For those readers concerned Luke Walton was severely overpaid
July 5, 2007 | 10:16
am
This will hopefully ease your minds. While I sincerely congratulate Mr. Carroll on a hard-earned windfall, you can't tell me Walton isn't worth at least 500K more per season. ESPN's John Hollinger would agree.
Again, doesn't mean that 5 mil a season shouldn't sound staggering for a role player who may come off the bench. It just means that salaries are all relative in today's NBA.
-AK
Jeff & AK:
Just for the hell of it, here are my All-Entertainment Starting Five:
Gilbert Arenas
Kobe Bryant
Ron Artest
Joakim Noah
Shaq Daddy
Do I really need to explain any of these choices?
Posted by: generic_one | July 05, 2007 at 01:25 PM
Faith,
I agree about LO at the 3 and Ronny at the 4. Ronny's midrange shot is much more consistent than Lamar's and they both bring energy on D. Offensively, LO would be a mismatch for any 3 but I'm not sure that position would keep him off the 3 line.
If it's going to happen, this could be ROnny's breakout year. He's got skills, brains and intensity. He's been playing out of position for the most part. Too bad most of the trades we've been discussing would have him doing it again next year.
Posted by: Vman | July 05, 2007 at 01:27 PM
MESSAGE FOR LAKERTOMBOY, AK, AND PETE MAGUIRE
LAKERTOMBOY
“It’s almost as if we turned the clock back a year. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that it will last very long. KL and his various aliases have driven away many of the long time posters that made this blog the best place in the world for Lakers fans to meet and post.”
yada, yada, yada…..consider this, I get tired your crap too……..scroll down buddy, just scroll down. how about sticking your head in a hole and repeat over an over again “I love kobe, I love kobe”?
“Save us, AK or BK. Or lose us and the blog.”
are you going to ask yo mommy for lunch too? just face it, you all use names and all we, haters, do is point out the obvious………kobe’s is a selfish jerk who ruined the laker dynasty for selfish reason……….plain and simple as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. you going to ask AK and BK for a raise as well? BTW, you’re the one who started the lame “blacklist”. how’s that going? I'M STILL HERE!
AK
“No, you weren't ever close to getting banned. I just meant after that genius post, you just earned the blog equivalent of "diplomatic immunity." haha”
tell me the truth, am I close to getting banned?
PETE MAGUIRE
“The difference is this is a blog and we have to read through the posts here, whom are just blogging to see their name. It is childish to think they will change or take a look at their content and dissect it before sending it along, and then we reply to the stupidity thinking we can help their learning curve but they d not want to learn, so read past a few lines and ..y'know fogettabout it.”
speak for yourself Pete. I scan through your crap as well and it stinks just like mine………..forgetaboutit.
Posted by: KLBeast | July 05, 2007 at 01:32 PM
Mitchell,
Here is Charley Rosen's take and grade on Walton signing:
LUKE WALTON — LOS ANGELES LAKERS
This is a terrific re-signing for both Walton and the Lakers. For sure, Walton has developed into a dangerous 3-point shooter, and has also developed a semi-effective spin-and-fade move in the low post. But it's his passwork and high hoops IQ that makes him so valuable. More valuable, in fact, in the triangle offense than in any other game plan.
NBA watchers will recall the post-triangle careers of the likes of Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, and Luc Longley, all of whom could never duplicate their effectiveness elsewhere. The same is true of Walton. His skills are perfectly tailored for the triangle and would be much more marginal in any other system.
GRADE — A
-Charley Rosen
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/6990944?MSNHPHMA
(So maybe you should get over it)
Posted by: Violater | July 05, 2007 at 01:32 PM
J.C.,
I believe that the Darko trade can happen. I've stated that. I doubt that the Artest trade would happen simply because i doubt that the Maloofs would ever welcome a deal that could make the Lakers better. Nothing the Lakers would give them in return would make them better, so why would the give the Lakers somehting that would make the Lakers better?
You believe that they would do that, but doubt that Fisher would entertain the thought of returning to the Lakers????
Andrew Z,
So, let me get this straight. The Lakers are not going for Hill, Webber and the like because those are players you get when you need to get over the top? Instead the Lakers have several young players at those positions that need the playing time? However, by giving them the playing time, the team isn't improving? Therefore, the team is still not getting good enough to get a veteran player? Okay....does that make sense to you?
