LakerBake,

Good to hear from you. Yeah, Sasha signing was definitely a good deal for the Lakers. And a clear signal that restricted free agents don’t really have a lot of leverage, since no team was ready to give Sasha the contract he thought he should get, which is why he changed agents midstream.

I hear you on Luke and Vlade but it’s always easy to quarterback the team on Monday. While I also wish we hadn’t tied up these guys for the 6 and 5 years that we did, there is little chance that we can trade either guy and no chance that we would get back players that were any better. Sadly, our best hope is that they both have great years and give the Lakers some of the value we thought we had gotten when we signed them. Vlade did still shoot 40% from 3-point land last year so we need to pray that he really gets his game together and shoots even better next year. As for Luke, hopefully he gets healthy and plays to the best of his ability. The thing about both guys is that they have far more to offer the team still than Smush, Cookie, and Kwame ever did. I know that’s not much but right now, as far as Luke and Vlade go, that’s all we’ve got. LOL.

As for Reggie Evans, how would you feel about practicing with this guy? Better not bend over too far. LOL. While he is still a space cadet, I wouldn’t trade Vlade for Evans, although I admit we do need to replace Turiaf on the bench. I had big hopes that we would sign Garbo but we didn’t try to outbid the Russian team that signed him. With losing Ronny, I would like to see Lamar stay at power forward and come off the bench. If we have Drew, Pau, and Lamar each play around 32 minutes, we can then have a starter quality center and power forward on the floor for all 48 minutes of the game, which would give us a huge advantage when other teams subbed. Of course, injuries are always the wild cards that can screw you up in the end. Anyway, that’s my take on the Evans trade proposal. I think we can make better use of Vlade’s one-trick shooting pony, whereas Evans would just be insurance in case of injury.

As for Chris Mihm, I can’t disagree that counting on him considering the past is no sure thing to help out at center, although the Lakers are apparently encouraged by Chris making good progress back to getting healthy. I think we will still bring back Mbenga next year as insurance. Bottom line, you are probably right that we are going to wait until how we see the Triple Towers or other variations work before possibly trading Lamar. I’m fine with that strategy. After all, we were only 2 games from winning it all even without Drew. And you know I think Drew is worth a lot more than 2 games.

Tom

bozz,

>>>>> Oh well, we got Sasha back, I'm happy. If we could only grab one more big
>>>>>presence to clog the lane then I'll be set. Just as long as it doesn't start with "K"
>>>>>and end with "wame Brown."

You can say that again. And you just did. Couldn’t agree more. Hopefully, the front office will end up agreeing too. And I love Prince, too. Both the Piston and the pop star. Nothing Compares 2 U was always one of the fave songs of all time.

Tom

dave,

>>>>>Let's just flip it around. The Lakers know Bynum's situation better than anyone.
>>>>>If they were worried about him they wouldn't have let Turiaf go. They'd be
>>>>>actively chasing quality big men instead of letting them get signed by other teams.
>>>>>They're obviously feeling okay about the whole thing.

Come on, Dave. If you use logic like that against a certain troll, it’s not a fair fight. LOL. You’re better off just calling the troll names than trying to reason with it. But good try.

Cocktails at Ding’s tonight at 8? See you in Prattville. LOL.

Tom

Sun Yue, Coby Karl or Joey Crawford don't really solve our need for additional muscle and improved defense.

Ummm.... looks like Kwame Brown and Quinton Ross have become long-shots. Too bad.

GO LAKERS!

Ken.

>>>>>I still say Bynum will get a max deal though because he is the cornerstone
>>>>>of the franchise for the next generation.

Good to hear from you. Drew will probably sign for less than the max. That is the advantage the Lakers get for extending his contract a year before it expires. A little less money but long time security for Drew and the Lakers. It will happen before Oct 31.

You are dead right that Drew is the “cornerstone of the franchise for the next generation.”

Tom

Mike T

"Somebody wrote,

"Could it possibly be that the Spurs and Jazz (and other clubs, too) medical staff understand the nature of Bynum's injury and have determined that they don't need to plan for a Bynum/Gasol frontline?"

