Shannon Brown to re-sign with Lakers
So reports Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski. Two years. 4.2 mil. Assuming these figures are reliable, I'd label the contract a "win-win" deal for both parties.
Shannon Brown gets the chance establish himself over the next couple of seasons, then sign a longer deal at the still-very-young age of (almost) 26. Or, should he enjoy a killer 2009-2010, exercise a player option and sign a longer deal at even younger age of (almost) 25. The Lakers get an extended, inexpensive look at an uber-athletic guard who flashed some nice potential during his short stint in L.A. It's a mite early to declare him the Derek Fisher's heir apparent for "starting point guard of the future"- SB is nothing if not raw- but he could emerge a valuable rotation player. At the very least, you can chalk this up as a victory for good attitude and a willingness to learn, traits of Shannon's that were deservedly praised since his February arrival. Not bad for the self described "throw in."
I'll try to track down some further confirmation, but for now, it appears we have some good news in Laker Land as "Lamar Odom Watch" continues. Well, it's good news for most people. BK and I, on the other hand, owe the kid 75 bucks apiece. Dude, everything is coming up "Shannon Brown" today.
(UPDATE: The Times' Broderick Turner has confirmation of the news from Brown's agent, Mark Bartelstein, who says SB turned down a more lucrative deal with the Pacers to remain a Laker.)
AK
I'm happy to hear it! welcome back SB, but i think the price is a little too high no? $2.2 mil a year seems a little much. I think should have been $1.5 mil a year. anyway, welcome back SB, hope you continue to improve and help us with the repeat next yr!
Posted by: Charles Alikin | July 06, 2009 at 05:19 PM
Good graces, that was a suspense. Shannon, you won't regret the decision. Next move is LO, come on LO do it now! You can earned that one or two million from candy promo. Why not replace the "We want Taco" to "We want Hershey bars" during Lamar heroics.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | July 06, 2009 at 05:20 PM
This is great news! I can't help but think Shannon saw the whole Ariza fiasco, and told his agent to GET IT DONE before someone else creeped into his spot. In two years when this rough economy improves, and he's earned his stripes, I wouldn't be surprised to see a long-term contract for him to take over our beloved Fisher's position. Good news indeed......
Posted by: JellosJigglin | July 06, 2009 at 05:22 PM
Good news! I guess Brown's still keeping his options open for next year. As the wingnutzi;s say, "Hunger is a strong motivator."
Posted by: aztronut | July 06, 2009 at 05:24 PM
After signing SB, are we still signing Nate Robinson? Magic is our competitor on this kid. If you have Shannon playing the point, nate on 2 and Kobe on 3, Artest on 4 we are again up, up and away.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | July 06, 2009 at 05:25 PM
Wow he must really like the players and coaches, OR feels that he can give a little back to a team that gave him a real shot. And by staying in a system that rewarded him, is a contender, and allows him to grow, while still getting a huge contract or two before he is 30. Sounds good. I hope he AND Farmar become friends over the summer and push each other to be the next starting PG.
Posted by: SteelMohawk | July 06, 2009 at 05:28 PM
Awesome!
One down! One to go!
Good. Good. Good.
What do we play for? RINGS!!!!
Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!!!
Posted by: Jon K. | July 06, 2009 at 05:29 PM
Nate Robinson is trying to get paid.
He aint coming to the Lakers.
I would bet Sacramento if anywhere.
Posted by: Korey | July 06, 2009 at 05:30 PM
UPS puts his money where his mouth is...
and you could just see it coming - when this guy was traded to LA, do you remember the size of his grin???
Now we're the one's smiling, and if you aren't, you will be... you will be
UPS!!!!
Posted by: Tim-4-Show | July 06, 2009 at 05:31 PM
Shannon Brown,
Good to hear that Shannon has his head screwed on straight and realized that being a Laker is worth more than being on another team. You're next Lamar.
Welcome back, Shannon.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | July 06, 2009 at 05:34 PM
Korey,
I agree re: Nate Robinson. I don't know about specifically joining the Kings, but the notion of him coming to L.A. struck me as a serious reach.
Beyond not being positive he'd be a great fit, there's no way the Lakers could pay him beyond the MLE (now taken by Artest), I can't picture him taking the bi-annual exception and a sign and trade feels quite unlikely (who would they move that the Knicks would want?).
