The Los Angeles Lakers were swept out of the 2011 NBA Playoffs in stunning fashion on Sunday, getting blown out in Dallas after a barrage of three-pointers.
Getting humiliated by the Mavericks wasn’t nearly as bad as the embarrassing way two Lakers’ players reacted – namely Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum – when each of them took bush league cheap shots in the fourth quarter after the outcome had been decided.
Those cheap shots came on the heels of Ron Artest’s closeline on JJ Barea in the closing seconds of Game 2, leading to a one-game suspension for Artest.
An argument can be made that Artest’s bad influence perhaps led to Odom and Bynum imploding on Sunday, and it would be a valid argument considering the long list of stupid things Artest has done throughout his career.
Odom, Bynum and Artest not only brought dishonor upon themselves, they tarnished the Lakers organization, one of the jewels of professional sports.
And to top it off, they sent Phil Jackson – who reportedly will officially announce his retirement in the near future – out of the playoffs in a way he didn’t deserve.
Jackson is arguably the greatest coach in NBA history, winning 11 championships. The Lakers hadn’t won an NBA title in 11 years when Jackson was hired to coach the team in 1999, but it only took him one year to bring the Lakers another championship, his first of five in Los Angeles.
Getting your brains beat out by 36 points is frustrating, but it isn’t an excuse for Odom and Bynum to act like a couple of street ballers from the hood.
Many of the basketball gurus are suggesting the Lakers need to completely overhaul their roster after the team struggled down the stretch during the regular season and underperformed in the playoffs.
ESPN analyst Jeff Barry believes that Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak needs to call Orlando and inquire about a trade that would send Dwight Howard to LaLa Land in exchange for anybody except Kobe Bryant.
But who in their right mind would want to acquire Bynum or Odom after what took place in Dallas? There isn’t a GM in the NBA that would give up their best player for two guys who can’t control their emotions.
Not only that, but no one will want to trade for Odom or Bynum knowing both are going to miss games at the beginning of next season after they receive suspensions for the flagrant fouls
Kupchak can call anyone he wants, but the Lakers’ only viable trade prospect as of now is Pau Gasol. And after he basically disappeared during these playoffs, not many teams are going to want a passive 7-footer with a huge contract.
So as Artest escorted a jersey-less Bynum off the court on Sunday, it was a scene that gave you a feeling the Lakers had not only sunk to an all-time low, it made you think how hopeless their situation may be.
Sure, the Lakers will always be relevant because of their status as one the NBA’s premier franchises. But it doesn’t mean they’ll quickly recover from this embarrassment in Dallas and make a run to the title next year.
In fact, you can classify the Lakers as officially being in rebuilding mode because the foundation of their team is showing a lot of cracks, and some of those cracks aren’t going to be easily repaired.
With Jackson retiring, the Lakers will have to find a coach who has enough patience to weather a few seasons as the team rebuilds, despite a fan base that will expect the team to compete for a title.
The loss in Dallas exposed the Lakers for what they are – an aging team that lacks speed, athleticism and depth.
And with rising teams like Portland, Oklahoma City and Memphis, the Lakers won’t be able to contend in the Western Conference unless they get younger, more athletic and find guys that have better character who can handle adversity.
Oh, and they need guys who will keep their jerseys on too.
