What's even more of a headache for management is Quentin Richardson in the backcourt. His rookie contract expires next summer.
As a 1.98-meter-tall, 230-pound heavyweight wing, Richardson has an astonishing 2.13-meter wingspan. In college and early in his career, his shot selection was extremely random. When he was on fire, he could hit consecutive long-range three-pointers, but when he was off fire, he was a pure "random shot king". Moreover, his lateral movement was relatively slow, making him easy to target on the defensive end by quick-footed guards.
But during his two seasons with the Lakers, Jordan completely corrected his playing style.
Jordan demanded an extremely high level of focus from the game. If Richardson took even the slightest unnecessary shot from the outside or was lax on defense, he would be met with merciless criticism. Under two years of intense pressure, Richardson significantly reduced his inefficient and reckless shots, focusing his offensive efforts entirely on transition offense and high-post spot-up three-pointers.
More importantly, Phil Jackson and Jordan fully utilized the talent of his massive physique. Richardson possessed a rare offensive rebounding instinct and hustle for a forward. Whenever O'Neal was double-teamed in the low post and his long-range shots missed, Richardson could always use his weight of over 230 pounds to bulldoze into the paint and snatch the offensive rebound from the opponent's head for a second-chance opportunity.
On the defensive end, although he is still limited by his relatively slow lateral movement and cannot become a defensive master like Tony Allen, his excellent upper body strength and wingspan make him very effective against heavy forwards and guards. He can use his muscular build to hold off opponents in the back of the court, making him the Lakers' most reliable "heavy shooter and rebounding monster" on the perimeter.
Over the past two years, Richardson's market value has soared, but the Lakers' management is well aware that Richardson is a spot-up finisher and piece of the puzzle who is extremely reliant on the system. He lacks the ability to initiate plays with the ball and is easily beaten by agile small guards.
By next summer, this outstanding 3D wing player will undoubtedly demand a long-term contract with an annual salary of several million or even tens of millions.
The problem is that Quentin Richardson is only a role player who has lived up to his price tag; he can't carry a team's offensive system.
Ultimately, the Lakers are in a very awkward position: they can't reach the top, and they can't settle for less.
Even more critically, the lack of a coaching position on the Lakers has created immense uncertainty about the future of this roster.
After winning the championship, legendary head coach Phil Jackson resigned and left the team due to "health reasons" and his extreme dissatisfaction with Jerry Buss's failure to pay his share of Jordan's equity.
Over the past two seasons, the Lakers have been able to manage a diverse range of players with distinct personalities thanks to Jordan's unwavering authority and Phil Jackson's adeptness at managing emotions. Regardless of Marion's thoughts on his role in the offense, or Odom's sensitivity off the court, a single glare from Jordan on the court or a few casual words from the Zen Master on the sidelines were enough to mold the entire team into a cohesive unit.
Now, Jordan has retired, and Zen Master has resigned.
The power balance in the locker room was instantly shattered.
The new coach hastily appointed by Jerry Buss faced a Shaquille O'Neal who was furious over contract renewal issues, two prime forwards who had just signed multi-million dollar contracts and were eager to take more ball possession, and Richardson who was eager to rack up impressive stats in his contract year.
Without the authority and discipline of Jordan and Zen Master, how the new coach can mold this group of highly motivated players is a huge unknown, both in terms of tactics and locker room dynamics.
Meanwhile, Jerry Buss was observing the changing situation across the entire league with a cool head.
The more he observed, the less willing this shrewd businessman was to place a bet.
After Kidd joined San Antonio, the Spurs became the team with the highest chance of winning the championship in the United States in the new season. With Tim Duncan, Kidd, Ginobili and Tony Parker, Popovich's lineup has almost no weaknesses. The defense is solid and the backcourt offense has a masterful court brain.
In the Eastern Conference, although the Boston Celtics lost the championship in June, Garnett and Pierce are in their prime, and Wade is in the backcourt, so their roster depth is still among the best in the league.
Even more critically, other powerful teams in the Western Conference are also eyeing the market covetously.
The Phoenix Suns' starting lineup, consisting of McGrady, Grant Hill, Kenyon Martin, and Marcus Camby, has been playing together for an entire season. Camby, initially considered injury-prone, has been in excellent form thanks to Phoenix's excellent medical team, maintaining an unusually high attendance rate last season. After a year of developing chemistry, the Suns ' wing players possess abundant athleticism and talent. Their only weakness is the lack of a top-tier traditional point guard, often forcing Hill and McGrady to orchestrate the offense.
The Sacramento Kings retained Bibby, Eddie Jones, Rashad Lewis, Chris Webber, and Divac, and then acquired Brad Miller in a sign-and-trade deal, bringing the Princeton system to almost its complete form.
The Seattle SuperSonics boast a formidable offensive firepower, featuring Chauncey Billups Billups, Ray Allen, and Stephen Jackson on the perimeter, and Amar'e Stoudamire, the newly crowned Little Stoudemire of the Year and a force to be reckoned with inside.
In the fiercely competitive Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers, having lost Jordan, Kidd, and Phil Jackson, and with their new coach yet to prove himself, have had their championship chances reduced to an extremely low level.
With little hope of winning the championship and a crisis lurking in the locker room, they are willing to completely lock up their financial resources for the next four or five years for the sake of O'Neal, who is over thirty years old.
In Jerry Buss's view, this was not only a risky move, but also an obvious losing proposition.
Rather than being held hostage by O'Neal's exorbitant max contract, paying taxes year after year and struggling to win a championship, Jerry Buss would rather prolong the process by using passive-aggressive tactics and remaining silent. If O'Neal loses his temper and throws a tantrum in the media, Jerry Buss could even conveniently gain the moral high ground and look for a buyer in the market, completely freeing up salary space.
Thinking of this, Lin Qi leaned back in his leather chair, gently swirling the coffee cup in his hand, when an interesting idea suddenly flashed through his mind.
Jerry Buss is the kind of person who never does anything that doesn't make him a profit.
He let O'Neal cause trouble in the media, refused to sign a contract extension, even let Kidd go, and allowed the championship roster to fall apart...
On the surface, it appears to be stinginess and retreat, but at a deeper level, is Jerry Buss already harboring other intentions?
If Shaquille O'Neal isn't re-signed, freeing up significant salary cap space, who will Jerry Buss be waiting for—the perimeter star who can once again uphold the Lakers' reputation?
Lin Qi's gaze passed through the blinds and landed in the distant southwest.
Three years ago, that proud young man left Los Angeles and went to the Chicago Bulls.
That summer, a storm in Eagle County Colorado, pushed that young man into the eye of the storm in American public opinion, even casting a heavy shadow over his relationship with the Chicago Bulls.
"Could it be that Jerry Buss...?"
Lin Qi put down his coffee cup, a playful smile appearing in his eyes.
If that's the case, then the ambitions hidden behind Los Angeles' seemingly collapsed game are far more interesting than outsiders imagine.