Kobe is a Laker

[thegrahamcrackr]

Basically both teams suck without Kobe.

And both teams are first round playoff exits with him.

 

[Yuma]

Kobe may be distracted by court stuff this next season, but the Lakers will rise again. Why? Look at the Bulls and the Jordanairies. Kobe = new Jordan.

 

[SweetD]

Kobe may be distracted by court stuff this next season, but the Lakers will rise again. Why? Look at the Bulls and the Jordanairies. Kobe = new Jordan.

How many years have they been saying that. And look at were the Bulls are now. The Lakers still have Payton which could be an issue during the season.

 

[Yuma]

How many years have they been saying that. And look at were the Bulls are now. The Lakers still have Payton which could be an issue during the season.

Are you helping to make my argument? The Bulls are crap WITHOUT Jordan.

I think Payton is NOT an issue since Tex Winter is gone, and with that the triangle offense is gone. Pick and roll with Payton and Kobe. Book it! Rudy T. won't run the triangle. He works with the players he has to maximize their performance. He isn't a system guy. He changes his coaching style to match the players.

 

[iLLmatiC]

Are you helping to make my argument? The Bulls are crap WITHOUT Jordan.

I think Payton is NOT an issue since Tex Winter is gone, and with that the triangle offense is gone. Pick and roll with Payton and Kobe. Book it! Rudy T. won't run the triangle. He works with the players he has to maximize their performance. He isn't a system guy. He changes his coaching style to match the players.

Pick and roll with Payton and Kobe? lol..is Kobe big enough to run a pick and roll? i thought that was normally reserved for 4s and 5s..with some exception to the 3s..eg. kevin garnett

 

[NJYAJ09]

Paytons career is basically almost over. He sucks.

 

[SweetD]

Paytons career is basically almost over. He sucks.

True but he takes up cap space.

 

[LakeShowMan]

Well, all I can say is 'whew'! I actually was very nervous that Kobe would bolt. I think we have set ourselves up pretty good for the future. Both Butler and Odom are only 24 years old. Odom is the perfect player, to be a 'wingman' per se. Completely unselfish, handles the ball very well for his size, and a great passer. Not sure that I am completely enamored with getting Brian Grant (because of the contract), but he is a great low post defender, even at his size (Hell, didn't the Pistons just win a championship with a 6'8 center?).

I think Mitch will find a way to get a center, and the Lakers will be able to cause a lot of matchup problems for other teams. They are not championship ready right now, and my expectations have obviously been adjusted from where they have been in previous seasons, but I think the moves insure that the Franchise will not die like the Bulls and Celtics have. I have bled Purple and Gold my entire life, and that will never, ever, change.

I wish nothing but the best for Shaq, because he gave my Lakers an amazing 8 years. I liked the guy before he was a Laker, I loved him as a Laker, and I still will be a fan in his time as a Miami Heat player. With that said I can not understand the optimism everyone is attaching to the Heat team. Granted I think Shaq will be as motivated as ever (at least since 2000), and I love Dewayne Wade (however he is not even close to the same stratosphere as Kobe, at this point in his carrer), but other than that, they have nothing. Shaq will sell a lot of tickets, and the Heat will actually be on TV once in a while, but they are not a championship contender in my eyes.

I love the moves the Suns have made. I don't know that you'll keep Q, but if you can he is an outstanding player (one of my favorite non-Lakers). JJ and Amare are going to be pretty incredible, and how can anyone not like Nash (even though I think you might have given him a little too long of a contract).

For the first time in about 3 years I am truly excited about the regular season. I can't wait to see the new landscape develop. Should be fun.

 

[slinslin]

Lakers to the lottery that's the new landscape. You got absolutely ZERO shotblocking on your team. You will get hammered inside worse than any other team.
Shawn Marion almost averages more blocks than the best 2 Lakers combined.

