Injuries were a problem, especially for those four core players. And so was coaching.
When Mike Brown was fired after a 1-4 start, a path was cleared that would've allowed Phil Jackson to return to L.A. However, the Lakers inexplicably hired Mike D'Antoni as their head coach instead.
D'Antoni is a good coach, but his run-and-gun offense simply didn't fit Los Angeles' 2013 roster. Howard and Gasol, two elite big men in the prime of their careers, took a combined 1,486 shots last season. Bryant alone took 1,580.
And that's not the Mamba's fault.
Because of L.A.'s lack of chemistry and inconsistent game plan under D'Antoni, Bryant simply did what he knew how to do, which was carry the team. There were times when he was the point guard, and there were games where he was launching 30 shots.
He dragged his team into the playoffs but fell victim to a torn Achilles with two games left in the regular season. Needless to say, the San Antonio Spurs ran right over Los Angeles in the first round with a clean sweep.
With D12 gone—he supposedly didn't want to play for D'Antoni and alongside Bryant anymore, per Ric Bucher of Comcast SportsNet—the 2014 Lakers are going to look a lot different.
New acquisitions Nick Young and Wesley Johnson are upgrades over Antawn Jamison and Metta World Peace on the wing, and Jordan Farmar will make an impact running the point.
Although the team will sorely miss Howard, Chris Kaman—who was signed after D12 decided he wanted to be a member of the Houston Rockets—is actually a better fit for the roster. The Caveman is projected by Basketball-Refe...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
