LAKER LUCK?: With today's announcement that the Lakers will sign Karl Malone, to go with Shaq, Kobe, and fellow new acquisition Gary Payton, talk has already begun that the Lakers have already sowed up next year's NBA title, and are now, essentially, invincible. Not quite, I say...
Unquestionably, a starting five of those four players (with, I guess, Rick Fox rounding out the lineup) would be highly formidable, and undoubtedly the best starting five in the league regardless of what San Antonio does with their cap room. And it's admirable that Payton and Malone took less money than they could've received elsewhere in order to go for a championship (although it's not like they had $100 million offers waiting from other clubs).
But let's get real here: there are a thousand things that could go wrong for the Lakers between now and the end of next year's playoffs. The team's biggest weakness last season was a lack of bench depth, a problem they've yet to address and likely won't considering they just used up most of their cap room. Shaquille O'Neal has been oft-injured for the past two years, and seems to no longer enjoy playing the game. Coach Phil Jackson had a near-heart attack during last year's playoffs, and there's no telling how much longer the Zen Master can go.
Payton and Malone are both still effective players, yet are 33 and 40 (respectively), both considerably past their primes. It's unlikely one basketball will be enough to keep all of four of those stars happy, and I haven't even yet mentioned the very real possibility that Kobe Bryant will begin next season on trial, if not in jail. It's all for naught if that happens, especially since Kobe isn't too likely to luck out due to the sudden death of the chief witness for the prosecution right before trial, as happened in the case of Chris Webber.
Besides, the last time an L.A. sports team simultaneously imported two superstars was when the Dodgers brought in both Darryl Strawberry and Eric Davis for the 1990 season, and we all know how that turned out. I won't be surprised if the Lakers do win next year's NBA title, but I'll be even less surprised if they do not.