A ho-hum exit for the L.A Lakers last night, losing 119-110 to their burgeoning (and vastly superior) rival Phoenix. Series done in 5 games, no surprise. After all, for all the hoopla and national TV coverage and extra attention the Lakers get, don't forget that this was a 42 win team. Kobe played most of the year in the rarified air he alone can inhabit and only missed 5 games. Phil Jackson remains a titan in the coaching ranks. Great arena and facilities, great owner, great fan support, hefty payroll. So whats the problem? Why are they a .500 club and first round washout?
It's easy to point the finger at Kobe and he certainly deserves some of the blame. The best player in the league has a unique way of rubbing his teamates the wrong way; his competetive fire resmbles the great Michael Jordan, but his tightly-wound demeanor and hyper-sensitivity make him come off as not as cool of a guy as MJ and not nearly the natural leader. However, Kobe to me is the least culpible for the mediocrity in Los Angeles; what else could the guy reall do. Lamar Odom, for all the talent and all the hype, is not the All-Star caliber player that many claim him to be. He is simply too incosistent; All-Stars don't dissapear every 4 games. But he is a very good player, certainly capable of being a marquee player on a championship team.
But the real problem with the Lakers lies in their complimentary parts. Having Phil and Kobe associated with these guys is like having a world class chef working Taco Bell's ingredients; it's insulting to us and them and it is disgusting. Luke Walton, though a nice player, is a 6th man, not the 3rd man he masquerades as on the Lakers. Andrew Bynum? Great potential no doubt, but call me in two years when he's ready to play a consistent role. Smush Parker WILL be out of the NBA VERY soon. Jordan Farmar is the Kevin Federline of the NBA: a lot of flash, a lot of swagger, a few nice moments (hey, Britney was still A-list when K-Fed snagged her), but at the end of the day he is simply posing as a legitimate NBA player. And the rest of the motley crew? Lets play a little word association: Brian Cook-Soft, Chris Mihm-White Stiff, Vladamir Radmonovich-Imbosil, Ronny Turiaf-A lot of Hair and not much game, Shammond Williams-Pudgy, Kwame Brown-Clueless, Sasha Vujajic-No Talent.
The Bottom Line: Somebody PLEASE give Phil Jackson a medal for actually making these scrubs look decent at times this year. And maybe a few rolaids tablets and a couple of weeks in the Carribean to make him forget that he, the greatest coach of his generation, actually coached them.
It's easy to point the finger at Kobe and he certainly deserves some of the blame. The best player in the league has a unique way of rubbing his teamates the wrong way; his competetive fire resmbles the great Michael Jordan, but his tightly-wound demeanor and hyper-sensitivity make him come off as not as cool of a guy as MJ and not nearly the natural leader. However, Kobe to me is the least culpible for the mediocrity in Los Angeles; what else could the guy reall do. Lamar Odom, for all the talent and all the hype, is not the All-Star caliber player that many claim him to be. He is simply too incosistent; All-Stars don't dissapear every 4 games. But he is a very good player, certainly capable of being a marquee player on a championship team.
But the real problem with the Lakers lies in their complimentary parts. Having Phil and Kobe associated with these guys is like having a world class chef working Taco Bell's ingredients; it's insulting to us and them and it is disgusting. Luke Walton, though a nice player, is a 6th man, not the 3rd man he masquerades as on the Lakers. Andrew Bynum? Great potential no doubt, but call me in two years when he's ready to play a consistent role. Smush Parker WILL be out of the NBA VERY soon. Jordan Farmar is the Kevin Federline of the NBA: a lot of flash, a lot of swagger, a few nice moments (hey, Britney was still A-list when K-Fed snagged her), but at the end of the day he is simply posing as a legitimate NBA player. And the rest of the motley crew? Lets play a little word association: Brian Cook-Soft, Chris Mihm-White Stiff, Vladamir Radmonovich-Imbosil, Ronny Turiaf-A lot of Hair and not much game, Shammond Williams-Pudgy, Kwame Brown-Clueless, Sasha Vujajic-No Talent.
The Bottom Line: Somebody PLEASE give Phil Jackson a medal for actually making these scrubs look decent at times this year. And maybe a few rolaids tablets and a couple of weeks in the Carribean to make him forget that he, the greatest coach of his generation, actually coached them.
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