Are You Surprised the L.A. Lakers Are Already Out of the Playoffs?

Here's a sight you don't see very often. The Los Angeles Lakers are officially eliminated from the Western Conference Playoffs in the second round. The Oklahoma City Thunder's young legs out-hustled the Lakers in four out of five games to put the series away in Game 5 via a final score of 106-90. This wraps up head coach Mike Brown's first season with the Lakers. It's one that's been met with a lot of disappointment.

Considering all the talent on the team with Kobe Bryant (who had 42 points in Game 5), Andrew Bynum, Metta World Peace, and Pau Gasol, this season is definitely a forgettable one by the Lakers' high championship standards. But it just never clicked this season. The Denver Nuggets nearly eliminated the Lakers in seven games and the Thunder may have slipped one game, but never took their eyes off the prize.

It also helps if you're the Thunder with two great, clutch All-Star players that aren't even 25 yet in Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. Westbrook scored 28 points, while Durant added 25 of his own and 10 rebounds. We imagine this is probably sweet revenge for Sixth Man of The Year James Harden, who got viciously elbowed by World Peace (aka Ron Artest) about a month ago. The Lakers have a lot of questions to answer heading to this offseason. Kobe Bryant is almost guaranteed to stay put. But as for everyone else around him? Wait and see.