The Aftermath: Assessing the Situation
by Ben R on Dec 15, 2011 9:19 AM PST
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PrintUnless you were hiding under a rock yesterday, you are aware of two rather large developments that reverberated throughout the basketball world. One was that Chris Paul saga finally ended with him going to the Clippers in return for Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Chris Kaman, and Minnesota's 2012 first round pick. The other was that Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski dropped the interesting bombshell that the Magic were taking Dwight Howard off the trade market and intend to see how the season goes with him at the helm until the trade deadline. So in short, the Lakers' top two trade targets are, at least for the moment, out of their reach, and in the aftermath of the Lamar Odom trade to Dallas, this obviously has ignited a bit of a crisis of confidence in Laker Land.
As such, is it panic time? Should we throw our championship aspirations in the bag? Hardly. This isn't to say that more moves aren't needed, or that Kupchak shouldn't find a use for the Sasha Vujacic traded-player exception (TPE) that will expire on December 16 -- and not today, according to Hoopsworld's Eric Pincus -- but rather the Lakers' biggest strengths haven't diminished to the point in which the Lakers suddenly shouldn't be taken seriously, or are in any danger of not finishing among the West's top seeds. After the jump, we'll review the particulars behind the Howard trade saga, go more into detail on how the Odom TPE can be utilized, and look for what the team can do before the start of the season.
So, as was noted above, the Magic pulled Dwight Howard from the trade block even with a huge four team deal in the works in which the Nets would ship five (!) first round picks out to have Gerald Wallace and Brook Lopez come to the Magic in exchange for Howard, Hedo Turkoglu, and Chris Duhon. Obviously, the Magic weren't that enamored with the return, seeing as Howard isn't a Net right now. So what is the reason? First, here's Woj:
The Magic still prefer what the Lakers could offer in any possible future trade talks, with a possible package of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum more attractive on a pure talent basis. The Nets have been far more aggressive in the pursuit of Howard than the Lakers, who are usually methodical in trade discussions.
Cool beans. Let's also hear from Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel:
Magic trying to smoke out L.A. with Nets trade tease. Lakers didn't bite. Magic want PGasol and ABynum for DHoward. Now what? Wait.
In other words, what does this tell us? First, a Gasol/Bynum offer is essentially the Lakers' "auto-win" button. If at any point until the trade deadline, the Lakers find it acceptable to part with both of their starting bigs in order to get Howard, they can do so. Yours truly wouldn't mind doing so if the Lakers have a trade lined up for a starting four like Anderson Varejao or Paul Millsap with the Odom TPE and if Nelson is coming back in that trade, but that's besides the point. The more important underlying issue is that both the Lakers, whom Woj notes are quite "methodical" in these discussions, and the Magic know that the Lakers can put the best offer on the table, and that there's really no point in doing so until more dominoes fall before the trade deadline. The Lakers are under no pressure no make a trade until that point, and clearly, the Magic don't care much for a trade that nets them an overrated young center in Lopez and an aging forward who depends on his athleticism in Wallace.
So why is there so much hubbub right now? It's because these discussions are driven almost entirely by the Nets, who as we noted yesterday, lost their backup free agent option in Nene to the Nuggets, and are suddenly faced with the notion of going into the season with essentially last year's lineup plus Deron Williams that still wasn't all that good. SI's Chris Mannix reports that the Nets are in discussions with Andre Kirilenko, who feels like a natural fit for Russian Mikhail Prokhorov's team, and undoubtedly, they are attempting to re-sign forward Kris Humphries, who had a career year last season. As our sister site Nets Daily notes, however, the Nets are trying to sign these players to big one year deals to preserve their flexibility for next year's free agent class. Are either amenable to doing so when Kirilenko possibly has a multi-year offer from the Kings and Humphries risks losing the allure of his career year? Who knows, but the calculus in these trade discussions could shift if the Nets head into the season with a bare-bones roster bereft of talent and are barely a .500 team near the deadline. Does Howard still want to go to New Jersey at that point?
Moreover, going into the season with Bynum allows the Lakers to feature him in Brown's San Antonio offense, which will give him a much greater opportunity to showcase his talents, and in a West without Yao Ming and the immense Chinese vote, there stands a very real chance that Bynum could be starting opposite Howard at the All-Star Game in Orlando. In other words, by the time the deadline rolls around, Bynum could be a much more attractive trade piece to the Magic, the Nets could have cooled as a possibility for Howard, and the Lakers would find themselves in a much stronger position. Is that an optimistic scenario? Certainly. But it behooves Kupchak to see it played out, and for Otis Smith to see how the trade market changes as the season progresses. As was noted above, the Lakers have the means to get Howard at any time with a Gasol/Bynum package and as the Nets have nothing to match that, both the Lakers and the Magic have a vested interest in seeing this saga through.
Of course, in the short-term for the Lakers, the elephant in the room is what to do with the big $8.9 million TPE they acquired in the Odom trade. The answer I would give at the moment, however, is...nothing. Kupchak certainly should be asking around the league about certain players and their availability, but it is important to remember that a TPE is essentially another form of cap space. As well-managed teams are apt to show, cap space is best used opportunistically, offering a haven to teams who need to divest themselves of a player for payroll, fit, or chemistry reasons. Essentially, you are renting your cap space out to teams, and when a sufficiently good offer arises, you take advantage of it. That obviously isn't the answer that most fans want to hear after losing the fourth best player on the team, but it remains the best course of action the team can move forward with. As with the Howard situation above, there are an awful lot of things that can happen before the deadline and the Lakers will have a solid position from which to take advantage of it.
That calculus is obviously different for the Vujacic TPE considering that it expires tomorrow, and we reviewed some possibilities with its use yesterday. The Jamal Crawford deal in particular looks interesting, considering that it will expire before the onset of the harsher luxury tax and likely give the Lakers two solid years of production for a low price. Outside of using the TPE, it is unlikely that other opportunities for improving at the guards exists unless the team wants to take a flyer on Baron Davis, who will be sidelined for at least two months with back problems, assuming he makes it out of secondary waivers. Davis certainly could be an upgrade, especially if his shooting numbers from Cleveland (41.4 3P%) hold up under greater scrutiny, but two months is a long time to wait since it will take him at least a few weeks after that to get back into basketball shape, become familiar with the systems on both sides of the floor, and earn some real rotation minutes. That noted, you could say that whatever he gives in the regular season could be immaterial compared to what he could provide in the playoffs, and he would be a low risk acquisition either way.
As for the backup two guard spot, it looks increasingly likely that the team intends to hand off duties there to a platoon of Devin Ebanks, who has been groomed for the spot, and Jason Kapono or possibly Andrew Goudelock in spot situations. Kobe, notably, was effusive in his praise for Ebanks two days ago, and if his offensive game has come along, he could provide decent rotation minutes. The only other possibility is that the team takes a liking to Elijah Millsap, who was a solid D-League player for the D-Fenders, the Lakers' affiliate, and has a fairly sound game in addition to being built like a bull akin to his brother Paul. Either way, the Lakers are due for some more athleticism on the wings, and whether it is Ebanks or Millsap taking more rotation minutes at the spot, the end result should be positive for the team.
Finally, the frontcourt situation received a boost two days ago with the signing of Josh McRoberts, and the news that power forward Troy Murphy was working at the Lakers' facility. Murphy had a terrible year for the Nets and the Celtics, but he was inexplicably buried on the bench in New Jersey so they could trot out Johan Petro and by the time he was freed via buyout to go to the Celtics, his confidence and play had mostly been shot. In a clear bench role in which he will have defined minutes instead of being jerked around as he was all of last year, I imagine that he will perform much better. He is only one year removed from a 18.07 PER season, which is borderline All-Star play, and he brings a tantalizing Kevin Love-esque combination of sweet outside shooting and activity on the boards when playing at his best. For the minimum, he would be a solid addition to the Lakers' frontcourt rotation.
Past Murphy, it is likely that the Lakers add a fifth big so they avoid having a three man frontcourt rotation of Gasol, McRoberts, and Murphy for a brutal back-to-back-to-back set they'll have to begin the season. While the team likely would have been fine going into the season with Derrick Caracter filling that role, his injury unfortunately doesn't bode well for his future as a Laker. The Lakers don't need to shoot for the moon for this spot, especially considering that a fifth big will likely be on a suit on most nights when Bynum returns, so signing someone like Joel Przybilla, DJ Mbenga, or Jason Smith would be fine for the Lakers' purposes. Is a rotation of Gasol, Bynum, McRoberts, Murphy, and Przybilla better than one with Odom? Certainly not, but there are caveats. If you want to feature Bynum both because he's prepared for the role after training all summer to get in better shape and since we want to increase his value in a Howard trade, then you have to play him over 34 minutes a night, which reduces Odom to a 15-20 minute role since he's not taking minutes away from Gasol. Meanwhile, having McRoberts and Murphy, both of whom can play off Bynum because of their shooting, aren't bad players in backup roles, as they only add to how he can open space for himself on the block.
Altogether, the message, as it was yesterday, is patience. We all want some recompense for Odom immediately and to go into the season with more confidence, but there is little for the Lakers to gain by rash action right now and a potentially big reward by seeing how the season plays out until the deadline. At worst, the Lakers find themselves in the same spot they are in right now and are forced into offering Gasol and Bynum for Howard. However, with both the Howard trade saga and the Odom TPE things that could produce very different results in the long-term, it behooves the Lakers to wait and see what can be garnered at the trade deadline. And before then, the Lakers will still have one of the league's best frontcourts between Gasol and Bynum, a certain Kobe Bryant on the roster, and a system that should work well for the strengths of the aforementioned players. The last few days have not been kind to the Lakers franchise or their fans, but this is not the end. Far from it.
Follow this author on Twitter @brosales12.
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I enjoyed Stephen A Smith on SportsCenter this morning predicting Kobe will “Demand for a trade” .. Laughable.
Such a dumbass, and a loud one at that.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
I don't love Stephen A Smith either
but I don’t think he’s a dumbass. He makes pointed arguments but a lot of time his perspective is controversial for the sake of being controversial. For example, he said there was either going to be a full NBA season or no NBA season. zZzZzZzzZz
by (Not)Exactly on Dec 15, 2011 10:02 AM PST up reply actions
If he thinks Kobe is going to demand a trade, he's a dumbass. Period.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
I think you're a little emotional about it.
There is precedence for Kobe demanding a trade isn’t there? Also it’s pretty clear that Kobe, our 5 time champ, MVP, hall of famer, legendary player, was not brought in to the discussion about mike brown or lamar odom…..I’m just sayin I see where Stephen A is coming from but I don’t think it will happen either.
by (Not)Exactly on Dec 15, 2011 10:06 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
LOL, I'm not emotional about it. I've always said he's a dumbass and he and I have had Twitter discussions about it.
As for the “precedence” of Kobe demanding a trade, that was before he got what he wanted in Pau Gasol (he wasn’t “brought into the discussion” about that either) and two championships. Why would he leave now when he’s expected to be paid $24MM, $28MM and $30MM respectively over the next 3 years? Where would he go and win another championship? And so what if he wasn’t brought into the discussion about Lamar? He’s not management and it wasn’t his business. As for Mike Brown, he didn’t have to be brought into that discussion either; it would have been a courtesy. No matter what he’d said, the Lakers were going to do what they did. Kobe has never said one word about the Mike Brown hiring, not one. He said he didn’t like the Odom trade, but he certainly didn’t say that he should have been consulted.
All that said, Stephen A. Smith is still a dumbass and I’ve told him so. No emotion whatsoever.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
I'm not saying emotional in regards to Stephen A Smith,
I meant emotional in regards to the prospect of Kobe looking for a trade. I’ve heard the typical “it’s a management decision, Kobe should not be consulted” argument a million times over and I simply don’t agree with it and I would imagine Kobe doesn’t either. I don’t think that management should bend at the hip for all of Kobe’s whims (i.e. Lebron on the Cavs) but he should be at least brought into the discussion because he has earned that. And in regards to the money Kobe is set to make over the next 3 years, I am of the impression that winning 2 more rings to surpass Jordan is more important than a few million dollars. Where would he go is a tough question. How about Orlando? lol
by (Not)Exactly on Dec 15, 2011 10:51 AM PST up reply actions
why would the organization trade him though
even if he demands it? A trade demanding kobe is worth more to buss then a kobe in some other town
Roll Shaw
Follow @Geniespool
Exactly.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
Not Exactly
kekekeke sorry couldn’t help it.
by (Not)Exactly on Dec 15, 2011 11:06 AM PST up reply actions
LOL, clever fella.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
The only line of thought I could think of is as follows:
And let me preface this by saying as a die hard laker and kobe fan it breaks my heart to put the following out there and it may not be true but it is at least plausible in my eyes:
Right now Kobe is worth a lot more in the context of how much revenue he can bring a team through is branding than he actually produces on the court. This is not an insult to his current level of play, it’s a testament to his branding. The Lakers really need to start thinking about the post-Kobe era and I think teams would overpay for Kobe in terms of talent just because Kobe will make any team a shit load of money. That being said, this holds more true for small market teams and because of Kobe’s no trade clause, I’m sure he wouldn’t wanna be traded to the Raptors
by (Not)Exactly on Dec 15, 2011 11:01 AM PST up reply actions
He's not going to win a ring anywhere else, no matter how important it is. He's definitely not chasing a ring in another city, a la Shaq.
And don’t think he wouldn’t be looking for the same money, which is also not gonna happen. People (not necessarily you) think Kobe is stupid. He ain’t. He’s said himself that it’s not for him to have any say in management decisions. He also knows where he needs to be and that’s right here in Los Angeles, in a Lakers uniform.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
I definitely don't think he's stupid
I think his whole bit about demanding a trade awhile back was just to put management on their heels and figure out how to get some talent around him, and his bluff paid off
by (Not)Exactly on Dec 15, 2011 11:03 AM PST up reply actions
in addition to that
he built his name here, he’s an icon and I bet that he would want to retire in LA even w/o another ring.
u sure about that?
he’s a global icon. I’m sure he’d WANT to retire in LA too, but I bet he’d rather win two more rings.
by (Not)Exactly on Dec 15, 2011 11:05 AM PST up reply actions
As a Laker fan, I hope you are right
But I am inclined to disagree. I think if Kobe saw an opportunity to win elsewhere he would take it. Whether or not that opportunity actually exists is up for debate
by (Not)Exactly on Dec 15, 2011 11:10 AM PST up reply actions
at this point, no team contending team would want to trade for him to be their alpha dog
the lakers are built around kobe, but at 33, most teams are going to shy away from rebuilding with kobe. so, if he goes off to another team to win rings, he’ll be looked at as a veteran supporting cast desperate for rings rather than the one to bring in the rings…which i doubt is something he’s looking for.
i think there is a possibility that when he loses alpha dog status in the NBA, he might leave for europe, but i doubt he’d play for another NBA team
Which he's already said.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
That doesnt mean anything
What if his teammates say otherwise?
Faith is remaining certain in the face of doubt. You’re not sure how it’s going to end, but you’re constantly of the belief that it will end the way you want it to and the way you always believed it to end, and that’s on top - Derek Fisher
Oh, my bad.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
Where would he go to win another championship?
He wouldn’t have to go anywhere. He could stay in town and just switch teams….
Yeah, Stephen A. Smith has always been a dumbass
This just pretty much highlights the level of dumbass he is. A huge one!
by datboyeddiep on Dec 15, 2011 10:14 AM PST up reply actions
LOL I think Stephen A Smith is wrong about Kobe demanding a trade
BUT I love Stephen and alot of his views . Many people dont like em but that doesnt mean he’s wrong. Ill take Smith any day nd tune in to 1st take just to see him and Skip go at it
See me on Twitter follow me @ EddieCheeze, Catch me on FB friend me Eddie Cheeze, See my group on youtube listen to us Hood Platinum, want me ta kill a track email me Cheeze2k11@gmail.com....Im errwhere
Me and Stephen A against the world!!! LOL
See me on Twitter follow me @ EddieCheeze, Catch me on FB friend me Eddie Cheeze, See my group on youtube listen to us Hood Platinum, want me ta kill a track email me Cheeze2k11@gmail.com....Im errwhere
HI!!! I'M!!! STEPHEN!!!!! A!!!! SMITH!!!!!!
I!!! LIKE!!!!!! TO!!!!! TALK!!!!! LOUD!!!!!! AND!!!!! SAY!!!!!! OBNOXIOUS!!!!! RIDICULOUS!!!!!! SHIT!!!!!! BECAUSE!!!!! IT!!!!! MAKES!!!!!!!!! ME!!!!!! MONEY!!!!!! AND!!!!!! GETS!!!!! ME!!!!!!! ON!!!!! TV!!!!!!!!!
Guy is a joke. His analysis is usually putrageous just for the fact of being outrageous and contrarian just for the fact of being sensational and making people saying his name. He rarely has anything valid or relevant to add to anything.
by purrrrrple on Dec 15, 2011 10:52 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I agree
that’s Stephen A. As I was reading that I could even see his stupid facial expressions and his hands flopping about.
by datboyeddiep on Dec 15, 2011 10:55 AM PST up reply actions
STEPHEN!!!!!!!!! A!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SMITH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BONAFIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SCRUB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
Dude; you are SO spot on with the way you posted this comment !
