The summer of Dwight Howard finally came to a close, with Howard heading to Texas to lace up with James Harden to form a young and exciting duo for the Houston Rockets. The Lakers on the other hand are left to pick up the pieces after Howard's departure and are probably in shock that a marquee star left them in free agency. We all know what direction the Houston Rockets are heading, but where do the Lakers go from here?
It's hard to determine what the direction the Lakers are thinking of going, their bitter rivals on the East Coast, the Boston Celtics decided to tear down the team and start fresh after their Coach, Doc Rivers decided to come out west to LA's other team. The difference between the Celtics and Lakers right now is a number of things. For one, Boston has a front office that is smart and understands that there window for championships has closed. Secondly, they have a young core to build around; Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley, and Jeff Green. They are still young and will eventually develop into good, if not great players. The Lakers thought that Howard was their future, but he clearly had other plans that didn't involve staying in LA for a franchise that's now in limbo. And maybe the Lakers should look at there rivals for some kind of direction. Because maybe rebuilding now is an easier option, instead of building on the fly.
It's hard to sell the fans on rebuilding, but sometimes it is necessary. In sports, all good things must come to an end, the Lakers have had there time, and maybe hitting the restart button may not be so painful. The problem with pushing the restart button though, is that the Lakers, one of the most storied franchises in sports history have not had to do it in so long. After Magic Johnson retired in the early 90's, the Lakers were forced to hit the restart button, and closed the door on the "Showtime" era that produced five championships.
It took the Lakers a decade to win another title, but they had to go through the process, but during that process they netted Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, and legendary coach Phil Jackson. The Shaq and Kobe era produced three straight titles and labeled Shaq and Kobe as the best duo to grace the hardwood next to Jordan and Pippen, but the Lakers traded Shaq years later, and decided to rebuild the team around Kobe Bryant.
The Kobe lead Lakers have seen it's share of ups and downs, but this era has produced 2 more championships, with Phil Jackson at the helm of those titles as well. This era looks to be closing soon as well. Phil Jackson, Shaq, the Showtime Lakers are not coming through the door anytime soon. The quicker the Lakers realize that, the quicker they can decide what direction to go in. Do they go all in, trying desperately to help Kobe win his sixth ring? Or do they cut ties with everyone on the roster including Kobe, and build through the draft? It's a catch 22 at this point, but the team has to transition into a new era somehow. With or without Kobe.
The Lakers will have tons of cap space during the summer of 2014, where the free agent class is headlined by Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and Paul George. The Lakers could go after two of those guys and be back in contention with Kobe probably still on the team, but by 2017, the Lakers will be right back at the drawing board.
The problem with the current Lakers management is that they keep going after these stars that are older and past their prime. They don't want to rebuild and feel the bumps of the road, but in all honesty, the Lakers need a young star who is fresh and will give them at least 10 solid years, not someone who's a hired gun, who will only stick around for three years. The truth is the Lakers need to stop going after big names who are on the downside of their careers.
The Lakers best bet is to play out this up coming season in a competitive manner and hope that they can acquire a young marquee star. A young star who comes to mind is Paul George. George showed everyone including the Miami Heat that he is the next big thing. The Lakers also need to think about getting into the draft. They have not been involved in the draft for years, but that time is probably coming. The draft is a quick way to acquire young talent and can change the outlook for the franchise.
Making the Lakers franchise appealing again because right now, no one is going to play for the Lakers. Upper management is bringing down the franchise with there problems and stubbornness to appease their players, but the NBA is a players league, and without stars, there is no winning. When Lakers management gets it together, the Lakers brand will rise again.
The NBA has changed, the Lakers have seen the league transform from a big man driven league, to a point guard driven league. The Lakers are currently in limbo and if they as a franchise want out of this, then they have to make better decisions in order to be considered championship contenders again. The Lakers need to look at the big picture, and realize that rebuilding with the right players may not only help them win championships, but will restore the brand that is the Los Angeles Lakers. Peace...
The problem with the current Lakers management is that they keep going after these stars that are older and past their prime. They don't want to rebuild and feel the bumps of the road, but in all honesty, the Lakers need a young star who is fresh and will give them at least 10 solid years, not someone who's a hired gun, who will only stick around for three years. The truth is the Lakers need to stop going after big names who are on the downside of their careers.
The Lakers best bet is to play out this up coming season in a competitive manner and hope that they can acquire a young marquee star. A young star who comes to mind is Paul George. George showed everyone including the Miami Heat that he is the next big thing. The Lakers also need to think about getting into the draft. They have not been involved in the draft for years, but that time is probably coming. The draft is a quick way to acquire young talent and can change the outlook for the franchise.
Making the Lakers franchise appealing again because right now, no one is going to play for the Lakers. Upper management is bringing down the franchise with there problems and stubbornness to appease their players, but the NBA is a players league, and without stars, there is no winning. When Lakers management gets it together, the Lakers brand will rise again.
The NBA has changed, the Lakers have seen the league transform from a big man driven league, to a point guard driven league. The Lakers are currently in limbo and if they as a franchise want out of this, then they have to make better decisions in order to be considered championship contenders again. The Lakers need to look at the big picture, and realize that rebuilding with the right players may not only help them win championships, but will restore the brand that is the Los Angeles Lakers. Peace...
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