Correction to last post,
I wrote, "Ron Artest will not be the reason why The Lakers don't repeat this year". However due to a computer glitch my original sentence of "Ron Artest will not be the reason if The Lakers don't repeat this year" was configured without my consent. Please take note of this correction when perusing my post.

AK/BK,

Any word on Gaffney? Has Gelabale taken his potential roster spot?

My two cents on Thriller: We are all in agreement that Ron is a very good player, although we may disagree on how well he does or doesn't fit in with this group - the mental aspects if you will. Some of you argue he has lost a step etc. but even if that is true, he is still a very good player - better than Luke, Sasha etc. What I expect to see is similar to what we saw from Gasol once he got to the Lakers. Gasol was a good - borderline all-star for the Griz(he did make all-star once). When Pau got to L.A. he was a terrific fit, and shined like never before when playing alongside Kobe and Lamar.

I think Ron will shine like never before as well. He is surrounded by one of the greats in Kobe, an excellent player in Pau - the jack of all trades Lamar, throw in Bynum who if healthy is a good to very good and some day maybe even a great big. RonRon will have the type of talent that will make it easier for him to flourish. No longer will defenses be geared to stop him as a primary goal - he will be a complimentary part of the team. It will be pick your poison for other teams. Stop Kobe? OK Ron will do some damage - oh yeah what about Pau and Drew - hmm, oh crap and then there is Lamar to consider too.

I see Artest being a way more talented version of Luke. If Ron does an adequate job of staying within the system look out. He is a bigger, stronger, better shooting version of Luke. If he is just a good passer (the only area I say Luke is better) - WOW. Seriously if this team gels - meaning mostly that Artest fits in and doesn't become a perpetual black hole on offense, I see the Lakers as clearly the team to beat. The key to the whole thing is how well he fits in “chemistry” wise with the gang. We know that all the guys coming back mesh well together. My guess is that Ron fits in and will do some damage to the opponents not the Lakers. I am convinced he will get his touches to keep him happy, and there will be times he is the go to guy. I think deferring to Kobe or Pau is a lot easier for a guy to take than having a guy like Von Wafer jacking up shots as he did in Houston. I do realize it is possible the experiment could blow up – but his behavior hasn’t been destructive in his stops in Houston and SacTown as far as I know – correct me if I am wrong. So tell me what team would be favored over the Lakers assuming all the teams are healthy? I think even with an injury to a starter the Lakers are still going to be a tough team for any team to beat in a series.

Peace,
Eagleboy

BK,

Good stuff on Ron Artest, Brian. Count me among those who agree with your assessment on Artest. Kurt’s post was excellent as usual and the LakersGround.net post had some excellent analysis of Ron’s options in the Triangle. While I never was willing to trade Lamar in order to get Ron, I was thrilled that we decided to sign him instead of Trevor. As great as Trevor had played for us, he is nowhere near as good a fit for this team as Ron is. He simply solves our long time small forward dilemma.

I loved the quote from Phil that Artest is going to surprise people offensively: “I’ve spent some time thinking about it. Ron has a real knack of being a top defender and an aggressive player on the defensive end of the court…. But we think overall that we probably have a more balanced and difficult team to defend and to score against on this team. I think Ron’s going to be a really big addition to this team. Not only defensively, but he can do some things offensively that’ll be able to help our team and people will be surprised.” It’s good to see Phil thinking creatively about how to best use Ron.

I also loved this comment from Kurt at Forum Blue and Gold, while discussing how Ron did not really have the handle to bring the ball up court like a guard: “I also wouldn’t be shocked to see Phil give the “Odom as point forward” thing another go as well.” It sounds as if Kurt also expects Phil to be creative with respect to utilizing Lamar also. While we have experimented a little with the concept of Lamar playing point guard, I don’t think we have ever really given the move enough of an effort to see how it might really work. At minimum, it provides another look that teams have to prepare for. At best, it gives us a possible exciting solution to the question of who succeeds Derek Fisher at point guard.

