Trevor Ariza interview on 570 KLAC
Former Laker/now Rocket Trevor Ariza recently appeared on the 570 KLAC's Myers & Hartman Show in Los Angeles. TA was asked various questions about the ultimately failed negotiations that resulted in a Houston relocation. Not many specifics revealed, but that's what actually made the interview noteworthy. Here's what I found most interesting:
- How largely uninformed Ariza appeared while trying to relay what happened between the Lakers and his agent, David Lee. His explanations were very unspecific and included a lot of sentiments like "I'm not really sure" and "whatever the situation was." I found that pretty odd. Perhaps Trevor wanted to tread lightly and avoid painting a negative picture of the Lakers, Lee or himself. I also know from experience that he's much more comfortable off the record than on it.
Or, as I suspect, Ariza's retelling of the story was filled with blanks because he was informed of his situation entirely through Lee, as opposed to Lee and the Lakers. Beyond never actually being in a room with any Laker brass, Trevor gave no indication of having spoken directly with Mitch Kupchak at any point. Thus, Lee was the one keeping him in the loop and attempting to make the exact opposite route of Trevor's first choice sound palatable and/or necessary. - Ariza didn't sound thrilled about leaving the Lakers. As he acknowledged, "what kid from L.A. would want to leave L.A.?" TA also lamented having "no control over that."
- When asked about Lee's handling of his business, Ariza expressed more loyalty than praise for a job well done. He also acknowledged that the Lakers don't particularly like Lee, unless I misinterpreted the following comment: "If I was to stay there, (the Lakers) would still feel the same way about him."
Those "no love lost" sentiments reinforce my initial thoughts on the matter (which felt even more reasonable in light of the report from Hoopsworld's Eric Pincus). Lee postured and played hardball well before the approach was merited, and the Lakers refused to bite. From there, Lee looked to gain leverage through meetings with other teams and the Lakers, knowing Ron Artest was available and interested, decided to cut bait and to the chase. Without question, I was surprised events unfolded so quickly, but in retrospect, it makes sense. Lee's jabbering to the media with July 1st barely in the books felt unusually over the top. It also signaled a hassle in the works.
With all due respect to Ariza, a guy I like as a player and a person, he isn't worth that much drama to secure, especially if the Team Ariza numbers floated are so far out of line with what the Lakers were offering.
In any event, I hope things work out for Trevor in Houston (except, of course, in games against the Lakers). I also think he'd be wise to cut ties with Lee. Between Ariza and Andrew Bynum last season, it's pretty clear Lee is a pain to work with. That would be fine if he had a client roster big enough that franchises are forced to kiss up. But when your agent's third biggest client is apparently Hassan Adams, it's safe to assume he doesn't "own" the NBA. More importantly, Lee botched the task of getting what Ariza wanted, which, in its own right, is kind of impressive, considering the mutual interest expressed by the Lakers and Ariza in continuing a relationship. That talks broke off so abruptly and acrimoniously feels like a sign that Trevor should look elsewhere for representation.
AK
Wow, anybody that would have Lee represent him in the future is crazy. I have a feeling he will have a VERY difficult time finding new clients.
Posted by: Bopper | July 07, 2009 at 09:52 AM
I posted it before and I post it again. David Lee has a great job. He got to screw his client royally and still get paid. Ultimately, TA has to realize his gaent is bad news and cans him asap. What a jerk (Lee)!!!
Posted by: CTran | July 07, 2009 at 09:57 AM
hobbitmage,
"Can't you just
see him endorsing lo-jack or Brinks Security or some
such security product?"
Like u aint see what happened to sasha after he signed his multi-million dollar deals ... money corrupts even the best of us ... just cuz i'm hungry and playing with heart today don't mean i'm the same guy once i get my deal ... anyone remember michael olowkandi? ... or shawn kemp
Who knows what Ariza will become in the future ... but I can't blame him for not willing to bank on his on continued sucess as well as the continued success of LA ... which is what is needed for the potential endorsements you speak off ... I agree with you that would have been the likely scenario but I cant blame him for standing behind an agent that's screaming FU pay me now
BTW Sasha I'm still big on you yo but I was big on smush too ... lets just hope u rediscover your shooting touch and that the problem aint that you've been hosting orgies with some hot european models every weekend which is affecting ya focus ... fyi no sources can verify this rumor, i just made it up
Posted by: Taliq | July 07, 2009 at 09:58 AM
David Lee is simply a bad agent no but or ifs.
