Make no mistake, the Los Angeles Lakers are not taking Dwight Howard's rejection sitting down. They will bounce back and go after the best of them. If that's not Lebron James, then it's Carmelo Anthony. 

Dwight Howard was the first to walk away from a free agent extension contract from the Lakers. It spoiled the image of the Tinseltown team but by no means is it a trend. For all the Laker Nation faithful, they want Howard to regret the decision, the sooner the better.

The summer of 2010 was the summer of Lebron. The summer of 2014 is the summer of total chaos. Lebron is in it, so will the other Miami Heat Big Three. There are also second tier guys like Rudy Gay, Luol Deng, Andrew Bogut. Lest we forget, the Lakers own Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol are up for grabs.

Those are the targets, and cap space is the weapon. The Lakers have lots of it, and they stocked themselves with discards on veteran minimum salaries to tide their season. ESPN ranked them 12th in the Western Conference, and the Mamba bit his lip.

However, everything seems to be shaping according to plan. What is the plan?

It might be a stretch to lure Lebron out of Miami with the Devil guarding the gates (Deviously excellent Pat Riley) so the next best target is Carmelo Anthony.

For Anthony to leave Madison Square Garden, the Knicks would need to stink. This early, we could already place a checkmark on that box. However, getting Anthony out is one step, bringing Anthony in is another.

The Lakers' lineup of discards are surprisingly good. According to ESPN, Steve Blake, Jodie Meeks and Jordan Hill are legitimate early candidates for the Most Improved Player award. This is not a bad reserve lineup.

Steve Nash may or may not retire, and the Lakers appear to be prepared for both. Pau Gasol will probably walk, and they're okay with that, too. Kobe and Carmelo with a solid bench would be a strong team but is it enough?

Which brings us to the clincher. Because of the contrast of the East and West Conferences, the Lakers, even if they play better than the Knicks, will not make the playoffs. In contrast, the Knicks, despite their problems, would still be better than most East teams.

That means the Lakers will have a lottery pick in the most loaded draft in recent history (yes, the Lakers wisely held on to their 2014 first rounder). The Knicks don't have that luxury, as they have the privilege of getting swept by Miami, Chicago or Indiana.

Face it, the Lakers are down. But it's only one season. Just one.