Pretty stupid, if you ask me. They still have the pieces in place from a team that is one year removed from an NBA title. Media types are stupid and reactionary. It boggles the mind that some of them still have jobs.

Cut Artest and eat his salary. Make a trade for a serviceable PG. Beg Phillis to stay. I really doubt he wants to go out like that.

LA lost because of chemistry issues. Not because they are old and slow. $10 says this all boils down to a locker-room issue (Artest), plus the fact that they went to the well one to many times with Fisher.

[This message has been edited by MassAggie97 (edited 5/9/2011 8:02a).]

Are you the one that said memphis was the best team in the nba?

Losing Jackson in the coach's chair.

Fisher is too old.

Kobe probably has 3 more years of good play in him.

Pau has probably lost the trust of that team. Everybody is gonna see him as the guy that quit and this was the guy people were thinking might replace Kobe as the team's leader.



That said, they are just a couple of great moves away from being a real contender next year.

One thing stuck out to me in both of the Laker's series: they looked slow. In this NBA, they need to seriously re-tool that roster. Ship either Gasol or Bynum out for a PG or 3 who can actually guard the perimeter. Ditto on Artest. As a Rockets fan, I saw how unbelievably slow he was 3 years ago already.

That doesn't even address another issue in that I really think Kobe's lost a step this season. When I watch guys play him, seems like he's played tighter and his ability to drive is no longer respected all that much. That's a problem too.

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Are you the one that said memphis was the best team in the nba?

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Nope. Never said that.

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One thing stuck out to me in both of the Laker's series: they looked slow.

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They were a pretty slow team last year too. Their size made up for it. You don't have to be particularly fast when you have great interior defense and great size. That said, Artest needs to go. Slow is not a good thing for a supposed defensive "stopper". He's worn out his usefulness.

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In this NBA, they need to seriously re-tool that roster.

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I thought the same thing about the Spurs after '06. I thought they just didn't have the team speed to match teams like Dallas and Phoenix. Then they went and won a championship with the same roster a year later. The "fastest" team rarely wins an NBA title. It all comes back to interior defense, rebounding, and tough, physical offense. (Which is why, by the way, I don't think Dallas will go all the way this year, despite how great they looked in flogging LA).

Dynasty is over because they lost. If they win another one before Kobe leaves then the dynasty is brought back from the dead and extended. But if Kobe retires without winning another title in LA then this will be the moment we look at when it ended.

Phil retiring is a major step to not having the dynasty extended. I think if he returns it will be to the Heat or some similar team.

You can win multiple ways in the NBA and I think there's a big difference between running a slow plodding offense and players looking 'slow'. The Spurs never looked slow defensively during their run despite being perceived as such because they weren't up-tempo offensively. They were never a step behind in that run like the Lakers were against the Mavs.

As far as Dallas goes, that team's an anamoly to me. The diversity of that roster plays a huge advantage for them. With home court, I think they make the Finals at least.

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Phil retiring is a major step to not having the dynasty extended.

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I agree with this. Phil is the most important person on that team, IMO. If he doesn't come back, then I agree it is over.

Phil leaving and the glaring hole at the point guard position. I get that Fish is more or less Team Captain 1A, but he has been terrible for a few years now. He's been lit up by every point guard the Lakers have faced in the playoffs for about three years running.

Fill in that spot and bring in a serviceable coach and the Lakers are still the faves next year. They're too talented.

Gasol needs a come to Jesus moment with this team during the off-season after his performance.

There's a rumor floating around that Gasol's gf broke up with him a few weeks ago and another Laker player's wife helped cause it. Not sure if there is any truth to it but it would explain why he's been a p***y of Bunyan-like proportions since the playoffs started. It would also explain why the Lakers looked like the Cavs of 2010 in the playoffs. It's no excuse whatsoever but it is a possible explanation. There's definitely something going on the locker room.

That said, I don't want to take anything away from the Mavs. They shot the ball phenomenally, showed more toughness down the stretch in the close games and deserved the win.

LOB

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There's a rumor floating around that Gasol's gf broke up with him a few weeks ago and another Laker player's wife helped cause it.

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http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-plaschke-lakers-20110509,0,4732394.column

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"I have to learn from this," Gasol said. ''I have to learn that when something happens off the court, you have to keep it off the court."

He was referring to the report that he stopped talking to Bryant during the postseason because Bryant's wife, Vanessa, had contributed to the breakup of Gasol and his longtime girlfriend. Lakers fans will remember that Karl Malone once publicly accused Vanessa of interfering with his personal life in a similar fashion.

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Jeanie Buss has already said her dad is going to make the needed changes. Magic is calling for this team to be blown up. This team will look totally different come next season.

they need adam morrison back

Just another case of the Power of the P altering the course of human history.

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Magic is calling for this team to be blown up.

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I loved Magic as a player. As a front-office type, coach and media analyst, well, there aren't many that are worse. I know he still has pull in the Laker organization but the last thing I'd do if I were them is listen to Magic. He's just not that bright.

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This team will look totally different come next season.

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How can it? It is going to be extremely difficult to move most of their contracts, even in a trade. Probably the one guy they don't want to part with (Bynum) is the only guy that is highly tradeable.

I expect the Lakers next year to look a lot like the Lakers this year, with the possible exception that Phil won't be sitting in the tall chair anymore and Derek Fisher will be fishing.

I can't believe the Lakers still haven't found someone to replace Fisher yet. They've been trying pretty much since he left the first time to no avail. The guy does just enough things right to keep getting that starting spot (and no one else can do enough). As a Laker fan, I love the guy to death but it's really time to get someone else in that spot. It has been for several years.

i do wish they wouldve gotten hinrich who they were eyeballing for a while. but they couldnt get him cheap enough.

and ATL isn't regretting their decision it seems

If they deal for Dwight Howard, then look out.

Center isn't the problem for the Lakers. Hate on Bynum all you want but the guy is more than good enough to do his share to get them to a title. Footspeed, athleticism, and perimeter D is their problem. They have Shannon Brown and an aging Kobe and nothing else.

Agreed. They're stacked inside. Prior to the meltdown, you could argue that Bynum had the best showing out of that entire team during these playoffs. They still have Odom and if Gasol gets over what is ailing him, they'll be fine.

They should have made a deal for Aaron Brooks or something. Any upgrade, even a marginal one, would be leaps and bounds better than the options they have now.

this is a similar situation to the spurs in 2006, after they lost to the mavs. People thought the dynasty was, done, the spurs were cooked, etc.

They won in 07.

The lakers aren't even close to done. No need to blow up the team. Magic seems stupid to suggest they trade everything for howard.

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Bingo. Again, with the caveat that Jackson returns for one more year. If he doesn't I don't see another coach stepping in and being able to coach that lineup of egos.