Never say never, I guess, but I haven't given "Nate in L.A" even the slightest bit of thought.
AK
Posted by: Andrew and Brian Kamenetzky | July 06, 2009 at 05:35 PM
I love that the Lakers somehow ended up with BOTH the #25 and #26 pick in the 2006 draft....like someone just handed us a free first rounder. It's also nice that they're both young point guards with tons of upside who give us completely different looks.
Another added bonus is that Shannon was originally the Cavs pick. And they gave him away FOR FREE in the Delonte West trade. Now he's a World Champion and somehow got to the Lakers as a throw in. Ain't being a Laker fan grand?
Posted by: Dahngay Jones | July 06, 2009 at 05:38 PM
My apologies for going off topic.
I heard something on the radio about kobe that actually made me smile and become a fan of kobe (albiet only a moment).
I heard that Kobe punked our incompetent LA Mayor, Mr. Tony Villar, during the Laker Championship parade/celebration.
The story goes that the parade bus was held up because kobe didn't want Tony Villar to "pimp [kobe's] popularity". Also, during the introductions at the Coliseum, kobe didn't shake Mr. Villar's hand.
Is this true? If yes, I'm a Kobe fan for standing up for his principles.
Posted by: KL (fka KL_Beast) | July 06, 2009 at 05:42 PM
"Brown was also talking to the Indiana Pacers about a more lucrative deal but decided to return to the Lakers, his agent said."
Shannon, you just jump up the list of players that Laker Nation loves to root for. Taking less money to stay with the Lakers proves to us that you are a winner and L.A. loves a winner!
What do we play for? RINGS!!!
Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!!!!!
Posted by: Jon K. | July 06, 2009 at 05:42 PM
Ok... happy. Ya can't teach what Brown can do. With Fish phonin' it in next regular season, this was important ink.
LO is a layup to return. Consider the summer a success.
Hi five, Mitch and crew. Vacay, y'all.
Posted by: VMan | July 06, 2009 at 05:42 PM
YES YES!!!! This is such great news. I was worried after
last years playoffs that some other team would offer Shannon
3 or 4 million and he'd take it.
I am SO glad to see that he decided not to even play the market
and just took the offer from the Lakers to stay with the champions.
He probably sees the potential we all see, that he's on about equal
footing with Farmar to be the future starting PG of the Lakers.
I think having both of them will inspire them both to work harder,
which will make the team even better.
Now it's all up to Lamar. Please come back Lamar. Forget
about Portland, it's cold and rainy there. Stick with the
California sunshine!
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | July 06, 2009 at 05:47 PM
I wish Ariza had a similar attitude.
Take a little less for the short term on the NBA's best team and the big payday will come.
Still not too late Trev.
My wife absolutely loves this guy, especially when he's signaling to the team behind him "Talk to me!"
That is a big pay day in these tough times. Somebody really values him.
Way to go Brown!
Posted by: Fatty | July 06, 2009 at 05:50 PM
Yes! Great move by both parties.
I'm sure LA liked his size, attitude, among other things.
S Brown seemed to get it that the system LA runs is one he can thrive in (see Fish, Shaw, BJ Armstrong (Chicago)), Seems to suit guys who aren't prototypical point guards.
Also liked that he mentioned that he appreciated the way he was treated by LA. and that factored into his decision. Might be less money but waaay more chances for rings!
I really like this guy; can't wait to see how he does after a full training camp/season learning & understanding the offense & defense. He will push JF for minutes.
Can we please stop talking about getting Nate Robinson or will someone please explain why they like him so much. Check out the NY blogs- not much love there.
When we sign LO- this has the potential to be an amazing team for 3-4 years at least....SB was smart to sign on! I can't wait.....how many days until the season starts?!
Posted by: ghlaker | July 06, 2009 at 05:51 PM
Good no-brainer signing. With Shannon here I feel very comfortable with the PG spot, with Fish not getting any younger and Farmar not quite able to play D on physical guards. I'd like to see him play some backup 2-guard if Sasha isn't clicking. He'll also contribute mightily to the year-end highlight reel.
Posted by: buddy monk | July 06, 2009 at 05:53 PM
Edwin,
>>>After signing SB, are we still signing Nate Robinson?