He did the same thing with Bynum. Only reason why he succeeded was because Lakers management had no backbone. Now Mitch realizes he has all the cards on the table and on hoopsworld that Trevor Ariza was his first option. Since though David Lee is a greedy punk and tried to use Scott Boras tactics to force an even bigger payday from Mitch said simply said screw it and signed Artest who is strong enough to give fits defensively to Carmelo, Lebron, and Pierce (Ariza's defense though clutch at times were a bit sub-par against all three though most interesting against the best of the three Lebron James he has the most success against probably experience against him in preps).
Trevor is no doubt sad and he tried to salvage the situation by not accepting more money from Toronto and signed with Houston instead. When they get back McGrady though he'll most likely head towards the bench.
Posted by: KB Blitz | July 07, 2009 at 10:00 AM
this article is on point. the only reason his hardball game worked with bynum was because he was the lakers future and there were no other big men on free agency. Ariza is no where near as valuable as bynum and there were more options to pick a free agent. I agree he should fire him. but it was a blessing in disguise, ARTEST is a great addition to the team he is the same player as Ariza but much much better
Posted by: Devin | July 07, 2009 at 10:01 AM
I'd say that I agree with AK's sentiment.
Posted by: Tim-4-Show | July 07, 2009 at 10:06 AM
Taliq,
you wrote: but I can't blame him for not willing to bank on his on continued sucess as well as the continued success of LA
my response: I guess this is my entire point. According to
the "Hoopsworld" article, the $$ is essentially the same.
I wouldn't be mad at Ariza if Houston was paying more $$.
The crime *seems* to be that Ariza's agent *prevented* the
offer from being made/going thru due to his confrontational
attitude. If the Lakers are the team that can offer you the
*most* $$, then being confrontational with them doesn't
seem like the best methodology.
Posted by: hobbitmage | July 07, 2009 at 10:09 AM
Since AK didn't quote it specifically, from the Eric Pincus
article:
>>>"A source tells HOOPSWORLD that Kupchak was
>>> prepared to give Ariza an offer equivalent to the full
>>>MLE but at 10.5% raises, totaling at approximately
>>> $33.8 million over five years.
>>> LA's ceiling might have been a $6 million starting
>>> salary for $36 million over five but before
>>> negotiations progressed after 9:00pm Pacific on
>>> Tuesday night, the source says that Ariza's agent,
>>> David Lee, took a confrontational approach with
>>> Kupchak.
>>> Lee wanted a deal in the $50 million range and took
>>> offense to the team's stance that Trevor should test
>>> the market first for that level of compensation."
So there you have the story. Both sides were talking numbers,
the numbers didn't match. Whether that constitutes an "offer"
or not is up to interpretation.
If Mitch says, "We feel that Trevor has improved greatly and
is worth MLE level money with 10% raises", is that an offer?
Or is that just discussing a number?
Posted by: LongTimeLakerFan | July 07, 2009 at 10:10 AM
I dunno guys (and gals). In my opinion, we are making WAY too much of the Ariza situation. I absolutely love the guy, but we went in a different direction and I'm absolutely fine with it.
At the end of the day, all of us need to take personal responsibility for our actions or inactions. If Artest proves to be a bust (which I doubt) the Lakers need to be stand up about it. If Artest proves to be nails and we dominate like never before, then we can say we took a shot and it worked out GREAT!
You take chances in life you know? Ariza and his agent took a chance, the Lakers are taking a chance and we will see how it works out. Who said what and when is of LITTLE concern to me. Therefore I am shouting out.....LET IT LIE!
Good luck Trevor. I wish you the best and I love you for what you contributed. I hope to see you back with us again one day and until then, be well.
Posted by: JohnnyV | July 07, 2009 at 10:12 AM
It's funny. Wasn't it only two summers ago that KL was ranting
that EVERYone wanted to play on Shaq's team or on LeBron's
team. And that NObody want's to play on ball hog Kobe's team.
Now people are falling all over themselves and taking less
money to sign on with Kobe's team. And in the mean time,
LeBron and Shaq are calling Artest and Ariza, begging them
to join the Cavaliers, but Artest chose Kobe's team, and Ariza
would rather go to a likely lottery team than join LeBron and
Shaq.
What say you now KL? What's your spin on this situation?
