Because the Western Conference wasn't stacked already

Chad Ford's mock draft is out and lookie lookie who the Lakers pick:
Javaris Crittenton
Position: PG
Height: 6-5
Weight: 180
Age: 19
School: Georgia Tech

The skinny: Phil Jackson loves big point guards and Crittenton, at 6-foot-5, has a lot going for him. He is an excellent athlete, can shoot and has enough ball-handling skills to play full-time at the point guard position.

Long-term, he's an upgrade over Jordan Farmar, though he may take a year or two to develop.

=========

Hey if this guy is there and the Lakers pick him then I AM JUICED!!!! He is a definite upgrade over Farmar in athleticism, shooting ability, and just about everything except
NCAA Final Four experience.

I saw this guy play, he's lightning quick!!

you mean, work those phones Jimmy boy....

It's incredible what happened in the draft tonight, the west just got tougher and the Lakers NEED to make moves, because if they don't they'll be at the bottom of the west next year.

And the Lakers internally are just a power struggle, so it's not Mitch BK; I have the feeling he's with the least power.

Today Kurt Rambis was criticizing Jim and then his sister did the same last week, I think things at Lakerland are not that well.

I know that when a transition is happening power struggles occur, but it's a bad time for the Lakers, these power struggles should've been 3 or 2 years ago, not now.

Lets see what the Buss family does.

BTW how about Kwame being mock today at the draft?

It was sad..........because we ended up with him.

It must not be going well, Mitch just called ME and asked if I had any contacts in Minnesota that I could work.

THE WILD WILD WEST BECOMES EVEN WILDER…

Man, the competition in the Western Conference just jumped another big notch with the Blazers and Sonics getting the draft rights to Greg Oden and Kevin Durant. But that was the bad news. The good news was that Atlanta managed to win third pick, which meant that they would not have to give the pick to the Suns as part of the Joe Johnson trade, and that Memphis didn’t get the first pick to nab Oden which meant that they would still be needing a center in return if they were going to trade Pau Gasol.

So, overall, it could have been worse. I mean the Kings or the Clippers or Timberwolves might have won the first pick. Or the Suns could have gotten the 4th or 5th pick if Atlanta had not gotten one of the top three picks. Bottom line, short term, the results should help the Lakers in their quest to bolster their lineup. Long term, the West appears to be primed to get even tougher and more dominant.

Another factor to consider is Oden’s impact on the Western Conference since he suddenly is not in the East but right in the Lakers backyard. The Lakers may suddenly be less hesitant to trade Andrew Bynum, considering that they will probably need a dominant center to get past the Blazers and Oden in the future. In other words, Oden’s sudden appearance in the Western Conference may have upped the quality of team you will need in the future to compete.

Durant’s appearance may also have a big impact. Imagine Luke Walton trying to guard a guy like Durant four times a year. Not a pretty picture in my mind. And I think that suddenly makes the trade for Ron Artest even more important. The Lakers can get a guy who can guard Durant while not giving up a guy who may be able to guard Oden.

Anyway, that’s my first take on the draft results. I think I would go out and trade Kwame to get Artest, try and lure Mo Williams to or at least Steve Blake, and otherwise hope that Farmar and Bynum can both make a big leap in the quality of their play. It would seem to be a sound game plan in my mind. I just hope that Kobe thinks it will be enough. Anyway, here would be our roster for next season:

1 – MLE, Farmar
2 - Kobe, Mo, Sasha
3 – Artest, Luke
4 – Lamar, Rony, Cook
5 – Bynum, Mihm

Could this team win? Probably not unless Farmar and Bynum make big leaps. But if they did, then it is possible. It really all depends on the chemistry. If the team jells early, they could turn out to be special. After all, they still have Kobe and Lamar but now Artest. I would be willing to bet on this team and on Bynum and Farmar contributing much more this season.

What do you think?

Tom

All I have to say is that Tony Parker is the sh*t. He has torched every point guard in the playoffs. Even Steve Nash was not willing to match up with him. I have to say I've loved watching the Spurs this postseason and more importantly I respect that team, the coaches and the organization

I think Paul Pierece might be asking for a trade pretty soon. Because the Celtics are not going anywhere, and his situation is evenly worst as Kevin garnett.

How about a Bynum, Luke, and Kwame from Paul, and Al Jefferson.

Have Kobe play the 2 as usual, Paul plays the three and Lamar plays the four

Out Starting lineup

Farmer
Kobe
Paul
Lamar
Jefferson

That will be a good team right there. Plus, Paul is from LA.

another reason to still love being a lakers fan. lol

i agree with what Tom said in the other thread, oden being in the west will definitely increase bynum's worth regardless if he deserves it or not.

and that fellow bloggers is why we trade bynum only for garnett! makes sense for both.

Fatty.

I still cannot see the sunshine on a June gloom with the Lakers prospects from these draft results. You said Pau Gasol, hou? What will be the motivation of the Memphis to go forward with Socks when Pau is their best player on the floor? Had they got #1 or #2, then there is alternative for Pau. JO is more interested with his friend Isiah than moving with Kobe. That leaves us the best alternative which is KG. Now that Minny is out of the two guys who could really help KG, it's time for KG to opt out and go for the Lakers. The decision time is NOW. It is written on the wall, Minny has no chance of going for a power concentrate Western Conference, why not unload and go rebuilding with Bynum and try to involve two or three teams to start the T'wolves from scratch and unload the odd expense load. On the part of Lakers, trade everybody except Kobe with KG. Let's reform the flaws by new players as long as we have the two dominating Superstars together.

Whatever happens to the draft picks, lakers are at the mercy power draft team Sonics and Blazers or power teams who are holding superstars. It all involves the PR of Mitch, not the all-knowing loquacious mouth of Jim Buss. We cannot be choosy in saying we don't like Artest, or Kidd or getting old, Jo lacks the defense in the post, etc, etc. que sera, sera. If our clowns will not produce a team that we can compete, the hall of famers will have no motivation to stay around. We bring back the eighties nostalgia version of Celtics in the East and Lakers in the West, the cellar dwellers of this league.

Let's get anybody that will strengthen this team. MOVE NOW.

I THINK A MOVE FOR ZACH RANDOLPH BECAME SLIGHTLY MORE FEASIBLE.. IF MANAGEMENT WANTS TO LOOK IN THAT DIRCETION

OTHER THAN THAT.. IT DOESNT AFFECT A TRADE FOR ARTEST AT ALL.. AND PROBABLY ADDS VALUE TO BYNUIM...

SO YEAH.. I AGREE WITH LAKERTOM HAHA

AK BKOk

Rashard Lewis just became expendable in Seatle and Seatle hs been drafting 7 foot stiffs for 3 yrs now. Think they would bite on a trade that included a Legit prospect like Andrew? We could add Kwame (expiring contract), Vlad (who they may still like) Luke (sign and trade) and take Rashard, Earl Watson and one of their 7 foot bench warmers in return. Watson and management havent been on the same page and he might be on the block this summer. What do you think?

MH

Tom,

I don't know. Adding Artest to our lineup would help, but we wouldn't have any type of low post defense. Yeah, Bynum can block shots but he hasn't shown the ability to be a good one on one defender yet. I know Oden coming to the west is gonna change things in a couple years, but for the here, and now I think we should still try to get Artest, AND Gasol. Think about it, the core of our team would be veterans, but in a couple of years they still won't be that old. Our roster in 2 years:

Kobe 30-31
LO 30-32
Farmar 22-23
Artest not sure about his age but he'll probably be in his early 30's
Gasol 28-29

Do you see what I'm saying? Our guys will have more experience than Portland, plus we should still have the legs to run with them. And the best part is by the time Portland is really ready to make some noise young guys like Farmar, and Turiaf will be 2 years better.

I have to think the Blazers will be looking to move Magliore, Pryzbilla or Randolph. The only problem for the Lakers is that they will probably be looking for help at the guard spot which I don't think we have anybody they want (except Kobe who is untouchable). I just hope the lottery results will not get Michael T started again with us trading for Darius Miles.