Let's just flip it around. The Lakers know Bynum's situation better than anyone. If they were worried about him they wouldn't have let Turief go. They'd be actively chasing quality big men instead of letting them get signed by other teams. They're obviously feeling okay about the whole thing.

Yawn, next."

Big Yawn too!

Fatty

"then we'd probably look for a big player, a front-court player or a young developing player because there might not be that many minutes available for that person."

Take your pick from the following:

A. Emeka Okafor
B. Kwame Brown
C. Lorenzo Matap-Real
D. Nik Caner-Medley
E. A Euro Olympic Player
F. 6'4" Blogger named Fatty

humanomaly

>>>>>Chinese restaurants in my family as well… ever since owning one,
>>>>>I can't eat in one!!!!!

That’s pretty funny. I’ve since gotten over that version of a “busman’s holiday.” I spent almost 20 years in the retail apparel and shopping center business and left around 15 years ago and have hardly been in a mall or retail clothing store since. LOL.

>>>>>Here's a funny thing, it's like keeping 2 sets of books.
>>>>>Ding How probably knows how to do that, just as any business owner.
>>>>>I used to joke that the best dish at a certain Asian restaurant was
>>>>>"Twice-cooked books."

You got that part right for sure. The restaurant business is a great family business but a tough road to riches. LOL. I grew up in the back rooms of my dad’s Chinese restaurants in the Midwest and remember coming across my Dad with two ledgers for the restaurant. My dad used to ring up one sale for the tax man and then pocket the next sale for the family. Of course, I am actually old enough to remember my dad “cooking” the books with an abacus instead of an adding machine, although most posters here probably have never seen either one. LOL. Like my son finding my slide rule and laughing.

Tom

BIGRICK,

I only care about one number, the number of wins and winning the best of 7 in the Finals.

Who cares how we compare statistically?

In recent years the Warriors and Nuggets have been the best teams in Steals/gm. And they both had bad defenses.

Rebounds are far more important, but if we can still win without rebounding well (like we did until the Finals this year) who cares?

"If they were worried about him they wouldn't have let Turief go. They'd be actively chasing quality big men instead of letting them get signed by other teams. "

Hate to break this to you but Ronny Turiaf is not a quality big. He plays with energy but over a 82 games season plus playoff the wear and tear of the game breaks him down. Why do you think the Lakers let him go?

Why do you think Sasha got a bigger qualifying offer than Turiaf did?

Why do you think the Lakers gave more money to Sasha (5 million) then what they were willing to pay Turiaf (4 million)? The weren't willing to pay Turiaf a messly 4 million but were willing to pay Sasha 5 million?

With or without Bynum, Turiaf isn't anywhere near what the Lakers need to address their problems.

Turiaf went to Golden State because of how they play smallball. That's the only real place Turaif can fit in to use his energy. Put Turiaf in a structured game and as I already mentioned: "...over a 82 games season plus playoff the wear and tear of the game breaks him down. Why do you think the Lakers let him go?"

So your points aren't really points. They're just of nonsense that doesn't take the Boston series into account. Turiaf was a big zero in production in that series because the Celtics were too physical for him. And after 82 games and the playoff, when the finals did come around, Turiaf had nothing in the tank to match Boston's phyicality.

So, again, with or without Bynum, Turiaf wasn't an answer.

I hope that help you to further your understanding of the fundamentals of the game.

: )

mike t.

Michael C. Teniente,

What does the "C" stand for?

GO LAKERS!

ex,

>>>>>But the qualifying offer gives them some idea of what the lower range
>>>>>of the NBA market value is.

Not really. The qualifying offer is usually just 120% of the last year salary on the player’s existing contract. It is not even considered to be an offer unless the player just wants to accept it and play out the year to become a free agent. In Sasha’s case, for example, the Lakers made a qualifying offer of $2.6M for 1-year. Their actual opening bid in negotiations was $4M for 3 years. Sasha countered with $6M for 4 years. Both sides compromised and settled on $5M for 3 years.

