No news. Any ideas?
So I know people have been looking for a new thread, and I've been looking around for some news ... but really, there isn't any. At least nothing I can find. So anyone have any ideas? Places to take this one? There's always Kobe (haha). You got your USA Basketball, trade ideas, hypothetical mascot ideas. Anything. I'll accept solicitations, and then perhaps start a new, new thread.
UPDATE: Well, there is something new to talk about. Sort of. More on the Kobe situation, courtesy of ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan. Bryant continues to be vague about his status, leading Sheridan to say something that basically summarizes how I've felt for a while, given the current state of the roster and prospects for quick improvement: "Around the league, most people seem to think it boils down to this: Kobe still wants out, but the Lakers won't trade him -- at least that's the impression being left by Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak, who was unavailable for comment because he is not due back from a European vacation until Friday."
Of course, there's no way to know for sure, but it's the feeling I get as well.
-- BK
How did Kobe backstab us fans?
We supported Kobe through thick and thin. We supported/defended him through his airballs in Utah, we supported/defended him when he made that horrendous rap album(trying to gain some street cred), we supported/defended him through his rape trial, we stayed behind him when he bought his wife's loyalty, we forgave him for actually considering the Clippers as an option in free agency, we took his side in the Shaq/Kobe debate (when the whole country and NBA took Shaq's side on the issue).
And now he wants the Lakers to trade him? That is a backstab.
Granted, the Laker front office made some terrible mistakes. It's obvious that Kupchak is not cut out to be a decent GM. But there's got to be some loyalty in the mix here on Kobe's part.
Shaq was in the wrong as well for his actions towards management, no better than Kobe. But Shaq was the reason we won those championships. Kobe was a big part of those championships, but let's be real, Shaq dominated us to those championships. Just like he did with the Heat. If Kobe would have realized this as Wade has done, we Lakers would be 5-6 championships deep into a dynasty. This was another situation where all Kobe had to do was say a few words to quell a situation, but didn't.
Posted by: Rocky | August 22, 2007 at 10:20 AM
Here is my latest suggested trade for the Lakers:
Lakers send Jordan Farmar, Brian Cook and Kwame Brown and future draft picks to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Sarunas Jasikevicius and Al Harrington.
For Golden State: Reportedly, Golden State is in the process of buying out the contract of Sarunas Jasikevicius, which would leave them with Baron Davis as their only true point guard on the roster. Given his history for period injuries to his back during the season, this could be a serious problem for the Warriors as they progress through the season. At the same time, they do have Monta Ellis, who spent some time at the point last season. However, it was clear during the time as well as since that not only is he uncomfortable and out of place in that role, Don Nelson is just as uncomfortable with having him there. Furthermore, the Warriors are reportedly already looking at potential options if they do finalize the buy out of Jasikevicius. The fact that they haven’t identified a workable solution yet, could be the reason why he is still currently on the roster at this point. Al Harrington, although highly versatile and highly useful to the Warriors at times, he looked very out of place at times during the playoffs especially in the series with the Mavs. It appeared that he didn’t fit well in the evolving style of play that Don Nelson implemented. His production increased in the Utah Jazz series which was more of a half-court slower tempo series. However, it is clear that the up-tempo style the Warriors normally like to use doesn’t really suit his game. With 2 years left on his contract, it is possible that the warriors wouldn’t mind parting with him for the right deal.
