The Boston Celtics have their comeback. They likely will be headed to yet another championship, and the title cements the Hall of Fame credentials for Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen. With a 3-1 led in this year’s finals, all of that is a mere formality.

The real question is, what of these Lakers? Perhaps the only thing more amazing than their Game 4 collapse is that they even reached that point in the first place. Had L.A. won, it would have tied theseries at 2-2 with all the momentum heading into a Game 5 at home. A win in that game would allow them two shots in Boston to win the title. Fans and pundits alike are talking about what has happened to these Lakers who were the favorites to win a fifteenth championship.

Favorites? Really? Just one season earlier, the Lakers flamed out in the first round against the Suns. Kobe wanted a trade. Andrew Bynum was tall, young, and a big question mark. Phil Jackson was wavering if he still wanted to coach at all. Lamar Odom was away fighting his own personal battles. Sasha Vujacic was all hair and no substance. Kwame Brown and his hands of stone was the starting center. Pau Gasol was stuck sulking in Memphis. Looking back on it all, it is incredible to think the Lakers even had the chance to blow a Game 4 at all.

None of that will erase the loss from Thursday night, one that will forever be etched in sporting history. Perspective however tells you that what is more important for the Los Angeles franchise is where do they go from here. The team is still extremely young, and this was their first taste of the postseason battles as a unit. Only Derek Fisher, Bryant, and Odom were even born before 1980. Each member of the “Bench Mob” is 25 or younger outside of Luke Walton (28). Jordan Farmar would be finishing his senior year at UCLA had he not left school early, and is a ready-made replacement for Fisher when his contract runs out in 2010.

Then there is of course Andrew Bynum who won’t even turn 21 until late in October. He was playing made an incredible leap this season, and was playing at an All-Star level when he was injured in January. Bynum should be ready to go next season, and could be the biggest addition of the off-season for any team. If Bynum were in this year’s draft, he probably would be selected No.1 overall ahead of both Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley. Instead of going to a lottery team however, he joins the Western Conference champions. His return would push Vladimir Radmanovic to the bench, serving to deepen an already strong second unit. Bynum would also provide much of what has been missing from the current iteration of the Lakers namely toughness inside on both offense and defense.

The fallout from Game 4, and likely impending finals loss could propel this team one of two ways. It could break the team apart showing that Bryant truly is not a leader or player on the level of a Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson. Or it could serve as a learning process that teaches them just the kind of focus, effort, and intensity is required to win an NBA championship. Everything up to this point has seemingly come easy for the young Lakers. The loss to the Celtics can show them just what it takes to win. Again the question lingers: where do the Lakers go from here?

    

So what of these Lakers next season?  Andrew Bynum will be back and could be the biggest addition of the offseason.