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Sometimes with a night's rest, the dawn of a new morning, and the opportunity for some fresh perspective, in the rear view mirror a game can look a little different.

Sometimes.





Game 2 Wednesday in Oklahoma City doesn't qualify. As we stepped into the studio about 17 hours after those fateful two minutes in the fourth quarter in which the Lakers blew a seven point lead, the sense of what they gave away was just as strong. I'm not going to lie, those hoping to be uplifted by the newest edition of the Land O'Lakers PodKast aren't going to like what you hear. After noting another critical example of poor execution -- Andy and I unwittingly showed up at the office in nearly identical outfits, among the more mockable things a brother writing/radio tandem can do -- we dive into the the big issues ...

• After briefly touching on L.A.'s final play, we get into why the loss in Game 2 was so significant. Yeah, it's nice the Lakers played OKC tight after the Game 1 blowout, but in a playoff series the lesser team can't afford to lose games they ought to win. In the process, we shoot down just about every moral-victory-encouraging-going-forward argument out there. Again, it's fairly depressing, which is why we make sure to drop a little Double Rainbow Guy in there.
• Is there any hope going forward for the Lakers to pull the upset?
• Ramon Sessions. He hasn't played well in the postseason. Why? What can change, and how does his poor playoff run impact his decision whether to become a free agent, and whether the Lakers should re-sign him?
• A quick look at the Clippers vs. San Antonio. We're no more optimistic about the chances of the red, white, and blue.

We're normally pretty chipper folk, but not today. Listen, but be prepared to shed a tear.

This morning, I wrote about the performance of L.A.'s "wild cards" through the first four games of the postseason. The most consistent and impactful has been forward Jordan Hill, who has three 10-plus rebound games, and two double-doubles.

Sunday, he was critical to the Lakers' winning effort in Game 4, hauling down seven offensive rebounds (11 overall), and scoring 12 points. He joined 710 ESPN's Mason and Ireland Show this afternoon, talking among other things about...

• His late entry into the rotation: "I definitely know I can produce every time I’m on the floor. It’s just, coming in, almost at the end of the season and playoffs coming up, it’s definitely going to be hard to just come in and start playing right away. I got to learn the system. The team chemistry was already formed. So, it was just me just keep working and when my number was called just go out there and do what I had to do."
• His learning curve after arriving in Los Angeles in the deadline deal sending Derek Fisher to Houston: "Definitely offense [was harder to learn]. We have a lot of plays. We definitely have a lot of plays and we definitely have a lot of options on every play. So, for me, I had to learn the 4 and the 5 spot, so that was definitely a hard transition coming in. But, you know, I just tried to stay after every practice and shootaround, watch film on our plays. Go up and down the floor learning the plays with the players. Just doing the things that will help me keep the plays embedded in my head when I’m out on the floor."
• The art of reading ball flight in effective glass work: "I try to use my legs most of the time, but also I got a good eye on if a ball is going to come out of the rim and where it’s going to land if it comes off the rim. I just try to stay patient and try to move my guy, try to box him out and move him under the rim as much as possible. But, like I said, I got a good eye of how and where the ball is going to go."

Click here to hear the interview.

The Lakers are up 2-0 on the Nuggets, and to celebrate we hit the studio for a podcast, and a lively one at that.

We started by asking whether the Lakers have changed expectations surrounding their postseason with the quality of their play, particularly Game 1. Maybe they should have slow-played this one a little?

From there, we moved on to a topic inspired by comments left on this post about the pressure on Mike Brown to perform in his first postseason as head coach of the Lakers. As Kobe Bryant told me, for players to truly, fully buy into Brown as a coach will be difficult until they've gone through a playoffs with him. Meaning Brown is coaching not just for this spring, but to lay a foundation for the rest of his tenure in Los Angeles.

In it, I note some of the obstacles in Brown's way, including a roster that "isn't as well equipped to win a title as last year's" group.