Posted by: LongTimeLakerFan | July 07, 2009 at 10:13 AM
KB Blitz,
"Only reason why he succeeded was because Lakers management had no backbone."
First off I concur ... secondly here's what our boy lakertom had to say when confronted on the issue ...
[>>> do u honestly think bynum could get that money on the open market today???)
Probably not because he was injured and missed half the year and was still hobbled in the playoffs and there were very few teams with cap space. Hindsight makes all decisions look easy. After next year, hindsight may tell us that the deal was a bargain.
]
Really ... hind sight? ... didn't many on here call it ... we said yo he's barely played a complete season much less a good complete season and yet you lakertom was screaming max or doomsday ... the same tone his agent was screaming (what are the chances you're david lee?hahaha)
Look we all love Bynum but given he was just going to be a restricted agent this year, there was absolutely no reason for Mitch to do that deal ... he could have waited and had he done so we'd be getting Bynum for a discount ... the only benefit of doing it then was it meant Bynum wasn't a distraction during the season but what a hefty price to pay for that benefit
Like blitz said yo ... this was really just about Mitch growing some kahunas and standing up to the dude that bullied him last summer
You can spin it anyway you want but like I said before ... save your energy for bynums silly contract ... Ariza is no longer a laker and we wish him the best
Posted by: Taliq | July 07, 2009 at 10:13 AM
It's obvious that Mitch didn't want to deal with Lee. I think you're exactly right in saying that Lee started playing hardball too soon and F'd Trevor. With all his posturing in the media in both Trevor's and Andrew's negotiations, Lee really came off more as an ass than a positive "let's get the deal done for my client on the team he want's to play for". He's a bad negotiator, he should have known the economic AND other free agents situations before he shot off at the mouth.
Unfortunately it sounded like Trevor isn't going to fire Lee and doesn't even seem to think that Lee did anything wrong. Trevor should really speak to Mitch and ask him what happened. I'm sure Mitch will say the same thing that everyone knows...Lee F'd him. I feel bad for Trevor and wish him all the luck.
Posted by: j diddy | July 07, 2009 at 10:15 AM
AK,
Yeah, we have come to similar conclusions.
I get the feeling that David Lee's attempts at hardball were probably received (particularly post-re-signing Andrew Bynum drama) by Mitch and Dr. Buss in a similar way to how Shaq's "WHEN YOU GONNA PAY ME MY DAMN MONEY?" outburst was received.
We've had enough drama in this organization. Now we're ready for a period of maturity and mutual respect. I'm guessing that David Lee didn't pick up on how that is the most effective dynamic to utilize to get what his client wants.
In short, David Lee told Trevor Ariza, "Don't worry. I'll handle it," and then screwed it up.
Luckily for the Lakers, Artest was ready to fill that role, otherwise there would have been a tremendous amount of drama in a delicate situation that required mutual compromise.
Kobe, compromised? Check.
True Warrior Artest, compromised? Check.
Shannon Brown, compromised? Check.
Lamar Odom, compromised? God, I hope so.
Dr. Buss, compromised? Check.
David Lee, compromised? Nope. Hello, Houston!
What do we play for? RINGS!!!!
Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!!!!
Posted by: Jon K. | July 07, 2009 at 10:15 AM
It's all in these two articles. I'm sorry, but this is a threat on the first day of negotiations no less:
http://tinyurl.com/km25fe
"Ariza already has firm offers from several other teams, according to Lee, and will begin speaking with opposing coaches today. Asked if he could envision Ariza accepting a deal from another team
*** without speaking to the Lakers again, Lee said, "Yes, we have no choice. That's the position they've put us in."
=============
http://tinyurl.com/no9krn
A source tells HOOPSWORLD that Kupchak was prepared to give Ariza an offer equivalent to the full MLE but at 10.5% raises, totaling at approximately $33.8 million over five years.
LA's ceiling might have been a $6 million starting salary for $36 million over five but before negotiations progressed after 9:00pm Pacific on Tuesday night, the source says that Ariza's agent, David Lee, took a confrontational approach with Kupchak.
=============
Mitch did an AWESOME job. David Lee was going to try and create a circus and was threatening to put Ariza on another team without even calling the Lakers back, leaving the Lakers with NOTHING.
Ooops. The Lakers had Artest in their back pocket. Oooops, BLUFF CALLED. Ariza signs with Houston for about what he could have gotten with the Lakers.
