The Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant’s championship window is closed

The Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant’s championship window is closed

 

There’s comes a time when a players window for winning a championship is closed. That time has come for the Los Angeles Lakers with Kobe Bryant.

It was fun while it lasted. We all got to watch Kobe and Shaq go to 4 Finals, while they had spats in the media (tell me how my ‘bleep’ taste style). We all had a front row seat to Kobe’s 81 point performance (I’m not going to bring up the fact that he did it against the Toronto Raptors and a washed up Jalen Rose). Everyone got the see a selfish 18 year old kid with an afro grow up to become an even more selfish Black Mamba. We also got to see Kobe Bryant try and come out with a rap album. I’m still not sure what that was all about. When I think rap, I don’t think Kobe. If he decides to pursue a second career I suggest he write books on how to get your girl back (pink diamond syle).

If the Lakers do find a way to win a title with Kobe on the roster, he will not be the focal point, for two reasons.

  1. At this point in his career, Bryant is just not capable of carrying a team. Dude doesn’t have the ability to get to the basket effectively anymore, and he increasingly takes low percentage jump shots. That’s just not a winning formula.
  2. Kobe will be making 27.8 and 30.4 million dollars over the next 2 seasons respectively. So the Lakers won’t be able to surround him with good role players. Therefore it’s going to be a lot of Steve Blake, and playoff flameouts in the future.

So for the Lakers sake they should move away from Kobe being, “The Guy.”

This offseason they need to do what they can, within reason to acquire Dwight Howard. Howard could lead this into another era of championships. They will certainly have to trade Andrew Bynum for him, but who cares. This season Bynum has shown you what he is, a very talented talent player that plays when he wants to. Now you can say that Howard is the same way, but you would be wrong. Dwight Howard has been the best defensive player in the league for the last 3 years, and also led a one-dimensional Orlando Magic team to the NBA Finals.

Dwight Howard is a guy that will take pressure off Kobe on both sides of the court, thus allowing Bryant to be fresh at the end of games. The Lakers may also have the opportunity to unload Pau Gasol in the trade. That would free up money which they could use to rebuild their perimeter.

    The Los Angeles Lakers will lose to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Whether it be 4 or 5 games doesn’t matter. The Lakers window is closed. It’s time for them to rebuild around a new start…that’s if they want to win.

 

Kortney Shane Williams

Editor-in-Chief of Comedic Prose

Follow Kortney Williams on Twitter @kortneyshane

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