Editor's Note: Just Move On

The Lakers advanced to the Western Conference Semi-Finals, but you can hardly hear anyone cheering. The Lakers lost another big lead, but managed to hang on and win. Unfortunately, that's becoming a recurring theme, and it falls squarely on the bench. Without Luke Walton, Lamar Odom, and Trevor Ariza, the bench loses a lot of the pop it once had. Andrew Bynum struggled against a much smaller Jazz team, piling up fouls but not points. Sasha Vujacic is no longer the machine he once was, and Jordan Farmar has fallen into Phil Jackson's doghouse. Farmar has a problem with his foot, keeping him out. DJ Mbenga, Josh Powell, and Adam Morrison will never touch the hardwood unless it's garbage time, leaving Shannon Brown (above) to pick up the slack. Brown, however, cannot carry this bench when he plays at guard, where Kobe and Derek Fisher control the time. The bench will ultimately become the Lakers' deciding factor, but the problem needs to be addressed now.