Are the Lakers one and done Championship Team?

[Clutch City 01]

what do yall think?

[Ghazi]

Who knows

[Amuseddaysleeper]

The Lakers will lose either Ariza or Odom this offseason.

So the answer is yes.

[kamikazi_player]

The Lakers will lose either Ariza or Odom this offseason.

So the answer is yes.
+1, they cannot afford them both.

[KSeal]

If they resign Lamar, no, if they let Lamar walk to keep Ariza and put trust in Bynum. Then they will never win a championship again (if they win this one). Bynum, if he can stay healthy and play up to his potential then the Lakers are good to go but I think we all know that won't happen. He'll probably get hurt again, miss two months, then come back and just be slow and suck and pick up 2 fouls in the first minute of every game like he is right now. But if that happens, there is no Lamar to bail us out, just Ariza out there scoring 10 points.

[DrHouse]

Tough to say.

IMHO they have to re-sign Odom and Ariza. I don't think Ariza will take less than the MLE and I'm pretty sure nobody is going to throw big money at Odom with the 2010 offseason coming up. They could easily re-sign both if Odom is willing to take the paycut to stay in LA, which he has indicated he will do.

If the Lakers can keep their core then I think they will only get better as a team next season. Kobe, Gasol, Odom are all in their primes. Ariza is improving, Brown is improving, Bynum is improving. If Bynum really takes off then forget it, he will be the piece that keeps them at the top for some time to come.

[Gino]

Ariza is secondary. If they lose Odom and keep Ariza theyre still DONE.

No way anyone on that team will be able to compensate with all the big plays he's capable of.

[kamikazi_player]

Ariza is secondary. If they lose Odom and keep Ariza theyre still DONE.

No way anyone on that team will be able to compensate with all the big plays he's capable of.
I wouldn't mind getting Ariza on the Spurs this offseason :)

[KSeal]

Ariza is secondary. If they lose Odom and keep Ariza theyre still DONE.

No way anyone on that team will be able to compensate with all the big plays he's capable of.

I agree, I keep going back and forth on this cause both Lamar and Ariza have been so inconsistent this post season but I agree. If Lamar walks the Lakers won't even get back to the finals again. Ariza is nice but not nice enough to keep over Lamar.

[Gino]

I wouldn't mind getting Ariza on the Spurs this offseason :)

Oh he's definitely a good player, but Odom is a Danny Manning type player who's capable of making huge plays.

The problem is he only shows up half the time.

I doubt the Lakers will be able to keep him. Not with revenue decreasing by 10% and the Lakers already well over the current luxury tax threshold for next year without him (thank you BYNUM!!!!).

[dbtbandit67]

Their not going to win another one without Phil Jackson.

[bostonguy]

The Lakers will lose either Ariza or Odom this offseason.

So the answer is yes.

Um I am sure they have a great chance at keeping both Odom/Ariza especially if they win it all. Jerry Buss isnt cheap. Odom accepted a bench role during his contract year and he said he would take a paycut to remain a Laker. Ariza is from LA and fits that team really well. Both are critical to keep and Buss will pay up to make this necessary. Plus this is the wrong summer to be a FA. Very few teams are going to blow their load on Odom/Ariza. They are either saving up for summer 2010 or wanting to shed salary due to the economy. This is the Lakers we are talking about. No way they let either one of them leave unless they happen to get someone better via trade.

[DrHouse]

Who is going to blow their wad on Odom with the 2010 offseason coming up?

He's 30 years old and arguably at the peak of his career.

[Clutch City 01]

Most free agents say they'd take necessary paycuts just to stay w/ their current teams but when the time comes it's a different story so it's still remained to be seen. but i doubt they can afford to keep both Odom AND ariza.

I wouldn't mind either one of em' join the rockets though! :toast

[kamikazi_player]

Um I am sure they have a great chance at keeping both Odom/Ariza especially if they win it all. Jerry Buss isnt cheap. Odom accepted a bench role during his contract year and he said he would take a paycut to remain a Laker. Ariza is from LA and fits that team really well. Both are critical to keep and Buss will pay up to make this necessary. Plus this is the wrong summer to be a FA. Very few teams are going to blow their load on Odom/Ariza. They are either saving up for summer 2010 or wanting to shed salary due to the economy. This is the Lakers we are talking about. No way they let either one of them leave unless they happen to get someone better via trade.
But they spent so much money on Bynum and Vujacic. Already having big salary players, Kobe and Gasol. this is going to be tough for the Lakers this offseason, if they can pull it off, i will be surprised.

[DrHouse]

How do any of you know what Buss will do?

