Thank You RichDaDCLakerFan...
... Because we could use a break from debating Smush vs. Farmar, Pinnock vs. "The System," and "KG Joining the Lakers" vs. "Ain't Gonna Happen." And your comment presents a pretty cool topic of discussion.
"Of all of the role players we have had over the years, do you think there are some role players worthy of having their jersey retired? The first one that comes to mind who should be considered is Michael Cooper. He was on all 5 Showtime Laker championship teams, defensive player of the year 86-87, and played his entire career with the team. Any thoughts?"
Interesting question, indeed.
I remember when Robert Horry was en route to winning his sixth ring with San Antonio (and hitting his typical array of clutch shots to make it happen), it spurred (sorry!) a debate between BK and I that lasted roughly a week. The subject? Should role players be allowed in the Hall of Fame? I won't subject y'all to a complete rehash of our yapping. You good people certainly don't deserve that. But in a nutshell, even though there would be inherent problems (how to truly judge one role guy against the next, since much of what they do isn't stat heavy), I liked the idea simply because rewarding standout guys of that nature appealed to me, imperfections be damned. BK was against it because he hates Robert Horry. Or more accurately, because aside from issues already presented, guys who simply weren't good enough to be HOF players — as opposed to sacrificing stats for team — could end up enshrined (which may diminish the point of the Hall itself) and someone like Horry may have an unfair advantage due to the teams he played with. In the end, nothing was decided for sure (other than BK and I having way too much time on our hands), but it was a lively discussion. And it sort of reminds me of Rich's question. If the HOF is indeed too much, even for the best of role players, perhaps the team should be doing something on their behalf.
As far as literally retiring the numbers, put aside the "who's to say blah blah blah is better than blah blah blah?" arguments. The biggest problem I see is eventually running out of numbers for current players. Seriously. Say there are one or two outstanding role players every few seasons (and with the Lakers' stellar track record in this regard, that could be guesstimating on the low side). If each of those guys' numbers go the way of the Logo, Cap or Goodrich (not to mention inevitable candidates like Kobe and Shaq), we're eventually gonna see Lakers with decimal pointed digits, letters or shapes under the names on their jerseys. They'll even burn through the weirdo numbers like 73 and 91 that only the Rodmans and Artests of the world wear. Therefore, a formal retirement may require the kabash on a purely practical level.
What I do think could work and would definitely be cool, though, is some item next to the retired jerseys that lists all the exceptional role players. It could be an oversized jersey, a plaque, whatever. Those invaluable guys get their due and a suitable assortment of numbers remain open for use.
Would you get behind this? Or do you think while role players should be appreciated, there are certain honors reserved for stars and stars only?
—AK
whats up greek dude. lets put it this way... work sucks.
hahaha Andrew Z, that was funny. but Charles is pretty funny sometimes cause everyone on the show picks on him.
Posted by: The Lamar Show | August 30, 2006 at 02:24 PM
"wiZO,
"1-2-3-CANCUN!"
Do you really believe that Jerry was that bitter? or was that sarcasim?"
haha, i literally started laughing at my desk at work. come on....ok it was probably in bad taste....but thats hilarious. But yeah I do believe that West was bitter about trading Nick. Cuz he said it. Nick was my favorite player back then...and as a big fan of Jerry, I was very dissapointed when the Nick trade went down. I could never understand it. Especially considering Nick, who had all-star talent, was traded for trash. It just made no sense. Then I heard West say in an interview say something about its understandable why Nick feels bitter about the trade, but ppl dont understand that he (west) was also bitter for having to make that trade.
my top 5:
1. Kobe
2. Lamar - Been a Lamar fan since his college days and was one of my favorite players...but got bumped up when traded to the Lakers
3. Jalen Rose - Was a big Fab Five fan and he was always my favorite. Plus the guy is funny.
4. Chris Paul - I take credit amongst my friends as "discovering" Chris Paul. I labeled him a guy to watch out for after seeing him in the Mcdonalds game. and after seeing him play 1 game at Wake Forest early his freshman year, asked my friends "I bet you dont know who the best PG in college is."
5. TJ Ford - I just really like watching the guy play.
Posted by: wiZo | August 30, 2006 at 02:31 PM
Top 5 players I hate....
1. Bell
2. Tim Thomas
3. Bibby
4. Ray Allen
5. Marbury
Posted by: The Lamar Show | August 30, 2006 at 02:31 PM
Here comes my list excluding my lakers notably Kobe
1)KG
2)AI
3)Caron Butler
4)Jason Terry
5)Corey maggatte
Guys worth mentioning; Derek Fisher, Rasheed Wallace, Ginobilli, Ron Artest, Tmac, Amare,
Guys I cant stand in the league
1)Shaq
2)Raja "I need respect all the time" Bell
3)Vince Carter, needs to stop hating on Wade, lebron and Kobe
4)Zach Randolph, wasting money and time and wasting his talent
5)Dirk
Posted by: Sola | August 30, 2006 at 02:39 PM
argh, how could Duncan make any laker fan's most liked list!? haha, i can give the guy props as a great player, but to have him as a FAVORITE player?!