This trade, although not the ideal solution, it does meet the needs expressed above. First, it addresses the point guard void that will soon be left from the exit of Jasikevicius. Farmar is a young talented prospect that fills the role of a traditional point guard. He likes to play an up-tempo style and has a season of experience being the primary backup point guard. He would be a nice additional to this team providing solid ball distribution and decision making in this up-tempo system. Since he is still so young, his contract is extremely small compared to the production he would most likely provide. Second, with the signing of Austin Croshere and drafting of Brandon Wright the Warriors have much more depth at forward than they had last season. This should allow them to presumably handle the loss of Harrington where they could not a year ago. Brian Cook would also help in the short term due to his perimeter shooting ability. His contract is also very favorable in that is roughly $5mil or more less than the contract of Harrington, yet it last for the same amount of time. Finally, the Warriors have let go of Adonal Foyle, who although used very sparingly, was an added insurance piece in case of injury. His exit could be important in those situations where the Warriors need size. However, due to his lack of mobility and limited skill set, it was wise to let Foyle go. Kwame Brown could fill that void for next season with his defensive abilities and his ability to run the floor. Because of the nature of the Triangle Offense, Brown saw limited opportunities in transition, although he did demonstrate an ability to run the floor on those rare occasions. Heading into a contract year, the Warriors would be taking on a very short term commitment, which if it failed, would at the very least free up a sizable portion of cap space for the following summer which is expected to have a very good free agency class.
For Los Angeles: Although some continue to profess that the Lakers are in need of huge changes, they could potentially be greatly improved with a couple key changes. Among the areas of concern last season, the Lakers had clear weaknesses at point guard, small forward and center. The weaknesses at point guard and center have been somewhat addressed through the signing of Derek Fisher, departure of Smush Parker and the re-signing of Chris Mihm. However, they have done nothing to address the need at small forward. They seemingly have two options at this point if they still hope to address that need this summer. Either move someone over to small forward as the new starter and fill the void that is created, or simply sign a new starting small forward. Luke Walton and Vladimir Radmanovic could potentially have better years than this past, which will help the team immensely. However, unless they have career setting numbers, it is highly unlikely that either will have good enough seasons to effectively fill the starting small forward position next season. Instead, the Lakers need to improve that area and they need to do it this summer. Along with filling the need at forward, the Lakers also had a significant weakness with their perimeter shooting. Teams used zone defenses to totally disrupt the offense of the Lakers which left them seriously struggling. Finally, the Lakers had serious problems defensively at small forward and found themselves always trying to cover up the troubles they had there.
This trade would seemingly handle several concerns at one time, and would not cost the team more than they would be willing to pay. First, Jasikevicius is a combo guard with excellent shooting range and consistency. Not only would he address the needs with perimeter shooting, he would also help with his experience both in the NBA as well as international play. He gave the USA Team serious problems several years ago at point guard. Farmar would seemingly be replaced with Jasikevicius, yet again strengthening the Lakers guard core especially at the point. Seeing as how the Warriors are already looking at simply buying out his contract, it is feasible to believe that they would be willing to trade him instead for a replacement point guard. Next, in acquiring Harrington, the Lakers would address their problems at forward as well as provide themselves with the offensive firepower they desire. Harrington is a combo player like Odom, able to play 3 or 4 positions, however he is much more deliberate with his offense and much more effective in his low post defense. Having both him and Odom at forward, would give the Lakers a balanced attack having several weapons on the court at one time. The Lakers would lose both Cook and Brown in this deal in order to acquire Harrington which isn’t a bad deal considering the positives of Harrington. They would have a loss at center with his defense, but the added defensive improvements at the other positions should offset the loss of Brown. Cook’s shooting would be replaced by Jasikevicius and Harrington. To sweeten the deal the Lakers would need to offer at least 1 first round draft pick with possibly a future 2nd round pick as well. Considering that the Warriors are a young team utilizing an open and easy system, they would most likely be in favor of getting more draft picks which would provide much flexibility and options in the future.
Wrap-Up: At first glance this looks like a heavily weighted trade in favor of the Lakers. However, when you account for all of the extra things going into this trade it is more balanced. Although, if this trade is still coming up a little short for the Warriors, the Lakers could offer Maurice Evans as an additional player in this trade and the Warriors could use their trade exception of Jason Richardson to balance it out. Either way, this trade would benefit both teams; by providing both with clear things tat they have expressed to need.
