Superstar after superstar have paved the way for the Los Angeles Lakers to remain as one of the best teams in the league since the franchise originated in 1947.

The superstars who have led the Lakers to championships and late runs in the playoffs are in the Hall of Fame: George Mikan, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and as soon as they wait the required time after retirement, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.

Bryant, 33-years old, is slowing down after 16 NBA regular seasons and long playoff runs year in and year out. His 37 points, eight rebounds and six assists against the Houston Rockets in a 108-99 Lakers’ victory on Tuesday is a demonstration he isn’t done yet.

Unfortunately for Bryant and the Lakers, it’s only a matter of time before he is. Each season Bryant plays, his body breaks down a little more and he tore a ligament in his wrist during a preseason game.

The question of who is next has to be ringing in the ears of the Lakers’ owner Jerry Buss and the General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

If the current Lakers team is examined, there seems to be only one legit possibility: center Andrew Bynum.

Power forward Pau Gasol, 31 years old, is a great number two option but he proved he couldn’t be the best player on a team and win games when he was with the Memphis Grizzlies for the first seven seasons of his NBA career. In his time with the Grizzlies, he went to the playoffs in three consecutive seasons but never won a postseason game.

The rest of the Lakers’ roster consists of role players and aging personnel such as Metta World Peace.

Then there is the 24-year old center who has already been in the NBA for six seasons and has won two championships. He is young, he has experience and he has the ability to beast almost every other center in the league. The Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard is probably the only exception.

While Bryant scored 37 points against the Rockets, Bynum recorded a huge double-double with 21 points and 22 rebounds. When the big man was fed the ball in the paint, no one could stop him.

He is the only player the Lakers have that show signs of being a franchise player or the superstar to lead the team after Bryant is gone.

Bynum is already a star, but he’ll never reach the next level if he can’t stay healthy. He has only played in more than 65 games a season once in his career.

If he is going to be the face of the franchise, which usually means the face of the NBA, he absolutely has to stay healthy and put up 20 plus points and 20 plus rebounds on a nightly basis. A double-double here and there is impressive, but it doesn’t scream, “I’m a franchise player”.

I don’t think he is the right guy for Los Angeles to rely on to keep the team at an elite level. The Lakers should keep Gasol and Bynum together to package their team as a powerful one-two punch.

But, neither one of them can do it on their own. Honestly, without a young point guard, they might not be able to do it together.

The Lakers might have to make some trade negotiations.

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Through three games, Andrew Bynum is playing like an NBA All-Star.

On Tuesday night against the Houston Rockets, he achieved a career milestone with his first 20-point, 20-rebound performance at Staples Center. Kobe Bryant said following the game, “There’s plenty more to come… the biggest challenge for him is staying healthy.”

Everyone in Los Angeles understands exactly what Kobe means.

For fans, this scenario is all too familiar. In years past, Bynum has suffered a catastrophic injury just as he hits his stride. If he plays in all 66 games this year, it will be his first full season since his sophomore campaign, the only one in which he played in all 82 games.

The NBA lockout as well as a four game suspension could both be blessings in disguise. The extra time off and shortened season could mitigate the risk of yet another injury. The Lakers will need him this season more than ever after losing a key component to their frontcourt in Lamar Odom.

The loss of Odom via trade this offseason will cause the Lakers to lean heavily on Bynum to get them into the playoffs, let alone make a deep run. Thus far in the 2011-2012 season, Bynum has played at an extremely high level and shown for three games that he can be the player has to be for the team to improve upon a disappointing finish in 2011.

When Bynum plays as well as he is capable of, it takes tremendous pressure off Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, opening up the floor for their respective games. Defensively, he alters opponents’ shots with regularity and contributes to easy baskets on the other end of the floor.

The task of maintaining his health and fitness will be a game-by-game process. Only time will tell whether or not Bynum will go the direction of Grant Hill and overcome significant injuries or Brandon Roy and be another young player who simply can’t stay on the court.

If he plays like he has so far all season, the Lakers will be a much stronger team and will remain among the league’s elite, despite the loss of a great player like Odom.This kind of start from Bynum is exactly what the team needs to get over the disappointment of a tumultuous offseason.

Michael C. Jones is a Yahoo! Featured Contributor in Sports and follows all news and developments of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Follow Michael on Twitter

Sources:

Basketball-Reference.com

Fox Sports West Television Network

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The Los Angeles Lakers are chum in the ocean, and the 29 other NBA teams are sharks swimming around the proverbial waters of the Staples Center.

