Will Lakers Ever Get That Wake-Up Call?

What Rick Fox described in Monday’s newspaper was something I have been feeling this entire basketball season. The Lakers aren’t the best, even though I love them so much. I wish these talented players would wake up and realize that rings aren’t in their future unless they show they could be champions.

LESLIE DOGOLDOGOL

Chino Hills

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Rick Fox is right. The Lakers aren’t ready to win the championship this year. But the fans already knew this. It’s the sportswriters who expect the Lakers to win it all and are making it sound as if the players think a 1999 championship is in the bag. Get serious. Coach Rambis only finalized his starting lineup a couple of weeks ago, halfway into the season. It takes time to develop a cohesive team.

The championship will happen when the Lakers deserve to win it. Like Rick said, they’re not there yet. For now, the fans just want to see their team play as well as it can . . . every game.

LYNN HOSKINS

Laguna Niguel

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I’ve come to the conclusion that Jerry West knows absolutely nothing about team chemistry. And, if it wasn’t for Wilt Chamberlain and Magic Johnson, what would he know about winning? The emperor has no championships in 12 years.

H.B. COOPER

Los Angeles

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I have been a Laker fan all my life, but I read a small article in Sunday’s paper and just snapped. When Kurt Rambis pulled Shaq from the Phoenix game on Friday he did exactly what a leader of a team should have done in that situation.

After listening to Shaq complain about it after the game, it became abundantly clear why Shaq hasn’t won at Louisiana State, Orlando or L.A. He hasn’t won because he is selfish. Shaq, I guess no one wants to tell you this, but you are a liability in a close game because of your free-throw shooting. What was more disappointing than listening to Shaq whine, was hearing that Rambis apologized for the move.

Kurt, as a player you exemplified everything there was about the word team. The team always came first. That’s why you have four rings and Shaq has zero.

GEORGE SAGADENCKY

Van Nuys

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Yes, the Lakers are indeed in trouble. They found a coach who might know how to win and Shaq doesn’t agree with his winning methods. How dare Rambis bench Shaq for some smaller players in the last 11 seconds who might create a winning play. How dare Rambis bench Shaq, who might draw a foul and then he would have to bring his 50% free-throw average to the line and cost the Lakers the game.

It’s not about winning, it’s about Shaq being on the floor at any cost.

GENE COFSKY

Tarzana

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If Shaq improves his free-throw percentage to at least his field-goal percentage, maybe Rambis will leave him in the game.

ED HUNTER

Gardena

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After his team struggled to a last-minute victory over the Phoenix Suns, Shaquille O’Neil, the self-proclaimed Laker general manager, claimed, “I’ve got this team just the way I want it.”

Satisfaction with mediocrity might explain why Shaq fails to improve his poor performance at the free-throw line.

JOHN DONOVAN

South Pasadena

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Memo to Randy Harvey:

Just because Shaq never got only one rebound while Del Harris was coach of the Lakers does not alter the fact that Del was well out of his league coaching a legitimate championship contender (talent-wise) and that his “head under water” style has virtually drowned this team.

Any coach that mismanages his personnel, fails to make key situational adjustments during games and consistently cracks under the pressure of winning (in a dominant fashion) is not a championship-caliber coach and therefore Del should have been fired after last year’s lifeless sweep vs. Utah, if not sooner.

JEFFERY LAKES

Los Angeles