Depressing would be another, if you are in Denver, Portland or pretty much anywhere in Texas.

Other than a second-round sweat against Houston, the Los Angeles Lakers steamrolled the Western Conference, then took care of the East's best in short order in the NBA Finals. The Lakers went 16-7 in their playoff run, never lost two in a row and, if you go back to the start of the 2008-09 season, never lost three in a row.

That's called carving up the competition. It wasn't the 15-1 record the Lakers had in the 2001 playoffs. By no means are these Lakers dynasty material yet.

But it was impressive stuff by Kobe Bryant and friends.

So now what? Does the rest of the West cower at the thought of the Lakers keeping their still-young team together and becoming a threat for another title or maybe even a three-peat?

Yeah, maybe.

In talking with a respected Western Conference executive Monday about the destruction left by the Lakers, it became obvious that the rest of the West is in some deep water, looking for some sort of flotation device.

Our West honcho said that many teams are going to be scratching their heads, knowing that they have to get better - a lot better - to beat the Lakers.

San Antonio? The Spurs aren't likely to trade Manu Ginobili, although they could if all they want in return is Washington's No. 5 draft pick and some spare roster filler. The Spurs have to take one more big swing with their three stars, and they have to add something substantial to think their chances are serious.

Portland? It's still a piece or two away, and that's only if Greg Oden becomes a dominant post player. Denver? The Nuggets were completely exposed by the Lakers in the conference finals and need not only another magical season but at least one more major piece.

Beyond them, New Orleans, Utah, Houston and the Mavericks all are further behind, although the Rockets have some reason for hope if they can find a taker for Tracy McGrady. They'll have better luck finding a way to get rid of mosquitoes.

"It's going to be an interesting summer," Mavericks' owner Mark Cuban said. "It'll be interesting to see how the finances of different teams impact the decision-making. And what opportunities that creates for us. If it creates the right opportunity, I'll call my banker."

Cuban added that the power structure of the West won't be known until all the moves are made this off-season.

The Mavericks need help. That much is known. They need another scorer. Two would be better. That would allow Antoine Wright and Erick Dampier to specialize on defense and, perhaps, become part of the Mavericks' depth rather than starting.

But the economy is an unknown factor. It has everybody paralyzed to varying extents. That won't change until the draft next week, when some teams start to tip their hands.

Until then, there are only a couple of absolutes you can take to the bank as teams take aim at the 2009-10 season.

*The Cleveland Cavaliers are disappointed that they didn't win the title and flat-out stunned that they didn't make the NBA Finals. They are viewing next season as a final swing at the fences with LeBron James. Another foul ball and they can kiss their King goodbye.

*Most teams will carry 14 players, maybe even the minimum of 13, although the league-wide average must be at least 14 players per team as deemed by the collective-bargaining agreement. It's pure economics.

*The Lakers will remain the hunted. They'll find a way to sign free agents Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom. And the rest of the West will rack their brains to find a way to close the gap.