Fair to say, there was a great deal of disagreement about that one. Certainly during much of the season, as the Lakers struggled with depth problems and members of the supporting cast struggled, it was true. But what about this team, right now? The one taking the floor for Games 1 and 2 against Denver? Most readers thought I got it wrong. Upon further review, I think they have a compelling argument. Andy and I kick it around the topic -- he agreed with you folks -- noting first the difference in mentality. This year's group is far more engaged, suffering from none of the burnout plaguing the 2010-2011 team. Pau Gasol is present, accounted for, and playing at a very high level.

Then there's the roster. Yes, Lamar Odom is gone, but his production has been absorbed to a large degree by Andrew Bynum and Gasol. Ramon Sessions is an upgrade over Derek Fisher. Metta World Peace (once he returns) is playing better now than he was last season. And, of course, Kobe Bryant isn't just healthier, but much healthier. Put it all together, and the Lakers are better this spring than last, or at the very least have the potential to be better. Certainly the first two games of against Denver support that idea.

How that factors into their title hopes -- they were a long way from a championship in '11 -- is a different debate, but it obviously it can't hurt. And, of course, a better team means even more pressure on Brown.

But it's a good reminder of how narratives in sports need constant re-examination.

Finally, with L.A.'s Big Three all playing well, we noted the sacrifices made by Gasol for the greater good. Bryant talked about it following Game 2. "Championship teams have always been built on players who can sacrifice for the betterment of the group. He's obviously sacrificed his touches, but his aggressiveness is not going down. If you look his assist numbers and his rebounding numbers, he's such a big factor for our team," he said.

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It's the rubber match for Pacific Division supremacy, and perhaps even ownership of Los Angeles from San Pedro to the San Fernando Valley! The Lakers and Clippers should be primed for serious battle, between the playoff seeding at stake, the local bragging rights, and quite frankly, because they don't care much for each other. To preview this contest, we called upon Kevin Arnovitz and Jordan Heimer, host of ESPNLA.com's "The Clipper podcast." You can hear the show by clicking on the module, and a breakdown of talking points is below.





- (1:50): We examine my theory about how the Lakers only play consistently well against teams they collectively hate (the Clippers, Mavericks and Celtics) or Kobe hates (the Suns, #NeverForget).

- (3:45): Blake Griffin's annoying on-court behavior (primarily flopping, although some don't dig the post-dunk preening) is compared to Andrew Bynum's troubling behavior on and away from the hardwood.

- (11:00): Arnovitz and Heimer break down how the Clippers' once-sinking fortunes suddenly turned. In particular, the defense has suddenly improved.

- (17:50): This will be the Lakers' first game against the Clippers with Ramon Sessions in the fold. How will he fare defending Chris Paul? (And if he struggles, who picks up the slack in his place?) Can Sessions place pressure on a team that sometimes struggles in pick-and-roll coverage?

- (26:00): How do Arnovitz and Heimer expect Kobe Bryant to be defended?

- (27:20): Predictions!

- (30:00): The Clippers got their act together almost immediately upon the reinstatement of Clipper Darrell. Pure coincidence or testament to the power of a super-fan who now "understands his role?" And yes, I do find the notion of a meeting to spell out Clipper Darrell's "role" hysterically funny.

Lakers forward Matt Barnes joined 710 ESPN's Mason and Ireland Show -- click here or the full interview -- touching on a wide range of subjects including the strongest team they've played this season (not surprisingly, Barnes chooses Oklahoma City) and questions about Mike Brown's rotation (often frustrating, particularly for him, but evening out with time).

One of the more interesting moments came when Barnes was asked about the bench, and whether he takes personally the near nightly outscoring of L.A.'s bench by the opposition's:

"It's a little different, here. I think our production is not necessarily measured by points. It's more the small things. We have such a talented and offensive oriented team that guys off the bench -- last night I played 27 minutes and got four shots. Normally guys like James Harden will play 27 minutes and get 18 shots off the bench. So it's kind of hard to gauge our production point-wise, because we have Kobe (Bryant), we have Andrew (Bynum), we have Pau (Gasol), and now we have Ramon (Sessions) who is also a proven scorer. So it's a little frustrating to hear [the criticism of the bench] sometimes, but this game comes with a lot of criticism and we'll definitely shoulder that."

