HoopsHype.com Columns

Postseason status in deep doubt
by Marc Narducci / March 16, 2005

This is usually the time of the year when the Los Angeles Lakers are fine-tuning for a deep playoff run, but this season Showtime has been replaced by Slowtime. In the previous five seasons the Lakers have averaged 57.4 wins and won three NBA titles, and four Western Conference championships.

Now the Lakers are fighting for their playoff lives. After a 108-91 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Lakers were 32-31 and battling Minnesota and Denver for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. It is possible that the No. 7 spot could be earned, but nobody in his right mind would bet on anything higher.

Never mind what will happen to the Lakers if they indeed earn the eighth spot and have to face San Antonio or Phoenix in the first round. Right now the Lakers would sign for that situation in a heartbeat.

The last time the Lakers sat out the postseason part was in 1993-94 when they went 39-43 and employed three coaches that season – Randy Pfund, Bill Bertka and Magic Johnson. This year the Lakers are on their second coach with Frank Hamblen replacing Rudy Tomjanovich, whose career with Los Angeles lasted just 43 games due to health problems.

The overall health of the franchise isn't much better. These could be the lottery Lakers before this season is finished. The Lakers still attract big crowds and often get the opponent's A-game effort, but they are a shell of their recent past.

In fact their motto could be "We don't have Shaq, but we still have Jack." Of course Jack Nicholson can't score too many points from his expensive courtside seat. The famous actor hasn't jumped off the Lakers bandwagon, but many others have.

Everybody was waiting to see if Kobe Bryant, long considered the sidekick to Shaquille O'Neal, could win without the towering presence of Shaq in the lineup. What this year has proven is how dominant O'Neal is. His new team – the Miami Heat – has the best record in the Eastern Conference, while his old squad could be setting up tee times by the final week of April.

One thing has to be made clear. While the Lakers would have never come close to winning three straight titles from 2000 to 2002 without Shaq, they also wouldn't have enjoyed those end-of the-season parades in Hollywood without Bryant.

The two complemented each other well even if they weren't exchanging Christmas cards off the court.

In the NBA, it's easier to build with one of the best big men in league history than one of the top guards in NBA history.

As great as Bryant is, and other than averaging more than four turnovers a game and taking some ill-advised shots, he has been an outstanding performer. Yet Bryant, or virtually anybody else in the NBA, needs a fellow All-Star or two to make his team a serious contender.

The Lakers have a near All-Star in Lamar Odom, who hasn't played as well this season as he did a year ago with the Miami Heat.

"I'm a lot more comfortable on and off the court with the situation," Odom said. "I'm happy and proud to be a Laker."

Sometimes it doesn't really seem that way. If Odom has one fault it's that he isn't selfish enough. There are times when he falls too much in the background while Bryant performs his one-man scoring act.

Bryant has gone out of his way to be the leader on this team. He barely practices after suffering an ankle injury on Jan. 13 that cost him 14 games. Bryant seems to relish the challenge and the idea that the Lakers are no
longer the Goliaths of the NBA.

"You have to factor in the fact that we are an extremely young team, and we have had a coaching change and all the injuries," Bryant said. "We're starting a whole new system and we're still in playoff contention."

How long that lasts remains to be seen. The road toward the postseason won't get easier for the Lakers, who have to play 11 of their final 19 on the road. Of the final 19 games, 16 are against teams that are still in playoff
contention.

A close look shows that the Lakers aren't as young as Bryant suggests. Even though he is 26, Bryant is in his ninth NBA season. Starting point guard Chucky Atkins, who has been a pleasant surprise, and Odom are both in their sixth season. Center Chris Mihm is in his fifth year. Swingman Caron Butler is the most inexperienced starter, now in his third year.

Even players off the bench such as forward-center Brian Grant and forward Jumaine Jones have plenty of NBA mileage. Grant is in his 11th season and Jones, now on his fourth team, is completing his sixth NBA season.
So in terms of experience, this isn't a young group, but they are still getting used to each other. And to make matters even more difficult, Hamblen, a former Phil Jackson assistant, has reinserted the triangle offense.

"You can't do it in one day, one week, one season," Bryant said. "It's a build-up of a body of work and this will take time."

And whether there is enough time this year will be one of the more compelling issues in the final month of this NBA season.

Marc Narducci covers the NBA for the Philadelphia Inquirer and is a regular contributor to HoopsHype.com

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