When in his career has he ever not paid the money for a legit championship team? He is not Rob Sarver for crying out loud :lmao

[bostonguy]

But they spent so much money on Bynum and Vujacic. Already having big salary players, Kobe and Gasol. this is going to be tough for the Lakers this offseason, if they can pull it off, i will be surprised.

Sasha's deal ends in 2 years. Plus Buss is an owner willing to spend to keep a championship team in tact. He will do just about everything he can to keep this team together. The Lakers organization makes a shitload of money so it will cancel out the luxary tax. I'd be shocked if Buss holds back and allows one of them to leave.

[Showtime24 LAKERS]

Ariza is a must in my book, even if we have to get rid of Lamar simply because of his (Ariza's) age and projected improvment. Drew should be huge for us next year (knock on knee injury wood) so losing Lamar won't be as bad as it would normally seem if Drew were not waiting in the wings.

I would want to keep both if I had my druthers but in the end it will be up to how much Buss wants to pay over the cap (or how much less Lamar is willing to take to stay). I don't see any way around it. The huge contract given Luke will still be biting us till it runs out, even though he has played better in the last few games, he still aint worth the scratch he's getting and it should have gone to Lamar or someone else. That was a mistake that Mitch..and Laker fans...may pay for a while yet.

[DeadlyDynasty]

All depends on the health and development of Andrew Bynum

[dirk4mvp]

Vujacic for OJ The Juiceman, it's all good again.

[IronMexican]

It's on the shoulders of DJ Mbenga. Soon to be 2 time NBA Champion. If the Lakers re-sign him, I don't see them losing in the 2010's.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Um I am sure they have a great chance at keeping both Odom/Ariza especially if they win it all. Jerry Buss isnt cheap. Odom accepted a bench role during his contract year and he said he would take a paycut to remain a Laker. Ariza is from LA and fits that team really well. Both are critical to keep and Buss will pay up to make this necessary. Plus this is the wrong summer to be a FA. Very few teams are going to blow their load on Odom/Ariza. They are either saving up for summer 2010 or wanting to shed salary due to the economy. This is the Lakers we are talking about. No way they let either one of them leave unless they happen to get someone better via trade.


Jerry Bust isn't cheap at all but he's not going to go insane either at trying keep Odom and Ariza intact. While owners have been cutting back on their spending, Odom is definitely going to try to feel what the market can offer. I think there's a better chance that either Odom or Ariza signs elsewhere for more money, than having both stay.

[tlongII]

With the Blazers ascent the Lakers have no chance to win the West again.

[DPG21920]

I wonder who would win in a battle of the basketball minds, DrHouse or tlongII?

[j-money24]

IMO, the only way the Lakers repeat is if they do some changes with the roster.

[21_Blessings]

Back to back, easy, at least. From there? Who knows.

[DPG21920]

They are so far ahead of everyone talent wise, they will be in the mix if they remain even remotely healthy. Because of the Gasol trade all of the other teams are playing catch up.

Could it get harder if other teams make significant moves? Of course, but the Lakers are comfortably in the lead talent wise.

[j-money24]

I think by next year, portland will be the most talented team.

[DPG21920]

I think by next year, portland will be the most talented team.

How so?

[tlongII]

How so?

If Jerryd Bayless progresses like I think he will you will see how so.

[DPG21920]

If Jerryd Bayless progresses like I think he will you will see how so.

They need a point guard and a center.

[MambaJuice2408]

If they sign both they absolutely repeat.

It sucks to think that Vujacic+Waltons contracts are likely gonna cost us either Brown, Ariza, or Odom. Seeing as how I think their all top 6 players on the roster.

[iggypop123]

depends what artest does. he can go make a contender really good. if he stays in houston nothing changes they are pretender trying to win

[Ghazi]

I highly doubt Artest switching teams would have a drastic effect on the power balance of the NBA.

Dude's not THAT good.

[IronMexican]

If there is anyone who would pay for both Ariza and Odom, it's Buss.

[Allanon]

Adam Morrison's contract comes off the books the following year. Buss will just have to suck it up and pay the huge money to keep Ariza/Odom for 1 year, after which Morrison and Fisher drop off the salary...that's a $10 million savings.

[21_Blessings]

That and the CBA is expiring in a couple of years. So the luxury tax and salary cap could see some drastic changes.

[Jacob1983]

It's possible that the Lakers could repeat as NBA champs if they win the championship. The Nuggets are probably going to tail off next season and the Spurs will probably be healthy but they will still be a little older. The Hornets and Jazz are going down fast. The Blazers and Rockets will probably improve. I'm not sure about the Mavs or Suns. Technically. you could say that the Lakers aren't a one and done championship team because they've made back-to-back trips to the Finals.