Q: With Kobe Bryant opting not to have surgery on his pinkie finger, does that hurt the Lakers' chances of making a title run?
— Hector Arciniega

A: No. I'd say it's more about what will Lamar do and where will Lamar be. The bigger health issue obviously involves Andrew Bynum and his ability to return to the form he was developing before surgery. Have you ever shaken hands with a pro athlete after their career is over? Their fingers, especially football and basketball players, are lumps pointing in all directions. So Kobe won't look perfect in retirement.

That's the least of the Lakers' issues. They lost to the Celtics in the NBA Finals because they couldn't control Paul Pierce. They don't have a true small forward and still don't. The wanted to take a shot at Ron Artest, but Sacramento didn't want to trade him down the interstate and wanted Lamar Odom in return. So now the Lakers will try Odom again at small forward, but he'll mostly be effective on offense playing a Scottie Pippen-like ball handling role. The problem is on defense with three big, slow guys in Bynum, Pau Gasol and Odom on the front line. The Lakers could opt for Trevor Ariza, but he never has shot well and then what becomes of Odom? That's still their major issue and remains unresolved.

Q: What's your take on how the Bulls went from contenders to a discombobulation?
— James Udesky, Tokyo

A: Not only didn't we see it coming, it still doesn't make much sense. What it suggests more than anything is it was an overachieving team (we always said it was greater than the sum of its parts) whose talent was overestimated. There still isn't an All-Star on the roster, so how good could they have been? They showed how far a team can go with a good coach who pushes players without guaranteed contracts trying to make their way in the NBA.

It's something to remember. Clearly, management made some mistakes, most notably with Ben Wallace, but few disagreed at the time of the signing. They also tended to fall in love with their players and were fooled as much as the fans and media that they were better than they were. It's good to know they're no smarter than we are. And then guys choked on the pressure of seeking a contract or having a new one. A team built that way is a delicate balance and when the coach lost confidence in the team as Scott Skiles apparently did and then was fired, individual agenda arose and they no longer were what we were seeing.

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So now they have to try to pull themselves up to being playoff contenders once again, which they can do with the break of getting Derrick Rose with the No. 1 pick. If Kevin McHale had a friend with the Bulls maybe he'd have traded the Bulls Kevin Garnett. If Memphis Grizzlies owner Mike Heisley didn't live in Chicago and compete in his mind against the Bulls maybe he'd have donated Gasol to the Bulls instead of the Lakers. The Bulls didn't get lucky, either.

Q: What do the Cleveland Cavaliers need to do to win a championship this season?
— Steve

A: Join the NFL? With LeBron James and Ben Wallace, they might have a great tight end and blocking fullback. The Cavs' biggest problem (after figuring out how to re-sign James after next season) is finding a running mate for James. Not only don't the Cavs have a No. 2 to support James, they don't even have a No. 5. The Lakers changed when they got Gasol to go with Kobe Bryant. Michael Jordan was 1-10 in the playoffs until Scottie Pippen came along. The Cavs have tried, like in thinking it could be Larry Hughes, but their personnel decisions have been awful in trying to find support for James. Mo Williams, whom they added, is OK, but he's no point guard and mostly likes to have the ball and shoot. Plus, he gets hurt. He's a fourth or fifth option, which pretty must describes the Cavs roster after James, who is fabulous. It's a shame to see him without any chance to be a serious championship contender.

Q: Are the Pacers going to be able to find a quality replacement for Jermaine O'Neal?
— Russ Needler, Austin, Texas

A: If you mean sit on the bench in street clothes and not practice when he is around, that should be no problem. But if you mean the O'Neal of a few years back, sorry. They're starting over again with Larry Bird and ownership trying to rebuild their image as well as anything at first. This hard-working group of the late 1990's turned into a community embarrassment which, in this economy, is a disaster for the franchise. They started at point guard and are taking a risk with T.J. Ford and his spinal problems, but they had to get rid of O'Neal to begin moving forward. They're taking a shot at some young big guys, which is uncertain. For now they look slow and unathletic, for the most part, and a long way from the playoffs. It seems more about salary cap relief now and spending flexibility for the future. But they have to start somewhere.

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