New Lakers Roster (after trade)
PG: Fisher, Jasikevicius, Crittenton
SG: Bryant, Evans, Vujacic, Karl
SF: Odom, Walton
PF: Harrington, Radmanovic
C: Bynum, Mihm, Turiaf
With at least 8 players that can play multiple positions, the Lakers would have a very deep roster to start the season.
Posted by: Laker Mania | August 22, 2007 at 10:40 AM
Rocky,
"How did Kobe backstab us fans? We supported Kobe through thick and thin. We supported/defended him through his airballs in Utah, we supported/defended him when he made that horrendous rap album(trying to gain some street cred), we supported/defended him through his rape trial, we stayed behind him when he bought his wife's loyalty, we forgave him for actually considering the Clippers as an option in free agency, we took his side in the Shaq/Kobe debate (when the whole country and NBA took Shaq's side on the issue). And now he wants the Lakers to trade him? That is a backstab."
He was the only player who had the gall to take the final shot in Utah. If you are implying that because of his air balls we lost that series then you are very mistaken. Plus, shouldn't all rookies have a little leeway? He made a rap album but never released it (what does this have to do with supporting him by the way?). We did support him through his rape trial, a huge moment in his life. Is it a crime for a player to explore his options when they become a free agent? A player has the right to choose. Who are we to demand or expect that a player should not even exercise his right to consider the market? Have you forgiven Luke for having the audacity of considering free agency? We did not take his side in the Shaq/Kobe debate as evidenced by a lot of people on this blog saying that "he ruined a dynasty" or that "he wanted to be the man." What about the Laker insider? Is that not a prime example of an organization that back stabbed a player?
Posted by: fkillah | August 22, 2007 at 10:54 AM
Rick- I think you hit the nail on the head
"This is absolutely where the Lakers offense breaks down on a consistent basis. The other team's defense swarms Kobe because they are not worried about anyone else. But Kobe's team mates send him the ball anyway and then he has to take a bad shot."
When the season started slipping away 9 rings gave Kobe the green light to shoot more. That suggests to me at least, he gave up on the rest of the team and team basketball on offense. Do you agree with that?
Posted by: Laker Lover | August 22, 2007 at 10:58 AM
Rocky,
"Shaq was in the wrong as well for his actions towards management, no better than Kobe. But Shaq was the reason we won those championships. Kobe was a big part of those championships, but let's be real, Shaq dominated us to those championships. Just like he did with the Heat. If Kobe would have realized this as Wade has done, we Lakers would be 5-6 championships deep into a dynasty. This was another situation where all Kobe had to do was say a few words to quell a situation, but didn't."
I'll respect your opinion. But keep in mind that Kobe did the heavy lifting consistently throughout the playoff run and especially during crunch time. Wade and the refs carried that Heat team to the championships, not Shaq. I agree that if Kobe was less arrogant then we might have won a few more championships. But Shaq was just as arrogant and he even admitted that he messed up with Kobe and Penny. It goes both ways. Shaq was more accepting of Wade because he didn't want to make the same mistake 3 times and the fact that he realized that his skills were eroding.
Posted by: fkillah | August 22, 2007 at 11:02 AM
Laker Mania,
"Lakers send Jordan Farmar, Brian Cook and Kwame Brown and future draft picks to the Golden State Warriors
in exchange for Sarunas Jasikevicius and Al Harrington."
---
I actually like this one. I think Jasikevicius wants to go back to play for a Greek team, but he is a shooting PG,
which fits the triangle well. If he stays, it's a good fit for the triangle, if he leaves, it's cap space. And Farmar
is the only real asset I care much about there. Exchanging a PG with potential and a defense only C for
a PF who's pretty good on both offense and defense is a pretty good move.
Posted by: Long time Laker fan | August 22, 2007 at 11:28 AM
Rocky,
"And now he wants the Lakers to trade him? That is a backstab."
