Assessing how the first-round losers can try to retool

Losing in the first round of the playoffs is a particularly cruel fate. Not bad enough to feign excitement over a draft lottery pick nor good enough to win any games of substance in the spring, early playoff losers are caught in a state of limbo. Breaking the cycle that lifts a good team to greatness is a difficult and delicate process, one that often requires a step or two back to take the next steps ahead.

How should this year's first-round losers advance their postseason causes? Well, that's what we're here for, to analyze what areas each club needs to address if they hope to maximize the talents already on hand.

Los Angeles Lakers

Projected room under the salary cap (estimated to be $55 million): None
Notable free agents: Luke Walton, Smush Parker, Chris Mihm
Assets: No. 19 pick in June draft; aura of playing for one of league's flagship franchises; Andrew Bynum
Drawbacks: Kobe Bryant, lack of overall talent

Unlike a certain former teammate, Kobe has become a detriment to recruiting for all but the most desperate of players hoping to chase the playoffs. But as even Lamar Odom has found out, is getting knocked out in Round 1 worth the angry glares, harsh words and lack of touches on the floor? Not unless you're competing for a title, and this Los Angeles Lakers team isn't close to that, especially with a void at power forward and a 19-year-old center in Andrew Bynum just learning how to play consistently.

On paper, Andrew Bynum presents the team's largest conundrum: Do the Los Angeles Lakers take it on the chin for another season or two while the talented youngster develops into the low-post presence L.A. can't win without? Or do they jettison the 7-foot prospect for a proven talent who will improve the bottom line immediately?

Kobe Bryant's post-playoff comments indicate he wants help now, but he'd be wrong if it included using Andrew Bynum as bait.

With the Los Angeles Lakers' lack of salary-cap space, Andrew Bynum -- and his rookie contract -- represents their only realistic commodity. Odom is still desirable, but the $27 million he's owed the next two seasons may be a poison pill to all teams not playing in New York City. And not even the Knicks would line up for the likes of Brian Cook or Vladimir Radmanovic.

So that leaves Andrew Bynum and the possibility he could fetch a Kevin Garnett or a Jermaine O'Neal or a Jason Kidd. Problem is, the Los Angeles Lakers aren't a mere All-Star away from winning the West, not with the Spurs, Suns and Mavs in residence. Further, none of those targets would provide the Los Angeles Lakers the low-post strength they need to compete against the Tim Duncans or Yao Mings, nor would it make them quick enough to deal with the Suns or Nuggets.

In other words, the Los Angeles Lakers are in NBA limbo: not good enough to compete for a title, not bad enough for a franchise-changing draft pick. At least on paper, but that paper hasn't shown GM Mitch Kupchak to be all that creative in building the Los Angeles Lakers' roster. Sure, he could get lucky and get O'Neal on fire sale from Indiana or Garnett on trade demand from Minnesota, but so could 29 other teams that don't have an overbearing ball hog as their front man.

If the Los Angeles Lakers were smart, they'd find something useful in the draft, make some small deals for bench help and think about a sign-and-trade with Walton, whose quiet effectiveness this season will make him an attractive piece on the free-agent market, and also one of the few methods by which the Los Angeles Lakers can acquire some new blood.

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