What's Next for the Lakers?

Two championships in two years, after losing to Boston three years ago.

Any NBA team would love this, but not the Lakers; they want more. Can they dominate again and win a third straight ring?

Here the keys to their future success.

Stars

They have locked up this category as Bryant and Gasol have a contract until 2014. The rest of their starters have similarly long contracts.

Phil Jackson

The guy who has the most championship rings, 11, doesn't even have enough fingers on his hands for all of them.

Nobody knows if he'll be coaching next year, and if he is still coaching, will it be in LA or elsewhere?

He will give us the answer on June 27th.

Derek Fisher

His contract ends this summer, and even though he is always there when his team needs him, he'll turn 36 in a couple of months.

What will the Lakers do? Renew his contract or sign another point guard?

Honestly, what they have to substitute for him (Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar) doesn't seem enough.

Andrew Bynum

Specifically, his knee. He is young and he is good, but he has serious injury problems.

He will be undergoing surgery this summer for his knee.

In the past three years, he could not play in almost a hundred games combined, including 17 regular season games and two playoff games this year.

The Guys On the Bench

Only Lamar Odom is worthy of being on the bench. He is a great sixth man, but the Lakers need depth.

They are paid too much, so the Lakers can't afford any expensive reinforcement.

Walton and Vujacic still have contracts, while Josh Powell, Adam Morrison, Jordan Farmar, and D.J. Mbenga finish theirs.

Shannon Brown has yet to decide if he stays in LA or not.

I think that the Lakers should search for up-and-coming young guys in the draft or in Europe, while trying to spend less money.

Tired of Winning?

The Lakers' roster is probably the one with most rings in the NBA right now. Two rings and a final in the last three years; coincidentally, Pau Gasol arrived in LA three year ago.

The question is: Are they going to be able to keep it up in the next years? It seems so, as they have won two in a row and want a third one, for now.

Conclusion

If they can keep Jackson on the bench, add some reliable depth to their roster and have a little bit of luck with injuries, these guys can do anything.

If they lose Jackson, don't add reliable depth to the roster, and have trouble with injuries, they might have to wait one more year for the next ring.