When the Lakers won those 3 titles, they swapped out several young players for several older ones and that got them over the top. Several believe that the Lakers were already close to a title before Phil came. I disagree. They were on course to be like Dallas, Phoenix, and Sacramento. Always close but not close enough. However, they brough in Harper, Green, Shaw, Grant, and even Salley, and made a champion with older players surrounding the young ones.
Posted by: JJ | July 05, 2007 at 01:36 PM
AK,
"I understand what you're saying about the money invested at SF, but keep in mind, Vlad also plays the 4 a lot as well. It's not like he's exclusively used as a 3"
And we wonder why we suck defensively. Vlad is supposed to guard the likes of duncan and zach randolf. Even Horry used to get killed on such assigments, ala when rasheed wallace used to abuse him, and horry is good defensively.
Staying on the defense issue, what sense does it make to have to subpar guys on defense at the same position. If guys have glaring liabilities, then you should look for diversity at that position. i.e. if your starter is great defensively, but sucks offensively, then you'd like to bring in someone off the bench to throw a different look out there should the defense key in on your starter.
"Honestly, the issue isn't really Walton's contract. It's Vlad's."
Umm yea but it should all be cumulative. If spent 100k on a car instead of buying a house, well I don't get to go to the bank and go oh give me another loan. Being practical would be to look for a much cheaper house or continue renting. By doing so I'll be able to climb out of the hole I dug for myself quicker. Like I said earlier I agree with you that Walton is worth 5mil, however I believe luke should have been a consequence of past bad decisions made by laker management, and absent of a trade to move vlad, then they've only made the situation worse.
Posted by: Taliq | July 05, 2007 at 01:36 PM
G1:
That's a stout lineup! I nominate Stephen Jackson for sixth man. Also, is it me, or do feel a little let down by Rasheed Wallace in this regard? He's got the tools: temper, irrationality, persecution complex, mouth, but he seems to limit his insanity to the court. He never gets it together for a quality real-life meltdown.
What a waste of potential. He's like the Derrick Coleman of dysfunction.
Posted by: The D | July 05, 2007 at 01:37 PM
Respect,
"they say the mammary is the second thing to go "
If the Buss is a-rockin' ...
BTW, every time I see your name, either "M-o-o-o-o-m-m-m" or "Screw you guys, I'm going home" pops into my head.
Posted by: exhelodrvr | July 05, 2007 at 01:39 PM
Violater,
"That may be true but the fact remains that yes he was resigning each year for only one year and pulling like 30 million per. That is a lot of dough even for Jordan"
Dude I was camped outside united center for 2 days and still didn't get regular season tickets in '98. On game nights waiting time at Jordans restaurant was 3 hours. Make no mistake, all of chicago loved jordan and still does. My sister doesn't follow any sports, but she'd stay up late just to watch the bulls. For you to say 30 mil per year was a lot even for jordan is ridiculous. In 98 there were debates about whether he was the most popular person in the entire world, but I'm not even going to go into that. Looking at how much money he generated for the bulls and the city of chicago alone, he was grossly underpaid.
Posted by: Taliq | July 05, 2007 at 01:43 PM
Violater,
Alright, I'll get over it for now.
But when Luke gets a minor ankle sprain that doesn't heal in three months, or when the opposition's main offensive strategy is to constantly attack Luke come playoff time, I'm going to be the first to remind you what a liability Luke is.
Posted by: Mitchell | July 05, 2007 at 01:43 PM
Generic-
Actually, I do have to question your including of Noah...
Posted by: Jeff | July 05, 2007 at 01:49 PM
I'm actually forced to disagree that Walton is a *much* better signing than Carroll. Carroll shoots a significantly better percentage from downtown and the charity stripe than Walton. Carroll also has a much higher PPG average than Walton, and it goes even higher when you throw out the worthless 16 games in 03-04 when he averaged four minutes per game.
Posted by: Joshua Hill | July 05, 2007 at 01:51 PM
We need to sign Matt Barnes. That would be our athletic small forward, who can also shoot the "3" and play some defense. I think we could get him for half of our MLE.
Posted by: X-Man | July 05, 2007 at 01:51 PM
The D:
Oh, god... how on earth could I forget Sheed? Okay, he's replacing Noah.
Jeff:
Have you seen some of his expressions? The dude is crazy. He plays with all heart, too. But, this is besides the point as D has just reminded me that my lineup was sorely lacking Sheed.
