man. Also, Kobe needs someone to carry the brunt of the scoring load and the Lakers need to clean house. After that playoff performance from Bynum, his trade value has never been higher. And to those of you that are worried about his knees, I think that spraining it in the second last game of the season and coming back to play the way he did proves that he is healthy now, and a summer of rest will only help. Shannon Brown and Lamar Odom are also very valuable trade chips that would probably need to be included in any potential trade. And let’s be real here folks: Dwight Howard should be in L.A. He relishes the limelight and would thrive as the centre of attention in such a big city. A big city for a big guy with big dreams.

Kobe Bryant isn't the player he once was. Will he do what is needed to secure his legacy?

           What happens then? What happens when Dwight comes to Los Angeles? Let me tell you a story: I had a dog. His name was Spike and he died last year at 15 years of age. He was never really sick, just old with bad arthritis. When he died, I was more relieved than sad. Relieved that he was no longer in pain, and proud that he had such a long and beautiful life. When Spike was 11, my sister brought home a puppy. The little shit disturber had so much energy, perhaps too much for an old dog like Spike. But then, they became friends and I noticed his energy levels picked up. Now, this puppy was getting a lot of attention, and Spike occasionally would get jealous and demand some attention as well. It was never very much, but it made him happy because it reminded him that it was still his house and his family. I have no doubt in my mind this puppy added many years onto Spike’s life. Shortly before Spike died, my brother brought home ANOTHER puppy, this one with a lot more energy than the first. At this point, it had become quite clear that the attention that was once showered upon Spike would never return. I think it was thent that he really threw in the towel. Now that he’s gone, I look back upon his life fondly, and thank him for all the happiness he brought my family, but I also look forward to playing with the puppies when I get home. This is what I see happening to Kobe Bryant. He will always be loved and revered and respected in LA, and I think a young, hungry soul like Dwight would extend his career into the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar territory, but as soon as a second hungry young-gun comes to LA, Kobe will realize his time there is up and retire. He is too proud to be relegated to the bench. However, when he retires, he will at least know that he is putting this franchise in good hands.

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            I’ve watched the Lakers religiously for 10 years, with special focus on the last 4, but I can tell you that a second threepeat would have been too perfect. Too perfect a retirement party for Phil Jackson, too perfect a career for Kobe Bryant. My one hope is that people finally stop comparing Kobe to MJ. It’s an unfair comparison. MJ was MJ and did things only MJ could ever do. He is the greatest of all-time and was the face of the Association for a decade.  He won six rings, all part of threepeats and all with Phil. Kobe is Kobe. He did things only Kobe could do, and a fair comparison is needed to compare his and MJ’s careers. But for their careers to mirror each other’s so perfectly – both coached by PJ, both involved in scandals (rape/gambling), hypercompetitive guards with an eerily similar repertoire of moves – would be unjust to both of them. It’s only fair that Kobe take the backseat on this ride.