The Lakers have been to the finals for three straight years, winning the last two championships but were unpredictably swept by a very deep Mavericks squad.
Besides the inconsistencies on the defensive side of the ball, the Lakers were pathetic on offense. The bigs were outplayed, and the coaching staff was simply out-coached by Carlisle and Co.
Then to top it off, Bynum runs to the media and states the Lakers have "trust issues." There were rumors about Pau Gasol's love life and how it affected his play. When the rumors began dying down, Shannon had to tweet his lack of involvement with Gasol's girlfriend (for some reason).
There was a bunch of drama in La La land this season and while many would blame a lost season on the team's lack of motivation or fatigue, the Lakers lost because they weren't the better squad. The Mavericks had the better roster (and this was without Caron Butler) and were the more hungrier team.
Some analysts believe this team needs a complete overhaul (hello Magic) but Laker fans understand that a bit of tweaking should right the ship. The Lakers need an infusion of youth and athleticism to pair with that veteran core. The bench needs major tweaking as well.
If major changes do occur, it may be at the point guard and center position. Derek Fisher has proven to be effective in big time moments but the negatives far outweigh the positives at this point in his career.
He's far too slow on the defensive end and is unreliable as an outside shooter. Andrew Bynum on the other hand had a breakout season this year. Statistically, it wasn't a great season but he became a consistent force on the defensive end (excluding that Mavericks series).
Bynum is the Lakers greatest trading chip and if LA plays their cards right, the...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
