What's Next for the Los Angeles Lakers?

The Los Angeles Lakers have a long summer of regrouping to prepare for the 2008-09 season. The humiliation and embarrassment at the hand of the Boston Celtics in game six of the NBA Finals is a lingering hangover for the team and its fans. That stinging defeat overshadows what was a wonderful season for the Lakers that ominously began with Kobe Bryant demanding a trade and the Lakers not expected to make the playoffs. Then the Lakers surprised everyone by posting the best record in the Western Conference and easily beating Denver, Utah and San Antonio in the playoffs.

Boston exposed every Laker weakness leaving many questions. Did the Lakers overachieve? Yes, in that they got many breaks along the way. No, since this is a team with Kobe and plenty of young talent. It should be remembered the Lakers did the Celtics a favor by eliminating the defending champion Spurs whom Boston would not have beaten. Plus Boston bested a team minus its big center (Andrew Bynum), playing a crippled center (Chris Mihm) and having lingering injuries to Kobe, Trevor Ariza, Luke Walton and Ronny Turiaf.

But the Celtics steamrolled the Lakers with the qualities Los Angeles needs to learn: toughness and determination. The Lakers are a soft physical team and becoming defensively tougher is the first thing coach Phil Jackson said after losing the finals. The coaching staff faces the formidable task of instilling mental and physical toughness in the young team and devising a defensive scheme ala Boston. Some roster tweaking is definitely in order but General Manager Mitch Kupchak comment the current roster pretty much stands. The Lakers desperately need a tough minded veteran to come into a game, shut down a Paul Pierce and lead by example.