My most hated:
1. Shaq - I used to love Shaq. Then he betrayed us. Plus ...hes just a big baby. "I know it was you Fredo....you broke my heart."
2. Del Harris - a pretty good assistant coach...one of the all time worst head coaches ever. I blame Del for many many things...and cant even talk about it or else I will get angry.
3. Duncan - he's good....I hate him. Especially hate him when he does that "What? Who ME?" look while raising his palms after he fouls someone. You know what I'm talkin about.
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&lr=&q=duncan%20foul&btnG=Search&sa=N&tab=wi
4. Bruce Bowen - for those of you that play basketball....noone is annoying as the "bruce bowen" on the court. plays crazy dirty in your face defense. one of the more annoying things in the universe.
5. Antoine Walker - i probably could find another couple guys i hate more....but theres noone's GAME i hate watching more. i would HATE to have this guy on my team....then when he does his "shimmy" dance....game overs.
Posted by: wiZo | August 30, 2006 at 02:45 PM
greek dude,
It's On!!
USA vs Greece
Friay 3:30am ET (espn2)
>_<
Posted by: dan the man >_< aka smushcalade | August 30, 2006 at 02:58 PM
Lamar Show,
1. Kobe
2. Garnett
3. Iverson
4. Mcgrady (when he's healthy)
5. Wade (He's not better than Kobe, but the kid does have hella game)
These are the players off the top of my head, but there are so many that I love to watch that the list could change (except #1 obviously).
Posted by: Weave-Man | August 30, 2006 at 03:14 PM
Hmm my top 5, can I pick Kobe 5 times ... alright how about 5 lakers ... ummm ok i'll play nice and pick 2 non lakers ... lol
1. Kobe ( he'd also be sitting right here on my top 5 of all time list )
2. Elton Brand ( When chicago traded him ... i had to go see a therapist for a month )
3. Lamar Odom ( Lamar in the post is poetry in motion, just wish he'd spend more time down there )
4. Ben Gordon( If I could pick one dude to come join purple and gold, it be my man a.k.a "gordon rhymes with jordan" )
5. Jamal Crawford ( been following him from the chi too, living in nyc now, he's the only reason i can stand the knicks )
My 6th man,
Smush Parker. Yup yup, the smush tomahawk on a fast break is a guaranteed sportcenter highlight reel
In Kobe we Trust,
Go Lakers
Posted by: Taliq | August 30, 2006 at 03:18 PM
Only players I need to put on the top 5 I hate are Spurs.
1. Tim Duncan (The most boring overrated CENTER in the league)
2. Tony Parker (He just annoys me)
3. Manu (I actually like how he plays, but he's a Spur so...)
4. Tim Duncan again (For being too much of a b*tch to play his true position..... CENTER)
5. Any other Spur who hits a big shot against us in the future (except Horry, he gets a lifetime pass from me)
Posted by: Weave-Man | August 30, 2006 at 03:20 PM
The first thing I thought of when Kobe hit 81 was, DAMM I wish CHICK could have seen and called this one!
People outside of L.A. don't realize how big of impact that Chick had on the game. Growing up in L.A. was a dream to listen and learn the game from Chick. The same for Dodger baseball and Vin Scully people on the east can relate to it by remembering what Harry Cary brought to the Cubs... Now that's a hall of fame list!
most hated players(past/present)
Larry Bird
Danny Ainge
RAJA Tinker-Bell
Karl Malone(sorry but never excepted him as a Laker so this stems from all the years we couldn't get pass the Jazz)Plus if you got beef w/Kobe you got beef w/me! LOL
*Favorite current players*
KOBE
MELO
L.O.
THE MATRIX
Ron Artest
Posted by: LakerFaze | August 30, 2006 at 03:52 PM
Laker Tom,
Here is my honest prediction for Jordan this year:
GP- 82
GS- 15
MIN- 14.5
FG- 40%
3P- 31%
FT- 75%
REB- 1.4
AST- 2.5
STL- .6
BLK- .01
PTS- 4.6
Congrats Jordan for your hard-played year. Not bad for an above average rookie point guard for the Lakers. We can see that you are a special talent and look forward for a strong sophmore year.
smushcadamis >_<
Posted by: dan the man >_< aka smushcadamis | August 30, 2006 at 04:00 PM
dan:
Here is my honest prediction for Smush this year:
GP- 82
GS- 15
MIN- 14.5
FG- 40%
3P- 31%
FT- 75%
REB- 1.4
AST- 2.5
STL- .6
BLK- .01
PTS- 4.6
Congrats Smush for your hard-played year. Not bad for second year backup point guard for the Lakers. We can see that you recovered from the Phoenix series and look forward for a strong junior year.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | August 30, 2006 at 06:18 PM
dan,
Here is my honest prediction for Jordan this year:
GP- 82
GS- 67
MIN- 28.5
FG- 50%
3P- 34%
FT- 82%
REB- 3.5
AST- 5.5
STL- 1.2
BLK- .20
PTS- 14.6
Congrats Jordan for your great year. Outstanding for a promising rookie point guard for the Lakers. We can see that you are a special talent and look forward for a breakthrough sophmore year.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | August 30, 2006 at 06:24 PM
My top 5:
Kobe (of course)
KG (cause Dude is just a force on both ends)
LO (he's just a swiss army knife on the floor)
Tayshaun (cause D rocks, and he's clutch!)
