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Baker: Does Kobe have to go it alone'

I don't know what to make of Kobe Bryant's tantrum after the Los Angeles Lakers were ousted from the playoffs, or the team's reaction ' guaranteeing they'd be aggressive in the free agent/trade market to help appease their star player. First of all, star players aren't guaranteed to win championships ' really good teams win championships, which leads me to wonder what Kobe must be feeling about his teammates right now. It also makes one wonder what the Los Angeles Lakers landscape will look like by the time training camp opens. Kobe made it clear that improving the team is on general manager Mitch Kupchak and coach Phil Jackson. What they can and will do could have a major impact, both good and bad, for fantasy owners next season. One thing is clear, barring a renege on their word, players are going to change teams this off-season.

My issue with Kobe Bryant's demands, and his own shortcomings, were amplified clearly in the playoff series. In five games he took 50 more shots than the next most prolific gunner on the team, Lamar Odom. He averaged 32.8 ppg and led the team in assists with 4.4, but the Los Angeles Lakers averaged only 14.4 apg as a team while their opponent (Phoenix) averaged ' wait for it ' 27.7 assists.

While Kobe monopolizes the ball and tries to win it alone, the rest of his team is stuck watching, waiting, wondering and hoping they can contribute. From a fantasy perspective, when Kobe decides to take over, the fantasy offerings get pretty slim and inconsistent around him. Thankfully, Lamar Odom was a nice find (far better when Kobe was out, though), while Kwame Brown, Andrew Bynum, and Smush Parker were simply complementary pieces that had nice nights, but nothing you'd like to stake your fantasy lineup on night after night.

My question for Kobe and for fantasy owners is a simple one ' will things change with new faces on the roster' Or, when push comes to shove, is Kobe incapable of trusting teammates, no matter who they are, for long stretches'

Apparently, no one on the roster is untouchable, which makes for some interesting scenarios. I don't see Kobe or Jackson being patient enough with the potential of Andrew Bynum to develop. They want to win now and Andrew Bynum may not be ready to provide that inside. I'm not sold on Kwame Brown either. Smush Parker seems to have whined is way out of LA at long last, but the Los Angeles Lakers don't really need a true point guard as long as Kobe Bryant dominates the ball so decisively, so a point that can hit open jumpers is probably more valuable. We'll see if they give Jordan Farmar a chance or deal for a proven, veteran point guard who will accept his role.

I'd hate to see Luke Walton dealt because I think aside from Odom and Kobe Bryant, he has the most fantasy potential. He's got multidimensional skills, loves to pass, shoots decently well, and can fill in stat columns nicely when logging big minutes. When Kobe was hurt to start the season, Walton was a huge contributor ' don't think other teams didn't take notice and won't inquire about him in potential deals.

Truthfully, I worry about the players the Los Angeles Lakers may bring in and find that playing in 'Club Kobe' can be a strangling affair. My hope is that with a cast he likes and supports, Kobe Bryant will become a more complete player, continuing to score like he normally does, but also make the players around him better and more productive. I don't think that for a guy who has the ball in his hand so much, that 4.4 apg is very good. Not with his skills, quickness, explosiveness and creativity. It's those same tantalizing elements that make me wonder how he could only average one steal a game in 2006-07.

From a fantasy perspective, I'd love to have Kobe on my roster. Barring that, I'd be hard-pressed to get excited about any other Laker until the smoke has cleared and the landscape is clear. Odom was a nice No. 2 last year, but his time with the team is even in question. After those two, fantasy pickings with any consistency get pretty slim. That could be the case this next season as well ' no matter who's wearing the Los Angeles Lakers uniform.

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