One more plus about tonights lottery BK. When you said get on the phone Mitch, he will be, the good news this summer is, he will be ANSWERING IT. Should be more inquiries about Andrew then ever before. We should be in a better barganing position then at the trade deadline.

MH

wow,

All I have to say to that trade proposal is....wow!!! Why would Boston make that trade? Al Jefferson is already a good young big man (who already has done more than Bynum), and Paul Pierce is Paul Pierce. There is no way (well I can't say no way since Ainge doesn't seem to be the best GM) they trade away their 2 best players for Bynum, Luke, and cap space (Kwame). I wish they would, but I highly highly doubt it.

Ok , another good big man is in the West , but not on the Lakers team , making it even harder next season .

Another reason to love today:
THE SUNS DONT GET A LOTTERY PICK!!!

hahahahahahahhaaha....yeeeaaaahhh

instead of Mike Conley Jr., Noah, or Corey Brewer they get nothing. So they have to max out and go over their salary cap to keep their players OR get rid of some key players (Marion???)...

NICE...

FORGET PORTLAND, we'll worry about them when we get there. To win in the NBA you have to take care of your division rivals...

Aloha Laker Tom

What do you think about this line up?

PG- Earl Watson
SG kobe
SF Rashard Lewis
PF Lamar
C C Webb (MLE)

BENCH

Jordon
Mo
Cris
Ronny
Cook
Sasha
Draft Picks and vets min.

And with the exception of C Webb, Kobe is the oldest guy on the team

MH

First of all...LakerTom, great post. Well thought out and I agree with your points. I say have Phil sit down with Artest (if that's legal in the NBA) and if he gives the OK, go get him. As has been posted prior, Arest was a spectator at several Laker games, he wants to be here. Its amazing the attitude change when someone is where they want to be. BTW, I haven't heard much about him but was just thinking with Oden going to POR, Magloire should be on his way out for sure. He would be a decent pick-up if we could get him for cheap. He's a big body and wasn't he an all-star just 3 years ago?

As for Boston...good thing they have the RedSox & Pats.

I love that Atlanta got the 3rd pick and Phoenix got nothing. And the West just keeps gaining in power as BK stated. The best thing I think about the crazy lottery is that a lot of teams didn't get the spots they wanted and now their only options are through trades. Good sign for the Lakers if they want to make a move.

AK/BK, do you mind renting a room out to KG while he's renovating his Malibu home for a permanent stay?

Alright Lakers brass...time to stop your version of the Kobe/Shaq feud and get on the same page and make some intelligent moves!

KG is the only answer..to every question...i dont care

kg + kb=dynasty.

amen.

Go down the line. Dallas will be good next year, as will Phoenix, San Antonio, Utah, and Houston (barring major injuries).

WERE are the Lakers on that list?

MH,

That's not a bad idea. I don't know if Seattle would want Vlad back, but if management could get that done we could kill 2 birds with 1 stone. Only question marks would be Lamar, and Lewis playing together (pretty much the same player except one is a better outside shooter, and the other is a better post up scorer), but even that could be a positive because who could guard us? And Earl Watson's lack of a consistent 3 point shot. If we make the trade you proposed we could use the MLE to bring in a shot blocking big man, someone like Mikey Moore. Dude has a good outside shot, led the league in fg%, and hustle's his a** off.

No matter what we do this summer, I don't think we should give up Bynum and Kwame for a player that can't play center (Kidd, Rashard or Garnett). The 5 spot is just too hard to fill. I am skeptical that Mihm will be back to normal (which for him wasn't real great anyway, especially trying to guard Duncan, Yao and now Oden). I am more apt to keep Kwame/Bynum one more year and try to improve the 3 spot and the PG spot. I think it is worth waiting on Bynum, Farmar, Radmanovich and Turief to improve and dump Sasha, Walton, Cook, Smush, McKie, & Mihm. As painful as it sounds we might need to wait another year to get KG (opt-out FA) without gutting our team this year in a trade for him. Mo Williams and Gerald Wallace would suit me fine for this year.

Wow

I could see Boston taking that trade for Pierce but that would be it. Jeffersons a real up and coming player. Besides the guys you mention would add up to Pauls salary, so we would have to send even more to get Jefferson. But hey who knows?

MH

Weave Man,

Only reason the trade will happen is if Paul Pierce ask to be traded. Im not that foolish to think the Celtics will trade their two best players like that. But like I said both Paul and kG are in the same position, a deadlock team that is moving no where. And its been reported that Paul would like to play for the lakers. It was just an idea. So calm your little intelligent self down. I do like the reference to my name.

ONCE AGAIN, STOP BUSTIN' YOUR B..Z..NALLS OVER HOW THE LAKERS MATCHUP vs. THE BLAZERS:

why do you care? Cross-Division rivalries only matter when you are a elite team. Like Dallas v. Phoenix...

The Lakers should be most concerned with their own division.

The Northwest division is loaded:
Denver - AI, Kenyon, Carmelo, Nene, Camby
Utah - Boozer, Deron Will, Kirilenko, Okur
Seattle - Allen, Durant, Lewis
Portland - Oden, Randolph, Roy, Aldridge
Minnesota - K.G.

This is perfect. Those teams are gonna' beat the hell out of each other.

Minnesota is gonna' be the worst team in the West NO MATTER WHAT THE TWOLVES DO and K.G. will want out...

The Lakers just have to figure out how to compete with the Suns and can still stomp on overachieving Golden State and Clippers...

I'm not worried about the "tough" west... We are the 2nd best in our division. We have to figure out how to close the gap to 1st.

#1 GOAL FOR ANY TITLE TEAM: WIN YOUR DIVISION!!!

After that, I'll seriously consider how we are going to work to matchup with Portland's "potential"

Somebody remember Ralph Sampson and Hakeem?

Ugh...it might be too early to make predictions, but I have a sense the purple and gold are in for another rough year. The competition in the west just got tougher.

While I'd love KG, I don't think it's going to happen. Look what the Suns can give versus what we can give. They have 3 first round draft picks and more bang for the buck. Do you want Marion or do you want Kwame Brown?

Now look at all the people that the Lakers have to fight with just to get to the playoffs next year?

Top contenders, Suns, Mavericks, Spurs, Jazz, Rockets, all who have solid teams.

Can we get to the level of the Jazz or the Rockets? Yeah, if we stay healthy and everything goes right. But for the sake of realism, lets consider who we'll be fighting with for the last five playoff spots.

Denver, Portland, Seattle, Clippers, Golden State.

Ouch.

Aloha Weave Man

Forgot about Moore, could be a good pick up. As for Rashard and Lamar, I really believe Rashard is more of a true 3 then Lamar and he is more consistant from the outside so ya, I dont think there would be a problem there. Ok Mitch Weave Man and I have just figured it out, All we want in return is season tickets next to Jack. So go do it.

MH

I actually think the Suns will be beat us the the Artest sweepstake. If I were the suns I would trade Marion for Artest without looking back at all. Artest is a better defender and can actually create his own offense.

And Im starting to get tired of this blog always trying to put down someone else proposal especcially when trading superstars. Nobody ever thought Shaq will be traded for Caron, Lamar, and Grant, but it happened anyways. So for you all critical of others trade proposal just think of the Shaq trade. You never get anything in return for superstars, this was not just the case for the lakers when they traded Shaq, its for every team in the NBA that trades their superstar at one point.

And please, let's stop talking about "Bynum" as the answer to Duncan or Oden or Yao...

Do you know how much more athletic Duncan and Oden are to Bynum? Yao, maybe... but Bynum will never be able to out-play either of those two guys on a consistent basis...

I'm not sure Bynum could ever be the answer...

Today's league is dominated by ATHLETIC, big men who can move and patrol the paint.

Yao's critical flaw is foot speed and movement... He let BOOZER dominate him...

coincidentally, Bynum has the same prollem..

rdlee, did you just say you wouldn't trade kwame and bynum for KG? dude, are you serious?

We need to draft a big guy that can hustle, kinda like turiaf, cause these guys are all underated,and they can help NOW, unlike a guard. They can play D and block shots and rebound.

Man, with all the talks of the East catching up with Lebron and DWade, Greg Oden/Kevin Durant just blew that to pieces lol. All the more imperative we do our business, this isn't going to get any easier, with GS, NO, Portland, et al...WE NEED to get better, no question.

