September 16, 2008 | 6:12
pm
Because if you plan on hitting one of seven designated "premium games" during the 2008-09 season, it'll cost you a few bucks more. As in, $10 to $55 more, depending on where you sit, as some seats appear to be unaffected by the new plan.
At least some theoretically interesting games got the bump. It's one thing to make a contest against Boston (Dec. 25), Cleveland (Jan. 19), San Antonio (Jan. 25), New Orleans (Feb. 20), Phoenix (Feb. 26), Dallas (March 15) or Houston (April 3) a little costlier. It's quite another to say, "The Grizzlies are in town, kids! Better pony up if you want a live look at the frontline scoring juggernaut that is Marc Gasol, Hamed Haddadi and Darko Milicic!"
The official news release from the Lakers is below the jump.
AK
The Los Angeles Lakers will institute a new
variable pricing plan for tickets beginning with the upcoming 2008-09 season, it
was announced today by Senior Vice President of Business Operations Tim
Harris.
In the
new plan, tickets in various sections will have three different prices: a
regular individual game price; a discounted season seat price; and a premium
price. Seven games have been chosen as premium games. They are as follows:
December 25 vs. Boston; January 19 vs. Cleveland; January 25 vs. San Antonio;
February 20 vs. New Orleans; February 26 vs. Phoenix; March 15 vs. Dallas and
April 3 vs. Houston.
“This
has been a growing trend in sports and entertainment ticket pricing in recent
years and allows us to increase revenues to offset our increasing payroll costs.
At the same time, while determining the market value of ticket prices, we were
sensitive to being able to protect our season seat holders by keeping their
price increases to a minimum,” said Harris.
The Lakers also
announced that tickets for individual games for the 2008-09 season will go on
sale on Saturday, October 4.
The tickets will go on sale at 10:00am at all Ticketmaster
locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com and by telephone at
1-800-4NBATIX. There are approximately 1,000 tickets available for each Lakers
home game. Tickets will not be available for purchase at the STAPLES
Center Box Office on this date.
For more
information regarding tickets for individual games please visit the Lakers
website at www.lakers.com.
the regular lineup. and how did they win the only game in the series they won. KOBE! KOBE! KOBE!
Posted by: MAMBA24 | September 17, 2008 at 08:23 AM
Yeah! Sock it to those revisionists.
Posted by: Lakergurl | September 17, 2008 at 01:56 PM
Shaq didn't struggle against Detroit.
DETROITs game plan was all about defense. They knew that if they scored just 90+ points each game they would win the series if they could ACCOMPLISH their DEFENSIVE goals wich was:
Focusing their whole defense on Shaq when he had possession of the ball and then to Kobe when Kobe had posession of the ball.
They were basically DARING anybody else besides SHAQ and KOBE to beat them and that is what we needed in that series. Malone was hurt, payton had frogs in his throat and RICK fox was hurt and I remember devean george getting hurt somewhere during that time as well.
Shaq ended up still playing his game (for the MOST part.. sometimes he DID struggle but who doesn't struggle at one point against another great team in the Finals) and KOBE just played like he was abandoned by his 4 teamates. Very very weird play from Kobe during that series.
-DEREK
GO LAKERS
Posted by: DEREK | September 17, 2008 at 02:05 PM
AK.
I know that Lakers Fans of all walks of life attend the games, and though many of the "pretty people" sit closer to the floor, there is still lots of people in the crowd that don't cheer, or don't cheer as loudly as we'd expect. I think there is something to be said about the "mellowness" of the LA crowd, as I know STHs that are just quiet people.
Still, even in Dodger Stadium, other than Left Field Pavillion, my favorite place to sit, the crowd is also pretty mellow, especially in the field boxes. Yeah, they wear jerseys and I'm sure they care about the team, but they don't cheer like the LF Pav. fans do. So to your point, I don't think it's fair to say that they don't care, but I've met lots of people who go to the games just to go, who won't know who Coby Karl or DJ Mbenga is, and could care less if we won or lost.
Posted by: JSNV | September 17, 2008 at 02:07 PM
JSNV,
Like I said, if you want to label the Staples crowd pretty quiet (and thus not terribly intimidating to the visiting team and sometimes not terribly inspiring for the Lakers), I'd have no argument. Whatever the reason (it could be a combination of elements), it's a hard observation to refute.
