9) Assuming the trade becomes official, which team would have the best trio in the NBA? This is the ESPN results:

43.9% Celtics: Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce

30.1% Suns: Shawn Marion, Steve Nash, and Amare Stoudemire

20.2% Spurs: Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobli

2.3% Nuggets: Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson, and Marcus Camby

1.6% Pistons: Rasheed Wallace, Rip Hamilton, Chauncey Billups

1.2% Nets: Vince Carter, Jason Kidd, and Richard Jefferson

0.7% Wizards: Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, and Caron Butler

Where do you think our trio would be BYNUM, ODOM, BRYANT? I think ours would be right above the Nuggets.

Laker Bake
"Imagine the FINALS and you know Lakers fans always IMAGINE the FINALS.
KOBE with this team has to take on 3 ALL-STARS or former ALL STARS in
KG Ray Allen Paul Pierce Will ODOM and BYNUM help him beat them?"

Stop it Laker Bake you're killing me man. But if you want an answer HELL YEAH!!!

Chopper man,

Thumbs up for your defense of Barry Bonds.

KLBeast,

"agreed. JWest would have told kobe to STFU and if kobe didn’t comply, West would have shipped kobe’s dumba$$ out in 2002 for the rights to LBJ and we’d still be competing for championships."

NICE POINT

Smush Parker didn’t wait long to potentially burn bridges in L.A. “D-Wade is more of a people person than Kobe,” Smush told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “I’m looking forward to jelling with Wade, and playing with him. He’s going to be a great teammate.”

in other words, kobe bryant is an a$$hole.....

Long time laker fan, Nice proposal, but lets keep it real. You might get equal value with Rip, Prince and Billups but that wont happen.

1. Good look Long time Laker fan

August 3rd being 1 month for Javaris is something worth waiting on.

2. Andrew Z, you are probably reading Bird correctly in that they don't want to rebuild. If so, we need to be aggressive.

Think of it this way in 2 yrs we're going to HELL anyway. Let's go for the gold in the interim and if we get the GOLD, KOBE stays and we get at least a 2 yr extension.

3. Mamba 24/10

Are you saying Odom and Bynum would actually step up in the FINALS. Odom perhaps but Bynum. Come on man, you have nothing but wishes to support that statement.

JK

"So I have decided not play your twisted game and become a pawn, this will be last visit to blog, rather than lose my dignity I will move on to another blog.
Have a Good Life "

i'm sorry you feel this way. good luck on your future endeavors.

LakerBake,
"Are you saying Odom and Bynum would actually step up in the FINALS. Odom perhaps
but Bynum. Come on man, you have nothing but wishes to support"

Nothing but wishes and blue skies LakerBake. But bynum is on a mission now and you
will be very surprised when the season starts.

KL,

You are definitely not a laker fan but just a Kobe hater. You are just a very simple minded person. All you talk about in here are kobe,kobe,kobe and all his "faults"...man, why dont you just start being constructive in here. Also, you take offense on everybody who criticizes you. Get a life.

Ron L

Mamba,

I sure hope you're right. Because without a HUGE breakout by Bynum, the Lake Show will be completely over.

sonnybelfast,
"Thumbs up for your defense of Barry Bonds. "

The problem is that (I'm a Giants fan, btw) Barry is a jerk half the time, and doesn't care the other half of the time. If this was just about anyone but him, the media, etc., would be giving him the benefit of the doubt.

To everyone who dislikes KL,

Please stop with teh KL bashing people. Everyone keeps getting drawn into these paper chess matches and proving points from 2003 and 2004 about Kobe and Shaq. If your a blogger and you believe that KL is not a true Laker fan, the skip his post and dont reply. Its when you reply that gives him more ammo to shoot right back at you.

IM not siding with KL, nor am I siding against him. I dont agree with what he says but he would never know b/c i dont reply to his post or his comments. when you sit there and continue to type and argue with someone, your only making it worse. No one owns the room so KL is free to say whatever he wants as long as its not disrespectful or demeaning, and I havent heard do any of the 2 except bash Kobe.