Finally, a fine job by Kurt summing up the Lakers strength: “With the lineup the Lakers are throwing out there, mismatches will be created for someone every night. So long as the Lakers attack those mismatches, and everyone buys into that system and the offense, the Lakers will be hard to beat.” As I continue to emphasize, basketball is all about the matchups. With versatile players like Gasol, Odom, and Artest – who can play multiple positions – the Lakers are going to be a nightmare for other teams.

More Kobe, Drew, Pau, Ron, Lamar lineups. More Lamar or Kobe playing point guard.

Tom

Hate to do this, but

Grammar police: "Behavior won't be a problem, at least not for a while. Sure, Ron doesn't roll like you or I... "

That would be "you or me."

You wouldn't say "Ron doesn't roll like I."

Laker Tom said
"More Kobe, Drew, Pau, Ron, Lamar lineups. More Lamar or Kobe playing point guard."

Sorry man but that's not the way we need to go when Fish is resting. We need to go in the exact opposite direction - smaller and faster and more exciting, not bigger and ploddier. More "Farmar-Brown- Kobe (then Luke)-Lamar-Pau" lineups for our second team. Versatility, passing, and S-P-E-E-D!

We throw a team like that out there at the start of the second quarter and we either run their tired starters into the ground or totally outplay their second team. Last year the Bench Mob used to build us leads (not lose them) til Farmar got injured and Sasha lost his shot. A second team as described above would take us back to building leads again so when Ron, Fish, and Drew (and Kobe) came back we'd be further ahead than when they left. Then we're completely unbeatable!

I predict Ron will knock one opponent player out this year. =)

eagleboy said it best

Look guys, Ron Ron is going to be fine. He has got to be the only NBA guy to be walking around in a Kobe Bryant jersey. You think Pau or Lamar would do that? And I'm not dissing LO or Gasol, but what I'm saying is this guy is for real when he says he's dedicated to the team & its leader. How many guys nowdays take less money when they don't have to just to play with a winning team. Not many (AI?). The guy is serious about winning a ring their is no doubt about that. And as for Auburn Hills, look if a guy throws a beer in my face and then runs in the crowd like a b&*@h I just might be inclined to go kick his butt too. Am I saying Artest is all there, no. But I am saying he's not half as bad as people make him out to be. I'd rather have a guy on my team who goes after Kobe when he's getting murdered on the court, than a guy like Shane Battier who says theres nothing you can do when Kobe is in the zone with a smile on his face. Nothing you can do? Please!

And besides the winning guys what have we always enjoyed about the lakers. The headlines both good and bad. The Shaq Kobe feud, Magic smiling and talkin frankly on camera, now LO getting married to Chloe. I mean if you think Ron Ron is not going to add to the fun off the court your crazy. Our only concerns is the winning part, but really the Lakers are about winning in the midst soap opera suds. Right? Was their drama this past year with Kobe saying ship his #$# out? Was their drama when Shaq and Kobe were playing? It'll be fine, Artest is twice if not three times better than Ariza, stop looking for what could go wrong! Stop saying Fish is old, hell we wouldn't have one JACK without FISH. Guys enjoy the sun please!

Lakers forever.

Thanks BK. It's time for real basketball posts after a long summer, and this one is timely and welcome. The links were great as well.

If Artest behaves he fits in very well in every way. # 1 is his defense. Even with declining physical skills he is a solid defender at the 3 spot and has the strength, not to stop, but to slow down the the 3s the Lakers are likey to have to deal with in the playoffs - Anthony, James, Pierce. I have to belive this is reason # 1 for this signing.

But he also fits the triangle well. He has a good handle and he is a very good spot up shooter. Kobe and Pau and Drew will be passing out of double teams and a spot up shooter can feast on their dishes. Plus he has the ability, when needed, to creat his own shot, though his shot selection can be spotty.

