Standing pat?
You don’t normally like to see your roster go belly up in the Finals which, even that far along, suggests a fundamental problem. Take the Lakers. The Celtics just did.
It’s not good to discover you’re not tough enough, especially up front since no one is likely to be inclined to send you one of their tough big men. Nor would the draft be of much use, even if they were in it, which the Lakers almost aren’t, with only one pick at No. 58. However, this is an extraordinary case with the Lakers expecting seven-foot, 275-pound, 20-year-old Andrew Bynum expected back next fall.
Bynum, who missed the second half of the season, had been breaking out in his third season, looking so impressive that Kobe Bryant, who had excoriated Laker management, demanding to be traded, changed his mind about the whole thing.
If this was embarrassing – Bryant also railed at the Lakers for not trading Bynum for Jason Kidd – Kobe is now on board in a big way (“He’s a legitimate, 7-1, long-wing-span, natural shot blocker so add Andrew, it takes us to another level defensively.”)
Hurt on Jan. 13, Bynum was expected back in March but wound up undergoing arthroscopic surgery and missing the rest of the season. With Pau Gasol arriving to take his place – another piece of good luck for the Lakers who wouldn’t have been pursuing the deal with Memphis if Bynum hadn’t been hurt – the Lakers were never sure how good they were.
They certainly weren’t physical and or imposing defensively. On the other hand, their offense was so good – – they were 34-8 with Gasol in the lineup going into the Finals – there didn’t seem to be anyone better, or close.
It was almost as if they were on a lark. They would be better next season but in the meantime, why not try to take advantage of the opportunity at hand?
They wound up running into the Celtics, who looked out on their feet after going seven, seven and six games deeps in the three first rounds, but seemed quite refreshed in the Finals.
Bryant, who had smoke coming out of his ears in the interview room after their Game 6 loss in Boston, was over it by the time he talked to Laker beat writers three days later after his exit interview with head coach Phil Jackson.
“I’m comfortable with what we have,” Bryant said. “Whatever Mitch [Kupchak, Laker GM] decides to do, he decides to do. It’s more of a relaxing summer for me because I know we have an opportunity to win. It’s exciting.”
With Bynum’s rehab now progressing, the Lakers do have one decision to make with Andrew up for an extension at or near the maximum-salary.
Nevertheless, the Lakers can let it play out according to their own comfort level.
They could extend him this summer (unlikely), wait to see how he holds up in training camp and sign him before the opener (possible) or wait until after the season, when he’ll be a restricted free agent and they can match any offers (also possible).
Aside from that, the Lakers just have to make the pieces fit with Bynum at center and Gasol moving to power forward.
That would move Lamar Odom to small forward… if he ever gets there.
At the moment, there’s speculation the 6-10 Odom will be shopped for a more small forward who’s a better outside shooter.
(That means, forget those Shawn Marion rumors. Like Odom, shooting from the outside is the worst thing Marion does.)
(As for those Richard Jefferson rumors, shooting isn’t what RJ does best, either.)
In what could be viewed as a preview of next season, Boston’s Kevin Garnett roamed off Odom in the Finals, just as the Lakers did with Rajon Rondo, giving Lamar any outside shot he wanted.
Odom faded, Garnett helped jam up the high-powered Laker offense inside and that was that.
Jackson wanted a small forward who could shoot and space the floor badly enough to start the inconsistent Vlade Radmanovic while labeling him “my favorite Martian.”
Beyond the question of how Odom will fit in the new configuration, he has one year left on his contract at $14.1 million and wants an extension. Meanwhile, the Lakers have financial issues. These don’t threaten the franchise, which probably grossed $175 million last season, but they’re issues, anyway.
As a result of the Gasol trade, Jerry Buss is looking at an additional $90 million in additional salary and luxury tax over the last three years of Pau’s contract – which was the reason Memphis got so few offers – unless the Lakers get some money off their cap.
With trade-Lamar stories all over the local papers, an irate Kupchak said the team hasn’t even had those discussions yet. However, Odom was originally in the package going to Memphis for Gasol, until Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley took him out, opting to lesser players and more savings.