 

[LakeShowMan]

Lakers to the lottery that's the new landscape. You got absolutely ZERO shotblocking on your team. You will get hammered inside worse than any other team.
Shawn Marion almost averages more blocks than the best 2 Lakers combined.

You know what slinslin, I know you are the expert on everything, but I'll be happy to wait and see. The Lakers have only missed the playoffs once in my lifetime, and I am 28 years old. We'll see what happens.

They still have both the exceptions, and a dearth of 2 and 3s to use as trade bait. Including ending contracts like Fox and Payton, as well as a trade exception. They'll get a center.

 

[George O'Brien]

After six months of saying that I did not believe Kobe was going to leave the Lakers, I find this a kind of anti-climax.

After unloading a couple of players for nothing, I think it is extremely unlikely that the CLIPs will not match.

One side note, I'm not wildly enthusiastic about Kamen. I think he will evolve into an adequate center, but not much more than that. He had only 5.6 rpg in 22.5 minutes and only 6.1 ppg. This is "OK", but hardly a big deal.

Grant is better than Kamen, but not a lot better. He is grossly overpaid undersized for playing center. Still, in the short run he will be more effective than Kamen.

 

[NJYAJ09]

hmmmm


Nash > Payton
JJ << Kobe
Marion > Butler
Amare > Odom
Voskuhl < Grant

Q > Lakers 6th man

4-3 suns win....

 

[slinslin]

hmmmm


Nash > Payton
JJ << Kobe
Marion > Butler
Amare > Odom
Voskuhl < Grant

Q > Lakers 6th man

4-3 suns win....

If Kobe has two > on JJ you have to give Marion 2 on Butler, Q 2 on George and Nash 2 on Payton based on last season.

Amare should destroy Odom if they are matched up.

 

[LakeShowMan]

hmmmm


Nash > Payton
JJ << Kobe
Marion > Butler
Amare > Odom
Voskuhl < Grant

Q > Lakers 6th man

4-3 suns win....

I am assuming this was intended for me. I'll tell you what, I really like what the Suns are doing. I think they will be much improved this year. So will Utah and Denver. This will be an incredible season, and I can't wait to see it all shake out. With all that said, it is impossible to predict what teams will be like by the end of October. We'll see.

 

[LakeShowMan]

If Kobe has two > on JJ you have to give Marion 2 on Butler, Q 2 on George and Nash 2 on Payton based on last season.

Amare should destroy Odom if they are matched up.

Amare would destroy Odom on the block, but he better not try to cover him out on the floor. He would get into pretty quick foul trouble, IMO.

 

[George O'Brien]

Amare would destroy Odom on the block, but he better not try to cover him out on the floor. He would get into pretty quick foul trouble, IMO.

The great thing about playing the Lakes is that the Suns can play small ball AND BE AS BIG AS THE LAKERS.

Amare versus Grant
Marion versus Odom
Richardson versus Butler
JJ versus Kobe
Nash versus Payton

The Kobe - JJ matchup is the only one the Suns clearly lose. They are better at the other four positions (Marion and Odom will about balance out).

Can't wait.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Are you helping to make my argument? The Bulls are crap WITHOUT Jordan.

I think Payton is NOT an issue since Tex Winter is gone, and with that the triangle offense is gone. Pick and roll with Payton and Kobe. Book it! Rudy T. won't run the triangle. He works with the players he has to maximize their performance. He isn't a system guy. He changes his coaching style to match the players.

that's exactly right! when rudy t has a legit center he coaches great. when he doesn't have a great center he sucks. that's changing his style to match the players. look at his records over the years, not as impressive as i would have thought. i'm not sure he's the best fit for this team minus shaq.

 

[Gaddabout]

What's interesting is the Clippers, Lakers, and us are looking for centers. The Clippers have just 2 C's listed on their roster. The Lakers are weak at center, too. Arguably, we are deeper at center then either the Clippers or Lakers right now. I don't know what that means, but like Bryan C. says, there WILL be trades!