MH:

Aloha to you. Are you in Hawaii?

You know, it’s funny but even as a big UCLA fan, I was never a big Earl Watson fan. I thought he was a little too sulking of a player for me. I know at UCLA that he resented Baron Davis getting all the hype and always had a chip on his shoulder as far as I was concerned. I may be totally wrong but he strikes me a little the same way that Smush did attitude wise.

I also would prefer Artest for his toughness and defense over Rashard Lewis, who is too much like Vlade for my taste.

I do like your thought about CWebb, though. And remember, he did say that he would have considered the Lakers if it hadn’t been in the middle of the season. Now there is a guy that it makes sense for Kobe to call. lol.

Anyway, it’s probably Ron Artest and Steve Blake and then wait and see how Andrew and Farmar play the first half of the season. That’s my vote for the smart move.

Tom

Korey:

Read a couple of draft reviews on Javaris Crittenton and they all raved about his potential but then listed how poorly he played in the tournament and how lackadaisical he was on defense. Sounds like a project that will take longer than Farmar.

Tom

What ever happened to the notion of parity in the NBA? If you look at the lottery winners, the Pacific division won big time. Portland 1. Seattle 2. Kings 10. Clippers 14. It must be even nicer to be in the Eastern Conference now. All those slouches have to do is watch the West coast destroy each other in the regular season and in the playoffs.

Edwin

Its not all gloom and doom. As long as we got Jim Buss in our corner, things will turn out all right. lol
Rambis questioning Buss? Does that mean he is on his way out?

For a team that had no lottery pick we sure had a lot of interest in what happened. Oden going to Portland was a big surprize. Do we now keep Bynum or make the play for Gasol? Gasol is in his prime and you would think Memphis would keep him.

The Lakers have multiple ways to approach the off season.

Ultra Conservative Approach:
If we stand pat and make no trades, we at least need to get a point guard.
A healthy Laker team would get us 50-55 wins, but could they advance in the playoffs without a major break? Would Kobe and Phil be satisfied with that?

Conservative Approach:
Get a point guard and a minor trade for 3 spot defender. The right defender could get us 50-55 wins, but make us a tougher team in the playoffs.

Moderate Approach:
Get a point guard, upgrade the 3, and trade Kwame and a package for Gasol. Kwame's trade would be a good business decision if we have no plans to sign an extention with him. This team could win 54-58 games but could jell by the playoffs and be hard to eliminate.

Liberal approach:
Get a point guard, and trade Odom and a package for JO or KG

Ultra liberal approach:
Trade Kobe and keep everyone else. Rebuild from scratch. Kobe haters would be dancing in the streets. They would quit coming to this blog and follow Kobe to hate on him wherever he goes.

A "moderate" approach is what I would like to see, but I get the feeling a "conservative" approach is what Jim Buss will do. It wil produce a good regular season if we stay healthy, but we would have to get on our knees and pray if we hope to advance in the playoffs.

Remember next year the west will have the Spurs, Mavs, Suns, Utes, Houston, and possibly Denver and GS very strong. That's seven competitive teams for the Lakers to fight. We must improve remarkably if we want to make the playoffs and contend. Playoff seeding doesn't seem to have any advantages anymore in the west. A veteran team will be a must if you want to go far.

Fatty

I just saw Ford's mock draft. It's funny the exact 3 players I like after Oden and Durant (Brewer, Yi, and Conley) were listed in the 3,4,5 spots. Even worse though is that the 3 guys I wanted the Lakers to get (Thaddeus Young, Nick Young, Rodney Stuckey) all go off the board right before the Lakers pick. Especially Stuckey who I thought was my super secret pick that would be there for the Lakers to take for sure. It seems as deep as this draft is....things start getting pretty shallow right around the 18th pick....right before the Lakers.

Korey,
I only saw Jarvis play once, so I don't know....but I wasn't too impressed. Then again, I only saw one game.

Tom,
Good points about the stacked West. For 1.3 seconds my eyes lit up not seeing Memphis in, and seeing Atl in the top 3. Until at 1.7 seconds when I realized Oden and Durant were coming out West. Well, I guess at least we can see them play more? Portland has a scary young nucleus. People leave out Sergio Rodriguez...but that Euro got some game too.
But Tom, please refrain from making comments about Luke Walton trying to guard Durant, ...it will give me nightmares.

Wow,
Love that team.....but it can't happen. I think Al Jefferson is close to untouchable at this point. I believe Danny Ainge considers him as the focal point of their rebuilding.

Mich H,
That team does look appealing. Obviously that team will be a force offensively...and great fun to watch as well...., but I think it might be too weak defensively, especially with soft immobile Cwebb manning the middle.
I think Cwebb is best coming off the bench at this point in his career....now if we had a somewhat decent C that could play some defense...then that'd be real interesting.

Oh I forgot to add....another great moment in the draft was the squeals of pain on the faces of the Celtic fans when they got the #5 pick, haha just priceless.
Honestly, serves them right.....it seemed blatantly obvious the Celts were tanking the season...you know it when Pierce, who has always played through injuries basically sits all year, they leave DOC RIVERS as their coach, and then it got real bad when you started seeing Danny Ainge at OSU games.
Thats Karma for you Ainge!

WOW, Seriously the West just got 100X more challenging. I'm usually not a GHE person, but i gotta admit, we're stuck between a rock and a hard place....

Do we trade Bynum in order to bring some help NOW and risk not having a future core....

Or, do we keep him and hope KG opts out?

Thankfully, I'm not a GM. I just hope the organization knows what they're doing

man... i'm so worry about the lakers for next season if we don't make any big trade. work those phone. someone.. please....

Let's hope Phoenix beats us in the "Artest sweepstakes"

I can't think of another team I'd rather see follow the Pacers and the Kings out of playoff contention when Ron-Ron's me first attitude destroys their locker room chemistry and has them at each others' throats.

Go Suns! "Beat" us in getting the human cancer! And give up Marion in the process - lol!!!!

Laker Tom,

Only problem I feel with that lineup is that Kobe might be upset that he will have to continue to do all the shooting.

Which i know he's not going to object.

But we still need sometype of low post game on the offensive side. I know Lamar Odom said at his exit interview that they want him to score more in the post.

Maybe your theory could be what the Lakers are thinking. Just clearing up the 1 and 3 position and seeing how Bynumolokandi progress.

WHAT TO DO WITH THOSE PICKS...

Maybe (or probably) the smartest thing I've ever heard from kupchak is when he admitted that he isn't exactly excited about the Lakers having a bunch of rookies... again. The Lakers have 3 picks in this draft. Hypothetically, that would be 3 new guys that are not only learning the now infamous triangle, but also simultaneously trying to adapt to the NBA game. Kobe was clear when he said he wants to win now, a goal which would not be helped by another year of developing players. And you can't play every season "developing" players. When does the development end, and the winning begin?

I have come to the conclusion that, at most, the Lakers should use one of these picks. 2, or all 3, should be used in attempt to get established players. The possibilities are out there. There are some teams with no picks, and the Lakers could use there surpluss of picks to try and get a useful, effective piece.

If the Lakers use their picks, specifically their first round pick (#19), there seem to be indications that there will still be some very good, high-quality players still up on the board. Some rumored examples:

Acie Law III (PG) - I've seen him in mock drafts going anywhere from as high as #10, to as low as #20, falling within the Lakers first round range. Question: Is he the future? If he is, having Farmar around is pointless, so what do the Lakers do with him?

Arron Afflalo (SG/SF) - I've seen him in mocks going as early as the late first round. Suprisingly, this seems to be the minority. The majority seem to have him going in the early, or even middle of the second round. He could back up Kobe, or possibly play some SF. He is solid, Pac-10 Player of the Year, and though not seemingly great at anything, he seems to be good at everything. He also has a fire to win that just can not be taught. Perfect for a Laker team with lackluster enthusiasm, to say the least.

These are just a couple of possible picks. However, I have to restate that if they are picked with the idea of them being key pieces in the championship puzzle, the Lakers have to take yet another year grooming the future. Is it worth another year of waiting?

