Mitchell,

That's an interesting theory you have about me. It's also complete nonsense, since there are a few huge flaws in your rationale.

a) I grew up in St. Louis, a city with no NBA team. The Lakers were the first basketball team I've ever rooted for upon moving to L.A. 17 years ago. And I think that's a long enough time to get a handle on the team's history and culture.

b) Simers, Heisler and Plaschke aren't my "mentors." I don't know any of them well (I've barely spoken 10 words with Simers), nor do I work in an office with them. I work from home. For that matter, I've been to the Times' office about 6 times (including when they hired me). Outside of seeing those guys at games, I have no working relationship with any of them.

c) I put way too much effort into this blog to just be "earning a paycheck."

d) I didn't "defend" the front office. I just said that they didn't have the pieces to make the KG trade (which is, as I said, their fault).

But feel free to try another round of pyschobabble if you'd like. Like I said, interesting stuff.

AK

So, Mitchell tell your client "Kobiatch" that he is entitled to finish his contract for 2 years. Then he can opt his A$$ out to any team he wants.

And Mitchell when is the next Ringley Bros., Kobe, Barney and Bailey going to start again?

I'm anxious for the next circus show to begin!

MITCHELL=KOBE'S AGENT
MITCHELL=KOBE'S LOVER
MITCHELL=KOBE'S TWIN
MITCHELL=KOBE HIMSELF

"I think I understand why AK is such a Kobe hater."

Now you're calling AK a "hater"? man, you've really gone off the deep end.

Just face it, your guy is embarassing the hell out of you and your kind (kobe loyalist). Please take a moment and tell your guy to take a hard look in the mirror. It's that simple to figure things out.

LakerLarry,
"Hey KL, here's what I don't quite get about you and Gunner, You don't like Kobe, you don't like the other players on the team, you don't like the owners and you don't like the front office. What the hell do you like about the Lakers, the night janitor, the ball boys, what? And, please don't give me the crap about you're a "longtime Laker fan"! That just isn't true! "

i have NEVER said that i don't like anybody but kobe. as a matter of fact, once kobe's gone, i don't think we're that far away from competing again. do you remember how good the lakers looked in the beginning of the season playing T-E-A-M ball. i was even surprised when kobe returned that the laker team was playing team ball. but once a bad streak hit, i knew kobe would be kobe again.

once "kobe-ball" was employed, i knew that it was the beginning of the end of the season even if the team made the playoffs.

so to answer your insult, the laker team looks decent once kobe's gone. how much you want to bet that once kobe's gone, i won't take longer than 2-3 years to be a competitive team again?

Lakerlarry

“I suspect I was watching the NBA when you were in diapers.”

Old-man alert! Old-man alert! My grand-grand-daddy says that to me all the time. Isn’t it past your bedtime? Gotta wake up a 5am for the "early bird" speical.

“If you had been around this blog a bit longer, you might have read some of my posts from last season when I was one of the few people who opposed a KG acquisition.”

Funny, I would have actually begin to give kobe a break had he convinced KG to play in LA. In a roundabout way, we would have traded an old shaq for a prime KG. I would have actually relented a little. Oh well, no need to cry over spilled milk.

“Get your facts straight before you start spewing venom my way.......... son!”

Okay, my bad. I didn’t mean to offend you by calling you a loyalist. I know you’re not a loyalist because you seem genuenly offended at my accusation. I apologize.

mitchell that attack on ak was really low man. good one. attack one of the few who tries to remain unbias about the lakers.

KL KLBeast Gunner,

Please stop pretending you guys.

Regardless of Kobe's faults, he is a once-in-a-lifetime player for the local team.

He is a Laker living in LA, actuallly in Orange County.

If you guys are really locals, you cannot be Laker fans and strongly hate Kobe at the same time.

The only local people that I know who hates Kobe's guts are non-Laker fans.

They are either more into baseball/football than basketball, have unconscious bias against prominent non-whites, or were holdout fans of the Chicago bulls during Jordan's era.

I may be wrong, but judging from the way you get hyper whenever Jordan is compared to Kobe in previous posts, you guys are probably transient, but definitely not local Laker fans.

Don't blame us for doubting your motives.

