"I think it would be a huge mistake to get Magloire. We already have Kwame, who is probably a better player."

Maglore average the same amount of rebounds and points and blocks more shots in 25Min of play than Kwame , Now at 2M veterans min.... That's like getting a Kwame ( maybe better) for 1.8M a year... What games have you been watching by the way

MESSAGE TO THA SHOW, FAKERZ AND THE D

THA SHOW

“it's kind of like football, you run the ball to set up the pass. you get that defense to bring up some help from the secondary to stop the run, and the passing game is wide open. i likened shaq's game to the running game, and kobe's to the passing game. damn i miss having that duo. damn!!!!!!!!!!!”

man aint that the truth. too bad, cuz I really believe that kobe could have been the greatest ever had he played his cards right…..but we all know legends are made in the finals……..not fair, but it’s the truth.

“that series is one of kobe's mistakes that was hard to overlook.”

there’s side of me which hopes kobe can learn a little humility and realize that it’s not too late, but the antics have got to stop. I’ll respect the man more if he just straight up said “I’m sorry to the fans, Mitch, Dr. Buss and my teammates”. I don’t care is he’s being a faker either, just own up to it. BTW, the clip of kobe at his summer camp wasn’t a apology, it was an explanation and a blow off of what happened. I believe it’s called “playing if off”.

“MY NUMBER ONE CHOICE FOR FREE AGENT SIGNING (MLE): DESMOND MASON”

Mason would be a good complementary fit.

FAKERZ

“If you [lakertomtom]wish to start your own "You can ONLY be a Lakers fan if you worship Kobe" blog, go ahead; no one is stopping you. You will find many readers and contributors, I'm sure. Many others have drank the Kool-Aid.”

you know, that’s my main problem with LakerTomGirl. The dude comes to the pew and lectures us “hater” on how we’re scum, but then doesn’t say a damn thing about all the crap from the other extremists. guys calling names like “hater”, “moron”, “idiot”. LakerTomGurl is a wuss who thinks his poop don’t smell.

THE D

“That doesn't even make sense given what we know about the business of the NBA.”

when I say guys of stature, I mean the “Grant Hill’s” of the world. I don’t necessarily mean the “KG”. Check out Horace Grant and Brian Shaw following Shaq to LA. How about Payton and Malone joining LA in 2004? That’s what I’m talking about. It’s like Jalen Rose preferring to sit on the pine rather than be Aaron McOld on the Lakers. That’s what I mean.

“You wouldn't diminish Michael and Magic on the same grounds, would you?”

I would never diminish Jordan or Magic. Hey, I’ll even say if kobe can prove that he can lead as the #1, I’ll even begrudgingly give kobe credit as one the all-time greats. we have 3-5 more years to see if kobe can do it.

repost

MESSAGE FOR NEMAIA, KOBE APOLOGIST AND RJANEEL/PETE MAGUIRE

NEMAIA FALETOGO

“I may be wrong KL, but at times some of your comments border on hypocritical.”

you might be 100% correct. I’ve apologized in the past when called out.

“mentioned in some of your past posts that you liked Kobe prior to Shaq being traded(not sure if you meant Kobe the person or Kobe the baller).”

I don’t really like any of these guys (NBA players) because I don’t know them personally. When I say “like”, I’m referring to appreciating the person’s ability individually and collectively on a team.

“While I believe that Kobe by his silence spoke volumes leading to Shaq being traded, I also believe that the front office and Shaq are to blame as well.”

This blog has educated me on Shaq’s role and I’ve conceded that shaq was acting like an a$$ leading up to the trade. I still hold firm on my belief that kobe was trying to get rid of shaq any way he can, either by shaq leaving or kobe leaving. Why? I have no idea, but I suspect kobe was being selfish and was more concerned about his legacy rather than winning. just my take.

“As far free agents or players of stature coming to the Lakers, it remains to be seen.”