I don't think there was ever any chance of us signing Nate
once we signed Artest. Artest used up the full MLE. That
left the Lakers with only the Bi-Annual exception (which they've
now given to Shannon) and less. If the Lakers tried to sign Nate
for 2 million, the Knicks would have matched that.
The only way some team is going to sign Nate away from
the Knicks is if they offer him something around a full MLE.
The only way the Lakers could have obtained Nate, once
the MLE was gone, is via trade. And that could still happen.
Not very likely though, as the Lakers would have to take
on additional salary beyond Nate, since he'd be base year
compensated.
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | July 06, 2009 at 05:58 PM
One aspect hasn't been mentioned yet. My understanding is
that the second year of Shannon's contract is a player option.
Perfectly played on both parts.
If Shannon really does play the whole season like he played in
the early playoffs, then he can opt out of the contract next summer
and the Lakers will have Early Bird rights on him, so they could
offer him anything up to the MLE level. But if he tanks or if he
has a career ending injury, at least he has guaranteed 4 million
which is more than most of us will earn in our lifetimes.
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | July 06, 2009 at 06:01 PM
Oh yeah,
4 million plus 150 from AK & BK..
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | July 06, 2009 at 06:01 PM
Why not trade Sasha Vujacic's 5M and Jordan Farmar's 1.1M contracts to the Knicks for a 1st round pick next year, then sign Nate Robinson for 6M/2yrs and sign a veteran's minimum for either Chris Wilcox or Drew Gooden. And terminate Sun Yue's contract.Plus sign LO.
projected line up
PG- Fisher, Brown,
SG-Kobe, Robinson
SF-Artest, Walton, Morrison
PF-Odom, Wilcox or Gooden, Powell
C- Gasol, Bynum, Mbenga
Posted by: Nate | July 06, 2009 at 06:01 PM
Note to Ariza, FU
Don’t give in to this rubbish about not wanting to leave LA.
If you wanted to stay you would have signed for less to get more rings!! But you wanted the money!!!!!!
You got your wish. If I, had your talent and was from LA there is no way in this world I would leave unless I was offered silly money ie 12mill /yr for 8pg 4rpg , that is stupid money!!
You have let the press and your ego get the better of your judgement. You do not have the skill set to command double teams or get past opponents off the dribble. I lost count, the number of times you tried to get past the opposition with a dribble move resulted in a turnover. Your problem is that you don’t know your limitations. As 'Dirty Harry' said a "Man has got to know his limitations"
Please can people stop with all this feel sorry crap for TA, he is 24, he made the decision to try to beat the house on the a blind, but Jerry boy called and TA folded.
Let’s understand the truth, TA is no James Worthy period!!!
He is no Cooper either not even close!!!
Welcome back Shannon!!!!
Aaaaarrrrrhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!
Angry_Laker
Posted by: Angry_Laker | July 06, 2009 at 06:03 PM
LTLF,
Good point about the player option.
AK
Posted by: Andrew and Brian Kamenetzky | July 06, 2009 at 06:03 PM
I CAN DEEG EET MUN...
oh hell yeah---this really makes me smile, it would have ripped my craw to lose Brown, very glad to read that headline indeed....
I think Brown's signing will also help Farmar and his development and ero the Lakers developing Dynasty..
now for Lamar...come on Mitch get it on...
GO LAKERS !!!
Posted by: Floyd | July 06, 2009 at 06:20 PM
Paging Lamar Odom.
Posted by: Charles | July 06, 2009 at 06:20 PM
Really happy to have him back ... I think this is great news.
Posted by: kt | July 06, 2009 at 06:23 PM
Trev was on the radio today and he seemed pretty defensive. He was adamant about the fact that the Lakers didn't make an offer.
Posted by: cinz | July 06, 2009 at 06:25 PM
um, I don't get people gushing about SB being a great guy who is giving up money to play for the Lakers, 2.1 mil a year and a player option for next year has to be one of the better, if not the best offer he received. It has to be a good sign in the LO negotiations, though, as our willingness to sign SB at all means we are probably not going quibble over a million dollars give or take with LO, although who knows. I really don't think he's going anywhere anyway, though.
