If we are going to trade Amare then I want to get Kobe back...

[Cheesebeef]

I will give you that, when we traded for dice in '97 we were set up beautifully. I did miss that in my above post. Instead of '95-96, all went to hell in '99 after the lockout. And despite things changing on us, BC deserves a lot of the blame for that era.

Especially running the payroll up to 70 million for a team going nowhere, thats inexcusable.

i can agree with that - his panic once the dust cleared from the lockout set us back for years. But there's no denying how far he's come since then. For anyone to imply he's only "above average" right now is just beyond my comprehension.

 

[azirish]

I will give you that, when we traded for dice in '97 we were set up beautifully. I did miss that in my above post. Instead of '95-96, all went to hell in '99 after the lockout. And despite things changing on us, BC deserves a lot of the blame for that era.

Especially running the payroll up to 70 million for a team going nowhere, thats inexcusable.

I didn't even try to go through all the stupid stuff BC did in the '90's, or has the Hot Rod Williams fiasco disappeared or how about vastly overpaying for an oft injured Hardaway?

I'm still confused about why he traded Kidd for Marbury on theary that this would lead to up tempo basketball, or why he gave max extensions to Marbury and Marion. Was there even the slightest chance that Marion was going to get an RFA offer even close to what they gave him?

Comparatively, I can't name anything close to the same number of blunders by the Pistons (except for Darko) or the Spurs. It always seems like BC has a preference for the big, splashy move rather than just making solid moves every time.

In any case, while BC did some great stuff, I continue to feel he's overrated.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

i can agree with that - his panic once the dust cleared from the lockout set us back for years. But there's no denying how far he's come since then. For anyone to imply he's only "above average" right now is just beyond my comprehension.

Especially when you look at other GM's around the NBA.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Things are getting pretty comical in Lakerland. Jerry Buss gets rung for a DUI and Kobe rips the organization on his website. A smart front office would probably blow this up and start over, luckily the Lakers will probably stay the course and spiral into irrelevance a la NY Knicks. What a complete and utter disaster that franchise has become, just five years ago you could easily claim they were the best in all of sports.

 

[az1965]

BC is overrated and just above average GM... you just can't ignore the crap he did in the decade before 2004. hsandhu has put it perfectly... he made Suns so boring that I also stopped following them around same time frame.

Having said that, BC is much, much, much better than our current GM and FO committee.

 

[D-Dogg]

Uh oh. The lid is about to fly off. Kobe just posted this on his website...he hasn't posted for about 3 months, now two in two days.

The best part? This is FAR more entertaining, interesting and even important than the NBA playoffs.

May 29 :: 2007
The Truth: Lakers "insiders" all wrong
Was up again, y'all.

I saw an article this AM in the LA Times which said a Lakers' "insider" noted that my wanting to "get away from Shaq" is what created this whole "mess" the Laker's currently find themselves in.

Man, hearing something like that, which is not true, and which comes from the "inside" is totally frustrating. The fact of the matter is that many people don't know what really went down when I was approaching free agency because I have stayed quiet about it this whole time.

The real facts are that Dr. Buss requested a meeting with me during the 04 season long before I opted out of my contract, and he told me he had already decided to not extend Shaq, as he was concerned about Shaq's age, fitness and contract demands. Dr. Buss thought it was best for the Lakers to make a trade to get value for Shaq while they could.

Dr. Buss made it clear that his decision was final, his mind was made up and no matter what I decided to do with free agency he was still going to move Shaq.

I've heard many people say "the Lakers are letting Kobe take the bullet for the Shaq trade" but I always just let that go. But now when I hear "Lakers insider" it makes me feel so unsupported that a Lakers "insider" is tryin to spin Dr Buss' decision about Shaq on me.

Laker fans should know that when I was a free agent Dr. Buss called me from his Vacation in Italy on the eve of my decision and promised me that the Lakers would do everything to build a contender NOW. I told him at that time that my fear was the Lakers waiting to save Cap Room to sign a top notch free agent in 3 or 4 years, so that was why I was leaning towards other teams like the Clips and Bulls, both of who had a cast of good young players.

But Dr. Buss promised me he would rebuild right away, and I believed him. That is why I put my trust in the Lakers. As I said yesterday, I am a die hard Laker fan, so I will keep my trust in them to remain here and play for the team I love.

But, when stuff like this is coming from the "inside" all I can do is hope that someone from the "inside" comes forward to support me and set straight the facts of what really happened.

This is the TRUTH.

 

[Mulli]

Kobe feels unsupported? Poor guy. What a victim.

 

[Mulli]

Uh oh. The lid is about to fly off. Kobe just posted this on his website...he hasn't posted for about 3 months, now two in two days.

The best part? This is FAR more entertaining, interesting and even important than the NBA playoffs.

True.

 

[az1965]

I don't like Kobe... but I feel sorry for him to go thru this... NOT!!

BWAH, BWAH, BWAH... HA HAHA

 

[elindholm]

Uh oh. The lid is about to fly off. Kobe just posted this on his website...he hasn't posted for about 3 months, now two in two days.

The best part? This is FAR more entertaining, interesting and even important than the NBA playoffs.

I have to confess, I'm really trying, making a concered effort, buckling down and giving 110% ... but I just can't get myself interested in this.

This just in: Mediocre franchise with impatient superstar may have some inner conflict. More at 11.