=================
Read it and weep:
Lee wanted a deal in the $50 million range and took offense to the team's stance that Trevor should test the market first for that level of compensation.
-------
then he goes to the Riverside Press and tells them Ariza could sign with another team "without speaking to the Lakers again". The Lakers see this going on, read the article and...
----------
By the next morning, the Lakers were going after Artest in full force with Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom and even Magic Johnson reaching out to the Houston forward.
Posted by: Dallas Raines' Hair | July 07, 2009 at 10:16 AM
This is just sad -- not only for me as a Lakers fan, but all the more so for Ariza. The Houston system will not be able to showcase his strengths. Playing along-side Kobe, Pau, Bynum and Lamar is (and now was) the best possible situation for this talented young player.
Posted by: DK | July 07, 2009 at 10:17 AM
Devin,
I'm going to disagree with you.
David Lee's hardball tactics DID NOT work with Andrew Bynum and the Lakers. David Lee was pressing for more money and the Lakers weren't budging. Ultimately Andrew Bynum told Lee, "Get a deal done!" and a compromise was made.
If Andrew Bynum didn't push Lee to compromise, he could have very well screwed up the whole thing.
What do we play for? RINGS!!!!
Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!!!!
Posted by: Jon K. | July 07, 2009 at 10:18 AM
KB Blitz, correction, Lee failed with the Lakers with Bynum. Lee wanted max money and nothing less. The Lakers were offering 10 mil a year. Now think again about who won that? Bynum go nowhere near the 18 mil he could have gotten. Lakers won.
Posted by: J-Dizzle | July 07, 2009 at 10:18 AM
LTLF,
LakerTom is playing a game of semantics. Call it what you want. I see it as David Lee expressing that the MLE money Kupchak was talking was "an insult" and so David basically slammed the door shut after Mitch told him to test the market value and get back to him.
You can blame the Lakers and Mitch for the Trevor fiasco, but one guy at the table started getting huffy and puffy and went to media saying things like "there will be no home town discount" and "we felt insulted" and when he got slapped said "they didn't even make an offer"
In other words, one guy tried pit bull tactics in a poodle market and when it blew up in his face, he defaulted to the "no offer" to make it look like the situation was already decided and there was nothing he could do differently that would have altered the outcome.
Lee clearly went into damage control mode with Trevor, but those actually reading the statements and comments see it for what it is.
Posted by: Tim-4-Show | July 07, 2009 at 10:20 AM
David Lee is a tool.
Posted by: Pig | July 07, 2009 at 10:22 AM
JohnnyV,
Ariza's defense arguably got us past Houston and Denver in the playoffs. He was a difference-maker in this year's Championship season. He was a local kid, a Bruin, and we were looking forward to him being this generation's Michael Cooper.
I, personally, am very sad to see him go. I was hoping he would be a long-time Laker and Dynasty member.
That much said, if Ron True Warrior Artest, can maintain his presence of mind and maturity as a Laker, I think we have, quite frankly, gained a major upgrade at the SF position.
Despite losing Trevor, if we retain Lamar Odom, next year's Laker team will be MUCH BETTER than last year's Laker team.
What do we play for? RINGS!!!!
Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!!!!!
Posted by: Jon K. | July 07, 2009 at 10:23 AM
spot-on assessment. Of course, it's impossible to know exactly what was said between Mitch and Lee, their frames of mind, but it is clear that Lee bungled what was a mutual-interest on both parties to get a deal done. In my mind it kind of sounded like a power-play by Lee, the agent wanting to play 'super-agent' hardball without assessing the amount of leverage or lack of interest the Lakers had in going that route. I have found in what I've seen of Mitch publicly and in assessing his actions throughout the year that he is very straight-forward for a sports GM, and extremely honest, traits he picked up and learned well from his mentor, Jerry West.
It looks like Ariza is pretty naive/weak in having David Lee as an agent, perhaps he doesn't see what has transpired, as you wrote AK, and was just seeing everything through David Lee's eyes and one-sided explanations. I think it is very clear he was harmed by Lee, who was not putting his clients desire to remain with the Lakers as priority. I hope that Bynum is approached by the organization and strongly urged to try to find another agent, I can see problems resulting in the future with Lee and his 'leveraging' tactics.
