Rebirth of a Dynasty

“It was a challenge bigger than we could beat this year...It’s been a wonderful run.”

With these final words from Phil Jackson, it put a close to another era of championship basketball in Los Angeles. The signs were there, the end was coming, but this soon, no one could predict it. These Lakers were too talented, too experienced, too well-coached to not beat the Mavericks and the rest of the league on their way to a 3-peat. For all the haters, including myself, let's be honest, a bit of why we hated the Lakers was because we feared the Lakers. They have the best player on the planet, they had the best front court, and they had the Zen Master, the greatest to ever coach in the NBA.

That wasn't enough this time around. Too many egos, too much arrogance, too much inner conflict & lack of trust, not enough execution, and age finally caught up to this team. The biggest weaknesses of the Lakers were exposed by the Mavs, mixed with weak emotions, and lost motivation, leading to the embarrassing sweep witnessed Sunday. Just like 2004, the Lakers had the better team in the series, but didn't play like it. They were outplayed in every aspect of the game, and each player on the team had their personal flaws exposed. Pau Gasol (too soft), Derek Fisher (too old), and Ron Artest (worst player in the NBA) are some perfect examples. Steve Blake and Matt Barnes who were supposed to be excellent pick-ups backfired, and the consistent guys all season, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom played ok, but ended the year shamefully. Lastly of course is Kobe Bryant, and I can't really blame Kobe for this letdown, but with a chance to further his already great legacy and be Jordan-esque by leading his team back from a 3-0 deficit, I thought he would come through with some vintage Kobe. That Kobe didn't show and it seemed like he ran out of gas. All those playoff games, all those nights of putting the team on his shoulders finally caught up. Kobe couldn't do it anymore. The entire team had made its final impression, disorganized and in need of a change.

Laker nation seems to be in a state of panic because of their astonishing beat down and the abrupt end to their season, but they're actually not far from being contenders again next season. The roster needs an overhaul, a new coach needs to be hired, and a bit of Mitch Kupchak magic/cheating needs to take place in order for a contender to be in place next season. There is no way this team will drop off dramatically as long as Kobe Bryant remains on the roster, but there is a lot of work to do starting with:

1) Hiring the Right Guy: Before the Lakers can make any roster changes, they have to figure out who takes over for Phil Jackson. They have to figure out if they still want to run the triangle or do they head in a new direction. Do they want to be more uptempo? Do they want to be more defensive? Do they want an experienced coach or a fresh new face? The rumors of John Calipari and Coach K don't make sense to me if the team wants to stay as contenders. Jeff Van Gundy is another popular name, but he's being thrown around every team that needs a coach, and Nate McMillan is another coach who may be considered, but I believe is not a very good fit. A darkhorse candidate I think fit for the job would be current Minnesota Timberwolves' coach Kurt Rambis, who was Phil Jackson's top assistant before taking the job in Minnesota, but he'd have to be fired to be hired. Therefore the current front-runner and best fit to be Phil's successor is current assistant coach and former player, Brian Shaw. He'll continue to run the triangle and he'll bring the same demeanor of Phil similar to his playing style: calm, cool, and collective. Shaw's been Phil Jackson's assistant for the past few years now and he has Kobe's vote of confidence and I think he'd be an excellent coach.

2) Everyone but Kobe: While I do like the talent of the current team, the chemistry and characters of the players do not mesh well together. As of now, everyone can be moved on the team except for Kobe Bryant. The problem with changing this team though, is the lack of cap flexibility. Theo Ratliff and Joe Smith will be gone, and player options for Matt Barnes (most likely to accept) and Shannon Brown (Lakers need to have him accept) are the only other potential eliminators of contracts. Other than that, this team has everyone else under contract for a couple more seasons so they'll remain capped out. So where to begin reconstructing? I'll begin with the minor changes starting with: 

- Point Guard: Most be more athletic and younger and if Derek Fisher is to be back, he will have to accept a role as a back-up point guard. Steve Blake has not lived up to any expectations and if he can be moved, he should be moved. The free agency doesn't have too many appealing guards so I believe the draft would be the best place to find their next point guard. The only problem, the Lakers only have a 2nd round pick.

- Ron Artest: When Ron Artest signed with the Lakers I thought he would be a perfect fit. He was one of the better small forwards in the league and provided that "Dennis Rodman" edge that a soft Lakers team needed. The only problem was that Artest's tenure as a Laker has been terrible and he's been terrible. His crazy antics are inexcusable and ineffective and he has lost all offensive skill whatsoever. He needs to be traded immediately to any team that would be crazy enough to want him and the Lakers should take anyone offered with a contract less than 3 years. His perfect replacement, Tayshaun Prince. He's a long, excellent defender with championship experience and he has the ability to stretch the floor with his three-point shooting. He won't be costly and could be signed with a mid-level exception.

