ducks
06-27-2004, 01:05 PM
It might be summer of Lakers' discontent
NBA
By SHAUN POWELL
Newsday
NEW YORK -- So which will be the team to watch closely this summer? Will it be the: (a) Yankees? (b) Mets? (c) Red Sox? (d) Democrats? (e) Republicans? How about the Lakers?
The opening of the 2004-05 NBA season is a few months in the distance. The pain and agony of losing the championship to the Pistons is a few weeks in the past. But right now, the Lakers are preparing to enter a blistering, humid and uncomfortable summer that will have major ramifications not only for them but the upper echelon of the NBA.
Amazing, isn't it, how much damage a bad week and a half can do? Remember, before the NBA Finals began, the Lakers were favorites to win their third title in the Shaquille O'Neal-Kobe Bryant era and were coming off series wins over the Spurs and Timberwolves. Had the Lakers beaten the Pistons, the forecast for July and August probably would have been much cooler.
But they lost the series, and look what happened. Ultimatums were given, morale dropped, sides were taken and uncertainty raged. And that was just the day after.
A few days after that, Phil Jackson quit as coach.
So in the same month, the Lakers went from dynasty to die nasty.
Hard as it is to believe, they might have a completely new look next season, and if the offseason is a complete wreck, a completely new outlook. It all depends, of course, on Shaq and Kobe, and whether one player stays in town and the other stays out of jail.
This we know for sure: Shaq and Kobe, one way or another, are headed for a breakup, which would be best for everybody.
Let's take each case separately.
Shaq is through trying to coexist with Bryant. It worked for three years when they won championships, but only titles could pacify these two. Winning did wonders to cover up the stench. Once the rings stopped coming, tension escalated. Now that he's done making bad movies, there's no reason for Shaq to stay in L.A. any longer.
"I'm going to do what's best for me," he said cryptically when the season ended.
Shaq can escape his contract after next season. The only way he doesn't is if he gets a contract extension, and that's not likely to happen for two reasons. One, there's no way the Lakers will pay $25 million a year to someone who'll be 34 when his current contract ends in two years and who doesn't stay in the best shape. Two, Lakers owner Jerry Buss already has made his decision: He'll take Kobe over Shaq.
He'll take Kobe because Bryant is six years younger. Kobe also makes free throws, which makes him more valuable than Shaq with two minutes left in a tight game.
The buzzards eyeing Shaq already have lined up, with Mark Cuban jumping to the head of the line. Shaq and the Mavericks' owner are mutual admirers, and Cuban seems willing to give Shaq the extension he wants. The Mavericks positioned themselves to get Shaq by trading to get Wisconsin point guard Devin Harris, the likely replacement for Steve Nash, who'd be part of any deal with the Lakers.
Getting Nash would allow the Lakers to take the ballhandling and passing duties away from Bryant and put them in the hands of a true point guard, something the Lakers haven't had since Kobe arrived. Add Dirk Nowitzki, and the Lakers would replace Shaq's scoring. But not his presence.
Of course, it will be a moot point if Bryant doesn't walk away from his sexual assault case a free man. The trial of the century in the NBA is now set to begin in late August, and it could be until mid-September before the Lakers know whether Kobe will be working 9-to-5 next season or doing 5-to-9.
On the assumption that he's found guilty, the Clippers suddenly would be the hot basketball ticket in L.A. On the assumption that he's found not guilty, the Lakers would be able to move on in a big way.
This happens only if Bryant, who has opted out of his contract and become a free agent, stays in town. The betting money says he will, because no team can pay him more than the Lakers. Still, there's a small chance Bryant will decide to start fresh and go to San Antonio, where he can team with Tim Duncan, or to Phoenix, where it's close enough to L.A. and the Suns can come close to the money he'd make with the Lakers. How does Kobe, Shawn Marion, Joe Johnson and Amare Stoudemire sound?