And yeah, there are definitely fans there who aren't die-hards and may just be there to take in a game and have fun. Sometimes, people just want to go out and have a good time, and there are worse approaches than a basketball game. But I don't think that's unique to the Lakers. If you go to any arena, you'll find people of that ilk, and I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with that. All kidding and devotion aside, we are still talking about a game. For some folks, it's just about being entertained.
AK
Posted by: Andrew Kamenetzky | September 17, 2008 at 02:16 PM
Elle,
I feel you on that one. A Clipper team with no Brand, Rockets with no Yao or McGrady, and the Pistons aren't that fun to watch unless they're playing a good team. I couldn't even bring myself to buy that package to watch the Lakers, which shows how dedicated a fan you are!! Oct.29 and Jan 21, maybe I'll see you there!!
Posted by: JSNV | September 17, 2008 at 02:21 PM
AK,
WHAT?!?!?!!! It's JUST a game?!?!?!? LOL, very true.
Posted by: JSNV | September 17, 2008 at 02:25 PM
AK
>>Where I do think the Laker fans lack, however, is in crowd volume. I'd always noticed before that Staples noise runs in waves, but that never really hit home until going on the road this season.<<
Laker fans are preconditioned to wait for the action to come to them. That's been a trait ever since the 80's. The fans sit on their hands and anticipate the Lakers will give them something to cheer about and there’s nothing wrong with that. All respects to Vlad – if you want to get cheered do something worthwhile. We are not Clipper fans who cheer mediocrity for the sake of cheering. If you want to compare us to theater fans, if the performance sucks we are walking out. We expect more.
Posted by: HmrHed | September 17, 2008 at 02:26 PM
Long Time,
>>>>>He may get that much, but only if it's a couple weeks into
>>>>>the season and he's playing at full strength with no limp
>>>>>and no new complications.
Wake up, Long Time. Lakers have to sign Drew by October 31 or he they will NOT be able to negotiate and sign him until AFTER his contract expires and he is a free agent, which despite your comments will NEVER happen. They will probably wait until camp is underway to finalize deal but they CANNOT wait until 2 weeks into the season. Do you understand that? I must have posted the rules 100 times before. No contract by 10/31/08 and Drew CANNOT be signed until he becomes a free agent. PERIOD.
And you are the only one still worried about the knee. Extension will be signed by 10/27/08, Drew's birthday.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | September 17, 2008 at 02:38 PM
I'm just amazed and at the same time upset why some of the bloggers here are still trying to respond to whatever BUTLER brought in the table for discussions. We all know that all his reasonings are crooked or stupid as I should say. The only purpose he blogs here is to pissed all the Lakers fan nothing more nothing less.
Posted by: dacsila | September 17, 2008 at 02:45 PM
AK,
A game? A game? You're saying this is a game? So this is checkers now? Are you fricken kidding me? A game?
To quote the Great Kobe Bryant as he screamed at Sasha Vujacic on the bench: "Come on! This is basketball!"
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | September 17, 2008 at 02:54 PM
HmrHed,
"The fans sit on their hands and anticipate the Lakers will give them something to cheer about and there’s nothing wrong with that."
I disagree.
I believe just as we have a reasonable expectation for the Lakers to continuously improve as a franchise, we also have a reasonable responsibility to improve as fans to better support our team.
A loud, enthusiastic crowd matters. It makes a difference and to claim that it doesn't is just good old plain intellectual dishonesty.
Anyone who has every performed in front of an audience in any regard (athletics, arts, public speaking) knows the audience matters in terms of your performance. It may not be the most important thing, but it is important.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | September 17, 2008 at 02:57 PM
I think people in Phoenix, Sacramento and wherever else are loud is because they go to the game to party. I went to school in Boulder so I noticed Nugget games were just a lot of people getting drunk and yelling at the Laker fans. They go to have fun and they do.
Laker fans on the other hand go to watch a quality basketball game. We expect to win and we usually do. When you're dropping a few hundo a game you kind of want to pay attention instead of blacking out and doing the wave.