While it might sound like an excuse, Barnes is right. The bulk of the offensive opportunities still go to the starters remaining on the floor with the reserves, making points an imperfect way to measure a good game from a bad one. Josh McRoberts had one field goal against the Warriors Tuesday night -- albeit with the ultimate FG-to-SportsCenter highlight ratio -- but had eight rebounds and worked hard. Troy Murphy's eight points were nice, but the 11 boards might have been more important. Barnes scores more than anyone off the bench, but is best measured by activity, not PPG. It's in this spirit the reserves should be judged: In one form or another, from rebounding to assists to defense to hustle plays to whatever, did they have a positive impact on the game?

Of course, the reason is equal parts simple and unflattering: The Lakers don't have the personnel capable of providing points on a nightly basis. They don't have a Harden, or a Lou Williams, or a Jason Terry whose living is built on getting off the bench and lighting up the opposition. L.A. made multiple plays for Michael Beasley, maybe not quite at the level of those three but still a potentially explosive scorer, but wasn't successful.

So while it's important to have a realistic understanding of what defines good play from the Lakers' bench, it's equally important to understand this recalibration isn't a function of design but necessity, is hardly ideal, and contributes greatly to the team's extremely thin margin for error.

Former Lakers coach Kurt Rambis joined the Mason and Ireland Show Monday afternoon -- me and Andy filling in for the Oakland-bound John Ireland -- offering very interesting takes on Sunday's fourth quarter benching (if that's the right term) of Kobe Bryant against the Grizzlies, how he thinks Mike Brown handled it, and whether he believes there will be any fallout going forward. As someone who worked with Bryant about as long as anyone and has a deep understanding of the L.A. market, Rambis' perspective is one worth hearing.

Oh yeah, we also talked about other stuff, like the impact of Ramon Sessions on the team's offense, and what his presence does for the Lakers' playoff chances.

Click here for the full interview.

Late this afternoon, Kobe Bryant (shooting guard, Los Angeles Lakers, used to wear a mask) appeared on 710 ESPN's Mason and Ireland Show -- click here for the full interview -- and covered a lot of ground over about 12 minutes. He called the Lakers contenders, commented on his relationship with Mike Brown and the coaching staff, weighed in on the question of whether Ramon Sessions should start, and why the Lakers have struggled on the road.

The nugget likely to get the most attention came at the end, when he was asked about Jim Buss:

"We have a good relationship. People misunderstand that relationship. We’ve had good times. We’ve had dinner together, things like that. He’s a great guy. He wants to do the right thing, he wants to help us win a championship. The biggest thing is, the same with his father who he’s learned from, he’s not going to make rushed decisions. He’s going to be patient, he’s going to take his time, and the one thing I will say about the Lakers organization is that this is one of those franchises that always seems to land on it’s feet. Always seems to make the right choices, always seems to make the right decisions. Even the tough ones. He’s a great guy.”

Not that you'd expect Bryant to go Category 5 and blow up his boss on the radio, but his answer is still a lot nicer than many would guess, even if he's not being completely forthright. It doesn't make some of those things ticking Kobe off in recent months less real, but as a money quote could quell some of the whispers about major fractures in his relationship with the team. That's no small thing at a time where the Lakers are at a very uncertain place, caught between winning now and trying to prep for the future.

Among the other topics covered (arranged chronologically for your convenience)...