The Lakers have a solid defensive center in Brian Grant and will re-sign a promising offensive center in Medvedenko. I would love to have either of those guys over the question marks on the Suns roster.

 

[Suns_fan69]

The thing I hate about these player comparisons from opposing teams is that basketball is a team sport. Sure one on one a certain teams players might be better than another teams but as a whole, especially with the bench involved, it is not an accurate way to determine the superior team.

This is also why I agree with Joe M. and others that Houston won't be as good as people seem to want to give them credit for already. We'll see though.

 

[Gaddabout]

The thing I hate about these player comparisons from opposing teams is that basketball is a team sport. Sure one on one a certain teams players might be better than another teams but as a whole, especially with the bench involved, it is not an accurate way to determine the superior team.

Basketball, maybe even more than baseball, is about matchups. Shaquille O'Neal wins any head-to-head matchup with any center in the league short of Tim Duncan, but the Pistons proved you can always find a way to take a team's best player (or two) out of a game with scheme, execution and a commitment to a plan.

Player comparisons like the ones above don't take into consideration, for example, how each player matches up. There's just an assumption that one player puts up better stats than the other, that player automatically wins the comparison. It just doesn't work like that in sports.

 

[cly2tw]

The great thing about playing the Lakes is that the Suns can play small ball AND BE AS BIG AS THE LAKERS.

Amare versus Grant
Marion versus Odom
Richardson versus Butler
JJ versus Kobe
Nash versus Payton

The Kobe - JJ matchup is the only one the Suns clearly lose. They are better at the other four positions (Marion and Odom will about balance out).

Can't wait.

Sorry, George, but Marion will be killed by Odom since he can't defend bigger forwards as someone has been saying. (Wasn't that you? ) In return, he won't post much defensive headache for Odom since he doesn't like contacts, thus incapable of exposing Odom's lack of good defense. In the above lineup, the most reliable advantage the Suns have is Q destroying Butler. One-on-one, it's not so easy for Amare to beat Grant who has been a very good post defender against players around his size all his career.

 

[Joe Mama]

Sorry, George, but Marion will be killed by Odom since he can't defend bigger forwards as someone has been saying. (Wasn't that you? ) In return, he won't post much defensive headache for Odom since he doesn't like contacts, thus incapable of exposing Odom's lack of good defense. In the above lineup, the most reliable advantage the Suns have is Q destroying Butler. One-on-one, it's not so easy for Amare to beat Grant who has been a very good post defender against players around his size all his career.

I agree, but I don't think it's Marion's "fear of contact" that will hurt him defensively against Lamar Odom. It's the fact that Lamar Odom is just a much bigger player with a very good post up game.

I know some of you will cry that I am disrespecting Shawn Marion, but when Lamar Odom plays like he did last season he is better in almost every facet of the game.

That said, I think it's funny that all of these sports journalists are penciling the Lakers in for one of the last four playoff spots in the Western Conference. They are far from a sure thing. So are the Houston Rockets.

After Minnesota and Sacramento I don't think any team is a shoe in to make the playoffs in the Western Conference.

Joe Mama

 

[elindholm]

After Minnesota and Sacramento I don't think any team is a shoe in to make the playoffs in the Western Conference.

This was a software error, right? You must mean Minnesota and San Antonio.

 

[Evil Ash]

After Minnesota and Sacramento I don't think any team is a shoe in to make the playoffs in the Western Conference.

Joe Mama

San Antonio?

Other than that I agree with you

 

[Joe Mama]

After Minnesota and Sacramento I don't think any team is a shoe in to make the playoffs in the Western Conference.

This was a software error, right? You must mean Minnesota and San Antonio.

sure, we can blame that one on the software. Actually I sat there thinking about that for a minute. I knew I forgot somebody. I think that barring a significant injury Minnesota, Sacramento, and San Antonio especially our locks for the playoffs.

Until Richardson is officially a Phoenix Sun, and they do something to help their frontcourt I would say the Phoenix Suns are on the outside looking in.

Joe Mama