As far as the type of fans that go to Staples, it varies. I've sat in the 100 level and it was really calm and not too much screaming. I sat in the 200 level once and there was this guy that wouldn't shut up as he heckled the one Warrior fan in the crowd, I mean this guy was relentless, he was on this Warrior fan the WHOLE game. And I spend the majority of my time in the 300s and there are plenty of real fans there. No movie stars or rich people up there. Just people that want to go cheer for the team they love, everyones decked out in Lakers gear and they are normally pretty loud.
And as far as the Finals go, of course the fans aren't going to be loud. All the companies get the tickets and take their clients (whom are mostly quiet). Think Super Bowl (Yes, its in a neutral site) but there are hardly the true fans at the Super Bowl. The people that go are the ones that can afford to go. I remember looking at Finals tickets and the CHEAPEST ticket was $300. That isn't too bad for a Finals game but if you're taking your family of 4, you better have some dough.
Lamar = Laker for Life
GO LAKERS
Posted by: mrbarneydangles | September 17, 2008 at 02:58 PM
Rick F,
here! here!
Lately I've exceeded my patience for Stu Lance as well. Not that I don't like him or anything...but of late he's been too pessimistic. Often calling on negative plays before we even have the ball!
Overall the combination doesn't work.
Posted by: Faith | September 17, 2008 at 02:59 PM
We are not Clipper fans who cheer mediocrity for the sake of cheering. If you want to compare us to theater fans, if the performance sucks we are walking out. We expect more
HmrHed,
Plus he played there when ALL the Clipper Bandwagoners were coming out!! And of all players, Vlad must need more motivation than the $5MM+ he is being paid. Vlad, please note: If you knock down your J's OR play HARD DEFENSE, the cheers will come!!
Posted by: JSNV | September 17, 2008 at 03:05 PM
I'd add to what HmrHed said that the fans in the lower bowl that have been STHs for decades have witnessed, first hand, some of the greatest basketball anyone has seen. When Championships become expected, the fans do tend to sit on their hands more and wait for the team to rise to a certain level before they'll cheer. Heck, I'd settle for them all wearing the free t-shirts that get handed out at important games.
Getting rid of the Laker Band would help too. A bunch of USC Band rejects playing decades old bleacher music. They're a real downer. Gimme Some Lovin? In The Stone? It's so bad and just puts people to sleep.
Posted by: lakers_sth | September 17, 2008 at 03:05 PM
Hmrhed,
"Laker fans are preconditioned to wait for the action to come to them. That's been a trait ever since the 80's. The fans sit on their hands and anticipate the Lakers will give them something to cheer about and there’s nothing wrong with that. All respects to Vlad – if you want to get cheered do something worthwhile. We are not Clipper fans who cheer mediocrity for the sake of cheering. If you want to compare us to theater fans, if the performance sucks we are walking out. We expect more."
I get what you're saying, but keep in mind, the crowd is often quiet when the team is playing well.
More importantly, I think that mindset is also counterproductive on a larger and practical level. Crowd noise doesn't just serve to inspire the local team. It can rattle the visitors. There's a reason it's call a home court ADVANTAGE. Without allowing your team to utilize that advantage, you risk doing them a disservice, which means risking a losing outcome (depending on how much you think a rabid home crowd helps).
Even if you're not necessarily making noise FOR your team (if they're not playing up to snuff), you can still make noise AGAINST the opponent, if that makes sense.
AK
Posted by: Andrew Kamenetzky | September 17, 2008 at 03:08 PM
http://tinyurl.com/3ucnuf
I don't mean to diss Agent Zero aka Captain Quirky, I respect the guy and glad that he's a fellow Southern Californian. That being said it seems Captain Quirky got yet another operation on that knee and will be out till December after signing a HUGE contract.
Just another thing to add to his quirkiness.
-blitz
Posted by: thekobebryantblitz | September 17, 2008 at 03:09 PM
Too many Lakers fans are spoiled and don't get that they have responsibilities as fans.
We're all in it together.
A loud crowd does make a difference.
Unfortunately, the high price of Lakers tickets doesn't help the situation much. A lot of narcissists out there rationalize "I've paid a lot of money for tickets. Nothing else should be expected of me. Perform for me now team."