I would prefer picking up established NBA players. Am I the only one who sees the massive benefits possible from signing Gerald Wallace? I feel that he is very attainable, if the Lakers really want him.

PG - Farmar
SG - Kobe
SF - Wallace
PF - Odom
C - Bynum

Bynum has to start at some point. Giving him a year to develop and make mistakes, he'll be ready for the playoffs. Same goes for Farmar. Some things you can learn from words. Others you can only learn under fire.
CALI KING

Aloha Tom

Ya Im a L.A refuge living on the Big island. Its a hard life but someone has to do it. Got to disagree with you on Lewis. The guy is way better then Vlade he is a mobile six ten that has an outside J and can take it to the hole almost as well as Lamar. I believe artest is a more realistic expectation but if I had my choice I would go with Lewis. Artest biggest flaw as a player is he thinks he has an outside J and he really doesnt. While Lewis would flourish with Kobe and Lamar kicking to him. As far as Watson is concerned, he is unspectacular but plays solid D, and distributes the rock. Would I rather have Andre Miller or Mo williams. Absolutely. Can we get one of those guys and someone of Rashards ability? No. So I look at Watson as a big upgrade over smush and can start while Jordon learns. I really think it will not be more then 2 years because Jordon just has that intangable you see in great players. He has real passion and desire and I believe he will be a very good PG in a couple of years. As far as who we can get, I really think the draft lottery helped us if we are going to move Andrew. I suspect Mitch will be answering more calls then he makes now. Could be good news for the purple and gold. Reguardless I will be there when the Lakers train here. I guess they will play
golden state twice, which should be a blast.

wiZo

Weave man had a solid suggestion. Micki Moore will be mid leval material. Solid D, hustle and boards. With Kobe, Lamar and Lewis we wouldnt need more then that.

Interesting article:

http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_22021.shtml

"Laker fans interested in Gasol? Root for Memphis to draft third or fourth."

"Laker fans do not want to see the Wolves win a top three pick. The same goes for most teams in the Western Conference like the Seattle SuperSonics, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers. The competition in the West is tough enough as is it."

HAHA.

CALI KING

Fatty,

The Ultra Liberal Approach is the psychopathic point of view. lol! Trade Kobe to another group of scrubs, then the only thing remaining Laker fans/bloggers by that time will be KL and Gunner24 .... j/k only ok.

I totally agree with your analysis but what I am perplexed is that our bright boys seemed to think we are the "juggler" that is holding key pieces in Bynum or Lamar or Walton hahaha! these are ordinary and upcoming stars. It does not make us the center of discussions not comparable to top two draft picks or offering Super F/As. If you want teams to get excited with the Lakers "trade Kobe", then they will be offering you the mannas from heaven plus their future 1st rd draft picks. Only Jim Buss dumdum policy can foresee that this event could happen.

If I were Dr. Jerry Buss, I would really be worried with the situations:

1. The Western Conference became very tough Oden and Durant coming to the West;
2. I have no good pieces to trade except my lone Superstar
3. I'm over salary cap and would eventually max the luxury treshold when I resign Walton and Mihm
4. I have two stawarts who have been useless so far in the eyes of the fans and also in their media portrayals
5. How can I get out or improve from the 7th seed karma when high paying fans are ecoming restive? Lakers could be dislodged by Sonics, Blazers and Warriors.

So again I pause this question: In this blog, we thought highly of our players as good trade values. Are there any teams out there excited with our laker players?

Why not make a trade for Antonio Mcdyes or Kurt Thomas - remember, Thomas was the leading scorer during his Knicks days, and he has shown that he still got it in the SPURS-SUNS series. This would greatly improve our defense inside as well as athleticism. Plus we wouldn't move so much of our core personnel and young players. And Use MLE for MO Pete.

Our Starting five would be.

1 = MO
2 = KB24
3 = MO Evans
4 = LO
5 = Thomas

That's a versatile and defense oriented lineup with the the ability to put the ball in the floor and run as well.

Its amazing to me to hear so many people have such a definite answer on Bynum, whether positive or negative. Everything regarding Bynum is potential, if the Lakers keep him its going to be because they believe in his potential; that he is going to be a good player, if another team is interested in and makes a trade for him its going to be because they believe in his potential; that he is going to be a good player.

So my question is: If the Lakers don't know what Bynum is going to be and if all the other teams don't know what Bynum is going to be, then how do so many people in this know? It just doesn't make any sense.

The fact is, right now, Bynum is a seven foot two hundred and eighty pound question mark dripping with potential. Bynum hasn't been in the league long enough for anyone to know the player he is going to be.

I for one believe in his potential, I believe that he is going to build on the positive steps he has taken, and I believe in the teachings of kareem.

That belief is based in the fact that he is a Laker, and I always believe in my Lakers.

Here's my trade proposal that makes sense.

Trade Radman for Jamal Magloire. These two has identical salary.

Portland will get a shooter in radman to compliment ODEN, ROy, ALdridge.

LAKERS will get a Big man who is a decent defender and knows how to score and rebound. Magloire is a 10-10 carrer player.

Trade Kwame, COOK plus first 19th pick for Rashard Lewis.

Seattle will get a defensive center in Kwame and a shooter in COOK and the 19th pick.

Lakers will get Lewis to play the 3 spot which we desperate need to upgrade

Our Starting lineup would be:

1 = Farmar
2 = KB24
3 = Lewis
4 = LO
5 = Magloire

Now, that is a formidable lineup. One that can challenge San Antonio's size, and run with the SUNS. And the defense at the 1, 3, and 5 is considerably better.

The Western Conference gets even more stacked. The importance for the Lakers to improve our roster gets bigger. And more difficult. Damn, can't our management get things done?

Well well well .....i watched the blog over the last 2 days and alot of good trades came up and i also kept an eye out on the draft lottery and the biggest winner besides portland and seatle was ATLANTA.....not because its the number 3 pick but because they dont need to hand that pick over to the suns.....I would like to see the lakers deal with the hawks....they need a centre and they have some really nice players ....chilldress...jonhson...smith...williams and the 3RD pick.....work the phones BOYS......lets get it under way already...........by the way the season may have ended for the lakers but this blog is on FIRE.....everyday the amount of input is great....i cant wait for the season to end come on spurs and rap it up .......

How about Bynum, Brown, VRad, Cook, Vujacic & 2007 1st round pick for Oneal, Daniels, Marshal & Greene? Then Walton & Evans for Artest. Draft(2nd round) the best players then sign someone good(no more Divac or Mckie!) for the MLE. Mo Williams?

The 2007 LA Lakers

O'neal - Mihm
Odom - Turiaf
Artest - Marshall
Bryant - Daniels
Williams - Farmar - Greene

Imagine our first five against the West's best, San Antonio, Phoenix, Dallas, Utah & Houston

O'neal vs Duncan vs Stoudamire vs Dampier vs Boozer vs Yao
Odom vs Oberto vs Marion vs Howard vs Okur vs Hayes
Artest vs Ginobili vs Diaw vs Nowitzki vs Harpring vs TMac
Bryant vs Bowen vs Bell vs George vs Kirilenko vs Battier
Williams vs Parker vs Nash vs Terry vs Williams vs Alston

I hate the salary cap.

LA should be allowed to trade for Garnet or anyone they want straight up. I hate the salary matching rule. That is what screwed us in the first place, since we had to take Brian Grant's contract.

I hope this years draft players are busts.

Fatty,
Your "Ultra Liberal Approach" was hilarious! It's almost worth trading Kobe just to get these haters out of here.

Jay Jay,
WE NEED ARTEST ASAP!

greek dude:
I wouldn't trade Kwame & Bynum for KG without a plan for a center, unless KG can play the 5. I would never go with a plan that includes Mihm as our starting center. I also would rather see how Bynum progresses next year and get KG for nothing (FA) than gut our team for a player that doesn't guard centers and would rather shoot outside than dominate down low.

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I will agree with Laker Tom on this one. Yesterday I posted a similar approach which I think the Lakers will be following, due to the conservative trades theyve made the last couple of years.

