This chattering has always been greeted with a shrug or an eye roll from the protagonists, who seem to know the difference between drama and distress -- namely the difference between the playoffs and the regular season.
The message, from Phil Jackson on down, was always the same: Wake me up when it's April.
This is what made Kobe Bryant's fish-or-cut-bait decree to general manager Mitch Kupchak so noteworthy. If Bryant, who was supposed to have retired as general manager years ago, is so concerned about the state of Pau Gasol's head that he's telling Kupchak to just make a decision already -- trade Gasol or keep him -- then it's a sign for the masses to run to the nearest window ledge.
That was clear less than 24 hours later, when the Lakers tried to stem the stampede with the unusual step of issuing a statement from Kupchak, which said of exploring possible trades: "To say publicly that we would not do this would serve no purpose and put us at a competitive disadvantage. Taking such a course of action at this time would be a disservice to ownership, the team and our many fans."
Translation: I'll do my job, you do yours.
The Lakers then did just that Monday, following up their loss at Phoenix the previous night (they trailed by 27 at one point) -- with a good-for-the-soul pounding of Portland (they once led by 30).
Nobody seemed more rejuvenated than Gasol, who played with flair -- flipping a pair of no-look passes -- and assertiveness that have often been missing in a season that began with his being the centerpiece of the nixed Chris Paul trade.
Gasol has acknowledged that trade discussions -- he is reportedly being coveted by Minnesota and Chicago, among others -- have bothered him personally, if not professionally, just as reports of problems with his girlfriend troubled him during a poor playoffs last spring.
"I said what he wanted to say but he couldn't say," Bryant told TNT's Cheryl Miller after the win over Portland.
All this is well and good, with the Lakers finding a cause to rally behind. But Gasol is the least of their problems.
The Lakers don't have a reliable point guard. If Steve Blake hits five 3-pointers, as he did Monday, then great. And Derek Fisher can be counted on to hit clutch shots, but what about the other 47 minutes? The other option is rookie Andrew Goudelock, who is learning to play the point.
A name change by Metta World Peace hasn't changed the fact his game is in steady decline. Matt Barnes is the only energy player on a bench that used to be full of them, with Shannon Brown, Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic.
And Lamar Odom, the NBA's reigning Sixth Man of the Year, has been replaced by Troy Murphy, who is nobody's idea of a matchup problem.
Add it all up and it's little surprise the Lakers no longer look so fearsome in the Western Conference. They are still formidable at home, 14-2, but they have won just five games on the road -- which is where they are likely to start the playoffs.
This roster, and Kupchak's failure to produce a meaningful draft pick in the last five years, is the very reason the Lakers would consider dealing Gasol -- to transform themselves.
As it is, this is an organization in transition, from the top down as Jim Buss takes an increasingly larger role. Not only is Jackson -- and nearly every vestige of his staff and system -- gone, but so are scouts and members of the training staff, swept out at the end of last season.
So, when World Peace complains about his role, saying that coach Mike Brown, who got his start as a video coordinator, is an all-stats guy, or when Andrew Bynum complains about practices sapping his energy during this condensed season, it's clear Gasol isn't the only one who is unsettled.
As Brown tinkers with his pieces and his system, playing Bryant and Gasol at a grinding 38 and 37 minutes apiece and trying to make the most of a shrinking pool of resources, the Lakers' biggest concern is no longer just waking up in time for the playoffs.
That much is plain to see, whether you're standing in Bryant's shoes or out on a ledge.Jennifer Stewart-US PRESSWIRE
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