• His thoughts on Brown and his staff. "We have coaches on staff who are very smart and understand the temp of the game. [Ettore] Messina in particular, who has a great deal of experience in coaching overseas and brings more of a European style of play, that’s more fun to watch and involves more movement and things of that nature. Our coaching staff as a whole is very unselfish, and they don’t mind other coaches sharing ideas and players sharing concepts."
• How he can go shoot a combined 13-of-47 against Utah and Houston, then go 11-for-18 vs. Dallas.
• On starting Sessions. "I don't really see it as a major issue or a big deal."
• Why they struggle on the road, and how Sessions can help them improve.
• Lamar Odom's struggles in Dallas. It's not just lingering disappointment from the trade, but his role as well. "“You have to feature him. He was a playmaker for us. He was a point forward for us. We ran our offense through him and allowed him to make decisions. It’s tough to do that in Dallas, because they already have their structure.”
• His belief that this is a team capable of winning a title.

Finally, he was asked -- jokingly, of course -- if he and Derek Fisher would go easy on each other when the Thunder come to town next Thursday. "“The most disrespectful thing we could do to each other is take it easy on each other. That’s not what we’re about.”

There will, he said, be elbows thrown and bruises inflicted.

In the wake of Tuesday's loss to Houston, two big topics of conversation quickly emerged. First, people really want Ramon Sessions in the starting lineup. Second, with Sessions available, the Lakers need to re-think their fourth quarter offense and get some variety (something they've needed for a while, actually) beyond the standard dose of a ball-dominant Kobe Bryant.

The presence of Sessions requires adjustments for the group. Kobe has to understand there's a second guy capable of creating shots for everyone on the floor, but he needs the ball to do it. His teammates need to lose the habit of looking for Kobe first and dumping him the ball as a default. Even if he wants it, it's OK to pass somewhere else. Sessions will have to learn to assert himself in a lineup with Bryant (no easy task, to be fair), and the coaching staff has to dig a little deeper into the playbook.

How well they figure it out over the final 20 games will have a big impact on their playoff fortunes.

Appearing with Max Kellerman and Marcellus Wiley this morning on 710 ESPN -- click here for the full interview -- Sessions believes he and Kobe will jell, but it will take a little time. "It’s something that we’re going to have to adjust to. In this season, practice time is real limited, so we’re going to have to learn on the go. I definitely think it’s something we’ll get used to on the floor, and just know when it’s time for whoever to do what he does," he said.

"It’s one of those things where the more times we get out there together, the more comfortable we’ll get, and the more we’ll be able to feed off one another.”

The distinction of starting is something I've always seen as overrated. What matters more are minutes and floor combinations. Sessions can get plenty of the former, whether Steve Blake starts or not, but those clamoring for a lineup change make a compelling point when it comes to the latter. As much as he's goosed the second unit -- and he has -- if Sessions is going to be on the floor late in games with the rest of the starting lineup, and more often than not he will, every rep he gets with those players benefits them all.

Obviously Kobe is the most important component in this equation. The more time they spend on the floor together, the more likely they are to operate efficiently in the postseason and maximize L.A.'s chances at success.

With the trade deadline only about a week away, things are getting a little tense. There are still a litany of questions yet to be answered, and not much time to do it. So with that in mind, we welcomed ESPN Radio's Ryen Russillo to the show. It was a busy show, covering a lot of ground. It should also be noted we recorded before the road losses against Detroit and Washington. Obviously, those results would have otherwise been a topic of discussion.

The highlights:

• What do the Lakers need at the deadline, and whether they should move Pau Gasol or Andrew Bynum to get them filled.
• How real is the push in Boston to trade Rajon Rondo? (7:00)
• What real trade -- meaning something not totally one sided and absurd -- would you make including Bynum or Gasol? (13:15)
• Even if they make moves filling in the middle of the roster, Russillo thinks the window on this group has closed. (19:00)
• Does the fact the Lakers have become so money conscious show the new CBA is working as intended? (26:00)

From there, we get into an extended conversation about the MC Bracket Russillo and Scott Van Pelt are running as part of the Scott Van Pelt Show on ESPN Radio -- 64 contestants in all, with the regions broken up into the Dirty South, West Coast, East Coast and 8 Mile. As hip hop isn't my strong suit, most of the deeper opinions are delivered by Russillo (who knows his stuff) and AK (who knows more than me -- hard to believe, but I'm actually less "street" than I look).