Ultimately though, it was great to see that the Lakers moved so quickly towards getting Artest to sign. Lee must have really felt like the rug was literally pulled out from under him, his plan to parade around to other teams and media was quickly snuffed out. Frankly, I don't think Lee is very smart, and agents should be the smartest people in the room. That would be MY criteria if I were an athlete at least, I really don't know what he does to get clients. If there was ever a poor-showing by an agent in misguiding his client/misjudging his leverage this was it. I just hope Bynum watched this and saw the same thing most people did...
Posted by: LakerMike | July 07, 2009 at 10:24 AM
First, this is a very well written and informative article. It reflects what I got out of the press, as well. In essence, his agent got him the same type money from a Houston team that isn't going anywhere rather than Ariza's team of choice. All because Lee alienated himself and his client without reason. Welcome, Ron Artest.
Posted by: drbenk | July 07, 2009 at 10:26 AM
LongTimeLakerFan,
I think people in the league know something that we don't know.
Cleveland (generally speaking) sucks as a place to live compared to say, California or New York, but if they're gooing to be a long-time Championship-contending team, that makes a big difference in whether or not a player would choose to play here.
Well, if Trevor Ariza doesn't think LeBron is going to stay in Cleveland after next year, well, he's probably getting that information from supporting sources.
As multiple Clevelanders/LeBroniacs have suggested to me, if LeBron doesn't win a Championship next year, then he's gone.
Well... LeBron's not winning a Championship next year.
What do we play for? RINGS!!!!
Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!!!!
Posted by: Jon K. | July 07, 2009 at 10:29 AM
In addition to misreading his client's value on the open market, Lee seems also to have underestimated LA's options beyond TA. Ron Artest has been linked to the Lakers for years, clearly was interested in playing here, and the Lakers certainly have had varying degrees of interest over the years. To not take that into consideration was pretty poor work.
Then he compounded the error by negotiating/whining in the press to try and force their hand. The free agency period was what, 15 hours old at that point? It was a poor piece of agent-ing, and ultimately TA is responsible, too, because he employs the guy. He's not some sort of victim. Sucks for him if he didn't end up where he wanted to be, for sure, but athletes can't cede control to their agents (if that's what happened) and then be upset when things don't turn out the way they'd like. They have to stay active.
BK
BK
Posted by: Brian Kamenetzky | July 07, 2009 at 10:35 AM
Dallas Raines Hair,
"Mitch did an AWESOME job. David Lee was going to try and create a circus and was threatening to put Ariza on another team without even calling the Lakers back, leaving the Lakers with NOTHING."
I concur.
You've got to remember, this is a situation where everyone has to compromise. If one guy stampedes off the reservation, it GREATLY increases the liklihood that EVERYONE stampedes off the reservation and thing rapidly degrade into an ego war in which everyone loses.
Mitch and Dr. Buss not only did a great job in nipping this in the bud, but by rapidly signing True Warrior Artest at a discount, they have been able to maintain a dialog of mutual compromise as was manifested in Shannon Brown's re-signing.
Preliminary grades:
Mitch and Dr. Buss: A
David Lee: F-
What do we play for? RINGS!!!!
Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!!!!
Posted by: Jon K. | July 07, 2009 at 10:35 AM
Taliq & KB Blitz,
>>>Like blitz said yo ... this was really just about Mitch
>>>growing some kahunas and standing up to the dude
>>>that bullied him last summer
I think you mean "cojones", a kahuna is like a priest or sorcerer.
But other than that, I completely agree with you and blitz.
I'm still kinda mystified why the Lakers didn't offer Drew
an incentive laden contract. By that point in the summer,
3 or 4 other players (Andrew Bogut, Luol Deng, Igoudala, and
I think someone else) had accepted contracts that started lower
than what Drew got, but had incentives that could get them
more than what Drew got.
It was a smart GM technique in a time when economy was
already looking shaky for the future. It gave the players a
solid big contract with a chance to make it a HUGE contract
if they played up to their potential.
If Mitch would have offered that, then next season if Bynum
becomes an All-Star and the Lakers win the title, he would
have earned MORE money. And if he missed half the season
with injury again and the Lakers missed the playoffs, then
maybe he'd still get 9 million.
But in light of how poorly Lee handled the Ariza negotiations,
Laker Tom may be right. Lee might have accepted the qualifying
offer for Bynum and pushed him to go to another team next
summer.
Posted by: LongTimeLakerFan | July 07, 2009 at 10:35 AM
The one thing that Trevor has more than anyone else I've seen in today's NBA... this guy anticipates the defense like no one else - not Kobe, not Ron, not CP3.
