Lakers are a dumpster fire

"I still think the Lakers will make the playoffs and hopefully make a good run, but to keep the same mentality to keep hyping Kobe and letting him take the volume of shots that he has with those many TO, then why not just be truthful to the organization and it's fan base, it's about getting Kobe his points and closer to Kareem's record and not championships.  "

If you think that this Lakers trainwreck is still heading to the playoffs then you are delusional. There are 40 games left and the Lakers will need to go 24-16 just to get to .500. Does anyone really think this mess is going to go 24-16 the rest of the way? REALISTICALLY? Not CAN they, but WILL they?

They cannot play defense becuase they are too old. Kobe is your best offensive player and your best defensive play, but he cannot be BOTH at the same time because he is too old. If he plays hard defense, his legs get tired and he can't score. If he plays hard offensively, he is not focused on getting back and gets torched by guys taking him to the rack. Nash is TERRIBLE defensively. Everyone was OK with that be cause the Lakers have Howard back there to "clean up Nash's mistakes". Well, Howard has mentally checked out. He is coming up with lame injuiries to get out of the lineup and the blame just like he did in Orlando. He is mentally weak and cannot function with a stronger personality like Kobe telling him what to do.

Gasol doesn't have any idea what he is supposed to be doing out there. MWP is old and a shell of his former defensive self. The list goes on and on. This team is not going to finish the year 24-16. 16-24 is more likely. They have two more games vs. the Clippers, two vs. OKC, 1 vs. SA, 1 vs. Memphis, 1 vs. Miami, 2 vs. Golden State, 1 vs. Brooklyn, 1 vs. Chicago. They will have their hands full getting to .500 and .500 rarely makes the playoffs in the western conference.

And IF they manage to pull it off, what exactly do you consider a "good run"? They will get either OKC or San Antonio in the first round. You seriously think they beat one of these teams in a series? Seriously? Cause I don't think many people would call winning one or two games in a first round loss a "good run".

No doubt, they will not make the playoffs as assembled.  Absolutely no way.

After the Lakers fired Mike Brown,I said new Buss was a joke and ruining the team. Lakers fans trashed me saying, point blank, they were entitled and would just find a way to figure it out. Well....

I hope the Lakers are smart enough to keep Howard.  If they trade him I think they are going to regret it like they may regret trading Bynum if he comes back and can play for 5-7 more years at a high level.  This is all very interesting to me how everything turns out.

Trading Dwight Howard would mean the team is starting all over and, quite frankly, that may be what they need to do.

Starting all over with what?  Kobe needs another ring to tie Jordan.  I would like to see him get the chance to go for it.  They trade Howard and they are probaly never going to get to the WCF's again until Kobe comes off the books.

Laker fans.........the biggest problem on your team is not Kobe Bryant or Dwight Howard. It's Mike D'Antoni. Mike Brown never had the taem looking this pathetic , and he can't coach. Why is Pau Gasol setting up for jumpers and not in the post ? Why isn't Howard featured in the post ? Because his system isn't built fot it. It's a run run offense with little or no attention to defense. Just look at all the 30+ quarters they give up. The man knows one way to coach and WILL NOT change. This is no way to send an NBA legend to retirement. I often wonder is he just trying to get fired like he did with the Knicks. They need a slow down half court offense like what the Spurs and Celtics run. Even Steve Nash looks like he needs to slow it down. the starting backcourt is in their mid to late 30's.

Kobe's only chance to tie Jordan for rings is to go to Miami after next season when his contract expires.  Kobe needs to pull a Ray Allen and latch onto a winner.  He can't carry a team to the title anymore.