And the Lakers will be holding those talks soon, with only one problem position, small forward.
Jackson, who wants to get tougher – and has never minded getting loonier – loves Sacramento’s Ron Artest, who just happened to be hanging this postseason, even going to Boston for Game 6.
Artest has tried to get himself traded to either Los Angeles team for years and can opt out of the last year at $7.4 million on his Sacramento contract. However, with the Kings unlikely to do a sign-and-trade unless they get Bryant, Bynum or Gasol, Artest could only get the Lakers’ $5.4 million veteran’s exception.
Of course, with Artest and Jackson, anything’s possible from Ron-Ron in purple and gold to a peaceful summer in Lakerdom.
Bball Unit Said,
June 22, 2008 @ 9:54 am
(As for those Richard Jefferson rumors, shooting isn’t what RJ does best, either.)
explain?
javaman Said,
June 22, 2008 @ 10:00 am
Lamar-the one arm bandit, was easy for the Celtics to defend. If he had any use of his right hand, he would not have been so predictable. The problem is, this guy has been in the league for almost 10 years and as we have seen in the finals against the CELTICS, he does’nt respond well to pressure. His inablity to play clutch in the biggest game of his career is something that he or anybody can change. This is something bigger and invisible that he cannot work on this summer. It’s either you are or you are not. Unfortunately, he’s not. This is something that only becomes obvious on big games, when “THE GAME WITHIN THE GAME” becomes paramount and the ability to “DO THE DO” without breaking concentration is the only thing that matters.
Jax Said,
June 22, 2008 @ 10:36 am
that i would love to see - Artest in purple and gold!
The Wiz Said,
June 22, 2008 @ 11:18 am
Imagine if the lakers had traded odom instead of Caron Butler in that deal for Kwame. I am sure that the Wizards would have had any reservation about taking odom. The lakers would have been such a better team with butler instead of odom. IMAGINE this lineup….. Fisher,Bryant,Butler,Gasol,Bynum. That a dynasty caliber team right there. Odom is good, but far to inconsistent and unreliable. Butler brings defensive toughness and a great perimeter game to compliment Kobi. Not to mention, he would have did a hell of a job guarding Pierce.
But on the flip side, what a bum Kwame is. He is the modern day Sam Bowie. No heart at all man, at least be a rebounder, just put some effort in and be a rebounder. My god what a waste of athleticism.
Don't Trade Odom Said,
June 22, 2008 @ 11:45 am
Trading Lamar would be crazy at this point. His passing and versatility are part of what makes the Lakers click. He is a rare talent, and gives the Lakers an imposing front line with a lot of finesse.
I don’t see how they can upgrade his defense without taking a major step back with his rebounding, passing, and flexibility.
tygood Said,
June 22, 2008 @ 12:11 pm
everybody talking what people can and can’t he in the nba so he got talent. everybody who talking about his game get your game up and get in his shoes. it sports it for fun and entertainment they just get paid to do it
Chart3 Said,
June 22, 2008 @ 12:45 pm
“But on the flip side, what a bum Kwame is. He is the modern day Sam Bowie.”
I would say Kwame is more like a mondern-day Benoit Benjamin, all the size and promise in the world but not much talent or focus. Plus Kwame suffers from having extremely small hands and a lack of concentration which led to many easy turnovers. From what I remeber about Sam Bowie, he was a focused player with game who suffered from severe ankle and leg injuries early-on in his career that he never really recovered from.
Bruce Said,
June 22, 2008 @ 12:50 pm
I love Lamar Odom and while he is a good player the lakers may have to break ties with him. Its like breaking off a relationship with your girlfriend for some hot young chick its shady but it is the nature of the bussiness.