It might be more believable if you are just occasionally annoyed by Kobe's antics.

But to say nothing positive at all about the guy despite his successes, tribulations, trials and accomplishments, and then claiming to be a fan of his team is very very hard to fathom.

Kobe Bryant and the Lakers forever! Does not matter what AK and the haters say!

Weave-Man -

I like your Lakers-Indy-Denver trade idea. Denver did reject the idea of Kwame + draft pick for Camby,
but your deal gives them 4 million of immediate salary relief (actually 8 million, since it's doubled), Kwame's
expiring contract next year to get them under the luxury tax limit, and a young player (Turiaf) to fill the role
for cheap. The one catch is Cook for JR Smith, but if I remember right, Smith was kinda in the coach's
doghouse the last half of the year, so maybe they'd go for it. Camby and JO to the Lakers would kick
serious ass.

It's not completely implausible - it does offer Denver something the Lakers haven't offered them before,
and it gives Indy what they want as well.

Kupchak - make it happen. :-)

exhelodrvr,

And if Farmar has that much potential, then the Lakers sure as heck wasted a draft pick on Crit, even if he
was "the best available". Because no way that two very inexperienced PGs will get enough time to develop,
and the trade value of one of them will drop quite a bit.

------------------------------

I see Critter as an insurance policy in case Farmar's game that was exceptional in college isn't able
to grow into a pro game. Remember, when they drafted Critter, Farmar was the only real PG on
the roster. Vujacic is more of a shooting guard being shoehorned into playing PG and not doing
all that good a job of it. When they added Fisher, the Farmar-Critter duo became more overkill,
but I still think it's a good idea to make SURE they shore up their weakest position for the last
4 to 5 years.

Besides, Critter could grow into backing up both PG and SG. He could be like Barbosa is for
the Suns -- a speed demon 6th man who can come into the game with the second unit and
be a big time slasher-scorer, and occasionally play with the first unit either as the point next
to Kobe or as the SG next to Farmar... and if Kobe leaves, the Lakers may need a good SG
in two years.

Or worst case, Critter was the best player available at the position the Lakers drafted and
they're collecting assets for when they get in a situation where a star is available and the
general manager is willing trade to someone who isn't an ex-Celtic.

To be honest, I think Farmar and Crittendon are about equal in potential, though I've seen much
more of Farmar than Crittendon. I think they could both be big contributors to the team in
another year or two, and Fisher may be an ideal mentor to guide them through the bumps
of that growth process.

the WOLF,

Please write clearly, not in fragments, so your view is easier to understand and can be taken more seriously. Otherwise, you sound like a hit-and-run outsider.

Thanks.

Confucius

“Regardless of Kobe's faults, he is a once-in-a-lifetime player for the local team.”

I disagree, SG’s are dime a dozen. Don’t get fooled by the razzle dazzle. LBJ has already exceeded kobe in the "wow" factor.

“He is a Laker living in LA, actuallly in Orange County”

So what? I live in OC work in the same city where kobe resides. Also, my office probably over looks kobe’s Newport house. What’s your point?

“If you guys are really locals, you cannot be Laker fans and strongly hate Kobe at the same time.”

It’s not so much that I hate kobe, but I hate what the laker team has become under kobe’s leadership. Had kobe continued to lead a competitive team, all the shaq crap would have been forgiven.

“I may be wrong, but judging from the way you get hyper whenever Jordan is compared to Kobe in previous posts, you guys are probably transient, but definitely not local Laker fans.”

Dude, i immigrated (legally, but i digress) to the States almost 30 years ago and have resided in LA/OC all of my life. I've been a laker fan for 20+ years beginning in the late 80s.

After Magic announced his retirement and watching Jordan win his first championship, coincidentally against the Magic Lakers (remember MJ’s drive when he went up with the right, then switched hands? Simply amazing), I adopted the Bulls as a great team to watch and root for. The 90s Bulls beat up on the Lakers, Portland, Sonics, Jazz and Suns, not to mention the Domnic Hawks, Cavilers, Knicks.

MJ is a once in a lifetime player.

Kobe….sch-mobe…is a dime a dozen. Don’t let the razzle dazzle fool you. Kobe is a wannabe Jordan. Actually, i think kobe's desire to exceed jordan is what has corrupted kobe's mind.