The questions will be:

1) Does he accept his role as 3rd or 4th option on offense long term, or does he get frustrated with that role and try to freelance. He, like Kobe, likes to take over and pound the ball and go mano a mano. There is only room for one guy who does that, and too much of Artest holding the ball will throw off the balance of the triangle and the ball sharing culture of the Lakers. This will ge a long term question. Expect Artest to be incredibly good about this early, with later behavior up to what goes on his weird and wonderful brain.

2) Does he keep his cool in the playoffs. He played so well in the early games against the Lakers, then started to jack up bad shots and then ran down an official and got ejected. The Lakers need Artest to be intense but under control, and he needs to understand that his rep will give refs a short fuse. The last thing the Lakers need is Artest getting the hook in game 6 in Boston.

No question Ron Artest is a phenomenal talent, a better and more well rounded player than he gets credit for. But there is a reason he was available at a bargain price. At some level, he is a risk. A risk to accept his role, or to keep his cool.

Phil never "managed" Rodman. He let Rodman be Rodman and let his players sort it out. That could very well work with Artest as well, who is hungry for a title and for respect. But his issue is that he is impulsive, and his impulse control cannot be farmed out to Kobe or Lamar or Phil. He will be unpredictable. I am optimistic that Artest will mostly fit and play his role and will make the Lakers better. And I recognize the risk, which will make this season very interesting indeed.

EagleBoy,

I believe your analysis of Thriller is right on target. He has basically been dying his whole career to be on a Championship-caliber team. He is SO competitive that when that competitiveness isn't given a healthy, complimentary vehicle then it can literally turn on the individual. Ron has finally been given a proper vehicle and someone he can look up to (Kobe) whose competitiveness actually EXCEEDS that of Thriller, but Kobe has been able to channel that instinctual competitiveness in a healthy, functional way. Kobe is the perfect role model for Thriller.

In addition, I do not think that we'll have chemistry problems with Ron. First of all, the other Lakers seem to respect Thriller's competitiveness, as opposed to be intimidated by it, as could happen on other teams.

Secondly, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum both come from the New York City/New Jersey area, have good (if eccentric) senses of humor, make occasional forays into outrageous behavior (marry reality TV stars, walk around with Playboy bunnies on his shoulders whilst recovering from knee injuries, etc.) AND their Bio-Chrono readings are EXTREMELY compatible... so with all that common ground they should naturally gel with one another. With Kobe leading them to keep them focused (because as a group that do have the potential of becoming poorly focused), the Thriller-Beast-ODOOM Matrix will feed off each others' competitiveness to produce a real TEAM desire for winning. I expect it to be a treat to watch.

Let's get this started!

What do we play for? RINGS!!!

Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.

GO LAKERS!!!!

hobbitmage,

I, too, am impressed with Gaffney's attitude. That Ronny Turiaf-esque ultra-enthusiastic, positive, can-do attitude sure adds a lot of wonderful intangibles to a team's chemistry. Even if the guy wouldn't be able to contribute many minutes, he might be worth the cost if only to boost team chemistry.

Though I'm not personally worried about it, team chemistry seems to be the only concern of many experts as to whether or not this team will likely repeat.

Go Team Chemistry!

What do we play for? RINGS!!!!

Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.

GO LAKERS!!!

Tom Daniels,

"Does he keep his cool in the playoffs. He played so well in the early games against the Lakers, then started to jack up bad shots and then ran down an official and got ejected. The Lakers need Artest to be intense but under control, and he needs to understand that his rep will give refs a short fuse."

I agree; however, we have an answer to this puzzle: Kobe Bryant.

Anyone notice that Ron Artest was wearing a Black Mamba jersey recently? He is implicitly communicating to Laker Nation, "I'm not only a fan of Kobe, I recognize that he is the TRUE leader of the Lakers. I'm not competing for that role. Instead I'll follow his lead."

As such, when Kobe shouts over to Thriller during a game, "CHILL OUT! Keep your focus!" Well, Thriller is going to chill out and refocus himself. That's it.

This is going to work out great.

What do we play for? RINGS!!!

Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.

GO LAKERS!!!

