How to Fix the Lakers

Kobe Bryant might be right about some of the Lakers issues. Mike D'Antoni is part of the problem, but many write off the Lakers because of Kobe being injured. Kobe Bryant would not have helped the Lakers win that many more games because the Lakers did not defend the paint and did not attack the paint on the offensive end. Successful basketball comes from making closer baslets than your opponent.

When the Lakers have won in the past, it was not due to Kobe Bryant making all of his shots. The Lakers won because they had an big man that demanded attention by the other teams defense which opened shooting opportunities for others. Kareem, Shaq, and Pau Gasol all demanded defensive attention because they could score whenever they touched the basketball. Not only could they score, they could defend the paint without fouling out.

Some might want to doubt this philosophy because Jordan did it without a dominant center. Jordan played great defense all the time he was on the court which meant that it was rare that he got beat. Therefore he didn't need a dominant defensive center, just a big guy. A great offensive center wasn't required for Jordan either because Jordan would beat his man to the hoop whenever he wanted and demanded help on defense which opened up teammates for open shots.

So Kobe is right if he says that Mike D'Antoni is not good for the Lakers success as D'Antoni is an offensive minded coach. What is also not good for the success of the Lakers is signing a huge extension to an aging Kobe Bryant who has not played consistent good defense when healthy, who has also been injured for many of the last 5 years and who has cost the Lakers from having cap room to sign healthy free agents. I am not a Kobe hater, but he must understand that the team will continue with or without him and the team must begin to rebuild for the future whether Kobe can last that long or not. It is too bad if he doesn't agree with what management does with the team until he becomes a owner himself like Mike. "If I could be like Mike."

Trading Steve Blake for younger more athletic players was moving the Lakers to the future. Letting Pau Gasol go as a free agent might not be favorable in Kobe's mind, but it is a business that the Lakers run, not a Kobe friend club. Go join the YMCA for that. Brian Kelly appears ready to fill Gasol's role and Kevin Love coming over to the Lakers would put them in contention immediately.