Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers championship and “Threepeat” hopes had the door emphatically slammed shut this week after Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks shocked the basketball world,  sweeping Los Angeles in four games.

Credit is due to the Mavericks, as their recently discovered toughness – influenced by the Tyson Chandler effect – soundly demolished the Lakers in 4 straight games. However, had the Lakers actually played as a team for even one game, they would have not been swept away in such a devastating fashion.

Not only were all the Lakers deficiencies exposed during the series, but questions now arise regarding how the Lakers move forward, and whether or not Kobe and the current makeup of the Lakers has a legitimate chance at challenging any time soon

The concept of team chemistry immediately comes to mind when addressing the first issue in Lakerland. There appears to be some sort of off court rift between Pau Gasol and Kobe. If the Lakers are to find a way to get back on track, reconciliation between the leagues most skilled power forward and the leagues most arrogant superstar must be first on the Lakers organizations agenda.

Restructuring the franchise must address the following needs for the Lakers:

Head Coach

This is the one position that is changing with absolute certainty. Phil Jackson has made it clear he is stepping down as the Lakers head coach. But will Brian Shaw get his chance to run the Lakers? Whoever it is, expect that there will be no way the players net yield on the floor will be as plentiful as it is with Jackson.

Point Guard – Derek Fisher

Fisher needs to retire. He has little left to offer his team as a full time starting point guard in the NBA. Steve Blake has proved he can run a team as a full-time starter, but teams seem to do better with him coming off the bench. If a Dwight Howard trade does happen, look for the Lakers to also try to improve here.

Shooting Guard – Kobe Bryant

Kobe is starting to look his age. His injuries and wear and tear finally caught up with him, and he looked like a mere mortal against Dallas. Of course, Kobe will never have to worry about a thing, as whatever he wants, he gets.

This does not bodes well for Gasol’s future with the Lakers.

Center – Andrew Bynum

The Lakers should trade Bynum while he has any value left. Bynum imploded this year in the playoffs, and at this point in his career it is hard to believe he is going to get it together mentally, or play a complete season without injury. Fortunately for the Lakers, Bynum is less injury prone than Greg Oden, and has value still.

Bynum  could be implemented in a system that caters more to him, and gives him more touches, thus allowing him to have major market value.

Power Forward – Pau Gasol

Gasol is the most valuable player on this team behind Bryant. It is truly a shame that he might be on the way out simply to appease Bryant, the aging star on the decline. If Bryant gets his way, it will be some combo of Kobe, Lamar Odom, and whoever else they can keep while liquidating the leagues best power forward in an attempt to rebuild.

Small Forward – Ron Artest

Artest has fallen off the planet as a NBA player. His game has worsened so bad that his disappearance was the only thing going unnoticed against the Mavericks. He barely contributed, and his suspension didn’t help either. Apparently, the Lakers will likely be stuck with Artest, unless Mitch Kupchack  can create a whopper of a trade.

Expect the Lakers to be one of the most active teams this summer.

The Lakers started their quest for a Three-Peat by receiving their NBA Championship rings before their first game of the 2010-11 season. We did a piece that covered last years rings here at Protect the Paint, so it is only right if we continue to do so again.

Kobe is running out of things to say.

This years edition of NBA Championship Rings feature all sorts of tantalizing features, including actual pieces of leather from the game 7 ball.

Talk about pulling out all the stops. The rings also have 16 over-sized diamonds to signify the 16 titles the Lakers have won, and each ring given to the players has an actual 3-dimensional sculpture of his own face. Talk about cool.

Thank you Michael, Kobe, Shaq, Triangle, and Zen!

Phil Jackson can now confidently compete with Liberace due to all the jewelry Jackson now possesses.

Ron Artest is already creating a stir by selling raffle tickets in order to raise money for charity, awarding one lucky raffle winner the chance to own a ring with a 3-dimensional diamond sculpture of Ron-Ron. The money raised will be donated to mental health therapy.

My precious.......

Ironically, the more I mull it over, the greater disturbed I become. Definitely not because of Artet’s generous gesture, but likely more so because staring at Artest’s face for a long enough period of time might drive anyone over the edge. Perhaps he helps many with mental illness at the cost of driving one to madness?

