It’s been a busy offseason for the Lakers and it’s not even July. Then again, any offseason that is following a non-title year is one that is generally busy for the Lakers. This year the uncertainty following an injury-plagued campaign and a first round sweep at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs has fans questioning the future direction of the team. But it’s not just fans sharing their thoughts on how the team can improve, it’s team star Kobe Bryant that’s chiming in as well.
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In a recent interview with ESPN Brazil, Kobe talked about his recovery process from his Achilles injury, and even mentioned how he had consulted soccer star David Beckham for recovery tips. But in the same interview, which was transcribed by the L.A. Times (h/t CBS Eye on Basketball), Kobe also shared his thoughts on how the team needs to improve moving forward.
“It’s a big summer for us. We don’t know what direction we’re going yet but one thing I know about the Laker organization is that they’re very committed to making sure that we have a team that’s on the floor that’s a competitive team to win a championship,” said Bryant. “Which direction that’s going to be, whether it’s with Dwight or not? I don’t know. We’ll just have to see.”
If Howard returns and with the addition of some youth, length and defensive ability on the perimeter, Bryant is confident the Lakers can compete next year.
“We need a couple of younger legs, long guys that can defend and can cover the floor on the perimeter,” he said. “If we do that, I think we’ll be all right.”
Kobe has expressed different opinions on the success of the Lakers moving forward several times, saying he would like another opportunity with last year’s roster, stating he thinks injuries played a large part in the disappointing season. Obviously the team doesn’t have a lot of young talent, and the younger guys they did have ended up getting hurt as well.
So, whether or not the Lakers do get younger this offseason will be seen shortly, but they don’t have a lot of options. Without a first round draft pick or a lot of trade bait, they could be left waiting until next summer when a lot of their players come off the books and they have more cap space. But one thing we know for sure, is that if anybody could convince the team to do something, it would be Kobe.
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