But I really think if the Lakers stick with Bynum, upgrade the PG and SF position, it will be something like a 2 part plan, they are setting the table to get KG as a free agent next year. If I was KB, i would be calling KG and telling what is up. Either are you comming via a trade or as a FA. If he wants to come this year via trade, i hope KG can twist the arm of McHale and hope he doesnt cripple our team and leaves us with KG/KB and a bunch of fillers.

Lets say this conservative approach does happen, it is imperative that the lakers go out and sign or trade for 1 or 2 veterans players, players such as McDysse, Webber, Hill, etc. People that will not cost much and give us valuable minutes and can guide our young players.

So, in essense, if we do get a solid point guard like Mo Wiiliams or perhaps Steve Blake, trade for Artest, sign Mihn for one year, sign and/or trade for 1 maybe 2 veterans, and if God willing, we stay healthy, we'll be a tough team to beat. Add KG to the mix next year for MLE or vet minimum, and you have a championship team.

Guys keep the hope alive, summer is just starting. Hope is the last thing you loose. There are multiples scenarios the team may go, some more realistic than others. But who knows, anything can happen.

Go Lakers!

All of you who dislike Bynum are too short sighted. You only see what he was this past season, which is a 19 year old kid still growing muscles who barely played in high school and barely played his first year as a pro.

Bynum made tremendous strides as a player this year - pretty good for a boy playing among men. He needs to get stronger and quicker...which he will. But rarely does a big man come along with his hands, wingspan, and overall coordination. Once he grows into his body he should be a monster.

The only negative on Bynum IMHO is the mental aspect: he often times doesn't show enough heart and determination. Is that permanent or just the result of still being a kid and being overwhelmed? I don't know. I don't think anyone does.

Don't you guys remember how bad Kobe Bryant was his first three years in the league? And that was a guy who wanted to be a pro from the minute he was born.

The worst mistake the Lakers could make would be to give up on Bynum now. They have to recognize that he's gonna take at least one more year to develop, maybe two. But then he could be the big man for another 10-13 years.

BTW, whatever team drafted Jermaine O'Neal but then didn't have the patience to let him develop must still be kicking themselves. Let's hope the Lakers don't make that same mistake.

Lakers need to trade Brown and Bynum to Memphis for Gasol (possibly get Damon Stoudamire involved maybe with Maurice Evans). Now that Memphis won't be able to tell Gasol that they'll have Oden to play with him he'll want out. They can have Bynum instead and build with him as their big man.

Get Artest from Sacramento for Luke (sign and trade) and Cook (or Radmanovic and Cook) and possibly our first round pick.

New Lakers lineup:

Stoudamire, Farmar,
Bryant, Vujacic, #40 pick
Artest, Luke (or Radmanovic)
Odom, Turiaf, #48 pick
Gasol, Mihm

wow,

Thanks for noticing one of my few, and far between witty moments. LOL. I do see what you're saying about Pierce. The main problem with bringing him in though is his contract. If memory serves, he just signed a pretty big extension with the Celtics, and his money plus Kobe's would kill our cap.

MH,

You're right, Lewis is more of a true 3. Could you imagine teams trying to deal with 2 near 7 footers that can handle the ball, post up, and shoot the 3!!!!! I know it probably won't happen, but if it did we would be INCREDIBLE!!!!

PS: We deserve the seats next to Jack, and Snoop. Mitch can sit with Billy Crystal until he's ready to come to the "big boy" section.

gunner24,

First of all, you're just a complete idiot. I can tell by your posting that you are studying to get your GED. Because of your poor spelling and juvenile
grammer your new name should be grammer24, because you should be spending your time learning english before trying to be witty with your
ignorant and moronical views. Come back grammer24

I was hoping someone could post the link or the actual comments that Kurt Rambis made about Jim Buss.

Also, any word on whether Kurt or B-Knuckle will be head-coaches elsewhere next season? I hope we don't lose them. Phil is getting older and needs good assitants to help run the show.

So is Zach Randolph going to be given away now, on second thought probably not, Kevin Pritchard is a very smart guy. I like where Portland is going, this makes this offseason more important than ever. Its going to be fun.

Eddie, "I was hoping someone could post the link or the actual comments that Kurt Rambis made about Jim Buss"
Here's the link:
http://207.58.158.234/kurt-rambis-slams-jim-buss-on-klac-am-radio-roggin-simers-squared-12911.php

Laker Seth

The team that traded Jermaine away was the Portland Trailblazers.

I think some of the trade ideas have been way far fetched. No one wants to help or give to the Lakers and unless Kevin Garnett ends his career long silence, he is not coming to Lakerland.

I think the Artest idea is a legitimate wish but of course it comes with the risk that one day he says I don't want to play basketball anymore. However we are desperate at this time and last night's draft lottery did not help other than Phoenix not getting stronger.
The West just got more loaded.

I think we need to look at what genuine tradeable assets that we have.
I only see 3 assets that can be the base of a deal.

1. Lamar Odom
2. Andrew Bynum
3. Kwame Brown's expiring contract.

That's it.
I think our draft pick, Jordan Farmar, Radmonovic, and Luke Walton are
simply throw in's to a big deal involving one of the 3 above.
The question is do we make 2 deals or 1 big deal.
Can we not have to combine the 3 assets to get what we want or will we have to?
KG is someone worth combining the 3 assets for.
Gasol and Jermaine O'Neal are kinda worth combining Lamar Odom and 1 of the 2 other assets.
The question is can Mitch just give up Kwame and Bynum for the big we want or give up 1 of the 3 assets and 1 of those throw-in's not named Luke Walton????

We need more than just the big deal. We need a mental facelift. We need vets who are tough.
The Lakers should look at free agents to replace roster spots and bring in some veterans and mental toughness.
Get the too, old, loser or no courage mentalities out of here (Smush, Sasha, Cook, McKie, Shammond, Kwame, and Bynum.)
We need 2 of those below if not 3 of them.

I like the following and ALL are FREE AGENTS:
Steve Blake
Corliss Williamson
Grant Hill
Jerry Stackhouse
Dikembe Mutombo
Matt Barnes
Mickeal Pietrus
Melvin Ely
Jamaal Magloire
Desmond Mason

All are free agents. Let's roll Mitch or get JWest in here to consult.
As fans, we can't let Jim Buss ruin our team. JIM BUSS will make us the current Celtics and Kobe will opt out and go be a Chicago Bull in summer 2009.

Dice,
We wouldn't need to trade for Magloire. He's an unrestricted free agent who we could sign for the vet's minimum to come off the bench.

I am definitely on board with going after Gerald Wallace (as long as we don't include Kwame in the package, Jordan would need to be admitted to a looney bin if he took him back).

If we can find a way to trade up for Corey Brewer, I would say the Lakers make that deal if it's available.

Jay El,

"So is Zach Randolph going to be given away now, on second thought probably not, Kevin Pritchard is a very smart guy."

I think they'll definitely try to move him, because Randolph can't possibly part of the long term picture. Obviously, they'll try to get the most they can, but they've got such a good young core in Roy-Aldridge-(presumably)Oden- who are actually solid kids on top of being talented- that I think they can afford to move Randolph for what appears to be 50 cents on the dollar, because in the long run, it's worth it for what that move to can to help remove that "Jailblazer" stigma. Plus, it allows them to develop the core without worrying about keeping Randolph happy. Even if the best they get for him are some role player vets who provide a nice mentoring presence, I think that's a good move.

I wouldn't be shocked if they move hard to buy out Darius Miles, too, since he's basically impossible to trade.

AK

It's too bad we messed up the Jason Kidd deal cause Kidd, Odom, Kobe is probably better than Kobe - Jermaine O'Neal and Kobe - Gasol
however oh well.
We have to work with what we have.

Getting Artest as a last resort is better than nothing and hopefully we can get Steve Blake too cause Artest is a BALL STOPPER ALSO. His passing is not consistent.

It's just time to get some moves right.