I’m ready to eat crow when a “KG” comes to town voluntarily. I’ve been in a professional environment long enough to know that once a person is labels as the proverbial “bad apple” (in reference to your adam and eve comment), it detracts other talents from joining the cause because the risk is greater than the reward. just my take.

“I respect your opinions and in no way am I calling you a hypocrite, just that some of your opinions seem to have apparent contradictions or perhaps you meant something else.”

I actually don’t mind being called out. all that I ask is tell me why I’m being called out which you always do which is why I extend you politeness and courtesy on this blog.

“Thanks for your time and some of your thought provoking posts. Nuff said, Hulk smash!!!”

likewise. you take care.

KOBE APOLOGIST

“Kobe is not as great as he thinks he is. He is greater. Go Kobes!”

Kobe apologist=anti-KL
KL=Anti-Kobe Apologist

i'll give you credit for being firm with your beliefs, i gotta respect that.

RJaneel/Pete Maguire

“OK - I have to figure out where to put the names in the code you wrote for the blacklist. My email is very easily accessed, I include it with every post. Just hit my name and it will send you to it! Now there is some efficient code. The list is growing and I will be more than appreciative of the blacklist - thanks.”

All I’ll do is start putting numbers and symbols after my screenname to circumvent your program. did you figure that smarty pants?

sincerely, KLBeast1!

"when I say guys of stature, I mean the 'Grant Hill’s' of the world."

Since when was Grant Hill a guy of stature? Maybe from the ankles up, sure. Also, the guy is coattailing on a contender; one that he think can get him a ring, which is exactly what he said he was going to do. Are the Lakers as much of a sure thing as the Suns? Of course not.

Taliq,

GOOD LOOKIN OUT MY DUDE!!!!! I LOVED THAT ARTICLE!!!!! Darth Kobe is gonna destroy any player in his way, and the only one that can stop him is him. LeBron is good, Melo is a monster, and Wade is gonna be great, but Kobe will simply stomp on all of them on his way to be the greatest!!!!

KL,

"cuz I really believe that kobe could have been the greatest ever had he played his cards right…..but we all know legends are made in the finals……..not fair, but it’s the truth."

see, i guess you really are misunderstood. your dislike of kobe is from actual events, not necessarily speculation. however, you still put that dislike aside to admit kobe could have been the greatest were it not for that ridiculous ego he happens to have. as for legends being made in the finals, true. and kobe has cemented himself as a legend with his solid, clutch performances versus the pacers, sixers and nets. no doubt. the strange part about losing to the pistons in the finals is that KOBE ALREADY KNEW WHAT WORKED IN ORDER TO WIN A TITLE. yet he totally strayed from the formula that brought the lakers a three peat. and that is almost unforgivable, really. it's one thing to lose because you don't know what it takes to win, IT'S ANOTHER TO LOSE WHEN YOU KNOW WHAT IS NECESSARY TO WIN. the finals versus the pistons was going to be shaq's swan song as the dominant player on the lakers. the reigns were gonna be kobe's. but instead of waiting for those reigns to be passed to him, kobe just took them. and we haven't even sniffed a title since. the truth hurts sometimes...

"there’s side of me which hopes kobe can learn a little humility and realize that it’s not too late, but the antics have got to stop. I’ll respect the man more if he just straight up said “I’m sorry to the fans, Mitch, Dr. Buss and my teammates”. I don’t care is he’s being a faker either, just own up to it. BTW, the clip of kobe at his summer camp wasn’t a apology, it was an explanation and a blow off of what happened. I believe it’s called “playing if off”."

i agree. not sure if kobe will ever learn what humility. except for cheating on his wife, kobe really hasn't owned up to any of his mistakes on or off the court. so to expect kobe to come out with a legit apology might be wishful thinking. i totally think kobe's comments were simply trying to downplay the situation, not really a sincere apology. however, it is finally a move in a positive direction from kobe. kobe knows he dug himself & the lakers into a deeper hole with those comments.

