With Gary Payton and Karl Malone joining the roster, perhaps the only way the Lakers will fail to win another championship is if they implode. Speedy Claxton is leaving the Spurs, David Robinson is retiring, Stephen Jackson isn't 100% assured of being a Spur next season, and J. Kidd is staying put in Jersey. Jermaine O'Neal is staying put in Indy and Zo is going to Jersey. Unless they can pick up an Elton Brand, you have to think the Spurs are going to be a notch lower in the talent department. Are there too many All-Stars on the Laker roster? Can they share the rock?
Heh-heh! Your sense of humor is devastating, WD!! It would be ironic if No-Tippin' Pippen went back to Chi-town, though, to spread his particular brand of mediocrity...
Only Shaq can stop the Lakers. If Shaq had been 100% last year, they would have won the championship. It is still Shaq's world, if he wants it to be.
Yes, the only one who can stop the Lakers is the Lakers themselves. That is if Koby Briant stays out of jail....
I'll say this, it will be very interesting to watch the Lakers next season and see if Phil Jackson can motivate four guys who are used to having the ball and shooting it a lot to sacrifice for the team. Could be one of the all time great teams or could turn ugly in a hurry.
Actually, Jack is the only one who can stop the Lakers. But on the serious note, I agree that Shaq's lack of motivation was the reason for the Lakers to lose this year. He could have dominated the court but he wasn't in the Zone. Kobe, Fisher, and even that goofy White Boy Mark Madsen had more prescence in the court. Speaking of Mark Madsen, I really like this guy. He seems to bring energy to the court, he's hard working and in a sense annoyingly goofy with his defense. I hope he gets his big break this year. So... Mark Madsen will ROCK!!!
As much as I detest the Lakers, watching Madsen do his white-boy-victory-dance is almost worth seeing them win a championship.