I think it should be intresting to see the Fake show next year. Kobe in my opinion is gone, via jail transport or off to prove he is MJ heir. Gary Payton isn't going to stick around, I am 99% sure about that fact. Karla may retire if they get bounced and even if he doesn't he hardly going to have enough left in that gas tank to do anything significant. Who will that leave, shaq. I think that with all those other people gone, everyone will see how much his "game" has degraded when the fake show is struggling through out the season.
Shaq loses his focus when the refs don't give him the calls. That's one thing that can dampen his game. It'll be interesting if Kobe, Malone, and Payton all leave next year. Shaq would not dominate if he did not have another star on the team to take defensive attention off of him.
IF Kobe, Malone, and Payton all leave, dont you guys know that the Lakers will get atleast one top tier player to replace them? Think Rasheed Wallace would want to play in LA? No way the Lakers start Fisher, Rush, George, Medvedenko, and Daddy. ABSOLUTELY NO WAY.
It would be tough. If Payton, Malone, Fisher, and Kobe all walk, the Lakers would have $41.3 committed in salary (mostly due to Shaq's $29.5 million). That would mean they'd be about 3 million under the cap, and they would lose their MLE. They would have less money for a FA than almost any other team out there. If Malone sticks around, and he's the most likely to, they'd only be a million to 2 million under. If Malone and Fisher stay, they would have the MLE. If Malone goes and Fisher stays, they may be under the cap by a nose and have ZERO to sign with. Plus, if Phil walks (and I don't believe he'd stay and coach a non-contending team), how attractive does LA look? Kupchak is about to have a moment of truth if Kobe and Payton walk. Evan
I though our off season was going to be interesting, the fake show looks like it’s on it’s last legs. If they get bounced by the spurs and kobe and “the mouth” payton leave, I predict a lottery team. Just my 2 cents.
Phil has said repeatedly that he would stay. IIRC, they gave him a contract extention. Payton will most likely walk. He's not happy there. If they don't win a ring this year, there's no reason for Payton to think he can win one riding on the Lakers. Kobe's departure is a real possibility, although still unlikely IMO. Again, if they don't win this year, the probability of him leaving increases. Malone is hard to figure. I thought he'd be washed up with the knee injury. But his physical condition seems to be quite sound in the playoffs. I think it all depends on whether his goal next year is to win a ring or to break the scoring record. If it's the latter, then he might want to go to a team that needs a scorer badly. BTW, sydmill, I don't think the Lakers can find anybody close to the caliber of these three. Rasheed Wallace is good. But he won't take the double team off of Shaq. People used to say that Shaq could win a championship with any scrub. Not anymore. He has shown that he no longer can dominate when teams focus their defense on him.
I think he leaves either way, kobe reeks of someone who wants to prove that he doesn’t need shaq to win. I personally think that will be his main factor in bolting.
kobe reeks of someone who wants to prove that he doesn’t need shaq to win. Methinks Kobe reeks of someone who doesn't want to go to jail.