All in all, the Lakers are looking like strong candidates to win their 3rd consecutive title, and as the season progresses, raffles are won, people go crazy for the purple and gold, it will be great to see who wins/loses, and who who loses their sanity staring at a sculpture of Ron Artests face along the way.

Wouldn’t it be crazy if the winner of the raffle actually ends up suing Artest because the ring drives him or her crazy?

Kobe Bryant was spectacular in game 5 of the NBA Finals in Boston. He took shots that bordered on ridiculous and yet made them almost effortlessly. For a brief moment during the third quarter, the possibility of the Lakers turning things around and pulling out a much needed road win began to enter the thoughts of the Celtics fans.

Unfortunately for Kobe, his effort was wasted due to the fact that his supporting cast continued their recent disappearing act from game 4 into and throughout game 5. What about game 6?

Will a switch of scenery back to Los Angeles revive the Lakers hopes for back to back championships?

You know Kobe will be hoping for his team to wake up, and justifiably so. Other than the oft-hobbled Andrew Bynum, who looks as though he is stunting the longevity of his career while playing on a torn up something-rather simply because he wants to win, there is not another Laker who is stepping up to back Kobe.

Kobe depsarately needs help.

To be fair, Bynum is rather useless out on the floor due to his injuries. Perhaps if we could build some sort of device to remove and transfer his effort level and then, say, divide it and then install it inside the bodies of Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, the Lakers would have a much improved chance than they do currently of winning two games in a row against Boston.

Unless the Lakers make drastic moves, or if Phil Jackson can somehow channel his inner chi and turn it into an internal rage, the Lakers are in serious trouble.

It makes my heart go out to Kobe in a similar vein of Dwyane Wade wasting his talents the past few years in Miami.  Watching Kobe’s masterful performance go into the wastebasket because nobody else could step up and help him. It’s actually quite shameful.

Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and “Bad-shot-Ron” Artest, this means you.

Wake up, or your season will be all for naught.

Hopefully for the Lakers, Kobe can use some of that magic on the court to inspire his teammates to help him out.

2008 was the year classic basketball rivalries experienced a major revival. It had been far to long since the glorious battles of the 80′s featuring Larry Legend’s Celtics and Magic’s Lakers had met their demise. Basketball was getting stagnant after Jordan left the Bulls. Then 2008 came, and as David Stern danced around the room with joy, basketball’s biggest rivalry pounced back into the mainstream.

This year marks the second time in three years the classic match up of Celtics vs. Lakers returns to the NBA Finals stage. Will this series have that same feel that those classic battles of the 80′s did?

Or will this series simply be one sided, like many of this years playoff series were?

I believe it will be a good series, but other than Lakers fans, who just as they did in 2008, are already planning a $1 million-plus celebration parade before the thing is won, who can truly be convinced the Lakers have a chance to win this thing?

What will happen if Kobe guards Rondo?

After much deliberation, I found a few points that could cause this series to shift in the Lakers favor:

Kendrick Perkins’ temper vs. technical fouls

Perkins is 1 technical foul away from a league-imposed suspension. Should Perkins lose his cool, and receive a technical, he will likely be out the following game. This could be double trouble if Perkins compounds this mistake and gets ejected from a game that the Celtics lose. They are a far weaker team without Perkins occupying the middle.

If the Celtics have to try and stave off a two-game losing streak without Perkins is as close as close can get to impossible.

Can the Celtics bounce back from injuries?

Rasheed Wallace and Glen “Big Baby” Davis headline the list of injured Celtics. They are two of Bostons key reserve players. Losing either of them for extended time will hurt the Celtics depth and game plan.

The fact is the Celtics are old. They will not recovering from injuries like they used to. Any little minor tweak, twist, or pull will slow their veteran roster and possibly put a massive crimp in Doc Rivers’ season-long masterplan to keep his older stallions healthy for the race with the biggest purse.

Speaking of Injuries: Will Andrew Bynum’s knee explode?