" I think this is probably the best team ever assembled. They talk about the Vince Lombardi Era, but I think the Chuck Noll Era is even greater. " - Mel Blount
Steven A. Smith
Steven A. has broke more NBA insider news than anybody in the biz and when Kobe comes out midseason when the Lakers are 12-21 and demands to be traded away from their AAU coach and his friend Pau, you will deny calling Steven A. “laughable.”
This... sounds exactly like the sort of thing Stephen A. Smith would say.
"If you have a debate with a scholar, you can win. If you have a debate with an ignorant person, you will definitely lose."
Lamar Odom - "Half Swiss-Army knife, half Pez-dispenser" Meriones
The Lakers will not be 12-21 unless there is an unexpected injury
You’re telling me half the teams are better than the Lakers?? I don’t think, you will see that the Lakers will be #1 in the West, at least.
Being Dramatic
but think they will have a hard time breaking .500 with current roster and coach.
omg lol
"One thing LeBron James has won that Kobe Bryant never has, and never will: A bronze medal."- Josh Tucker
"Fisher's defense is called escort service in my country, just accompany" -Ibou
42-1 on Barebones TDM classic ... BEAT THAT XBOXERS
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
Andrew Bynum going down will NOT be...
an “unexpected injury”.
Welcome to SS&R!
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
Hey, You're Pretty Cute @SoCalGal!
Hope the Lakers can salvage the season for you or that smile could be turned upside down.
LOL!!!!
"Where Yo Curleh Mustache at!?"
"Lebron joins teams with his friends; Kobe’s enemies join teams with him." -Gil Meriken
I am kinda cute, aren't I?
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
Are you his son?
"Vick’s 100x the player Warner was.
Desean’s not quite at Holts level.
McCoy’s giving Faulk a run for his money.
Maclin’s better than Bruce.
"Warner never took over games."
Signed, wild_eagle - the most delusional person in the entire universe.
Your name should be Stevie Wonder because if you think that Steven A
has broke more NBA insider news than anybody in the biz.
"Hate me or love me. Its one or the other; always has been. Hate my game, my swagger. Hate my fadeaway, my hunger. Hate that I'm a veteran. A champion. Hate that. Hate it with all your heart. And hate that I'm loved for the exact same reasons." - Kobe Jelly Bean Bryant
even if he did want out
no one is going to want a 30+ year old guy who will be owed 90 million over the next three years.
Personally, I'd want the Odom TPE used
to bring in Paul Millsap. Get some more youth on the team and if we do indeed move both Gasol and Bynum for Dwight, Millsap could be a long-term answer at PF.
Christian Ponder: Super Bowl 50 MVP for the Minnesota Vikings
For Basketball Reasons
and if Nelson is coming back in that trade, but that’s besides the point.
I have been hoping for a Dwight + Nelson trade for the past 2 years. The Lakers need a point guard and they want dwight, how come there is not more discussion about the potential of Jameer Nelson being included in a trade?
I've been thinking the same thing.
I like getting Crawford with Vujacic’s TPE. I really love the idea of getting Milsap with Odom’s. Thing is, if we are going to go after Howard later in the season, we may need that TPE to help absorb Turk’s contract.
by datboyeddiep on Dec 15, 2011 10:16 AM PST up reply actions
I meant to include in my first post..
That getting Nelson along with Howard and Turk, will be alright with me.
by datboyeddiep on Dec 15, 2011 10:16 AM PST up reply actions
It just needs some uplifting people, less doom and gloom from the masses.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
I'm worried
I watched this same team, minus some rookies, Kapono, and McRoberts get swept in the playoffs and we haven’t improved our roster and it doesn’t look like they’re going to. We’ve actually regressed, at least on paper. Man I’m in panic mode, I did not want to see this same line-up this year.
by mr92687!!! on Dec 15, 2011 10:11 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
It will be alright man
I think the team was fatigued, and wasn’t playing with enough emotion. This year, the incentive was that we got swept. That opens people’s eyes. We will be alright, I daresay we will be better than last season.
by datboyeddiep on Dec 15, 2011 10:18 AM PST up reply actions
Didn't always have it
I am always confident in my Lakers though.
by datboyeddiep on Dec 15, 2011 10:53 AM PST up reply actions
I second that motion
the team was spent, imagine how much better we’d be last year with some decent outside shooting… and guess what we got so far, some pretty decent shooters, its not a blockbuster, but it’ll help, i Honestly believe that the Lamar odom TPe, depending on who we get for it, will let allot of people take a deep breath,
on Odom, he had such a good regular season, – but honestly i watch every single game of the Lakers playoff games(not many) Odom was not dominant in any of these two series. Bynum was there, Kobe was not 100% but he gave it all, Pau had girlfriend problems(he’s good now, you can see it in his body language) Artest(for all the trouble he’s getting he played hard) and Fish was fish, lets get the Backups, a decent/quick point guard. well be good, what do we play for? Rings, and with the Black Mamba and two Towers you can’t rule us out!!!
Hell yeah fool
Go Lakers! I agree with all of that. We were in need of outside shooting. Barnes was not yet fully recovered from his knee injury. Ebanks, who is really good, was injured. Blake was horrible in the triangle. Joe Smith was our backup Center. I know we are minus Odom, I like Odom but he disappeared on D. His minutes were going to get cut, he doesn’t fit in Mike Brown’s defense first system. I believe in Kupchack, big time. I stopped getting mad at management when I sat back and looked at all of the trades I thought that were dumb, and how the turned out. We’ve been to 50% of the Finals for a reason. We will be alright.
I know ESPN has been saying, especially on the radio here in TX, that the Lakers are the second best team in LA. All of that is fine and dandy, let the season start and see what’s up. We gone “zip em up”, I stole that from ultimate fighter Tru Holloway, I mean Xavier pg…..whatever. Cause we ganstas on the court.
by datboyeddiep on Dec 15, 2011 10:46 AM PST up reply actions
agreed!
hope they give morris some decent PT. i think he can be good ala andre miller type of point guard
I hope so also
His size makes it mismatch heaven for us. He is a 6’6" pg, pure pg. His shooting is horrible but he can work on that.
by datboyeddiep on Dec 15, 2011 10:52 AM PST up reply actions
I'm loving the optimism
welcome back Laker fans. : )
"Hate me or love me. Its one or the other; always has been. Hate my game, my swagger. Hate my fadeaway, my hunger. Hate that I'm a veteran. A champion. Hate that. Hate it with all your heart. And hate that I'm loved for the exact same reasons." - Kobe Jelly Bean Bryant
Because on paper, the Mavs were the best team in the league last year....
by Fin Fan Forever on Dec 15, 2011 10:23 AM PST up reply actions
We're not the Mavs!
Damn can you make sense, for once?
I wish we had the bench they had last year, let alone the chemistry.
After reading and re-reading my post
Im almost 100% I didn’t say “the Lakers are the mavs”
What I do remember is you saying that “We’ve actually regressed, at least on paper.” And in response I said “Because on paper, the mavs were the best team in the league last year…”
See I was being sarcastic, because the mavs were not the best team in league on paper. Therefore, who is better on paper means absolutely nothing when it comes to actually playing basketball.
by Fin Fan Forever on Dec 15, 2011 10:34 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Logic, you has it.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
I'm done
Therefore, who is better on paper means absolutely nothing when it comes to actually playing basketball.
It matters a lot when you don’t have a bench, it matters a whole lot.
LOL what?
I will attempt to try to understand you, but im not sure if I can…
Ok so if a team is better on paper…. it overcomes the lack of not having a bench? Or having a better team on paper means you have a good bench?
So if your team is better on paper then it matter a whole lot if you don’t have a bench…. Um im pretty sure the Heat were the best team on paper, and they have NO BENCH and they didn’t win… so are you saying that if your the best team on paper you should only have a bench?
Or that the rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain????
by Fin Fan Forever on Dec 15, 2011 10:49 AM PST up reply actions
When I say "on paper"
I’m talking about starters and also bench players.
We have Pau, We have Kobe, what else?
No one ever knows what Bynum will do…
Everyone knows what Bynum will do, he's an AS if he stays healthy
Bynum isn’t an issue of inconsistency like LO was, Bynum is can he stay healthy. LO was a big loss, but LA isn’t gonna miss UPS besides his highlight plays, he was as integral as Farmar was which was a little but def replaceable.
We still have exceptions to use, and as much I love LO if we can get 3 or 4 players that can all play, for the same price as one player, then that’s a win every time.
by Fin Fan Forever on Dec 15, 2011 11:01 AM PST up reply actions
While I agree with Bynum being an all star IF he stays healthy.
That is a humongous if. So in essence we dont know what Bynum is gonna do because he’s only stayed healthy 1 year in his career. Being dependent on that is a big gamble but one we have no choice but to live with. Him staying in the kneebrace should help that cause. Time will only tell BUT it being a shoortened season should be a good thing in his case…..I for 1 thinks he can stay healthy for 61 games
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There's also a lot of back-to-backs
this season due to the condensed schedule.That’s a lot of wear and tear. I’m not certain he’ll be able to go for all 61 games he won’t be suspended for.
Christian Ponder: Super Bowl 50 MVP for the Minnesota Vikings
For Basketball Reasons
How Do you Know?
How do you know Ebanks won’t step up and play his ass off. How do you know McRoberts won’t play his ass off. How do you know Morris won’t shock people and be a efficient ball handler and game manager. How do you know Drew won’t dominate the West all season and not get hurt. How do we know what effect the extended time off will have on Kobe, Fisher, and Pau. Point is no one knows anything. I have faith in my squad and the organization. We are still one of the favorites to win it all.
That same argument an be made for people who are worried about the Lakers.
Just because you’re optimistic doesnt mean you will be right and the same goes for the people that are worried about this team….and for the record Fish is terrible. Time off wont solve his age, horrible defense and his ability to NOT be a playmaker
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by EmmCeee on Dec 15, 2011 1:06 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Even when it was Kobe + smush + kwame we put up 50 percent win rate numbers, the loss of LO is not gonna result in 15/20 more losses. This roster is somewhat worse then we had last season, and thats wtih like half of our players having their worst seasons in like 8 years and in some cases their whole careers. I seriously doubt Paus gonna play like shit, bynum will be injured, blake will be totally awful, shannons not on the team so thats addition by subtraction, + barnes is healthy, kobes got new medical treatment and his fingers aren’t busted up.
Unless LO was our best player were sure as shit not gonna be anywhere near a lotto team, oh wait, he’s our 4th best player?
Can’t believe people think having 3 all star players in Pau, kobe and bynum is somehow trash. We underachieved the entire last season, were still better then 90 percent of the league, and thats without any additional moves for the season.
lol
And this is in response to what?
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by EmmCeee on Dec 15, 2011 9:30 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Once again...
Did i say the season was gonna blow? Did i say the lakers would be a lottery team? Did i make a prediction on the wins/losses this year backing up my imaginary comment that the season would be a wash? If you gotta make up stuff to prove a nonexistent point then be my guest otherwise stick to the script and respond to something i ACTUALLY said.
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Sorry, your stupid pessimism all over the place got on my nerves, just going to completely ignore your posts instead.
by Kevdawg on Dec 16, 2011 2:37 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
It's probably best you do that since your only argument is "we're the Lakers we'll be fine warble warble warble"
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The Mavs went silly ballistic
don’t disregard how crazy hot they got with their shooting; and it continued into the finals to kill the Heat. It was more the Mavs won, than the Lakers lost
" I think this is probably the best team ever assembled. They talk about the Vince Lombardi Era, but I think the Chuck Noll Era is even greater. " - Mel Blount
but we definitely peaked about a month to early. that stretch where we went 17-1, we were playing amazing ball. Wish that would have came a month later.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
Bynum, WPeace, Varejao
…worst outside shooting (possible) front line ever. Teams will pack the paint so thick that all the bricks that front line would toss up woudn’t even find floor.
O, how many C's and PF's can actually make a 3?????? Also Gasol has actually added to his game
And MWP 3% was higher last year than what it was in 2010 when we won. NEXT
by Fin Fan Forever on Dec 15, 2011 10:26 AM PST up reply actions
not even talking 3
…and sorry for the confusion: I was talking about post-possible trades as mentioned above (D12 for Bynum and Gasol, then acquire Varejao. Throw in Artest (or Barnes) as the starting 3, and you have a front line that can. not. shoot. period.
O ok
Well Orl said they wanted Gasol and Bynum if Mitch was willing to let both of them go, I think that trade would have happened by now. So I think at least Gasol stays in that deal, if any happens at all.
But your right in saying that D12 nor Varejao (although D12 has a decent/OK short jumper, but he never really uses it because dunking is alot easier for him) can shoot well. I still think your underselling Artest and especially Barnes. Artest was never a great shooter, but as we saw in 2010 playoffs he can knock them down and his FG% isn’t atrocious, and last year no one was making shots in the playoffs for us besides Kobe. Barnes doesn’t shoot as often as Artest, but when he does it goes in 45% over his career, last year it was 47%. And don’t forget about the additions in McRoberts and Kapono.
by Fin Fan Forever on Dec 15, 2011 10:57 AM PST up reply actions
agreed, if they went that route up front
…Kapono would have to be a big part of the picture: a legit spot-up 3-baller. I guess that my main point is I don’t think D12 is worth BOTH Bynum and Gasol, especially with LO gone (damn, damn). It seems like things are gearing heavily towards Bynum being dominant on both ends of the floor. He’s got the size and the skills; hope he has the health and the will.
agreed, if they went that route up front
…Kapono would have to be a big part of the picture: a legit spot-up 3-baller. I guess that my main point is I don’t think D12 is worth BOTH Bynum and Gasol, especially with LO gone (damn, damn). It seems like things are gearing heavily towards Bynum being dominant on both ends of the floor. He’s got the size and the skills; hope he has the health and the will.
I agree, he isn’t
"One thing LeBron James has won that Kobe Bryant never has, and never will: A bronze medal."- Josh Tucker
"Fisher's defense is called escort service in my country, just accompany" -Ibou
42-1 on Barebones TDM classic ... BEAT THAT XBOXERS
I love the crazy deceptive athleticism.
Especially combined with the long hair and beard haha
Affectionately,
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NBA’s All-Time Leading Scorer
by afrikabamboodle on Dec 15, 2011 8:24 PM PST up reply actions
again
Artest shot was inconsistent but was good last year. Howard has his own shot from mid-range bank. Varejao is a good finisher, but idk about his shot. either way, you don’t need a shooting frontline if everyone else on perimeter can actually make shots
"These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game." - Charlie Wilson
"I think that all the silence is worse than all the violence." -Lupe Fiasco
just don't trust Ron-Ron as a pure shooter
when he was putting up points with Houston, it was volume shooting, and I think we already have someone who’s pretty good in that role…I couldn’t help but hold my breath and cross my fingers when Artest launched from outside. Maybe that will be the weapon he will add to his game in a consistent manner.
Varejeo actually has improved his midrange game quite a bit.
Small sample size, but it looked like it was coming around last season.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
one can hope. Varejao's hustle, energy
and athleticism would be a great add for the Lakes. But, if you were Bynum getting doubled on the block, who would you rather kick to at the elbow; Varejao or Pau? I just can’t see giving up both bigs for Dwight and another 4, either AV or Milsap (whose game I really like, BTW)
To me heading into the season the Lakers rise back to dominance or fall from grace were dependent
1. Whether or not you believe what we saw from Pau in the playoffs were an aberration or a precursor of things to come.
2. The ability to get better at the pg position
3.Find some reliable bench players
4.Get some shooters to space the floor and keep teams from sagging into the paint
Even tho I personally think what we saw from Pau is a precursor of things to come I would have been happy keeping him if that meant we upgraded at the point and got our bench solidified. Up to this point the moves that have been made are imo meh at best.
We need a backup 5 in the worst way especially with Bynum out for the 1st 5 games and any way you look at it our D is gonna be soft at the rim until he gets back.
We did sign young McHopperts to back up Pau and my hope is that our youngsters play their way into major minutes.
Ebanks,Morris and Goudelock.
Im actually excited to see what Ebanks is gonna do this year with a hopefully expanded role. The kid is pretty much Ariza-lite down to the looks. IF he has improved his offensive game as reported then we have some much needed youth and athleticism on the team.
Morris and Goudlock are imo the 2 wildcards. I have my fingers crossed that Morris wows and takes Blakes minutes at the point eventually supplanting Fisher. Word is the kid worked on his shot during the offseason and if he has at least a consistent mid range J i’d put him in there with the starters and see what he’s got.
Goudelock assuming he makes the team looks on the surface like an Eddie House type. Instant offense and a pure 3ball. We havent relied on our Youngters in a long time but this is where we could really use 2 of them to step and step up in a big way…..Morris and Ebanks will be big this year…You heard it here 1st
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I have to say
This article made me feel pretty damn good. Thanks!
I honestly was against the original CP3 trade. I thought it made us weak. With us using Bynum more, we are going to be good. I have a lot of faith in Kupchack and our organization. There is no way our tenants who live in OUR basement are going to be better than us!
i didn't like the original cp3 trade either
but if it was a set up for also getting dwight, then i was all for it.
however, i don’t like the current situation with odom gone for nothing, so until mitch shows us what he’s up to, i’m not going to carry high hopes (yet). high expectations—>high disappointment
don’t get me wrong. I think we can still content with kobe, pau, & drew but i don’t want to keep my hopes up too high
No details on the dollar amount.
If it’s around a $10M/2 year deal, I’d be sad that we didn’t use Sasha’s TPE for him.