Then he added a reliable shot to this skill + his athletic ability and he was certainly a keeper. His ultimate downfall was putting trust in the wrong person, and it will continue to be his fault as long as continues to remain Lee's client.
Posted by: Tim-4-Show | July 07, 2009 at 10:35 AM
excuse me, he anticipates the opponent's offense... typo
Posted by: Tim-4-Show | July 07, 2009 at 10:36 AM
The whole process reminded me of the scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark when the swordsman confronts Indy, sabers blazing and putting up a very intimidating picture... and Indy just rolls his eyes and shoots him.
That's essentially what happened here.
BK
Posted by: Brian Kamenetzky | July 07, 2009 at 10:37 AM
In response to all the Bynum talk, I will put myself out there and be counted among those who believe in Bynum. I like the guy and I think the Lakers made the right choice by investing in the future.
He is still VERY young and I like his promise. He has grown both physically AND mentally over the last couple of years. He has now established an injury pattern that is troubling, but I think it's gonna be alright.
I love that Kareem is mentoring him and that the Lakers are smart enough to invest in his and our future. When you think about it, what do we really NEED from Bynum in the short run? We need a good presence in the middle, we need some scoring and when those pesky little guards make their way to the hoop, we need him to swat the ball away.
I don't blame Kobe for wanting to "Win Now!" and for him criticizing Bynum and the Lakers for their long term view. Kobe and the Lakers have a window of just a few years to make hay during the "Kobe Years." HOWEVER, things improved for Kobe and the Lakers this last year because of Gasol, the emergence of Ariza (Artest now), and Bynum's growth.
You could now say that Kobe and the "Win Now" mantra is being well served by the way things are set up currently. This leads to my point. AFTER the Kobe years, do we really want to SUCK (aka Boston's 20 year disappearance), or do we want to have something to build around?
Therefore I am WITH Lakertom. I am in full support of our contract with Bynum and making the investment in a solid relationship with the guy. That relationship may serve us for ALOT of years and some of those years Kobe won't be around to save us.
Posted by: JohnnyV | July 07, 2009 at 10:40 AM
LakerMike,
" don't think Lee is very smart, and agents should be the smartest people in the room."
Excellent point. An agent should know the priorities of all the other teams, who they're interested in, and what players are interested in playing where...
This is like sitting at a poker table and knowing the styles of the players and judging against the backdrop of the board and action. Lee is like some chump sitting down for the first time, pays no attention to the board, no attention to the players, and gets angry when his bluff gets called and loses his chips.
Posted by: Tim-4-Show | July 07, 2009 at 10:41 AM
BK,
"The whole process reminded me of the scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark"
I laughed.
So, Mitch Kupchack has gone from Mr. Cupcake to Indiana Jones? What a difference a Championship makes.
What do we play for? RINGS!!!!
Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!!!!
Posted by: Jon K. | July 07, 2009 at 10:42 AM
KB Blitz,
I'm confused. So are you saying that Mitch is utilizing Hawai'ian sorcerors now to get the job done?
What do we play for? RINGS!!!!
Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!!!
Posted by: Jon K. | July 07, 2009 at 10:44 AM
BK ... lmfao @ d indy reference ...
Posted by: Taliq | July 07, 2009 at 10:47 AM
BK, not sure if you know this bit of trivia, but that scene in ROTLA was completely improvised by Ford. Funny enough, that's not too dissimilar from Kupchak's situation. He looked around, saw that Artest was available and with a bit of improvisation pulled the trigger.
Posted by: DK | July 07, 2009 at 10:48 AM
Tim-4-Show,
You're right. Trevor was incredible in anticipating the opponent's offense. That's why he deserved the moniker, "The Thief". His steals were a thing of beauty.
What do we play for? RINGS!!!!
Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!!!!!
Posted by: Jon K. | July 07, 2009 at 10:49 AM
LakerTom,
I wasn't insulting you ... I'm just calling it like it is ... but hey no citizen likes being issued a ticket so i kinda understand why u feel d need 2 get emotional ...