- Depth & 3-Point Shooting: The Lakers bench was outplayed immensely in the Mavericks series and was even outplayed in the first round by the Hornets. All season they had the best bench player in the league, Lamar Odom, but that was it. Shannon Brown disappeared after the first quarter of the season and I already mentioned Matt Barnes and Steve Blake's ineffectiveness. Their first task of course should be obtaining three-point shooting. Every team needs a Kyle Korver and call me crazy, but Sasha Vujacic returning would not be a bad idea. The Machine is feisty on defense and he can hit the three ball. A couple other options via free agency may be Jason Kapono, Daequan Cook (restricted FA), Anthony Parker, and the most intriguing pick-up to me could be Michael Redd. After filling the 3-point shooting void, the next task is beefing up the front court, starting with tough, bigs that offer 6 hard fouls. The Lakers have a soft interior and the easiest way to shake that persona is to acquire hard-nosed back up big men. Nzar Mohammed comes to mind, Reggie Evans will grab some boards and nuts, and why not bring back DJ Mbenga just for luck. Of course, the back up big men are just necessary for depth and toughness, but the biggest change will need to come with the starting front court of the Lake show and of course that leads to:  

 3) Superman Landing in Hollywood: This is the most important and crucial task for Kobe Bryant and Mitch Kupchak to accomplish this offseason, but if executed properly, will have the Lakers as the team to beat next year and possibly for many more seasons. Dwight Howard is the perfect player for Kobe to pass the torch to as his best games seem to be behind him and I can almost see a Laker team forming reminiscent to the dynasty of the early 2000s. Dwight can take on the same role as Shaq, having the offense run through him, and Kobe would become the second option with less pressure and work placed on him. Along with being the focal point of the offense, Dwight would be able to work with Kareem Abdul-Jabar to further his offensive skill, and if the triangle is executed correctly it may result in numerous MVP and championship trophies for Superman.

At the deadline, I mentioned this potential trade to a couple friends and they thought I was crazy, but with the Lakers' downfall and Dwight's future intentions known, this trade seems more and more likely. The Lakers possess the greatest trade pieces for the Magic and it's a pretty simple thing to do for the Lakers. If they play their cards correctly they can also come out of a trade with more than just Dwight Howard. It first begins with Kobe doing whatever it takes to lure and convince the big man into believing Socal is the place to be and not New York similar to the way Dwyane Wade persuaded Bosh and LeBron to head to South Beach. The Magic are already in a tight situation because they don't want to risk losing another franchise center at the peak of his career without getting anything in return. Therefore if Dwight is persuaded and wants to be in LA then the Magic are almost forced to oblige. The Magic could demand Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, and the entire Laker roster and as many future draft picks as they want, and if I am the Lakers they can have all of that except for Kobe. A multiple-team deal would seem most likely, but if it were just between the two teams, the most realistic deal I think that can be proposed would be Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Steve Blake, Shannon Brown (needs to accept opiton), and four future draft picks in return for Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, Brandon Bass, Ryan Anderson, Hedo Turkoglu, and Chris Duhon. Most likely there won't be just a trade between the two because I don't believe the Magic want to have both Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol on their roster, and I don't think the Lakers want Hedo Turkoglu's outrageous contract. However, if these are the guys that the Lakers acquire besides Dwight from Orlando, they can all contribute.

Jameer Nelson is a gritty point guard who has played his entire career with a chip on his shoulder and he would be a huge upgrade from Grandpa Fish. Brandon Bass will have one role which is grab rebounds and be as aggressive as possible. Hedo Turkoglu will continue to suck. Chris Duhon will be... Chris Duhon, and I think a huge X-factor will be Ryan Anderson. The reason I say that is because he can be "Big Shot Bob" for these potential new Lakers. He had a career year and he's a great shooter. If all goes according to plan, we could very well see a Lakers' roster next season like this:


Bench: Nzar Mohammed (FA), DJ Mbenga (FA), Reggie Evans (FA), Ryan Anderson (via Trade Orl), Matt Barnes (Returning), Luke Walton (Returning), Hedo Turkoglu (via Trade Orl), Sasha Vujacic (via sign & trade NJ - Ron Artest), Chris Duhon (via Trade Orl), Derek Fisher (Returning)

Starters: PG: Jameer Nelson (via Trade Orl), SG: Kobe Bryant (Returning), SF: Tayshaun Prince (via FA), PF: Brandon Bass (via Trade Orl), C: Dwight Howard (via Trade Orl)

With a rested and remotivated Kobe Bryant, a new beginning for Dwight Howard, and a revamped roster, the Lakers could very well be a dynasty again without any period of decline. While Phil Jackson rides off to Montana and the previous era of Laker basketball was laid to rest on Sunday. A brighter and better future may be rising in Tinsel Town and for the rest of the league, they should all be afraid, very afraid.