Come on people, lets act like adults here and jsut agree to disagree..

thank you for your cooperation

Here's the moves that I make at this point.

First, trade Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, Sasha Vujacic, 1st round pick 2008 to Indiana for Jermaine O'Neal (if Indiana would take this package).

We need an All-Star big man to win, period. Case closed, end of discussion.

Second, trade Kwame Brown to Minnesota for Trenton Hassell and Ricky Davis.

Minnesota is going to want to get out from under these contracts: Marko Jaric, Troy Hudson, Trenton Hassell, Mark Blount, and Ricky Davis (not for his contract but more for the minutes and shots he takes up that they'll want to give to their young guys). We take two off their hands in return for what they want more than anything, expiring deals. In the deal we get a scorer in Ricky Davis who would be an exceptional sixth man (17 ppg last year) and Trenton Hassell who is a defensive stopper on the wing that we desperately need. Davis is an expiring contract and Hassell is relatively inexpensive for the next two years.

Third, attempt to sign a PF/C (more heavily on the C part) with the veteran's minimum or whatever is left with the MLE (or wherever we can get some money). Point is, the person doesn't have to be great, just give us 10 minutes a night where he doesn't eff up too much.

Here's the line-up:

PG Fisher/Farmar/Crittendon
SG Kobe/Evans/Davis
C Mihm/Free Agent
PF JO/Turiaf/Cook
SF Walton/Hassell/Radmanovic

I definitely think that's a better line-up than last year and presents a myraid of options for PJ to work with.

I think the deal the front office failed to make was the Zach Randolph Deal which would have put the Lakers over the top with his consistent scoring. JO is a better option at the 4/5 than KG since he is basically a low post player and will form a perfect one two punch with Kobe like Shaq and Kobe. Lakers should play the Lotto and start the season with AB. If he plays very well, then Indiana might consisder taking him or LO for JO with fillers.

With Mihm back, our teams option at the four is actually better.
Mihm had the potential to be a poor man's version of Tim duncan and it appears he had the work ethics to improve his game before the injury. He is more of a finesse player. Mihm at the four will be more effective in blocking shots and also stops picking up those unneccessary fouls.

The Lakers FO do not take risks and are just lucky to have the best player and the best coach and the best city. Pure luck and Jerry. There are few GM's that are better anyway. So lets stick wth what we have and put some fire on them to make moves unless of course Jerry is available. Jim Buss definitely should be gone.

On the West, the prototype is a superstar with some good support. Dallas is Just Dirk and good complimenting players. San Antonio is basically Tim and now we have Tony coming onto his own. Houston should really be the team to beat this year with their new coach and Yao, Tracy and Shane but the Lakers have really held their own against these teams. The problem for the Lakers has been the Suns and had the Lakers played other teams in the first round, our chances would have been different. The Suns just play a different kind of attacking basketball that does not allow a Star like Kobe take over. With SanAntonio, the Triangle can function very effectively against the intensity of their defense.

Therefore, our efforts should be ready to overcome the Suns, and then maintain a good chance of beating the other teams in the west. To neat the Suns, you need to have a good inside presence that can score consistently. That is why SA always beat the Suns and Utah with Boozer gave them fits during the regular season. You also need a point Guard that can score and put pressure on Steve Nash. I don't think Fisher can have that impact on offense. Very few players can actually stop Steve on Defense. he is just too good. You have to beat him on offense by getting him to play defense. The lakers therefore needs either Bynum to be much better ( I expect him to have the kind of improvement that Howard has in his second season- He was a monster) Bynum has Kareem and Howard did not have that Luxury).

Bynum had a lesson last season and I am glad he got the lesson early in his development, you need passion and work ethics to succeed in this leaugue. To be a real superstar and you are going to be out of LA in a flash if you don't show this. I am betting he will come out motivated and will be a monster playing along side Kobe. Kobe will not allow him to be another Shaq in the later part of his career.