---
So you think Kobe would be a better person if he were to stay and play out his contract even if the Lakers never
put enough talent around him to make it out of the first round again? Fair enough. He'd be like Kevin Garnett.
A guy just happy to get a paycheck and play hard, regardless of whether his team wins or not.
But I feel that Kobe is justified in wanting to be traded. Let's use some analogies.
Let's say you go to the Army recruiting office and they tell you that if they hire you, they'll give you good body armor
and you'll be stationed somewhere in Europe where you probably won't be in much danger. Then after they hire you,
they put you on the streets of Iraq with no body armor.
Let's say you go apply for a job in an office, and they say they'll give you good benefits and a good working environment
and three weeks of vacation. So let's say you sign an exclusive contract where you can't legally work for anyone else
in your industry for 6 years. And then they put you in broken office furniture with old outdated computer equipment,
and instead of the benefits they promised, they change to sub-standard partial coverage medical and dental.
I could fabricate more examples, but you get the idea. If an employer hires you under some premise and then fails
to fulfill that premise, then you have a right to be a disgruntled employee. Since you signed an employment contract,
you have an obligation to fulfill the contract, but you also have a right to ask the employer to let you out of the contract
since they haven't kept up their end of the bargain.
Kobe wants to win championships.
That is a good thing. That is something you want in your star player. I think he was wrong to make a big media issue
out of it, but I think it's a good attitude to have. It's disappointing to me as a fan that he wants to leave, but I don't consider
it a stab in the back.
Posted by: Long time Laker fan | August 22, 2007 at 11:41 AM
TaosHum:
Of course very young players sometimes make big contributions. But most often they take a few years to get to that point. So trading or not trading any given young talent would have to be based on management's prediction of how rapidly a player was likely to develop, versus how rapidly older producers on the team were likely to decline. It's true that you can't get a team full of all-stars by trading away young talent, because, as you point out, the salary cap is in the way. But you can definitely improve a team built around a mature superstar by trading young potential for established producers. Teams do this all the time.
The price you pay for this is that after you're on top of the league for a few years, your players all get old and expensive at the same time. Then you trade them for young talent from some other team with a mature superstar, and you go on a rebuilding cycle yourself.
My point is that today the rules promote parity so strongly that it's not possible to remain an elite team indefinitely. Even Jerry West took 12 years to rebuild the Lakers between Magic-Kareem and Kobe-Shaq. Lakers management is trying to do the impossible. Well, make that the nearly impossible, because there are exceptions to everything. The Lakers might get lucky.
Now, I'm not a Kobe lover or apologist. His personality isn't exactly endearing. I loved Magic to death, both as a player and a person. Kobe I just love as a player. And even there, he has his weakness as a leader in bridging the talent gap with the other players. His personality doesn't help him do that. But I don't think he's fundamentally super-selfish. He just hasn't figured out how to utilize his own ability to the max while also meshing effectively with guys who just can't keep up with him.
Last season's Lakers were much better than their record and playoff results would indicate. They were doing great early in the season, but then they got hit with a perfect storm of injuries. This not only removed good players from the rotation, but also really screwed up the team's development during the season. Teams that the Lakers beat early on got better while the Lakers got worse. Then towards the end of the season, the Lakers players knew they were too far behind to catch up, and their morale just collapsed. Then they got really bad. Most people overreacted to this, Kobe included. I think this upcoming season will be much, much better for the Lakers, assuming no major roster changes from this point forward.
Kobe overreacted, and did so publically. That was damaging to the Lakers, no doubt about it. It made worse the exact thing Kobe wanted to make better. We can blame him for that, and I do. But prior to that, Lakers management failed strategically and got stuck in the no-man's land between rebuilding and winning quickly. That's what's upset Kobe and most of the rest of us.
