I don't want to get ahead of ourselves as a team, but with Kobe in his prime, Odom and Gasol about to enter their primes and a young and healthy stud (hopefully healthy) in Bynum...who is only 20...do we have the foundations for a dynasty over the next...6 years? 8 years? 10 years? Honestly Boston is old, Detroit is old, San Antonio is old...that leaves us to take the reigns as the next big thing. In the next 10 years...can we win 6 rings?
I think it's possible. You have to wonder if this team is going to stay together that long though. Odom is up for a new contract next year, and I believe Gasol is as well. We'll already have a lot of money invested in Kobe and Bynum, so would we be able to afford to bring BOTH of them back? Also, I would say, if anything, the dynasty would probably last about 6 or 7 years. Kobe is 29 going on 30 this summer, so you have to wonder how late into his 30s can he play at a high level.
I think how long Kobe can play into his 30s depends on how long Phil Jackson continues to coach the Lakers. Right now everything flows well within the system, if the coaching changes or Kobe switches teams, scoring will come harder and being an effective piece will be harder in more ways. I wonder how many more years Phil Jackson is willing to be around for, if the money is right.
Well to an extent I agree with you, Lava. However, if Brian Shaw or Kurt Rambis take over for Phil (if they're still with us), then I don't see much changing with our offense. 6 in 10 years is a lot, now that I think of it. More like 4-5 in 10 years. With the way Kobe conditions himself and trains for the game, I can see him playing at a high level until he retires. Gasol is obviously more important than Odom, is he up for a new contract soon? I thought it was just Odom and Bynum that needed to be decided on. I think it's granted that we'll extend Bynum. Will Lamar be willing to take a pay cut to play for us?
Nice one Chutney. Stop worrying about winning 5 championships before you've even proven that you can win one. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for you guys over San Antonio, Detroit, Dallas and Utah...but you still don't have one trophy, focus on that first. Not to mention the fact that Orlando, Portland, New Orleans and many more teams will be more than worthy challengers.
I'd say it's all up the Hornets and Magic, and the GMs of those teams. Also, up to Lebron...and whether he attempts to get his GM fired, or leaves Cleveland. Gotta add in how much better Portland gets.
Got me there, Chut. I'm not worried about New Orleans, at all. Portland always gives the Lakers fits, that is one team down the line that I would worry about if they can continue to improve.
Chris Paul is going to go down as one of the best players ever, along with MJ, Bird, and Magic. He's going to overtake both Kobe and Lebron as the best player in the league, and lead the hornets to become the newest Dynesty. Hornets, Magic, Blazers all have better futures than the Lakers, and young superstars to bolster their teams as well. The Lakers MIGHT win it this year, but a dynasty?? i dont think so.
Its almost impossible to make a reasonable prediction over the competition the Lakers will face over the next 5 years. Aside from the fact that we don't know if this Lakers squad is a championship team, we don't know how fast teams will age. We don't know how well other teams will develop/grow. And we sure as hell can't guess player transactions, draft picks, free agency, etc. A lot can happen in 5 years, when you consider that most good GM's institute 3-4 year plans. Just go back a couple years ago and think about how few people would have predicted the teams currently being listed (Lakers, Hornets, Blazers, Magic, etc.) as being on the cusp of a championship.
The Lakers, Hornets and Blazers are going to rule the NBA. Oden, Aldridge, Roy, Fernandez is an extremely bright group. Kobe, Odom, Gasol, Bynum is an awesome group. Paul, Chandler, West is another awesome group. (I figure Peja to continue declining the next couple years) I think it really comes down to if Oden becomes a Dwight Howard type impact player or not, if he does I see the Lakers and Blazers having a huge rivalry, but IMO Portland would win out. (although I'm biased )
After 2010 the championships will be dominated by Portland, Orlando, and Atlanta will steal a couple.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (o.iatlhawksfan @ May 19 2008, 04:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>After 2010 the championships will be dominated by Portland, Orlando, and Atlanta will steal a couple.</div> LOL Atlanta? A sub .500 team in the pathetic east, this year? Don't get too big headed because you pushed Boston to 7. You guys are far away. Orlando and Atlanta are going to top L.A., Utah, and New Orleans? It's a new era in the west with the Lakers, Jazz, and Hornets taking the reigns from the Mavericks, Spurs, and Suns. Atlanta doesn't sniff a championship in the next 10 years.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Black Mamba @ May 19 2008, 04:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (o.iatlhawksfan @ May 19 2008, 04:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>After 2010 the championships will be dominated by Portland, Orlando, and Atlanta will steal a couple.</div> LOL Atlanta? A sub .500 team in the pathetic east, this year? Don't get too big headed because you pushed Boston to 7. You guys are far away. Orlando and Atlanta are going to top L.A., Utah, and New Orleans? It's a new era in the west with the Lakers, Jazz, and Hornets taking the reigns from the Mavericks, Spurs, and Suns. Atlanta doesn't sniff a championship in the next 10 years. </div> At this time last season, I would've considered Atlanta closer than LA and Boston (two teams that are in the final 4). And that's only over the course of one year.
I don't think we will be seeing any GM's giving away Pau Gasol level talent for WNBA level talent (Kwame Brown) for awhile. Atlanta has a lot of good young pieces, but I think there are just too many better teams that are also young (LAL, POR, NO, ORL, UTAH). Can Atlanta makes the Finals...yeah, but I don't see their young talent being better than any of the three teams listed from the West.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Black Mamba @ May 19 2008, 04:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I don't think we will be seeing any GM's giving away Pau Gasol level talent for WNBA level talent (Kwame Brown) for awhile. Atlanta has a lot of good young pieces, but I think there are just too many better teams that are also young (LAL, POR, NO, ORL, UTAH). Can Atlanta makes the Finals...yeah, but I don't see their young talent being better than any of the three teams listed from the West.</div> Yea man, I don't disagree with your reasoning. It makes sense. The only point I'm trying to make is that that we could've used this same sort of reasoning only a year ago, and none of us would've predicted 3/4's of this year's Conference Finals. The NBA is an unpredictable environment and 5 years is a really, really, really long time in this setting.
