The Lakers

I flipped open the newspaper this morning as was suprised to see so much drama in Lakerville. Overnight, two major things happened. First, Phil Jackson will not be the coach of the Lakers next year. Second, Shaq wants to leave the Lakers in a trade to another team. I expected the first, not the second.
Coach Jackson is taking the fall for the Kobe/Shaq personality trouble that refuses to go away. So be it. Phil’s made $30 million in the last five years, he was paid well to be the scapegoat in the end.
Shaq on the other hand is a different story. I like Shaq the player and lockerroom sound bite creator, but Shaq the business man is a problem. For all the good he’s done the Lakers, at this point, he’s become a problem. Instead of riding the gravy train a bit longer, he’s got to rock the boat, simply because he can.
Take a look at the salary structure of the Lakers:

Player

2003/04 Salary

Shaquille O’Neal $26,223,215
Kobe Bryant $13,497,500
Gary Payton $4,897,000
Rick Fox $4,549,500
Devean George $4,545,000
Derek Fisher $3,000,000
Stanislav Medvedenko $1,500,000
Karl Malone $1,475,833
Kareem Rush $1,096,000
Horace Grant $1,070,000
Bryon Russell $1,070,000
Brian Cook $752,800
Jamal Sampson $563,679
Luke Walton $366,931
Jannero Pargo $194,156
Maurice Carter $40,770
Ime Udoka $24,462
TOTALS: $64,499,915

To put this more visually and understandable, here’s a simple graph:


Notice that of the cost of Shaq is more than 15 of the 17 players on the Lakers. Kobe makes HALF of what Shaq makes. It’s out of whack.
Shaq is probably the most dominant player in the game now, but he’s 32 and fading. For all his skills, he’s not in top shape and isn’t playing in every game. He’s got a few more great years ahead of him, but you need to compare him to Kobe. And to top it off, next year his salary goes up by FIVE million dollars.
Kobe is 25. If he stays out of jail, the next five years will be Kobe’s best ever. He is the best player in the NBA, PERIOD. Offense, defense, speed, health, Kobe’s got it all. Best of all, he handles pressure as well as anyone in the league. And he’s getting better.
So if you are the management of the Lakers you can see that giving Shaq an INCREASE, which he’s been asking for, is nearly impossible. The money just doesn’t work. Shaq, for all his skill, costs too much to field a great team going forward. With his guaranteed increase and the desire for even more money, where will the Laker Management find the cash under the salary cap? Who will they cut?
For all the drama facing the Lakers, Shaq has made it easy for them. By leaving, the Lakers will probably get three top players in trade for Shaq. The salary cap problem is broken, and the team can coalesce around rising Kobe. The Lakers will become a team of speed and multiple shooters, like the Pistons who just spanked the Lakers.
Yes, the Lakers will have to face Shaq on another team, but the way to play Shaq has been made clear. Speed is the thing that Shaq cannot handle now. He simple is going to get outrun and outshot on a team without a partner the caliber of Kobe.
I’ll miss the Big Aristole, but it’s his pride that is doing the damage to the Lakers, not Kobe’s lack of sharing.

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8 thoughts on “The Lakers”

  1. Nice analysis, Michael. I’m with you, I’ll miss Shaq at the press conferences, but they absolutely have to keep Kobe unless he gets a mandatory offer from the Federal Basketball League…

  2. Cut Fox, Let Kobe go (he is too complicated), and sign TMac. Then get a lot of other “team players”.

  3. Have you people gone crazy. Shaq makes the Lakers.For granted he has he’s off nights but when it comes down to the grind he always comes through. The Lakers make enough money to practically pay any one they want. Hello, In the play offs it was not KOBE BRYANT winning the games it was Shaq. Kobe Bryant is a great player. But ever team has great shooters. Meaning Kobe Bryant is not going to win games by himself. has not so far.Kobe is not Michael Jordan. Shaq should get what ever he wants a two year extension is not to much to ask for. Get rid of the rest of the bench.He is one of the greatest players ever in the NBA.Think basic logic people the success of ever great team in the NBA is the Center (Shaq). Look at Tim Duncan. If the Lakers can build a structure like that everyone will have a place and they can start playing like a team. Getting rid of Shaq is simply not the answer.

  4. I don’t know what you have been smoking but there is no way that Shaq makes the LAKERS!!! He only had really good games in game 1 and game 4. He is a big baby and wants to be the superstar. He is also getting old he can’t keep up like he used to and he is not worth all that money. They need to get rid of him and get a few guys who can shoot on the outside.

  5. Renee, you are a frekin dumb ass. Get rid of the whole bench, the already depleated and underachieving bench, to keep shaq??? Kobe is the only player on that team that gives all he has every game. I still laugh at idiots that say, “what about that game against Sacramento.” That was the point, Kobe wanted to prove that the lakers need him and it worked beautifully. Shaq is a big whinny FAT, LAZZY, premadona. Hes been spoiled by the L.A. life, and has forgotten that u need speed to play in the ever increasing athletic play in the NBA, which is why his fat ass needs to stay in shape. You’re right about one thing though, Shaq was the lakers this year which is why they lost the finals. Detroit got endless layups because of his inability to run back and to defend the quicker detroit players. Kobe had to guard every scorer on the pistons, and every time he would switch to the current top pistons scorer, he would shut that player down and the player kobe was guarding before would get hot. Anyone see a coincidence here??? With Kobe, Payton, and a few ATHLETIC players they get for Shaq, the lakers will be runnin and gunnin their way to the finals. Thanx for the memories shaq, u won’t be missed.
    PS. Ever heard of GUARANTEED CONTRACTS and SALARY CAP RESTRICTIONS??? Only a moron like you would release all your bench players, while having to still pay them, just to keep an overpayed baby like shaq.
    PSS. Why is there no talk of the Lakers signing Kenyon Martin? Sure hes a restricted free agent, but if the Lakers are able to offer him the max after shaq is gone, theres a good chance the nets won’t match since they are trying to cut costs.

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