Silly argument number a lot, which probably doesn't count since arguing with Staples24 is like arguing with a chair, albeit a talkative one, is Artest vs Paul Pierce. Of course Paul Pierce is better than artest. There are a few differences. 1) Paul Pierce is being paid a zillion dollars and there is no way we could get him if we wanted to. We have artest and we are paying him the MLE. Nice deal 2) It is pretty obvious baring injury (or feigned injury) that Artest is going to do a better job guarding Pierce than Ariza, Radmonivic, or Walton. Probably better than all three combined, but that might be a cheap shot.
Jon K. - The guy is dead. I think it's pretty much a tradition if not a moral issue to at least refrain from attacking the recently deceased for things that they may have done, let alone things they allegedly did. Please.
Oh yeah, I still have dice going to detroit, and I meant to say sheed to Boston, not portland. who knows.
Posted by: phred | July 06, 2009 at 06:32 PM
i can't spell ergo apparently
GO LAKERS !!!
Posted by: Floyd | July 06, 2009 at 06:34 PM
I love this kid. Love his attitude. Love his athleticism. With Artest, Kobe, and Shannon in there, we're going to see some serious D next year. I don't think we're going to hear much about how "soft" we are.
And I still like Farmar a lot too. He brings a completely different dimension that will work with certain teams. Phil really likes rotation and matchup flexibility. He loves to see what the other team is throwing out there and coming up with a custom rotation to neutralize their strengths and maximize ours. So having both a Farmar and a Shannon gives him a lot of different looks and combinations to play with.
Sign LO and we're on the way to a THREEPEAT, at least.
Posted by: CornerJ | July 06, 2009 at 06:36 PM
KB BLITZ :
Yeah, losing KG {and Leon} was no big deal!
NBA titles are won in the paint, that`s all.
I guess Pierce {6`6"} should have stepped up at that point...much like the 6`6" Kobe did to carry the Lakers to glory in the `06 & `07 playoffs {pre-Gasol}.
Again, LA had a healthy Jabbar, Worthy, Cooper, Thompson, and Green in `89.
By your definition...they choked!
How about the`83 Lakers that got swept? LA had a healthy Jabbar {2 years before winning the Finals MVP}, a healthy Magic, Cooper, Scott, McAdoo, etc. Rookie James Worthy was hurt.
Again, by your definition...they choked!
Posted by: RED`S LOVE CHILD | July 06, 2009 at 06:43 PM
Kiwi,
>>> Wallace has always been overrated. This guys been constantly
>>> celebrated despite his poor discipline and waste of his talent.
Couldn’t agree with you more. The bloggers who are worried don’t remember that he was one of the Blazer players who totally choked in the Lakers fourth quarter comeback. I remember him blowing several point blank shots at the rim.
The only think I dislike is his 3-point shooting, as he can get really get hot as he did the last time the Pistons pounded the Lakers early two seasons ago. That gives the Celtics a weapon to draw Drew or Pau out of the lane and spread our defense.
It is interesting that both teams 6th men are power forwards. Apparently, the Celtics liked the way the Lakers use Lamar to backup the 4 and 5 and plan on using Sheed in the exact same way. Of course, Lamar is going to run circles around Sheed.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | July 06, 2009 at 06:54 PM
Great move Shannon,
you will prosper in the triangle once you get more acquainted, but it's your defense that is prime.
I think Farmar may get traded if he doesn't show dramatic improvement over the summer. Brown already outplays him physically and when he learns some other aspects of the offense Farmars minutes will be almost nonexistent.
Remember, this is probably Phil Jacksons last year as coach and who knows after that. Will they still run the triangle?
Kupchak is clearly building the team with next year in mind.
Posted by: bill babishoff | July 06, 2009 at 06:57 PM
"Why not trade Sasha Vujacic's 5M and Jordan Farmar's 1.1M contracts to the Knicks for a"
Nate like all trade proposals would be nice but again why on earth would the Knicks want Sasha's contract? Jordan I can understand because he is an expiring one but no way they would take his contract with his production.
Posted by: KB Blitz | July 06, 2009 at 06:58 PM
Thanks UPS!
This was almost a necessity considering we'd otherwise only have D-Fish and Farmar. And that's why they shouldn't trade Farmar either. They're all needed as insurance against injuries and also to give D-Fish some rest.
Now I hope Staples is still standing after tomorrow. It might be one of the craziest days in LA ever! Maybe Artest will parachute in the middle of the ceremonies and start singing "Bad".
