How to Make a Dynasty in 10 Easy Steps

One thing about Kobe and the Lakers is that they have never been guilty of complacency.  Though they still haven’t even held their championship parade, the paramount concern for the team now is how to keep the core intact to try and keep the party rolling for years to come.  Dynasties are practically impossible to come by nowadays but with a relatively young roster and, of course, one of the top players in the league, that Lakers are uniquely positioned to do just that.  But there are a few things they must do first:

1. Milk one more year out of Phil. Sorry, Zen Master, I know you might be ready to ride off into the Montana sunset, but he needs to at the very least coach next season to keep the ball rolling.  While Kurt Rambis, Jim Cleamons or Brian Shaw could all prove to be capable replacements, they are no Phil Jackson.  The problem with this roster will never be about the Xs and Os (not Phil’s strong suit anyway), but rather motivation and locker room chemistry and no coach is better at managing personalities than Phil.



2. Make the succession plan known. At best the Lakers are going to get one more year out of Phil Jackson.  The sooner the team embraces that the better because coaching changes are seldom easy.  The only way to make the switch even remotely palatable is to plan in advance.  If the Lakers come out now and make it known that Phil will finish out his contract and then Person X (likely Rambis) will replace him, it not only removes whatever distraction Phil’s potential retirement creates but also gives his chosen replacement a vote of confidence for himself and with the players.  Give the locker room a a one year head start on getting used to the idea of having Person X in charge, then when he actually does take over the transition will be seamless.
3. Bring back Odom. Maybe his post-season performance was an aberration, but good bigs are hard to come by and letting LO walk isn’t going to do anything but weaken the team.  As it is, his ballhandling ability makes him an ideal match for the triangle offense and that is even harder to find on the open market.  If Odom gets snaked away by a team like Miami would set an already thin Laker roster back several years.



4. Re-sign Ariza. One of the hardest things for a potential dynasty to combat is Father Time.  But Trevor Ariza, at 23 years old, can help the Lakers turn back the clock a little bit and help them keep their championship window open.  More importantly, Ariza has finally filled the massive void the Lakers have had at the small forward position for the last several seasons.  His defensive prowess helped push the Lakers over the top this year and letting him walk away would re-open that old wound.
5. Get Kobe to put his money where his mouth is. Re-signing both Odom and Ariza is going to push the Lakers WELL over the luxury tax threshold, so freeing up some funds is critical.  If Kobe is serious about doing whatever it takes to win, then he is going to have to do the noble thing and opt-out of his current contract and re-up with the team for smaller annual salaries.  Kobe is on the books for $23 million next year and $24 million the year after that.  Surely he can recoup $4-6 million per year in endorsement money now that his media image is decidedly untarnished gain.  The newly available cash won’t go directly towards any new players, but it will make it a lot easier for the Buss family to stomach the luxury tax hit that re-signing Odom and Ariza will require.
6. Move the Mustache. With all their available funds tied up, Mitch Kupchak needs to find a way to leverage his current assets into better investments.  His best trade chip right now is the expiring contract of Adam Morrison.  Kupchak needs to make the most of whatever move he makes with Morrison because it might be his only chance to make a significant move next season.  With so many teams concerned about the economy and bloated payrolls, Morrison’s $5 million expiring deal will be highly attractive, especially at the trade deadline when the Lakers can most accurately assess what roster holes they need to address prior to their next post-season push.



7. Get jacked up. There is one area of the Lakers that needs an immediate upgrade for both the present and the future.  His Finals heroics aside, Derek Fisher is reaching the end of the line and is headed into the final year of his contract now.  That puts pressure on the Lakers to not only find him some help but also line up a long-term replacement.  Jordan Farmar has yet to prove he is worthy of the point guard of the future title and Shannon Brown’s resume includes one month of solid play, so the Lakers need more of a sure thing.  Enter Jarrett Jack.  Some would argue that Jack isn’t really a traditional point guard; good thing the triangle offense doesn’t require a traditional floor general.  What the triangle demands is a big point guard that can defend and shoot the three.  Check, check and check (kind of).  The 6′3″ Jack is a strong defender and would serve as an ideal platoon mate for Derek Fisher who can get eaten up a bit (and that is a massive understatement) by fast and powerful guards like Deron Williams.  He isn’t the same kind of three-point assassin that Fisher is, but he is no worse than Farmar or Brown, and he has the added bonus of being adept at driving to the basket.  Jack will be 26 next season, making him an excellent long-term investment that may cost no more than the mid-level exception.
8. Think big in the draft. The closest thing to a recent dynasty that anyone has seen is the San Antonio Spurs who have kept their team in contention despite years of picking at the end of the first round.  The Lakers absolutely steal from their playbook and use their picks on high potential players that may not be ready to contribute right away.  As tempting as it would be go after a fourth-year senior with a low ceiling who can play a bit role right off the bat to help fill out the roster like Mark Madsen Jr. Tyler Hansbrough or Sam Young who have already maxed out their potential, the Lakers should try and shoot for the sky with someone like Omri Casspi, Patrick Mills or Jonas Jerebko.  They could turn out to be the next Sun Yue, but with no money available for any big additions in the near future, it could be the Lakers only chance to add big-time young talent to the mix.
9. Ban Kobe from international play. Sorry, Kobester.  But your Olympic days are over.  Bryant already has an insane amount of mileage on his legs and needs to take it easy if he wants to still have any knee cartilage left when he turns 34.  That means giving up on the Olympic team and finally getting that hand surgery he needs.  Kobe’s hyper competitiveness is great, but he needs to find a way to turn it off before he burns himself out prematurel both mentally and physically.



10. Get Bynum a new mentor. Not to hate on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but Bynum is a mental mess right now and it might be time to find him someone new to coax him along.  Already Bynum is planning on working out with Dwight Howard this summer, but he might be barking up the wrong tree.  What Bynum needs is a lesson in mental toughness.  If he really wants to take his game to the next level, he just needs to look across the locker room.  I say have Bynum move in and workout with Kobe Bryant for the summer and shadow him everywhere he goes (sorry, Vanessa, the bedroom is going to get crowded).  It would be a nice change for Bynum who can learn how to be the mentally demanding one rather than being on the receiving end of those daggers coming out of Kobe’s eyes.  With as much money as he is slated to earn the next four years, it is imperative the Bynum blossom into the franchise center he projects to be.  Otherwise, his contract is going to cut the Lakers ability to contend well short.  An added bonus of this would be a forced next step in Kobe maturation.  The biggest danger to Bryant now is that he becomes obsessed with personal glory now that he has gotten the title monkey off his back.  Becoming a better leader and mentor can keep him focused on the team aspect of the game while keeping his desire for individual accolades in check.

Tags: Adam Morrison, Analysis, Andrew Bynum, championship, Derek Fisher, dynasty, Free Agency, Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, NBA Draft, Phil Jackson, trade rumors, Trevor Ariza