Look we were all screaming this when the suns were punking us ... you give kobe a decent team and it's a different outcome buddy

The past couple of years, we'v had one of the better teams in the league if not the best with the growth of the young guns and the gift (Gasol)

Whether you think Ariza/Artest swap is an upgrade/downgrade, you can't deny the fact that we've still got a good team ... hell if Ariza had just walked w/o us getting Artest, we'd still have a good team ...

To put it another way ... I would be dissapointed if Artest doesn't mesh in and the team sees it as an excuse to lose out on a repeat ... There's just too much talent for us to cave in 2 any adversity that comes our way ... Guys just need to put in the work to ensure the talent is being utilized appropiately

Eagleboy,

I absolutely agree with what you said about Ron Artest. I think his acquisition was the best move in the off season at the expense of Trevor. Had Ariza hang on, perhaps JB and Mitch could have made some moves to bring him in. Artest is the best Laker when in comes to defense of power forwards, even Kobe would have difficulty in guarding tall forwards like Nowitsky, Duncan, Aldridge, Amare and in the east KG and Lebron. Lakers has now an enforcer in their line up to free up Pau and Kobe do the attack. With regards to comparison with Luke, that's light years away, the only advantage of Luke will be his familiarity with the triangle. Defensewise, shooting, rebound and leadership, it's Ron Artest all the way plus his confidence to win games. There is only one danger with Ron, that is his temper, ego coupled with bad attitude to be impatient with teammates. Well, he joined the Lakers with one objective - to get a ring. He has to cooperate with PJ, Kobe and Pau, this is their team while he is just a new kid in the block. Everyone will have their chance to prove their worth by sacrificing their egos and move as one team. The presence of LO will soften Artest. The presence of Khloe in LO's life will inspire him to achieve this season. The presence of Artest will motivate PJ to coach the Lakers longer than what it was supposed to happen and will rest Kobe during the season. The presence of Gelabale & Powell will motivate Luke to work harder. The presence of Brown and Farmar will promote healthy competition on the successor of Fish or maybe Fish will join them, "not too fast my gills are still healthy to perform the last second heroics. The presence of Ammo's good shooting will be a threat to Sasha and Luke. In other words, no more babysitting for the under achievers. It is either you are productive or sit down. Therefore, every game will be a good chess match for PJ by cherry picking the suitable strategy that will lead to W. Having said that, Championship is not guaranteed in NBA, they have to work for it and earn it.

One more thing I would like to add - as I mentioned I don't think Ron will mind taking his place behind Kobe and Pau - he knows how good they are - on the flip side Kobe will once again show that when his teammates produce he will sit back and watch them go to work until he is needed. Does Kobe want to watch Smush and Kwame do their thing? Um – NO! However, if Ron has a mismatch and Kobe can get him the ball in the correct position to take advantage of it, I say Kobe does it. Can Kobe be selfish? Yep. But can anyone that watches the Lakers regularly say that last year he went solo to the detriment of the team on a frequent or regular basis? I say NO. The way this Laker squad is constructed makes them difficult to match up with and defend. I think even without the swap Artest for Ariza the Lakers were the team to beat - we knew that squad was capable of winning a championship. I just believe RonRon is going to fit in as best he can - he knows what the Lakers have - he saw it up close and personal in Houston. He knows these guys are THAT good. Phil Jackson already has an idea of what tweaks he can make to put this team in the best position to win. Before I saw what Phil did with the Lakers roster his first year in LA, I was one of those that thought with MJ, Scottie, Grant and the others I could have coached the Bulls to a title. Phil has an ability to get a lot out of his roster - again we saw that upon his return - getting Smush and Kwame - not to mention Brian Cook, Walton and other scrubs to push the Suns in the first round. Come on - no team with Smush and Kwame as starters should even be in the NBA - that is an development league roster....It is easy to pick things PJ does that seem dumb and sometimes don’t work but the man has ten championships as a HC! 10! I think his record speaks for itself. If Phil is intrigued by this set up, I have got to believe it will work.