JO (I like his game even though he's always injured)
Man if this was a team, the Lakers in particular, we'd be walking to the NBA Finals for sure. And although this isn't exactly a generic starting 5 (with a true pg/center what not), defensively this team can shut down the entire NBA...and offensively, they have enough firepower to be high scoring (and of course Kobe)...and they'd be tall lol.
Just an honorable mention though...I love Fish, I think he's a classy guy (that unfortunately cost too much and has regressed as far as playing/speed and all that...but if he were cheaper, and remain veteran quirky I'd love for him to get back to the lakers).
Posted by: Faith | August 30, 2006 at 06:28 PM
Top Role Players Deserving SOME SORT of Official Historic Recognition:
Jamal Wilkes
Norm Nixon
Mike Cooper
Byron Scott
A.C. Green
Robert Horry
Kurt Rambis
Bob McAdoo
Mychael Thompson
Derek Fisher
[Bob McAdoo and Michael Cooper should have their jerseys retired.]
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon Kavulic | August 30, 2006 at 06:32 PM
Wizo,
I can't understand why Laker fans would like Tim Duncan either?!! I'll just chalk it up to the world being a crazy place. And you're definitely right about Antoine Walker. Dude, has one of the worst jumpshots I've ever seen in my life. I generally just don't like the way he plays. He reminds me of that dude at the Y that everybody hates to play with because he thinks he's better than he really is.
Posted by: Weave-Man | August 30, 2006 at 06:37 PM
Interesting:
"Though there was some talk with LA, ultimately the Hawks simply did not want to increase their payroll. A draft pick from the Indiana Pacers was more attractive than Chris Mihm. The writing was on the wall when Atlanta agreed to terms with center/forward Lorenzen Wright. LA wasn't willing to consider trading Andrew Bynum for Harrington and that pretty much shut the door."
The lowly Hawks choose a draft pick over the likes of Chris Mihm. That's not a good thing for the Lakers. Atlanta was more willing to go with Lorenzen Wright over a proposal involving Chris Mihm. What that means is that the Lakers are having trouble moving Mihm because, honestly, he's just not that good. I'm telling you the only thing Mihm can fetch is someone else's "trash."
The only thing Mihm could do is be part of package without being the center of the package.
With that said the Lakers would do well to "take" Darius Miles off of Portlands hands. It's the only option out there for the Lakers concerning Chris Mihm. A reputation damaged Darius Miles is all that Mihm could fetch. There's is nothing, and I mean nothing else that Mihm can fetch. This proposal would be a perfect exchange of salaries, too, if the Lakers throw in Cook and either McKie or Walton. Again, it would open up a couple of roster spots, too.
There is nothing else out there that would work so perfectly for the Lakers.
By all accounts it looks as if the Lakers going to trade Mihm.
Eric Pincus
"The Lakers still have some attractive pieces available, most notably Mihm and Brian Cook."
The key word being: available. Why does Picus consider Mihm "available"? Simply put: Because he is! It's like common knowledge.
My point is that nobody wants him, which is why we can steal Darius Miles because Portland doesn't want Miles...or to be more correct, Darius Miles doesn't want Portland. Did you get that? Portland would like to keep Miles. It's Miles who is forcing a potential trade. Reputation and all, if Miles would cooperate, the Blazers would keep him.
mike
Posted by: Michael Teniente | August 30, 2006 at 06:50 PM
My favorite non-Laker NBA players or the guys I would pay to see play (in order):
(1) STEVE NASH – I know I called you every name in the book but God I just love your game. You make two or three assists every game that I used to dream of making once a season. I am hoping that Farmar will be our version of you.
(2) MANU GINOBLI – You are the toughest guy to keep out of the lane in the NBA plus a smart and gusty defender. I still remember Charles Barkley stupidly laughing when Kenny Smith said you were going to be an impact player in the league.
(3) GILBERT ARENAS – You have the smoothest sweetest jumper I have seen since Jerry West. And you are probably the wackiest guy to play since Dennis Rodman. I was “p!ssed” that you signed with the Wizards instead of the Lakers.
(4) TAYSHAUN PRINCE – You are best balance of great defender and great scorer in the NBA. I forgive you for turning you back on UCLA after the situation with Tommy but am still “p!ssed” that you signed an extension to stay with the Pistons.