"Mason would be a good complementary fit."

i mean everybody was getting hot and bothered about creaky ankled grant hill. desmond mason's game is comparable, and he is much younger and can be had for the MLE.

having kobe and mason as our starting guards is a big time improvement. they are both tall guards which the triangle prefers, and mason gives us more athleticism on both ends of the floor.

then again, what makes sense usually does not happen these days in laker land.

peace.

troy,
"While Shaq and his homeys were running after women and hitting the clubs (typical of most young NBA athleles), Kobe was perfecting his game and hanging out in his hotel room

YOU GOT TO STOP READING THOSE GOSSIP MAGAZINE. TROY YOU'RE SO FUNNY!

Long Time - you're right. My apologies - it was Marina and not Uni. I got my grapevine twisted on that one. Some of those Huntington Harbor folks are comically wealthy.

Maybe Kobe was calling Vanessa a "hood chick" the same way one calls a bald guy "Curly?" That said, I grew up in a gratingly snooty area near Pasadena and can recall the tendency of spoiled kids to "slum." Yearning for gratuitous street cred is like a rite of passage in some parts of SoCal.

What's with the Artest to NY rumor? That guy's crazy; giant rampaging monkey crazy. Hasn't anyone seen King Kong?

Kobe's apology to Kupcake regarding the Kobe video and "how it came out" was an eye-opener. His apology confirms that his anger and frustration was not directed at Kupcake, but mainly directed at Jim Buss (insider). In the video, Kobe was angry that the Jason Kidd trade got nixed to hold on to Bynum. Now we know that this was not Kupcake's decision. Not only did Kobe apologize to Kupcake, he publicly announced it. Is it any wonder that Kobe's initial statement in this ordeal stressed that he wanted Jerry West back with FULL AUTHORITY? Many people assumed his statement was a direct knock on our GM Kupcake, but Kobe is clarifying to the world that he blames the puppet master (Jim), not the puppet (Kup).

Long time Laker fan and the rest of y'all,

On the subject of kobe''s wife not being hood. My reaction is ... umm and so. Anyone that grows up in the hood aka growing up poor tries to get out of that situation and their glad if and when that happens.

Point being if kobe's wife has any common sense, she should be glad she ain't grow up in the hood. And if y'all had any, the only discussions about the hood should be centered around how y'all can volunteer to help folks in such situations help themselves.

Damn I miss mamba24 ... who's here to back me now?

Troy - I believe we were misled by Kobe's early years. What looked like maturity was really just focus. As a rookie, emotionally, he was like a very determined, ambitious 15 year old, where he stayed for a while, until he started to think he knew everything, much like a 16 or 17 year old, which leads to the rape/no-rape incident. Going through that crisis brought him up to 18. The post Shaq years are just bringing him to the mind set of a 21 year old. I really think his emotional maturity was stunted by so much success so early. He never had any obstacles. He never had to get along with anyone. He never had to face his own limitations. If he had failed earlier, he might be over these growing pains by now. But the great thing about Kobe is, he's smart, and he learns. You can see it in his development in how he talks, what he says he wants to be. Sometimes he does sound like a teenager. Emotional growth doesn't happen overnight. But as long as he has Phil to guide him, and as long as he truly wants to win championships, he will find out what it takes to lead a team. And it will happen quicker and quicker as he goes through these obstacles. I believe the experiences of the past few years of losing, of learning what his limits are will only make him a better player. Who knows, by next season his emotional age might match his actual age!

http://eurobasket.com/events/eluleb/06-07/eurol.asp

Papaloukas in CSKA Moscow for another 3 years!!

by Chris Mammides - Jul 6, 2007
The most high paid European player will be continuing his career in the CSKA Moscow untill June 2010! Theodoros Papaloukas (200-G-77, agency: Interperformances) became officially the most expencive player (European) with the new contract of 3 million euros (net) per year for the next three years who will be wearing the Russian jersey of CSKA.

trading Kwame str8 up for Ron Ron, that leaves us with Bynum in the middle with a questionable Mhim (if re-signed), and the rookie. That might not be the route to go, unless Mitch has something else in the wings.