Bynum is currently playing with torn cartilage in his knee. His minute per game average has experienced a significant regression since the first round, raising the question: Can he be effective against a tough defensive team that plays a tought and sometimes dirty style of basketball?

Will a Rasheed Wallace, Kevin Garnet, or Kendrik Perkins bump or elbow underneath the cup cause Bynum’s knee to explode while trying to grab a rebound?

All jokes aside, if Bynum cannot play effective basketball, it does not bode well for the Lakers. Transversely, if he can, it will dramatically help their chances.

Ron Artest’s ability to shut down Paul Pierce

Ron Ron has been a flat out stud at shutting down Pierce in the past. If he can continue this it will definitely make the series as tight as possible for the Lakers.

Who will Kobe guard?

Ray Allen will keep Kobe occupied defensively as Bryant (and eventually exhausted) chases him through infinite screens and baseline cuts, leading to the question: Does Kobe guard Rondo?

If Kobe does guard Rondo, then who covers Ray Allen?

Allen might be older, but he is very capable of exploding for 30 plus points if someone like Derek Fisher is trying to chase him through a myriad of screens. This factor might possess the most potency as to how it affects the series.

Kobe and the Lakers could afford to assign Kobe on Russell Westbrook because Thabo Sefolosha is a horrible shooter, but Ray Allen? I think you need to keep Kobe on him, and pray Fisher doesnt embarrass himself playing against Rondo.

Summary

Ultimately the Lakers have yet to face anything remotely close to a team as defensively strong during the 2010 playoffs. Even if Kobe scores 40 points a game, the Celtics can shut down the rest of the Lakers, so it will not matter. The Celtics will still win games. The Celtics playan amazing style of team basketball, never relying on just one player all the time.

They essentially never defer as much as the Lakers defer to Kobe to win games for them. They don’t have to.

It’s a well documented fact that stronger defensive teams persevere over offensive teams. Unless the Lakers can “out-defend” the Celtics, I can’t see the Lakers repeating as NBA Champions in 2010.

Prediction:

Boston will win the series in 6 as long as Perkins keeps his cool and Garnett, Pierce, Allen, and Rondo all stay healthy.

Jonathan Bender is back in the NBA after missing 3 full seasons and having only played 2 games in his “final” 2005-06 season. He is playing inspired basketball and the New York Knicks have gone 2-0 since.

Bender dropped in 11 points in 14:42 against Charlotte Sunday night. He has been tenacious giving New York vital depth in the post they have been missing.

Bender might not post All Star numbers, but he is becoming the catalyst to the Knicks second unit. With lost cause Eddy Curry wasting away like a 7 foot 300 plus pound tumbleweed, signing Bender has paid dividends massively in the early going of his comeback.

After a 3-year absence, Bender is back. (Credit: picapp.com)

Bender is a player who has gained playoff experience during his Indiana Pacers years. The Pacers teams he played for were tough. You do not play alongside the likes of Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson without growing tougher. It appears he is bringing some of this mindset to the Knicks, who can only benefit dramatically by growing tougher mentally.

Ex-Teammates Stephen Jackson and Ron Artest are both in disbelief that he would ever return:

“The fact that he’s back is amazing, it’s really amazing. When he left Indiana, I thought he was done. I never thought he’d be able to come back.” Ron Artest

“I’m like Ron, I never thought he’d be back, either. It’s unbelievable to see him out there.” Stephen Jackson

Of course folks will speculate about how long Bender can play before his right knee gives out again. After missing three full years of NBA action while only playing 237 games over 7 seasons, it makes sense to have doubts about the longevity of his comeback.

However, this comeback after being away from NBA caliber basketball for over 3 years is simply a mind bender. Even more mind bending is the prospect of the Knicks turning their season around and making their way into the playoffs. At 10-17, it is not inconceivable that they can do so.

Ron Artest of the Los Angeles Lakers admitted to Sporting News writer Steve Greenberg that he drank Hennessey during his Chicago Bulls days.

Here is what Artest said in his interview featured in the upcoming December 7^th issue:

“I used to drink Hennessy … at halftime,I (kept it) in my locker. I’d just walk to the liquor store (near the stadium) and get it.”

