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On the surface it's easy to say yes based on their current play. However, at different points at least Payton was useful to the team over the course of the season. I really don't think they are primary problem. The fact that Bryant and Shaq are making only momentary attempts to help each other score is disturbing. The supporting cast, besides Gary and Karl, are not supporting the effort. Fisher, George, Medvedenko (i'm sure that's not spelled right), and Fox aren't doing much more than providing me with some good giggles when I see them pouting on the bench. I think the Lakers are falling victim to their own hype and an underdog scenario. Michael Jordan did an interview, during one of his retirements I think, and said while they were dominating the league there were still teams that surprised them and that they should have beat. Among them were the Mavericks, pre current incarnation, that were usually cellar dwellers but could hand the Bulls their butts on the regular. Why? Because they didn't take the team seriously and by the time they did it was too late. The Lakers have put themselves in a BAD spot and while I'll truly enjoy watching them lose if they do, I think some of this could have been avoided if they had just ADMITTED that the Pistons were just outplaying them instead of saying oh we just need to do xyz and we'll stop em cause they did that tonight and no stopper.
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