Y'all keep claiming you was just doing 5 miles over d speed limit when in actual fact it's more like 40 over the limit
To claim LA screwed Ariza is definately doing 40 ... his agent screwed him ... we will win a championship next year and Ariza will fade like his predecessors who left Kobe's limelight ... and that's a shame cuz he bleeds purple and gold
Posted by: Taliq | July 07, 2009 at 10:54 AM
I'm not sure we have the whole story. It seems to me if the Lakers wanted Ariza back they would have pursued him more vigorously. I think they turned their back on him when they realized they could finally land Artest. At a great price too. The Lakers wanted him years ago and getting him now at the mid level is impossible to pass up. No offense to Ariza but Artest is a far superior player at the same position. You spend less with a shorter commitment and upgrade at the same time= no brainer. The Lakers never wanted Ariza back and they used his bumbling agent as the fall guy.
BRILLIANT MITCH!
Posted by: bill babishoff | July 07, 2009 at 10:58 AM
Ok yo enough already ... our leader has spoken
[Even though Bryant and Artest had words during a couple of games last season, Bryant related a pro-Artest anecdote from the 2008 NBA Finals in which Artest, a spectator at Game 6, entered the showers in the Lakers' locker room after Boston clinched the championship with a 39-point victory.
"I was in there by myself," Bryant said. "He came in there and he said, 'This is not going to happen to you [again]. I'm going to come in here and help you out.' He wound up being in Houston, and [then] took us to Game 7. But he's here now. It's something we've both been trying to make happen for a while and here it is."]
We can argue all we want about Ariza ... but one thing is clear ... Ron Artests wants to be a laker and is going to be a laker ... lets embrace him yo and leave it to the simers of the world to hate on him yo ... for crying out loud, d man shared the boston loss with us ... if dat ain't purple n gold, then what is
Posted by: Taliq | July 07, 2009 at 11:03 AM
wells said AK.
Lee negotiating through the press made him look bad.
He was successful with Drew.
He was bitten in the butt by doing the same with TA.
We may never know the truth.
However, Team Ariza look like the bad guys.
And the Lakers played it well, using Ron as their wild card.
to quote the God Father movie:
"it's business, not personal."
Posted by: passionate Lakers fan | July 07, 2009 at 11:04 AM
BK, that post you made about Mitch going Indiana Jones on the agent was HILARIOUS!!! I laughed out loud in my office and felt foolish but I couldn't help myself.
Your comment has given me a whole new way to look at Mitch Kupchack. From now on I will picture Mitch doing that to Trevor's agent. NICE!
Posted by: JohnnyV | July 07, 2009 at 11:09 AM
The good, the Bad and the Ugly
Ariza, Artest, Lee
Posted by: MrNano | July 07, 2009 at 11:12 AM
As Jon K point out, David Lee tactics did not work for Bynum, he was asking max money for Drew, like 80M, eneded up with 55M. which is pretty big difference. Difference, Drew gave him a direct oreder to get a deal done. It's pretty big difference between young Center and young SF. How many Centers were available year ago? None. SFs? Plenty. Lakers have a plan B and Mitch played it to perfection. Everyone won, except TA, he basically got the same money as Lakers offered in the 1st place, with one little difference, Houston not LA, and Lakers not Rockets. with Yao out for season, TMac at least for 1st part of the season he'llbe forced to be a scorer every night. And it's not the same vs here when Kobe command double and all he needs to do just shot open 3. Suddently this miracolous % will go down.
Posted by: LAL_Fan | July 07, 2009 at 11:12 AM
>>>Then he added a reliable shot to this skill + his athletic
>>>ability and he was certainly a keeper.
Tim-4-Show,
I agree with you about Trevor's anticipation. In one of the Lakers
wins vs Cleveland last season, Trevor cleanly picked the ball
from LeBron while he was driving like a freight train on a fast
break... TWICE.
Normally, LeBron's full-steam-ahead fast break attack ends up
in an assist, a dunk, a foul, or a dunk & an and-1. Twice in
that game, Trevor left LeBron standing there looking baffled
while the Lakers broke in the opposite direction.
OTOH, I'm not 100% convinced about the improved shooting.
The 46% overall for the season is good, but I don't really see
Trevor as a great 3 point shooter. Everyone talks about how
bad Sasha was this season, but Sasha hit 36% of his 3's
compared to Trevor only hitting 32% of his.
Sasha had a reliable shot and aggressive defense in the
2007-2008 season.
Luke shot 38% on 3-pointers and 47% overall in the 2006-07 season.
So in their contract years, both Luke & Sasha were more
reliable shooters than Trevor was last year.