Posted by: Scott | July 06, 2009 at 07:00 PM
Guys,
Don't hate on Ariza. I really think the Lakers never planned to offer him more than 2-3 years at maybe the mid level. Not with Artest sitting there and this being the same agent who used Bynum's unique physical attributes to get 16 million a year form Mitch. Not with all the long midlevel type deals that haven't panned out. Vlad, Sasha, Luke (maybe, I like the guy).
There was no was Mitch was going to take a 5 year mid level chance on a guy who had one good year; not with Artest sitting there telling the world he'll come cheap.
Ariza did what he had to do for his family. I believe he got more than double from Houston than the Lakers would have given him. So, he had to do it. Especially, if he flops in Houston. He may never see a payday like this again, in which case landing 32 million is a Godsend for the Arizas.
And Brown is so smart. He did get a larger offer from the Pacers and said Nooooooo way. Smart. Be a star, work on your game and live the dream.
Come on Odom. G-e-t-e-r-d-o-n-e.
Wes
Posted by: wesjoenixon | July 06, 2009 at 07:04 PM
Am I the only one that finds it pretty lame that SB is the first dude from our championship free agents to be brought back
Look I got nothing but love for odom, ariza, and sb ... and I understand how ariza's agent + bynum's contract made mitch eager to say no thanks to ariza and holla at artest ...
But having said that ... it's going to be real lousy if odom doesn't come back ... I'd rather that 2m+ go to odom than bring brown back ... like on da real it just won't be cool to lose odom ...
BTW does anyone know which lakers where rocking kobe's shoe's last season ... from the pics in da oc register championship book I have odom, ariza and sasha rocking da shoes ... wonder who else on d team does
24 + 16 + [1]7 = The Purple Tinted Golden Age
Posted by: Taliq | July 06, 2009 at 07:07 PM
Awesome!!! Another Laker who is willing to follow through on what he said was important. Take less money but play for the best franchise!! Loving it!!!
Shannon - really looking forward to what you can do this year...you're going to be awesome and hopefully the Lakers can reward you then.
Posted by: DaveW | July 06, 2009 at 07:12 PM
Angry_laker
What are you talking about, Ariza did not get more money, he got THE SAME MONEY WE OFFERED, he just left
Posted by: tomK | July 06, 2009 at 07:15 PM
Welcome back Shannon Brown!!! I know that you will continue to be a great teammate and player for us this up coming season.
I see the trio of Kobe, Artest and Shannon wreaking havoc on the perimeter defensively when they're on the court together. I also think that Shannon will work extra hard to become the solid #2 behind Fish. Go Lakers!!!
Could the Lakers go after Brandon Bass??? Does anyone know???
Go Lakers!!!
Posted by: Nemaia Faletogo | July 06, 2009 at 07:15 PM
EXCELLENT!!
UPS is still a Laker!!!!!
I'm still going to call him ShanWOW!
I love this kid - great attitude, great hops, great smile - winner winner chicken dinner!
I can't believe Trevor is gone and we've got "crazy pills" on our team. PLEASE - Bill - for the love of god - prove me wrong. I'm worried about this, but will cheer my lungs out for his success in the purple & gold.
LET"S GO LO!! SIGN ALREADY!!! You KNOW you don't want to be anywhere else!
Posted by: justanothermambafan | July 06, 2009 at 07:22 PM
BTW...
Are the Crabs going after Odom? Have they used their mid level yet?
Who are Cavs Targeting in L.A. visit?
Posted: 7/6/2009 6:17:00 AM
Source: Brian Windhorst of The Cleveland Plain Dealer
The Cavaliers are on the move in NBA free agency.
Team General Manager Danny Ferry and head coach Mike Brown flew to Los Angeles Sunday for a clandestine free-agent meeting. Team officials refused to confirm who they're hoping to sign, but the Cavs obviously are trying to land one of their free-agent targets as the market heats up again following the July 4 holiday.
Dan Fegan, the agent who represents both Cavs forward Anderson Varejao and Toronto forward Shawn Marion, is based in Los Angeles and often conducts in-person negotiating sessions there. Fegan did not return messages on Sunday. A league source said the Cavs did not meet with Marion in person on Sunday.
The Cavs have been in talks with Fegan about a new contract for Varejao, who opted out of his deal with the team last week.