KLBeast's comments are still blocked even though he tried to defeat the script by changing his ID to KLBeast1!

D fish will not be playing for the knicks. They do not have any spots on their roster. I think they already have 17 players under under contract

sixonezero

"what he did was detrimental to what management was trying to do and thats what pissed me off about him. regardless, im not one of these people here who will bring up every dirt on Kobe."

What management was trying to do was to stick with this same mediocre team.

If the losers wants that team, go ahead, transfer your affects to the Clippers.
Truly Lakers fans want to win right now.
Pseudo Lakers fans want the team to do bad, so they can enjoy Kobe problems.

Shaq called all LA Fans:

Idiots and stupids.

That include KL, fakerz and Gunner?

Daddy Shaq:

"Yo quiero Shacko bell."

LA FANS MANIFESTO

We, LA fans are tired of three characters who talk trash about us.

1...Shaq....called us idiots and ignorants because we were happy to see him go, after playing here out of shape, and refusing to play hard.

2...Bill Plascke from LA Times, always talking trash about us because we refuse to believe his lunatic assesment and conclusions.

3...Kobe haters, because they are fascists, looking for linching Kobe at all cost

PhxLkrFan
What a great artilce... Something honelstly I've been preaching all along, we need not only to get a 2nd star player also we need to look at the roll players we have

Since Kings are looking at trading Bibby & Artest....

here's an idea...just an idea....

Trade: Chris Mihm, Kwame Brown, Luke Walton, Jordan Farmar

For Mike Bibby & Artest

Los Angeles Lakers Incoming: Mike Bibby & Artest

Sacramento Kings Incoming: S&T Chris Mihm,(Exp) Kwame Brown, Luke Walton, Young PG Jordan Farmar.

Lakers New Line Up:

Bibby/Crittenton/Sasha
Kobe/Evans
Artest/Radmanovic
Odom/Turiaf/Cook
Bynum/MLE

What do you guys think??

Miguel

Ok here is a 3 way trade that abseloutely makes sence for all teams invloved...

Minnesota has reapetadly asked for young players with potential as well as expiring contracts for Kevin Garnett... They like the Lakers deal without Odom ( check hoopworld as well as hoopshype.com for info)... The Lakers need to look at a 3 team to get a deal done... But hod do you find that 3rd team who's willing to take what you have.... Here is the deal

Chicago Bulls....

Trade Lamar Odom, Mo Evans as well as sign and trade Mimm for P.j. Brown(singn and trade) , Thabo Sefelosha, Chris Duhon and Noah

Why would Chicago do this deal... Becuase they lack dribble penetration player as well as a PF to play along side Ben Wallace... And a combination of Ben Wallace, Lamar Odom and Luol Deng is a sure bet to win the east or at least contend next year....Plus they get Mimm as a back up center as well as Mo Evans to offset the Thabo deal... Chicago will have a win win sitatuion, becuase they don't lose anyone of their core and they still get to aquire LO....

The Lakers will have the pieces necessary to get a KG deal... ( Note; that both Brewer and Noah were teammates and they would love to be on the same team), add Andrew Bynum and our 19th pick to go along with the expiring contracts of Kwame Brown and Sasha V.) This will be a win win for the Wolves as well... They get a Bynum ( many regarded him as being the 3rd pick if he were in this years draft), they also get Noah the 9th pick also the 19th pick to go along with Kwame Brown and Sasha (also a young player with cheap money) expiring contracts....

The Wolves will be 11.5 Million under the cap for fallowing year, they will also have Bynum, Noha, Brewer, Warrick, Foye , Smith and Jarvis C..Plus they would have the cap space to get a legitmate palyer after next season....

The Lakers get KG, Thabo, P.J Brown and Chris Duhon
Hopefully if they can sign both Fish and Maglore for MLE ( that.s if they split the MLE)... You've got youself a very deep team to go along with veteran roll players as well as a young core in Farmar and Turiaf.....