Posted by: generic_one | July 05, 2007 at 01:54 PM
The D-
Ok, THAT made me laugh. Copiously.
Hey, I think 'Sheed could be included. I'd probably stick him over Noah, anyway.
Posted by: Jeff | July 05, 2007 at 02:02 PM
Marty:
He might if he were to have a lapse in his short-term mammary.
Yeah, well... he's always been a bit of a boob.
The D:
I think she's been swiping crazy pills from Farrah Fawcett's top rack.
Is that so? I always suspected they were bosom buddies.
RMA:
Ya know, he is getting a bit long in the tooth, and they say the mammary is the second thing to go (and I can't remember what the first thing was).
If it's a mammary problem, I think he was hit over the head with some melons a while back.
Posted by: generic_one | July 05, 2007 at 02:04 PM
In all sincerity, I really want to ask AK and BK: Why would you two guys pander to this egomanical blowhard Michael C. Teniente? Surely the "C" in his name stands for conceited? Don't you guys see that you are being "enablers" by even singling him out BY NAME in the headline of your 7/1/07 blog?
Okay, maybe he does make some cogent points once in a blue moon, even if he DOES have his face in Kwame's jockstrap. But look at the flip side. He is a rude, profane, and seriously obnoxious jerk who is some kind of self-appointed basketball authority in his own deluded mind. All things considered he is an absolute joke.
In my opinion, this idiot MT already knows that the vast majority of readers tune him out, and simply skip over his posts. This means only one thing: he posts his ridiculously lengthy crap just to stroke his own ego. No other reason.
I'm just as patriotic as the next American, and have no issue with his right to free speech, etc. The problem I have with this guy is that he wants to FORCE his opinion on everyone, and what's worse, belittles and insults anyone who dares to hold a different point of view.
In case anybody believes otherwise, this blog is a forum for people to express their subjective OPINIONS. As such, everyone's opinion should be respected and honored, even though that opinion maybe 'ridiculous' or 'offensive' to some.
This means YOU mikey!
Posted by: Voice of Reason | July 05, 2007 at 02:07 PM
God bless the time delay on this board. It's like me and Generic are READING EACH OTHER'S MINDS.....
I actually haven't seen Noah play...guess I got better You tube him....
Posted by: Jeff | July 05, 2007 at 02:08 PM
Taliq,
Luke Walton is better then Michael Jordan because Luke is a TEAM player.. Just Kidding
Posted by: Violater | July 05, 2007 at 02:09 PM
Mitchell,
Ok we have a deal then. Dont get me wrong i never said Luke is the best of basketball players out there, but the fact is LA wanted him back and for 5 million is not bad, assuming they get better in all other aspects.
Posted by: Violater | July 05, 2007 at 02:13 PM
Mitchell:
Only time will tell us whether Luke or Carroll turns out to be the better player. The point of my post was that we could sign Luke without using our MLE whereas signing Carroll or Kapono would have cost us our MLE. When Luke signed, everybody out there was talking about how teams could get Kapono or Carroll or Blake for part of the MLE. I said when Luke signed for the equivalent of the MLE that it might end up being a pretty good deal. Now that Kapono and Carroll have signed for the full MLE and Blake has stated that is what he expects, Luke’s signing sure looks more reasonable from a financial standpoint.
A better question to ask me is would I have used the MLE to sign Luke if he were another team’s free agent. My answer would be probably NO. He is too slow, not athletic enough, and prone to injuries (the ankle was a problem that cost him a full year at AZ). Further, we already have a similar contract with Vlade, which would mean that we have committed two full MLE’s to small forwards who cannot play defense. I share your hopes that Vlade will come through and give us the great shooting we had hoped for when we signed him. Then Luke could be a strong force off the bench.
On the other hand, neither Luke or Vlade is a good defender and tying all that money up at the 3 does not bode well going forward, especially when we declined the opportunity to shed Vlade’s contract right after the snow boarding incident. It makes it very difficult to imagine adding a Ron Artest, who would make more than the MLE, since we already have so much invested in the small forward position. My hope is that the end game is to send Luke and Cook to the Kings in exchange for Artest. It is not out of question that Luke’s contract specifically allows him to be traded any time and not just after 3 months. Kevin Ding alluded to Luke’s contract enabling the Lakers to include him in a trade for KG, specifying a favorable bonus for Luke in that event. Anyway, we do need to do something about defense at the 3 if we intend to compete.