Peace,
EagleBoy

Please lakerblog don't anyone ever dare compare ron ron's skillset to luke's ever... I know BK made that reference in an earlier thread and now I'm hearing it again and its just unbearable to read... They have nothing in common and its a complete insult to ron ron's all around game. Thank you for ur cooperation.

Also earth to mamba24 do u copy?? Preaseason just around the corner and we need a new I don't approve of an Odom/kardashian wedding bandwagon going on here asap.

Good Morning Everyone...As i sit here in my study with rain pounding the windows in late September....I cant believe its raining this much in Spring..

Fatty...Good to be reading your posts again.I didnt take time off this year but will be forced to next week for 5 days..My best mate is getting married and the bucks party will be for 5 days in a rented (monster house ) along the coast about 200km from all of our partners...15 guys and a lot of entertainment.(cough cough)....

Ron Artest....I think he will be great but a little part of me is scared..

Lets open up camp and then strike fear around the NBA...

Jay Jay,

>>> Sorry man but that's not the way we need to go when Fish is resting. We need to go in the
>>> exact opposite direction - smaller and faster and more exciting, not bigger and ploddier.

Good to hear from you, JJ. How about them Niners?

I have to respectfully disagree with you on what the Lakers need at point guard. While I would love to have a point guard on the roster like Darren Collision who can play defense and stick to elite point guards like Tony Parker or Chris Paul, I don’t think a smaller, faster point guard is the best fit for this Lakers team. The best fit in my mind is a taller point forward player like Lamar Odom. If Sun Yue can be the Chinese Magic Johnson, why can’t Lamar Odom be the Rhode Island Magic Johnson?

I’m not saying that having a smaller quicker point guard could not also be a great thing, just that I think a better solution for this team might be to move Lamar Odom to point. Think about the lineup: Lamar, Kobe, Drew, Pau, and Ron. Moving Lamar to point is going to be the only way the Lakers will be able to upgrade the point guard position without having to trade another key player. Considering our current salary levels, it is doubtful that the Lakers can find Fish’s successor in free agency.

I thought it was great the Kurt of Forum Blue and Gold commented that he thought Phil was probably going to revisit the Lamar Odom point forward concept sometime this season. Due to the Triangle Offense, the Lakers do not necessarily need a pure or natural point guard. That is why the Lakers should consider grooming Lamar to take over the point guard position once Derek retires. He is a far better option than Farmar or Brown. Here’s why Lamar is a better option than a small fast guard:

First of all, Phil Jackson strongly prefers size at the point guard position because taller players have an easier job feeding the ball into the post to initiate the offense and are not defensive liabilities who can easily be posted up. The Triangle Offense also works best when the players are interchangeable. With the Lakers more and more becoming a low post rather than perimeter oriented team, having a point guard with size who can easily get the ball inside is going to have an even bigger premium.

Second, I don’t see anything “plodding” about Lamar Odom’s game. In fact, I think some of the most exciting moments in Lakers games happen when Lamar grabs the rebound and goes coast to coast ala Magic Johnson. In fact, I might even ague that that is Lamar Odom’s signature play as it encapsulates all of Lamar’s vast talent into a single play – rebounding, dribbling, passing, and shooting. Truthfully, Lamar is the only player in the league who can run a fast break that reminds me more of Magic.

Thirdly, Lamar is the fourth highest paid player on the team and we need to find minutes for him to play to replace those he is going to lose to Andrew Bynum. Remember the last two years minutes were no problem for Lamar because Drew was injured for most of the year. Assuming Drew stays healthy and returns to form, Lamar is going to need to do more than backup Pau at power forward to get the 30 minutes per game to which he has become accustomed. Such as backing up Derek.

Tom

Pedro Guerrero,

I definitely have empathy for your interest in Lamar's wedding, but I also respect that the L.A. Times isn't going full-on TMZ regarding coverage of the weddding.