(5) EARL BOYKINS – You are absolutely the quickest guy in the league and an amazing clutch player for your size. But you would have been a much “bigger” hit had you signed with the Lakers instead of burying yourself with in Denver.
******************************************************************
My most hated NBA players or guys I would love to hear have been caught in an embarrassing situation (in order):
(1) SHAQUILLE O’NEAL – You betrayed us and proved to be the smallest big man in the NBA with your cheap shots against Kobe. May you never win another championship and become Miami’s version of Brian Grant.
(2) DWAYNE WADE – You cry every time you Kobe outplays you and get all of the cheap calls that belong to Kobe. I am waiting for you to fall ten more times and get up only nine. You are just an average shooter and a terrible defender, who Kobe will expose this year.
(3) ANTOINE WALKER – You were a total prima donna with the Celtics and proved you could even be more obnoxious as a member of the Miami Heat. I find your Shaq groupie gig to be a real example of your lack of class and cool.
(4) GARY PAYTON – Your cheap smack has grown weary and your Smush-like choke when you were a Laker will always taint your great rep when as a Sonic. Your bandwagon chase of an NBA ring as another of Shaq’s groupies was typical.
(5) LEBRON JAMES – You may be the first Billionaire NBA player but you will never be the clutch player that Kobe is. And I still cannot believe that you are not really 5 years older than you are claiming unless it is due to steroids.
Obviously, I had real problems with the HEAT winning the NBA Championship last year.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | August 30, 2006 at 06:59 PM
who would win in a one on one game between Kobe and Lebron/
Posted by: kobe81 | August 30, 2006 at 07:23 PM
dan the man >_< aka smushcadamis
NICE prediction. I agree with your stats. He will start getting more PT after the All-Star break and thats when he might get to start games but the only thing I dont agree is that he will have more assists. Other than that I find your prediction pretty accurate.
Posted by: Shady | August 30, 2006 at 07:24 PM
Hmm. My top five:
Kobe
Nick (if he's still playing)
KG
Big Shot
Farmar
I just tend to like guys who overcome to be special.
--Fearless
Posted by: Fearless | August 30, 2006 at 07:35 PM
Shady,
You're absolutely right about the assists. Moments after I posted it I realized that I should add a couple more assists. And maybe a 42% FG. But everything else looks about right.
>_<
Posted by: dan the man >_< aka smushcadamis | August 30, 2006 at 07:42 PM
Most hated ever:
Danny Ainge -- I would LOVE this guy if he played with the Lakers. But, he used to hit those late game 3's against in the playoffs year-after-year!
Vince Carter -- Big Wuss!
Bibby -- Once again, I'd love him if here were a Laker. He's a queen, though.
Bowen -- Hate him, but respect him, too. You can do that, right?
Raja Bell -- The same, "beef w/Kobe, beef w/me!" thing.
Dis-Honorable mention
Doug Kristie
Posted by: Fearless | August 30, 2006 at 07:56 PM
Forget the Mihm trade talk. If we can't get a decent starter/6th man for him, why don't we keep him? He is a good back-up and change-of-pace offensive low post threat that Kwame isn't (yet). I don't think Bynum is ready to be part of the regular rotation, but I could be wrong.
Posted by: rdlee | August 30, 2006 at 08:02 PM
Here is my honest prediction for Jordan Farmar this year:
GP- 78
GS- 8
MIN- 17.0
FG- 42%
3P- 32%
FT- 80%
REB- 1.9
AST- 3.5
STL- 0.6
BLK- 0.1
PTS- 5.592868015
I think like every rookie, Farmar will go through a rookie slump, with a loss of confidence, and a stretch where he does very impressive things, but he will be inconsistent like every rookie.
Greek dude's Top 5 most hated players:
1. Raja Bell
2. Dwayne Wade (used to like him, but talked smack in the media and called Kobe "the other guy" after Shaq went to Miami)
3. Shaq(would be higher, but did a little thing called give us 3 championships)
4. Greek dudes don't hate (except in special cases when they can't help it, see above)
5. N/A
Hey Dan my man,
Yeah, I wish Greece would play Argentina or Spain in the semis instead of the US, because at least they have a chance to win, unlike the situation now. Team USA is just to talented and athletic to lose a game. Oh well, I predict Greece will end up playing Spain for the bronze.
Posted by: greek dude | August 30, 2006 at 08:51 PM
I forgot!!!
Greek dudes also hate Manu Ginobilli. f*ckn' flopper. Can't play defense like a man.
Posted by: greek dude | August 30, 2006 at 08:55 PM
my top five hated players are...
1. Tim thomas (i will never forget that shot, cuz i was there)
2. mike bibby (used to always hit the shots when they counted the most)
3. tim duncan (hated how we couldn't stop him)
4. steve Nash (well, mostly hated his hair, and how retarted he looked on his layups)
5. vlade divac(used to hate how he would flop all the time)
runner ups...
raja bell
manu ginoblli
bruce bowen
Posted by: TrueLakerFan | August 30, 2006 at 09:56 PM
oh, i forgot my top five favorite players...
