Since rejoining the Lakers bandwagon earlier this year, I’ve said that a championship in 2008 would be gravy. Next year, with a full season of Gasol and a returning Bynum, is the one I’m really excited to watch.

The Lakers’ run through the playoffs this year was definitely exciting. I couldn’t have imagined that they would come together so well to get through Denver, Utah & San Antonio relatively efficiently. Yes, the loss to the Celtics was disappointing, in several ways:

• Well, first, the Lakers lost.
• It really seemed that Phil Jackson was out-coached. I expected him to make multiple adjustment within and between games. He did make a number of adjustments, but none soon enough or that worked consistently on either the offensive or defensive end. Surely, he relies on the team to execute, but, also surely, I have to imagine psychological preparedness of the team is a coaching responsibility. It was also interesting the contrasting coaching styles. We saw Doc Rivers much more inspirational and Jackson much more clinical.
• Boston’s defense was awesome. Kobe didn’t really even have an opportunity to force shots. And the triangle offense can appear so fragile when practiced by a team not yet fluent in it and under stress.
• Pau Gasol is soft, relative to the physical inside game of the NBA. In post-season interviews, he defensively asserted that a soft team would not have been able to make it through the Western Conference. As quick as he is for a man his size, he seemed dreadfully slow in rebounding under the basket. His normally good hands didn’t seem to be able to catch the ball. His post-up moves were too slow to evolve. He abandoned his mid-range outside shot. I would have preferred to hear him talk about what he would work on this summer than to claim, essentially, that everything was fine.
• Vladimir Radmanovic is just awful. He can’t dribble, his passes are sloppy, his defense is horrific. Only his three-point shot is good. It sounds like with his contract size the Lakers won’t be able to unload him. Unfortunate.
• I’m not sure what’s going on with Luke Walton. I still love his court awareness and passing ability, especially in the triangle, but he really struggled to contribute this year and in the post-season.
• Odom has great dexterity, size, speed, strength. Yet he struggles to contribute consistently. The story of his career.
• Kobe took solid steps this year to extend his intangible control over games. He’s still got work to do and the hope is that he continues his development.

Next year, it’ll be very interesting to see who the Lakers keep and, if they keep Bynum, Gasol and Odom, how Jackson will integrate them into the offense. It’ll also be interesting to see if the Lakers can step up their defense.

In 1984, I first joined Lakers fandom. As a native Los Angeleno, I claim an inalienable right to root for the team (unlike transplants into L.A. or out-of-staters or San Diegans who adopt the team for their own) — but I admit I have strayed. I followed the Lakers obsessively through the Showtime era and still miss the days of Magic, Worthy, Kareem, Byron, Cooper, Rambis et al. I suffered through the woeful transition days of Van Exel and Vlade. And I rejoiced during the glory three-peat days of Shaq & Kobe.

Then, during the unfortunate incident in Colorado coupled with the despicable, incessant feuding between Kobe & Shaq in the 2003-2004 season, I became disenfranchised, completely abandoning the team, not knowing when I would return. Wanting so badly for Kobe to be the next MJ, I couldn’t get over my disappointment in Kobe. I loved Shaq’s physical dominance but hated what I perceive to be his laziness. He could have been the best center ever had he MJ or Kobe’s work ethic. I stopped watching the Lakers altogether, and only had a vague knowledge of what was transpiring in the NBA.

Of course, I hate to be labeled a fair-weather fan and hope that my 18 years of avid Lakers fandom offsets the recent three-year hiatus, but what I love about the Lakers has returned, and I have returned as a fan with it. The Lakers are back to working hard, they’re back to striving for excellence, they’re back to their winning ways, they’re back to entertaining us fans.

Even if this isn’t their year, and I think it very well could be, I’m even more excited about the future. This team doesn’t have the multiple superstars of years past, but it’s by far the deepest top-to-bottom Lakers team I’ve seen in over 20 years. Even if Ariza and Bynum sit out the playoffs, NEXT year is going to be a season to behold. The sheer potential is staggering.

The playoffs start next weekend, and I can’t wait!