What the escalation of pay for free agents means for the Lakers right now is that they are not going to be able to get two contributing players with their MLE. Any player who can help is going to demand the full MLE for sure. That may change how we approach free agency this year. The question is obviously muddled because of Kobe’s trade demands. One thing that seems to be holding true is that the Lakers are not going to give in and trade Kobe nor are they going to make stupid deals out of panic. They rightly refused to trade LO and Bynum to get JO. They rightly posited that they would trade them both to get KG. And they rightly took advantage of their Bird rights with Luke to resign him. This is a clear sign to me that it is Jerry who is making the decisions and not Jimmy and Mitch. And that’s good news for sure.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | July 05, 2007 at 02:15 PM
Mitchell,
You bring up a great point. But before you use this to defend Kobe, and perhaps he isn't so angry. Remember Bucher is his little journalist buddy so I would take him seriously.
HOWEVER, I wouldn't take the LA Times seriously and their Laker Insider. We still dont know who this is, and while the Watergate scandal allows for journalists to use an inside source, I'm a little iffy when it comes with this Laker situation. Words can be very twisted sometime. Just take Jim Gray.
"Is anyone untoucable?"
Mitch: "No"
Jim: "So that means Kobe is being traded"
Mitch "Well, no we still intend to build around Kobe"
Say we take the last bit out of Mitch. Say Jim doesnt make that follow up question. Now we assume that the Lakers are trading Kobe, when in reality he meant that Odom, Bynum, etc. are untoucable.
I jsut think that we should take everything reported out of the FO with a grain of salt.
Posted by: I Miss Van Exel and Eddie Jones | July 05, 2007 at 02:18 PM
The D:
By the way, if you're doubting Sheed's off court antics, I suggest you take a look here:
http://www.need4sheed.com/
The video section will keep you occupied for hours.
Posted by: generic_one | July 05, 2007 at 02:18 PM
Jeff,
In G1's defense, that Noah kid is as crazy as Karl Malone is country. Also, he resembles a sock puppet and loves to see people react to him. Expect his publicists to trot out the "that's just Joakim being you know.... European" excuse each time he pulls some tiresome Roberto Begnini-inspired stunt either before, during or after each Bulls game. His act will become tiresome very quickly and I can guarantee that you will feel the urge to smack him by this time next year.
With any luck, he will settle down and start to rely on his considerable heart and intensity instead of his notable goofiness.
Posted by: The D | July 05, 2007 at 02:21 PM
RDaneel:
I just cut and saved your post and will give it a try. Thanks.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | July 05, 2007 at 02:22 PM
JJ,
"At this point, the Lakers would be wise to take a strong look at the older players on the market. When Hill goes on to have a great season with the Suns, what will you say then?"
Don't get me wrong a vet like grant makes perfect sense for this team but at 5 mil per, i don't think so. Phoenix is not going to pay that kind of money for him.
Grant hill is one of my favorite players and when i hear all the good things about detroits front office, the one knock i still hold against them is the way they goaded hill into playing on a bum ankle in the playoffs, knowing fully well they were going to let him walk.
Grant has struggled with his ankle for several years since barely being able to play more than a handful of games for several seasons. It is a testament to the warrior within him that he pesevered and he's now able to help a team. Money aside though, he needs to be in a system where those ankles would be put under duress. Anything more than 25 mins a game I think would be too much for him. And really I'd rather have a vet pg that can play extended minutes in situations where we can't go to our rookies.
What the lakers are trying to do is really difficult. They're trying to win now with a bunch of young guys. You can't be the youngest team in the league and expect to be a contender now, it makes no sense. However if their fear of losing kobe forces them to travel down this road, then it's crucial that we have a vet pg that we can leave out there on the floor in must win situations to give the team direction. And that brings me to my last point, grant hill is a foward, not a pg.
Posted by: Taliq | July 05, 2007 at 02:22 PM
Violater,
"NBA watchers will recall the post-triangle careers of the likes of Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, and Luc Longley, all of whom could never duplicate their effectiveness elsewhere. The same is true of Walton. His skills are perfectly tailored for the triangle and would be much more marginal in any other system."