I mean, dude, the whole thing is just so fricken CRAZY that it's almost better not to discuss it. It's a little like attending a family reunion and Cousin Willy is there. Cousin Willy is great, but he firmly believes that aliens live in his septic tank and may control the sewers of many major cities around the world and he's INTO the subject matter. He's thought about it A LOT, if you know what I mean, and he's utterly eager to discuss the subject matter with you AT LENGTH.

So, when you're around Willy, you don't really want to talk about sewers, septic tanks, plumbing, toilets, drainage, dishwashers, even water... because they all inevitably lead to a long, painful, and bizarre conversation about the global alien conspiracy taking place RIGHT NOW in our sewers. So, whatever you do, you don't bring up the subject. It's just not in everyone's best interests.

I think this is the approach that L.A. Times is taking with "Lamar Wedding Watch 2009". Sooner or later someone is going to note how crazy the whole thing is and tempers will flare, voices will be raised, and feelings will be hurt.

I think discussing whether or not Gaffney will make the team is safer conversation, if you know what I mean.

What do we play for? RINGS!!!

Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.

GO LAKERS!!!

I cannot wait to see this years Laker team. I'm expecting the Lakers to get off to a fast start. I'm also expecting Ron Artest to play a huge role in the fast start.

Ron Artest, in my opinion, will play a huge role in the Laker offense all season, taking a load off of Kobe and Pau's backs. Phil Jackson must be licking his chops looking at this team. We should be unstoppable.

Go Lakers!

I think Ron Artest showed that he is not the typical basketball player. He is definitely special as a person and also a great Basketball player. That famous brawl is over and he has definitely learnt from that infamous day. He played for Houston were he was maybe third option after Yao and T-Mac and he was just fine. I think as smart as he seems to be, he will fit perfectly in this team and surely many many players would be dying to be on his position. We will have fun inside and outside the court and surely as soon as he gets pissed off people around will step back just in case LMAO!!

KB,

"People said that Manny would be a distraction to the Dodgers"

Nobody said Manny would be a distraction to the Dodgers ... everyone knew he would be on his best behavior since he was playing for a new contract.

Tom Daniels,

"The last thing the Lakers need is Artest getting the hook in game 6 in Boston."

I guess you feel (like I do) the Celtics will have home court if they play the Lakers. Couldnt agree with you more.

BTW I wouldnt throw a tomato at Dribble Dribble.

Jon K,

Your cousin Willy comparison was just out freaking standing (sorry mamba24, that's supposed to be yours) and hillarious.

hmm. a rack of comments from trolls. Kindergarten must have just gotten out in Boston.

Jon K, Hearst and Pulitzer understood the first rule of being in the newspaper business was TO SELL NEWSPAPERS!!!

My God! The LAT COVERS the Lakers, they should have all kinds of sources on the Odom story but they are getting totally scooped by everyone else.

Lamar's bachelor party is tomorrow at Les Deux with... Joe Francis??? hosting??? are you... KIDDING ME???

Meanwhile, the LAT responds with... zzzzzzz... cough, cough, turn over... zzzzzz...

Is it any wonder blogs are DESTROYING the modern press? The evening news is a joke, bad things happening to good people. What's that? Nothing bad happened to a good person today? well, let's take you out of town to Texas or overseas because we all know something bad happened to a good person today and by God, we're gonna show it to you!

I am stunned the LAT is letting itself get scooped so badly here, they have guys who go into the locker room to talk to these guys and... NOTHING, meanwhile everybody has to go to other sources for the story that really interests them... wow... way to drive people ELSEWHERE for news...

EagleBoy,

If you dont want stupid answers then dont ask stupid questions. Vegas has the Lakers at a +200 and the Celtics at a +250. Not much of a difference. So my comment wasnt that stupid.

If I remember correctely last time we meet the Lakers were favored. And what happened? Do you remember EagleBoy? Who cares about being favored!

But EagleBoy knows better than Vegas.

131-92:

Tell me again who is favored? You said it yourself - The Lakers. So my statement was correct. I understand it is tough for Boston fans to comprehend simple straightforward statements. So who is the stupid one? Not me.