Line up

Fish/Duhon/Farmar
Kobe/Thabo
Luke/Vrad/Thabo
Garnett/Turiaf/Vrad
P.J Brown/Malgore/Turiaf

This is a championshipp line-up and it's not going to take a whole lot to make this work.....

Now on the negative side Lamar has two years remaining on this contract and the Bulls have to sign Gordon as well as Deng after next season.... They would have the right to sign them for max do to the Birds right, but that would hamper there payroll significantly... But you've only got one year to pay that significant luxury plus when you can take Lamar Odom and not give up so much why not...plus you would defenitely add another huge chip to your already talented team in case you need to pull off major trades.......

Oh we can only do so much... I really wonder if Kupcake is taking notes

Building A Champion
July 6th, 2007
All the talk in Lakerland, and on this blog, whether it be about trades or free agents, is ultimately about building a champion. Commenter Reed sent along a detailed look at both what is the makeup of championship teams — and how the Lakers look compared to that. I pass along his very good and detailed thoughts.

All signs point to the Lakers attempting to placate Kobe by building an immediate contender. What exactly would this take? Looking back over the championship teams of this decade (Spurs, Heat, Pistons, Lakers) and even beyond that (Bulls, Rockets, Celtics), I believe it is essentially a two-step process: (1 Find 2-3 “stars” whose talents compliment each other, and; 2) Fill out the rotation with veteran role players who understand the nuances of the game, play defense, and whose skills supplement the stars. This seems obvious at first glance, but I think we (and several GM’s) overlook some of what it entails when analyzing roster moves.

To illustrate, listed below are the rotation players for the title teams of this decade. Some teams employed deeper rotations than others (rotation players are those consistently getting non-garbage minutes). In the parentheses I note: 1) the number of years that player has been in the league, and; 2) the age of the player — both at the time the title was won. The data on the three Lakers teams includes the principal role players from all three teams.

Looking at these rosters, a couple common themes emerge:

1. Championship Teams Need 2-3 Stars that Compliment Each Other

We all know that it takes at least two legitimate, all-star players to build a contending team. What is often missed is that between them, these stars need to cover certain basketball skills at a high level and avoid serious redundancies. For example, the 2007 Spurs had three stars: Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili. Between them, those three players excelled at every important basketball skill: post offense (Duncan), interior defense and rebounding (Duncan), playmaking (Parker, Ginobili), penetration (Parker, Ginobili), perimeter shooting (Ginobili), perimeter defense (Ginobili), transition offense (Parker), etc. On all of the decade’s title teams, there have been elite players covering the key aspects of the game, with some teams using a concentrated two-star approach, and others a more distributed three- or four-star model. Listed below are the key basketball skills and the star players from each title team filling that need:

• Interior defense: Duncan, Shaq, the Wallaces
• Post scoring and ability to draw double teams: Duncan, Shaq, Rasheed Wallace
• Playmaker capable of creating own shot and distributing: Parker/Ginobili, Kobe, Wade, Billups/Hamilton
• Perimeter shooting: Ginobili, Wade (a little weak), Kobe, Billups/Rasheed
• Perimeter defense: Ginobili, Wade, Kobe, Billups
• Penetration: Parker, Wade, Kobe, Billups

The previous championship teams of this era followed similar models, with 2-4 stars covering these key attributes: Bulls (Jordan, Pippen, Grant/Rodman), Rockets (Hakeem, Drexler), Lakers (Magic, Kareem, Worthy, Scott), and Celtics (Bird, McHale, Parrish, DJ).

The Lakers, as currently constructed, obviously do not have the requisite core of stars in place. They lack both a true second star, and first rate players that accomplish the various key skills. Kobe covers a great deal of ground by himself: perimeter scoring, playmaking, penetration, perimeter defense, and even post scoring. But the second star, Odom, is fairly redundant to Kobe. His main contributions cross over with Kobe’s: penetration and playmaking. He does fill a needed rebounding void, but he is not a skilled perimeter shooter and provides little true interior defense. Jermaine O’Neal and Kevin Garnett would be far, far better second stars. Not only because they are more talented than Odom (only mildly so with O’Neal), but because they better compliment Kobe by doing things he can’t do — namely, interior defense and post scoring.