Phil Jackson wont be around for more than 3 years most likely, and so will his triangle offense. So that means we have a Luke Walton that wont be any effective for 3 years. Luke Walton is highly one dimensional. Maybe not skill wise one dimensional, but systematically. Thats much more important. Remember its all about the right fit.
check mate.
Posted by: I Miss Van Exel and Eddie Jones | July 05, 2007 at 02:23 PM
JJ,
"When the Lakers won those 3 titles, they swapped out several young players for several older ones and that got them over the top"
Exactly, and they has Shaq and Kobe at their peaks. And honestly, those veterans came to play in LA because those teams were contenders. Not a single player, coach, GM, media member, or fan could realistically look at this Laker team and say "the are one player away from competing for a ring". However, Grant Hill, Chris Webber, Michael Finley, Gary Payton, etc. would definitely look at the Spurs, Suns, Mavs, etc and say that.
As for the team not improving because we're giving the young guys playing time, that is definitely a short term reason. However, if you replace Jordan Farmar, Ronny Turiaf, and Andrew Bynum with Brevin Knight, Chris Webber and Kelvin Cato does that make us a title contender? Absolutely not. Would those be good guys to have around if we landed KG (or in your example had Shaq-Kobe at their peak)? Yeah, it would.
The big question the front office has to ask, and is being asked, is if the young players we have on the team are good enough and what timeline are we looking at to have them be a very solid supporting cast.
Posted by: Andrew Z | July 05, 2007 at 02:25 PM
Is Matt Barness a one hit wonder or not?
Well, he played good in the uptempo style of Don Nelson, without structure and discipline, something easy to do, because you don't have to think.
He should be a acceptable choice. Maybe we can make a trade for him with Golden State...Vla for him....
Or maybe we can send Kwame for Steven Jackson and Pietrus.....They need a guy who can bang with the big boys and be athletic in the same time...
Posted by: jorema | July 05, 2007 at 02:26 PM
Mitchell,
Don't get over it. You're absolutely right about Luke. People are talking about Bynum has never shown flashes of brilliance. When has Luke ever shown flashes of briliance??? Guy had a great game 2 of 2004 NBA Finals, that was it. And to top it off, the guy has obviously hit his peak potential skill wise.
You know who I would have loved to see them sign? Michael Pietrus for their MLE. Yeah, he's another wing player, but highly versatile. He can play SG, SF, and even point guard. He's got that european thing, hes tight with Turiaf, and he was the one with potential on the warriors before Monta and Biedrins.
I would take Pietrus in a heartbeat.
Posted by: I Miss Van Exel and Eddie Jones | July 05, 2007 at 02:26 PM
Andrew Z:
I have only directed one post to KL or his crew in my entire presence on this blog. That was an ill-thought out plea for them to tone down the hatred and expand their focus. Other than that, I never read or acknowledge their posts.
The only problem with this strategy is that it is not working with the result that many loyal posters no longer post or contribute to the blog and the overall level of competence and intelligence that once existed are rapidly disappearing.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | July 05, 2007 at 02:27 PM
JJ,
And I think you're mistaking "veteran role players/pieces" with "veteran All-Stars". We need the All-Star types before we can start putting the pieces around them.
You start throwing Chris Webber and the like around Kobe and Lamar and expect them to give you 30+ effective minutes a night and we're all screwed.
Posted by: Andrew Z | July 05, 2007 at 02:28 PM
KL,
[ TALIQ
“Tag you're it. Bored at work (sigh one day this blog will get me fired). Anyway I'll be responding to your last post on the latest thread. And yes your post makes you a hater :)”
Pretty funny dude. I did I piss you off last week? If I did, I’ll apologize. You take care. ]
Dude men, the 'tag you're it...' post wasn't even addressed to you.
Posted by: Taliq | July 05, 2007 at 02:33 PM
LakerTom,
Though I doubt if we can pull it off, trading Mihm for Sefolosha straight up is something that I'd love for the FO to get done!
Don't know about Darko - unless he's on a 1 year MLE kind of thing - that way he gets another year to prove that the "potential" is not just hype. And we don't end up with another disinterested big signed to a long-term contract!
I wouldn't mind Dahntay Jones and Alexander Johnson from the Grizzlies either!
Posted by: hariyahu | July 05, 2007 at 02:35 PM
How about this trade?