KingInExile Said,
June 22, 2008 @ 1:23 pm
I find it funny people keep mentioning Ron Artest leaving to LA, New York, ect. As crazy as he is he’s yet to opt out of his deal, and said he is 99% he was going to stay for the money. So any team interested in picking him up would have to wait til next year. And a trade from LA to Sac I doubt is likely to happen due to the Maloofs dislike of helping a team within our division. Since we are talking about WHAT IFS. What if Arena’s and/or Elton sign with LA for the MLE this summer. Gil’s crazy as well, and Elton already lives in LA and would love to be on a winning team. Its great to talk about the WHAT IFS, but in reality its just someone talking out their neck. I’m aware the lakers need is a SF but they are more then likely to stand pat see how Bynum adds to their nucleus. Then go from there. An inside presence on defense/boards would of done them wonders in the finals. What if Lebron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade all join the Nets in 09/10… What if… See its fun isn’t it.
Lamarvelous Said,
June 22, 2008 @ 2:14 pm
Outside shooting is definitely is not what Artest does best and for the record, Artest was at the Finals “to give my boy Lamar a boost.” Yes, he was Lamar’s guest and invitee. Odom is a great fit for the Lakers and about the only guy who’s numbers didn’t slip significantly in the Finals so I’m confused on why he’s getting all the blame.
Better Version Said,
June 22, 2008 @ 2:55 pm
What was meant by the RJ comment, is that, like Marion, Jefferson is not a good outside shooter. Yet the author seems to also forget the fact that his proposed trade candidate, Ron Artest, is a mediocre 3 pt shooter as well - although he would fill a need defensively. If I was the Lakers, I would shift Kobe to small forward and pick up a legit marksman at the 2 like Michael Redd (trade Odom + Walton) or JR Smith (sign him with a portion of the midlevel). Trading for Mike Miller is also an attractive option, though he’s a defensive liability. Really, perfect fits would be Josh Howard or Tayshaun Prince, but making trades between contenders is always dicey. Redd, Miller, Prince and Howard all appear to be on the trading block, so there are some options to explore.
Jack Said,
June 22, 2008 @ 4:40 pm
Lamar does not have the heart under the pressure. It is all about what you can do and do the best. He can do a variety of things, but just can not step up big time. He can not compete confidently inside as No.4, and pretends to be a mismatch at No.3. But at the same time, he can not shoot as No.3. So making him as the No3. or No.1 is a really bad idea. He can not handle the ball as No.1. Although he can do a little bit everything, he can not do one thing better. He needs to be traded at the time when he still has the value. Otherwise, lakers will regret.
Gene S Said,
June 22, 2008 @ 5:14 pm
It may take several years to assess how good the “ubuntu” Celtics are — and how much abuse is appropriate to heap upon the Lakers. No matter what their personnel, they could have played better had they been coached better. There were too many breakdowns on defense — and it is an NBA truism that defense wins championships. And they were totally ineffective in dealing with the Celtics’ “5 shooters” (small) lineup which punished any trapping attempts brutally, because most of them lacked the individual defensive skills required for effective one-on-one defense. Phil Jackson is looking more and more like the luckiest coach in history, having arrived at teams with the best personnel at the right time. He was clearly outcoached.
Bhavik Patel Said,
June 22, 2008 @ 6:29 pm
If i were the lakers GM these would be my off season moves. I first of all would not mess with the 11 core players that helped the Lakers reach the finals including Andrew Bynum. The 11 core players being Odom, Bryant, Fisher, Ariza, Vuajcic, Bynum, VRAD, LUKE,Farmer, Turiaf, and Gasol. I would consider moving Walton and VRAD, but realistically big contracts and we wont find any takers that will make us better. I would also like to address the Jefferson for Odom rumors. I would NOT!!!!! trade odom. It doesnt make any sense. Hes an expireing contract and Jefferson has three years left. Plus I want to see Odom, Gasol, and bynum play together. If this doesnt work out than i would consider making moves before the trade deadline. This is exactly what i would do.
1. Keep the 11 players I listed above. I am also assuming ariza will excercise his 3.1 million dollar option because he said he would during the exit interviews. He actually did excercise his option, so thats done.