The TPE isn't enough if he's making 10 mill
by Fin Fan Forever on Dec 15, 2011 11:02 AM PST up reply actions
O ok, Yea that would've been enough
I guess were looking for someone less ball dominant
by Fin Fan Forever on Dec 15, 2011 11:07 AM PST up reply actions
For a scoring option off the bench, I wouldn't mind having a gunner.
Kobe, Pau, and Bynum have to rest some time and someone needs to score off the bench. Having a Jason Terry type of player than can sustain the offense while the core rests would be great. Plus, the TPE expires tomorrow so might as well use it for a useful player.
ESPN says it is a 2 year, $10 Million deal…….
Yea I just looked around and its 5 mill a year
Well to use the TPE, we would need ATL to do a sign and trade with us, I think.
by Fin Fan Forever on Dec 15, 2011 11:20 AM PST up reply actions
don't care
he’s a 30 year old chucker who doesnt play D. we need guys who brings energy and effort on the floor, we can get buckets from our core (bynum, kobe, pau).
Stop with the doom and gloom
Let’s not forget all the supposed drama between Gasol and his girlfriend during the playoffs last season. A focused and unstressed Gasol would give you different results. This is the same team (minus Odom) who won it back to back (plus 2 yrs added to their top players).
Pau is still in his prime, imo, and kobe isn’t too far removed from his prime. Bynum will be better this season than ever before (if he stays healthy). Whatever issues the shortened season creates will be there for all teams.
The team that lakers have right now can, when playing to their potential, win it all.
well people's optimism vs gloom depends on whether or not they think Pau is what we saw in the playoffs or the player the year before
This team is getting old and whether people wanna admit it or not the championship window isnt opening wider its on the way down. Add to that other teams are getting better while the Lakers are getting older and its easy to see why there are legitimate concerns about this team moving forward
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Great F'in article
Pretty much summed up my feelings for the last few days. While half the people on this board want to spout doom and gloom. Great points about not needing to use the Odom exception yesterday. You never know what situation teams and players are going to be in by the trade deadline. there might be a really good or even premier player that becomes movable by then that we can grab for a playoff run. Like I said yesterday. No one knows whats going on in Mitch’s office or the Laker organization. that’s why we most of the complainers are here bitching and moaning that we lost Odom for nothing and Mitch messed up. I’m fine rolling into battle with what we got and then making some moves in Feburary once we have a better understanding of where we stand ans what we really need. Maybe the Rooks and young guns step out and fill out or bench. Kobe’s knees and fingers hold up all season. Pau becomes a beast again to shuts everyone up, I guarantee you Brown is going to ride Pau into the ground like Phil did in the 1st half of the season. Most of all maybe Drew becomes that guy and makes everyone forget Dwight what’s his name.
LOL, preview works too.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
Preview?
Damn why havent I noticed that button before. This is embarrassing.
by datboyeddiep on Dec 15, 2011 11:07 AM PST up reply actions
agree
Let’s just make three assumptions:
A) Bynum gets better. He’s been working on his game all summer, without Odom eating into his minutes he’ll get a rhythm and might be our all-star center. If he doesn’t get injured (I know, big if) he might be awesome this year.
B) Gasol plays better. He won’t be as tired or as emotionally worked as he was last year. He has something to prove.
C) Good shooters who can actually make a shot
D) Artest & co. adapt more easily to a traditional offense than the triangle
E) Morris and Ebanks thrive- without Phil, Morris actually gets playing time. Ebanks has earned his stripes to play more minutes behind Kobe.
F) The Lakers, for the first time in some years NOT the favorites, respond to being the underdogs by not coasting but instead playing above their talent level.
G) Steve Blake- can’t play any worse.
H) KOBE. Never count him out.
We’ve kept the people ready to work hard. Brown is working them, it sounds like. We’ve got a better, more in-shape Bynum, a Gasol with something to prove, a Kobe with a better knee AND something to prove, a healthy Barnes, and a few options of top-level shooters, so the inevitable outside shots actually fall. And then we have some hard-working, underrated rookies and sophomores. I think this team will be better, more motivated, and less likely to cruise than last year’s team.
And like the article says, maybe we get a few guys playing well enough that we can package Drew for Dwight.
Let’s go get #17.
A-H = 3, apparently.
Too optimistic to count.
I would rather have Jason Smith than Troy Murphy.
Troy Murphy can’t move at all. Kyrylo Fesenko should be included as well. I like the kid for limited minutes, but I’m in the minority.
At first thought, I thought Fesenko would be a decent addition
Then I remembered he was the one who spaced out during the Lakers-Utah playoff series because he kept on looking at the Laker girls. Imagine him tyring to play when he has to see the Laker girls every home game.
Smith doesn't space the floor as well as Murphy, especially from behind the arc.
Nor does he clean up the boards as well. I’d rather deal with Murphy’s slow feet on defense than Smith’s overall below average play. Wouldn’t mind Fesenko as a fifth big though because he’s massive. Decent defensively, a disaster offensively, but he’s young and that can be worked on.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
I don't know if Murphy's poor play last year....
was an aberration or the start of decline. He was pretty bad last year even in limited duty. Murphy was never athletic to begin with and he’s 31. He could be on the wrong side of thirty.
by E-ROC on Dec 15, 2011 11:46 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
He was stuck in Avery Johnson's doghouse for no reason so the Nets could play their prized free agent acquisition in Johan Petro.
Because that’s how the Nets roll. By the time he got out of New Jersey, his game was completely out of wack, and it didn’t help that he was thrown into a new system in Boston he never really got used to. I really don’t think that a guy forgets to shoot one year after a 14.5/10, 18 PER season.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
The thing is. U used that same logic in talking about Odom
Except it was in defense of trading him and his ability to reproduce the numbers he had last year. It cant go both ways.
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wait what?
"These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game." - Charlie Wilson
"I think that all the silence is worse than all the violence." -Lupe Fiasco
He was talking about Odom's ability to reproduce the numbers and shooting he put up last year
and is now basically giving Murphy a pass for pretty much the same thing except he’s a full year removed from it unless im not understanding the point. Which is entirel;y possible lol
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It wasnt on this article it was another one i cant remember which tho
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...what?
Odom’s numbers last year were flukish since he exceeded his career shooting norms by a significant margin that has been proven with plenty of other cases to be a statistical aberration for players of his age. Doing significantly worse than your career norms, however, is explainable in context, especially for a player jerked around last year like Murphy, and considering that he’s a career 38.9 3P% shooter, it’s perfectly reasonable to expect to him return to his career norms with a more stable and clearly defined role. The two cases are entirely different things.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
See now i can live with that explanation
Have we even signed him yet? And where is he gonna play Backup to both the 4 and 5?
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He worked out in the Lakers' practice facility yesterday, so that at least indicates a certain level of interest.
Nothing is official though.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
he's not going to get a massive or long term deal, most likely a vet's min
and he’s got way more potential to contribute than theo & joe smith
agreed. the Troy Murphy of two-three years ago would be a nice fit,
but maybe that’s a little unrealistic…
I guess Williams broke up with Knicks
WojYahooNBA Adrian Wojnarowski
Knicks tried to convince Shawne Williams to reconsider, but he’s still signing with Nets, sources say. He’s on his way to take physical.
by Fin Fan Forever on Dec 15, 2011 11:23 AM PST reply actions
lol
"These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game." - Charlie Wilson
"I think that all the silence is worse than all the violence." -Lupe Fiasco
Giving up his chance to play with the great Carmelo Anthony and A'm'a'r'e'
smh
Faith is remaining certain in the face of doubt. You’re not sure how it’s going to end, but you’re constantly of the belief that it will end the way you want it to and the way you always believed it to end, and that’s on top - Derek Fisher
Most amusing part is that he's going back to the team that cut him in the Humphries trade.
And turning down the team that picked him off the scrap heap and resurrected his career. Especially since the latter team is well, pretty good right now.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
Right?
Faith is remaining certain in the face of doubt. You’re not sure how it’s going to end, but you’re constantly of the belief that it will end the way you want it to and the way you always believed it to end, and that’s on top - Derek Fisher
i like his wife
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fail i ment sheldon williams
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Follow @Czheck
and he plays well in LA
no matter how badly he sucks everywhere else
dont call it a comeback
bonzi wells is now a t-wolf? he hasnt played since 08. we should bring back horry lol
Not official, but still funny
ESPNLandOLakers Kamenetzky Brothers
RT @netw3rk: Bonzi Wells + Mike Beasley is like a reverse scared straight program.
by Fin Fan Forever on Dec 15, 2011 11:51 AM PST up reply actions
haha beasley and wells would be an intresting combo
lets bring beasley over and have kobe take him under his wing. that guy has some serious game when his head is on straight. otherwise bonzi will get them both suspended for getting high in the locker room
lol I didnt think they had good green in Minne
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How soon we forget...
What Metta World Peace did to us in the playoffs 3 short years ago in a traditional offense that is easy to understand. Remember this guy isn’t a brain surgeon and the Triangle ain’t easy. Am I the only one who can see him being more efficient in a traditional offense and getting his groove back. I see alot of potential in a fresh offense for him, and also the young players and rookies should be able to make a bigger contribution immediately in Brown’s simplified offense. The reason Phil never gave the kids much burn is because of the complications of learning that offense. I’m pretty confident about our youngsters giving us some immediate production, and a bounce back for previously productive role players like Peace and Blake.
actually, him chucking threes (and getting kicked out) may have been more helpful to us than hurt us
though, i do think we often overlook artest’s ball handling abilities. i think kobe said artest is going to have the duty of controlling the laker’s 2nd unit now that odom is gone.
Then you remember it differently than I do.
Because I remember Artest leading a heated Rocket squad that almost gave the Lakers a nervous breakdown and nearly cost us a title. If we can even get 50% of that Ron back, now that he doesn’t have Phil playing mind games with him and a easier offense to operate in then we could be in good shape.
i do think artest gets the credit to leading a heated rocket's team mentally, especially on defense
but his play wasn’t actually that great on offense. i think fish making aaron brooks looking like chris paul is what really hurt us (and us spacing out after yao went down)
He did help take the Rockets further than T-Mac ever had, so I give him credit for that.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
Let's not fool ourselves
As presently constitued without a Bynum leap into superstardom I put the chances of the Lakers winning the championship at less then 5 percent.
Conversely this team is another major Bynum knee injury away from being decidedly average and the second best team in L.A.
Mitch of course deserves the benefit of the doubt that he’ll make something positive happen but as of right now this off season has been a debacle.
EVERY team is one injury away from being an average team if 1 of their top 2 players get injured. Case in point, Miami would be average without Wade.
Some of the posts here are ridiculous. We still have 1 of the best starting 5, even with an aging Fisher and a question mark sf.
We got a top 5 sg, a top 3 c, a top 3 pf. That’s 3 position where we almost always have a better player than the opposing team.
Yes, we need an upgrade in pg, but that’s still something that we can solve.
We've always had a problem at pg
Fish has never been great in LA. He has always hit big shots. We’ve won 5 NBA titles with subpar pg play. We have one of the best rosters in the NBA. Calm down everyone.
by datboyeddiep on Dec 15, 2011 12:24 PM PST up reply actions
As presently constitued without a Bynum leap into superstardom I put the chances of the Lakers winning the championship at less then 5 percent.
Las Vegas disagrees with you….
They are 11/2 or 6/1 depending on the casino. That’s a far cry from 5%.
Billy Mac: "Lamar, can you see yourself actually getting in the (boxing) ring"?
Lamar Odom: "No. My face is too pretty."
While this is true
It’s partly a reflection of the action they’ve been taking. They know the Lakers are always gonna be a big draw for bettors, regardless of the state of the team, so they don’t have to offer as good odds as they might with the same roster in another uniform in order to attract bets. Still, I agree that the Lakers are not by any means doomed this season. They were one of the few teams with legitimate title hopes before the season, and I think they remain that way.
Its easy when you manipuate states like that, to say whoever was better
Bynum plays less, and competes with Gasol. Lopez had no one to compete with until Humphries for boards, but still not for touches.
by Fin Fan Forever on Dec 15, 2011 12:28 PM PST up reply actions
you could clearly see that the author is biased
towards lopez, he’s a nets fan. and if they think that brook can really improved and be a face of the franchise why are they trading him? LOL
That's what happens
When you’re the go to guy on a struggling team.
Reference Peace’s numbers with Sacramento & Houston.
Reference Rick Fox when he was a Celtic.
Not saying Brooks won;t turn into an all-star, but his numbers are inflated cause he’s the #1 scoring option.
In the categories that matter Bynum wins.
Offensive numbers are night and day because of each guys place in their respective system.
When a writer adds a few other meaningless categories the head to head falls wherever you want it to.
"Winning takes talent; to repeat takes character." - John Wooden
by Joshua S on Dec 15, 2011 2:30 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
is tony parker still on the trading block?
he was last season. the spurs have been quiet so far this offseason
They got Kawhi Leonard out of it; it's not a bad deal by any means.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
I think it's possible
that Bynum comes back in beastmode and possilby out-plays Howard and earns a starting AS spot (as mentioned).
At that point, is it necessary to do the trade?
Mat Latos is the real deal...Go Lakers, Pads, and Bolts
by mrbarneydangles on Dec 15, 2011 12:38 PM PST reply actions
Well, he doesn't have to outplay Howard to get a spot.
He just has to beat out Marc Gasol, Al Jefferson, and similar, which isn’t that tall of a task.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
Sorry for the confusion
What I meant was that if he out-plays Howard in the regular season and earns a starting spot in the AS game, will everyone still be begging to trade Bynum for Howard?
Mat Latos is the real deal...Go Lakers, Pads, and Bolts
by mrbarneydangles on Dec 15, 2011 12:50 PM PST up reply actions
I mean, sure, but you're setting hell of a bar.
26+ PER, DPOY-level defense, outright dominant play on both ends. At that point, yes, you definitely have to have serious discussions about whether this is a good move, but unless Howard regresses and Bynum amazes, I don’t see it happening. Don’t get me wrong: I think Drew is going to have a great year, but equaling Dwight is a herculean task.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
True
I think Bynum has a very good shot at being the starting center for the West this season, unless someone unexpected comes on really strong.
But the question remains: if Bynum is playing at or near the level of Howard, do the Lakers do the trade? I still think it’s a slam dunk yes because of the injury history, but I think there is a case to be made that, if healthy, Bynum can be a better player than Howard. He makes DH look downright small when they’re matched up on each other, and he has a much more polished post game. At the very least, Bynum is the only guy in the league right now who can at all lay claim to the potential to be Howard’s equal in terms of dominance on both ends.
I think they should still do the trade.
You gotta go with the man who hasn’t been hurt his entire career.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
by LakersFoEva on Dec 15, 2011 12:53 PM PST up reply actions
The only situation i would want to give up Bynum & Gasol would be....
If we were receiving Dwight, Turkoglu & Nelson…. and the Magic take back Blake & Luke’s contract. I would be happy with that.
But, I am also happy with the way the current team is constructed.
PG: Fish, Blake, Morris. Yes, Fish is old and has declined the last few years. But, the man plays hard, works his tail off, and leads this team (with Kobe). He is always in phenomenal shape. Yes, we could use a younger PG, but I think Morris will be a pleasant surprise in spot duty this year. He will need a more consistent shot, but he is very athletic for a 6’6" PG & will be able to keep up with the quicker guards of the league. Blake should go nowhere but up. He looked extremely lost last year. I think he returns to form this year and becomes the backup PG we all thought he would be last year.
SG: Kobe, Ebanks, Kapono, Goudelock. Kobe is Kobe. Hopefully, we can keep his minutes per game around 30 this year. That was be awesome. From what I have heard out of Laker camp, it seems like Ebanks will be Kobe’s primary backup. Kobe has been singing his praises, and I’m excited to see what he can do with the bench mob. Throw in the sharpshooter Kapono, who I think will see a few minutes a game, and Goudelock, I don’t think we need to add another SG to this roster. Its already a crowded back court.
SF: Metta, Barnes, Walton. As with Blake, I see Ron-Ron returning to a much better and productive player in a new and easy offense. Ron will still be our defensive force, and not looked at for much offense. Barnes will be healthy this year and should be able to help be a backup SG as well. The more rest we can get Kobe, the better. Walton is the ?. Not quite sure how his back will hold up this year.
PF: Pau, McRoberts, Caracter. With a much deeper front court, I don’t see Pau getting so tired this year. Yes Odom is gone, but Bynum will be playing a much bigger role and we (most likely) will have a deeper front line to help Pau stay fresh for most of the season. McRoberts is going to be fun to watch. He hustles, plays hard and likes to finish at the rim. I’m hoping he can get a steady dose of 15 mpg. I still think the Lakers hold onto Caracter. He is a promising role player, who has great foot work and can do a lot of damage on the post against smaller PF’s.
C: Bynum, Murphy, vet min C: Bynum will be out the first 5 games, so it looks like we will need to sign 2 additional centers before the season starts. Murphy is an interesting case as he can play PF & C. He was a great shooter and rebounder two years ago before he got lost in NJ and BOS. I think he can return to that form, or at least help in spreading the floor. A veterans minimum center should be signed just for some extra depth. Anyone interested in bringing Mbenga back? Bynum will be a huge key this year. If he can stay healthy and Bynum Smash for the first half of the season, we could be looking at any easy trade for Dwight Howard. Even if he is beasting, I think you have to trade him for Howard who has been healthy his entire career.