3 teams: LA, Chicago and Grizzlies:
Chicago gets Chris Mihm + Dahntay Jones
Memphis gets Michael Sweetney + Sasha Vujacic
LA gets Alexander Johnson + Thabo Sefolosha
Sweetney's expiring contract sweetens the deal for the Grizzlies (sorry, couldn't resist that!)
This gives us another big and an excellent defender in Thabo who we could pencil in either at the 1 or the 3
Posted by: hariyahu | July 05, 2007 at 02:38 PM
LakerTom wrote: "I wonder how many other bloggers appreciate reading this thread as much as I have. The difference? The obvious absence of the Kobe haters and their repetitive vitriolic posts."
Sorry to ruin your lovefest with this tread LakerTom so please leave the room: Dump BallHog24 and save the planet ...
Posted by: Luigi | July 05, 2007 at 02:39 PM
TO MITCHELL, LAKERTOM, & OTHER KOBE LOYALIST
Grant Hill signs with the Suns. What happened to everybody wanting to play with the "best player on the planet"? I suppose it's Grant Hill's fault for being an "idiot" and "hater" for not seeing the obvious benefits of playing with the "greatest show on earth"?
Posted by: KLBeast | July 05, 2007 at 02:43 PM
AK,
"“No, you weren't ever close to getting banned. I just meant after that genius post, you just earned the blog equivalent of "diplomatic immunity." haha”
AK, you better not ban me! I will hunt you down. LOL!!!!
If the young degenerate bloggers feel we're haters, well...then haters need a spot on this blog too!
Laker Tomboy = Kobe Tom
"the special place that you created will become just another virtual dump overrun by juvenile junkies who think their clever innuendos and comments hide the hate and disrespect in their hearts"
FIRST THAT COMMENT IS RACIST. SO YOU MUST BE A HATER. SECOND, DUDE YOU SOUND LIKE A 40YRS OLD CRYBABY. HAVE SOME RESPECT FOR YOURSELF.
Posted by: gunner | July 05, 2007 at 02:47 PM
RDaniel,
"I've been using it for quite some time now (truth in advertising - I wrote this script), and find the blog to be a very enjoyable place. The only time I even get a sense of what some of the haters are talking about is when I read a response to them by some other poster."
Have you made a Bulls Blacklist too? Sounds like you might need one for Kobiatch over there too. Wait a minute? Pax said "F%$K No" to Kobiatch.
Good talking to you nerd.
Posted by: gunner | July 05, 2007 at 02:52 PM
RDaneel to KobeTom:
"I've been using it for quite some time now (truth in advertising - I wrote this script), and find the blog to be a very enjoyable place. The only time I even get a sense of what some of the haters are talking about is when I read a response to them by some other poster."
KobeTom, i hope you don't have your credit card and SSN information for the GreaseMonkey. Hey, RDaneel, shall i leave the key to my front door for you as well? You guys want to bury your head in the sand, i'm all for it. I'll just continue to rip you a new one everyday........
Posted by: KLBeast | July 05, 2007 at 02:52 PM
RDaneel,
You da man!!!!!! What if I don't have Firefox?
Posted by: RespectMyAuthoritah | July 05, 2007 at 02:54 PM
AK/BK/Anybody
So should the Lakers looking hard at trading for Yi Jianlian? How good is he really? How good can he be someday? Who would be worth giving up for him?
Inquiring minds want to know...
Posted by: Andy B | July 05, 2007 at 03:01 PM
ex -
"You guys, mmyah, me over mmyah."
"Cartman, go scr..."
"No, no no!! You guys, mmyah, me, over mmyah."
Posted by: RespectMyAuthoritah | July 05, 2007 at 03:03 PM
LakerTom,
Truth be told, I had one "conversation" with KL and it was fine. He has his views and sticks to them. Kind of like you with Farmar last year..just kidding. As long as people keep it about basketball or the topic and refrain from personal attacks, it's all cool and the gang.
This is still a great blog with a ton of good posters and excellent hosts in AK and BK.
You just have to improve your "sifting through poop" skills, lol.
Posted by: Andrew Z | July 05, 2007 at 03:09 PM
G1 -
"If it's a mammary problem, I think he was hit over the head with some melons a while back."
Buss is just a "cans do" kind of guy.