1. kobe (enough said)
2. L.O. (love his hustle and love for the game)
3. Melo (intersting player to watch)
4. Tmac (you always feel something is bound to happen with him on the floor)
5. Dirk (when else can you see a 7 footer move like that?)
runner ups
Lebron
chris paul
Shaq (back in the day)
Posted by: TrueLakerFan | August 30, 2006 at 10:10 PM
Weave-man,
"Tim Duncan again (For being too much of a b*tch to play his true position..... CENTER)"
HAHA! Thank you. You are the first person that Ive heard outside of my friends that say that. Its funny cuz a few of us feel VERY strongly about that issue. So sometimes someone will ask "Who is the best PF of all time?" and i'll say "Barkley". They always ask "Not Duncan?" to which I reply "No, cuz Duncan is a Center!"
Lets face it, David Robinson getting hurt was the best thing ever for the Spurs but also the best thing for Duncan. D-rob played C cuz he was better defensively...even tho he was more in the high post on offense. He basically plays the role of a center but masquarades as a PF. Duncan drafted on almost any other team woulda HAD to play C.
Lakertom,
"I am waiting for you to fall ten more times and get up only nine."
haha, hilarious.
Posted by: wiZo | August 30, 2006 at 10:46 PM
JJ, people used the term role player a lot earlier than the mid-90's. Just so you know.
Posted by: Michael A | August 30, 2006 at 11:11 PM
Who woulda thunk it? Who makes these videos?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhQhLaH7kVU&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDFNs6kEq8A&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LLtL9FOg1I&mode=related&search=
nice to see a 12 year old get in to it with the back-to-back MVP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2PkPaNKPR8&NR
Posted by: greek dude | August 30, 2006 at 11:22 PM
OK, HERE'S ANOTHER CATEGORY - Ex-Lakers still playing Today!
Do you LOVE 'em or HATE 'em?
Starting with: The Big Whatever He Calls Himself Shaqmeister
And including: D-Fish
Horry
Nick Van E
D-George
Ty Lue
Chucky Atkins
Brian Grant
Caron Butler
Kareem Rush
and last but not least: The Glove (even tho he was here only a season)
Personally, Horry tops my love list (due to his dedication to his disabled kid and great work ethic) closely followed by Fish, then Butler and Kareem. The Big Ego tops my hate list followed by his ego clones Payton and Nick the Dick (can I say that in the blog?).
WHAT Do Y'ALL Think?
Posted by: Jay Jay | August 30, 2006 at 11:51 PM
Why yall hate Shaq so much. Dude was a big reason we won THREE championships in a row that I really enjoyed. He aint gonna win three wit the the heat. Dude will probably come back here in a couple of years and end his playing days with the Lake ahow. Dont be suprised OK. I would love to see Dwight Howard home and play for the Lakers. This kid is gonna be a starrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. TRust me. I know. Dude got a the wingspan of Minute BOl. The Lakers in the western C Finals nezt year Fo show.
Posted by: casey | August 31, 2006 at 12:48 AM
Ok LakerTom-
This year gives us the KID2 I am waiting and watching all year. I hope for your sake and Chick's - heck all of us, that the kid has something magical about his game that shines bright for Phil.
A talk with Chick in Heaven - now that was out there- hysterical~ yeah he ought to be there and we could use his prayers this year. Nothing better than what he gave us all, and yeah I was teary just thinking of how much laughter and fun I had with so many of those Chick-isms with all my crazy sports buddies. The Kings fans hated it, man I never had so much fun yelling the Game is in the refrigerator- the door is closed, the lights are out, the eggs are cooling, the butter's getting hard, and the Jell-O’s is jiggling!!! The game's outcome is set, only the final score is in question. My favorite by far! Awesome stuff! You are right about him not wanting DMiles too! Always big on character and how players conduct themselves on the floor and with the team. He was the best.
Poor Sac they got screwed - and Shaq and Phil just ruined them with quotes and embarrassment that still has to haunt them, and more than likely they will be pulling up the rear of the west with Golden State this year. Great owners and an awesome crowd but I just do not see it happening soon. Too many inconsistencies from too many players, and no Kobe. Sorry sonny.
The thing I look forward to seeing this year in the Lakers is Phil Jackson’s attitude and use of the bench. I hope he realizes we will need depth and minutes for a lot of the youngsters-Farmar and Bynum together hopefully and I sure hope he uses the Big fella like Kareem and not Shaq. Making Bynum sweep across the lane and show his quickness is what will get him past the other bigs. He looks really quick footed and has decent hands too, he and Farmar would be so great to see make a dent in playing real minutes that count off the bench.
Boy a lot of people here excluded Shaq from their favorites, I hated watching them win it too! But I am happy for him and Alonzo mostly. That series really boosted DWades stock and man he can ball. Funny how Carmelo is so much more dominant and such a better go to guy on the US team. That guy is a gamer, something about how he is laughing so often makes me think he's a step ahead of everyone. It is the same laugh and nervousness that Devean George has, but this guy doesn't make himself look stupid nearly as much as DGeorge did.