But we encourage everyone to click the links above and vote. Just vote responsibly.

Friday afternoon's press conference with Mitch Kupchak and Mike Brown produced many bits of buttery basketball nuggetry. Kupchak emphasized L.A.'s limitations in the upcoming free agent market, and made it pretty clear he expects Shannon Brown to sign elsewhere (if the goal is a substantial payday, at least). Mike Brown, among other things, dropped clues about how he'll use Kobe Bryant, discussed Derek Fisher's status as a starting point guard, and said the compressed training camp and regular season schedule means he won't be able to implement his system as thoroughly as he'd like.

Oh, and Matt Barnes said he's spoken to Dwight Howard, and he wants to come to Los Angeles. Can't imagine that'll fuel speculation.

In an effort to sort it all out, after it was over Andy and I hit the studio and recorded a fresh podcast, WHICH YOU CAN LISTEN TO BY CLICKING HERE.

We start by welcoming rookie point guard Darius Morris, selected with the 41st pick in last summer's draft, to the show. After establishing his proper height (listed three ways on draft day), he tells us how he spent his lockout lengthened offseason. Like all rookies, Morris was caught in limbo. No official support from his team, no income to rely on, no professional experience to reference. (6:52) Morris then answers questions about potential playing time, and what he missed this summer because of the labor problems. Losing access to coaches was disappointing, but Morris believes he gained a great deal by working out with other pros.

Finally, while Morris knows he has a great deal of work left in the interim (making the team, for example), he admits allowing his mind to wander towards Christmas.

After saying goodbye, we break down Kupchak's comments about free agency, and how he addressed questions about Howard (17:00). No surprise, Kupchak said nothing was on the front burner-- he wouldn't have told us, even if there was -- but how likely is it Howard moves somewhere before the start of the season, whether to the Lakers or another team? Andy thinks the odds are higher than I do, and explains why.

From there, it's on to Brown (23:47). After playing sound from Kupchak on the subject, we get into what it means. If he goes, who replaces him? What does losing Brown mean for the rest of L.A.'s roster bolstering mission? Who could they land? (27:00, give or take)

We wrap with Brown's comments on Kobe in the offense and ideas for the Mike Brown Suggestion Box. All of this, plus Karl Malone impressions and Duran Duran jokes!

To subscribe to the K-Bros podcast via iTunes, click here. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for full video coverage of the Lakers.

***CLICK HERE TO LISTEN***

Did you hear? The lockout, she's over!

And with her demise, none too soon for support staff, fans, media, and players alike, comes the opportunity for analysis about real stuff that will have real impact on the team going forward. Things like...

• Major needs on the roster for 2011-12.
• The impact of a compressed schedule on Kobe Bryant and his teammates.
• How the offense might operate under Mike Brown.
• Roundtable discussion on big Lakers issues going forward.
• The impact of the new CBA on the Lakers.
• Who will back up Kobe at the two?
• Pau Gasol's "Groundhog Day" journey.

To this light reading we add our first post-labor strife Land O'Lakers PodKast!

We start (3:00) with a little lockout postmortem. Who were the big winners and losers? Was it worth it for the players to hold out the way they did? From there (9:30) we ask if the core of the team -- meaning Kobe, Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Andrew Bynum-- is still good enough to win. We agree the answer is yes, but the margins are pretty thin as things stand right now. The Lakers need help. What should their priorities be, given how few tools they have available to add players to the roster (15:00).

Finally, we debate what to do with Shannon Brown (18:30).

**CLICK HERE TO LISTEN**

There are few personalities in sports more enigmatic than Jerry West. He's a man of incredible achievement who views his life largely through a lens of loss and failure. For legions of basketball fans (and, frankly, many basketball players and executives I suspect), it's an outlook difficult to comprehend. It also makes him a fascinating subject for feature writing, and with that in mind if you haven't yet had a chance to do so, be sure to carve out some time for this feature on West, written by Grantland's Jonathan Abrams.