I think we are set at every position except C. Murphy and an additional vet min center could be of good use. If I remember right, 14 players are allowed to suit up this year (instead of the normal 13), so the deeper we are the better. This season will be more of a sprint, then a marathon. And I can see Goudelock and the vet min center being the 2 usually in street clothes. Walton may make a couple appearances due to his back, but I hope he can stay healthy this year.
I still think we are the team to beat in the West. Dallas got worse, and I still don’t think OKC has overtaken us yet. We met a surging Dallas team last year at the worst time. We weren’t playing the Laker basketball that we all saw when we went 17-1 in March last year. Kobe, Pau & a Bynum with a much bigger role will still dominate on most nights. We still are capable of winning the ship this year. I got faith.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
That's 16 players, so Caracter probably gets cut here.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
I thought you could have 2 players
in street clothes.
I assumed because we were allowed to suit up an additional guy, we are allowed to keep an additional one on the roster.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
by LakersFoEva on Dec 15, 2011 12:55 PM PST up reply actions
Actually, you might be write. Remember reading something in the new CBA about allowing extra players in street clothes because of the compressed schedule.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
be right*
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
I remember reading that as well.
we were allowed 14 to suit up because of the back to back to backs and the compressed schedule. and with 2 in street clothes, we get to 16. if thats the case, which i hope it is, we get to hang onto Caracter.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
If it's really 16, I'm hoping they take a chance on Malcolm Thomas
Caracter has shown potential, but I really worry if he’ll be able to contribute anything this season. After Barnes’ knee surgery, it took over 6 months for him to be back to normal. That’s also a risk with Caracter, and if so, we’d lose the whole season. I’d rather go with someone who’s healthy and can possibly contribute now.
by SmokeAndAshes on Dec 15, 2011 1:30 PM PST up reply actions
Yeah, either one of them could make the roster, if we are allowed 16. Just depends how attached the FO is to Caracter.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
There's little chance he makes it through training camp.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
McBob
will take care of the high fly acts
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
It's not like there's Chris Paul standing in his way...
Too soon? Regardless, the Lakers don’t exactly have primo talent at the 1 spot. If Morris shows he can play, Brown strikes me as the kind of guy who will give him a shot. I think he’ll be a solid contributor, if not this year, then down the road.
I hope he gives him some PT
we arent going to rely on him for scoring. Which is a good thing, cuz he shot could still use a little work. But in terms on defense and hustle and staying in front of an opposing PG, I think he can really help out this team.
I’m just glad eveybody is having to earn their spot. Rookies/Sophs never had a chance with Phil as coach.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
and I think Millsap would make this roster before Green does.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
but the back court is pretty crowded
i think Thomas has the better shot at making the roster (if we are allowed 16 players this year, instead of 15).
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
Oh, I agree, but if the Lakers do decide to add more guard depth....
.. .then I really hope they choose Millsap over Green
but the back court is pretty crowded. i think Thomas has the better shot at making the roster
by SmokeAndAshes on Dec 15, 2011 4:08 PM PST up reply actions
I just don't see how this team is better than last year's team that got swept.
I mean were actually expecting real contributions from our rookies, Ebanks and guys like Kapono?
i’m not trying to be the court cynic here I’m just trying to look at this roster from 30,000 feet and without my purple and gold glasses.
It mostly evolves around Bynums increase in minutes.
He will have a much bigger role & i believe will make this team even better. Plus, i think our bench got a lot more athletic. Ebanks & McRoberts are going to surprise alot of people.and Barnes will be healthy. We were never able to see what the youngns could do, because Phil never played them. Also, i think Blake will be a much better backup pg. and we will actually have a backup center. just a deeper bench in my opinion.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
by LakersFoEva on Dec 15, 2011 12:59 PM PST up reply actions
Don't count out Darius Morris.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s already the best point guard on the roster. He’s athletic and has the complete package as far as point guards go; the only reason he wasn’t a 1st rounder were questions with his jump shot. If reports are true that he’s put in serious work there, he could be a real contributor.
Ebanks was considered a lottery talent much of the season before he was drafted and slipped mainly because he never really dominated or showed a complete offensive game. A year under Kobe’s wing could do him wonders. And certainly Kobe knows basketball talent better than we do, so I’m inclined to trust him when he says he’s excited about having Ebanks.
A bench with
Morris, Ebanks, Barnes & McBob is super altheltic and has me pretty excited to see what they can do.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
As much as I love Phil
He was very shortsighted when it came to bench players and rotation IMO. Most teams go deep into the bench and are not afraid to run the youngins out there. Phil never did that and I get it, because asking a rookie to go out and execute the Triangle is alot to ask. Now we are using a more simple pick and roll based offense that most players have been using in one form or another since they started playing as kids. It’s not asking much for our younger talented players to go out and contribute 10-15 minutes a game. I think we will be more than fine and pleasantly surprised
Our offense is a bit more complex than that, but your point is well taken.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
I really like this roster breakdown.
I like what the Lakers have done with the bench, it’s far from perfect, but I like the influx of young players. In certain situations, we could even play Morris, Guodelock, Ebanks, McRoberts and Bynum and have a 5-man rotation that’s under age 25! How crazy is this? When was the last time LAL had good, young talent?
I’m not convinced we’ll win a title with the team as is, and we’re sunk if Bynum goes down, BUT I don’t think we would’ve won either keeping the team as it was last season. I’m very intrigued by what LAL is trying…and keeping my fingers crossed that the risks will pay off.
by SmokeAndAshes on Dec 15, 2011 1:18 PM PST up reply actions
It all about peaking at the right time.
we were going in the opposite direction last year. we peaked a month too early.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
Great read!
It reiterated things that I have already been thinking about.
You gave me some even greater optimism with the way you put it. It makes so much sense that the Magic and the Lakers benefit from waiting this whole thing out. I think the Lakers want to showcase Bynum and the Magic are curious to see it. And once Bynum shows what he can do, I think we can get a deal done that is primed around him. And if that doesn’t work we have the ‘auto win,’ as you put it, in giving Pau and Bynum.
The key thing is patience, for the Lakers, Magic, and us fans. The Lakers will get something done, even if that does not include Howard. This franchise has always been about winning. We aren’t about to stop now.
Bamboozled.
We don't need to be a 1 seed or even 4 seed in the playoffs IMO
Even in a frenetic shortened season this will be more of a Tortoise and the Hare race type scenario for us. A cagey vet team like us. We need to just keep a slow and steady pace and keep everyone’s minutes at a minimum and stay as healthy as possible till late April early May. Then unleash the beasts and swing for the fences. A 50 win season in not a necessary goal for us this season. If anything all this turmoil Stern has caused can be a galvanizing force.
I’m more than willing to take some lumps and hard losses in the regular season if it means we kept guys like Fish, Ron, Kobe, and Pau at 30 minutes a game or less. Kind of just lay low and creep into the playoffs. Everyone unsuspecting and thinking we are just too old and fell off. Then just run roughshod through the competition. Never underestimate old man strength.
So we are the new Spurs....
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
LOL, yeah that was kind of how it started sounding to me too as I worte it
I was even going to mention it in the wirte up, lol. We are the Spurs with the young Duncan though, and Kobe Bryant. Which isn’t a bad thing.
So the whole Dwight-to-Jersey talks were just to try and scare the Lakers into trading Pau and Bynum?
And Mitch didn’t fall for it?
See, this is why I’m not one of the guys already throwing Mitch under the bus because of the Odom trade.
"If you have a debate with a scholar, you can win. If you have a debate with an ignorant person, you will definitely lose."
Lamar Odom - "Half Swiss-Army knife, half Pez-dispenser" Meriones
we're just speculating
we really don’t know the score, I for one will believe that its a trap when i see D12 and Pau in Lakers jersey at the same time.
on Murphy
but he was inexplicably buried on the bench in New Jersey so they could trot out Johan Petro and by the time he was freed via buyout to go to the Celtics, his confidence and play had mostly been shot. In a clear bench role in which he will have defined minutes instead of being jerked around as he was all of last year, I imagine that he will perform much better. He is only one year removed from a 18.07 PER season, which is borderline All-Star play, and he brings a tantalizing Kevin Love-esque combination of sweet outside shooting and activity on the boards when playing at his best. For the minimum, he would be a solid addition to the Lakers’ frontcourt rotation.
He was not buried for Petro. When signed everyone in NJ had the same high hopes you have here. He was horrible. His body was broken down, his attitude was (reportedly) awful. He is so far from Kevin Love now, it isn’t even funny.
A player doesn't believably transform from a 18 PER one into a 8 PER one in the space of a season without a borderline career-ending injury.
Even if the only thing he can do is shoot, which I’m pretty sure he hasn’t forgotten how to do given his career numbers, he would be a positive addition to the bench for the minimum.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
Also note:
In Murphy’s great 18 PER year, opposing PFs averaged a PER of 21.5 (48 min, 82 games). He was on averaged out performed by the PFs he faced.
wasn't he a starter then?
"These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game." - Charlie Wilson
"I think that all the silence is worse than all the violence." -Lupe Fiasco
cool, glad that's not the role we want him in
"These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game." - Charlie Wilson
"I think that all the silence is worse than all the violence." -Lupe Fiasco
What is going to be our record for the first five games?
I think we will start 2-3 wins coming against Kings and Nuggets. We don’t have another big man to keep up with Bulls, Knicks or Utah. To note: This projection is based off of current roster without Bynum since he will be suspended.
The PuertoRican Kid
by Kobe:The Legend on Dec 15, 2011 1:26 PM PST reply actions
The Kings and Nuggets wont be any pushovers either
Evans will absolutely kill Fisher if they actually have him guard him which could result in Fouls on our Bigs(where we’re thin at) as he drives ino the paint at will. Lawson will do the same and i dont know if Pau can Handle Nene..Who is going to score for us? They can just double Pau and let Kobe do what he does..Im worried about each of the 5 games without Bynum
See me on Twitter follow me @ EddieCheeze, Catch me on FB friend me Eddie Cheeze, See my group on youtube listen to us Hood Platinum, want me ta kill a track email me Cheeze2k11@gmail.com....Im errwhere
If Mike Brown has instilled his defensive principles
we wont have any trouble. i wont be surprise if Morris gets PT against these speedy PGs early on. Kobe can still play terrific D from time to time anyway Barnes would be there to frustrate Evans. As for Denver, pretty sure Pau can lock up Nene, Morris length can be disruptive against Lawson. Am I overly optimistic? LOL
LOL That's assuming Morris plays which I for 1 would be all for
we still have the problem about scoring on offense
See me on Twitter follow me @ EddieCheeze, Catch me on FB friend me Eddie Cheeze, See my group on youtube listen to us Hood Platinum, want me ta kill a track email me Cheeze2k11@gmail.com....Im errwhere
I hope he does
scoring wont be a problem if we have great defense it will create scoring opportunities, in the half court setting we still have pau and kobe plus spot up shooters from the bench, we can also play pick and pop with mcbob and murphy.
That's a big IF
I agree Brown will emphasize defense, but these games are the training camp. If we lose all 5 I won’t care at all.
i could care less if we start the season 0 - 5
as long as we finish the season 5 – 0
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
What alternate universe do you live in where Fish would posibly guard Evans
He will see Kobe and Artest in his face all night. I’d imagine you might even see Jimmer or Isaiah starting at point.
is your post a reply to mine?
If it is i didn’t even mention fish, as always kobe will be guarding the opposing teams best perimeter guy.
Im not saying Sac will win
BUT should they parade to the paint and get Pau in foul trouble we’re gonna be hurting. Same question to you, Who’s gonna score for us? If we hafta rely on everybody not named Kobe and Pau i think we’re in trouble
See me on Twitter follow me @ EddieCheeze, Catch me on FB friend me Eddie Cheeze, See my group on youtube listen to us Hood Platinum, want me ta kill a track email me Cheeze2k11@gmail.com....Im errwhere
4 - 1
We wont lose to the Knicks and Utah, we have a platoon of 3’s that can definitely guard carmelo or disrupt him. If Pau can lock up Dwight (finals against magic) he can definitely lock up stat. Don’t you worry about Chandler he’ll have his effect on D but he’s very much limited on offense. Bulls will be a tough match up though
Utah is very winnable
I think we beat the Bulls on pure adrenaline. Beat Sac and Utah. Lose to Knicks and Denver could go wither way IMO.
5-0
Doubt me? Come back and tell me when we are 5-0.
Knicks, no chemistry. Utah? Bulls? Kings and Nuggets? While none of these are pushover teams, we are one year seperated from back to back champions. Come on man!
by datboyeddiep on Dec 15, 2011 2:35 PM PST up reply actions
Without Bynum and Odom
you’re kidding right
if Murphy started the first 5 games
i say 3-2 due to the first 3 games are all back to back to back. fatigue will kick in since there are only 2 preseason games
Never forget.
WojYahooNBA Adrian Wojnarowski
Column: History should remember David Stern’s deal of Chris Paul to the Clippers for what it was: An NBA shakedown. tinyurl.com/73pvvjs
by Fin Fan Forever on Dec 15, 2011 1:38 PM PST reply actions
Woj is the Mutherphucking man. Always has always will be.
He has the balls to tell the truth and isn’t bound like the sheeple at ESPN who Stern has his grubby little paws in to.
if dell demps gets fired or reigns
he is going to reveal all and there will be a few lawsuits against the nba and stern. cant wait
The only way they fire Demps now is if he walks into Stern's office and takes a leak on his desk, with Stern sitting there.
Even then, it would be a tough sell.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
@Jonathan_Feigen
Rockets GM Morey on how he felt about the nixed trade for Pau Gasol: "On the advice of counsel I can’t talk about it."
lol, I always liked Morey, but my respect for him has gone up quite a bit in the past few days.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
I've always been a huge fan of Morey.
He’s always done a great job getting excellent role players who put in a lot of effort for reasonable contracts, while still remaining competitive. Their only flaw was their inability to land a legitimate centerpiece. He even managed to do that this offseason wtih his plan if he wasn’t totally cockblocked. If I was ever gonna replace Mitch, I’d want someone like Morey or the GM of OKC. THose guys are the proof that smaller markets and payrolls can still be big players, they are just aren’t allowed to make awful decisions like most of the eastern small market teams.
Yeah, Morey's and Presti's best attributes have been maximizing the resources available to them.
Arm them with the Lakers’ ability to absorb payroll and appeal to free agents? Woo boy.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
@KevinDing
Kobe said people are overlooking the Lakers with Kobe/Pau/Andrew: “3 dominant players on the floor.”
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
He's right
I'll do whatever it takes to win games, whether it's sitting on a bench waving a towel, handing a cup of water to a teammate, or hitting the game-winning shot.- Kobe Bryant
A.J. Burnett's only fan!
Damn straight. This is a team that was emabarassed last year.
This is a prideful team filled with really good vets and players. The Lakers rarely enter a season with this much bad talk and doom and gloom. you don’t think they will use this and go into the season with a huge chip on their shoulder. Kobe doesn’t like to be dismissed, an angrier than usual Kobe isn’t good for any opposing team.
he's very right.
I think all this trade drama has made people lose perspective. Kobe, Pau, and Bynum are still nothing to sneeze at.
A hotdog at the game beats roast beef at the Ritz -- Humphrey Bogart
seriously.
I have no idea how CP3-to-the-Clippers somehow results in Kobe’s knees being worse, Bynum being 5 years older, Pau’s terrible post-season defining his entire career to this point and from this point forward, and that the Clipper are “taking over” Los Angeles. But it’s okay, I actually like this position of being looked down on, doubted, with things to prove.
Slava.
http://www.twitter.com/hobojarpen
Me too
it’s new to us isn’t it. Makes the payoff even sweeter.
by datboyeddiep on Dec 15, 2011 2:38 PM PST up reply actions
Team plays MUCH better
When they have a chip on their shoulders about stuff.
I’m all for the media dumping all over us
by IheartLA on Dec 15, 2011 3:03 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Yep
Very obvious. When did I wake up and Pau Gasol, Bynum, and Kobe were this horrible lineup. I still think we have the best lineup in basketball.
by datboyeddiep on Dec 15, 2011 2:37 PM PST up reply actions
Just what we want.
Everybody forget about us. Then, Bynum Smashes all over you, Pau kisses little baby hooks off the glass and Kobe hits jumpers in your eye.
All I want for Christmas is LAKERS BASKETBALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111111111
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
I like me...
a pissed off about getting swept KB24
a renewed Pau feeling good about a good summer
and a mean as hell Drew in the middle…
Lakers got this…
When will people learn.. the greatest of all time wore number 32 and wore purple and gold....
dwight making a push?
Dwight Howard says his request to be traded by the #Orlando #Magic “still stands”: http://ht.ly/80OAy.
Retweeted by KEVIN DING
blah
im over it. i dont think anything is gonna happen until the trade deadline approaches. i think the magic want to see what bynum can do. which is good for us, cuz dwight will see how terrible the nets really are. just hope bynum stays healthy.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
He really just needs to keep quiet already
"It ain't Chinese algebra. If you get stops and you execute on offense, normally that team wins." - Tony Allen
"One thing LeBron James has won that Kobe Bryant never has, and never will: A bronze medal."- Josh Tucker
I think the Lakers have to make a trade for DHoward soon
If Bynum gets injured this year, there goes the future.