“It might be more believable if you are just occasionally annoyed by Kobe's antics.”

I can put up with the antics, what I can’t put up with is kobe’s desire to be the “man” in LA, but not taking responsibility. Also, holding management’s nut to rid of shaq, then producing a lousey team while kobe accomplished all of the individual accolades is incorrigible too.

I’ll say again, badmouthing anybody pubically is just asking for trouble. My jaw dropped during the interview with Jim Gray when kobe called shaq “childish and jealous” on national TV. What kind of a$$hole would do that? The kind of a$$hole named kobe bryant. Please see below for the transcript of the interview:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1648431

GRAY: Kobe, Shaq said if you didn't like what he had to say you can opt out and leave next season. Will you leave the Lakers?

BRYANT: I won't make that decision until the end of the season. I told Shaq last year that I was planning on opting out. He knew before anyone. I told him out of respect for what we have been through together. I thought he should be the first to know. The fact that he acts like this is such a big shock is a mystery to me. If leaving the Lakers at the end of the season is what I decide, a major reason for that will be Shaq's childlike selfishness and jealousy.

GRAY: Do you feel Shaq has been supportive in regards to your legal situation?
BRYANT: He is not my quote unquote "big brother." A big brother would have called to lend his support this summer. I heard absolutely nothing from him. I spoke to Devean [George], Rick [Fox], Mitch [Kupchak], Phil, and our owner Jerry Buss. And Shaq's own Uncle Jerome called and left three messages. Other teammates like Derek [Fisher], Mark [Madsen], and [Stanislav Medvedenko] left messages as well. Opponents called like [Chris] Webber, [Mike] Bibby, and many others. So did a lot of coaches. Michael Jordan, who didn't have my home phone, tracked it down to lend his support. So did Tiger Woods. But yet from my so-called big brother, I heard nothing.

GRAY: Why not resolve this behind closed doors? Why is this so public?
BRYANT: I asked Phil on Sunday [yesterday] to say something to calm this situation down before it boiled over. But he backed away, so now here we are. I have been a bigger person every time something happened with Shaq, and I don't expect this to be any different. But somebody in this organization had to speak up, because his unprofessionalism hurt us last year, and I don't want it to hurt us this year.

weave,

denver gets raped.

multi team deals dont work.

espcially when it comes to important players.

good night! (especiallly confusion)

Weave-Man,

Oops. I just re-read the Indy/Denver trade idea. It doesn't work. Denver is already way into
luxury tax territory, and your deal gives them back 3 million MORE salary than they send out.
Which means they pay 6 million MORE, for Kwame, Turiaf and Cook than for Nene and JR Smith.
I don't see them going for that. When I did the initial numbers in my head I either looked at a
wrong row in the salary table somewhere or something like that.

If you want to make a deal with Denver that's more plausible, have them taking in less salary
than they're sending out. Cook and Turiaf were good ideas, but Kwame doesn't really work
in a trade to them (in fact Kupchak reportedly tried to trade Kwame + the #19 pick for Camby
and they turned it down).

ANALYSIS OF THE METAMORPHESES OF KOBE’S JERKNESS

Jim Gray interview with kobe when kobe was only a baby-jerk.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1648431

“The fact that he [Shaq] acts like this is such a big shock is a mystery to me. If leaving the Lakers at the end of the season is what I decide, a major reason for that will be Shaq's childlike selfishness and jealousy.”

Here’s a 24-year-old snot nosed punk a$$ calling the franchise player (Shaq O’Neal) PUBLICALLY a “child”. Hey, this reminds me when kobe referred to Raja Bell (my hero) a “kid”. In both instances, Shaq and Raja were kobe’s elder. Man, kobe’s is such a jerk….always has been and always will be.

To the blinded-by-kobe’s-razzle-dazzle kobe loyalist, this is kobe’s indirect reference to management that it’s either shaq or me. Basically holding management’s nuts.

“He is not my quote unquote "big brother." A big brother would have called to lend his support this summer.”

Kobe’s first (not only) attempt to discredit shaq’s leadership. What’s shaq suppose to be Kobe’s little brother? How stupid is kobe Bryant? It’s a rhetorical question. The answer is plenty stupid.