Man, I feel like a drink. (Credit: picapp.com)

To make things more interesting, Artest elaborates on his life as a freshman at St. Johns:

“When I was a 19-year-old father, whew. I was a single pimp! I was wild. A lot of marijuana and alcohol—even before (that age). … I (still) party and I have fun, but not like I used to. I used to drink every night and party every night.”

Artest has always been known to be wild, moody and unpredictable. He accredited his in-game drinking to the Bulls losing so much. It makes sense that he would drink based on the lifestyle and habits he developed while in college.

He got away with it, so why would he think to change anything?

What blows my mind is that nobody caught or confronted Artest about it. Hard liquors such as the French Cognac Hennessy surely would be detectable on his breath. It’s hard to imagine that no teammate or coach would miss the smell of booze on his breathe.

There is no way nobody did not know about this. So why then would it be allowed? Maybe they were too scared of him?

We have seen Artest appear to be publicly inebriated as recently as last season during the playoffs.

One must wonder if David Stern and his cronies will make Artest’s life more complex after his admissions. It will be interesting to see what happens.

I’ll leave you with a little reminder of how Artest can act when he drinks.

Every year during fantasy drafts people attempt to predict which players will drop off, and which will rise to new heights in production. Some of this can be attributed to a change of team, sometimes it is simply due to a player passing his prime.

In other cases, players rekindle their careers by having monster years in a new change of scenery. This season, pundits predict the following players to experience decreases in their numbers due to a new team. I believe the exact opposite, and here are the reasons why.

Richard Jefferson – San Antonio Spurs

Jefferson should be huge for San Antonion this year. (Credit: oddjack.com)

People are saying he is the 4^th fiddle in San Antonio. If anything, Jefferson will receive many wide-open threes as result of being paired with the best big man passer in the league, Tim Duncan. He will not bear all the pressure like he did in Milwaukee.

Expect the game to come easier playing for the best team he has ever been a member of. His point totals and rebounding might not improve, but his shooting % should see a dramatic increase as he will undoubtedly be benefiting from Poppovich’s system.

Shawn Marion – Dallas Mavericks

Marion will benefit from Jason Kidd. (Credit: picapp.com)

Shawn Marion is simply not suited for half court offense. We saw this as he faded away in Toronto and in Miami. Now, in Dallas, with Jason Kidd pushing the ball, look for Marion to be revived with the run and gun fast break basketball style in Dallas.

Marion should yield big numbers and have a high impact in multiple categories. He should have his best season since he last played along side Steve Nash in Phoenix.

Ron Artest – Los Angeles Lakers

Artest will fill multiple categories this year. (Credit: picapp.com)

Media predictions are claiming Artest should see a decrease in numbers this year. I have already seen him available lower than usual in the draft, which makes him possibly the biggest steal of the draft. He is an 8-category threat, and hits a huge amount of 3s.

Even if his scoring decreases, his all around stats should rise substantially within the Lakers’ system, making him a valid selection for your team. If you plot your draft course correctly, he should still be around later than usual.

This past week we have seen Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva join Detroit.

Ron Artest took a pay cut and is hoping to get his first ring playing for the world champion Lakers.

Hedo Turkoglu reneged on a Portland offer, selecting the Raptors instead.

Rasheed Wallace is now alongside Kevin Garnett in Boston.

Trevor Ariza maxed out his contract value and is Houston-bound.

And Finally, Jason Kidd is staying in Dallas instead of going to New York.

The free agent signings become official today, the first day that players are allowed to ink their verbal agreements. There are more deals to come involving free agents, and it is going to be interesting to see where everyone ends up.

We here at Protect the Paint will list some of the rumors/moves involving the available free agents.

REMAINING FREE AGENTS

Lamar Odom

Odom might be hugging members of the Blazers soon. (Credit: daylife.com)

Lamar Odom doesn’t seem to be thinking repeat. Instead he and his agent want to be shown the money in the neighborhood of $10 million per season. Odom appears to be going the Trevor Ariza route, cashing in elsewhere now that he has the ring. He sacrificed his stats to win and now wants to sign with a team that could offer him a starting position and big bucks. Should have a different address in 2009-10. The Blazers are reportedly interested. Championship experience on an up and coming squad never hurts.

