The Lakers' problem was obvious, their driving force was on the perimeter, mainly shouldered by Kobe.
Though they had Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum on the inside, they didn't possess the game characteristics seemingly tailor-made for the Triangle Offense like Pau Gasol did.
Their excellent perimeter play gave the Lakers a stable base, but to build a championship team around Kobe, they needed a great inside presence.
Yet, with the timeline thoroughly altered, the Lakers had almost no hope of bolstering their interior lineup.
The Memphis Grizzlies weren't going to offer them comfort anymore since Pau Gasol had already been traded to Milwaukee.
And Gasol was one of the few contemporary star big men suitable for the Triangle Offense and also the one the Lakers had the best chance of acquiring.
However, the Lakers' problems in the paint would not be exposed at Key Arena.
Because the Supersonics' interior was not strong.