Ok I just wanted to drop something for all the Laker fans in Laker Land. I've been a Laker fan since I was 4 years old, I've been through cedric ceballos and nick van exel. I've seen elden and vlade team up for a lousy C/PF combo. I remember the sweeps from San Antonio and Utah. But I always remained hopefull because the future was bright. We had Shaq and a young Kobe Bryant. We hired the greatest coach in the world. But as I sit here today I see a bleak future in tinsle town. Unlike 1999 when after the Spurs swept us away, we had much to look forward to with the arrival of Jackson. But now all Laker fans want to see is Jackson return, and to a team with no Shaq. Remember Jackson only came to the team to coach Shaq. I've seen all the scenarios that you have all dished out with trying to make the team better and return to the glory days, and I understand that because as a die hard Laker fan I want to see the team return to where it once was. But you know what? We don't deserve any of that. We went through 5 years of glory, winning 3 titles in 5 years. Had Karl and Horace not been injured, we would have wiped away the pesky Pistons. But as we sit here today hoping for Phil Jackson to return, I wonder why we would even want that? Most of us wanted Kobe over Phil and Shaq and didn't care when the two were exiled from Laker Land. Now Jackson appears to be interested in the Lakers again, which I think would be a bad move on Phil's part. Jerry Buss should take a long look at himself in the mirror, he should put down those damn poker cards and realize what he once had and what he won't get back for awhile. We had the greatest coach in the world, we had the most dominant player in the world, we had a dyansty but Buss through it all away. And for what? For a spoiled immature brat by the name of Kobe Bryant. Don't get me wrong, I love Kobe and I wish him the best of luck but he obviously is way over his head. The Lakers sit here having to re-tool a team that is in shambles. We got nothing for Shaq. Caron and Lamar are nice players but neither is an All-Star. How do you trade Shaq for 3 players who have never been on an all-star team. The Lakers say they want to get a big body on the inside because Mihm doesn't fit the bill. Hmmmmm I recall a 7-1 340 pound giant that we once had patrolling the middle. And don't say Shaq was traded because of his weight. Shaq was overweight every year but he showed up in the playoffs and won us 3 titles. I miss the Horry's and Fox's and Fisher's of the world. Look at what we have now... Atkins????, Sasha and Brown????? This is unacceptable for the Lakers. Our goal shouldn't be just to get into the playoffs, but to get to the finals every year. People say if Shaq stayed then Kobe would leave. Fine, let him walk. We were 34-48 with him, how would we be with Shaq and Phil this year. Malone would have returned and Kobe would have been replaced with another all-star who would have loved to play with Shaq. I think Buss is getting too old for this business and needs to step aside and sell the team. He claims money was the issue with Shaq, but his contract would have never affected the cap. We need an owner who will step up and pay. Some of you might be offended by this and I understand, but i've stuck with the Lakers through the good and bad and I'm certainly sticking with them now. I am just disturbed by the fact that we we were 14 games under .500 after getting to the finals the year before. Dynasties end because players retire or the rest of the league catches up. But what the Lakers did was kill a dynasty that was just getting started, and that just simply hurts.
All valid concerns Lakers4Ever, but you have to remember the Lakers have gone down this path once before and came out champions again. The same way the Lakers grew tired of Phil Jackson, was the same way the team once stop listening to Pat Riley. It's very hard to win a title, but trying to keep the team hungry and focused to win more than one is a grueling task. It's just like any relationship, once that honeymoon period is over, all the little things start turning into issues and the chemistry deteriorates. Yes, Buss threw away the dynasty, but you have to realize it's hard to keep a team together with the salary cap restraints and the amount of movement in free agency. All the NBA dynasties have had to deal with mediocrity once their time had passed. The dynamic duo with two aging superstars and a mediocre bench could no longer win a title. The ownership felt the Lakers time had passed, and it was time to focus on the future more, with Kobe Bryant. The Lakers were 14 games under .500, but keep in mind the team went through a lot of setbacks all season long. Prior to the setbacks the Lakers were a playoff contending team. I was disappointed more in the way the Lakers played down the stretch, than their final record. This team didn't play with any heart, and they didn't have the discipline to play defense. The team should be embarrassed for the season they put together. As Laker fans we have been spoiled for the last 10 years, and for many Laker fans, losing is a new experience. After Shaq was traded, Laker Nation should have expected at least two or three years of mediocrity. It takes time to build a team around a new player, and once the Lakers develop more continuity and add new players to the puzzle, this team will be right back in the post-season and making a run at the title. I share the same concerns of bringing back Phil Jackson as well. I'm not sure he's capable or patient enough to rebuild the team, because he has not previous history of ever doing it. Phil Jackson has always been a closer. The only player he ever developed was Scottie Pippen, who turned out great, but one player is not enough to define Phil's ability to build and develop a team. If the Lakers do bring Phil back, I expect them to gut this team again. The current Laker team is infected with soft players who don't take any accountability for their actions. I don't think Lamar Odom has the warrior mentality to succeed under Phil Jackson, despite all the talent Phil sees in him. Lamar simply doesn't want it bad enough and has never really shown he does. I can see only Kobe and Butler stepping up to Phil's challenges. The Lakers no longer have the hungry veteran role players like Fisher, Horry, and Fox, who understood how important it was to play defense and also didn't mind Shaq and Kobe leading the way. Brian Grant is the closest the Lakers have to a hard-nosed player, but his bad knees prevent him from being a consistent contributor. The other players all need to find new homes, Tierre Brown, Chucky Atkins, Brian Cook, Luke Walton, Slava, George, and Bobbitt. The Lakers are a mess, and they will likely be a mess next season. We can only hope they pull off a blockbuster deal, but I don't think most GMs in the league are ready to help the Lakers get back on track anytime soon. The Lakers need to use this draft to bring in two solid players, and a potential player who can become a stud in 2 or 3 years. Free agency is the best direction to take, but until the Lakers can unload Brian Grant and his contract, they don't have the flexibility to sign any big names. The Lakers have to also put a winning team on the floor, before they can attract discount veterans looking to make a run at a championship ring. One thing to look forward to is, the Laker team you saw last season, probably won't be around next year or at the worst by the start of the 2006-07 season. Laker fans have to have faith in Dr. Buss, because he hates to lose and will not accept the Lakers being a bad team for very long. Trust in Buss.
Nice way of putting it Shapecity. I'm still not 100% sure if I would want Phil to come back. Dr. Buss will do his best. The only thing that concerns me is Dr. Buss's vacation on May 15. What is up with that. I hope Mitch does a good job while Dr. Buss is gone.