2.The Role Players Must be Polished Veterans

The main point of this post is to recognize the types of role players that every championship team utilizes to compliment the core of stars. The lion’s share of our discussion has centered on which star to pursue and what price to pay. However, this overlooks the second, but equally as critical, step in building a title team — finding the right veteran role players. The Fisher story and Kurt’s post made us begin to think about what type of role players the Lakers need. I want to go a few steps further. For purposes of this post, I want to examine what role players we should pursue if we can bring in a better second star to compliment Kobe (Garnett or O’Neal). This puts the cart before the horse a little, but I think it is reasonable to assume the Lakers will attempt to placate Kobe by adding a bigger name.

Look back at the list of rotation players from this decade’s title teams, paying particular attention to the experience and age of the role players. What sticks out?

These players are OLD.

The vast majority of them are in their 30’s. They are savvy, polished, wise veterans who understand the nuances of the game. They are not high upside, uber-athletic, teenagers. In fact, most of the players are well on their way down physically.

Interesting observations from the role players on these eight title teams:

• Role players (non-“stars”) under 28 years old: 2007 Spurs (1); 2006 Heat (1); 2005 Spurs (0); 2004 Pistons (1); 2003 Spurs (1); 2000-2002 Lakers (2); Total: 6 out of 32 players.
• Role players over 30 years old: 2007 Spurs (6); 2006 Heat (3); 2005 Spurs (3); 2004 Pistons (3); 2003 Spurs (1); 2000-2002 Lakers (5); Total: 21 out of 32 players.
• Rookie role players: zero from all teams.
• Role players with less than four years experience: 5 out of 32 players.

The overwhelming majority of role players from these teams were over 30 years old and in excess of ten years experience in the league. Players like Horry, Bowen, Finley, Mourning, Fox, Harper, etc. These are players with diminishing athletic ability and low PER’s, but a wealth of experience and knowledge that bring subtle contributions not found in a stat sheet. When placed next to a sufficient core of superstars, these elderly role players are more valuable than their more talented, younger counterparts on other teams. For example, Bruce Bowen — he of the 7.12 PER that screams NDBL — is more valuable to the Spurs than someone like Vince Carter or Rashard Lewis would be. Or, look at it this way — Rick Fox was more valuable to the Lakers than Glen Rice. The flip side: a team made up of such role players, disconnected from the stars, would be simply awful.

What do these aged wonders bring to the table? Why do title teams almost exclusively rely upon them to the exclusion of younger, more talented players? They bring an understanding of the intricacies of the game. They understand proper floor spacing on offense and how to make the extra pass; they make the pass that leads to the assist. They defend the pick and roll. They pick up penetrating guards without fouling. They understand how to set meaningful picks; and how to fight through screens to avoid unnecessary switching and mismatches. They make intelligent cuts and defend the backdoor. They box out and generate offensive tip outs. They understand how to use pump fakes; and how to avoid being tempted by them. They know how to feed the post without picking up the dribble. They stay out of foul trouble and avoid putting the team in the penalty too early. They make open shots and force their opponents to shoot with a hand in the face. They draw charges. They move intelligently without the ball and do not get lost tracking their men through a flurry of screens. They have mastered the concepts of team defense, knowing when to double, when to stay home, and when to sag into the paint. They know when to shoot and when to defer to the superstar. They create perfect spacing on three on one fastbreaks; and are deft at disrupting such attacks. They are not scared of pressure, having been there before. Off the court, they encourage an environment of respect for authority and the coach. They promote unity, good practice habits, and discipline on road trips.

Think back on the glory role players of the Laker title teams. Think about Rick Fox roughing up Peja Stojakovic and cutting to the basket for a pass from Shaq (getting about 2 inches off the ground for an ugly left handed finish). Think about Derek Fisher being perfectly spaced on the perimeter to make an open three pointer after a double team on Shaq or Kobe. Think about Robert Horry frustrating Tim Duncan and Chris Webber with his post defense, despite being physically overmatched. Now, these players were not perfect, of course. They were seriously flawed. But they understood the subtleties of the game, didn’t make mistakes, were calm under pressure, and knew when to get out of Shaq and Kobe’s way. They were consummate role players.