2. Resign Sasha will be my first priority. As long as the ownership wants to spend money I would give him the midlevel exception because Luke is making less than the midlevel except slightly and VRAD has the midlevel. These players are probably less valuable than SASHA. Looking at the market I would say hes worth about 4.5 to 6 million a year.
3. Resign Turaif. I wouldnt overpay to keep him, but would offer him a contract between 1.5 to 2 million a year for two years. Maybe 2.5 to 3.0 million. This again all comes down to how much Jerry Buss wants to spend because we are well over the cap and well over the luxury tax threshold.
4. After making the previous moves we have filled 11 rostor spots. We are in lack of veteran leadership, so my next move would be to find a sucker for Chris Mihm. Lets be realistic he is going to excercise his player option for 2.5 million whether we like it or not. I would try to trade him to dallas for eddie jones who has a player option for 2 million. This would save the 500k in the cap and 500k in luxury tax. A savings of 1 million. This would also help the lakers because eddie jones is defence minded guard with great offensive skills who can guard players like posey and eddie house. He is also in great shape for his age and brings great leadership. Dallas would probably make this deal because they are lacking depth in the center position after tradeing diop in the kidd trade.
5. This brings us to 12 rostor spots now. We have 3 more spots. I would then let go of MBENGA who does not have good basketball IQ and fouls. I would make the contraversal decision of bringing Kwame Brown back for somewhere between 1 and 2 million a year. I would only give him a one year deal, maybe two year, but the second year a team option. If he signed for 1 million a year for 2 years i would llet the second year be a player option. This now brings us to 13 spots. I would do this because he understands the triangle and a great post defender what we lacked in the playoffs and what gasol doesnt have.
6. My next move then would be to sign a veteran like Robert Horry or Michael Finly from the spurs for the veterans minium. Would bring us great leadership and Horry still understands the triangle. We all know how valuable horry can be in the playoffs and even at 38 has alot left. He also states he wants to comeback cause this last season was injury plagued. In addition he wants to pursue ring number 8. One of these moves is a long shot cause both players reside in texas. Plus Finley might sign with dallas because they have been paying him heavly for the last three years with that clause that allowed them to waive one player three years ago. I am basically looking for veteran help in this move. Doesnt have to be horry or finley, but someone experianced like what james posey did for the celics.
7.My next move would be to wait it out and see if I want to pick up Coby karls option at 712k or bring in last years second round pick sue, or keep whoever we draft in the second round this year. This would have to wait till training camp.
This would bring us to the 15 man rostor. I wrote this really fast, so I would like to say sorry if there are alot of spelling errors.
Tr3 City Said,
June 22, 2008 @ 8:39 pm
as far im concerned odom needed to prove himself and toughen up n the finals and he didnt. I admit he did keep his stats inact but that was not good enough for some one who has proven himself. I hate to admit it but i like the trade for redd or miller and moving bryant to the forward postion. TALK ABOUT A LINE UP!!!
ALbert Johnson Said,
June 22, 2008 @ 9:56 pm
As one who lives in the Los Angeles area and an avid watcher of 95% of the Laker’s games since the early 80’s, I will not be watching next season as often if the Lakers rely on Odom as their starting SF.
This guy has no heart in crunch time - a cllassic fader when you need him the most! I am old enough to have seen Mitch play and he was considered a finesse player; he wouldn’t know a power player if he walked into his living. Coaches tend to acguire players who fit their
own personalities as a player, i.e., Jerry Sloan of Utah. How many of you saw Jerry play?
