Where do we go from here?

Following another disappointing performance the Lakers have fallen into a 3-1 hole against Phoenix and with the way the team has played thus far it doesn’t look like this series will be going on much longer. Steve Nash tallied 23 assists as the Suns pretty much cruised after halftime to a 113-100 win. There’s not much to add to what I’ve said before about changes being needed for this team to compete to win a championship. The talent is just not there right now and it is up to the front office to realize this and not sit idle as they have stated numerous times before that the team can compete as is. Pushing Phoenix to 7 games last year I believe the front office got a false sense of security in believing this team can make a run.

This discussion brings up Andrew Bynum and if it is worth it for the Lakers to hold onto him or if they need to trade him to bring in the proven player right now to help the Lakers win. Had a debate on this with a group of friends on Saturday with half on the trade Bynum now side to bring in another great player, while the other half, which I was on, that Bynum is too valuable for the long term of the franchise that we cannot trade him. Yes Kobe is the best player in the game today and his window is only for the next few years and yes I agree that we need to bring in players that can have an impact on the team. But Bynum is still only 19 years old and has shown flashes of brilliance for someone that is still learning the game and getting his conditioning to the point to play 82 games a year. You can’t just look at it for Kobe’s years, you have to look at post Kobe era. Bynum, if he develops as I believe he will, will be the cornerstone of the franchise after Kobe is gone. When Bynum becomes the force we believe he will become, at that point it will be easier to find a suitable wing player to add to the Lakers at that time, than to trade Bynum away now for say a Kevin Garnett who only has a couple good years left in him. I think too many fans are looking at this too short sighted and need to look at the big picture. But I’m not in charge so who knows what will happen, all I know is that something must change otherwise we’ll be looking at a similar fate for the Lakers next year.