Thanks for the great Chick stuff and God Bless him and his family wherever he is and they are! I know the Laker family was blessed to have him and I miss him dearly.
Posted by: Peter Maguire | August 31, 2006 at 02:53 AM
Most Hated:
1.) Shaq - We should have at least 1 if not 2 more rings, but he decided to take off company time and never got into shape. I feel like he owes Lakers season-ticket holders $$$. Then he goes and defers to Wade in Miami? Shaqass.
2.) Roger Bell (AKA The Kid) - Somebody on the Lakers roster (I'm looking at you Andrew Bynum) needs to go trick-or-treat upside this pu**y's head on Halloween.
3.) Bruce Bowen - A cheap-shot artist of the highest rank, but a media darling. Every Spurs game on TV, you hear about his "Community Good-Guy Awards" right before he tries to step on a shooter's foot to blow their knee out.
4.) Steve Nash - Or maybe NBA MVP voters. How far would Kobe have gotten in the MVP race with Nash's 05-06 number? Would Nash have won the MVP unanimously with Kobe's numbers? Besides, the hair just pisses me off, too.
5.) Tony Parker - Mr. Longoria needs his clock cleaned, too.
Posted by: Jman449 | August 31, 2006 at 03:33 AM
JayJay:
You forgot ex-Lakers Eddie Jones, Mark Madsen, Jannero Pargo, Jamal Sampson, Lindsey Hunter and Ruben Patterson.
Shaq -
Fish +
Horry +
Van Exel -
George -
Lue -
Atkins -
Grant -
Butler +
Rush +
E. Jones +
Madsen +
Patterson -
Pargo +
Hunter +
Sampson ?
Posted by: rdlee | August 31, 2006 at 04:41 AM
JayJay -- My TOP 5 Non-Lakers PLAYERS/COACHES that I like that are still balling/coaching
1. Jumaine Jones
2. Eddie Jones
3. Eddie JORDAN
4. Caron Butler
5. Bryon Scott
Casey -- The reason I hate SHAQ is the ISH he allowed to flow from his mouth regarding KOBE, the Lakers Org and beyond. How he poisoned the Laker locker room, etc., etc. and continued to pop ISH even after he got his "wish" for a trade. He BURNED bridges so I have no love for Shaq, period! DWADE, trying soooo desperate to distinguish himself from KOBE, and endear himself to Shaq, and the media with his rehearsed Kobe cheap shots,came outta his mouth on some foul ISH too -- without reason. So no, I have no respect for that p@nK ISH he pulled. As petty as that may seem, it is what it is.
By the way, I don't know how i neglected to place a DRAW on my HATER LIST. Let the record show, #1 on my HATER LIST is a draw between Shaq/DWADE and #2 would then be P@NK @$$ Vince Carter!....
Posted by: lakersrydeordie | August 31, 2006 at 04:51 AM
Rodman is not going to be inducted anytime soon because of his behavior off the court. If he was not so unstable personally, he definitely would be inducted into the HOF. That would be the only reason why the most dominate rebounder and defender of the 90's would be left off the ballot.
I also think the only reason why Byron Scott was never selected as an all star was due to the fact that the league did not want 4 Lakers on the team. That was just too many players from one team.
Phantom
Posted by: phantom | August 31, 2006 at 05:13 AM
My top five under 30
PG-Chris Paul
SG-Dwayne Wade
SF- Kobe Bryant
PF- Lebron James
C- Dwight Howard
My top five 30+
PG- Steve Nash
SG- Allen Iverson
SF- Bruce Bowen
PF- Kevin Garnett
C- Shaq
. . .i think the over the hills would put up a good, though losing, fight
My Top Five current players
1. Kobe (you get three guesses and the first two don’t count)
2. Nash (He’s Canadian =D)
3. Shaq (I don’t care what you say, he did a lot for us)
4. Interchangeable (CP3, Matrix, KG, Zo, J-Kidd. . .
5. . . .AK-47, Ron Ron, D-Wade, Lebron etc.
My Bottom 5 current players
1. Shaq (I don’t care what he’s done for us he’s still Shaq)
2. Dirk (I never liked him, I actually was rooting for the Heat cause I would rather Shaq won than Dirk)
3. GP (every game I watched him as a Laker he sucked, offensively and defensively, plus I didn’t like his attitude)
–out of the hate range and now in dislike zone-
4. Carmelo Anthony (I never liked him as much as D-Wade and Lebron)
5. interchangeable (usually whoever had a good outing against the lakers)
finally my stat prediction for Farmar (at 2500-1 haha)
GP- 80
GS- 50+
MIN- 25.0
FG- 47%
3P- 30%
FT- 87%
REB- 3.9
AST- 6.5
STL- 1.0
BLK- 0.1
PTS- 13
looks like im all up to date now
LakerTom
haha thats unfortunete. out of curiousity what is your religion?