 

[D-Dogg]

I have to confess, I'm really trying, making a concered effort, buckling down and giving 110% ... but I just can't get myself interested in this.

This just in: Mediocre franchise with impatient superstar may have some inner conflict. More at 11.

You are more interested in the NBA playoffs?

And the Lakers aren't a "mediocre" franchise--their current product is but the franchise is not.

 

[D-Dogg]

I don't like Kobe... but I feel sorry for him to go thru this... NOT!!

BWAH, BWAH, BWAH... HA HAHA

At least if Kobe were traded to the Suns, although I'd die inside personally, it would be funny to see the various ways tons of former haters in the Valley would start jocking him.

The silver lining, I guess.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

At least if Kobe were traded to the Suns, although I'd die inside personally, it would be funny to see the various ways tons of former haters in the Valley would start jocking him.

The silver lining, I guess.

Consider me at the front of the Kobe Phoenix Suns jersey line.....

 

[az1965]

At least if Kobe were traded to the Suns, although I'd die inside personally, it would be funny to see the various ways tons of former haters in the Valley would start jocking him.

The silver lining, I guess.

That will be an absolutely interesting situation... I would not know how to react. Good thing is that is highly unlikely to happen.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

He's better than average, but his most brilliant moves were due mostly to exceptionally dumb ones by other GM's: Denver takes Skita so Amare is still available at #9; Cuban refuses to pay Nash market value; the Spurs go cheap and trade away Barbosa; the Knicks decide to unload KT for Q Richardson and thre rights to a PG who can't play PG.

these are mostly rearview mirror accusations.

7 teams passed on amare. the skita pick was not "exceptionally dumb" at the time as most nba'ers thought that was the pick and thought amare was extraordinarily raw.

cuban's refusal to pay nash "market value" - the only market was the suns. no one else was going to pay nash that cheddar. and EVERYONE questioned that big payday for an aging pg. "exceptionally dumb?" c'mon george . . .

and the spurs-barbosa? the kid lasted until selection 29. how was trading him cheaply that stupid?

and finally the knicks deal - didn't cause any waves. no one was amazed by brian's fleecing of the knicks in that deal.

in other words, everyone in the nba is exceptionally dumb. you gotta give colangelo full credit for those moves. he did them despite the fact that they either weren't considered earthshattering moves, or were questionable at best. it's not like he just sat around collecting the mistakes of other gm's.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

That could happen next year, yes...unless Bynum makes HUGE strides next season. Then they move forward with both of them.

To me though, Bynum seems to be soft..especially mentally...and I'm more afraid next year he'll be more exposed. I'd LOVE to be wrong on this one...

. . . but unfortunately you're more likely right than wrong. i think he's mentally soft too. like a new-age benoit benjamin (without the brontasaurus-like neck)

 

[elindholm]

You are more interested in the NBA playoffs?

No, of course not, don't be silly.

And the Lakers aren't a "mediocre" franchise--their current product is but the franchise is not.

I live in the present. For example, my baseball team is the Dodgers, and even though they've won a bunch of titles, I'm completely aware that they are a mediocre franchise now.

 

[Covert Rain]

We just can't afford to lose a legit big man in Amare. Period. I would trade everything but Amare or Nash. I don't think that would get it done but I would take

Nash
Kobe
TBD
TBD
Amare

As my starting 5 any day.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

We just can't afford to lose a legit big man in Amare. Period. I would trade everything but Amare or Nash. I don't think that would get it done but I would take

Nash
Kobe
TBD
TBD
Amare

As my starting 5 any day.

i would even trade nash if we could keep barbs.

 

[Cheesebeef]

i would even trade nash if we could keep barbs.

me too.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

George also seems to forget that Amare had more red flags than pretty much very other player in that draft. His mom had been in and out of the slammer and he had switched schools for most of his childhood. The guy was as much of a risk as Sebastian Telfair coming out of high school. Fortunately he ended up more like Iverson or Randy Moss than Telfair.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

I have to confess, I'm really trying, making a concered effort, buckling down and giving 110% ... but I just can't get myself interested in this.

This just in: Mediocre franchise with impatient superstar may have some inner conflict. More at 11.

To be fair, the Lakers going down the crapper and trading Kobe for fifty cents in the dollar pretty much ensures the Suns getting a top 3 seed in the West for the foreseeable future. So it is important to the Suns in some way although winning the Pacific Division titles and getting bounced in the playoffs has gotten tiresome so I do see your point.

 

[elindholm]

To be fair, the Lakers going down the crapper and trading Kobe for fifty cents in the dollar pretty much ensures the Suns getting a top 3 seed in the West for the foreseeable future.

How do you figure? Won't the teams that finished in the 4th through 6th seeds this year have something to say about that?

Maybe you mean the Suns won't have much competition to win the Pacific, which I suppose is true, but that guarantees them only a top-4 seed.

Anyway, Bryant's not going anywhere. If I believed there was any chance he might be traded, this would be interesting, but I don't.

 

[Covert Rain]

Anyway, Bryant's not going anywhere. If I believed there was any chance he might be traded, this would be interesting, but I don't.

I agree. After letting Shaq walk and Phil the 1st time around (thanks to Kobe) and then to let Kobe out later? The fans would skewer the organization. I just don't see them doing it either.

 

[mjb21aztd]

No thanks Amare is the future of this team he is the player were going to build around for the future not kobe