Lakers to aim higher next season

By JOHN NADEL
AP SPORTS WRITER

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The Phil & Kobe reunion worked out well, with no apparent glitches. And outside of an ugly finish, so did the Los Angeles Lakers' season.

As for the future, Lakers fans probably shouldn't expect much roster shuffling or a championship contender very soon. The hope is, a title shot isn't too far away.

"We were all about getting to the playoffs and make some noise in the playoffs. We met our goal," coach Phil Jackson said Monday during a break from conducting exit interviews with his players.

The Lakers went 45-37 for an 11-game improvement over the previous season, and took a 3-1 lead over the Phoenix Suns before losing the last three games to be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

"We're pleased. We maintained from day one that was achievable," general manager Mitch Kupchak said of a return to the postseason.

But Game 7 was ugly from start to finish - a 121-90 victory by the Suns.



"They're holding themselves responsible," Jackson said of his players. "I have to make them let go of that. The first four games were pretty good."

And the last three weren't.

"We think our future is very bright," Kupchak said. "The good news, really, is this team is together. You cannot predict a major change.

"This is not a stellar year where you're going to see eight to 10 stellar free agents available. We're in the exact same boat as 25 or 26 other teams are in. We have a big window two years from now."

That that might be when something big happens in free agency that makes the Lakers viable championship contenders.

"I wouldn't discount it a year or two down the road. I'm not prepared to say that, although I think that's a possibility," Kupchak said of returning to elite status.

Added Jackson: "Usually you have to go two or three rounds of the playoffs before you can compete for a championship. "We have some core ingredients that are pretty good."

The Lakers have three legitimate big men in Chris Mihm, Kwame Brown and Andrew Bynum. Bryant is a superstar and Lamar Odom is an All-Star caliber player.

The biggest question mark is in the backcourt. Bryant's 35.4-point average was the NBA's best in 19 years, but the youth and inexperience of starter Smush Parker and top reserve Sasha Vujacic hurt the Lakers against the Suns.

"The question is, are we good enough at that position? Are we experienced enough? Both of them made strides this season," Jackson said. "We don't believe we have to have a superstar come in for us to advance (in the playoffs). We know we have enough physical talent, we have enough size, we have enough expertise to compete."

Kupchak said he didn't anticipate a major trade this offseason, but did acknowledge a possible need for an upgrade in the backcourt.

The Lakers, well over the salary cap, have only three unrestricted free agents on their roster - veterans Devean George and Jimmy Jackson and rookie Devin Green. George was a key reserve on this team.

"He's probably the one challenge we have during the offseason," Kupchak said. "Basically, the core of this team is intact."

George said he was going to explore free agency.

"I just let them know that I enjoyed being here and I'm open to coming back," he said.

Jackson, who coached the Lakers to three championships in five years, returned this season after a year off. He wrote a book slamming Bryant while he was gone, so there was intrigue upon his return. When training camp started, all eyes were in the record-setting coach and his star player. But no problems surfaced.

"We worked together really well this season," Jackson said. "It was remarkable, from Hawaii on. I think at first, it was like, `How's this going to work?' He really took to the offense, where he was going to play in it. It was a remarkable year for him."

Jackson said Bryant did an especially good job with leadership.

"Kobe was a lot more personable for us this year, was great as a leader," teammate Brian Cook said. "A lot of people did a lot of growing up. Everybody got along from the standpoint of off the court - just a great group of guys."

Bryant said he believes the Lakers grew up.

"When you go through a season like we went through and a playoff series like we went through, those are big steps in our development process," he said. "When we come back next season, you'll see a team that executes better, understands better, is better in pressure situations, is just mature."

losangelescensus new articles for Tuesday, April 11, 2006'La Marcha' Protest Draws 500,000 in Los Angeles (NPR)
Hundreds of thousands of people supporting immigrants' rights have taken to the streets in rallies and marches that span the country. In California, rallies are happening in the heart of farm country, as well as in Silicon Valley and Los Angeles.

Los Angeles: LAX Facelift in the Can (Gridskipper)
While city officials battle environmentalists over plans to reconfigure the runways and terminals at Los Angeles International Airport, officials at LAX are working on a more basic customer service...

Gen. Anthony Zinni Converses With Marjorie Miller and Town Hall Los Angeles (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)
On Friday, April 21, 2006, General Anthony Zinni, former Commander in Chief of the US Central Command, converses with Los Angeles Times Foreign Editor Marjorie Miller and Town Hall Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Foreclosures Increase Dramatically in the First Quarter Of 2006, According to Default Research (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)
The number of foreclosures in Los Angeles County increased by 63 percent in the first quarter of 2006 compared to 2005, according to Default Research , the rapidly growing real estate research company for foreclosure properties.

Los Angeles Councilman Offers $50k For B.I.G. Leads By EbenGregory Date: 4/9/2006 8:40 pm (allhiphop.com)
A city official in Los Angeles, California hopes a $50,000 reward will provide leads in the unsolved slaying of rapper Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace.

Taiwan's CAL to add flights to Los Angeles (Channel NewsAsia)
TAIPEI : China Airlines, Taiwan's leading carrier, said Monday it will add two flights to its Taipei-Los Angeles route every week from mid-May on rising demand.

Los Angeles Official Offers $50K Reward BIG Leads (BallerStatus.net)
A city councilman for Los Angeles has offered a $50,000 reward for leads in the unsolved murder of Notorious B.I.G.

G4 + E3 = 5 Days of Blowout Coverage of the Biggest Videogame Event in the World, as E3 Hits Los Angeles May 9-12 (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)
Combining the high stakes of the Super Bowl, the excitement of the Oscars and the mania of March Madness, E3 -- the premiere event in the videogame universe -- hits Los Angeles May 9-12, and G4 will be in the thick of the action with three hours a day of live, up-to-the-minute coverage.

West Angeles City View Will Offer Condos, Townhomes and Single-Family Units to Middle-Class Residents in South Los (Multi-Housing News)
MARCH 31, 2006 -- Los Angeles -- To meet the growing demand for home ownership in urban neighborhoods of South Los Angeles, the West Angeles Community Development Corp. (WACDC) and Phoenix Realty Group (PRG) announced the close of escrow on the site for a 61-unit, for-sale multi-housing community.

Philadelphia 6, Los Angeles 3 (Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune)
PHILADELPHIA 6, LOS ANGELES 3 Los Angeles AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Furcal ss 5 1 0 0 0 2 .211 JoCruz lf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .350 JDrew rf 3 1 1 1 1 1 .316 JKent 2b 3 0 1 0 1 0 .375 Loney 1b 4 0 2 0 0 0 .267 Mueller 3b 3 0 0 0 1 0 .421 Repko cf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .350 Navarro c 4 1 1 1 0 0 .200 DLowe p 3 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Brazoban p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- Kuo p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Saito p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- Ledee ph 1 0 0 0 0 1

Los Angeles

The City of Los Angeles IPA: /lɒs.ˈæn.dʒə.lɪs/ (from Spanish Los Ángeles /los.ˈaŋ.xe.les/) also known simply as L.A., is the second-largest city in the United States in terms of population, as well as one of the world's most important economic, cultural, and entertainment centers. It was incorporated as a city in California on April 4, 1850, and is the county seat of Los Angeles County.