Hard Truths and Questions

[Tymathee]

1. The problem didn't start for the Lakers when Jim Buss got here, it started over 20 years ago when Jerry Buss bought the Lakers and made them star focused over team focused.

2. Jerry Buss, Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak chose to compose a team headed by 3 Star Players and one Superstar and then piece together the bench.

3. Championship teams generally take 2-3 years to gel:

The Celtics in 2008 only brought in Allen and Garnett, everyone else played together. Most of the players on the Lakers haven't (new players, nash, howard, meeks, duhon, jamison)

3. I know we want to blame D'Antoni for everything going on but how much of this is the coaching staff? The only new one from Browns days is his brother, everybody else is holdovers, is the huge staff the problem?

4. David Stern wants parity over super teams as he looks at the NFL's model of parity and wants the same popularity making it hard on the Lakers. So yes, he nixed the Paul deal because it was good for the NBA and too good for the Lakers.

5. Kobe Bryant is greedy. He had a chose several years ago to take less money so that the team can bring in more players. Lebron, Wade, KG, Parker, Ginobli, Bosh, Garnett, Pierce, Allen all did this so they can win, why didn't Kobe the one who had the most championships of all these players? Same thing with Gasol, why didn't he take less money, he was overpaid before the new CBA.

6. The Lakers can still win it this year. It won't be easy but no one has the accumulated talent that this team has and if they can pull it together, they will be very hard to stop.

[Decimotox]

I think your last point will change if Dwight is out for the year

[jemaneye]

I don't post often. Usually just read, but something has been bugging me and this seems like a good threat to post it in. Before the bashing starts, let me preface by saying I'm a big Kobe fan. Anyway...

Additional, hard truth:

1) This team will not reach expectations until Kobe goes completely Michael Jordan.

Here's the explanation: Kobe needs to learn (or re-learn) to trust these teammates. Yes, half of them are new. But he needs to let them play without fear of a death stare. I love his intensity. But there are too many times when I've seen him hoist up shots he has no business shooting. And I don't mean, trust his teammates for one game and see what happens. It needs to happen every game, regardless of how they performed last game. Afterall, isnt that what he prides himself on? His confidence in shooting regardless of his percentage. He needs to help teammates gain that confidence. Every game is a fresh start.

Second part about that is that D'antoni's system won't work until Kobe buys. With this team, Offense leads to defense. Watch the games, if Howard and Gasol are involved offensively. They hustle back and "try" harder. It sucks. But its the truth. The past few games i've watched Kobe throw up some 3's with Howard or Gasol wide open in the post. What happened to playing unselfishly and finding the open man?

Third, I didn't really like his "big boy pants" comments about Gasol. Telling Gasol to get to the post more and that the team needs to figure out how to use him more. Here's a thought, those 30 shots you took - how about you give 6 to Gasol and 6 to Howard. They stay more involved. The team uses them more. Will it happen? Probably not, because of this whole "I eat first" mentality he has.

[Atticus Finch]

1. The problem didn't start for the Lakers when Jim Buss got here, it started over 20 years ago when Jerry Buss bought the Lakers and made them star focused over team focused.

2. Jerry Buss, Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak chose to compose a team headed by 3 Star Players and one Superstar and then piece together the bench.

3. Championship teams generally take 2-3 years to gel:

The Celtics in 2008 only brought in Allen and Garnett, everyone else played together. Most of the players on the Lakers haven't (new players, nash, howard, meeks, duhon, jamison)

3. I know we want to blame D'Antoni for everything going on but how much of this is the coaching staff? The only new one from Browns days is his brother, everybody else is holdovers, is the huge staff the problem?

4. David Stern wants parity over super teams as he looks at the NFL's model of parity and wants the same popularity making it hard on the Lakers. So yes, he nixed the Paul deal because it was good for the NBA and too good for the Lakers.

5. Kobe Bryant is greedy. He had a chose several years ago to take less money so that the team can bring in more players. Lebron, Wade, KG, Parker, Ginobli, Bosh, Garnett, Pierce, Allen all did this so they can win, why didn't Kobe the one who had the most championships of all these players? Same thing with Gasol, why didn't he take less money, he was overpaid before the new CBA.

6. The Lakers can still win it this year. It won't be easy but no one has the accumulated talent that this team has and if they can pull it together, they will be very hard to stop.

11 championships during that time, must be a good "problem" to have.

[Tymathee]

11 championships during that time, must be a good "problem" to have.

didn't say it was a problem then or even 2-3 years ago but now in this climate it is. There's just too much talent in the NBA, teams are 10 deep now, goin only 4-5 deep in quality players just dont seem to cut it.

[Donage587]

I think your last point will change if Dwight is out for the year