I personally don't like this attitude. I know people out there will find a way to rationalize it, but I find it to be shallow.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | September 17, 2008 at 03:21 PM
I really don't get the appeal with Gilbert. WHEN HE WASN'T INJURED he was a good player, that flirted with greatness on some nights (dropped 60 on the Lakers), but what has he really accomplished? He made the playoffs a couple of times, big deal!! Is it because he tries so hard to get the fans to like him? He seems to be as arrogant a person as anyone playing today!!
I remember a couple seasons ago when he was hot, he gave away a bunch of his jerseys as promo on game night and "advised" that Kobe do the same to get love from LA!! I think playing hard, winning games and taking your team to the Finals is a better road to getting love than giving out jerseys and sitting for months at a time. Can't say that he's milked his contract, ala Grant Hill and Allan Houston, since he just signed it, but something tells me he'll be missing more than just this November. I will say that he's accomplished more than initially expected, but so have other players. At least he got paid!! Enjoy the new crib Gil.
Posted by: JSNV | September 17, 2008 at 03:47 PM
bring back Paul Sunderland!
Posted by: nomorejoels | September 17, 2008 at 03:51 PM
Whats up all!
just wanted to share this Lazenby blog entry on Hoopshype.
http://tinyurl.com/3u5jrt
"Jordan acknowledged Bryant is the best of a generation of players who have tried to be like Mike."
I don't see how anyone can argue against Jordan's own words.
Posted by: Lakers Legacy | September 17, 2008 at 03:51 PM
Laker fans cheer more when it counts...re: playoffs. There's a different climate then as well. Something noticeable.
That's our real games. The regular season is just a stepping stone.
Posted by: Faith | September 17, 2008 at 03:58 PM
Have any of you guys seen the Spaniards show up to represent since the Gasol trade? With their flags and Gasol jerseys.
I have been to several games with PSLakerFan - JSNV - and LAKER LEGACY and have noticed the enthusiasm.
They brought the excitement reminiscent of a Soccer game. The sporting FAN culture of Soccer and small towns are amazing. I definitely would like to leave an arena exhausted of my Fandom for my team, than act like some Sporting-Hipster with sunglasses.
I will say, sometimes this town plays way too cool.
Posted by: Charles | September 17, 2008 at 04:01 PM
How about Jelani McCoy as a backup center? I understand he's working out with the Lakers. He may be better than Mbenga as the third stringer.
Posted by: rdlee | September 17, 2008 at 04:02 PM
Magia32 sez:
"I watched quite a few suns games last season and let me tell you shaq missed alot of put backs and when a missed shot bounced to him, not him to the ball is how he actually got some boards. Shaq's strengths are now 6 fouls and being a decoy."
The worst was when he ran the floor with the ball and then passed to a ref in the Pistons game...
Posted by: BUTLER | September 17, 2008 at 04:07 PM
keifo sez:
"You've got to be kidding!!
I'd rather have a championship than an "entertaining" regular season!"
The lakers had neither from 2005-2008. I'll take Nash and the SUNS!
Posted by: BUTLER | September 17, 2008 at 04:09 PM
Jon K: "A lot of narcissists out there rationalize "I've paid a lot of money for tickets. Nothing else should be expected of me. Perform for me now team." I personally don't like this attitude. I know people out there will find a way to rationalize it, but I find it to be shallow."
I wouldn't like that attitude either. But I don't agree with you that that's the attitude the fans have.
Posted by: lakers_sth | September 17, 2008 at 04:26 PM
The Suns moved to Phoenix in 1968...They are the 40 Year-Old Virgin of the NBA!!! HAHAHAHAHA... That'd be a great tie-in promotion for the team!!
Hey, it did happen for ANDY in the movie, maybe it'll happen for PHX, but I doubt it!!
Posted by: JSNV | September 17, 2008 at 04:44 PM
JSNV,
I'd say that Gilbert was a great player, who often flirted with superstardom. He was awesome in 05-06 and 06-07, and for the first few months of 06-07, while Kobe was working back from knee surgery, he was the most electric scorer in the league. He hasn't achieved much in terms of team success, but he was one of the most exciting guys in the league.
