It's hard to blame the two franchises. With the players each team has, they always think they have a chance. The Lakers have Kobe Bryant while the Celtics have Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
I believe the Los Angeles Lakers are doing it correctly, although it's come with some risks. Kobe is still on the team, yes, but the Lakers pulled off a trade that brought them another superstar in Dwight Howard.
Granted, Howard is a free agent after this season, but he is the franchise player in waiting should he re-sign with the team. It'll make the transition a little easier for the Lakers they'll still always be in contention for a title.
The Lakers are simply reloading and the dynasty-building hasn't exactly cost them. Yes, they are scratching for a playoff spot this year, but I don't think it's because of the mindset of the front office.
We're still all surprised they're out of the playoffs at the moment and we didn't foresee the team having a multitude of injuries. Steve Nash, Pau Gasol, Jordan Hill, Steve Blake and Metta World Peace have all missed significant time while Kobe and Howard have been banged up as well. It's ridiculous.
As for the Celtics, they've defied the odds in the postseason. Every year Boston had been rumored to break the team up but, because of what they had done the season before, for whatever reason they end up keeping the team as-is.
This feels like a repeat of the late 80s Celtics when they held on to Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish too long (though Len Bias, the No. 2 overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft, died two days after the event and was supposed to be their next franchise player).
Not many expected the Celtics to go to the Finals in 2010 (when they faced the Lakers). So when they kept the team in 2011, it was tough to blame th...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