Andre Miller

Looks like Miller is heading to Portland. Gives the Blazers the floor general they lacked last season and gives Miller a chance to win. Good match all the way around.

Brandon Bass

Bass would make a mistake going to Detroit. (Credit: ocregister.com)

Bass could be staying in Dallas, heading to Orlando, or possibly ending up in Detroit. It makes absolutely no sense for him to sign with the Pistons. With rumors circulating of Carlos Boozer being shipped there for Rip Hamilton, and Charlie Villanueva signing a 5-year deal, he would essentially be the third option at power forward. The Magic need help up front. Orlando would be a good fit.

Antonio McDyess

McDyess could get a ring if he heads to San Antonio. (Credit: ugplay.com)

McDyess is leaning towards San Antonio in the most recent rumor involving the veteran which would provide more depth in the Spurs front court. He’s a solid shooter and depenable on the glass averaging 9.6 ppg and 9.8 rpg last year for the Pistons. The Spurs would have a solid 1-2 post punch with McDyess and Tim Duncan giving them the size to contend with the Lakers huge frontline.

Marcin Gortat

Marcin Gortat is going to get paid big bucks this summer. (Credit: mlive.com)

Most likely headed to Dallas. We’ll see how he responds to more minutes and more responsibility. This is a huge loss for Orlando who now have lost the majority of their front line not named Dwight Howard–Tony Battie via the Vince Carter deal, Hedo Turkoglu to free agency, and Gortat. The Magic better hope Ryan Anderson is as good as Pat Williams thinks he will be.

Grant Hill

Hill should go to a contender rather than a pretender. (Credit: offsideswithfletcher.com)

There are rumors of Hill heading to the the Knicks. Finally healthy, his game resurfaced playing with Phoenix. He appeared in all 82 games for the Suns last season. It’s unfortunate that he would want to make the move to New York, especially when he could most likely ink himself onto another team with better chances of winning a title. Seems like he and fellow 1994 co-ROY Jason Kidd have more in common then we thought: Take the money, not the chance for a championship ring.

Channing Frye

Frye could play minutes that matter for the Cavs. (Credit: nike.com)

Frye is very interested in signing with Cleveland. The guy has been marred with the “wrong place, wrong time” syndrome during his career. He was buried behind David Lee in New York and then behind LaMarcus Aldridge in Portland. If Cleveland loses Anderson Varajao, Frye will have an immediate chance for big minutes at power forward for the Cavs. This is a good opportunity for both sides. Frye has showed he has a lot of game and could be a late bloomer if given the chance.

This past Thursday, Trevor Ariza verbally committed to a 5-year, mid-level exception deal good for $33 million with the Houston Rockets–a much more lucrative deal than the Los Angeles Lakers, his former team could offer. As irony would have it, he joins Houston hours after former Rocket Ron Artest agreed to a 3-year, $18 million deal with the world champs.

Ariza reportedly decided to make the move to Houston after L.A. declined to make an immediate offer once the July 1st free agent market officially commenced. Ariza should become an immediate contributor with Artest leaving, and Yao Ming out indefinitely. Tracy McGrady is also reportedly on his way out via the trade market.

Ariza was the glue for the 2008-09 Lakers team. (Credit: nydailynews)

With the Houston youth movement unexpectedly beginning because of the injury to Yao, the Rockets essentially are planning for Ariza to be one of the focal points of the offense. Aaron Brooks, Kyle Lowry, Carl Landry, Luis Scola, and Ariza represent a solid nucleus for years to come.

The Rockets will further alter the landscape of their roster by moving McGrady, although his value can’t be that high because of injury issues and the fact he’s never been on the roster of team that advanced out of the first round of the playoffs. New York seems interested in McGrady and has young players they could include in a deal.