Any time one of the most exciting guys (and now one of the highest paid) in the league goes down it's a big deal.
Posted by: Xodus | September 17, 2008 at 05:17 PM
AK/BK,
I wanted to be sure about something, is camp starting next week?
Posted by: Xodus | September 17, 2008 at 05:26 PM
dice8up; Thank you from the previous thread.
I think Butler is KL is disguise...hmmm? just kidding k-buddies, i don't want to violate parole conditions.
Discount ticket prices? so cheap seats are only $100 now? great deal.
BTW, i know this is a laker blog, but i gotta give it up for the USC Trojans' COMPLETE domination of the Buck-who's.
Fight on!
Posted by: KL | September 17, 2008 at 05:43 PM
September 30, 2008 Xodus is the start of training camp so more like 2 weeks away.
-blitz
Posted by: thekobebryantblitz | September 17, 2008 at 05:48 PM
JSNV,
I love the Lakers so it all evens out in the end, even if i did end up paying 300.00 for two tickets in "so-so" seats. I have new system that seems to work out okay, I buy tickets in the premium section for a preseason game, normally most of the guys play and we get to see them close up for a much better price, then I save up enough to get tickets again in the premium section for two games in the spring.
I'm wondering how much do some of you guys pay on average to get toa game?
Posted by: Elle | September 17, 2008 at 05:58 PM
xodus,
Yeah he was exciting for a short span, but did he "deserve" that big of a contract based on his performance? I'd say no since they pretty much had the same results the last season without him. If anything he has some redeeming of his own to do after the huge choke job against Lebron and co.
I'm not saying a $100MM player going down isn't big news, but rather why he's big news or why he got such a big contract. His cotract is close to double of what Jaimison is getting and Caron then would then "deserve" close to (Gil's) as well. He may have "flirted" with superstardom but has since been relegated to a star of the league, especially considering his health issues.
I wouldn't even say he's a top 5 guard in the league and he gets a contract like that? To me he's maybe a level above what Steve Francis was, and not even close to being a HOF guard, which is why I bring up Allan Houston and Grant Hill. Although, worse players have made more money relative to their abilities, so maybe his isn't so bad. To me, he's just another good player when he's healthy and in no way a franchise player if he hasn't even fully recovered from his injury.
Posted by: JSNV | September 17, 2008 at 06:05 PM
"I don't see how anyone can argue against Jordan's own words."
I'm all for Kobe but didn't Jordan draft Kwame?
Also remember a halftime show where they asked Wilt who he would pick as his PG. He picked Stockton over Magic. Lainier's eyes popped out and he put his hand on Wilt's forehead to see if he was running a fever. Saying something to the effect that "you've got to be kidding me".
Greats, except maybe for the rare few (Jerry West and Mike T, lol), can be argued with.
Posted by: p ang | September 17, 2008 at 06:09 PM
THE BUSINESS OF THE NBA…
As a businessman, I have always been interested in how the Lakers and other NBA teams market themselves. I found the move by the Lakers to variable pricing was interesting and inevitable. In the Bay area, we now pay different tolls on the Golden Gate bridge depending on time of day. There is also a lot of buzz nationally about selling access to car pool lanes to non-car poolers and charging tolls that would depend upon the time of day. Comcast wants to start charging Internet access according to customer usage. It’s called milking the revenue stream.
The other interesting business development in the NBA is their use of advanced software to mimic the airlines and hotels long practice of discounting seats and rooms in order to fill their venues to full capacity. Obviously, this practice does not apply to the Lakers since they always sell out. But guess who started the trend due to huge losses being incurred by their terrible teams who nobody wanted to watch? The Boston Celtics, of course.
