Lakers coming apart, Bynum?

No place for this in the league, Stern needs to send a message for this stuff, forget Lebron’s comments, this is real wrong.

You know things are completely f&@^%d when Ron Artest is trying to restore order. The Lakers are done done done!!! Its sad to see it end this way, though…

 They just showed their true colors tonight, wtf was Bynum thinking? Lamar’s foul on Dirk was some dumb shit too, Ive been there getting blown out and frustration takes over, but damn these dudes are pros like hubby said go out like a champ.

Yea, them dirty fouls need to be addressed, glad he turned out ok, but JJ could have easily landed the wrong way and broke his neck or something crazy that could have affected him for life, it doesn’t happen often in the NBA, but you never know.

You have "Playoff Fouls" then you have the "Overboard" things and what Bynum did was Overboard

something is wrong with this guy mentally. He called out the team earlier and acted like a complete idiot with that foul. Maybe he’s getting frustrated for not getting his stats BUT that fould was uncalled for.

By the way, Mavericks Bench has like 86 points and so do the entire Lakers. WOW that is crazy

Not the first team to do it. I am not sure the exact reasons, could have been trust issues, could have been Gasol’s situation with an "unnamed teammate" (Personally think it is very likely Lamar Odom, though I am just guessing) and his being dumped by his gf. Still, whatever it was, their was a huge lack of chemistry, poor body language and a lack of urgency. Leadership, which has been incredibly strong for this team, also seemed to kind of leave the building. Was Phil retiring early? Kobe, despite his continued excellence, could not rally these troops together.

The Odom thing was stupid, though not anything horrible. Bynum, however, was chicken $hit. Pathetic thing to do, went out like a total chump, taking off his jersey and all. Looked like a major punk, and I have to be honest, I think it will be hard to convince a team to take him for anything major. Yes, he is young, he has great length, and he could be a potential All-Star Center. But, can he carry a team? Can he stay healthy? Yet to be proven.

My guess is that this team does indeed get blown-up. You can keep them together, hope for the best under new leadership, maybe sign a nice vet for the mid-level. Still, if you point to the Pistons making all those straight Conference finals with that same core group, they won one title. This team went to 3 and won 2, and even if they get there, have they not been exposed already? Can they stay healthy? Will they come back and all be on the same page? Yet to be answered, but looks like a big, fat, no.

My guess is Phil will retire, Shaw will take over and the Lakers will try to put some new pieces around Kobe and hope it works. Dwight Howard is the pipe dream, and I am sure people would accept it because it was done through a trade rather than through free agency (why this seems to matter to people, I have no idea). Think that whatever team gets Odom, Gasol or Bynum should expect some fairly fat mediocrity, maybe a playoff team, nothing more unless they have a fantastic player to be the main guy.

I am usually the one to stand up for Gasol and argue he is not soft, but he was truly pathetic. He was soft, disinterested, and you have to wonder what exactly was going through his mind. Yes, break-ups suck, and so do confrontations with close friends or teammates, but you are playing for a larger goal here. Suck it up! His defense was atrocious, his body language was off and he did nothing to show he was even in the same league as Dirk Nowitzki. For someone who people were calling a potential MVP candidate after the first month of the season, Gasol seemed to get worse as the season went on. After three solid play-offs with the Lakers, he went out with a whimper this year. Have to wonder what is going on in his head, and I am sure they would gladly involve him in a trade for Howard or some other impact player.

Congrats to the Mavs, they have never been my favorite, and I definitely wanted the Lakers to win, but they outplayed them flat out. Kidd and Chandler were keys, as were Barea and Stojakovic in bench roles. Jason Terry and Dirk Nowitzki played as well as they ever have, Terry was phenomenal today at getting open draining 3’s. Whoever they play in the next round will be a tough match-up, but this team will not go down easily. They are playing hungry, and with their front line playing the way they are, they are no longer the cupcake inside that they used to be. Chandler is one of the better pick-ups of the off-season, changed this teams identity. Add in Haywood’s length, and you can not attack them at will inside anymore. They can still be beat, but they are playing great basketball right now and playing very well together. Lastly, I always felt Rick Carlisle was an incredibly slept on coach, and I think he has done a great job, but as always, the players are the key here and they killed it during this series. 

 Mavs bench had 81 and the Lakers had 86 total 

Wait wtf did he do I missed it! Damn why did it have to be mothers day TODAY!

 I think Bynum easily could have hurt seriously Barea with that terrible foul.  Remember him giving Gerald Wallace a collapsed lung and a couple broken ribs on a similar play?  It was a classless foul, and his taking off his jersey only made it look worse, losing his cool and giving up during a playoff game.   

 a collapsed lung on Wallace…sure… he could’ve been killed… That thing with JJ was an ugly cheap shot… I hope he gets fined by the league and suspended… You win like a champion, you lose like a champion and I salute Kobe for doing that… Even he was disgusted on what Bynum did…