GOLAKERS Said,
June 22, 2008 @ 10:22 pm
Regarding the post about trading Lamar for Kwame instead of Caron, you have to remember that the way that the team is now is a result of everything that happened because we traded Caron. It’s like the Butterfly Effect. Remember that Bynum got injured by landing on ODOM’s foot, thus injuring his knee. Then, we went after Gasol to replace the hole left by Bynum’s absense. So, if we had Caron, we wouldn’t have Gasol and everything would be different. Also, Kobe probably wouldn’t have gone on his tirade last summer, but we’d be a contender who probably wasn’t good enough to win a championship. “what if”s never really work.
free mind games Said,
June 23, 2008 @ 4:02 am
[...] and six games deeps in the three first rounds, …Gasol takes a hard look ahead Los Angeles Timeshttp://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/heisler/2008/06/22/standing-pat/A few lovely free games against the heatSummer’s here, living in A/C conditions is as irritating as [...]
isavedlatin Said,
June 23, 2008 @ 4:43 am
lulz kwame brown, skipped practice in washington because of a stomach ailment but was seen later that night dining in a local chinese restaurant.
jan Said,
June 23, 2008 @ 4:48 am
Offensively, Odom is a hot and cold player. Defensive he is soft. He does not have the grit. When he is hot, he can shoot and become a matchup nightmare. When he is cold, he is a very big liability. He has been in the Lakers for few years but if you have observed his plays in the regular seasons, he is really inconsistent. I believe Odom is a good fit in the Warriors under Nelly or under D’Antoni. I know it is a very long shot to trade players from those teams but if ever that would happen, Odom will fit well and the Lakers must hope to get good players in return. The Lakers are well above their cap though but I hope Kupchak can work his magic this summer. Again, I really want Odom to be traded, hope God will…
Sputnik Said,
June 23, 2008 @ 5:12 am
I hope Mitch Kupchak wont trade Odom….it’s very hard to find the exact nucleus on the chemistry the lakers have right now. This is just a piece of advice to Mitch Kupchak…”try to put on board a international Small Forward” with the likes of Jiri Welsch because international players have been successful on Coach Phil Jackson’s system. Just add players dont trade the significant players on the team.
G-Harper Said,
June 23, 2008 @ 8:39 am
The Lakers are overrrated. No one is gonna take Odom. They should enjoy this Finals run while it lasted cuz they ain’t getting back.
Vincent Said,
June 23, 2008 @ 8:59 am
People are hating pretty hard on Lamar. Most people seems to have forgotten what this guy has brought to the table for the last few seasons. Before Bynum became a real centre, this guy was their best post defender and rebounder. What the Lakers ran into was a team that they didn’t much up very well against in the Celtics, who had two post players who could abuse the Lakers post players in different ways. The celtics also had a small forward who abused anyone in front of him, making it hard to put a bigger, slower defender on him and bringing in someone like Turiaf to help with the post defence. The front line of the celtics made it so that Phil Jackson couldn’t use his starting lineup to great effect (Radmanovic and/or Odom were in foul trouble for most of the finals).
Make no mistake about it, Doc Rivers did a great job of dictating the Lakers rotations by spreading the floor and letting Pierce create problems for the Lakers defence. Bynum will be a great addition to the team next year and a legitimate shotblocking presence that will be able to challenge someone in the lane, and still get the rebound afterwards.
If anything, the Goat for these finals should be Phil, who wasn’t able to contain Pierce by mimicing the defence that the Celtics were putting on Kobe. On every pick and roll by Garnett/Pierce, there would be a weak show by Gasol (instead of a hard trap), and Pierce would just walk around him on his way to the basket. After the guy does it about 15 times in one game, you’d figure they’d realize that for the next game, that’s something they need to focus on.
Odom is a good complementary play that is still valuable for his versatility. Good rebounder, good passer, under-rated defender and knows his role on offense (doesn’t take too many stupid shots).
space Said,
June 23, 2008 @ 9:34 am
odom is a decent player. he does have his flaws but just as i wrote in another earlier blog: don’t blast one guy especialy when the entire team played out of character. the entire lakers squad on whole just didn’t show well in the finals. part celtics and part coaching part youth, part everything. —and yet the still won 2 games.
odom’s game is versatility. so i think its unfair to fault a guy for not scoring, when he’s the 3rd option. what happened to the 1st two options? where is the 4th option for that matter. replacing him for jefferson or artest? not good. they need a player who can play in that system but still demand to ‘go for his’ every night.