Here is a great story on how the Oklahoma City Thunder and NBA teams are becoming more and more sophisticated when it comes to marketing and maximizing their product. Bottom line, the NBA is a business and you have to make money to remain prosperous and competitive.
http://tinyurl.com/54fw2n
One area that I have not been able to find the answer is to what extent does the sale of merchandise by a team impact their revenue, if at all? In other words, if 500 million
Chinese buy Sun Yue jerseys, does that benefit the Lakers. Or do all teams just share equally in the licensing fees that Nike and the apparel companies pay for the rights. Anybody who knows more about that, please chime in. The big question is how much is a championship worth, because that sets real limits on how much we can pay our players.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | September 17, 2008 at 06:40 PM
JSNV,
Oh, there's no way I would have given Gilbert that contract. Even with him taking less money to come back. The reason is they're never going to win a championship with him playing point guard for two reasons. The first is that his deal, coupled with the ridiculous deal they gave Jamison, is going to put them in NBA purgatory (good enough to make the playoffs, not good enough to win a title).
Secondly, he's not willing to move over to SG and let them get a real PG in there. Or at least run a motion offense or a variation of the triangle offense with a PG who can defend and hit open 3's (while also playing an uptempo style), where Gil isn't dominating the ball and jacking crazy 3's, they won't have a very high ceiling.
I liked watching the guy play, but I'm glad he wasn't on our team.
Posted by: Xodus | September 17, 2008 at 07:05 PM
blitz,
Thanks.
Posted by: Xodus | September 17, 2008 at 07:06 PM
Xodus,
I disagree. If it was possible, Captain Quirky (Gilbert Arenas) would have played shooting guard. SG was the position he played at Arizona. However because he is too small for a shooting guard (6'4) he has to play PG since it is more around his size. Same thing with The Answer, The Answer is only 6'0 (actually 5'11) yet is more like a shooting guard but because he is smaller than most shooting guards, he had to play a point guard which is more to his size (and hence why Derek guarded him most of the time).
Basically Iverson, Arenas, Bibby, and Davis are very similar: shooting guards who are too short to play shooting guards and instead has to play point guards. They may be the leader of the team but they should be no way confused as a true point guard and while that may win some/many games, neither Iverson, Arenas, Bibby nor Davis will win a championship for the foreseeable future.
-blitz
Posted by: thekobebryantblitz | September 17, 2008 at 07:27 PM
"It’s called milking the revenue stream."
I call it economics. Scarcity. It's the smartest way to allocate resources. So if I want to use the carpool lane and I'm willing to pay for it, then I will.
Posted by: "Pig" Miller | September 17, 2008 at 07:33 PM
Here's a great article by Roland Lazenby on Kobe and MJ.
http://tinyurl.com/3u5jrt
Posted by: Xodus | September 17, 2008 at 08:10 PM
mrbarneydangles
I agree that the fans in Denver are just drunks and get crazier when we (Lake Show) beat them at the Coke Center. With that said, I'm looking to Nov when the Lake Crue show up and beat the Thuggets.
BLOG CRUE
What's the haps?
Tim-4-Show & Lakers4realz
Are you ready?
Colorado loves the Lakers!
Posted by: Hugo Boss | September 17, 2008 at 08:33 PM
blitz,
Dwyane Wade is 6'4 and plays shooting guard. Arenas is big enough to play the 2, he just doesn't want to. I've read that he wants to play PG before too. Iverson has played SG, by the way. He played SG under Larry Brown with Snow playing the point.
As far as those guys not being true point guards, I agree. Which is one of the points I made in my earlier post.
Posted by: Xodus | September 17, 2008 at 08:33 PM
Hey Hugo Boss,
How you doing? I'm actually going to miss those games because it was so much fun making a mockery of the Nuggs in their own house in front of their own fans. It was actually super cheap to go to the games too. I got second row seats from a buddy one time for $75 bucks, can't get that at Staples. However, it will be nice being able to go to a few more games this year in LA.
Lamar = Laker for Life
GO LAKERS
Posted by: mrbarneydangles | September 17, 2008 at 09:13 PM
Xodus hope I don't have a Hobbit-Blitz debate here again lol but
Dwyane Wade is 6'4 true and usually that is still a point guard height. He himself said he didn't want to go back to playing point guard after his rookie year when Eddie Eddie Eddie Jones was playing shooting guard. Afterwards the Heat acquired Damon Jones to play Point Guard and allow Wade to play Shooting Guard. And then came Jason "White Chocolate" Williams and Chris Quinn will probably play the point this year.
With Snow and Iverson it was similar and different. You can probably tell the similarities. In terms of difference however, Snow was able to guard the other shooting guards like Kobe to allow Iverson to guard point guards like Derek. After Snow left Philly, Iverson was forced to play point guard again.