I think it will be wise to Keep Bynum at this stage if the FO can see his intensity in training because AB already has the natural tool needed to succeed at his position all he needed are the intangibles and God help the league if Kobe succeeds in lighting fire to his whatever..............The Lakers might have a very good chance of three peat with Phil and Kobe.......but we need another good defensive player. Lets make a trade after the season start and we have showcased all our talents for the league to covet..We might even give Bynum and fillers for Gasol/Oneil. You never know..

Andrew Z,

That sounds like it could work for both sides and not just the Lakers. Hopefully Bird will see this and know this is the best its gonna get unles the Nets offer jefferson, Moore and more 1st round picks. The Lakers should jump at that opportunity. Not sure I would give up a great expiring contract like you said to a team that really didnt help us except give us false hope. Plus I think Brown and Oneal in the paint is a alot of size for other teams to have to muscle around. I wonder if Kwame can catch the ball if Oneal throws it to him right there on the block? probably not...

KLBeast:

"West/Kupchak get paid either way, while Buss can actually lose money if the Lakers turn into $hit."

How often did the Lakers turn to $hit under the guidance of Jerry West? Buss never lost money, even when he approved West's deal to get Shaq. Why? Because the tremendous fan support always made up for those losses -- and then some.

But you're absolutely right... Buss can lose money if the Lakers turn to $hit, and that's why he's sitting on his wallet. He is unwilling to take risks, and West was the only figure that had the power to open his wallet and put the big bucks down for top-notch talent. With no risk comes no reward, and as long as Buss and Kupchak refuse to take the risks that have made the Lakers 9-time champions, the Lakers will fail.

Buss trusted West with his money, and West turned the Lakers into one of the biggest, most successful franchises in pro sports. Now, Buss trusts nobody, and his fear of taking risks will only result in more tears for the Laker faithful.

Let me rephrase our point so that it makes more sense:

BUSS WILL ACTUALLY LOSE MONEY WHEN THE LAKERS TURN TO $HIT.

The D

"What I don't understand is your theory that Kobe would rather have stats than wins. Is there any evidence to suggest that Kobe's not intent on winning?"

Perhaps kobe should have thought about turning into Barry Sanders when shaq was on the trading block and kobe just sat there and gloated that he, kobe bryant, defeated his nemesis shaq. perhaps kobe should have embraced playing alongside shaq when he had the privilege.

If kobe truly cares about winning, and only winning, why let shaq go? why be an a$$ to the only person on his team which has produced winning results?

so I have to respectfully disagree with you that kobe cares about winning above all else.

There has to be a method to our "guard" madness...I mean aside from desiring to put in an all guard team out there.

I mean even Phoenix (a small team) has forwards!

Mitch K...happy days???

Depressed.

Angry.

--FearlesssWhackJob

Angry.

Angry.

depressed...

exhelodrvr, I'd ASSume that was directed at me but there's a BIG difference between expecting Bynum to be better than Chris Kaman next year vs. erasing the memory of KAJ. Also it helps to KNOW A BAD TRADE WHEN YOU SEE ONE, though I'm sure Troy Murphy would look SMASHING in a Laker uniform while filling in at Center for the injured Jermaine ONeal...

damn KL,

rename yourself to houdini, your making bloggers dissappear!

i had enough of all this bynum bull. the lakers dont have a post presence. kwame is a decent one on one defender and lane clogger. hes the best center and i use that loosely. besides hes hurt so hes a nonfactor. are you guys expecting mihm to step up? hes an okay scorer and rebounder/shotblocker but he get abused in the lane. many of us bloggers stated as much when he was playing. bynum is "potential". f that shizzle! this guy dont have drive. forget about his flashes, hes seven foot tall. a seven foot baller should be able to do what bynum is supposed to do. jim buss endorses this guy probably cuz hes tall. hes no jo. jo might get hurt a lot, but he gives the lakers a post presence. he needs to come if lo is here. give indy anyone else but just get jo! at least go after camby! mitch and the front off. is horrible. cant even get players who want to leave their teams!

To hell with it!

To HELL!

Marty, I'm joining you on the 55-win bandwagon, because it's better than standing on this ledge I'm on. Plus, its really high out here...and the wind is blowing.

55-wins or bust!

--FearlessWhackJob