Tom

pfunk,
"Oh, yeah, I forgot. Walton is white.Now why would I say that?"
Because you like to be consistent.

"2-time NBA champion coach Rudy Tomjanovich thought he was worthless."

Yeah - we saw how well Rudy did with the Lakers, didn't we?

"on the open market his skills (whatever they are?) are not in demand"
SInce he has never actually been on the open market, there's no way you can say that. Sorry, I meant "no way you can say that intelligently."

TRADE WALTON FOR WALTON…LOL

>>>>> Seems a Odom and Walton trade to Sac for Artest and Walton will work.

That is a novel approach to trading Walton. What team would mind if they can just return Walton as part of the trade. Too bad the CBA won’t allow you to trade for a guy who is already on your team. Now that’s being clever – or being stupid. LOL.

Tom

LakerTom,
"But the qualifying offer gives them some idea of what the lower range of the NBA market value is."

I was looking at it from the perspective that if it is viewed by other teams as a reasonable offer (i.e. on the low end of the scale, but still within reason) those other teams are likely to up it a little and see if they could get the player. And the player will possibly give it some consideration, too. If it is too low, you won't see any interest in it at all. If it is too high, the player is likely to take it, which in most cases the original team probably doesn't want to happen. In Sasha's case, it looks like it was lower than the "reasonable but on the low side" range. That gives them an idea where to start the negotiations.

It is reasonable to speculate that Luke Walton got his contract due to business reasons. He is a good looking young white guy, who has a famous basketball name. A stereotype southern California beach boy.

Now, this is not going to sound politically correct, but it is well known that a lot of NBA teams think their main market is the professional white guy - basically where their profitability comes from-corporate boxes, etc.. And lack of profitability is usually blamed on a team's lack of success with this market.

Supposedly, the majority of NBA teams are not profitable.
That's where a Luke Walton trade scenario comes in. Basically, the Lakers need to find a team that thinks it wants Luke for marketing reasons. So yes, I think there is a slim chance that Walton's untradeable contract might in fact be tradeable.

Are you guys serious? I don't totally agree on Mike T's concepts, but I will say you guys were crazy to think we would beat the Celtics in the finals with this team.

Previous to this season, this team had not gotten out of the first round...Although I don't think that matters as much, the Celtics had players with more playoff experience.

The Lakers didn't lose because Gasol is a marshmellow. The Lakers lost because their defense understood how to stop Kobe and their only other offensive threat was Gasol. Since they simply could push Gasol away from his spots, he was ineffective.

It's not Gasol's fault. That is the type of player he is and the Lakers need to adjust. He's not going to get tougher.

What the Lakers need is another guy who can score and not be taken out of the block and out of his comfort zone. That is all the lakers need!

Bynum could be that guy..If we had a healthy Bynum last year, I would say no doubt we would have beaten the Celtics.. No doubt in my mind. But someone would have come off the bench ..Just like next year..Bynum, Odom, and Gasol on the same court is going to cause problems and potentially injuries. How can someone not step on someones foot when you have 3 7 footers underneath trying to get the rebound?

I appreciate the Laker fans who always think we have a chance..I'm a die hard Laker fan. I want them to win, but I look at reality here!

Ray Allen played for Nate McMillan. In my opinion, nate and Larry Brown coached teams are the only ones who have had success in gearing defenses to stop Kobe.

I knew then the Lakers were in trouble with Boston because nobody else on the Lakers was a dominant scorer.

Edwin Gueco,

>>>Will Bobcats accept three players Walton, VladRad and
>>>Mihm for Okafor + 2nd draft picks. What'd you say
>>>LTLF?

I say they will accept that trade... when Hell freezes over.

Think of Okafor as their Bynum. His upside doesn't look
quite as high as Bynum's, but the principle is the same.

Would you trade Bynum for any team's 10th, 11th, and
12th best players from the previous season? That's
basically what you're offering in Walton, Rad, and Mihm.