@KevinDing
Brown has talked to @MettaWorldPeace about being a leader for the bench unit. So odds are @Matt_Barnes22 is starting SF.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
do you think that would be good?
honestly i think Ron is still better than Barnes even though Barnes brings more athleticism than Ron
Hmmmm...not sure about this.
MWP is our “lock down” defender and I’d rather have him focus his energy on the starting SF/SGs than going against the 2nd string guys. Barnes might be better offensively but there’s little need with Kobe, Pau, and Bynum. The bench, howerver, needs all the offense it can get with Blake, McRob, and Ebanks headlining it.
i think ron is still going to get the majority of the mins at SF
though the 2nd unit would probably spend more time with him than barnes. the 2nd unit needs more ball handling and vet presence, so in that sense, ron is the better bit than barnes (or ebnaks)
SHIT!
When I started reading about him going to the bench I was expecting AMMO to resign and take the starting SF spot!
I'll do whatever it takes to win games, whether it's sitting on a bench waving a towel, handing a cup of water to a teammate, or hitting the game-winning shot.- Kobe Bryant
A.J. Burnett's only fan!
by nyyrocks29 on Dec 15, 2011 2:53 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I’ll wait until the Clippers have officially made the playoffs for the 8th time in their franchise history before panicking
I think the Clips have more torn ACL's than playoff wins
by Sonic8 on Dec 15, 2011 3:24 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
LOL
"Where Yo Curleh Mustache at!?"
"Lebron joins teams with his friends; Kobe’s enemies join teams with him." -Gil Meriken
@LakersReporter
Brown’s early plans are to start Barnes and have Metta serve as leader of bench unit. World Peace open to it: pic.twitter.com/Mmdv3i42
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
So...
Fisher/Kobe/Barnes/Gasol/Bynum? Probably won’t make much of a difference, but Ron still is a capable defender and I’d probably start him over Barnes if given the choice. Still, I like that Brown is weighing his options. And I like even more that Artest is open to it and isn’t being a whiny douche.
I'll do whatever it takes to win games, whether it's sitting on a bench waving a towel, handing a cup of water to a teammate, or hitting the game-winning shot.- Kobe Bryant
A.J. Burnett's only fan!
Im just waiting to hear...
that Browns plans are to see what the rook can do , and throw Morris into the starting lineup….
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
I doubt he gets that chance
At least not right away. At the very least, Derek Fisher is a leader on the court who plays well with Kobe Bryant (though I think anyone would play well with Kobe). I’m thinking Brown would take that over a rookie who has never played an NBA game. I could see him earning it later in the year if Fish is struggling, but at first unless a move is made Fish is the starter.
I'll do whatever it takes to win games, whether it's sitting on a bench waving a towel, handing a cup of water to a teammate, or hitting the game-winning shot.- Kobe Bryant
A.J. Burnett's only fan!
wishful thinking....
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
@LakersReporter
Artest seems legitimately excited about this potential 6th man role. He really likes/trusts Mike Brown, & bought into the plan.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
It's great to hear that MWP is game.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
unlike Lamar. lol
but whatever. still can’t believe how it went down.
THE POWER OF SHAW COMPELS YOU.. THE POWER OF SHAW COMPELS YOU.....
Things David Stern has caused so far in the last few months
1. A prolonged lockout causing the NBA to miss almost two months worth of games.
2. Costs the Lakers their 6th Man of the Year
3. Makes the other team in LA better in the process
And there’s more obviously… I don’t like this man. Never thought anyone could be worse than Selig, but he’s broken that scale.
I'll do whatever it takes to win games, whether it's sitting on a bench waving a towel, handing a cup of water to a teammate, or hitting the game-winning shot.- Kobe Bryant
A.J. Burnett's only fan!
and with his focus less on defense and more on the flow of the offense,
maybe his offensive game that he had in sac/hou will return.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
plus, i'm sure the minutes and all those things will end up being the same, but it's just about putting certain players in a better position to succeed.
with LO gone, bench needs a leader, and with Barnes having starting experience, this move sounds good with me.
Slava.
http://www.twitter.com/hobojarpen
Specifically, with McBobs in the fold and Murphy probably following him.
We’ll have a bunch of frontcourt players with distinctly outside games who can run the pick-and-pop and spot up from midrange or outside the arc. That gives more room for Kobe or MWP to operate on the block — oh, spacing, how I’ve missed you — and is probably why MWP might see more minutes with the bench in games in which he doesn’t have to play major minutes to guard a Durant, Melo, or similar. Barnes works with the starters since he can cut well and work off Gasol, Bynum, and Kobe off the ball, and MWP offers a post presence that mixes well with the bench. Kudos to Brown for recognizing this.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
@LakersReporter
Metta on 6th Man: “I get a chance to help my team … A chance to cause havoc on the block.” Smart by Brown to empower MWP.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
I can imagine the conversation
Brown: “Hey Metta, I think you have what it takes to be the leader of bench. If you do really well, there’s a good chance you can be the 6th man of the year!”
Metta: “Swell Coach! What happens if win the award”
Brown: “You’ll probably be shipped off to the Bobcats or amnestied but we’ll name the bench team the TruWarrirors! How about that!”
Metta: “I’m on board!”
Yeah, he's gonna have with that role. Good for him.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
on a random note, this reminds me of bonzi wells (as a king) destroying the rockets in the playoffs a few season ago.
Slava.
http://www.twitter.com/hobojarpen
That must have been a while ago, right? When's the last time the Kings were in the playoffs?
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
Right after that, the Kings offered him a 5 year deal worth $40M and he turned it down.
Then signed with the Rockets for like $2M and basically fell off the face of the planet.
Oh man,
getting excited…..
I cant wait till the 25th.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
Patience Was Needed Before but Not Now
Clippers will have a better midseason record than Lakers barring any Clipper cursed injury rearing it’s ugly head. The Lakers front office needed patience and tight lips during the Paul trade and should have NEVER expressed an interest in Howard unless a deal was inked. Loose lips sink ships and Stern was hand fed enough Laker SuperTeam gossip that he sunk the Lakers Purple & Gold fleet without blinking. You tell me how ANYONE benefits from this trade besides the Miami slackers and I’ll be happy again. People are so blind it is sad. What makes most TRUE fans of the game of basketball HAPPY is to watch truly competitive games between equally matched talent. The Lakers didn’t roll through anybody the past few years and DALLAS played so over their head last year to beat a STACKED Heat team, that they still don’t know how they did it and Cuban knows it was a once in a lifetime series. Stern handed the next 5 rings to Miami and that sets a TERRIBLE example for anyone who plays ANY sport for the love of the game and not just to COLLECT little statues to put on their mantle. When the Heat win this year, who will they have truly BEATEN? Not a single team of equal talent. Yet King LeQuitter will get his rings and migraine D. Wader will get more time on the beach with Gabrielle Union. Nothing to see here, just the demise of a once great professional sport.
Oh, please.
Melodrama much? The Heat are still a deeply flawed team; they didn’t get any better at point guard or center, which is what sunk them last year. The Thunder and the Grizzlies are only getting better. So are the Bulls and Pacers. The Lakers are by no means finished, nor are the Spurs or the Mavericks. The Knicks are good and should be better this year. I agree that Stern has made some serious blunders, but this is just completely over the top.
@Dmitriy
You may be right but we’ll just have to wait and see. I don’t see any current roster challenging the Heat this season. The only thing that might happen from my perspective is that Doc might out coach the kid in Miami. If Riley still had something left in his tank, I fully believe that he could rival Jackson’s accomplishments by taking over. And it would be the best thing for that team’s development as players and men because they would grow to understand what the words “perfect practice” and “maximum effort” really mean.
they said the same thing about the heat last year....
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
im not on this clipper bandwagon craze....
lookt at the heat, when they brought the big 3 to south beach. it took ethem a loooong time to gel. and in a shortened season? i just dont see it. paper champions is all they are. they will be fun to watch…for 2-3 quarters.
by Mark Jaramillo on Dec 16, 2011 7:47 AM PST up reply actions
too much drank?
they look find on my end.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
@TheWerg
Hit me up on one of these boards AFTER the Finals. Been coaching a long time and will gladly discusse any observations you may offer regarding talent, coaching and how the big business of professional sports is played and won. Question for you: how do you feel about Mike Brown’s abilities and accomplishments as an NBA coach? Do you think Kobe’s knee(s) will enjoy wing iso all year? Who is going to call/diagram the inbound plays during crucial timeouts? Whose entourage will be allowed to displace Jack Nicholson courtside and given salaried positions within the Laker organization?
Look,
By no means am I saying that the Heat won’t win. In fact, I’d say they probably have the best chance of any team in the league. But it’s hardly a foregone conclusion that they’ll win this year, let alone every year for the next five. If you want to know more about my doubts as far as the Heat go, feel free to shoot me some questions/give an opinion that isn’t just loaded phrases and rage. As for your questions:
I have some definite questions about Brown as a coach, and can’t profess to have watched his teams a whole lot in Cleveland (I watch A TON of NBA games, but I never enjoyed watching LeBron knock people out of the way on his way to the rim 30 times a game), but he did win a whole lot of games there with not a lot of talent outside of LeBron. He’s young and has a great pedigree, and I think he deserves a chance before we jump down his throat. I don’t think that Kobe WILL be in wing iso all year; I see him moving more and more into the post, like he did toward the beginning of last year when he was butchering everyone. As for the inbounds plays, in past years pretty much all we’ve done is throw it in to Kobe, so even if I’M the one sending in the call, I don’t see how it would be worse. But regardless of that, Kuester is a pretty damn accomplished and respected offensive coach, even if he did flame out as a head coach. I’m sure he’ll come up with some solid sets.
Kobe isn't Lebron
and will not be coached as such.
"These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game." - Charlie Wilson
"I think that all the silence is worse than all the violence." -Lupe Fiasco
@Marty Mart
I agree, Kobe is not Lebron as a player or person but I question your observation. Based on the fact that Lebron had a man in a suit standing in front of him who was supposed to be his coach and now that same man will be standing in front of Kobe, are you saying that Coach Brown is a different coach afterhis time off or are you saying that Kobe will coach himself differently than Lebron did?
Probably a bit of both
Brown seems to have learned a lot from his first time around the block, not to mention he’s not operating under a psycho like Dan Gilbert anymore, and doesn’t have to worry so much that his job is constantly on the line if he displeases one guy. On that front, I think it’s almost a good thing that they didn’t consult Kobe on the hire. Shows Brown that he’s not beholden to any one guy.
And I think Kobe is a much more intelligent player than LeBron. He knows his best spots on the floor, he knows how to get himself easy shots, he’s crafty. He doesn’t just rely on his athleticism to overwhelm his defender.
Nice Observations
I will only remind you that passion is the one factor that ALL ATHLETES know is the key to victory and my comments will almost always feature a touch of passion, rage and absurdity. Wasn’t put on this earth to sit idly by and watch the flames burn. To each their own.
Just here to fan 'em a little, huh?
Wasn’t put on this earth to sit idly by and watch the flames burn.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
Kobe attacks the baskets and scores in a completely different manner
Mike Brown will have to live with that reality. Lebron went and got a brand new coach and played for the most part the same way doing as he pleases. Mike Brown isn’t a bad coach and Cleveland wasn’t his only coaching job. He’s good on defense and maybe at least average on offense. It wasn’t the worst offense in basketball even with Lebron playing that way
"These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game." - Charlie Wilson
"I think that all the silence is worse than all the violence." -Lupe Fiasco
Got it.
Only time will tell if you are correct. My perspective tells me that the egos in the Lakers front office were never comfortable with Shaman Phil getting all of the credit and were desperate to move away from the Triangle to prove what they perceive as their impact on the organization’s success. Above my pay grade, so what do I know. Call it like I see it and think they are in a world of hurt. Been wrong before but not too often.
Uh, no one's?
Whose entourage will be allowed to displace Jack Nicholson courtside and given salaried positions within the Laker organization?
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
Who's That?
Thanks for understanding sarcasm @Sonic8. I enjoyed the comment.
This year's Lakers motto: "Shoulder chips bring championships!"
Oh and I thought some of you would enjoy this reminder of funner times (minus the Bullets jersey).
"Winning takes talent; to repeat takes character." - John Wooden
Lol
"I don't mind being the goat. I don't mind being the villain, hated. I've been that my whole career, so it's not like that's anything new. I don't mind people jumping on the bandwagon or jumping off. I just focus on playing the game." -Ron Artest
"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." -Confucius
is that for real?
i’ve seen that video countless times, still wonderin if kobe really jumped over a moving car?
LOL, it's also in reverse.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
Haha
Don’t you love the chase? Sometimes it doesn’t work out; those are the stakes. But when it does work out, it’s like having that first cigarette: your head gets all dizzy, your heart pounds, your knees go weak. Remember that?
Follow me on Twitter and I'll follow you too. LOL.
http://twitter.com/domidomdomz
@KamPashai
Dwight wearing a Dodgers hat. Not one to over analyze something like this, but he has to be aware of what he’s doing. pic.twitter.com/SIZgPg4B
Oh, Dwight, stop playing with our hearts.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
LOL, good question.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
Hahah would have been clever as a Brooklyn one.
"Vick’s 100x the player Warner was.
Desean’s not quite at Holts level.
McCoy’s giving Faulk a run for his money.
Maclin’s better than Bruce.
"Warner never took over games."
Signed, wild_eagle - the most delusional person in the entire universe.
that was a good one
"Hate me or love me. Its one or the other; always has been. Hate my game, my swagger. Hate my fadeaway, my hunger. Hate that I'm a veteran. A champion. Hate that. Hate it with all your heart. And hate that I'm loved for the exact same reasons." - Kobe Jelly Bean Bryant
I'm picturing Dwight (as a Laker) and Chris Paul bumping into each other at Staples in the near future.
“I know talked about playing in L.A. together, but this wasn’t how we discussed it.”
"Winning takes talent; to repeat takes character." - John Wooden
by Joshua S on Dec 15, 2011 4:22 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Oh please, Dwight. Bynum, picks, TPE, and pieces, please.
"Vick’s 100x the player Warner was.
Desean’s not quite at Holts level.
McCoy’s giving Faulk a run for his money.
Maclin’s better than Bruce.
"Warner never took over games."
Signed, wild_eagle - the most delusional person in the entire universe.
to a 2-year, backloaded contract?
by puresilence on Dec 15, 2011 4:46 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
is there any other kind of contract?
"If you can accept losing, you can't win." ~Vince Lombardi
Member of FearTheFin's Mod Squad and The Knights Who Say NI-emi...
Tweet Tweet.
by ZeroIndulgence on Dec 15, 2011 6:21 PM PST up reply actions
So you guys don't think Kobe will demand a trade
if you get off to a rocky start?
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 15, 2011 4:27 PM PST reply actions
I just don't know if Kobe will ever be able to get over the Odom trade.
He really wants to win another ring or two before his career is over.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 15, 2011 4:32 PM PST up reply actions
Why wouldn't he be able to?
"Vick’s 100x the player Warner was.
Desean’s not quite at Holts level.
McCoy’s giving Faulk a run for his money.
Maclin’s better than Bruce.
"Warner never took over games."
Signed, wild_eagle - the most delusional person in the entire universe.
He's far too strong of a competitor.
He can refrain from pouting about it in public, but if you guys are sitting at .500 about 20 games or so in, I think he may say something.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 15, 2011 4:44 PM PST up reply actions
Saying something about a shitty season and demanding a trade are two completely different things.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
we knew the threads would become like this
after the trade right?
i’m still SMH..
"One thing LeBron James has won that Kobe Bryant never has, and never will: A bronze medal."- Josh Tucker
"Fisher's defense is called escort service in my country, just accompany" -Ibou
42-1 on Barebones TDM classic ... BEAT THAT XBOXERS
I agree.
But how much of a shitty season do you think it will take for Kobe to get pissed off? You gotta look at the L.O. trade as strike one.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 16, 2011 3:06 PM PST up reply actions
For both things (win rings, get over the trade)
"Vick’s 100x the player Warner was.
Desean’s not quite at Holts level.
McCoy’s giving Faulk a run for his money.
Maclin’s better than Bruce.
"Warner never took over games."
Signed, wild_eagle - the most delusional person in the entire universe.
You think you guys still have enough to contend?
Still a solid team. I think Dallas is even stronger now though.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 15, 2011 4:45 PM PST up reply actions
Dallas lost their defensive anchor in Chandler and bench sparkplug in Barea.
Odom and Carter aren’t replacements for either. They’re definitely a worse team than last year, and that’s the intention since their moves have been leveraging to prepare for the 2012 free agent market.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
I think Chandler can be replaced.
He’s being overrated like hell right now. Barea is ok, but Rodrique Beubois is ready to play more too so I don’t see that as much of a loss. If Dirk has another monster season like last, I see no reason they can’t repeat.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 15, 2011 4:51 PM PST up reply actions
...did you watch the Finals?
Or the playoffs for that matter? Chandler was arguably the second most important player on the floor behind Dirk. Covered huge swaths of the floor, switched onto players off the P&R, covered perimeter players adeptly near the arc and still moved back to check cutters in the lane and to block shots at the rim. Carlisle used a mobile defensive big like him brilliantly and that’s one of the reasons they won a title. Sure, he’s not worth what the Knicks gave him, but that doesn’t diminish his importance to the Mavs in any way whatsoever, especially since Haywood is massively inferior to him.