Kobricka still wants to be the man. No wY he would want to go anywhere. But thats fine coz it ensures that the fakers lose. More important than taking a paycut is kobelina deferring. Even with all these team meetings he doesnt do that. Kobrina needs to shut his ryaper mouth in meetings and let everybody else talks. The fakers keep pointing at his five rings. Well those were just given to him by the elite seven footers. Nobody else had that luck or luxury. Point me a champion who did not have the top center or power forward. Jordan never had one. Dont give me pippen because he is not elite. Tim Duncan himself is a top big man but he also went against shaq in his early championship run. Koberita never had to match up with an elite player. Cant say the same w jordan and malone or even lebron with durant. So enough of kobellas sgupid personality. Retire that cancer now. Or perpetuate losing. 

What do you mean you want to see Kobe get another shot at it? The team is $30 million over the cap and bought him a team of All-Stars this season and they're seven games under .500. They gave him a shot...

GoPelicans21 (you need to change your name soon to go with you av.)

Not sure if your referencing me in your post.  i know they gave Kobe a chance.  If he can't even come close with the team they have assembled now, then there is no collection of players they can put around him that is going to help him win.  I hope this year continues in the near future and it destroys his legacy and shows it for what it was, Kobe riding the coattails of better teammates. 

 I hope this year continues in the near future and it destroys his legacy and shows it for what it was, Kobe riding the coattails of better teammates.

Really? That's all he has done his whole career? And here I thought that he was actually an important piece to the five championships he has won.

Everyone needs help.  Bird had McHale and Parrish.  Magic had Kareem and Worthy.  Jordan had Pippen.  Kobe had Shaq then Gasol and Odom. Yes, he has been a key cog in all of those championships, but they won when others contributed significantly.  Kobe has taken it upon himself to be a ball hog because he doesn't trust his teammates.  He is too old to carry the load.  Even if he wasn't, LeBron couldn't do it by himself in Cleveland either (although he came close).

What do you mean you want to see Kobe get another shot at it? The team is $30 million over the cap and bought him a team of All-Stars this season and they're seven games under .500. They gave him a shot...


If you were talking to me, I want to see them work out their differences because this is probably Kobes best chance to go to the Finals. if Howard leaves or they trade him its not going to happen unless the Lakers take a big bite on the azz and go into the luxury tax to pay another superstar to come to LA.

Everyone needs help.

Exactly, so why make the statement that he was riding the coattails of his teammates? No one says that about the other names you just posted.

Yes, he has been a key cog in all of those championships, but they won when others contributed significantly.

So Kobe also didn't contribute significantly when they won? People sure love marginalizing Kobe's career.

You're missing my point that Kobe is the primary reason this team is struggling.  He refuses to delegate and still thinks he is 27 and can take over a game.  He can't.  He has great pieces around him and they are just bystanders to the Kobe pop-a-shot marathon.

Really? That's all he has done his whole career? And here I thought that he was actually an important piece to the five championships he has won.

Thats a lot different than saying he was thee piece.  Of course he is not Robert Horry but when you look at the dominant big men he was lucky enough to play with....  When I look at Jordan he was the man and number 1 option for all of his rings.  Thats not even up for debate.  Bird and Magic basically the same thing. Shaq was the man and Finals MVP for 3 of Kobes rings.  Gasol saved Kobe for 1 of his rings.  Kobe does have a history of riding big mens coat tails.  Thats why he has 5 rings.  Not because he is so great.

Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing and Chrles Barkley have 0 rings.  They were elite players.  It just didn't pan out for them.  If Kobe didn't have the help around him, he could easily be ringless too.

Shaq was definitely the dominant player and best on the team, but Kobe also contributed significantly to those first three titles. I'd hardly call what he did riding coattails. They were an amazing 1-2 punch to watch.

Let's be real about Boston in 2010. Everyone will bring up Kobe shooting 25% in game 7 then claim he was lucky to have Gasol there. No one will mention though that practically everyone, including Gasol, shot horribly that game. Gasol shot 37.5%, which was well below his playoff average that season. With the exception of Fisher, no one on the Lakers shot above 39%.

Yes, we've established that players need other player's help to win championships. Why is it though that Kobe's career gets severly marginalized compared to others? When he wins a title it's because he is riding the coattails of his teammates. When the Lakers struggle, it is all on Kobe. Little credit, all the blame.