I watched the L.A. riots unfold in ’92, felt the ’94
Northridge earthquake, and this past month witnessed the crumbling
of a dynasty.
It’s an image that’s unfathomable and a decision
that’s dumbfounding. Yet, somehow this was inevitable.
After being literally dismantled piece by piece by the NBA
champion Detroit Pistons, everything for the Los Angeles Lakers
just came crashing down.
Shaquille O’Neal’s voice once rumbled through
Downtown L.A. as he bellowed “Can You Dig It?” Now, I
can only sigh at the travesty of losing the most dominating player
in the league as he rolls into the city, blasting from his diesel
truck music to Big Willie’s “Welcome to Miami
(Bienvenido a Miami).”
Three championship banners in five years, a flavor and swagger
only fitting for L.A., and a smile wide enough to captivate a
country, Shaq’s relocation to South Beach is the biggest
mistake that the Lakers have made to date.
Many say good riddance to an aging center way past his prime and
in dire need of free throw lessons, but that’s far from the
truth. There’s a reason why he’s a three-time NBA
Finals MVP. Shaq was the lone force during the NBA Finals,
averaging nearly 27 points a game on over 63 percent shooting
““ hall of fame numbers.
The man with a host of monikers, including “Shaq
Diesel,” “The Big Aristotle,” or my personal
favorite “MDE” (Most Dominant Ever), has left the
building permanently. Now Laker fans are left with a callow
personality in Kobe Bryant, whose only nickname would be “The
Adulterer” to run the Lake Show.
Bryant’s petulant attitude and 23 points per game on 38
percent from the field during the Finals was anything but
Jordanesque. Why do people automatically assume a man with no MVP
awards (well if you count the All-Star game he has one) can lead a
team to the promise land?
Over the course of the championship run (2000-02) we’ve
seen the Lakers play with class, exert their will on their
opponents, and most importantly lead with their heart. Now,
it’s all gone.
Times have definitely turned for the worse as Laker fans look to
the future.
The original “Flopper”, Vlade Divac, is back in
town. Isn’t it ironic that the Lakers traded Divac to get the
rights for Kobe, the proclaimed savior. Now they trade Shaq, who
was the real savior, and end up with Divac. What a tangled web the
Lakers weave.
They’re stuck with “the glove” that
didn’t fit last season. Who is Payton’s backup again?
Last time I checked, they’re shallow on that end.
In the frontcourt, Devean George’s contribution will be
questionable with his offseason ankle surgery.
But not all is dark and gloomy.
A potential bright spot may just be the 24-year old Lamar Odom,
who was acquired in the trade for Shaq. The long southpaw will
provide an indelible punch on the offensive end.
As for the four spot, I’m expecting Karl “The
Mailman” Malone to be delivering points somewhere else by the
start of the season, another blow to a team devoid of leadership.
But, Brian Grant, who came with Odom and Caron Butler in the
O’Neal trade, should be able to fill Malone’s
double-double output.
One of the few bright spots during this tumultuous offseason was
Jerry Buss bottling up coach Rudy Tomjanovich. The former Houston
Rockets coach has all of the tools to lead a team to a
championship. He’s done it twice.
The overall outlook for 2004-05 reads something like this:
Return back to the promise land? Hah, in your dreams.
An NBA Finals appearance?
Not in the Western Conference.
Win their Division?
You’re joking.
Make it into the playoffs?
Don’t hold your breath. Expect at best a seventh seed for
a Shaqless Lakers team.
Since winning their first championship with Kobe and Shaq, the
Lakers have lost a coach with nine titles to his name.
There is no doubt something is wrong with the Lakers’
organization.
Before Shaq was traded, he made a comment about how the air in
L.A. is poisoned.
Something tells me he wasn’t talking about the
pollution.
Chu is predicting the Minnesota Timberwolves to win it all
next year. E-mail him your picks at bchu@media.ucla.edu.