As for Beaubois, he’s still very raw, and he’s not going to be Barea’s equal off penetration or as a P&R operator next season. Sure, they’ll go far since Dirk will still be good, but this is hardly the same roster they had last season.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
Yeah, I watched the Finals.
And I also watched Chandler for the year he was here, in New Orleans, and Chicago. He’s a perfect piece for Dallas, but I still think he can be replaced by any other athletic guy who is a halfway decent defender. Chandler was the missing piece to the puzzle, but Dirk is still by far the biggest piece. If they play lights out again, they’ll be there. I don’t know if they will be as motivated though. Those are my reservations with the Mavericks. Talent wise, I think they’re just as good as last year. Now it comes down to how those pieces fit.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 15, 2011 4:58 PM PST up reply actions
What other athletic defensive big with his size is coming to Dallas?
Dalembert? He isn’t Chandler’s equal on that end. Haywood isn’t either. Chandler was the lynchpin, as you admit, and he’s not easily replaced. Dirk obviously is the most important player, but he isn’t going to carry that team by his lonesome. Again, Odom and Carter don’t equal what they lost in the offseason. It’s not the same team nor are they as good or better than last year.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
I don't know of any big men on the market right now
that fit the criteria. But it’s not like Chandler is irreplacable. I mean, c’mon now. Odom and Carter are just as talented as the combination of Chandler and Barea, if not more. Like I said, it depends on how well they fit together how far they go, but Chandler is far from elite.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 15, 2011 5:05 PM PST up reply actions
Whether you think he was elite or not, he played like it in Dallas' system and that means everything for them.
Odom doesn’t provide that presence on defense, and he’s either going to force Dirk into awkward minutes at the five or be forced to play there himself. Meanwhile, Carter is a serviceable role player at this point in his career, and sure, maybe Carlisle weans more effort out of him than he displayed in Orlando or Phoenix, but he was a piss-poor P&R operator in the last two spots, and that was one of the big things Barea provided on the bench.
The larger point is that athletic bigs with Chandler’s size don’t grow on trees, and again, whether you consider Chandler elite or not, he was utilized as such in Dallas’ system. That’s not easily replaced, nor is any of the pieces on their team going to provide the same kind of defensive presence. No doubt the team will still be good, but they’re losing a key aspect of what helped them through the playoffs last year.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
I've acknowledged that several times.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 15, 2011 5:12 PM PST up reply actions
If there are no big men on the market, how do you replace Chandler, a big man?
Contradiction much?
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
Through trades.
You think everything is done? Plus Dalembert is still on the market. No contradiction at all.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 16, 2011 3:07 PM PST up reply actions
Did you watch Vince Carter in Phoenix?
he couldn’t even start over Jared Dudley
"These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game." - Charlie Wilson
"I think that all the silence is worse than all the violence." -Lupe Fiasco
Yeah, he's fallen off.
He’ll still be very effective as a role player though.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 16, 2011 3:07 PM PST up reply actions
OMG, this is hilarious.
One guy thinks Lamar would have eventually gotten over his trade because Kobe says so. This guy thinks Kobe won’t ever get over Lamar’s trade.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
You cant forget the girl who knows more than his ex teammates
and “Basketball Reasons” wont explain that one lol
See me on Twitter follow me @ EddieCheeze, Catch me on FB friend me Eddie Cheeze, See my group on youtube listen to us Hood Platinum, want me ta kill a track email me Cheeze2k11@gmail.com....Im errwhere
kobe was over it socalgal the day lamar was traded.
he addressed it, and nipped it in the bud right away, just like he said…“they will get over it”. just like kobe did.
by Mark Jaramillo on Dec 16, 2011 7:51 AM PST up reply actions
What's so hilarious about it?
Winning cures all, but if the team is not playing up to standards, Kobe will sound off.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 16, 2011 3:08 PM PST up reply actions
Which somehow equates to him never getting over Lamar's trade.
Kobe will sound off
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
Not about Odom's trade,
but about the team losing. Everything I said was hypothetical. Personally, I think the Lakers will win more than enough to keep Kobe happy. They still have a ton of talent. But we’ll just have to agree to disagree. Like I said, I’m not here to annoy anyone and I apologize if I’ve done so to you. The Bobcats are my favorite team and I support them because I live in Charlotte, but Kobe has been my favorite player since I can remember. I think I have the right to have an opinion on what he could end up doing. But I understand since my handle name is “Charlotte Bobcat”, that it may be interpreted as an outsider coming in talking nonsense. I won’t mention Kobe and “trade demand” in the same sentence again around here if it’ll honestly keep everything peaceful.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 17, 2011 7:32 AM PST up reply actions
Don't be ridiculous.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
He's done it before.
I don’t think it’s a ridiculous concept. Though I do think it’s highly unlikely.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 15, 2011 4:45 PM PST up reply actions
The possibility is so remote as to be derided as absurdity.
It’s not happening.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
Time will tell.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 15, 2011 4:49 PM PST up reply actions
The confluence of factors that would produce such a thing don't exist.
The team would have to be terrible, which it’s not going to be; Kobe would have to be terribly disgruntled, something he’s not apt to be; and there would have to be a suitor that offers enough for the Lakers to seriously consider it without Kobe exercising his no-trade clause because the team he’s going to just gutted their roster.
Let me repeat: It. Is. Not. Happening.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
Lol. I don't know why you're getting all touchy.
I’m not here trolling or anything. But I think you’re lying to yourself if you don’t think the probability of Kobe demanding a trade doesn’t exist at all. The team wouldn’t have to be terrible, but anything below championship caliber won’t cut it for Kobe. I’ve seen Kobe terribly disgruntled before, so, we’ll have to agree to disagree on that. And whether someone has a package to offer the Lakers or not isn’t really relavent to Kobe wanting to decide to demand a trade or not. I said it’s highly unlikely because I think the Lakers will do well enough this year to not get to that, but it’s not really as impossible as you make it sound.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 15, 2011 4:54 PM PST up reply actions
Incredibly unlikely might as well equal impossible because you're describing a scenario that doesn't even deserve to be described.
And really, you thought that asking a forum of Lakers fans whether Kobe demanding a trade is a possibility would garner a neutral response? Really? Have some more tact, especially when you acknowledge yourself that it’s terribly unlikely, so the question didn’t really need to be brought up in the first place.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
Well, considering the first post in the forum
was about the same thing………………………………………………….
It’s whatever.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 15, 2011 5:01 PM PST up reply actions
Sure, a Laker fan deriding it as ridiculous.
Not a fan of another team bringing it up as a serious possibility.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
Is Not Exactly a Lakers fan?
He said it too. But I refuse to go any further. Talks of Kobe demanding a trade obviously annoys you and I’m not here to troll. I was really just coming to see the mood of you guys after the L.O. trade. I apologize if I come off as a troll or anything.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 15, 2011 5:06 PM PST up reply actions
It's kind of weird . . .
you asked a stupid question, got an immediate and very firm answer, and decided to keep asking the same question over and over. Not sure what response you expected.
It's a stupid question to the extremely gullible.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 16, 2011 3:09 PM PST up reply actions
We aren't in the mood to entertain anymore speculative, exaggerated stupidity for one.
"Winning takes talent; to repeat takes character." - John Wooden
by Joshua S on Dec 15, 2011 5:42 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
Lol, Laker fans uber-sensitive tonight. I hear ya.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 16, 2011 3:09 PM PST up reply actions
You came off as a troll.
"Vick’s 100x the player Warner was.
Desean’s not quite at Holts level.
McCoy’s giving Faulk a run for his money.
Maclin’s better than Bruce.
"Warner never took over games."
Signed, wild_eagle - the most delusional person in the entire universe.
by douchiedude on Dec 15, 2011 10:05 PM PST up reply actions
lol i love your SN
"It ain't Chinese algebra. If you get stops and you execute on offense, normally that team wins." - Tony Allen
"One thing LeBron James has won that Kobe Bryant never has, and never will: A bronze medal."- Josh Tucker
Because I point out the obvious?
Good lord grow a pair.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 16, 2011 3:10 PM PST up reply actions
You are as close to the definition of a troll as there is.
I’m not here trolling or anything.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
Where have I said anything to offend anyone?
Cut it out and recognize that your sensitivity to Kobe demanding a trade WHICH HE HAS DONE BEFORE is causing you to talk reckless.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 16, 2011 3:10 PM PST up reply actions
Anybody would ask for a trade
when they are on a team that has a starting lineup that consisted of Smush Parker, Kwame Brown, Luke Walton & an underachieving Odom.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
That's true.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 16, 2011 3:11 PM PST up reply actions
Kobe will never seriously demand a trade.
He’s set to be a Laker for life, unless something incredulously drastic happens between Kobe and management.
Losing is no longer reason enough for Kobe to ask for a trade, given the line up that he’ll have. In short spurts (because of his age) Kobe is still the most skilled and well rounded player. Combine that with Pau, easily top 3 PF, and Bynum, another top 3-5 Center. Kobe KNOWS this Laker team is good enough to win it all.
I’d rather have the big 3 from LA than from Miami, any day. (In the short run, of course :) )
Thank you for giving a great response
without being sensitive. “Losing is no longer reason enough for Kobe to ask for a trade, given the line up the he’ll have”.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 16, 2011 3:13 PM PST up reply actions
Speaking of which...
I heard on Mason & Ireland last night that the Clippers have $17M in cap room next year to sign someone. I’m surprised no one brought up the possibility that Dwight could sign with the Clips next year and have a lineup of Paul/SG/Butler/Blake/Howard.
That lineup would be epic.
I’m not certain of it being title worthy though. They would need someone who could stretch the floor better than Butler.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 15, 2011 4:28 PM PST up reply actions
Sorry
but any lineup with CP3 and D12 is title worthy, even if you and I are the ones attempting to stretch the floor.
"It ain't Chinese algebra. If you get stops and you execute on offense, normally that team wins." - Tony Allen
"One thing LeBron James has won that Kobe Bryant never has, and never will: A bronze medal."- Josh Tucker
Nah.
I don’t think they could get past OKC or Dallas. Once those three’s start raining on you, Paul, Howard, and Griffin would have a hard time catching up. They don’t need much to be a title contender with that though. Just another shooter to stretch the floor. Hell, Sasha Vujacic should be enough.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 15, 2011 4:48 PM PST up reply actions
maybe, but a team wtih CP3, D12, AAAAAAND blake girffin, is so clearly title worthy I don’t even know what to say, not to mention the couple other good players there (billups, jordan, and butler).
that lineup is an immediate title contender. to say otherwise is crazy.
Slava.
http://www.twitter.com/hobojarpen
Are you talking about the Clippers?
"Winning takes talent; to repeat takes character." - John Wooden
They will be, but it takes a complete team to win a title.
With no strong three point threats, they would crumble. Howard and Blake both make a living getting easy put backs and crashing the boards. Their effect will cancel eachother out somewhat.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 15, 2011 5:00 PM PST up reply actions
LOL, a lineup with Odom, Marion, Carter, Nowitzki and Terry is more title worthy than one with Howard, Griffin and Paul?
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
Depending on how the roster is filled out, yes.
It’s almost as funny as saying a lineup of Terry, Dirk, and Chandler is more title worthy than one with LeBron, D-wade, and C Bosh.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 16, 2011 3:15 PM PST up reply actions
that is a scary thought
but you would think that Orlando would more likely trade him rather than let him walk. in which case the Clippers have already shipped out all their trade assets……. I hope!
It's a Catch-22
I’d be upset if Howard was traded to another team this year but if he doesn’t move, the Mavs, Clips, and NJ all have cap space to sign him which is even more scary.
They'd need more room to extend Griffin and Paul, so I don't know how feasible that is.
"Winning takes talent; to repeat takes character." - John Wooden
Technically they have enough room
Howard signs for the approx $17M and the Clippers extend Griffin & Paul using their Bird Rights. They’ll go over the cap and probably the luxury tax but it’s do-able. Now how feasible that the Magic won’t trade Howard by the end of the season is a different issue but just food for thought that we do have a vested interest and concern if Howard isn’t traded.
Yeah, extending Paul and Griffin is the main goal. Jordan is locked up for four years and Butler for three. After that it is just trying to suround those guys with the best possible veterans they can talk into playing for Sterling. Don’t know how easy that will be.
by MySDClippers on Dec 15, 2011 7:41 PM PST up reply actions
somebody posted a video of them snowboarding to my song!
http://vimeo.com/33702796 pretty dope
Czheck Productions
Beatsforyounow.com music community
I've never done anything good for the world, and I'm not about to start now-DF
Follow @Czheck
odom trade
Unless we land Howard, there will be an uprising in LA. Why else trade Lamar for NOTHING. Pretty much either way this was a dumb move, but all will be forgotten if we get Howard. I hope we won’t have to give up Gasol and Bynum for him but if that’s what it takes, so be it.
by Dynamicduo on Dec 15, 2011 5:03 PM PST via iPhone app reply actions
there has to be more to it
no one what happend in that 90 min meeting with mitch but it prob wasnt good. they traded him right away. lakers are never in that much of a hurry to trade anyone. it prob got ugly and he left the building right after it. it would have been nice to have been a fly on that wall
agree it probably got ugly.
But if we would have put him on the market (for more than 30 secs) I think we could have gotten a solid player and a draft pick
by Dynamicduo on Dec 15, 2011 5:09 PM PST via iPhone app up reply actions
or possibly used him with another team for Howard.
Seems we gave him exactly what he wanted and didn’t get the best deal for ourselves. He got his wish and we got little in return. Seems dumb
by Dynamicduo on Dec 15, 2011 5:12 PM PST via iPhone app up reply actions
I think it is what it appears to be.
Odom was just pissed after a failed trade. Spoke to GM a few times about it and was traded for next to nothing to a team of his choosing as an “I’m sorry, we still love you” type of deal from the Lakers front office. Did it too quickly without thinking about the circumstances the team is under. From my point of view, it’s a rebuilding move or a move in the direction of cutting enough room salary wise to sign Howard and/or Williams next year.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 15, 2011 5:09 PM PST up reply actions
If there was a Clippers-Lakers playoff series
would they just switch lockers every time home court is supposed to switch? lol
What would they call it? The Hallway Series?
"They should go into a box and one--put the box on Kobe and the one on everyone else" - Jeff Van Gundy
it would be the he loves me, he loves me not series
since stern hates the lakers and gifted the clippers chauncey and paul
LOL, no, they keep the same locker rooms now when they play each other.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
@Chris_Broussard
Josh Howard has agreed to terms with Utah, source says.
I hope this means Raja is expendable. Haha. Then ships him for Sasha TPE. Wishful thinking.
Don’t you love the chase? Sometimes it doesn’t work out; those are the stakes. But when it does work out, it’s like having that first cigarette: your head gets all dizzy, your heart pounds, your knees go weak. Remember that?
Follow me on Twitter and I'll follow you too. LOL.
http://twitter.com/domidomdomz
no thanks
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
Im diggin' McBob right now.
I think he’s gonna be my new fav Laker. Hope he gets his 15 mpg, and makes us all forget about the last Laker PF.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
yeah who's that last Laker PF?
lol
Don’t you love the chase? Sometimes it doesn’t work out; those are the stakes. But when it does work out, it’s like having that first cigarette: your head gets all dizzy, your heart pounds, your knees go weak. Remember that?
Follow me on Twitter and I'll follow you too. LOL.
http://twitter.com/domidomdomz
LOL hope you're right only because it will benefit the team but lol seriously doubt it
See me on Twitter follow me @ EddieCheeze, Catch me on FB friend me Eddie Cheeze, See my group on youtube listen to us Hood Platinum, want me ta kill a track email me Cheeze2k11@gmail.com....Im errwhere
I like how fans of other teams are coming over here acting like they understand Kobe
and the Lakers more than us Laker fans. I mean clearly us Laker fans who you know… follow the Lakers because they’re our team, know nothing about the Lakers. Thank god we have some kind and caring spirits coming over here to tell us whats really going on cause we’re so effing delusional right now!
Affectionately,
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,
NBA’s All-Time Leading Scorer
by afrikabamboodle on Dec 15, 2011 6:14 PM PST reply actions 9 recs
+1
"It ain't Chinese algebra. If you get stops and you execute on offense, normally that team wins." - Tony Allen
"One thing LeBron James has won that Kobe Bryant never has, and never will: A bronze medal."- Josh Tucker
+8 & +24
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
Lol. So I don't know anything about the Lakers?
Stop being so damn sensitive. The Lakers were actually MY FAVORITE team before I started following basketball. It’s sad that you would think you have more of an understanding of Kobe’s mind because you’re a Lakers fan. One person knows what goes on in Kobe’s head, and that’s Kobe Bryant.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 16, 2011 3:16 PM PST up reply actions
And I never said what Kobe would do,
I’m talking about what has the potential of happening. But it’s obvious that some of you aren’t reasonable enough to understand the difference. Cut it out.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 16, 2011 3:17 PM PST up reply actions
That's enough. Stop calling people sensitive because they disagree with you.
You don’t like being disagreed with, go somewhere where it’s not a problem.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
It's not the disagreeing,
it’s the snarky remarks that come with it like I’m just a total idiot. You don’t agree, that’s fine. But don’t throw in all of the extra crap with it. I’m a grown man and don’t really like to get into those kind of disputes over the internet. If you read everything back without bias, you would see that I’m not the one talking $hit. Look at you yourself, telling me to go somehwere it’s not a problem. Lol. That post was obviously directed at me so I responded. If I would’ve came in here with the handle name “Lakers #1 Fan”, it wouldn’t be a problem. Cut it out. You don’t know me like that.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 17, 2011 7:37 AM PST up reply actions
My dear, being a grown man has nothing to do with anything.