“I heard absolutely nothing from him. I spoke to Devean [George], Rick [Fox], Mitch [Kupchak], Phil, and our owner Jerry Buss. And Shaq's own Uncle Jerome called and left three messages. Other teammates like Derek [Fisher], Mark [Madsen], and [Stanislav Medvedenko] left messages as well. Opponents called like [Chris] Webber, [Mike] Bibby, and many others. So did a lot of coaches. Michael Jordan, who didn't have my home phone, tracked it down to lend his support. So did Tiger Woods. But yet from my so-called big brother, I heard nothing.”

I believe this is called, in my line of work, “dropping names”. It’s like saying “everybody like me, what's so-and-so's problem”. Who’s going to disagree? Who’s stupid enough to say that “no I don’t care about kobe”? So kobe has all of these alledged friends, where are they now? I don’t see anybody genuinely lending support to the Big Jerkoff besides superficial “kobe’s the best player on the planet”? when it comes to actually playing with kobe, the response is “I have to see my grand-mama”. I’m not talking about Larry Johnson either.

“GRAY: Why not resolve this behind closed doors? Why is this so public?”

Great question, “why not resolve issues behind closed doors”? Cuz it ain’t how "no"-be rolls. instead of being a class act, kobe likes it down and dirty.....no reference to Colorado intended.

“I have been a bigger person every time something happened with Shaq, and I don't expect this to be any different. But somebody in this organization had to speak up, because his unprofessionalism hurt us last year, and I don't want it to hurt us this year.”

Here we go again with kobe trying to discredit shaq. And you wonder why shaq was reluctant to relinquish the torch to Mr. A$$hole Kobe Brant? Hell, I’d rather die than give kobe an ounce of credit. WTF is kobe talking about being a "better" person. Kobe's got no class whatsoever. the only person who hurt the lakers is kobe beginning in 2003.

LESSON LEARNED: “DON’T BE AN A$$HOLE”

Lake Show,

Good stuff. I love the idea of trading for Gasol. But I do think he may have changed his mind about being traded after their picks. Still...I'd love it!

As for the Seattle deal. I'm for anything that brings defense in this team lol. I actually think Wilcox is a pretty good player that can fit in this system. The thing is we don't really ask for much from our centers but put backs...well at least we don't with Kwame...but I digress. As I recall Wilcox is a very tough defender and a good offensive rebound kind of guy. I also love Earl Watson. I guess the only question is would Seattle go for it. They have a great guy in Durant who would benefit greatly with Earl Watson's drives, and Wilcox's defense...then again we'd be giving up Socks. We'd be pretty thin with just Wilcox and Mihm at the 5 (because I think Ronny should be put on the 4)...but then again, we'd be stronger defensively.

Great post Lakertom. It does hurt, it hurts a lot. KG was my dream...I mean he's a true Laker if there ever was one...someone that embodies hard work, devotion, and thirst for winning (at least I assumed so).

Who said this?

So MJ, Bird is also a true Laker? How can one be a true Laker when he was never one to begin with... yeah it's a dream alright. Kobe is our Laker! Period!

If KG was ever a Laker, I would have loved him as much as Magic and Kobe! I understand that... But he is not and never bacame one. So why dwell on it? Move on!

If ever Kobe leaves... I will love the next Laker Superstar just the same but I want one that is a Laker to begin with nor bacame a Laker very early on his carrer.

So i don't see the big deal in us going for a guy like JO. I looked at his stats and Compared to Lamar and they match up like this:
Career JO
FG%46 FT%70 RPG 7.8 APG1.4 SPG.5 BPG1.9 PPG14.4
Granted he didn't play that much in the start of his Career.
LO career
FG%45 FT%71 RPG8.6 APG4.6 SPG.9 BPG1.0 PPG15.8

The numbers For career are really similair in fact ilike lamars better because of the boards. For those who think these stats aren't fair lets look at the most important stats. THE PLAYOFFS! And im looking at the last season that either made the playoffs.
JO05-06 PLAYOFFS 6 GAMES
FG%52% FT%71% OR1.5 RPG7.5 APG1.7 SPG.5 BPG2.3 TO4.3 PPG21.0

LO06-07 PLAYOFFS 5 GAMES
FG%48% FT%50% OR4 RPG13 APG2.2 SPG.9 BPG1.2 TO2.0 PPG19.4
WOW look at those numbers. I think we take Lamar for granted his numbers in the playoffs to me are better because the TO's are down and the OR and RPG are significantly better. The % from the line could be better for LO but hey.

