Kobe Bryant against wholesale changes after the playoff debacle
The Los Angeles Lakers post season came to an end with a crushing defeat at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks. In what was the final year for legendary coach Phil Jackson, the Lakers bowed out on the wrong end of a sweep by the mighty Mavs.
The poor performance by the two time defending champions has drawn a lot of flak from fans and pundits alike, and with Phil Jackson retiring, there has been speculation that the team will be broken up and the roster will see wholesale changes before next season.
There have also been issues surrounding the players that have caused a stir recently. It was claimed that Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol were not on good terms, stemming from some problems between Pau’s girlfriend and Kobe’s wife. Andrew Bynum also made noises about the lack of offensive opportunities he gets on the team. It has all added up to the media painting a doomsday picture of the Staples Center.
Addressing reporters at his exit interview, Kobe Bryant made his thoughts on the subject very clear – he wasn’t buying it. Kobe spoke Wednesday about the so called “decline of the Lakers”,
“This is nonsense,” he said. “I remember [the Lakers] had a pretty good era in the ’80s and they didn’t win three [titles] in a row. They didn’t break that team up.”
Kobe’s logic was simple; the team has reached 3 of the last 4 NBA Finals, winning two. It is hardly the end of the world. The balance in the team seems pretty right, with strong guys up front in the form of Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol and Kobe marshalling the back court. Lamar Odom and Ron Artest are valuable players who are a handful on offense and defence. Finally, there’s the experienced point guard in the shape of Derek Fisher, who’s been with the Lakers a long time and knows the franchise inside out.
However it is not that there are no issues at all. It has been evident throughout the whole series that one or two players are maybe slowing the team down. The reserves might not be up to scratch and the Lakers rely too much on Kobe when the game enters the crunch time.
Bryant acknowledged that fact, saying that he trusts Lakers’ general manager Mitch Kupchak to make the necessary tweaks in the team, to move some deadwood along and freshen up things up a little. However he is very pleased with the core group and chemistry of the side. He added that this season was no doubt a disappointment, referring to it as “A wasted year of my life,”
But the team was still competitive and good enough to comeback and challenge for the championship for a few more years. There’s no need to dismantle the whole unit and built anew.
“If you’re asking me do I believe we can come back and do it again,” he said, “I absolutely believe that we can come back and do it again.”
With Kobe Bryant in such a defiant mood, there’s no doubt he will come back next season hungrier than ever.
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