IS NEW LOOK GOOD FOR LAKERS? NO: THIS WILL BE ONE UGLY SEASON.Byline: STEVE DILBECK Yeah, now that was necessary. Get ready for some seriously unsightly basketball, that is if you can bear to watch. They broke up that old gang of ours, fractured by children posing as adults and poor decisions and a march of time that could have been held off. Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal (pronounced "shak-KEEL") (born March 6, 1972 in Newark, New Jersey), frequently referred to simply as Shaq, is an American professional basketball player, generally regarded as one of the most dominant in the National Basketball Association (NBA). is gone, left posing for the cover of Sports Illustrated Sports Illustrated is the largest weekly American sports magazine owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. It has over 3 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men, 19% of the adult males in the country. as a slimmed-down force for the Miami Heat The Miami Heat (known as the HEAT [in all capital letters] on official team publications) are a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. They play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). . Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant (born July 23 1978) is an American All-Star shooting guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA) who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. has apparently received all he wanted, save for a certain high-profile college coach. And the result will be a Lakers team struggling to simply make the playoffs. What a comedown come·down n. 1. A decline to a lower status or level. 2. a. A feeling of disappointment or depression. b. A cause of disappointment or depression. . What unmitigated un·mit·i·gat·ed adj. 1. Not diminished or moderated in intensity or severity; unrelieved: unmitigated suffering. 2. disaster. Shaq is gone, taking with him any hope of a Lakers championship this year or in the foreseeable future. It is all about Kobe now, and that is not all good. Kobe remains the greatest all-around player in the game. A truly special talent, driven to succeed. Combined with Shaq, the NBA's most dominant player, the Lakers won three consecutive titles and made four appearances in the Finals in five years. It was a special time and deserved a longer run. A run it should have received. For all the exaggerated melodrama that always surrounded the Lakers, they won. Kobe and Shaq butted heads and egos, but they won. Last year they lost to a better overall team in the Pistons, one with then-unrecognized talent, that was deeper and healthier. Yet if Karl Malone abbr. 1. National Basketball Association 2. National Boxing Association NBA (US) n abbr (= National Basketball Association) → Basketball-Dachverband (= champions. Because they fell short in the playoffs isn't reason to think the wheels came off, to suddenly undergo a major overhaul that has left the Lakers with a mishmash mish·mash n. A collection or mixture of unrelated things; a hodgepodge. [Middle English misse-masche, probably reduplication of mash, soft mixture; see mash. of talent that is either old or simply doesn't fit. But Shaq wanted out, or so he said, and asked for a trade. To which owner Jerry Buss Dr. Gerald Hatten “Jerry” Buss (born in 1934) is an American professional basketball team owner, former real estate developer, and poker player. Early life Raised near Kemmerer, Wyoming, Buss earned a B.S. and general manager Mitch Kupchak quickly, rather amazingly, acquiesced, shipping him to the Heat for Lamar Odom, Brian Grant and Caron Butler, an absolutely dismal trade. And it didn't have to happen. It should not have happened. Players demand trades all the time. But they're not the owner and GM of the team. It's not up to them. Vince Carter wants a trade. Peja Stojakovic wants a trade. Jason Kidd and Baron Davis have barked about trades. None have been moved. They have contracts and have to honor them, same as Shaq. Maybe they will yet be dealt, but hopefully without as much pressure, and when their clubs decide the optimum deal is in place. The Lakers should have told Shaq he was a Laker and was going to remain one. Go suit up. So maybe he doesn't shed all those pounds, he has too much pride not to play hard. And maybe, probably even likely, he does leave as a free agent at the end of the season and the Lakers get nothing in return but cap room. But maybe he doesn't. Maybe he and Kobe get this weird attack of adultness. Or more possibly, they win another title together and realize they can still make this work. It's worth it. We'll never know, because that possibility was eliminated when they succumbed to Shaq and sent him to the other coast, where he instantly made the Heat a power. So Phil Jackson could no longer handle Kobe and had to leave, off on his whirlwind tour of disappointing self-promotion. Shaq could have played for Rudy Tomjanovich and probably would have thrived. Players love playing for Rudy T. The scenario deserved a chance. Lakers fans deserved a chance to watch it play out. Instead, they have Bryant and the Kobe-etts ... and hope they can edge the Jazz for that final playoff spot. Odom is a true talent, if one hard to specify. He is out on the wing in this offense, looking lost. Grant is 32 with 52-year-old knees. Butler is a tweener Tweener can refer to:
Vlade Divac, at 36, is slowing down and possibly injury-prone. Chucky Atkins is the point guard? It was all unnecessary. Get ready for your new Lakers. It won't be pretty. |
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