AGAIN I ASK WOULD IT REALLY BE SMART TO TRADE LAMAR WHO I ALREADY THINK GIVES A BETTER CONTRIBUTION FOR A NAME IN JO AND AT THE SAME TIME GUVE UP ANDREW BYNUM WHO I THINK WILL HAVE A BREAK OUT SEASON JUST TO MAKE THE BIG BABY HAPPY?

SIDE NOTE: I worked at the Pavillions were Kobe shopped at. The same center where that video was shot at in front of sharky's. After i met him i always thought he was really full of himself. Maybe i would be to if i were the best in the world. but my point is that even in real life his ego is huge.

shaq is not the main reason why teams became champions....he is just one of the big force...but the bigger force is the other superstar buddy who carry him when the game is on the line....shaq is dominant if his team is ahead by big points, but if the score is tied or +/- 1 point, shaq is not an option to end the game.....2000, if not for kobe who give the assist to shat at the game 7 against portland, no lakers dynasty in the new millenium...it was kobe who brought lakers to finals...review the tapes...please....it's just that the nba considered shaq as 1 of the 50 greatest players and they want to compliment their mistakes by informing the fans it was shaq who carried his team to finals or championships....kobe should be the man then, but shaq refused to...kudos to wade, because he did not listen to shaq...he knows heat is his team no shaq's....

I agree with yo DMacid ...I for one have been ranting for days to get J.O even if it cost us L.O and Bynum. I have been going back to the 05-06 years when J.O was healthy and he was absolutely beasting on teams in the west..
05-06 season vs Dirk(31) 7-17 13rbs 3blks, 25pts 11-14 ft vs Gasol (11pts 2-11) 9-19 14rbs 5blks, 20pts 2-3ft vs Duncan(26pt) 10-20 7rbs 0blks 25pts 6-8ft vs Shaq(18pts) 10-20 9rbs 27pts 1blk 7-10ft

last season playing on 1 leg vs detroit 4/03 10-16, 7rbs 2blks 20pts. vs cavs 3/27 11-18 5rb 1blk 32pts 10-10ft vs Bulls 3/25 15-24 14rb 0blk 39pts 9-12 ft vs Rockets 3/20 9-24, 9rbs 0blks 25pts vs phx 2/27 13-24 13rb 7ast 6blks 28pts 2-2ft

Yes J.O had his worse season last year, I only compiled the games against good teams that has Good PF/C. If you read a lot of those recaps "J.O played hurt once again" that's Y his FG% was 43%. This guy is a warrior. He actually played more games than L.O last 3 years. He will hold his own against the Boozers, Duncan, Amare, Dirk etc

I don't care what Lamar %'s are..L.O only wants to take 12 shots/game..as you can see J.O takes about 20shots/game..@ 50%fg (that's how efficient I believe he will be with Kobe. J.O is 46% career) we need somebody to step up and take some of the scoring burden off kobe. If he takes 20shots/game @ 46% I can live with that than 12shots/game @ 47% for lamar.

J.O in the paint taking 20shots/game @ 50% and 8ft/g=24ppg would do wonders for kobe. J.O would have Kwame to guard the Duncans, Brand, boozer, Gasols of the world. Mihm can get off. putbacks. Mihm could position on the other side of the offensive post. Fisher/J.critt/sasha/vlad/ cook/ evans can all spread the floor and Kobe could be the Slasher/Playmaker and take it to the hoop if necessary..

Each season experts downplay how far we will go in the season; they claim we wouldn't even make the playoffs..but some how we do. Now they claim Kobe/J.O duo would only get to the 2nd round...pfff I for one believes If J.O plays 75games we are going to the Finals. I don't see a single team that can guard kobe and J.O and shut down the Fishers/J.critt/ Vlad(if healthy) of the world. J.O production matches most of those teams best big man and now they would have kobe to contend with.

if Trade kwame and Farmer for Artest I think we can win it all; If we got J.O.