With Arenas it is much different than Wade-Jones or Snow-Iverson. Gilbert can certainly play the shooting guard spot but that belongs to DeShaun Stevenson who is a solid shooting Guard and is 1 inch taller than Gilbert is. Since Deshawn is not a point guard like Snow was, he couldn't be shifted to point guard so Arenas could play more shooting guard.
If the Wizards can't resign Stevenson and doesn't get a starter type shooting guard, then it is my opinion that they could shift Gilbert to Shooting guard. They have after all have young point guards behind Arenas at the moment including Nick Young.
-blitz
Posted by: thekobebryantblitz | September 17, 2008 at 09:30 PM
AGain BUTLER, you are missing the point that you yourself raised on other posts...
"Dice8up sez:
"Your Steve Nash has not brought his team to a single NBA Championship game inspite of having around him 2 All Stars in Amare and Shawn"
That's quite true, but you're missing my point - isn't the MVP about reg season success? Nash and the SUNS had amazing reg seasons and provided the most entertaining ball in decades. I'm telling you, watching them every night was basketball heaven. Titles are for bragging rights but witnessing a basketball genius directing an atheltic team night in and night out was awesome!"
=================
I brought up the issue becuase you were putting NASH as equal to the greats like MJ, BILL, WILT who won back to backs MVP's... and mentioning that NASH is comparable to those guys as far as greatness... which is out right outrageous to say the least...
If what you are pointing out is that NASH was instrumental to SUNS game being heavenly entertaining, then stay in that thought... but you were using this argument to support your idea that NASH is equal to those THREE greats mentioned as far as accomplishments is concerned...
And by the way, while it is true that MVP's are for regular season games... only 2 of those who won it didn't play in a single championship game after winning MVP... your NASH and DIRK... this speaks a lot about greatness, don't you think?
Again, I must implore you... You are way better than what you seem to present... come to the light.. will you?
GO Lakers!
Posted by: dice8up | September 17, 2008 at 09:46 PM
And by the way BUTLER...
Why do athletes play? in NBA's case, why do players play in a game?
Is it not to win a championship? All players dream of holding a championship trophy, or be a part of a champion team.
The regular season is played toward that end! To play for a championship game and possibly win Champioships... it is a futile endeavor not playing to that end.. the GREATNESS of a player is meausred when he is able to lead his team to play for a CHAMPIONSHIP... NOT the regular season... GREAT PLAYERS are remembered in those places and situations...
I am sure you will agree... correct?
Every body that is into sports will agrees.... I am because I play sports in my own way... the hunger to win is never a question in every players mind.. but the resolve to play for the ultimate price and give your team a chance to win it all is in a totally different plane...
Posted by: dice8up | September 17, 2008 at 09:54 PM
NBA: THE TOP-10 CENTERS IN 2008-2009
by Marcel Mansour, columnist for the Bleacher Report
http://tinyurl.com/4xsvtl
Excellent ranking and analysis of NBA centers. I usually do not like the Bleacher Report but I thought this piece was very well thought out and the ranking pretty sound. Here is the excerpt on Drew, ranked #2 behind Dwight Howard and ahead of Yao Ming:
>>>>>
2. Andrew Bynum (The Los Angeles Lakers)
Before he was hurt, he was becoming the Dwight Howard of the West. He is huge, strong and athletic. He is also only 20 years old and has lots of room for improvement. This season, while playing alongside Pau Gasol, Bynum should average around 16-17 points along with about 12 rebounds, over two assists, and 2.5 blocks per game.
He will also be a defensive force in the middle both as a help defender and as a one-on-one defender. He is unbelievably efficient from the field (63%) and is very solid from the free-throw line as a center at 69%. He is a the future of the Lakers and one of the future superstars in the league.
>>>>>
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | September 17, 2008 at 09:56 PM
Blitz,
I definitely don't care enough about Gilbert to spend two weeks arguing about this. lol
Posted by: Xodus | September 17, 2008 at 10:04 PM
lol Xodus same here.
Posted by: thekobebryantblitz | September 17, 2008 at 10:49 PM