Bill Simmons wants Kobe on the Suns

[fordronken]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/blog/index?name=simmons&entryDate=20070530

 

[fordronken]

Here it is:

Deal No. 1: Phoenix trades Shawn Marion, Leandro Barbosa, Marcus Banks and the rights to Atlanta's 2008 first-rounder to the Lakers for Kobe and Radmanovic.

Now we're talking! Some of my favorite things about this trade include …

(A) The Lakers ending up with a nucleus of Marion, Odom, Barbosa and Bynum, along with Farmar, Walton, Turiaf and the No. 19 pick, as well as the inevitable Kwame Brown trade to a moronic team that convinces itself that Kwame's career could be salvaged. That's a pretty good foundation.

(B) Phoenix trotting out a starting lineup of Nash, Kobe, Raja Bell, Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw. Good golly. Sweet Jesus.

(C) Radmanovic realizing his manifest destiny of playing in Phoenix. It was meant to be from the moment Mike D'Antoni and Nash teamed up three years ago.

(D) Kobe and Raja as teammates. High comedy. The most improbable pairing since Rodman and Pippen 12 years ago.

(E) The most selfish player in the league (Kobe) playing with the most unselfish player in the league (Nash). What a fascinating sociological experiment. If Nash can turn Kobe into a team player, I'm voting him for our 2008 president even though he's Canadian.

Two potential problems: First, it's unlikely that the Lakers would be dumb enough to trade Kobe within their own division, although with Kupchak involved, anything's possible. And second, assuming that Nash has a say in front-office decisions at this point, would he really want to green-light a scenario that has him managing two enormous egos in Stoudemire and Kobe?

Well, lemme throw this at you: What if the Suns then swapped Stoudemire to Minnesota for KG, as I proposed in a May 14 column? That would give them the following crunch-time lineup: Nash, Kobe, Bell, Diaw and KG. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2008 World Champions! Just send them the trophy right now.

So that's my vote: Black Mamba, you're going to Phoenix to play with KG and Nash. And if it happens, I can guarantee that the 2008 playoffs will be more entertaining than the 2007 playoffs.

(Which isn't saying much, but still.)

 

[fordronken]

The thing he didn't mention, or didn't know, is that Amare and Kobe are good friends and would probably LOVE to play with each other.

I also think Kobe is dying to prove he can play on a good team. Also, Kobe would back to the elite levels of perimeter defense he used to have, before he was doing everything on offense by himself. The only real problem with that lineup is the Diaw/Stoudemire issue. I'm just not sure they know how to play together at the same time. And by "they" I mean "Diaw".

 

[Heucrazy]

I'm not a fan of getting rid of Marion.

 

[elindholm]

The other thing he didn't mention is that there's no way Stoudemire can be swapped for Garnett without Phoenix including another massive salary.

Nash and Bryant would be fine together. It's Nash and Stoudemire that I'm worried about.

It's kind of funny how much Simmons overrates Marion and Diaw. I don't have an explanation for that, except that he generally likes the Suns.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I'm not a fan of getting rid of Marion.

to get kobe? HEU-CRAZY!

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

The other thing he didn't mention is that there's no way Stoudemire can be swapped for Garnett without Phoenix including another massive salary.

Nash and Bryant would be fine together. It's Nash and Stoudemire that I'm worried about.

It's kind of funny how much Simmons overrates Marion and Diaw. I don't have an explanation for that, except that he generally likes the Suns.

throw kt into the mix?

 

[elindholm]

throw kt into the mix?

Well yeah, of course it's possible. But if the Suns have $40+ million wrapped up in two players (Garnett and Bryant), filling out the roster is going to be a tad tricky.

 

[Cheesebeef]

if we got Kobe, I'd happily trade Amare and KT for KG.

Nash
Bell
Kobe
Diaw
KG

would kill people - just kill people.

 

[The Commish]

I'm not a fan of getting rid of Marion.

If it means we get Kobe Heu'dbeCrazy not to.

 

[Covert Rain]

if we got Kobe, I'd happily trade Amare and KT for KG.

Nash
Bell
Kobe
Diaw
KG

would kill people - just kill people.

Why would we need to? I don't buy that Nash, Kobe and Amare couldn't coexist. Not to mention that we would still KILL people with Amare versus KG.

 

[Goldfield]

The Kobe trade would be unreal. I think it would take alot more than that from the Suns to get it done. And there is no way they trade Kobe without getting a star back.

That said. What a great trade that would be.

We would at the very least have to add this years 2 draft picks also.

 

[Goldfield]

One thing is for sure. The Suns would have ALOT of options if they got the 4th pick in the draft.

 

[Ryanwb]

I could not bring myself to root for Kobe. Yeah he's a great player but I just couldn't do it

 

[elindholm]

Nash
Bell
Kobe
Diaw
KG

would kill people - just kill people.

I'm not so sure. That lineup has two huge holes defensively (Nash and Diaw), and asks two other players (Bryant and Garnett) to defend one position too high. Plus there's no bench whatsoever. (Who's the sixth man, James Jones?)

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Well yeah, of course it's possible. But if the Suns have $40+ million wrapped up in two players (Garnett and Bryant), filling out the roster is going to be a tad tricky.

i'll play!

 

[Brianellsworth]

I could not bring myself to root for Kobe. Yeah he's a great player but I just couldn't do it

Thats ok you do not have to root for HIM just root for the suns when they win the championship and that will be enough! I feel your pain though over the last few years i have grown to despise Kobe so I am torn but honestly i think the chances of him ever coming to the Suns are extremely small so I will deal with that problem when and if it comes up.

 

[OldDirtMcGirt]

I had to change pairs of pants twice while reading that article. We could just play three players and still win.

 

[Mike Olbinski]

I'm not a fan of getting rid of Marion.

I'm a fan of winning a championship now...I'm done with loyalty for a bit

 

[Gaddabout]

Head still spinning thinking about who handles the ball with Nash and Kobe on the same team. Imagine this conversation in Game 1:

Nash: Here ya go, Kobe. Start us off.

Kobe: Thanks, Steve-O

And then Canada invades the U.S. because Nash never sees the ball again. This has the potential to be a real North American political broiler.

Edwin S. Simon, NBS News Anchor: Think of your children pledging allegiance to the maple leaf. Mayonnaise on everything. Winter 11 months of the year. Anne Murray - all day, every day.

 

[Goldfield]

I'm a fan of winning a championship now...I'm done with loyalty for a bit

No kidding!

 

[asudevil83]

if there was any guarrantee that atlanta would suck next season, the Lakers would consider this.

this trade is very much like the bulls trading Deng/Gordon/#11 pick for him. i just dont see how the lakers could not seriously look at this.

 

[Mike Olbinski]

Please....this would be a sick team.

Nash would handle the ball, drive, they couldn't double him, so he'd get anything he wanted, but they'd still have to, so they'd leave Boris open, or Raja for threes...and then you have Amare cutting, Kobe cutting and nailing threes from everywhere.

And oh my...I'm getting giddy just thinking about this...

 

[elindholm]

this trade is very much like the bulls trading Deng/Gordon/#11 pick for him. i just dont see how the lakers could not seriously look at this.

Fails under the salary cap.

 

[Brianellsworth]

If this trade does indeed happen will there be an ASFN celebration event of some sort?