Posted by: joninjapan | August 31, 2006 at 07:44 AM
I'm pretty sure Shaq will never play on the Lakers again. We appreciate getting 3 championships...but we hate Shaq cuz he's a big selfish baby, played a big part in shipping out eddie and nick, is the most to blame for the Shaq/Kobe feud, showed up fat every camp, waited last minute to have surgery, continued to take unecessary shots at kobe after he left, took shots at the whole city of LA, calling us fake, didnt look at the screen when Staples had a tribute clip for Shaq, etc etc etc. Were bitter cuz if Shaq had half the heart and competitive drive of Kobe, we'd have won 5-6 championships in a row.
Shaq - HATE em.
D-Fish - Like him....but his game was way overated.
Horry - Love em. My second favorite Laker during our championships.
Nick Van E - Love em. How could you hate him? He carried us and was the only guy to root for during the dark years.
D-George - Below avg feelings. His game sucks and I met him at a bar once and he wasnt very nice.
Ty Lue - No feelings.
Chucky Atkins - Hate em. Not only did he suck, but the reason i hate him is if youve seen him do several interviews...they guy thinks he's one of the top PGs in the league! haha ridiculous.
Brian Grant - No feelings. Yeah his contract has been KILLING us....but not really his fault.
Caron Butler - Like him.
Kareem Rush - I always liked Kareem since he was Jaron's little bro. That said, I saw him play a lot in college and hated when he was drafted by the Lakers. I like the guy, but hate his game.
GP - Hate him. I consider GP in the top 5-6 PGs of all time....but he's a trash talking baby...and the worst type of trash talker...the kind that can dish it out but cant take it back. Also screwed us when he was traded to Bos.
Doug Christie - HATE him. Hate him and Jackie. Hate that stupid thing he does after every dang pt, asst, etc.
Eddie - Love him.
Posted by: wiZo | August 31, 2006 at 08:35 AM
LakerTom,
In reference to your 1:49 post, I think Pincus meant that the Lakers are a top ten team in the West. If you read the paragraph directly ahead of that statement, he speaks about the West and some of the moves that were made by other teams. He then says they're probably closer to 10 than 1.
If I'm wrong maybe Eric Pincus will read this blog and correct me. I don't believe he thinks this Laker team is top ten in the league.
Posted by: Andrew Z | August 31, 2006 at 08:46 AM
Looks like another good free agent - Jumaine Jones slips by us, now if anyone deserved a second chance with the Lake show- it was this guy. He should be a great addition for the Suns! I think Mitch is just not interested in shaking things up. Brian Cook or Jumaine Jones? JJ for sure, Cookie please prove me wrong and show me a season of huge improvement; an inside presence, some low post moves, contribute on D with those long arms, and most of all hustle every minute on the floor!
Maybe our scouts are watching the World Games and we will score on some of that talent. The season is coming soon, not soon enough but I sure hope something changes soon. I read somewhere Mihm is all healed up already! He may be the best piece of trade bait we have and with 4 point guards, Cook, McKie, Jim Jackson and a guy named Bonzi still out there maybe we can add some spark at the 2-3 position and even see him work some point which would really be awesome considering the lack of big D from Smush and Sasha last season. Bonzi is a bit of a head case but he might be a single season guy we can make sign up and let go. This guy needs some stability and this year is a make or break season for him contract wise. He is so talented that I can't beleive he is still out there. Come on Mitch earn that paycheck and get creative!
Posted by: Peter Maguire | August 31, 2006 at 08:51 AM
Mike T,
I think the Lakers need to hang onto Mihm until we are sure Bynum can play 20 solid minutes a night. If we want to get to the playoffs and maybe advance, giving a lot of time to a project that would probably be grossly overmatched by NBA level talent would not be a good move. That being said, I think Chris Mihm is more valuable to the Lakers than Darius Miles. And to mention that trade as a way to clear roster spots, I'm not sure I would want Devin Green and Danilo Pinnock solidifying our bench in place of Brian Cook and Aaron McKie. We have plenty of youth, I like the experience those guys bring. By the end of the year we're running an eight-man rotation anyway, they'll be used sparingly and more than likely will be character guys.
Posted by: Andrew Z | August 31, 2006 at 09:02 AM
Wow rd - how could I leave out Eddie Jones? A great guy and solid player who was too close to Kobe in size and position to stick around and play back up. And Madsen - a later day Rambis style hustler and another great guy. Love them both. I left out Sampson and Pargo on purpose, cause they didn't play any real minutes with us. And I'd rather forget Christie ever played with us at all - I think Foxy gave him just what he deserved.
Posted by: Jay Jay | August 31, 2006 at 09:34 AM
Andrew Z,
I agree with you 100% as it relates to the Lakers keeping Chris Mihm over Darius Miles. One thing you didn't mention was the character/attitude difference of the two. Mihm's attitude is like a 180 difference from Miles. I can't understand anyone wanting Miles on their team with his track record.