It's a great piece, detailing among other things West's struggles with self-esteem, his relationship -- or more specifically, the lack of one -- with the Lakers, and how he views his new job in Golden State, likely West's last high profile position in the NBA. Abrams, who spent time with West in his native West Virginia, paints a picture throughout of how West's personality developed and how it influenced his professional life, both as a player and executive:

"... At its core, basketball always supplied West with a nondebatable ledger, only it never solved his anguish or his anxiety or his frustration and pain. The game served as an outlet and record-keeper for him. That's it. There are no ties, no middle ground, no confusion about the outcome. One side always wins -- that's good. One side always loses -- that's bad. Cut-and-dry. That's what drove West to become the player and executive he once was, that's what haunted him then and haunts him now, and that's what pulled him back to the NBA one last time."

So read the story, then click on the link above for the interview (or listen first, then read, or do both at once -- I'm not here to tell you how to live your life) for more detail.

Tuesday afternoon, I was fortunate to spend some time talking with Lakers great Michael Cooper, an integral part of five championships with the Showtime Lakers, and now coach of the women's basketball team at USC. Long and lean-- very, very lean-- Cooper was nonetheless a fierce competitor, earning All-Defensive Team honors eight times, and the DOPY Award in 1987. Larry Bird called him the toughest defender he ever faced. Praise doesn't come much higher.

PODCAST
Brian welcomes Lakers legend Michael Cooper, now head coach of the USC women's hoops squad. Coop talks about defending Larry Bird, the best of his five title teams, Magic's influence beyond the NBA, and why he wore his socks so high. Podcast

Over the course of about 30 minutes, we had a chance to touch on a wide range of subjects, from where he developed his intensity to the magic of Magic, both on and off the court. Among the highlights:

*Why he developed such a strong defensive mindset in L.A.: "You had to find a niche [with the Lakers]. When I met coach [Jack] McKinney, he said, "Coop, we need a player who is going to play some defense. We need a lock down defender at the 1,2, and 3 positions. That was kind of my calling card. I reverted back to all my fundamentals, and my aggressiveness as far as defense goes ... This was my niche to make it on the Lakers team. Everyone likes to score, but I felt that it was how I was going to be able to not only make that team, but stick around. And lo and behold, that worked out well for me."

*On defending Larry Bird: "I used to study games of his. It would be a month before we would play the Celtics, but I was getting ready for him. Watching him play. What did he do on out of bounds passes? What did he do going around picks? ... Larry was naturally born left-handed, and taught himself how to shoot right handed. He was very ambidextrous so you couldn't force him one way or the other, because he was just as good going to his left as he was to his right. The only tendencies I had [available from film] to pick up with him was how he came off of picks. How he set you up to come off a pick."

*Best of the five title teams on which he played: I thought our '84 team was very good, even though we came up short [against Boston in the Finals]. We had all the necessary parts to win a championship. Of the championships that we won, I'd have to say our '85 championship was about as good as we were going to get. Everybody was hitting on all cylinders. James Worthy was was just coming into being the type of player he'd eventually become, a Hall of Famer. That team had it all. We had a bench, we could play defense, we could run, we could rebound with you. We could get big, and even became "Riley's Runts," because we could get small. That '85 team was probably our best team, per player, and the camaraderie and the chemistry was very good.

*Coop explained the challenge of not just beating Boston, but overcoming the mystique they had in big moments.

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For nearly four decades, the Drew League has been home to some of the country's best summer basketball. From street legends to NBA players, the city's greatest talent has always found its way into the gym. David Greenwood, Raymond Lewis, John Williams, Michael Cooper, Byron Scott, Dennis Johnson, Lester Conner, Baron Davis, and Paul Pierce are some of the local legends spending summers on the Drew League court. Among the locally grown NBA players who have suited up for games this year at Washington Park in South L.A. are James Harden, DeMar DeRozan, Nick Young, Craig Smith, Derrick Williams, and Dorell Wright. Shannon Brown, Ron Artest, and Steve Blake have dropped in, as well.