Porky Said,
June 23, 2008 @ 9:39 am
Odom reminds me of Derrick Coleman. Lefty, bald and great talent…but no heart.
Celtics247.com » Blog Archive » Today’s Links 6/23 Said,
June 23, 2008 @ 10:29 am
[...] team in Nugs: See Celts Dallas News Lakers Finals flop is good news for Dallas Mavericks Hoopshype Standing pat? Baltimore Sun Cassell not ready to ring out career Beaumont Enterprise Grandparents watch Perkins [...]
Brenda Said,
June 23, 2008 @ 10:31 am
Lakers have a need for a PG too. Fisher is old….Rondo abused Fisher as if he were a little boy.
space Said,
June 23, 2008 @ 11:21 am
coleman??!!?
i realize your comparison a bit in the heart department. but coleman got bit by the injury bug later in his career, averaged about 20 pts and 10+ rebounds, 1.5 blocks, almost 3 assists and even shot a decent 3-ball for at least 6 years of his career –played through the death of a teammate and was on traditionally not good teams. odom isn’t close to coleman’s output. +plus odom doesn’t have a real position after 8 years in the league.
odom needs to specialize his game a bit. he’s TOO versatile on paper. refining 1 aspect to the point of consistency will make his game that much better. LA should keep him if they don’t get a definitely better upgrade.
Boozebag Said,
June 23, 2008 @ 11:40 am
Lamar is not really the issue. Vlad is the one that has to go. If the Lakers could get a second rounder for him, that’d be fine by me. i’ve never seen a pro basketball player out of position more often than Vlad. He looks lost out there. Getting nothing for him would be addition by subtraction.
Vincent Said,
June 23, 2008 @ 12:41 pm
Meh, I disagree with boozebag. Vlad helps this team by spreading the defence out. He got owned by Pierce, but everyone on the Lakers not named Kobe did. When he stays on the floor, he consistently hits shots. Lakers need that to spread the floor to let Gasol and Bryant work their magic.
Eric Said,
June 23, 2008 @ 1:12 pm
I am just a fan.I know only what the media and sites like this tell me.But,I feel as a long time fan of the Laker’s(since 1980) it would be a terrible mistake to let go of Odom for Artest or anyone else.Give this team(who by the way went far beyond ANYONE’S expectations!) a chance to develope ,let’s see what they might(will) be given time.Then make moves.
77block Said,
June 23, 2008 @ 1:13 pm
I would keep lemar. i think he’ll listen to all the rumors and work even harder this summer to be what the lakers need him to be. he is an excellent rebounder a decent defender and an occational scorer. i think the lakers need to turn it up a notch. i would trade Luke Walton, he doesnt produce what hes being paid, get rid of Sasha, his caliber comes a dime a dozen and maybe Vlad.i only say maybe because the lakers still need an ouside shooter. and chris mihm. hes good but they could probably get soemone with experience if the unload him…. id pick up Artest whos defensive and can score and another three point specialist there are plenty in the league
Everybody else can be moved around as the season goes on if choosed…
kb Said,
June 23, 2008 @ 1:24 pm
this is the real issue, the problem is not odom, not gasol and the key is not bynum or even kobe… they real issue is phil jackson. is phil going to teach every player to play to there strengths? they have a championship team this year and next year, matter of fact there are 5 or 6 teams that have championship talent on their roster but the coach has to put them in the right positions to play to their stregnths!!! Kobe should be used like Jordan was later in this career. he should be in the post or coming off screens for 15 foot jumpers and quick slashing oppurtunities at the bucket. Odom should be used like pippen was. he should have the ball in his hands more than anyone on the team!!! have him bring the ball up, use him in pick and rolls… but to have him in the post (doesn’t make sense, he doesnt like contact) or standing out on the 3 point line is dumb… he cant shoot. radmonovic should be in the corner waiting for an easy 3 every time down. fisher should be used like bj armstrong and paxon/ it should be penetrate and kick all day. i would have gasol popping out for 12 foot jumpers off pentration instead of being in the post… the only time i would have him on the block is when the laker go big and gasol plays the 3 (kobe odom gasol turiaf bynum) other than that have him pop on penetration or have him run offense from high post when odom doesn’t. and lastly bynum; use bynum like hornets use chandler… pick and roll all day with him until he has perfected his post moves. it is not that hard man. but what phil does is he suits to the crowd and management by letting kobe control the offense so much. if the lakers did this- they would be VERY hard to beat. if the laker do trade odom, i would trade him for josh howard. howard is better finisher and more aggressive offensively than odom and this helps releave pressure off kobe.