We should have Tayshaun Prince today if we had not picked the wrong guy when we moved up in that draft 4-5 yrs ago.
Prince was draft slots after we picked Kareem Rush.
I won't mention Josh Howard.
We just have not added much since Phil and Jerry West started unloading the Elden Campbell's, Eddie Jones, and Ruben Patterson's for Glen Rice and nothing. Phil is personally responsible for the KWAME BROWN for CARON BUTLER hoax. He called Mike Jordan and asked about Kwame and he wanted to balance the size of the team. Phil did not know he turned in a large heart for a small one regardless of the bodies.
No one jumps Phil about that advise he gave his boy Kupcake on that move.

The clock is ticking cause Kobe will bolt in 2 summers and we'll be in hell otherwise with Jim Buss.

Venting Laker fan!!!

Ramses,
Actually, it's spelled "grammar". FYI.

Wow, what a crazy draft lottery. I know that most of you will hate me for saying this, but I am sooooo glad that the Sonics got a top two pick. Since I've been living here, I've got a lot of friends who are Seattle fans and they are totally, totally stoked.

Plus, this means that the Sonics are that much less likely to move out of the area. It could really revitalize their franchise. Same thing with the Blazers. Man, they are going to be really good in a few years. Now they just need to get rid of Z-Bo and Miles.

AK, yeah and also people forget about Martel Webster and Outlaw, although I don't think they are spectacular players but one or the other certainly can be thrown in with Zach Randolph and get a really nice return, wow, and Randolph and Webster/outlaw would not be a very bad thing to bring in either. Wait, don't they have Fred Jones too? Wow.

Darius Miles... ... ... ...LOL

generic_one, its weird I was watching the draft and when the Sonics got the pick I actually remembered you from our discussion about Rashard Lewis. The power of the blog,

its actually really funny when you start thinking about some random person in Seattle "oh Sonics got the second pick...I bet Generic_One (since thats your name apparently LOL) is excited right now, wait, they is a two hour time zone difference..." LOL

Exhelodrv,"Ramses,Actually, it's spelled "grammar". FYI."
Ex, Cold brother, very cold LOL

Jay El,

Oh, yeah, for sure. Webster and Outlaw (along with Jarret Jack and Ime Udoka, if they keep him) are all solid role players. They've got a nice foundation, which is why I think they can afford to trade Randolph even if it isn't for true "equal value." Much of the value comes in addition by subtraction, both with image and practicality.

Miles, however, is REALLY tough to move. haha

AK

wow, that draft lotto was crazy! Does this alter the Laker plans? I mean... does Kwame stay now and Bynum goes? Is Mihm out? Is Paul Pierce in play now? It would seem Zach Randolph would be the odd man out. Does Memphis say hell with it and dump Gasol for youth and picks? What about Atlanta? Does this put some of their young players in play? What about Minnestota and Charlotte? Do they trade their picks now which would put other people in play? Wow! Did ANYBODY expect Portland and Seattle to end up with the top 2 picks??? This would seem to alter pretty much everybody's plan. Now if the Lakers could get Artest without giving up Kwame or Bynum... say Walton + Cook? and high 2nd round draft pick? Hey... we'll throw in Sasha along with a free car wash... Odom and his larger contract would open up possibilities like new PG, Kobe, Artest, (Gasol or Z. Randolph?? or ???), Kwame/Mihm? or free agent pickup? What about Indiana? Do they go for an Odom/Bynum/our 1st round pick? and filler package if we can get Artest? I'm thinking they would probably want Turiaf as well though if we still have Cook and they REALLY want him... When this is over, we may not have a first round draft pick for the next 2-3 years! LOL!

PG - new vet/Farmar
SG - Kobe/Mo Evans
SF - Artest/
PF - Jermaine O'Neal or Gasol?/Turiaf? or would we have to give him up in trade?
C - Kwame/backup? or Mihm? and ?

If you want Phil to stay as coach you will need SIZE! SIZE! SIZE! otherwise... or hey... maybe nothing happens... LOL! Wow! I bet there are 20 players out there people can come up with logical reasons for the Lakers to trade for them now... but if Portland handles this correctly, they are going to be awesome.

I think we should make a move on Maglore, he is a decent center and wont be needed by Portland anymore.

NOT Zach Randolph, that guy is soft and not worthy of the Lakers, also am I the only one who thinks he looks like the guy who played "Eddie" on the sitcom "Family Matters"? To me hes a dead ringer.

Perhaps we could get Nick Collison, and Earl Watson frm Seattle. Also a good improvement and something that is actually feasible.

No way will we EVER get KG in a trade, Mchale is a former Celtic who hates the Lakers and will NEVER make that trade, so ANYONE WHO TALKS KG TRADE PUT DOWN THE PIPE IT AINT GONNA HAPPEN.

tHE ONLY CHANCE FOR kg IS WHEN HE OPTS OUT AND GOES FREE AGENT.

Jay El: You know what was funny? It was pretty nice outside yesterday so we had our front door open and you could hear a few screams of joy when Atlanta got #3 because the fans knew they were going to get Durant or Oden. That was followed by one guy going "DOH!" when they got the #2. Still though, my roommates were stoked. If Seattle re-signs Lewis? Dude, that's going to be a crazy lineup with Jesus Shuttlesworth, Durant, and Shard.

PG: Ridnour
SG: Ray Ray
SF: Durant
PF: Shard
C: Wilcox

With more and more teams switching to small ball, that's definitely a team that can make the playoffs.

Michael H,

The odds of Seattle taking back Vlad strike me as very low. Aside from Vlad's terrible '06-'07, they didn't part on great terms. Vlad had complained about them lowballing him with a long-term offer, so he took a one-year tender and set himself up to be an unrestricted FA, which led to Seattle eventually trading him to the Clips.

The irony is that Seattle offered him more than the MLE he ended up getting with the Lakers. I hope Vlad's happy in L.A., because he cost himself a decent chunk of change. I remember watching that situation in Seattle and saying, "What the hell is Radmanovic thinking?"

AK

AK, yeah I remember the same situation thinking "who the hell is Radmanovic" LOL

Generic_one, so your pretty excited, I am a huge Laker fan, but even bigger NBA fan so I love to see what other teams are doing, and this draft definitely makes both Portland and Seattle, ironically two places that seemed to be in trouble, very intriguing teams

We're #1, we're #1. No wait I mean we're number #11, we're #11. Hopefully future drafts will be as good as this one because if the lakers do not do anything we will be throwing Donald Sterling white parties for future draft nights.

Well at least we have the future, Bynum. We will be able to see him grow and mature and be dominated by Oden for the next 12 to 15 years.

I really enjoy reading all the scenarios. But please please please! Can we stop mentioning one name when talking about next years team: Mihm

Chris Mihm has never been very good. Foul trouble every game, no reliable shot and not a great rebounder. Kwame, for all his issues, is a much better option for us. Please let them move/cut/trade Mihm.

And watch out what you ask for. RLewis is a very good player, but beware of the good player on a bad team: He can do what he wants and his numbers are padded. I'd love to have him, but not as our "main trade move". If we get him, we need another big name as well.

Take care.

Tom, wiZO:
Realize, Crittendon played on a team that was just two players: Him & Thaddeus Young. Everybody else were just pretty weak.

Plus Crittendon is pretty young. I havent heard him talk much or any interviews so the real test will be when the Lakers bring him in for workouts or how he performs at Draft Camp.

In terms of skill and athletic ability, Crittendon is as talented as they come... IN terms of mentals? Well, i dont know yet. Is it youth that gets him in trouble or knuckle-headedness? HOw's his coachability?

Those are questions for Mitch & Jim Buss!!!

Mamba24,

i downloaded the audio clip from the link that you've posted..

Kurt Rambis basically said about the trade rumors that he have been hearing was sorta unrealistic. Blockbuster trade won't really be realistic but probably they're gonna have some upgrade on the role players. players that would do their job. He also gave comments on Jim Buss saying that when Jim told the media that Phil doesn't know how to work with the young players, Kurt said that he Jim doesn't know what he's talking about. They(coaching staff) are working with their younger players consistently on a daily basis, and that Jim wouldn't know this because he was never practices.

Jim Buss gave some words to Jeanie. Jeanie responded back and now Kurt Rambis gave Jim somethin too.LakerFam, we got a lil somethin somethin goin on with the Laker Front Office.