Okafor is a very good front court player, arguably their best
player, and they were hoping to build around him. The
big difference is that Charlotte sucks and free agents aren't
exactly pushing their agents to get them signed there. And
they're not nearly as profitable as the Lakers, so they can't
afford to be spending a bunch of luxury tax.

What they would want in a trade for Okafor is 2 or more
good players that would be paid what Okafor himself wants
to make. Or even one really good player. But one that earns
10 million, not 15 million.

If the Lakers wanted to trade for Okafor, they'd want Bynum
to be first on the menu. I don't really see much else on the
Lakers they'd want. Maybe Farmar and/or Ariza, but those
guys alone aren't enough for Okafor. They might not even
want Gasol or Odom for Okafor, as both of those guys make
even MORE than they don't want to pay Okafor.

I honestly can't see any way the Lakers could acquire
Okafor short of doing a three-way trade with either Odom
or Gasol going out, a third team sending Charlotte stuff
they want, and Charlotte sending Okafor to the Lakers.

"The Lakers didn't lose because Gasol is a marshmellow. The Lakers lost because their defense understood how to stop Kobe and their only other offensive threat was Gasol. Since they simply could push Gasol away from his spots, he was ineffective."

Now damn it! That's a marshmellow! You can't say the Lakers didn't lose because Gasol is a marshmellow. And then in the next sentence say: "...their only other offensive threat was Gasol. Since they simply could push Gasol away from his spots, he was ineffective."

Damn it, again! That's describing a marshmellow.

WCL (AKA mike t.)

"Assuming one of them (Yue, Karl and Crawford) makes the team, that brings you to 12 and then we'd probably look for a big player, a front-court player or a young developing player because there might not be that many minutes available for that person."
-Mitch Kupchak

Am I understanding Mitch correctly?

The 12th spot looks to be between Sun, Karl, and Crawford?

The 13th spot is for a big, front court player or if the Lakers don't find one, a young project, 'because no minutes'?

And 3rd, The Lakers ONLY will go with 13 players?

Does anyone know how profound Sun Yue's mastery of English is?

Kind of important in terms of coaching and team communication.

GO LAKERS!

Posted by: Jon K. | July 26, 2008 at 02:14 PM

Sun Yue's mastery of English is so profound that Confuscious himself could not comprehend it.

Some interesting takes on Radmanovich:

http://tinyurl.com/5pt375

Benjamin,

Is Confuscious Confucius's confused cousin?

GO LAKERS!

LTLF,

Actually, it's 12.

Kobe, Gasol, Odom, Rad, Fisher, Walton, Ariza, Bynum,
Vujacic, Mihm, Farmar, and Karl.

They could fill anywhere from 1 to 3 more spots.

Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | July 26, 2008 at 02:53 PM

I thought Karl wasn't a guaranteed contract.

"YES!!!! OHHH YESSSSS!!!!

If Kwame re-signs, he absolutely MUST wear #34."

Oh hell yeah! :)

"I was having trouble keeping up the facade that they'd be just
as good with Coby Karl taking up his minutes. :-)"

heh.

And thanks for the continued searching of the league for trading partners to fix the hindsight obvious Vlad mistake and possible Walton mistake.

Trading with Houston sounds like a good deal for both of us. I liked how they were playing a lot too. It couldn't hurt to add one of their defensively-minded players from that 22-game streak.

I'd take Reggie Evans before Kwame Brown any day. At the very least, he will inspire fear every time we play against Kaman. It would be especially good if we got rid of Vlad's contract.

Since we already had one convicted (that's for you hypercritical Kobe haters) sex offender on our team in Ruben Patterson, I'm loath to get another one in Evans (even if his act wasn't a crime), but we all know he'd be better than Kwame.

We're building a team, not a league of extraordinary gentlemen.

And yes, even the head of the Kwame pants around his ankles servicing club (you know whom I mean) knows it's true.

Benjamin,

Yes.

GO LAKERS!