PG was a major weakness, offensively and defensively, no disrespect to D-Fish whom I love. We’re on the same page on this.

Fish earned the starting point guard spot. But Payton took it away before. CP3>Payton.
Chris Paul can’t play in the triangle? The most versatile PG in the league can’t play in the triangle? A PG who is unselfish and has perfected the elements of playing point guard in the NBA can’t adapt to a new system?
Fourth, I’m gonna get killed for this one, but we’ve won the past two finals with Bynum contributing a little over 20 mpg… Okafor has played all 82 games the past 3 seasons.

If it doesn’t happen, it’s not because Fish and Blake are better than CP3. It will be because the Lakers brain trust didn’t want to part w/ Bynum. As for not being able to play in the triangle, are you saying one of the best PG’s in the league cannot adapt? I agree that it’s not ideal, but basketball is basketball. If Kobe can find his offense in the system, so can a great ball handler like Paul. Lastly, Bynum is damaged goods. If he can be unloaded for a potential Hall of Famer, I say pull the trigger. I don’t think anyone can say Bynum is a HOF caliber center. Plus, why didn’t he have surgery earlier in the summer so he can be farther along by the start of the season? Why delay the inevitable…he was supposed to have the surgery on the 18th, now the 28th….smacks of Shaq getting his surgery on “company time”.

….no relevance now considering our roster just won back-to-back Chips….

CP3 is tough as nails, was part of the Olympic team Kobe led two years back. The roster is never “done”. The events of this summer prevent the Lakers from thinking just because they won the last two years, with basically this team, that they will win again. Plus, Paul gives the Lakers young legs and skill at the point that we haven’t seen since Magic. I’m not saying he’s as good as Magic, who was a freak of a point, but I’d put CP3 up with any point in the league.

Yes, trade Bynum. How many centers do you know that were any good later in their careers after having as many knee injuries as Andrew? Name one. Olajuwon, nope. David Robinson, no injuries. Shaq, healthy as a horse until he’d been in the league a while. Patrick Ewing, no injuries. If NO will have him, with my blessing.
Saying Paul is only good because he’s fast is actually pointing out how talented he really is. Kobe is aging quickly and if he’s got to carry the load, late in the clock, against constant double/triple teams without getting some easy buckets, he’s going to age two years for every one he plays. With CP3, he will age slower and we could get 8 more high quality years out of the best player in the game. Who would you choose: David West or Pau? Paul comes here, Pau’s production goes up at least 2ppg, if not more. Paul will get easy shots for everyone, including Kobe.

…that he only gets steals because he gambles? Same thing, incidentally, that Kobe does a lot when he’s roaming the infield. It’s hard to get away with two free safeties in your defensive set, though. (Think I mixed enough sports in there?)

I also think his defense is overrated, and that his stats are inflated by a generous home scorer. That being said, he’s a great point guard. I just don’t think that he adds the right mix to be worth the sacrifice. Plus it sounds like it’s a moot point. We’ll see, I guess.

I would have thought that a smart_guy could come with more substance than expletives.

Gasol, I concede, has so much skill that I expect him to maximize it. Until Mychal Thompson is on the radio, while on the road, saying the only four people in the arena where he does his remote are himself, the janitor, Kobe, and Pau I think Gasol is short-changing himself, his legacy, and Lakers fans. Many times during the year, Kobe is the only one taking extra practice while MT is on the radio. Where are the others? Are they that much better than Kobe? Not.

As for Bynum, he was largely absent in the Championship run which is what may have caused Pau to be less productive, which caused Kobe to carry the load and wore him out. Thank God for Ron-Ron in game 7. Do you really want to leave next season to chance? Maybe AB can get through the season healthy for the first time? Maybe Pau and Kobe, a year older, won’t wear out as much?

Remember, the Showtime Lakers traded well-liked Norm Nixon to the Clippers for the rights to young Byron Scott. In this case, AB isn’t as good as Nixon was and Paul is light years better than Scott was.

Want to be satisfied with having the trophy in the past? Great for you. I want them to win again next year and many more times in the future before Kobe retires. Relying on injury-prone AB isn’t gonna get it done from where I sit.

Just someone who can dribble decently and hit the open jumper.

/Contacts Mitch Kupchak to enquire as to available roster spots.
:P

More possessions helps hide Steve Blake’s defensive liability, D-Fish’s age, and takes sooo much pressure off Kobe. Personally, waiting for that 8th grader who may never become Chris Paul isn’t appealing to me.

I’ll look them up.

Although that is a good way to ensure that he has less rings than Kobe. After Kobe wins his 6th he can say “Still got one more than Shaq. Hey big fella, we were just talking about you.”

First, he would have made it down the floor way faster than Fisher to get a free layup, and even if someone came back in time, he would have dropped in a floater.

In any case, Fisher and Blake are the last reason not to make this trade. Paul is so much better than either of them it’s not even a discussion.