I’d love to discuss how Kobe Bryant is turning his daughter into, as Ludacris so delicately put it, “A lady in the street but a freak in the bed” (his daughter loves dancing like Shakira, but he tells her she can only do that at home, not in public), but I want to look back at what the Lakers have done since losing to the Pistons in 2004 to see if they are rebuilding, as Phil Jackson was allegedly told, or if they are trying to compete for a championship, as Kobe Bryant was told.
REBUILDING:
Firing/departure of Phil Jackson - he never has shown the knack for developing young players
Trading of Shaquille O’Neal - got much younger with Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, and a future #1
Derek Fisher, Karl Malone, Rick Fox, and Gary Payton - all left the team in some way (trade, retirement, via free agency, etc.)
COMPETING FOR CHAMPIONSHIP:
Re-signed Kobe Bryant
Traded for Chucky Atkins
Signed Vlade Divac
Added Rudy Tomjanovich as coach
Then the Lakers went 34-48, Rudy Tomjanovich left the team and Frank Hamblen took over for the last 39 games.
REBUILDING:
17 year-old Andrew Bynum was drafted
Brian Grant was waived
Vlade Divac retired
COMPETING FOR CHAMPIONSHIP:
Smush Parker, Aaron McKie, and Jim Jackson (during season) were signed
Luke Walton was re-signed
Phil Jackson brought back as Coach
I’m not sure where to put the Kwame Brown/Caron Butler trade on this list. It was just a bad move, although Caron did not play even close to All-Star level with the Lakers and with Kobe there he might never have. Anyway, the team went 45-37 and was up 3-1 on the Suns before self-destructing in the 1st Round of the Playoffs.
REBUILDING:
Drafted Jordan Farmar
Didn’t trade away Andrew Bynum during the season
COMPETING FOR CHAMPIONSHIP:
Traded for Maurice Evans
Signed Vladimir Radmanovic to the mid-level
They finished 42-40 and lost to the Suns, again, in the 1st Round of the Playoffs.
Just looking at that, it is clear to me what kind of plan the Lakers have instituted since 2004: NONE.
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