The Current Laker Roster

Where is the current Laker team in this process of building a contender? The Lakers are not positioned to immediately contend. They have neither the right core of stars nor a stable of veteran role players. They are a young, developing, up and coming team. Aside from Kobe, Odom and Walton, their key players are still very raw. Bynum is 19, Kwame 25, Farmar 20, Crittenton 19, Turiaf 24, Radmanovic 26. With Kobe only 28 and Walton and Odom 27, this is not necessarily a bad thing. The team is full of talent, with a dynamic young center, two promising young point guards, two veteran, versatile forwards, and the best player in the league with a few years left in his prime. The team also showed signs of being well ahead of schedule last year, with a 26-13 start (despite missing Odom and Kwame for significant stretches of those early games). With another year or two of growth, especially from Bynum and the point guards, the team might be well positioned to overtake the Western powers as they age (Nash and Duncan are on the wrong side of 30). However, this is likely irrelevant. Kobe refuses to wait; he is convinced his window is fast closing. The fans call for immediate change. Prudent or not, big changes are coming.

The point of this post is that the Lakers are two big steps away from contending. Even if they bring in a Garnett or O’Neal, the stars will be surrounded by young, raw, inexperienced role players. As shown above, this is not how teams win titles. Farmar, Crittenton, Turiaf, and Radmanovic may all have great potential, but none of them understand the intricacies of the game. None of them have been playoff tested. They would be eaten alive by the Spurs cagey veterans in an intense playoff series (see Barbosa against the Spurs). Reflect back on Bynum and Turiaf fouling every guard attacking the lane; Smush taking miscalculated risks for steals; Radmanovic spacily roaming around on offense, destroying triangle spacing; Kwame trying to generate pick and roll after pick and roll on the triangle strong side with Farmar or Evans (can you think of a worse pick and roll duo than Evans/Kwame?); Sasha dribbling around mindlessly; Cook refusing to box out; etc., etc. These players are not ready.

So, if the Lakers are committed to immediately contending and bringing in a second star for Kobe, they must also address their youth and bring in a few older, veteran role players. Whether by the midevel or trade, they need a few Bowen’s, Horry’s, and Fox’s. Fisher has suddenly appeared as one possibility. Does he have anything left? Is Blake ready? What about Posey (a favorite of mine — his defense was key to the Heat defeating the Mavs two years ago)? Who else is out there? Is it worth it to trade away most of our prized young assets both for a second star and older, less talented role players? I propose that if the Lakers are sacrificing the future for Garnett, they must go “all in” and also seek the right mix of elderly supplemental players. It seems hasty to make such a drastic course change, so quickly. But unless Kobe softens, caution is not likely to be the watchword of the summer.

Posted in NBA general, Laker Analysis |

Fantastic analysis. I think it hits it right on the head. I keep hearing people say all we need is Garnett and we can contend. But as you point out it requires more than that.

Papaloukas Re-Signs With CSKA

http://getgarnett.com/blog/?p=488

Cost Of Garnett Too High For Cuban?

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/46947/20070706/cost_of_garnett_too_high_for_cuban/

That Darth Kobe article is the shizit...I want to marry it and have its babies haha, jk. But it is really good.

Getting back to the real issue here...our team. Many feel like we are stronger, I agree. But still not enough to consistently hang around with the top teams in the league. Among the things we still need? A rebounder (kind of hoping that would come with the PF, but whatever lol); a player that can drive and get his own shot (or get shot for others)...that is aside from Kobe and LO; a physical defender (Mo Evans is ok, but we need more, hopefully Critten can do a little bit of it)...did I leave anything out? It would be nice to get a consistent outside shot kind of person...but really I think Vlad can be that, if he can stop getting in his own way.