There's no guarantee that Trevor, like Sasha and Luke, wouldn't
take a step backwards in performance after earning his big
contract.
Oh, that does make me think of one thing...
This year is effectively a contract year for Jordan Farmar.
Expect him to perform above-and-beyond what he's shown
us so far.
Posted by: LongTimeLakerFan | July 07, 2009 at 11:13 AM
BK,
>>>The whole process reminded me of the scene in Raiders
>>> of the Lost Ark...
VERY nice.
Posted by: LongTimeLakerFan | July 07, 2009 at 11:15 AM
These are situations where Trevor's shyness and unwillingness to "stir the pot" are a hinderance to him. Based on what he said, he basically let his agent handle the entire situation. Trevor needed to be involved in the process and made sure his wishes were clear.
I always knew this was the doing of his agent. I will always love Trevor as a player and hope he does well in Houston but he should have been more in control of his future. He was a champion with the Lakers, he'll simply be a starter with Houston. Good luck Trevor!
Posted by: EastCoastJessie | July 07, 2009 at 11:17 AM
In the ESPN article, Team Ariza is in full spin mode
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4311048
"Souces say ...Adelman promised him the Rockets would feature him offensively while the Cavaliers refused to guarantee him a starting job."
Making this be a "bigger offensive role" issue, which then debunks the whole myth of a perfect fit for the Lakers since he only needed 7-8 shots a night and accepted role of a team player.
Hopefully this shuts Bill Plaschke and others like him.
Who is in charge of Team Ariza damage control anyway? Oh wait, that would be the same genius that got them into this mess in the first place.
Posted by: VA Laker Fan | July 07, 2009 at 11:22 AM
Magic and Kobe take part in the Staples Center tribute to Michael Jackson. But not Lebron.
Who cares who is the face of the ESPY's?
Posted by: Rick Friedman | July 07, 2009 at 11:23 AM
JohnnyV,
"In response to all the Bynum talk, I will put myself out there and be counted among those who believe in Bynum. I like the guy and I think the Lakers made the right choice by investing in the future. "
We all like Bynum ... I'm just arguing we could have got him cheaper ... which in turn would make it easier to keep Odom ... Luke Walton was helpful in our recent championship run too ... but again we could probably have gotten him cheaper
As far as I'm concerned, in both of these deals Mitch outbid himself ... there were no similar offers out there for Luke and Andrew would just be a resitricted FA now, and given economics and his recent play we could get him at a major discount
It ain't a GMs job to be best friends with his players ... his job is to handle the business side of things and make sure it dont get ugly ... I get that Drews agent is a tool ... but then Mitch could have had Kareem/PJ etc make a sales pitch to him and go just be patient ... idk yo ... maybe he listens maybe he doesnt ... but either way 90% of the blog said wait on Drew's deal and if we had there's no way he gets the same money on the market today ... and aite maybe he signs a qualifying offer and bails next year to spite us or maybe we go look you're young, here's an 11m deal for both you and odom, and dont comlpain, or do u think u did more than odom has the past few years ... besides, if ya game is dat nice, we'll put a player option for year 3, ya can opt out then and get more mula baby
Frankly speaking as a fan ... I got way more respect for the guys that earn their pay based on what they've done ... than the guys that keep harping on their potential and want to be paid for it ... y's everyone so eager to cashin on a great year as opposed to a body of work ... especially dudes dat are asking for max? ... it's like that's cp3, dwade, lebron money aint it? ... @ least make it clear u worth it first
We all got love for purple and gold yo ... otherwise y would we be blogging about them ... i repeat, i signed the 55bandwaggon when smush and kwame was balling ... hey it might even have been lakertoms idea, i forget ... but it shows we love this team yo ... the question is just how much should buss be willing to pay for that love ... i love sasha, didn't mind his contract, but now he's making me look like a fool ... i still love d dude, but wish i could redo his contract
So if there's a silver lining in all this we miss Ariza threads ... it's that Mitch seems to be learning from some of his past mistakes ... just cuz he a fan and got love for these players too, don't mean it should affect his business judgement ... his job is to do what the rest of purple and gold can't stomach
Posted by: Taliq | July 07, 2009 at 11:30 AM
I bet Lee is nervous about losing Drew as a client.
If that happens, his career is over as an agent.
If he is fortunate to keep Drew, he will never again use the press to negotiate.
Posted by: passionate Lakers fan | July 07, 2009 at 11:36 AM