There are some teenagers here who are more mature than some of the adults on this site. At any rate, I’m telling you all to knock it off. Additionally, if you don’t like snark either, you’re in the wrong place. We thrive on it here, but we won’t tolerate disrespect, period. I’ve read ALL of the comments. You came to a Lakers site asking if we think Kobe will demand a trade and when people disagreed with you, you called them sensitive. Not cool. Also, there have been Lakers fans who’ve been told to go elsewhere. No one is that special. End of discussion.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
Read the comments again, my dear.
If you think I labeled everyone who disagreed with me sensitive, then you’re sadly mistaken. Did AJ agree with me? No. But did he have a smart ass answer? No. He just answered me like he probably would IN REAL LIFE. That’s the respect I offer any one on here. I’m not going to start talking all smart and disrespectful just because I don’t agree with someone. And in real life, no one is going to talk to me like “I repeat, It. Is. Not. Happening.” or talk about “entertaining my stupidity” because for one, I command more respect than that and for two, it’s just basketball. What’s the point in getting angry? But I’d like to start over and get off on the right foot because I’ve made a habit of getting to know fans around the NBA. I love the Bobcats, but I still follow the NBA as a whole as well. So, I’ll do my best to not stir up trouble. Ok?
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 17, 2011 12:38 PM PST up reply actions
It's nice to see a passionate, female basketball fan.
I haven’t come across one in Charlotte yet.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 17, 2011 12:40 PM PST up reply actions
LOL, thanks honey!
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
She is hot too?
Damn, that’s awesome.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm never gonna die. The only thing I fear is I'm never gonna fly.
by Charlotte Bobcat on Dec 18, 2011 1:24 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
random person...
"@jamescypert: Just saw Pau and Phil Jackson getting coffee in MB. If there’s anybody that can comfort Pau after the CP3 trade debacle, it’s the Zen Master"
by PurpYellow2428 on Dec 15, 2011 6:21 PM PST via iPhone app reply actions
I knew it wouldn't take Stephen A. long to start spreading the Kobe wanting out rumors!
Good move Stephen A. I was wondering what took you so long.
If Kobe is expressing “wanting out, body language,” then that may be what it takes for Jim Buss to start communicating with him, the future of the Franchise.
If Jim wants to Not do that, than Kobe should push his buttons. Right out the door if necessary. Kobe’s got a few years left, and if he doesn’t want to play for and insecure owner, then so be it. Stay pissed Kobe!………..I will too.
Jim Buss is a moron
The PuertoRican Kid
by Kobe:The Legend on Dec 15, 2011 6:55 PM PST up reply actions
Wow that was a nice throw by Gabbert.
Affectionately,
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,
NBA’s All-Time Leading Scorer
by afrikabamboodle on Dec 15, 2011 6:42 PM PST reply actions
And then of course he fumbles.
Affectionately,
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,
NBA’s All-Time Leading Scorer
by afrikabamboodle on Dec 15, 2011 6:43 PM PST up reply actions
Wrong thread?
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
HAHHAHA OHH WOW!
I had Ninersnation open as well :P Ooopsy daisy!
Affectionately,
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,
NBA’s All-Time Leading Scorer
by afrikabamboodle on Dec 15, 2011 6:51 PM PST up reply actions
Other than that it expires tomorrow, no.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
6:37:28 PM according to my sources.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
today?
I thought it was extended to tomorrow?
"One thing LeBron James has won that Kobe Bryant never has, and never will: A bronze medal."- Josh Tucker
"Fisher's defense is called escort service in my country, just accompany" -Ibou
42-1 on Barebones TDM classic ... BEAT THAT XBOXERS
LOL, since it's already 7:38 PM here, my comment refers to tomorrow.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
I derped lol
"One thing LeBron James has won that Kobe Bryant never has, and never will: A bronze medal."- Josh Tucker
"Fisher's defense is called escort service in my country, just accompany" -Ibou
42-1 on Barebones TDM classic ... BEAT THAT XBOXERS
LOL, ask Chris Broussard.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
And I only speak in Bestern time (aka Pacific).
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
Kevin Ding has news on Sasha's TPE
@KevinDing By celebrating Sasha’s pouty attitude is gone. RT @lizabimagno: @KevinDing Sasha’s trade exception expires tom. How Lakers will use it?
lolz
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Dec 15, 2011 7:36 PM PST up reply actions
Just get us a PG who can play some D, and shoot the 3, and we will be set.
How many PG’s are out there like that right now?? Not too many….. But we seen what happened when we put Kobe on CP3 in the playoffs, he shut that shit down. But it took alot out of him that he wasn’t effective on the offensive end. All we need is a lock down PG…….
I have a bad headache, and its for BASKETBALL REASONS
Follow me on Twitter @FRESHPRINCE526
trade luke for westbrook
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Dec 15, 2011 8:00 PM PST up reply actions
Well, that lock down PG is going to be Derek Fisher this year!
Again!
I'll do whatever it takes to win games, whether it's sitting on a bench waving a towel, handing a cup of water to a teammate, or hitting the game-winning shot.- Kobe Bryant
A.J. Burnett's only fan!
I love D-fish, but damn......
Rose, Paul, and Westbrook are going to have a field day against him lol. The only PG we contain is Rondo cause Kobe guards him cause he cant shoot. You would think he would practice shooting everyday, but I guess if you cant shoot, then you cant shoot
I have a bad headache, and its for BASKETBALL REASONS
Follow me on Twitter @FRESHPRINCE526
Why do people act like that's new?
We’ve been ransacked by quick PGs for the past 3-4 years and nothing has changed. The problem last year was that we couldn’t hit the 3 against the Mavs to spread them out and we let JJ Barea and Jason Kidd run circles around us in the paint.
Affectionately,
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,
NBA’s All-Time Leading Scorer
by afrikabamboodle on Dec 15, 2011 8:09 PM PST up reply actions
Not saying that its new
As it stands right now, Im saying that we NEED a pg. DFish is not the answer at this point. This is not the Triangle, we just can not march a PG out there on the court and may like its all good
I have a bad headache, and its for BASKETBALL REASONS
Follow me on Twitter @FRESHPRINCE526
Ohh by no means am I saying that we should be happy with Fish running the point.
I’m just saying we should be replacing Fisher because he’s a liability on offense, not because he’s a liability on defense. Everyone gets scored on.
Affectionately,
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,
NBA’s All-Time Leading Scorer
by afrikabamboodle on Dec 15, 2011 8:17 PM PST up reply actions
d-fish isn't a terrible PG on offense
certainly not an all star, but he’s capable the point w/o the triangle (pre PJ laker years and Utah years). He’s not lightning quick nor distributes like kidd & nash, but he’s servicable on the offensive end (much more than on the defense)
steve blake may be better w/o the triangle.
even with the triangle gone, it doesn’t mean we can’t run the focal point of the offense through the posts or through kobe.
we NEED a center.
we only have 1. We have 3 PGs.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
Team Defense
wins championships!
Lakers got the assets to have the best team defense.
rose, paul, and westbrook have field days against EVERYONE!
That’s why they’re all star PGs.
Nobody tries to replace all their SGs because they can’t contain kobe. Heck, kobe goes on fire against the best defenders in the league, and same goes for rose, paul westbrook, etc. Even gary payton in his prime would have trouble keeping in front of these guys at all times given the rules today.
Not everyone my friend
Put the right guy on them, and they get shut down………. and for you to even put these guys in the same sentence as Kobe is a travesty in its self. Im saying what we need as a team. We need a good PG for our current team. We let go Lamar for nothing, we lost out on CP3, so we need to up grade that position, and we will be str8…..
I have a bad headache, and its for BASKETBALL REASONS
Follow me on Twitter @FRESHPRINCE526
But
Fish does leave a lot of room for improvement. We’re kinda getting beat by opposing pgs that are mediocre. Fish is below mediocre, imho.
I'd love to have an upgrade at the PG (certainly not a tall task) as much as anyone else
But everyone is acting like it’s the end of the world if we have to start fish/blake…which, I don’t think we’re that desperate (yet).
lmao@the 1:42 mark where he dunks on LO's non-jumping ass!!!! and dribbled right past Pau cross court!
by Sarge Clemins on Dec 15, 2011 8:44 PM PST up reply actions
LOL then minute 1:51 made LO look like a traffic cone!
by Sarge Clemins on Dec 15, 2011 8:45 PM PST up reply actions
damn son....went through ALL 5 Lakers like they was pnuks!
by Sarge Clemins on Dec 15, 2011 8:46 PM PST up reply actions
he should have a competition with pau
for PF with the gruffiest hair and beard
or who can hold for “longest time w/o a shower”
FOOK it let em both grow that shit....and they should make white boy Kapono grow that shit as well!!
by Sarge Clemins on Dec 15, 2011 8:50 PM PST up reply actions
he had a big amish looking one in that vid
lolz
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Dec 15, 2011 8:53 PM PST up reply actions
Looks like we're going to be getting some nice dunks this year
Also, haven’t heard MOP in a long time, nice to hear them.
Mat Latos is the real deal...Go Lakers, Pads, and Bolts
by mrbarneydangles on Dec 15, 2011 9:32 PM PST up reply actions
reminds me of that commercial
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Dec 15, 2011 8:46 PM PST up reply actions
im US Army...we alsways "aquire" stuff
by Sarge Clemins on Dec 15, 2011 8:47 PM PST up reply actions
/salute
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Dec 15, 2011 8:47 PM PST up reply actions
Can't we just merge McRoberts and Murphy?
He’ll have the shooting touch and rebounding ability of Troy Murphy with the athleticism and speed of Josh McRoberts. I’ll shall dub thee Josh McMurphy or J-Murph.
sorry
my splicer isn’t ready
basketball reasons
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Dec 15, 2011 8:46 PM PST up reply actions
the lol makes me not sure you are serious
if you are. Robert shortens to Bob
therefore: McRoberts=McBob
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Dec 15, 2011 9:03 PM PST up reply actions
good thing his name isnt McRichard then
by dawad34 on Dec 15, 2011 9:15 PM PST up reply actions 5 recs
LOL
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Dec 15, 2011 9:15 PM PST up reply actions
lmao
"These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game." - Charlie Wilson
"I think that all the silence is worse than all the violence." -Lupe Fiasco
nah prob
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Dec 15, 2011 9:15 PM PST up reply actions
Here's a humorous song about Paul joining the Clippers
by WildYams on Dec 15, 2011 8:53 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
that's pretty hilarious
"These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game." - Charlie Wilson
"I think that all the silence is worse than all the violence." -Lupe Fiasco
sup sargey
"These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game." - Charlie Wilson
"I think that all the silence is worse than all the violence." -Lupe Fiasco
sup martey.
"One thing LeBron James has won that Kobe Bryant never has, and never will: A bronze medal."- Josh Tucker
"Fisher's defense is called escort service in my country, just accompany" -Ibou
42-1 on Barebones TDM classic ... BEAT THAT XBOXERS
hanging in the bar
try to avoid clogging up front page with random conversation lol
"These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game." - Charlie Wilson
"I think that all the silence is worse than all the violence." -Lupe Fiasco
i know it's been said here before, but I want to chime in
I really want to see what Morris and Gouldelock can do. I hope they get some PT
BTW
is it Go-deh-lock? or Gowd-Lock?
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Dec 15, 2011 8:54 PM PST reply actions
is Goldy acceptable?
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Dec 15, 2011 8:57 PM PST up reply actions
as long as he shoots gold and not bricks
by no stance on Dec 15, 2011 8:58 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
thanks
I thought I heard the former when he was drafted, then I watched a youtube video where they said the latter.
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Dec 15, 2011 9:00 PM PST up reply actions
his name is pronounced Gowd-lock
I remember someone saying Go-deh-lock, when he was drafted.
I wanted confirmation of how to pronouce his name
I personally have a last name that is often misprounced, so I try to get others right.
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Dec 15, 2011 9:15 PM PST up reply actions
I just read (above comments) that MWP will come off the bench
has anyone heard if Blake is going to get an opportunity to start?
"Hate me or love me. Its one or the other; always has been. Hate my game, my swagger. Hate my fadeaway, my hunger. Hate that I'm a veteran. A champion. Hate that. Hate it with all your heart. And hate that I'm loved for the exact same reasons." - Kobe Jelly Bean Bryant
nah
sounds like Barnes will start
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Dec 15, 2011 9:04 PM PST up reply actions
At pg?
"Hate me or love me. Its one or the other; always has been. Hate my game, my swagger. Hate my fadeaway, my hunger. Hate that I'm a veteran. A champion. Hate that. Hate it with all your heart. And hate that I'm loved for the exact same reasons." - Kobe Jelly Bean Bryant
Just watched the Bynum and Kobe videos from today's practice
Both clearly find it funny that the media is crowning the Clipps as the king of LA. Bynum takes numerous shots at them; good for him, I think he’s going to come out of the gate (game 6) with some fire. Also, Kobe is looking older and it was weird to hear him say the word “retire.” He seems like he’s in a great place and I also expect him to start the year guns blazing.
Mat Latos is the real deal...Go Lakers, Pads, and Bolts
by mrbarneydangles on Dec 15, 2011 10:02 PM PST reply actions
Where'd you find the videos?
Do you mind posting a link?
"It ain't Chinese algebra. If you get stops and you execute on offense, normally that team wins." - Tony Allen
"One thing LeBron James has won that Kobe Bryant never has, and never will: A bronze medal."- Josh Tucker
Thank you
"It ain't Chinese algebra. If you get stops and you execute on offense, normally that team wins." - Tony Allen
"One thing LeBron James has won that Kobe Bryant never has, and never will: A bronze medal."- Josh Tucker
dude kobe is only 33 yrs old! lmao!
he’s got plenty of basketball left in him. some people here act like kobe’s pushing 40 or something.
by Mark Jaramillo on Dec 16, 2011 7:59 AM PST up reply actions
How good of an athlete is Morris?
From everything I’ve read here he sounds like a great athlete with very nice size and passing ability. All the reports I’ve read on him have him as a good to very good athlete with the aforementioned size and passing….. so uhhh what is it?
:shrugs: but the most frequent NBA comp he's gotten is an athletic andre miller
Slava.
http://www.twitter.com/hobojarpen
Yah I've seen that from the majority of the regs
but some of the others are talking about him like he’s a monster athlete. Kinda hoping he turns into Livingston before the accident
Reggie Miller
just saw him on NBATV say the Clips should fight to have the theater lighting for their games in Staples too haha.
As a Clippers fan...
I hope we don’t. That’s the Lakers’ thing, always has been since the Forum.
Clippers // Chargers // Rays // Boise State
"The Lakers do win games. But things can change." - Blake Griffin
Reggie is a dumbass.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
i'm happy with this team.
no really!
it’s a pretty good team. we need a couple of big men, though. and good fotune, but we always need good fortune.
heck, i think the league is more dangerous than the competition.
@ SpearsNBAYahoo Marc J. Spears
Word is Kobe is healthy & his hops are back. Word is he dunked very hard on rookie forward Malcolm Thomas at Thursday’s Lakers practice.
Nice to hear that
I bleed Purple & Gold
word is word
word
I'm always thinking one step ahead. Like a carpenter, that makes stairs. -The Office
by Jonny Somers-Harris on Dec 16, 2011 3:02 AM PST up reply actions
Nice to hear that
not so much if you’re a fan of Malcolm Thomas….
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
by LakersFoEva on Dec 16, 2011 9:09 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Starting 5
Looks like Lakers are gonna bring Peace(Ron) off the bench in L.O.’s old role and start Barnes according Lakers site. Fish may start too…………. http://t.co/iHESOpw6
I say we end up w dwight before xmas. He reiterated his demand to be traded yesterday. Lakers have to stop playing hardball. Give up gasol n bynum if Thats what it takes. If he’s here other guys will follow him.
"They’re a very special group of men. Cherish them, you will not see their like again."
by chaucer on Dec 16, 2011 6:45 AM PST via mobile reply actions
there is no way we do that.
that trade would be worse than shipping out odom for a pick and a tpe. let bynum showcase what he can do in the first half of the season. the magic will start to panic once the trade deadline starts to approach. they wont want to loose another center to free agency, like they did with shaq, so they will make the best deal available. which will still be bynum + pieces.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
I was gone for a couple of days
due to exams and I couldnt bitch about the Paul trade. But how is the Clippers offer better than what they were getting from us and HOU. Whatever, f the owners and Stern. I was satisfied with the team we had and we lost Odom purely b.c of Stern being a douchebag.
Stern wanted young players and picks.
He is trying to sell potential buyers on the future of the Hornets and give them a situation to start rebuilding like OKC or the Spurs did. Odom and Scola are good players, but the Hornets would become the Hawks of the West – making the playoffs every year, and losing in the first round every year. There’s no real growth potential there to sell prospective buyers on.
Clippers // Chargers // Rays // Boise State
"The Lakers do win games. But things can change." - Blake Griffin
let's not go there...
"One thing LeBron James has won that Kobe Bryant never has, and never will: A bronze medal."- Josh Tucker
"Fisher's defense is called escort service in my country, just accompany" -Ibou
42-1 on Barebones TDM classic ... BEAT THAT XBOXERS
Let's not go where?