In any event, it sounds like a tough summer for the Lakers. After losing to the Pistons and losing Jackson, they're already off to a bad start.
www.southbendtribune.com/...summer.sto (http://www.southbendtribune.com/stories/2004/06/27/sports.20040627-sbt-MICH-C6-It_might_be_summer.sto)
NBA
By SHAUN POWELL
Newsday
NEW YORK -- So which will be the team to watch closely this summer? Will it be the: (a) Yankees? (b) Mets? (c) Red Sox? (d) Democrats? (e) Republicans? How about the Lakers?
The opening of the 2004-05 NBA season is a few months in the distance. The pain and agony of losing the championship to the Pistons is a few weeks in the past. But right now, the Lakers are preparing to enter a blistering, humid and uncomfortable summer that will have major ramifications not only for them but the upper echelon of the NBA.
Amazing, isn't it, how much damage a bad week and a half can do? Remember, before the NBA Finals began, the Lakers were favorites to win their third title in the Shaquille O'Neal-Kobe Bryant era and were coming off series wins over the Spurs and Timberwolves. Had the Lakers beaten the Pistons, the forecast for July and August probably would have been much cooler.
But they lost the series, and look what happened. Ultimatums were given, morale dropped, sides were taken and uncertainty raged. And that was just the day after.
A few days after that, Phil Jackson quit as coach.
So in the same month, the Lakers went from dynasty to die nasty.
Hard as it is to believe, they might have a completely new look next season, and if the offseason is a complete wreck, a completely new outlook. It all depends, of course, on Shaq and Kobe, and whether one player stays in town and the other stays out of jail.
This we know for sure: Shaq and Kobe, one way or another, are headed for a breakup, which would be best for everybody.
Let's take each case separately.
Shaq is through trying to coexist with Bryant. It worked for three years when they won championships, but only titles could pacify these two. Winning did wonders to cover up the stench. Once the rings stopped coming, tension escalated. Now that he's done making bad movies, there's no reason for Shaq to stay in L.A. any longer.
"I'm going to do what's best for me," he said cryptically when the season ended.
Shaq can escape his contract after next season. The only way he doesn't is if he gets a contract extension, and that's not likely to happen for two reasons. One, there's no way the Lakers will pay $25 million a year to someone who'll be 34 when his current contract ends in two years and who doesn't stay in the best shape. Two, Lakers owner Jerry Buss already has made his decision: He'll take Kobe over Shaq.
He'll take Kobe because Bryant is six years younger. Kobe also makes free throws, which makes him more valuable than Shaq with two minutes left in a tight game.
The buzzards eyeing Shaq already have lined up, with Mark Cuban jumping to the head of the line. Shaq and the Mavericks' owner are mutual admirers, and Cuban seems willing to give Shaq the extension he wants. The Mavericks positioned themselves to get Shaq by trading to get Wisconsin point guard Devin Harris, the likely replacement for Steve Nash, who'd be part of any deal with the Lakers.
Getting Nash would allow the Lakers to take the ballhandling and passing duties away from Bryant and put them in the hands of a true point guard, something the Lakers haven't had since Kobe arrived. Add Dirk Nowitzki, and the Lakers would replace Shaq's scoring. But not his presence.
Of course, it will be a moot point if Bryant doesn't walk away from his sexual assault case a free man. The trial of the century in the NBA is now set to begin in late August, and it could be until mid-September before the Lakers know whether Kobe will be working 9-to-5 next season or doing 5-to-9.
On the assumption that he's found guilty, the Clippers suddenly would be the hot basketball ticket in L.A. On the assumption that he's found not guilty, the Lakers would be able to move on in a big way.
This happens only if Bryant, who has opted out of his contract and become a free agent, stays in town. The betting money says he will, because no team can pay him more than the Lakers. Still, there's a small chance Bryant will decide to start fresh and go to San Antonio, where he can team with Tim Duncan, or to Phoenix, where it's close enough to L.A. and the Suns can come close to the money he'd make with the Lakers. How does Kobe, Shawn Marion, Joe Johnson and Amare Stoudemire sound?
In any event, it sounds like a tough summer for the Lakers. After losing to the Pistons and losing Jackson, they're already off to a bad start.
www.southbendtribune.com/...summer.sto (http://www.southbendtribune.com/stories/2004/06/27/sports.20040627-sbt-MICH-C6-It_might_be_summer.sto)