Kobe, Carmelo, Iverson ... Exit Stage Left, Please

Before last night's Suns-Lakers Game 5, Henry at True Hoop looked at just how much the Lakers would change in the offseason if they lost, which, of course, they did. So now it can start. Trade Kobe! For Shaq! Or whatever: We can't imagine Phil Jackson will enjoy being a part of this for too much longer, no matter how much money he's raking in or how many times he gets to schtup the boss' daughter. For now, that drama's in the past; the Suns are moving on.

The Spurs cruised last night as well, and despite an early Nuggets win, they were never really in danger. It also left a lot of people wondering: Where the heck was Allen Iverson in this series? Alas. It's now Spurs-Nuggets Suns, starting either Sunday or Monday, depending.

So, it's Suns-Spurs in one series ... and we could (potentially ... but we are not getting ahead of ourselves) have Rockets-Warriors in the other. But we'll talk about that more later. We shan't be carried away.

The Disappearance Of Allen Iverson [Lion In Oil] Lakers On The Razor's Edge [True Hoop]