Well, to some extent it was Kobe's supporting cast who did not deliver consistently. But I attribute that to their youth and their lack of experience. Guys like Farmar, Walton, Vujacic, Turiaf, and Ariza have quickness and athleticism but they lack experience to carry that heavy of a load. You can say the same for Pau and Odom. The Laker supporting cast were all overwhelmed by the moment. They were not ready for this moment. And yeah, Pau Gasol is soft as soft can be.
But there are guys on that bench that are well on their way to becoming good quality NBA players. I think Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic will be much better players because of this playoff series. Vujacic has a lot of potential. Odom also has a potential to be better, but unfortunately, his high salary demands that his best basketball needs to be NOW! There's potential there with those three guys. I cannot say the same for guys like Luke Walton, Radmanovic, Turiaf, and Ariza, who are all likely to stay role players throughout their NBA careers.