Bynum and Crittenton excite me. I'd be more than happy to see the Lakers in rebuilding mode with them and other young talent they might get by trading Kobe. I'd also be happy to see Bynum and Crittenton traded, along with Kwame, etc. for salary matching, for some established players who could help the Lakers win now. What would make me happiest, though, would be to see Bynum and Crittenton really come on strong this year, and an injury-free Lakers team really jell and go all the way to the Finals. I just think that's pretty unlikely.
KLBeast (The Real One):
Shaq was a great player. He was so great he could get away with being fat and lazy when he was young. But at the point when he was traded, he couldn't do that much longer. Buss elected to err on the side of trading him a little too early rather than a little too late. Look at Shaq's production in Miami. Yes, they won a championship, as the Lakers probably would have done again had Shaq not been traded, and had he gotten in as good shape as he did in Miami for one year. But Shaq's production has steadily declined each year at Miami. He's now a shell of his former self. That's still a valuable player, but no longer Most Dominant Ever.
Without Shaq, Kobe never could have taken the Lakers to the championships they won together. Without Kobe, neither could Shaq. Shaq was great in his prime. But that doesn't mean he shouldn't have been traded when he was. If we still had Caron, we'd be looking back at the Shaq trade differently today, I think. The really big mistake was trading Caron for Kwame.
As for Shaq vs. Kobe, I think their natural personality clash was mismanaged and became a much bigger deal than it should have been, based on immaturity in both of them. Kobe definitely contributed to that. I just think Shaq contributed more, and that his salary demands before he was traded were ridiculous based on his projected value going forward over several years.
And now for a completely new issue:
Remember how great the Lakers were doing early in the season the year they had Malone and Payton, when they weren't even trying to play triangle ball? I've long thought that Phil Jackson ruined that season by trying to impose the triangle on four guys whose basketball IQ was so high they didn't need it. If Phil had just let his four superstars play the way they wanted to, they would have done much better. These guys were killing everyone early on when they were supposedly just getting used to each other. When they went to the triangle they started getting beaten. Without the triangle, Malone still might have gotten injured, of course, but Payton wouldn't have struggled and soured late in the season. I think Phil was the problem that year. Him and whoever let Horry go to the Spurs. Anyone else have an opinion on this?
Posted by: rationalfan | August 22, 2007 at 12:06 PM
fkillah,
That's a lot of questions.
"shouldn't all rookies have a little leeway?"
Of course, Kobe was actually hailed for that shot by us Laker fans. He showed us some fearlessness that we had never seen in a young guy before. The Laker-haters loved those shots as well as they led to another playoff loss for the Lakers. We had to defend Kobe.
"He made a rap album but never released it (what does this have to do with supporting him by the way?)."
Being a part of Hip Hop as a culture, it was rather funny to see Kobe trying to rap. We all could see how fake it was, especially on the heels of a semi-successful Shaq album. As a Laker fan, I had to defend Kobe for that.
"Is it a crime for a player to explore his options when they become a free agent?"
No it is not.
"Who are we to demand or expect that a player should not even exercise his right to consider the market?"
We're just fans. For whatever fans are worth.
"Have you forgiven Luke for having the audacity of considering free agency?"
No, he's a traitor in my eyes! j/k
"Laker insider? Is that not a prime example of an organization that back stabbed a player?"
Actually, this is where you are wrong. The Lakers are always trying to make it to the championship. We even gambled on Kwame to try and make it happen. Gambling is considered a disease these days. Especially in the salary cap era.
Kobe needs to show more understanding of the situation and stop creating Kobe situations, because those are not good. That thought was a deep thought, provided to you by Jack Handey.
Posted by: Rocky | August 22, 2007 at 12:09 PM
HobbitMage:
Some excellent posts. I agree with most of your positions. I would also pick Wilt over Shaq in a flash.
I live in Mill Valley just north of San Francisco and would be interested in getting together to watch some games as well as getting together to go see the Lakers play the Warriors. I also know that Jay Jay is a NorCal fan, too.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | August 22, 2007 at 12:09 PM
Long time Laker fan,
I'm just not buying those analogies. We're talking about a multi-million dollar NBA basketball player here on the greatest basketball franchise in the world.