It is also possible the Cavs were meeting with restricted free-agent wing Josh Childress, who lives in the Los Angeles area in the off-season. The 6-8 veteran who is known for being an intelligent player and good defender played last season in Greece after rejecting an offer from the Atlanta Hawks.
Wes
Posted by: wesjoenixon | July 06, 2009 at 07:26 PM
I'm very happy right now. Shannon was an important signing to bolster the PG "AND" backup SG positions. If Sasha doesn't play well, Brown will take the backup SG minutes and Sasha might find himself "kicking horse apples down the road" on his way to another team.
The competition between Jordan and Shannon for the PG minutes should be fun to watch next year. I think we'll see a different Farmar because his injuries will be healed, but on the other hand, I think we'll see a much improved Shannon after a full training camp.
Wait...... I think I heard a whistle......... are we tipping off the new season.......
Posted by: Laker Larry | July 06, 2009 at 07:26 PM
UPS: What can WISDOM & HUMILITY do for you!
In other news, it took Rasheed to give the One and Dones the guts to crawl out of their sesspool of obscurity.
Too bad we won't get to settle this once and for all next season. Orlando's gonna kick y'all's @$$. Again.
Posted by: utzworld - THE BANNER HOLDER | July 06, 2009 at 07:30 PM
Nice how things are coming together. I really like how Mitch does his job, quietly and without drama. All of the Ariza headlines were generated by his agent and even the Artest announcement came from Ron himself.
I know there's some harsh feelings on the blog toward Trevor, but lets bear in mind that as a client, you have to put your faith in your representation and trust that they'll do their job. It's too bad that David Lee mishandled the situation so badly (and so deliberately). It will go down as one of the all time agent screw-ups. But I don't blame Trevor for it. He put his trust in somebody that he had grown close to and he got screwed. I wish him luck in Houston. He was a rightous player for us.
Posted by: dave m | July 06, 2009 at 07:32 PM
Guys gals and things (Celtic fans),
Here is the person to call to complain about there being NO LAKERBLOG ICON on the front of the sports page. I've already called.
Readers' Representative Office
E-mail: readers.rep@latimes.com
Telephone message line: (877) 554-4000
Wes
Posted by: wesjoenixon | July 06, 2009 at 07:32 PM
we should bring back von wafer to be our 'jr smith' guy off of the bench and to replace sasha. he has the makings of a good role player if surrounded with the right leadership.
Posted by: blh | July 06, 2009 at 07:33 PM
THE BATTLE OF THE FORWARDS…
If David Stern gets his wish and the Lakers and the Celtics meet again in next year’s finals, we may see one of the greatest battles of forwards in NBA history: Lakers power forward Pau Gasol going against Celtic power forward Kevin Garnett and Lakers small forward Ron Artest taking on his Celtic counterpart small forward Paul Pierce.
It will be a battle between the younger, more versatile Lakers forwards and the older, more experienced Celtics forwards. Will Pau Gasol be able to handle KG’s physicality? Will Ron Artest be able to shut or slow down Paul Pierce? No disrespect to Kobe Bryant but the winner of these two matchups would most likely be the winner of the series.
While Lakers and Celtics fans can argue all day over who is the better power forward or small forward, a review of prior forward matchups doesn’t give either team a clear edge. In the end, that’s a big advantage for the Lakers because all that Pau and Ron have to do for the Lakers to win is hold their own, prevent KG and Paul from dominating.
They don’t have to outscore or outplay KG and Pierce, rather just take them out of play, so that the series is decided instead by the other matchups – Kobe vs. Rondo, Bynum vs. Perkins, Lamar vs. Sheed – because there is no way in hell that the Celtics can beat the Lakers unless Garnett and Pierce outplay Gasol and Artest by a huge margin,
That’s the key to beating the Celtics and why I am not really worried about them. Pau is a far grittier and more physical and confident player than in the last finals against the Celtics whereas KG is 2 years and another knee injury older. And Ron Artest is going to take the heavy lifting off Kobe’s shoulders by shutting down a no longer golden Paul Pierce and freeing Kobe to attack the weaker Posey-less Celtics defense.
Since I AM a homer, Lakers in 4-game sweep, winning it at the new Boston Garden.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | July 06, 2009 at 07:33 PM