Front office job EDDIE… staight up
azzman555@yahoo
space Said,
June 23, 2008 @ 2:22 pm
Vlad off the bench the way he did back in seattle may be better for him. and yes they still do need an aggressive point guard or for farmar to step his game defensively
kb Said,
June 23, 2008 @ 3:05 pm
they dont need a point gaurd, why get a point gaurd when you have a play maker like odom? why get a point gaurd when you have a play maker in gasol? they dont need an aggressive point… they just need to get players in right positions. fisher is a knock down shooter and decent defender… they are fine at point gaurd and all other position- they dont need a point gaurd
azzman@yahoo
Nitro Said,
June 23, 2008 @ 6:59 pm
Righr now, odoms better than bynum and gasol. If someone is going to be traded it should be pau. He’s super soft (makes dirk nowitzki look like kimbo slice), is terrible defensively, n is a horrible athlete. Odom can play some 3, but he’s best at the 4. Artest is good, hes the kind of defensive stud the need but hes by no means a shooter. Hedo turkoglu seems like the kind of player that LA is seeking. He cant definitely shoot, hes tough, more athletic than what he leads on, and hes coming off his best season yet. Another possibility could be josh smith. He arguably the leagues best athlete n shot blocker. Hes also still young n his jumper’s starting to come along, which means hes still getting better n can stay a long time. But what should most impress the lakers is how he starred against the celts; killing them both offensively n defensively. Tayshaun prince is another atheletic defense oriented 3 that would give LA what they need. Mike miller would give them the outside shooting. Shawn Marion was upset with being the 3rd option in phoenix, Kobe would outshine Marion even more. Marion would feel more comfortable being the star player on a bad team. Josh Howards mind isnt on basketball right now, and the player loul deng will develop into is still a mystery.
Again, if you can move gasol, do not hesistate.
Laker Royalty Said,
June 23, 2008 @ 7:56 pm
There will be no need for another PG if Artest opts out of his contract. Artest-Odom-Kobe can all bring the ball up the floor easily. Artest is probably the best ball handling SF in the league (outside of Lebron). Ron played PG in college all the time.
If you were Artest… would you sign a 1 year, 5.4 million dollar deal with the western conference champion- Lakers + an extra 1 or 2 million in playoff/championship bonuses?
… or make 7.4 million playing for the Sacramento Queens- a team that is heading right back to the lottery because they have no shot @ the playoffs next year? How would you show NBA teams that you’re @ your best when your team can’t even scratch the surface or make the playoffs… especially when you’re Ron Artest and teams have their doubts about investing your services anyway?
Artest can make as much as 7.4 million in playoff/championship bonuses as a Laker. LOL There shouldn’t even be any need to think about it. If Artest and Odom are as close as we think, why would Ron want to swap places with boy? Wouldn’t you think RonRon rather join Odom?
Odom’s contract is up after next season, right? Artest’s 1 year deal would be up after next year right? Odom’s making 14 mill, RonRon’s would be making 5.4 mill. Lets see… if I were Jerry Buss, I’d bring Odom and RonRon back for around 8 million after next year and use the remaining on Bynum.
I believe Artest is a Laker… finally.
Better Version Said,
June 24, 2008 @ 1:00 am
The problem with starting Odom is that he might not be able to stay in front of stud 3men nor be a consistent outside threat. So the Lakers could trade him for a good wing or be conservative: hope Trevor Ariza develops anything resembling a decent jumpshot, or try to get a decent swingman like JR Smith.