I believe the Lakers want to win championships. Not just Kobe.
Posted by: Rocky | August 22, 2007 at 12:21 PM
Mamba 24/10,
"Oh Vick eletrocuted and drowned the dogs. Do you know what they
do to baby seals to get their white fur? They bash their f*cking heads in with clubs, that's what. Do you know what
I hate to say this but this is going after a Brother plain and simple. When Bret Farve who I like admitted he went to
cock fights( that's Rooster fighting each other with knives affixed to their claws.) The reporters all laugh and not a peep"
Mamba, here is my solution on these folks doing monkey business outside of their profession, why don't we feat Vick with the hungry Dogs perhaps a five fierce competitors would be fair for a QB. And for Favre, put him in a cage against cockfighting cocks and ask him to be the referee of five pairs of cocks and see him he could stand the battle of slashers. Put this gladiators on their merciless sports and let them have a quick theraphy through example.
Blogging you from the Arctic Circle.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | August 22, 2007 at 12:44 PM
Rocky
I believe the Lakers want to win championships. Not just Kobe.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Based on the moves the Lakers have made in the last 5-7 years, I have to disagree with that statement. The Lakers FO has the same mentality of most companies in corporate america: keeping the bottom line in the black. IMHO, the Lakers FO is insane to think that they can achieve the same results they had achieved before (titles) within the confines of the new collective bargaining agreement. Think about this: Would Miami had won the title in 2006 if Shaq had not agreed to lower his extension demands by $10 million a year so that they could sign Walker and Payton? Who knows. Plus, you have to also factor in that Miami's about to be screwed in their cap space because Wade's new contract kicks in this year.
The Lakers have the same cap problems as Miami, but here's the difference: Miami doesn't care, the Lakers do (and that's not good).
Like I have said before, I was not in agreement with Kobe's public existential meltdown that he had in late May, but one thing that Ric Bucher has been correct on is that the Lakers FO is making Kobe's argument for him: they care more about profits than winning. The FO has gotten too corporate and would rather stay in the black and lose games than lose money and win titles.
Now, Kobe's value was lowered with his rant simply because nobody wants a public complainer on their team (which I learned the hard way when I interviewed with companies a few years ago and the anger I had for my current job was too transparent in my interviews).
Oh, here's one more thing to think about:
Phil Jackson said (per Luke Walton's in terview on ESPN) that Phil Jackson's chances of extending his contract will be all but ZERO if the Lakers don't make it out of the first round in 2008. With this team as constructed now being a wild card to get to the playoffs, let alone the second round, that leaves the FO with the following conundrum next summer (assuming the rosters stays as is):
- You won't have Phil Jackson anymore.
- Kwame is a free agent (threw that in there for suplementary fact)
- Kobe is one year away from opting out
- Odom is one year away from being an unrestricted free agent.
- If nothing changes, both players will probably walk in 2009, leaving you with only Vlad, Walton, Fisher, Bynum (if he doesn't leave in free agency), Crittendon, and Farmar on your roster.
Now, unless the plan is to let all of these guys walk and start from scratch in 2009 with the players above, what you would you as the owner do?
Something to think about?
Posted by: ATL Laker Fan | August 22, 2007 at 01:35 PM
By the way, T.J. Simmers good-natured ribbing of Elton Brand is still kind of lame.
Elton Brand is the most underapreciated player in the NBA.
He's a model.
God, I hope he wins a championship.
Go Clippers!
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon Kavulic | August 22, 2007 at 01:54 PM
"what you would you as the owner do?
Something to think about?"-ATL
Believe it or not, I have thought about it. We are in a lose lose situation. If we trade Kobe, the future will look bright, but won't manifest into consistent wins for a few years. If we keep Kobe, we're going to be walking on thin ice for a few years, but be a player away from competing for a championship.