Go hang out on the Celtics blog or the Patriots blog with all the other obnoxious Boston fans.

BK

thanks for the link, I read grooved on this jazz yesterday but i think it merits alook by any interested in the reality of Artest fitting in.

I think we'll see a larger role for the pick and roll in our offence this year as opposed to the multitude of slip screens we've seen the last few years. We've been such a finesse team for so long it'll be nice to have someone just set up on an unsuspecting defender and watch him go down.

I was thinking the other day, what would our Big bruiser line up be? Josh Powell, Ron Artest, DJ Mbenga at the 3,4 and 5, I suppose Fish as Scolinator and Kobe would be in there, too.

I'm really excited to see how this team comes out of the gate. It'll be interesting to see who gets big minutes in the 4th quarter. It'll be interesting to watch how Arest fits in here. It'll be interesting to see if the Lamar of the Playoffs is the Lamar for all ages. So many fun things to watch pan out.

Looks like Fatty is working his digits into game shape, hopefully he doesn't blow a knuckle in training Camp and have to sit out the first few weeks of the season.

GO LAKERS!!!!!

HUGE TOPIC!
SUBJECT: LUKE WALTON'S MINUTES

This has been on my mind for days. I wonder if we'll see a line-up consisting of Kobe (PG), Arest (SG) Luke "My hops get better every year y'all" Walton (SF), Lamar (PF) and Bynum (C). This line up presents a multitude of quandries, in my opinion. Kobe, Artest or Lamar bringing up the rock, Luke inbounding and running the offence from the top of the key. Luke and Kobe will find Andrew on the block or set up a post play involving Arest or Lamar. We have some excellent rebounders in there (Luke is under-rated in this aspect by those who rant and rail against him, he's tenacious) and some big bodies. The one aspect lacking from this line up is over all foot speed and quickness. I'd expect to see this kind of line up against Boston, Cleveland, San Antonio or similar teams with less talent, yet play a 1/2 court style game. Luke can slide over to the corner porch after delivering the ball into the post where either he or Kobe can spot up. Switch Artest and Kobe or Artest and Walton, or even Lamar. All of them can hit a spot up corner three, pass deftly enough to enter the ball to Bynum, or Gasol if you want a little more speed and outside shooting.

I know this will annoy some folks here, but I see Walton as being one of the bigger beneficiaries of this new look Laker team. He and Lamar are versatile enough to move inside or out, move the ball around and switch on defense (another under-rated Luke Walton area, DPOY anyone?). If Kobe can start to develop a better catch-and-shoot jumper (usually has to dribble to get his rhythem, will not be able to so his entire career, must develop this skill eventually, why not this year?), it'll be lethal to have Walton or Lamar handle the ball from either the top of the key or from the wings. Lamar can take his man off the dribble, Luke is adept at backing his man into the paint and either finding a seam to get off one of his funky-white-boy-turnaround-hook-shot-jumper-type-thing or to pass out of the crowd (expect Walton to get double and triple teamed alot this year...Ok, I'm truly kidding on that one) for the spot up three in the corner for either Ron, Kobe or AMMO, if he plays...which I'm not really expecting. Sorry AMMO fans, homie is going to have to prove he belongs in the Purple and Gold, and I expect him to be included in a trade before mid-season. I'll be quite happy if he proves me wrong.

What does everyone think? How will Luke Walton help out the super stars on our team by being the ultimate glue man, the consumate team player? Do you think his lack of speed will forever be a detrimate to this squad? Is athletic talent the sole indicator of whether or not a guy can contribute? I say he'll average about 15-20 minutes a game, his assits should go up a bit this year as well as his rebounding, but we'll see. I have high hopes for my favorite Walton.

On ESPN.com there is a great feature on one Vlade "I can grow a beard in 5.6 seconds" Divac.

http://tinyurl.com/yce92l5

It's full of some funny, interesting and poignant takes on a landmark NBA career and a solid Laker.

Good luck, Mr. Divac and thanks for Kobe Bryant.

70 wins???
You guys are dreaming!!