That’s just the facts. Granted, at the time, the veto looked like a bad move, but it worked out in the end because the Hornets got a good deal from the Clippers.
Clippers // Chargers // Rays // Boise State
"The Lakers do win games. But things can change." - Blake Griffin
Im just gonna ask one thing
A team with Jack/Gordon /Ariza / Aminu/ Kaman or Okafor is better than
Jack or Dragic/ Kevin Martin/ Ariza/ Scola or Odom/ Okafor????
by Fin Fan Forever on Dec 16, 2011 8:38 AM PST up reply actions
LOL, sure it worked out in the end, for the Clippers. You guys don't give a shit about the Hornets so don't front.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
Well, duh, I'm a Clippers fan, not a Hornets fan...
although I’d certainly like to see Gordon and Kaman do well on their new team. I’m just saying that the young talent and lottery pick they got in return will help them build a far better team than if the Lakers deal went through. The upcoming draft is one of the best in recent memory. We essentially traded a franchise player to be named later for Chris Paul.
Clippers // Chargers // Rays // Boise State
"The Lakers do win games. But things can change." - Blake Griffin
Only if Demps is dumb enough like the Hawks to not sell players high before overpaying them and getting nothing
"These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game." - Charlie Wilson
"I think that all the silence is worse than all the violence." -Lupe Fiasco
the vetoed trade by stern was ridiculous.
but i do see how the hornets are more attractive with the clip trade.
with our trade, the hornets will be where they would have been had they kept paul. 8th seed in the west, losing in the first round & not having any high picks or cap to sign additional players.
with the clippers trade, the hornets get a good player in gordon, and a large expiring contract in kaman. most likely, the hornets will have 2 top 10 picks in next years draft. plus, kaman will be coming off the books, so the new owner will be able to bring in his own players instead of being stuck with martin, scola, odom for a few more years. and none of those players are really young.
again, i dont think it was fair to pull the chair out from under demps, the way stern did. but i can see what he was after. i just dotn get why he didnt tell demps this in the first place.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
by LakersFoEva on Dec 16, 2011 9:19 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Dragic was in his last year, and Odom had a team option so he could've been bought out
The Hornets are gonna suck for years now, that franchise is in a coma. And Gordon can leave at the end of this year too, so they could potentially end up with just Aminu
by Fin Fan Forever on Dec 16, 2011 9:25 AM PST up reply actions
odom would of had to of been bought out. scola has 4 years under contract & martin has 2. im just saying the new owner will have more flexibility with the clipper trade in being able to bring in his own players.
which would be more appealing to me if i was buying a cheap franchise. you dont want to be stuck with huge non-expiring contracts.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
1 non-expiring contract @ about 9 mill per year (average) isn't bad
When for the 1st two years, your team is gonna compete for a playoff spot at least, and when cap space opens up and your rookie from 2 years ago is a bit more developed after playing with quality players, you use the cap to build around your developed rookie.
Now their plan is to suck, get high draft picks… still suck for another 2 years and pray to Almighty Stern these draft picks end up at least being legitimate starters so people will go see the team, if not you lost CP3 for nothing, and wasted 4 years at the least.
by Fin Fan Forever on Dec 16, 2011 9:41 AM PST up reply actions
their current roster with the addition of odom, scola, martin & dragic (by my quick calculations) would have been over the cap. not something a new owner wants to walk into. and they still would have had to add a couple pieces to fill out the roster. and i think landry is re-signing with them. next year, with a $3 mill buyout of odom, they would have had $5 mill to play with before going over the cap.
with the clipper trade, they are roughly $7 mill under the cap this year. take off kamans contract and you have roughly $20 mill in cap space to sign a star next year (if you can get them to come to NO). add in the 2 top 10 picks (in a deep draft class) and i would definitely rather have the clippers as an owner who is interested in rebuilding. a lot more flexibility.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
I think your way underestimating how much teams make for the playoffs
An owner always wants cap when rebuilding, but its alot easier to rebuild when people are going to the games, and you make at least a playoff push. Their gonna have cap space for a team, in a small market that no one wants to go see, and what star are they gonna be able to get next year?
Demps wanted to make the franchise viable for a new owner by winning and creating a fanbase again, a terrible GM in Stu Jackson who signed Bryant Reeves for like a $60 million extension and drafted Steve Francis despite him saying that he did not want to play for the Grizz decided this move was better. It was him and Stern that drove this decision, to simply make NO suck to be cheaper, and to influence where a superstar would go.
by Fin Fan Forever on Dec 16, 2011 10:04 AM PST up reply actions
It may just be me,
but I would rather have flexibility in signing players that i want & picking players in the draft that i want than 2-3 home playoff games….
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
by LakersFoEva on Dec 16, 2011 12:14 PM PST up reply actions
LMAO Kobe rubbing off on Drew
That little interview sounds like a young Kobe
I have a bad headache, and its for BASKETBALL REASONS
Follow me on Twitter @FRESHPRINCE526
Drew better show his game
If he’s talking like kobe of the old, he should back that up with great play. remember when Kobe was always there to bail out Shaq and the Lakers.
"If at this stage of our careers we're the boring team, then we're the boring team. As long as we get results." - Kobe Bryant
"I like jewelry. ... I like winning," - Kobe Bryant
Nice job Ben
One thing you might have added.
Drew might have his breakout year, all he really has to do is stay healthy. Then, do you really want to trade for another center who cannot shoot FTs?
...but is better in practically every other way imaginable?
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
...and has no injury history?
I say yes.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
Guys, FT's are 50% of the end game offense, must hit FT's at the end..................
Do your remember how the Kings choked their FT’s in 2002 game 7, at home? Not hitting FT’s is enough to keep ya on the bench at every level. Howard’s rare talent keeps him on the floor.
Drew may never survive a whole year, that fear is enough right now to make any trade. But if this year he does it, it is possible he pulls ahead of Howard.
Yeah, I mean, the fact that he's more athletic, far better defensively, has been the focal point of his team's offense with success, and has practically no injury history doesn't mean anything.
But, hey, Drew can make free throws!
In all seriousness, this is beyond ridiculous. A healthy Drew is no doubt a fantastic player, but he’s not Howard. Not even close. The huge leap Drew would have to make next season to come equal to Howard, let alone surpass him, is positively gigantic. I definitely think that Bynum will have a solid season, definitely since he put the work in and showed up in much better shape this year and the coaching staff has appropriately raved about his physical status and work ethic, but it’s a huge stretch to say he’s going to become a MVP/DPOY candidate this season.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
Howard and Bynum will start the All-star game
The Bynum on this tape has MVP potential, no changing my mind.
How about we take a gamble for Michael Redd for that backup SG spot?
The PuertoRican Kid
by Kobe:The Legend on Dec 16, 2011 8:15 AM PST reply actions
Where is Michael Redd?
What happened to him?
"Hate me or love me. Its one or the other; always has been. Hate my game, my swagger. Hate my fadeaway, my hunger. Hate that I'm a veteran. A champion. Hate that. Hate it with all your heart. And hate that I'm loved for the exact same reasons." - Kobe Jelly Bean Bryant
He is a Free Agent, and he blew the same knee for two years in a row
The PuertoRican Kid
by Kobe:The Legend on Dec 16, 2011 8:25 AM PST up reply actions
ugh! nevermind. that would have been awesome.
"Hate me or love me. Its one or the other; always has been. Hate my game, my swagger. Hate my fadeaway, my hunger. Hate that I'm a veteran. A champion. Hate that. Hate it with all your heart. And hate that I'm loved for the exact same reasons." - Kobe Jelly Bean Bryant
most people complain about the Lakers being an old team...
and want to go out and sign old players like redd, arenas, b davis, billups….
id rather give our youth a chance to prove themselves. i think ebanks is gonna be a nice backup to kobe. him and barnes/kapono can give kobe plenty of rest. our back court is already pretty crowded. we ony have 1 center currently on the roster, and he is suspended the first 5 games of the season. we need front court depth.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
i hear ya!
i love this kid! i want to see what he can do, i have high hopes for this kid!
by Mark Jaramillo on Dec 16, 2011 10:21 AM PST up reply actions
Lakers move
this is my first time commenting about anything online but i believe i have a deal that would help benefit the lakers since they have their hearts set for howard. lakers should send bynum world peace and the first round picks to the magic, gasol to the rockets along with a 2cd rounder. magic would send dwight and turk to the lakers and jameer nelson and maybeq rich to the rockets and the rockets would send kevin amrtin to magics and lowry to the lakers. this deal would help all teams. lakers get d12 and a pretty ok point guard (cp3-lite) the magic get better personell than the nets can offer, they will recieve a 24 yr old center with loads of potential, mad 1st round picks and a bonafide scorer in martin. and Metta isn’t that bad either. the rockets get a player in gasol that people can buy tickets for, jameer would be a great addition as well. with these two players and the rest of their depth they could fight for second in the southwest division. also they keep scola and gasol a good thing for a highly populated latin area.
Welcome to SS&R!
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
To be honest...
I think Dwight ends up just waiting for free agency.
Clippers // Chargers // Rays // Boise State
"The Lakers do win games. But things can change." - Blake Griffin
tell us how you really feel
"One thing LeBron James has won that Kobe Bryant never has, and never will: A bronze medal."- Josh Tucker
"Fisher's defense is called escort service in my country, just accompany" -Ibou
42-1 on Barebones TDM classic ... BEAT THAT XBOXERS
Well, that's not Dwight's decision really
"These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game." - Charlie Wilson
"I think that all the silence is worse than all the violence." -Lupe Fiasco
if he does that, he's going to the clippers
they have the cap room to sign him. cp3, griffin and howard will be no bueno for the lakers.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
Ther is NO WAY anyone ever gets "LeBroned" again EVER. Teams will now always trade them before they can
by Q.Calloway25 on Dec 16, 2011 9:28 AM PST up reply actions
I don't think it'll be a LeBron thing.
I just don’t think Dwight has it in him to pull a Melo and cause a major distraction with trade demands. (I actually think what Melo did was worse than what LeBron did. At least LeBron didn’t serve as a distraction to the Cavs for half the year and THEN eventually force his way to the Heat. He just left in free agency.)
It’s a little too late for him to get traded before the season, so I think Dwight plays out the year with the Magic and then leaves in free agency…. hopefully he’ll be headed to Lob City, but most likely he’ll be Dallas bound.
Clippers // Chargers // Rays // Boise State
"The Lakers do win games. But things can change." - Blake Griffin
Clippers look much more appealing than Dallas, IMO.
And a hell of a lot younger.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
by LakersFoEva on Dec 16, 2011 10:05 AM PST up reply actions
I hope you're right...
but Dwight did have that interview lately where he really talked up Cuban and the Mavs.
Clippers // Chargers // Rays // Boise State
"The Lakers do win games. But things can change." - Blake Griffin
Obviously being a Clipps fan influences you opinion lol..
but it’s not happening. I’ll agree that Dwight isn’t Melo or LBJ personality wise, but management isn’t going to let him do what Shaq did an leave w/o compensation. I believe probably could linger to the deadline, but Orlando isn’t foolish enough to let him stay to leave for nothing. He would be a Laker right now if we were to cave on both our bigs.
by Q.Calloway25 on Dec 16, 2011 10:27 AM PST up reply actions
i agree with you there.
he will either have signed an extension by the trade deadline, or will traded. no way they leave it up to him to possibly leave them for nothing.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
by LakersFoEva on Dec 16, 2011 10:31 AM PST up reply actions
After Math Class
I have patiently listened to all of the theories regarding the acting owner of the New Orleans Hornets, David Stern’s handling of the Chris Paul trade. An overwhelming majority of basketball purists do not believe that the Clippers’ Gordon, Kaman, Aminu and draft pick(s) was better for the Hornets than the Lakers/Rockets’ Martin, Scola, Odom and draft pick(s). Those who wish to believe that somehow the draft pick will magically change the equation or that Eric Gordon is the 3rd best SG in the league must have a dog in this fight. At best, David Stern acted in a conflict of interest and should not be allowed to make the call as a stand in owner while commissioner of the league. At worst, Mr. Stern acted on the concerns and interests of small market owners like Gilbert with the Cavs, Cuban with the Mavs and Jordan with the Cats. Neither of these scenarios are situations that benefit the Hornets and Stern’s actions will guarantee only three things: 1) the Hornets will be cheaper to buy for a prospective owner 2) the Hornets will not make the playoffs, which will decrease organizational revenues 3) the Miami Heat will be the last team allowed to stockpile talent and therefore will be the de facto champs this season and for many seasons to come, as Stern turns over his worldwide brand to South Beach. David Stern has, in effect, SOCIALIZED the NBA and took it upon himself to believe that he is a good judge of player talent and business acumen. To which I would emphatically argue, he is neither. Make no mistake, the Hornets will find a buyer and they will relocate to somewhere like Seattle and they will get a solid draft pick but they will never be truly competitive with the roster they inherited as a result of Stern’s ego and lack of qualifications in acting as an NBA owner. The greatest player of all time thought Kwame Brown was the next big thing and look how that turned out. Now, David Stern will be able sit back and watch the Heat collect multiple rings as his brand of round ball declines into a meaningless pageant. How is that good for the Hornets or the Clippers or the bottomless peach basket Dr. Naismith first nailed to the wall?
LOL, okay.
You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. - Tex Winter
Tweetness
Sure, if Minny gives us Love, Beasley, Ridnour, and a first, and maybe takes back Walton's contract.
Sell high.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
Then we can trade Beasley and Bynum for D12, and boom goes the dynamite
by Fin Fan Forever on Dec 16, 2011 9:35 AM PST up reply actions
lol, sure. The bigger point is that when it comes down to it, Pau is an elite player, and since we're not actively looking into trading him, we'll want fair value in return.
If Minny wants to offer the house for Pau, then by all means, I’m okay with a trade. Love isn’t as good as Pau, but we can plug an awful lot of holes with this kind of deal and dump some salary.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
Yup, then we just get Deron Williams next year and give the league the finger
As we stroll through the league the next 10 years creating a LAKERS EMPIRE… sorry it’s been a long day
by Fin Fan Forever on Dec 16, 2011 9:46 AM PST up reply actions
If you want DWill...
you’d better hope Dallas doesn’t swing and miss on Dwight, because you know Cuban is going to give a megadeal to Williams if that happens.
Clippers // Chargers // Rays // Boise State
"The Lakers do win games. But things can change." - Blake Griffin
Dallas can't trade for Dwight
They have no one Orl would take, unless they trade Dirk. And Orl is not gonna lose another C for nothing again. Dwight is gonna be traded or sign an extension.
by Fin Fan Forever on Dec 16, 2011 10:39 AM PST up reply actions
Sadly...
I think Otis Smith is naive enough to think that Dwight’s going to stay.
Clippers // Chargers // Rays // Boise State
"The Lakers do win games. But things can change." - Blake Griffin
No way, every report out of Orl is saying they don't want a Shaq situation again
Otis Smith may have made some dumb decisions, but he’s not stupid and when the deadline gets closer the trade is gonna happen. It’s not a matter of if, its a matter of when and to whom. And NJ and LAL are the frontrunners, but after Orl reportedly rejected that latest NJ offer including Gerald Wallace, it seems like LAL has the most leverage between the three.
by Fin Fan Forever on Dec 16, 2011 10:48 AM PST up reply actions
Ill take one of their 4 centers, as well, besides milicic.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
I'm a fan of Pekovic.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. -- Sun Tzu
kinda who i was thinking about.
nice big body backup center.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=chj7ll7
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
by LakersFoEva on Dec 16, 2011 10:34 AM PST up reply actions
Then....
Flop Beasley, Bynum & Blake for Dwight & Turk
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
by LakersFoEva on Dec 16, 2011 10:36 AM PST up reply actions
too bad can't see that trade
can you give me a glimpse. i am at work and that website is blocked. damn!
Lakers: Beasley, Love, Ridnour, Pekovic
Wolves-Pau, Luke Walton
by Q.Calloway25 on Dec 16, 2011 10:41 AM PST up reply actions
2012 Lakers
PG: Ridnour, Fish, Morris
SG: Kobe, Ebanks, Kapono, Goudelock
SF: Barnes, Metta, Turk
PF: Love, McBob, Caracter
C: Howard, Pekovic
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
by LakersFoEva on Dec 16, 2011 10:47 AM PST up reply actions
DUDE!
you just gave some light that I couldn’t find in recent days. I can totally see the patient game paying out in the long run… Awesome!
Walking the fine line between pagan and christian...
Pau is gonna be gone one way or another...
1) The lacksadaisical play is not gonna work in Mike Brown’s system
2) Bynum and Kobe are gonna be 2 of the starters
3) The trade of Pau along with Odoms trade exception are going to bring 2 excellent players (I’m guessing Point Guard and Power Forward)
4) I wouldn’t be surprised to see Love and Rubio ending up in L.A.
5) Cancel all of the above if Kobe’s divorce causes him to request a trade
6 Remember I said it here first (if it doesn’t happen this way please forget I ever said it ;)
This sucks our team was better off....
the way it was…. we were still competitive if we just kept the same team. All we needed to do was add a younger more atheltic player at the point and 3, and we would have been fine. I it’s hard to say we are title contenders considering we aren’t even clearly the best team in LA anymore. I’m sure we’ll still be in the top 4 of teams, but who knows if we can beat the Mavs, Thunder, or even the Grizzlies
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