What I would do at this point is make Kobe honor his contract for the time being and evaluate the situation at the end of this coming year. Nothing profound here. I would be open to offers for Kobe that would improve the team. But if nothing that improves the Lakers comes up, I wouldn't trade him. That'd be crazy.
One proposal that I like for Kobe is the Rip Hamilton/Tayshaun Prince/+draft picks deal. Would Detroit do that? We're just going to have to see what happens this season.
Posted by: Rocky | August 22, 2007 at 02:25 PM
Mamba24/10 Every time one of your people make a mistake(VICK) you folks always blame it on whitey.GO get a life mamba and quit blaming the white man for all your mistakes and failures.By the way i dont belive in polical correctness AND i blog for the truth and hate bloggers that run for the race card.
Posted by: John Smith Mr.Laker | August 22, 2007 at 02:30 PM
Rocky,
"Being a part of Hip Hop as a culture, it was rather funny to see Kobe trying to rap. We all could see how fake it was, especially on the heels of a semi-successful Shaq album. As a Laker fan, I had to defend Kobe for that."
Again, what relevance does this topic have? He never released the album so how can you be critical or supportive of it? So you now feel betrayed by Kobe since you supported his rap album? If thats the case, then it doesn't take much for you to feel back stabbed.
"Actually, this is where you are wrong. The Lakers are always trying to make it to the championship. We even gambled on Kwame to try and make it happen. Gambling is considered a disease these days. Especially in the salary cap era."
No, I am not wrong. Do you even know the story of the Laker insider? I ask because you don't address the issue at all and talk about some other thing that has nothing to do with the Laker insider story. There was an insider that blamed Kobe for the departure of Shaq and this news got released to the media. Obviously, Kobe was very upset and felt rightfully betrayed upon hearing the news. The point you were trying to make was that Kobe back stabbed the Lakers. I countered by saying that the Lakers back stabbed Kobe by providing the example of the Laker insider story. So why on earth are you talking about the Lakers willingness to win championships and about gambling on Kwame?It makes absolutely no sense since it has nothing to do with the insider incident or the fact that Kobe got back stabbed. You obviously don't know what you are talking about in this instance so don't be so resolute.
Posted by: fkillah | August 22, 2007 at 06:52 PM
John Smith Mr.Laker:
"Mamba24/10 Every time one of your people make a mistake(VICK) you folks always blame it on whitey.GO get a life mamba and quit blaming the white man for all your mistakes and failures.By the way i dont belive in polical correctness AND i blog for the truth and hate bloggers that run for the race card."
Whoa... lets not try to start any race wars on this blog, OK?
I will say this: I am black, and yet I still think Vick's actions are detestable and that he deserves to go to jail for the maximum term... now can we PLEASE get back to talking about the Lakers?
Posted by: hal9000 | August 22, 2007 at 07:18 PM
-------------------------- B R E A K I N G N E W S -----------------------------------
The Lakers have just announced that they have signed center Larry Turner:
http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/070822lakers_sign_larry_turner.html
If you're saying, "Larry who?" to yourself right now, don't worry -- so am I.
He's undrafted rookie from Tennessee State who played in the Summer League... another head-scratching move from the Lakers FO...
Posted by: hal9000 | August 22, 2007 at 07:35 PM
(From www.Lakers.com)
LAKERS SIGN LARRY TURNER
August 22, 2007
EL SEGUNDO - The Los Angeles Lakers have signed free agent center Larry Turner, it was announced today. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.
Turner, a 6-11 center from Tennessee State, averaged 5.8 points and 6.1 rebounds as a senior.
Turner played for the Lakers 2007 Summer-Pro League team, averaging 7.4 points and 5.2 rebounds in five games.