Jerry Buss, here's what you gotta do:
Wake up to your senses and..
Fire GM Mitch Kupchak
Strip Jim Buss of administrative-gm-like-powers
Take a risk of paying those luxury taxes cos WE, LAKER FANS, are
SICK of LOSING!!!!

Brylle

Landis,
"Chris Mihm has never been very good. Foul trouble every game, no reliable shot and not a great rebounder. Kwame, for all his issues, is a much better option for us. Please let them move/cut/trade Mihm."

Not sure what games you were watching. When healthy, Mihm is a better all-around player than Kwame, and because of questions re his ankle, he is likely to be relatively cheap, which makes him a great addition to the roster. (Again, assuming that the ankle is expected to be OK.)

Remember, you CAN'T separate the salary from the player when filling a roster.

Jay El: Yeah, pretty excited. I mean, I've been rooting for the Lakers since the late 80's, but one of the biggest reasons that I was stoked about moving to Seattle after living in Southern Oregon for three years was that I'd be back in an NBA town. With the prospect of them moving to Oklahoma, I was pretty bummed, but now? It's a lot more possible for them to stick around and I'll get to see the Lakers play in person twice a year. Plus, yeah, those two teams really needed something like this.

I don't understand how people think Memphis will be looking to dump Gasol for expiring contracts and picks. The guy is a 26 year-old All-Star center. Those are hard to come by. His contract is actually really good compared to others at the same position, and every franchise looks for players to spend their "franchise" money on. Gasol is that guy for Memphis.

It does no good for a team to continually trade guys for picks and expiring deals.

Randolph definitely seems like the most likely big name to get dealt this offseason, and I for one think the Lakers should be in the running for that one.

The Lakers also better take this as a wake-up call, because Portland just leaped over them as a better team.

Lands:

"Chris Mihm has never been very good. Foul trouble every game, no reliable shot and not a great rebounder. Kwame, for all his issues, is a much better option for us. Please let them move/cut/trade Mihm."

I'd have to respectfully disagree. He has a much better shot than Kwame and while lacking a bit in help defense, his one on one defense isn't that bad. For the money he'll likely make next season, he'll be one of the better options available to us in adding depth to the frontcourt. During his time here, Mihm has actually averaged better numbers than Kwame across the board (points, blocks, rebounds, offensive rebounds, turnovers, free throw %) except for field goal percentage and players fouled.

Andrew Z, what about Odom/Bynum/1st round pick for Gasol? I haven't checked salaries, maybe we toss in somebody else, Turiaf or Sasha? Memphis gets a young big (Bynum), Odom - a high quality presence to mentor Rudy Gay and they have a couple of 1st round draft picks to play with... the Lakers keep Kwame at Center so Gasol can play PF...

BTW, feel free to rip my trade scenarios... it's still to early, we are all probably missing several trade ideas...

Andrew Z,

im goin for gasol anytime..plus gasol said he wants out

Here is a quote from Laker legend and smartest man in basketball, Jerry West.

"There have been a lot of picks in the lottery that have (failed). There are two in the lottery this year that are not going to fail. There are two superstars in the draft. I think for the teams fortunate enough to get them, the fortunes of their franchises have changed forever."

Laker translation-Mavericks,Suns,Pistons and Spurs are dominant forces now. Add to that the Sonics and Blazers in the (near) future.

TaosHum

OK, I will. Trading both Odom AND Bynum and keeping Kwame?? Seriously, if Mitch does that he should be forced to eat his own intestines. We're going to give up a versatile matchup nightmare with heart AND a promising young center for another young center, and NOT ditch the underachieving dude with small hands of stone??

Exactly how does this make us better?

Jim Buss:

If he never goes to practice as Rambis says, then what is his source for "Phil doesn't know how to develope young players"?

Outside of watching games, could he be reading the blog? Or does someone screen the blog for him, deleting all the "Jim Buss is a dufuss" comments.

Next, is Rambis on his way out? I know for sure I would not say something bad about my boss in public. Even if it was true, unless I had permission to do so.

What happened at the big meeting last week between Jim and Dr. Buss, Phil and Mitch?(sounds like a Paul Mcartney song) Has anybody heard anything? Phil's future with the Lakers was on the agenda.

Oden invited to participate with the Olympic team. But not Kid Bynum? I guess he's not as good as some of us think.

Fatty

Gasol says he want's out. That's why he might be available for expiring contracts.

Never say never, but I doubt Portland is going anywhere with a team of kids. The NBA has changed but there's never been an under 24 year old average player dynasty. Now if Kidd were to end his career in Portland that would be interesting in the short run.

Portland drafted JO and moved him to the East where he was able to step up as most decent big men do in the East. The old expression, "it stinks from the top" applies to the Portland front office, so i'm sure they'll find a way to botch this.

Seattle has possiblities but Minnesota doesn't and I doubt Golden State can repeat the trick. Like Yao and TMac, Baron hasn't got the body for the NBA season.

Still and all, the conversations are not about the Lakers, the team that started and ended all NBA discussions not too many years ago. We may be back hoping for our players to overachieve for one more year.

Bynum is worth more as trade bait than he'll ever be as a player but that window would close with another year of half hearted play. JO is an East big that's too expensive and KG would deplete the roster unless he came for something reasonable after next year (though I'd take him under any circumstances). In the end, the salary cap wins. It discourages ring chasing vets.

With Artest as the best option, Mitch can't be sleeping very well. No matter what, for now Kobe will keep it entertaining and that's what makes him the MVCommodity.

These are exciting times, my friends. How long will Kobe be great? Three years? Six years? Do the Lakers give up Bynum and his potential to try to win one or two championships in the next two or three years? Or do they gamble on Bynum's potential by keeping him to try and win two or three championships in three of Kobe's last years? The latter scenario would also require somebody having more patience than his young daughter.

The days to come will tell all...

Go Lakers!

Zach Randolph 13.3 mil

Where would he fit in our rotation?

Bynum/Mimm/Magloire?(sign with MLE)
Randolph/Ronny
Odom/Rad
Kobe/Mo
New guy point(trade Luke with sign and trade?)/Farmar/Sasha

He would be a nice scoring option, but his defense is suspect. Conditioning for sure. He rebounds well. He reminds me of a young A. Walker.

Kwame, Cookie for Randolph.

Fatty

TaosHum,

I'd be a little leary of giving up LO and Bynum in the same deal. The main reason is I don't think there is a player in the league right now that would make us a contender if we paired him with Kobe (even KG). We need three players at an All-Star level.

If we could get Gasol without giving up LO, I'd love where we stand.

I agree that's it definitely a bit too early to see how things work out, a lot of teams are going to move around in the draft and a few are going to look to move picks for veteran help. Hell, even Atlanta said they might move both #3 and #11 for veteran help because they don't need to get any younger.

A nice article on the Phoenix Suns and their options. One is to stop whinning, and get to work.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/columns/articles/0523bickley0523.html

Just trying to keep everyone informed on the Arizona Suns.

Fatty

I think most people here forget we already have a darn good team . If not for serious injuries right in the middle of the season we might have made it to the second round of the playoffs. We don't need that big of an overhaul to make a difference. If we can obtain Artest through a trade (but don't believe the hype about no one else wanting him I gurantee there are at least 2-3 other teams that want him too or get G.Wallace (injury prone, a la J. Oneal and might be to pricey), and sign Migloire. This alone gives us a damn solid team (baring injuries or possilble new cd releases...Ron Ron, I'm talking to you). With vets that can hold down the fort until KG opts out of his contract. And this allows us to still keep Odom, Bynum, and KB. Everyone must remember, KG is not stupid, he knows the easiest way to a NBA finals will be in the east, especially with Durant and Oden coming to the west now. We are only hoping (and praying) that KB is as tight with KG as we think he is because if he's not KG will not be be in purple and gold.

LOL! Yes!!! Keep Kwame! Who would've thought? If you look at the lineup (theoretical) you have:

PG: probably a vet SG Phil converts - say 12 pts/game and Farmar
SG: Kobe - 28 pts/game/Mo Evans
SF: Artest - 18-20 pts/game
PF: Gasol - 18-20+ pts/game
C: you don't need scoring at C with this lineup, you need D and Kwame is a tough defender, not the greatest shot blocker but he can block up the middle and provide good picks on offense for Kobe/Artest/Gasol to run off of.

