Kobe Bryant isn’t happy with the progress of the Laker turnaround, and after an exit interview (presumably with Mitch Kupchak and Phil Jackson) where Bryant learned that the team has no plans to make a major move this summer, he’s longing for the days of Jerry West.
“My feeling on Jerry West is I trust him completely,” Bryant said, according to the paper. “I don’t want to get into people believing me to be bashing anybody. (Current GM Mitch Kupchak) is a great guy. All I can go by is what has happened with this team the last two years, and I know Jerry West is a guy who’s great at what he does.
“He wants to win and he wants to win right now. I can roll with that, even if we don’t have the complete turnaround we’re hoping to have this summer. Just having him back in the nucleus will help.”
Kupchak is under fire after several sub par seasons. His trade that sent future All-Star (and Kobe’s best friend) Caron Butler to Washington for Kwame Brown didn’t work out, and he hasn’t made any moves to make the team substantially better. If you have Kobe on your roster, you’re pretty much guaranteed 30-40 wins, so the Lakers’ 87 wins the last two seasons is a reflection on the franchise’s front office, coaching and supporting cast. Kupchak reportedly had opportunities to land Carlos Boozer, Baron Davis and Jason Kidd and failed to pull the trigger each time. He’s understandably reluctant to part ways with Lamar Odom to acquire another star, which is why the Butler trade really stings. If Butler were on the roster, it would be much more palatable to trade Odom away.
There are rumblings that Jermaine O’Neal is unhappy playing for the Pacers and might be a viable target for the Lakers. The trade would make sense because O’Neal is a talented post player that would fit in well with Jackson’s triangle offense. Odom would no doubt be a part of the trade, but the Lakers would be wise to make it happen.
Another scenario may bring Kevin Garnett to the team. It’s unlikely that the Timberwolves would want to trade KG to a team in the West, so the Lakers might have to wait until Garnett has the opportunity to opt-out after next season. Since Kobe dominates the ball, it makes more sense to bring a post player in instead of a point guard like Davis or Kidd. But the big question is will Kobe hang around another year if the team doesn’t make a big move this summer?
I wonder if he regrets not signing with the Suns or the Clippers when he was free agent a few years ago. Both teams (especially the Suns) appear to be a lot closer to a championship than the Lakers are, and Kobe’s presence would have probably put each team over the top.