Ariza and Kobe's friendship will have to be maintaind on the phone or via twitter now (Credit: ABC)

Ariza took the riches over a chance to win another title, and who could blame him. He capitalized on his maximum NBA free agent value after being one of the key guys on a team that won the NBA Championship. The Lakers obviously had a backup plan knowing they could sign enforcer Artest for less than Ariza.

The former UCLA Bruin was the “glue” guy for the champs. He did all the intangible dirty work, the stuff that doesn’t necessarily show up in the box score. He didn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective.

Trevor Ariza is a tenacious and active defender showing no signs of mental instability (Credit: lakers.topbuzz.com)

Ariza earned himself a nice paycheck and he will see the floor a lot more in Houston. At this point, he has more upside than Artest, but the question is how effective–without Kobe–can he be as a “go-to” guy.

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Kobe Bryant will no longer need to worry about fighting with Ron Artest during the playoffs. They can now plan to fight each other every day during practice. Artest agreed in principle to sign a three-year deal worth $18 million, proving he wants to win. He seemingly could have made a lot more cash elsewhere.

Kobe Bryant's worst nightmare became a dream come true. (Credit: giant.blackplanet.com)

Artest has a long, troubled past, earning season-long suspensions, consequently disrupting team chemistry and unraveling chances for success.  Last season with Houston, Artest managed to make an about face both on and off the court. Artest then reverted to losing his composure multiple times, earning technical fouls and an ejection in the playofs against the Lakers.

Protect the Paint will assess the pros and cons of the Lakers mind-blowing acquisition.

PROS

Ron Artest will flex his defensive muscle for the Lakers this season. (Credit: suntimes.com)

Artest adds another tough defender to the lineup, compensating for the eventual loss of Trevor Ariza. He is a great ball handler for his size, incredibly strong, and unusually quick for his build. He emerged as a leader in Houston, and should be a great compliment to long-time friend/rival Kobe Bryant.

Artest’s career 42% shooting from the field ought to rise when easier shots become more plentiful within the Lakers offense. Artest’s rebounding and passing skills should prove beneficial in the multifaceted Lakers’ triangle offense. In addition, Artest has converted close to 40% of his three-point attempts over the past four years. This a vastly underrated offensive player.

Bottom line: Artest will have more weapons surrounding him, and be paired with the best overall player in the world (okay, LeBron James fans might want to debate that), rather than having to defend Kobe in the playoffs. His competitive temperament should be subdued as he accustoms himself to winning more often, and could inevitably lead to his first ever NBA Championship.

CONS

Artest’s reputation and spotty past will always be an issue, no matter how long his dormancy from acting out/up persists. Most recently he erupted (not in a good way) in the playoffs against the Lakers. This serial inability to maintain his composure has to always be a concern.

The main question that will linger this off-season and beyond is if Artest will be a distraction in the locker room. He is known for walking to the beat of his own drum, and with “Zen-Master” Phil Jackson possibly only coaching 41 games (he plans to only be on the bench during home games in 2009-10), that leaves 41 other games in which Artest will do “god knows what.”

The Los Angeles lifestyle and the negative influence it could hold is something to consider. He is no novice to the club life.  Here is an example supporting what could contribute to Artest being a detriment to the Lakers:

Should Artest immerse himself into the Los Angeles lifestyle too deeply, it could lead to his implosion and be a major detriment to the Lakers.

In the past, Artest has felt he needs the ball in his hands to be effective. This will be a major conundrum for the Lakers famed triangle offense. Growing pains could ensue as Artest regularly hangs on to the ball too long, often deciding to pull the trigger himself when other guys are open.

SYNOPSIS

Artest and the Lakers should see themselves staring down the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. These are now the best two teams (on paper) in the conference. Adding a moderately selfish player like Artest to the lineup could do more damage than good. Kobe is the king of L.A. (and no one is the boss of Artest), so it is not hard to envision the two of them finding it difficult to share the ball on offense.

San Antonio is by no means finished making deals, and if Rasheed Wallace and/or Antonio McDyess end up playing in the Alamodome, the NBA will have some amazing games for us to watch this forthcoming season. Now Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Richard Jefferson will have the same worries when facing Arest that Kobe once had.

With that said, we’ll take the Spurs in six for the Western Conference title.

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