If the latter, the Lakers should not be afraid to think outside the box and contemplate starting Ariza or new dude X and using Odom as a Sixth Man playing 30+ minutes a game wreaking havoc on opposing benches. That would make Odom the Man on the 2nd unit and fully take advantage of his playmaking abilities. Having star or quasi-star players come off the bench has been done before with success: Kukoc on the 90s Bulls and Ginobili on the recent Spurs come to mind.
Laker Royalty Said,
June 24, 2008 @ 4:27 am
Agreed. Ariza should start next season as some sort of resistance against slashing SF’s… IF they don’t grab Artest.
When you have Kobe-Bynum-Gasol in a starting line up, you have offense pretty much taken care of. Ariza does have to get all the way back to “Christmas Day-form” to earn the starting SF spot that was once his though.
Kupchak said they are thinking about playing Odom @ some SG, so having Odom come in for Kobe or Vujacic to give them a rest is some luxury.
Lakers Br - O site de noticias do Los Angeles Lakers no Brasil :: Rumores sobe a possível troca de Odom :: June :: 2008 Said,
June 24, 2008 @ 9:52 pm
[...] Fonte: HoopsHype [...]
javaman Said,
June 25, 2008 @ 12:23 am
Forget about Lamar. Ship him to Jersey with Phil’s “favorite martian” for either Carter or Jefferson and maybe they’ll throw in Diop to replace Mihm and Mbenga. Lamar’s stats are soft. His rebounds and points are mostly earned early in the game. Beside’s, N.J. is close to Queens!
YouIdiotsDontWatchLAGames Said,
June 25, 2008 @ 2:03 pm
If any of you idiots, had ever watched LO play, you’d know that Javaman (2nd from top) was absolutely correct
LO the one right-less wonder just doesn’t have it and never will… he’s as soft as candy and has the heart of a mouse
I want the guy who wrote the below comment to never watch another game of basketball again b/c obviously he never truly has
Don’t Trade Odom Said,
June 22, 2008 @ 11:45 am
Trading Lamar would be crazy at this point. His passing and versatility are part of what makes the Lakers click. He is a rare talent, and gives the Lakers an imposing front line with a lot of finesse.
I don’t see how they can upgrade his defense without taking a major step back with his rebounding, passing, and flexibility.
HIDAMAN Said,
June 25, 2008 @ 7:18 pm
LO is like that crazy drop dead gorgeous model who @ times is like 4th of JULY in bed. But lets get real. There have allways been head case issues with this guy. And he went on stretch when PAU came to the LAKERS. But the man cant take the pressure. Im afraid its dear john letter time for hommie. The LAKERS can even tell him the “IT’S NOT YOU. IT’S ME” speech. ” WE CAN STILL BE FRIENDS” I think ARTEST would be a piece we need. 14 million for a head case is just too much.
laker love Said,
June 25, 2008 @ 7:34 pm
i love lamar but he needs to go n we need to get marion although he is not a consistent shooter specially in the playoffs where he shokes he is a lock down defender we dont need shooters we need defense we have enough shooters and vlad should not start at all period if possible trade him with odom for marion n we got to sign sasha thats a lose if we dont big one in my opinion
anthony Said,
July 3, 2008 @ 10:42 am
I like what the Lakers got. They are an uncommonly young team that made it to the sixth game of the NBA finals. And, their best rebounder, shot blocker, and post up player wasn’t even in the playoffs.
Ignorant ppl are just analyzing the finals. Look how much progress they made, and with only one player over 30 years old.
I like them.
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Cyrus Said,
August 11, 2008 @ 4:44 am
The Lakers starting line up is going to be a powerhouse next year with the addition of a healthy Andrew Bynum how ever as we saw last year in the finals their bench aside from Farmar and Viujic is really weak . Having Ariza and Radmonovich added definitely helps but in my opinion they seriously need to part ways with an over paid dead weight Luke Walton and give their newly acquired Sun yue his minutes Sun yue has the size at 6′9 and the ball handling to be a real force in this league for years to come .