Posted by: RespectMyAuthoritah | July 05, 2007 at 03:09 PM
not to beat a dead horse... but LET'S BEAT A DEAD HORSE!!! I can't believe some people are still defending Kobe and acting like his little outburst AND VIDEO trashing of a fellow player, didn't set off reverberations around the league. WHO wants to come into this situation until it is settled. Is Kobe going to continue to push for a trade or not? Kobe isn't clearing anything up and here we are in the middle of the free agent period. Are people asking for MORE money to come here because of the unclear situation vs. if they were going into a more harmonious situation, the money demands might not be as high? What about the Garnett situation. Garnett has to track down Kobe, Kobe doesn't call to recruit Garnett and AFTER Garnett talks to Kobe... Garnett says he prefers Phoenix?
-------------------------
Thursday, June 21, KG rejects trade to Boston
Friday, June 22, Kobe meets with Kupchak, Kobe reiterates trade demand.
then the rumors and leaks start flying about KG to the Lakers:
June 26, daytime: Garnett seeks Kobe out. Kobe is NOT calling Garnett, Garnett has to seek Kobe out. Then he got ahold of Kobe...
June 26 - on ESPN tv
Jim Gray reports that Kevin Garnett spoke to Kobe Bryant to find out if Kobe would stay with the Lakers if Garnett was acquired from the Timberwolves in a trade.
----------------------------
Poof! All Garnett to the Lakers talks cease! The leaks stop. Nobody in the Garnett camp is saying, "boy! KG talked to Kobe and he's telling the front office that, that is where he wants to go!"
----------------------------
June 30, 2007 - The Suns figure to remain at the forefront of the KG Sweepstakes because the desert, as ESPN.com reported last week, is where Garnett wants to end up if he's forced to leave his beloved Minnesota. If a deal gets close that doesn't involve the Suns, they'll almost certainly be given an opportunity to get in one final bid,
----------------------------
so... AFTER KG talks to Kobe, the story is going around that KG "prefers" Phoenix and FOUR DAYS LATER, with all of these reporters circling around like vultures, updating from various "sources" every 15 minutes... nobody picked up on this and nobody from the KG camp leaks info that KG REALLY wants to go to the Lakers...
and you're saying I've got it wrong... LOL! you're telling me Kobe put on the full sales blitz, despite the fact that he didn't even try to call KG, that KG had to track KOBE down and when they finally talked that Kobe made a major sales pitch for KG to come here and then... KG... despite being the one who tracked Kobe down and was all gung ho to come here... let's the story ride that he prefers Phoenix? Not only that... FOUR DAYS LATER a story comes out that says PHOENIX will get the final bid on KG and... here it is, July 5, and NOBODY from the Garnett camp has challenged this in any way? There's leaks everywhere and we've seen no indication that Garnett REALLY wants to come here anymore - AFTER talking to Kobe...
no, something is wrong. KG ain't coming and he isn't pushing for a trade to the Lakers either, though obviously, if he REALLY wanted to be here, especially after talking with Kobe, he would say something... Buss already guaranteed to extend Garnett's contract so... odd don't you think?
Posted by: TaosHum | July 05, 2007 at 03:14 PM
RespectMyAuthoritah,
"You da man!!!!!! What if I don't have Firefox?
YOU CAN GIVE HIM YOUR CREDIT CARD DETAILS. DUDE, HE'S SETTING YOU UP FOR EASY HACK TO YOUR COMPUTER.
AND YOU DON'T EVEN SEE IT, HUH?
Posted by: gunner | July 05, 2007 at 03:15 PM
gunner,
"Have you made a Bulls Blacklist too? Sounds like you might need one for Kobiatch over there too. Wait a minute? Pax said "F%$K No" to Kobiatch."
Umm and so? Last I checked, the team you root for has a management team that's claiming that inspite of all that's happened, they'd rather still build around kobe. So unless you're a bulls fan, I'm not so sure what you're grinning about. Surely you're not happy that your lakers are stuck with a guy you can't stand.
Posted by: Taliq | July 05, 2007 at 03:15 PM
Respect,
I am sorry I can't help you if don't have Firefox. Though if you are using IE, I strongly suggest switching to some other browser anyway. IE is terrible from a security point of view.
Posted by: RDaneel | July 05, 2007 at 03:18 PM
Taliq,
"So unless you're a bulls fan, I'm not so sure what you're grinning about."
As KL would say, "I'm a team basketball fan first, Laker basketball fan second"
Posted by: gunner | July 05, 2007 at 03:21 PM