Now more vulnerable than ever, the Lakers find themselves with large targets on their backs as a myriad of questions surround the 2011-2012 team.

A new coach, new players, and aging veterans all leave observers wondering just what will become of this team. Given the Clippers new acquisitions, they now have worthy opponent in the competition for best team in Los Angeles.

The doubts and questions are many. Can the team implement a new system in the lockout-shortened season in time to contend for the title? Will Kobe Bryant and other players north of age 30 dodge the effects of injuries and Father Time? Finally and most importantly, does the team have the talent to compete among the elite teams in the Western Conference?

The time has come to address the uncertainty. In a shortened, 66-game season, the answers will come quickly. There is no time for the Lakers to turn the “switch” on and off to conserve energy and prepare for the playoffs.

This year, they need to focus in order to make the playoffs.

Against the Chicago Bulls on Christmas Day, they showed their age and ran out of gas in the late 4th quarter. The loss in Sacramento the following night was embarrassing and was cause for concern among Lakers faithful. The win against Utah on Tuesday night could help to ease the pain, but the long-term sustainability of any real success is what this team has to demonstrate.

The concerns are justified. Though NBA basketball has its ebbs and flows, the Lakers have a shorter margin for error given the difficult offseason they have had.

Losing Chris Paul for what appeared to be political reasons was devastating and ended up costing them valuable pieces to a team that was among the league ‘ s elite last season. Without the 2010-2011 Sixth Man of the Year, Lamar Odom, the Lakers have joined the masses of NBA mediocrity in terms of talent.

Will there be an intangible that gets them past the point of being just another good team?

It ‘ s getting to be too late in the career of Bryant to ask him to carry a team on his own, though if anyone can silence critics with his play, it is number 24.

How they respond this season will define the team in years to come and perhaps even Mike Brown ‘ s legacy as a head coach. It will take longer than just one short season to answer these questions. But there is a lot left to learn about which direction this team will ultimately go in 2012.

Michael C. Jones is a Yahoo! Featured Contributor in Sports and a southern California native, following all developments and news related to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Follow Michael on Twitter: @MJisyourhomeboy

Source:

NBA.com

More from Michael C. Jones:

5 Keys to Los Angeles Lakers Success in 2012

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On Sunday, Dec. 25, the Los Angeles Lakers opened the 2011/2012 season with an 88-87 loss to the Chicago Bulls. Derrick Rose hit the game-winning shot with 4.8 seconds left in the game.

Here are three thoughts on the game:

It wasn’t pretty

If fans thought they were tuning in to watch high-quality basketball, then I’m sure many people were left highly disappointed. Both teams were extremely sloppy with the ball, especially in the first quarter. Later in the game, the Bulls actually went through a stretch in the second half where they shot for less than 20 percent from the floor. The Lakers also struggled offensively, especially when Kobe Bryant was on the bench in the second quarter. The NBA sold this game to the fans as a Christmas Day special, and it probably would have been if it was broadcast during a normal 82-game season. However, despite a thrilling end to the game, sometimes it was brutal to watch.

Free throw woes

Derrick Rose may have hit the game-winning shot, but the Lakers missed four straight free throws with the game still in the balanmce late in the fourth quarter. Pau Gasol missed two of those shots, despite being a strong free throw shooter throughout his career. Overall, the Lakers were 11 of 20 from the line in the game. That’s not good enough to beat a team as strong as the Bulls, especially with Andrew Bynum out of the lineup. I expect more out of a club that has won two out of the last three NBA titles.

The Lakers bench surprised me

Steve Blake scored 12 points off the bench for the Lakers, while new addition Troy Murphy had seven points and eight rebounds. Even rookie Andrew Goudelock got in on the action with two crucial three-pointers. The Lakers were thought to have a weaker bench this season with Lamar Odom and Shannon Brown gone, but if these players keep giving an effort like they did against the Bulls, the team will be fine.

Overall, it was a heart-breaking loss for the Lakers, but there’s no rest for the weary. Hopefully, the team picks up its first victory of the season on Monday night at the Sacramento Kings.

Derek Ciapala has been a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers since childhood. His favorite Lakers’ moment is when they beat the Detroit Pistons 108-105 in Game 7 of the 1988 NBA Finals. You can follow him on Twitter @dciapala.

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