I agree with you as it relates with keeping guys like Cook and McKie over Pinnock or Green. Sure those guys are young and athletic, but the Lakers don't need that. The Lakers need experience and leadership. McKie has been to the finals as a key element of the Sixers run that year. He knows about the pressures of a tough playoff run. Cook now has a few years of NBA experience under his belt, including a run to the finals as well. Those two are more valuable even if as lockerroom help.
I believe, as you have stated that by the time the end of the year comes, the Lakers will be running a tight rotation of probably 9 or 10 deep. That rotation should include Smush, Kobe, Lamar, Vlade, Kwame, Shammond, Maurice, Luke, Brian and Chris.
That's a solid group of 10 players that should be deep enough to handle the load of 48 minutes a night. The key to the rotations is that, except for blowouts, Kobe or Lamar should be on the court at all times.
Posted by: JJ | August 31, 2006 at 10:01 AM
Andrew Z,
I hear you. But I've got a feeling Rony Turiaf is going to do well this year. I think between the 4 and 5 spot Turiaf is going to get 20 minutes. Turiaf scored 15 point for the French team in it's win over Germany today or last night.
It's interesting, I'll say that. The roster spots are for the D-league development. Pinnock and D Green. I don't think anyone on the current roster is D League material. I don't think Bynum is going to the D League, which leaves Farmar. I don't know about that. It makes sense to me that the Lakers are going to make another trade if they are going to take advantage of the D League team. Again, I say another trade is in the works and the only one that makes sense is a deal for Miles. But, I must admit, it only makes sense for the Lakers because Portland has 15 guaranteed contracts already so it would be hard for Portland to give up only 1 player for 3 Laker players. My thought was Mihm, Cook, and McKie or Walton for Miles.
I really don't see Cook getting a lot of minutes this coming season. This is where it gets interesting. If Lamar plays the 4 spot where does that leave Cook? Turiaf is going to be the back-up 4, in my opinion. If that's not the case then Turiaf will play back-up 5. Where does that leave Mihm? You see, it's my belief that Turiaf is going to get minutes whether it's at the 4 or 5 spot. Turiaf makes the 4 and 5 spot very crowded. I like what Turiaf brings over what Mihm brings. You never know Turiaf might be our starting 4 pushing Lamar to the 3 spot. Where does that leave Walton? Well, I guess that was pushing it a bit. But with Turiaf it's very crowded at the 4 and 5 spot and that's not to mention Bynum. I say a trade is in the works. We don't need to rely so heavly on Bynum when we have Turiaf, too. That's not to say Bynum isn't going to produce.
mike
Posted by: Michael Teniente | August 31, 2006 at 10:04 AM
How's this for a report:
"Kemp made a low-key appearance at Colman Playfield near Rainier Valley that left eyes aglow. He was chiseled and cut, conjuring visions of the Second Coming of No. 40.
Kemp's 36-year-old body, having shed 50 pounds, may have rebounded. His mind is playing catch-up."
Shawn Kemp in shape? Scary thought! Only 36 years old, too. My my my. Interesting!
mike
Posted by: Michael Teniente | August 31, 2006 at 10:08 AM
AZ,
In the attached you would find the rankings of Tony Mejia of Sportsline on the Centers in the league. Many of you will not be happy to know that Big Diesel is still No. 1, Kwame at No. 14 (Mike T., will be very happy with this assessment) and Chris Mihm is dead last and under consideration. Of course, Tony M. is always wrong, he was wrong in ranking the Lakers last year, he lives in the East Coast with the usual bias on western teams.
http://www.sportsline.com/nba/story/9625945
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | August 31, 2006 at 10:15 AM
Correction: Kwame No.16
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | August 31, 2006 at 10:23 AM
Mike T,
I thought Shawn Kemp just got arrested for marajuana possession a month or so ago? If in fact the dude shed a ton of weight and could play, I still think we need another big body off the bench to man the four.
As for Turiaf, I really like him and I hope he comes into camp ready. Since he really didn't get much time to develop last year due to his heart problem, I'm not sold on him giving us 15-20 minutes yet. If he did it would be huge. His style of play is exactly what we need. What we don't need is his problem of picking up a foul just taking off his warm-ups. I'l keep my fingers crossed.
As for the D-League and who would go there, I have to admit, I don't know enough about how that works to see if it would be beneficial to us to send guys down. Actually, the only guy I would see benefitting from it would be Bynum, just because I think he desperately needs floor time during a game based on the fact that he didn't play much last year or that much in high school.
If anything, I would see the Lakers shipping guys to someone like Charlotte for second round picks. Charlotte needs to add payroll and the Lakers could use roster spots. Anyway, we'll see come camp I guess.
Chris Mihm is a center that can give you 10-7 over 25 or so minutes, that's a valuable contribution the LAkers will definitely benefit from. Kwame can't play 40 minutes a night, that would be too much.
Posted by: Andrew Z | August 31, 2006 at 10:34 AM