Spurs: Duncan = J.O BOTH WILL HAVE 20-10. PARKER SLIGHTLY>> FISHER/J.CRITT. PARKER..KOBE >>> MANU...KOBE HEAVILY. ARTEST >> BOWEN

SUNS: NASH>FISHER/J.CRITT..BUT NOT SOO MUCH IN PT PRODUCTION. KOBE>>>RAJA. ARTEST=MARION. J.O=AMARE. I FINALLY LIKE OUR CHANCES.

UTAH: D.WILL=FISHER/J.CRITT KOBE>>>GIRICEK. ARTEST>>AK47. J.O=BOOZER. I LIKE OUR CHANCES

HOUSTON: FISHER/J.CRITT>>M.JAMES. KOBE>>>FRANCIS. ARTEST=T.MAC. NO WAY T.MAC KILLS ARTEST. J.O>>>>>C. HAYES. YAO>>MIHM I LIKE OUR CHANCES

DENVER: A.I>>FISHER/J.CRITT. KOBE>>>>SMITH. MELO>ARTEST. J.O>NENE. CAMBY=MIHM I LIKE OUR CHANCES

CELTICS: FISHER/JCRITT>>RONDO, KOBE>>ALLEN. ARTEST=P.PIERCE. J.O=KG. I LIKE OUR CHANCES

MIAMI: FISHER/J.CRITTT>>>SMUSH. KOBE>WADE..SLIGHTY IN POINTS. ARTEST>?, J.O>HASLEM. SHAQ>>MIHM. I LIKE OUR CHANCES.

DETROIT: BILLUPS>>FISH/CRITT. RIP>WALLACE.

I BELIEVE MITCH CAN PULL THIS OFF: LAMAR & BYNUM FOR J.O. & FARMA & KWAME FOR ARTEST. DYNASTY BABY..KOBE (28YRS OLD) ,J.O(28YRS), ARTEST (27YRS) THESE GUYS HAVE GOOD 7 YRS FOR THE DYNASTY.

the WOLF,

You are entitled to your own opinion.

Opinion and truth are two different things.

Opinion is not always the truth.

Rick Friedman,
"Let's begin to restore the franchise by putting a premium on honor and character. Heart and mental toughness
are \the difference makers we too often forget or ignore. Let's stop subtracting by addition and be smart about
who we want on the team. Big names and stats are nice, but honor and character have no price tag."

Rick Friedman, I salute you. You sir are a man of character and honor which is
badly needed in this world. But....never forget, a little nastiness on the court
now and then might be needed.

I do not expect a major trade this season until possibiliy mid-season.

Be reasonable, guys.

GO LAKERS!

Why do we scream at each other?

I've tried to abide by utzworld's truce for weeks now. It seems that most of us have forgotten about it.

The implosion of the dynasty in the making will haunt the team for years to come. It was poorly handled by all of the players involved. For Kobe Critics (and believe me, I was, and to an extent, remain, with you), Buss didn't want to pay max money, Kupchak was toothless, Phil couldn't manage the egos, and Shaq didn't handle it as well as he could have and had baggage himself. And -- this was the key for me -- Shaq backed Kobe's account.

For Kobe Apologists, Kobe had and used his free agency leverage, he did nothing to smooth the relationships with Phil and Shaq over, and BY HIS OWN ADMISSION, he failed to communicate with Shaq the way he should have. He wanted to be the franchise player, and he got his wish. Some of the trades Kobe proposed weren't feasible.

But ALL OF THAT is irrelevant now.

The FO is a mess. Dr. Buss seems to be MIA. Kupchak has made some regrettable moves (the Shaq trade, the Butler trade, the Cook extension, etc.) And Kobe seems to be uninterested in continuing with the team,

So what now?

Korey,
You are ignoring a very key point - when the 49ers put together their great teams, there was no salary cap. They could have two backup QBs (at the same time) like Steve Young and Steve Bono. You can't just go out and "pick up Jason Kidd". Salary cap prevents you from doing it with free agents, limitations on your own roster affect your capability to do it with trades.