Putting Kwame at C also frees up Gasol as far as expending energy on defense, you put Kwame on the Garnett's, the Duncan's, etc. Gasol is free to focus more on putting points on the board. Kobe benefits greatly from Gasol and Artest providing more of an offensive threat and also from Artests' defense. That's a tough team. Oh God... Michael T. is going to LOVE this post, isn't he! LOL!

AK/BK:

The Times has said precious little about the following and I was wondering if you had any morsels of info to feed our hungry minds--

1) How's Vlad's hand? Does he know if he'll have surgery? How's the shoulder?

2) How's Mihm's rehab coming along? How does he feel? How's the mobility? What's he working on?

3) Post-Odom surgery--Any news on the shoulder? The knee? Are we waiting on the knee until the shoulder's rehabbed?

4) And while we're at it, how's Walton? Will the ankle require surgery?

5) With all Kobe's dings, will he be getting any physical therapy or surgery in the off-season?

Or any other inside dirt you can tell us.

Marty, "the Times has said precious little "
You read my mind Marty i was thinking the same thing.

Add me to the Mo Peterson Bandwagon...what kind of money will he be needing ?.... is it realisitic?

EEEEEEEEEEX?????

I'm going to cry uncontrollably when we trade Lamar Odom for Zach Randolph. If we thought Smush or anybody else was bad for chemistry... Meanwhile, with LO, Roy, Aldridge, Oden, et al, the Blazers would be a real force.

This is going to be awful.

Mannie Jenkins, "I'm going to cry uncontrollably when we trade Lamar Odom",
Dry your eyes Mannie cause LO is not going anywhere. The only way LO
would possibly be traded is in some blockbuster trade and I don't consider
Ranolph a blockbuster.

Laker Seth,
"The only negative on Bynum IMHO is the mental aspect:"

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?

I'm still not convinced about trading Bynum and Odom. I just don't think Kwame has the mental toughness - forget the scoring. He's just not intense. He doesn't care if he wins or not. Bottom line, we're not going anywhere with him in the lineup, no matter who we have at the 4.

I say trade Manolitos de Piedros for Artest, sign a vet at the 1 for the MLE and sit tight (possibly bring in another rebounder/defender at the 4 if we can, but we've been trying to do that since forever). Roll next year, do some damage, and make this a place that KG wants to be. Let him come over for the MLE next summer and start the new dynasty.

Edwin,
"In this blog, we thought highly of our players as good trade values."

Not all of us.

Oops, sorry, being realistic again.

I meant to say, "Let's trade Vlade and Sasha for Ron Artest. And Kwame, Cook, and Evans for Gasol."

Mo Pete is washed Up, And the guy never had much to offer to begin with. Please do not sighn him.

IT's amazing to me how any of us can entertain the thought of acquiring Artest and Gasol and keeping Odom

or JO, Artest, and keep Odom.

It isn't going to happen.

We have to give up something to get something and it remains to be
seen if anybody is way excited about Lamar Odom who is not consistent, Andrew Bynum who is not even Chandler and Curry at this point by a long stretch, or Kwame Brown who has to be 100% healthy to be effective.

After the Wizards hoodwinked us, who thinks we're going to trick anyone. Not gonna happen.

We need to be on many doorsteps come free agent signing day and sell our program and the available minutes. Who's coming for under the mid-level is the question and how many will? Perhaps 2 guys will split it???

This current team crumbles in front of any adversity whether it be tight playoff series (see Phoenix 2006 and 2007) or injuries (see this season).

We need new minds as much as new physical talent around Lakerland.

"I'm going to cry uncontrollably when we trade Lamar Odom for Zach Randolph. If we thought Smush or anybody else was bad for chemistry... Meanwhile, with LO, Roy, Aldridge, Oden, et al, the Blazers would be a real force.

This is going to be awful. "

Wow...I can almost see that happening. Portland right now would be a perfect situation for Lamar...I'm not completely sure that they'd want him though. Even worse, the Lakers might be willing to throw in some earlier-expiring contracts for one of Portlands massive wasteland contracts.

No matter what Portland does, they're going to be a force. And they have lots of assets in the frontcourt to do something.

I would like to see the following happen for the Lakers: Trade Bynum for Jason Kidd. Resign Luke Walton. Get Jerry West to come back in some capacity. I also think the Lakers will trade their first round pick. Kupchak commented a while back that he didn't want to get any younger.

SBPimp, "Roll next year, do some damage, and make this a place that KG"
I'm on your bandwagon SB

Lakers: Monitoring the Fallout…

Article by Eric Pincus for HoopsWorld

http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_22052.shtml

Nothing new but a nice recap.

Tom

there's another thing though... Kwame knows next year is a "contract" year...

As far as trading with Memphis for Gasol or Indiana for O'Neal, put yourselves in their position. Like trading, Kwame/Cook/Mo Evans for Gasol??? If you were a Memphis fan and they pulled a trade like that??? Seems like other teams could offer a little more... Bynum would have to be the bait and then you have to match up salaries with either filler... like Vlade and Cook with draft pick(s), etc. or offer real value which is Odom. I looked up the salaries on RealGM, Bynum and Odom for Gasol works (with no draft pick) and quite frankly, shouldn't Gasol be playing PF anyway? not Center? So if we get rid of Kwame, we might end up with some craphound like Magloire as a free agent signing... I think I'd rather have Kwame...

Ex-

Ok, that Lincoln referance was perfect.

My coworkers glared at me for snorting...

lol Ex

Jeff,

"My coworkers glared at me for snorting..."

Hopefully you weren't drinking coffee at the time.

Laker Seth,
I don't think its that people dislike Bynum....I think most do like him. I think its more a matter of trying to win now while Kobe is in his prime. Its a tough decision no doubt, but its so hard to win a championship and trying to contend with Kobe gives us a good chance. The other issue is that its not much of a gamble if we were to get someone like Gasol...who is fairly young anyways. So yeah, there is a chance Bynum becomes a great C.....BUT there's also a chance he doesn't. There is a chance that Bynum never is better than Gasol or Jermaine....so I think the reasoning is, win now and trade Bynum while his value is very high.
Oh, and Kobe was pretty dang good his first 3 years. You could tell from his rookie year the guy was a special talent. Year 2 Kobe was good enough to be a starter but Del Harris purposely limited Kobe's mins so as not to disgruntle the veterans. And in year 3 Kobe averaged 20 pts. Not too shabby I think.

Michael H,
Ok, throw in someone like Mikki...and I'm digging that lineup. I really like Watson and he's the guy I wanted the Lakers to sign when he was a free agent. And I agree Lewis is more of a 3 and I think at this point Lamar is more of a 4. But that lineup would would cause a lot of mismatch problems.

Lakertom,
You bring up an interesting point about keeping Bynum to counter Oden. Which logically makes sense. My only concern is, IF Bynum can counter Oden. Bynum has the potential....but as of now its just potential. Of course we can say Bynum is only 19.....except Oden is also 19, yet he is far far ahead of Bynum in terms of development. Right now Oden will completely dominate Bynum and we can only hope Bynum catches up...which will be tough. In fact, will Bynum even ever be better than Gasol or Jermaine who are all stars? Maybe...but maybe not.

I think the bloggers have to understand that the ONLY reason we can trade Bynum for an all star C like Gasol or Jermaine is cuz they are disgruntled with their own teams, forcing their teams hand to trade them. If they were content, there's no way Memphis or Indy even considers trading these guys for Bynum/Kwame.

Korey,
My bad! I totally thought Javaris Crittenton was someone else. Ok, he's the GT pg, ok, that's actually a pretty good pick then.

Laker Seth,
"The only negative on Bynum IMHO is the mental aspect:"

When you're doing something that requires the intense althletic coordination of all of your limbs, your brain ought to be in on it.

Tex said it last summer, and after another season, Andrew has not shown the killer instinct which I don't think can be taught.

Still, if you're whistled everytime you get aggressive, one w