PODCAST
Andy and Brian talk with Drew League Commissioner Dino Smiley about The Drew League's history, future and effect on Los Angeles beyond the court. Podcast

Still, while Drew League may be an institution in the neighborhood and among basketball junkies, it still can be considered a reasonably well-kept secret citywide. I'd only heard about it a couple summers ago, and didn't see a game until this year. This despite working in local sports media for almost a decade. Does it reflect a healthy dose of ignorance on my part? No question, but I suspect I'm not alone.

ESPNLA.com's Pedro Moura has done a great job covering this season's games, featuring the players above, but also ludicrously high end talent like Kevin Durant and, Saturday, LeBron James. The popularity of the still intimate and lo-fi league has grown, thanks in part to social media and, this year at least, the lockout, which has focused more attention towards it with a hoops hungry populace.

To gain more insight into the Drew, we spoke to longtime commissioner Dino Smiley, who reflected on league's past, present, and future, and the important role it plays in the community. At the same time, Smiley provides a great history of L.A. basketball and its rich talent, including his choice for the greatest player the city has ever produced.

Drew League games run through August, and are well worth checking out. It's a chance to see some high quality ball in a great atmosphere.

If you missed it, below are selected quotes from our interview Friday afternoon with former Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw. While he clearly was disappointed by not getting L.A.'s head coaching gig, Shaw seemed just as disappointed he heard the news of Mike Brown's good fortune on ESPN long before anyone in the organization spoke with him personally. Along with the decision not to run Brown's hire past Kobe Bryant (not for his approval, but as a courtesy) and questions about the handling of assistant GM Ronnie Lester and other team personnel, the treatment Shaw describes jibes neatly with the perception the Lakers, and particularly Jim Buss' Lakers, have a communication problem in the front office.

PODCAST
Andy and Brian speak with former Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw, talking about Jim Buss, communication problems, and how members of Phil Jackson's coaching tree are treated around the league. Podcast

It's difficult to argue the point.

More than anything, though, Shaw's comments again accentuate the general level of nervousness among so many fans. Not necessarily regarding what decisions are made -- hiring Brown over Shaw is a reasonable position -- but of the motivation behind them. Are they based on basketball, or reflecting a desire to make bold choices and put a personal stamp on a team? What happens when Kobe isn't Kobe anymore? Where will the next superstar come from, and is Jim Buss up to the task of maintaining the success of his father? The bar is spectacularly high.

To have so much hand-wringing over a team as good as the Lakers still are seems a little strange, but it reflects the psychological space occupied locally by the team. The Lakers are one of the city's reliably uplifting commodities (sunshine being another), almost always delivering a good-to-championship-level product. Even in more sour moments, people ultimately tend to believe they'll be fine, mostly because Dr. Buss' track record is so good. Now, many worry about the direction of the team (code for "worried about Jim Buss"), and since concern for the Lakers is basically foreign, the anxiety is only heightened. By no means has Jim Buss definitively shown he can't do the job, but he hasn't exactly endeared himself to the fan base, either.

These days, nobody is looking for fresh additions to the ol' worry jar. Shaw, candid for sure but even-handed and still very diplomatic, doesn't oblige.

A partial transcription of his comments is below. For the whole interview, click the module at right.

On disappointment in not getting the Lakers job:

"Initially I was very disappointed. It was something that I had my sights set on. I didn't really feel comfortable talking about [it] leading into this last season, but just tried to do everything I possibly could to put myself in position, and soak up and learn as much as I could from the best coach that's ever coached in any professional sport. I thought that I had done that, and having been in the organization for the past 12 years, thought I positioned myself pretty well. But I also understand the business and the nature of the business.

Things didn't work out that way, so I understand that, so it was time to move on, and that's what I did."

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