16 READER COLUMNISTS REMAIN.

Were the Lakers insane for drafting a 17-year-old center with their first pick last season? Is moving Luke Walton to point guard the solution in Phil Jackson's triangle offense? Is Smush Parker the next Scottie Pippen?

We asked for your views on the Lakers, Clippers and the NBA, and many of you delivered on these topics as well as many, many more. We received more than 140 entries for our Write On: Laker Columnists Wanted reader competition, and have narrowed the field to 16 well-deserving finalists.

The Sweet 16 - from all over Southern California, and one from Corpus Christi, Texas - now will compete over the next seven weeks to determine the finest columnist among our readers.

Finalists have been paired up and placed in one of four groups, a la an NCAA Tournament bracket. Each group will then write on an assigned topic once over the next four weeks, with entries reviewed by our four judges and by readers online. The entries will run Sundays in the Daily News with judges comments and voting results. The winner earns a credential to a Lakers home game later this season and a live writing assignment.

The winning 16 entries can be found on Pages 6-7, and every entry we reviewed can be found at dailynews.com. If you were not one of the chosen few, we appreciate and applaud your efforts. You just might get another chance come baseball season.