Posted by: hal9000 | August 22, 2007 at 07:49 PM
Rocky:
"Actually, this is where you are wrong. The Lakers are always trying to make it to the championship. We even gambled on Kwame to try and make it happen. Gambling is considered a disease these days. Especially in the salary cap era."
I think I have a better chance winning the lottery than the Lakers do in getting Kwame to help them "make it to the championship". That was NOT a championship move.
If Michael Jordan thought that Kwame was a piece of $HIT, then the Lakers had no business going after him... unfortunately, Mitch and Buss are still at the helm, and both are horrible judges of talent.
Posted by: hal9000 | August 22, 2007 at 08:23 PM
Hey everyone,
Andrew Bynum's 2006-07 highlight video is on the main video page of NBA.com.... I don't know how it got there... are the Lakers still trying to shop Bynum, perhaps?
Posted by: hal9000 | August 22, 2007 at 09:20 PM
"There was an insider that blamed Kobe for the departure of Shaq and this news got released to the media."-fkillah
That insider deal is a joke. Kobe forced the issue by threatening to turn LA basketball upside down by going to the Clippers. Buss said he didn't want to pay an outrageous $30 mill/yr to Shaq, and was justified in that. But at the time, Shaq was under contract. We didn't have to move Shaq. But we also didn't want to lose Kobe to the Clippers. So in order to keep Kobe, we had to move Shaq.
How can an insider have influence in this? Actions speak louder than words.
It seems that you're frustrated that Kobe has been vilified in the media because of an 'insider'. I'm sorry, but an insider cannot create the kind of sentiment that Kobe is recieving from the media. Kobe did this to himself by being selfish time and time again.
Why would Kobe take a media hit for the team? Kobe does not seem like the kind of guy to take a media hit from anyone, and especially hold the 'truth' inside for a couple years. Kobe takes hits at people in the media, but doesn't absorb them, especially from some unknown insider. That's an outrageous assertion.
"Again, what relevance does this topic have? He never released the album so how can you be critical or supportive of it? So you now feel betrayed by Kobe since you supported his rap album? If thats the case, then it doesn't take much for you to feel back stabbed."-fkillah
It's a good thing he didn't release it. And I do not feel betrayed by Kobe for this. And to tell you the truth there was no defense for this to real hip hop heads. Like I said it was funny. Lighten up killah.
" So why on earth are you talking about the Lakers willingness to win championships and about gambling on Kwame?"-fkillah
When you pay attention to the Lakers as a team, and not Kobe as an individual. You'll remember that we had too many small forwards on the team a few years back. We made a trade, Caron for Kwame. We made this trade because we had Chris Mihm as our center, not good. At the time, we were thinking that since we had Kobe and Lamar, Caron was expendable. Plus we needed a big. Kwame Brown, The 1st pick in the 2001 draft, with a whole bunch of potential that hadn't been manifested yet. Having the greatest coach of all time, we though we could mold Kwame into reaching his potential. Not a bad gamble, if you ask me. It shows that the Lakers have been willing to take chances to win championships.
We are not in a position to make any bold moves right now. Kobe needs to understand that and be patient.
"You obviously don't know what you are talking about in this instance so don't be so resolute."-fkillah
I am so resolute because your point about the 'insider' is pointless. This Kobe situation is getting ridiculous. Now people are coming up with conspiracy theories to justify Kobe's selfish ways. Do you seriously think the Lakers would set up their franchise player to make him look bad? That's ludacris. I can't see Jerry Buss doing that to Kobe to save his 'image'. You know how much money he'd lose doing that? As it was, Kobe's jersey sales dropped off dramatically after the Kobe/Shaq debacle.
fkillah, your 'insider' conspiracy theory is garbage. I can't believe you actually believe that.
"If Michael Jordan thought that Kwame was a piece of $HIT, then the Lakers had no business going after him... unfortunately, Mitch and Buss are still at the helm, and both are horrible judges of talent."-Hal9000
That is the truth.
Posted by: Rocky | August 23, 2007 at 09:34 AM