Kobe is a Laker

[F-Dog]

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

Joe Mama

I'd say San Antonio has a pretty good shot, too.

(Edit--whoops, sorry. Didn't mean to gang up on you like that. )


The Lakers match up decently against Suns small ball, but not against a full-size Suns team:

Nash vs. Payton
JJ vs. Kobe
Marion vs. Butler
Amare vs. Grant
Voskuhl vs. Odom

A simple pick-and-roll will be enough to tear that defense to shreds. Plus, even if Odom is forced to guard Voskuhl, he's going to wear down quickly, and if he ever has to guard Amare, he's in big trouble.

Amare vs. Brian Grant is going to be a major mismatch soon. This year, I don't know, but by next year, Grant won't be able to guard Amare, and the Lakers aren't exactly sending quality help with that lineup.

 

[elindholm]

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.

I agree with you there.

Sacramento is a notch above the rest of the field, but they aren't quite a "lock." Divac may be gone, Miller and Stojakovic had career years, and no one knows what's going on with Webber. I do think they will make the playoffs, most likely as a top-four seed, but there are a lot of things that could go wrong for them.

 

[George O'Brien]

Brian Grant will not be able to handle Amare. Amare has been able to be beat much bigger and quicker guys than Grant including KG. Amare was exaggerating about being quadruple teamed, but double teaming has been very common. It's going to be interesting to see who will get left open when peple try to double Amare.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Was in San Diego this morning and I listened to Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton as I drove I-8 home across the desert. You might be interested in his take on the Clips in this whole thing.

1. They gained alot of respect from LA fans by being in the Kobe sweeps.

2. They have over 13 million in cap space now and will likely go after Dampier.

3. They might try to offer a sign and trade for Q to the Suns (he suggested Marion or JJ -- like heck).

My thoughts. The Clips are going FA shopping now and Dampier has to be their target. They are going to try to land Dampier for low enough that they can match Q as well. I don't think they can do it. If they sign Dampier, then Q will come to the Suns and the Clips will look for a cheaper 2.

The Clips do intend to use their 14 days to match. If they sign another player and take up the space before then, we will know Q is coming.

 

[elindholm]

Lee Hamilton is still at it? I remember him from the early 80s!

 

[JerkFace]

the clippers just drafted kaman last year and he seemed to progess nicely, i'm surprised the clippers would bury him behind dampier for the next 6 years.

 

[George O'Brien]

Lee Hamilton is still at it? I remember him from the early 80s!

He's been in San Diego for a quite a while. However, you can hear his program in LA which is where I listened to him from. I'm surprised he hasn't gone national, he is a lot better than most of the network guys.

 

[elindholm]

He was in Phoenix during the early 80s. When did he leave?

 

[hcsilla]

3. They might try to offer a sign and trade for Q to the Suns (he suggested Marion or JJ -- like heck).

You can't trade a player to the team whose offer sheet was matched.

 

[slinslin]

You can't trade a player to the team whose offer sheet was matched.

You can't sign and trade them either. You can just match that contract.

And they can't trade him at all until december 15th if they match.

 

[JCSunsfan]

You can't trade a player to the team whose offer sheet was matched.

Isn't this exactly what NJ is doing with Martin? "Give us JJ and we won't match" Same difference.

 

[slinslin]

Isn't this exactly what NJ is doing with Martin? "Give us JJ and we won't match" Same difference.

No because Martin didn't sign the offer sheet before they traded him. The Suns already signed Q to the offer sheet.

 

[JerkFace]

Isn't this exactly what NJ is doing with Martin? "Give us JJ and we won't match" Same difference.

martin never signed an offer sheet with denver.

 

[slinslin]

Nash's restructuring helped the Suns complete a six-year, $45 million offer sheet to restricted free agent guard Quentin Richardson of the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Clippers have until July 28 to match that offer.

Colangelo said Richardson also accepted a slight restructuring of his offer sheet to accommodate the salary cap figure.

Although that restructuring meant more backloading, there is a strong possibility that the Suns will pay as much as 25 percent of Richardson's salary up front, in the form of a signing bonus, to deter Los Angeles from matching it. Phoenix can also pay up to 70 percent of Richardson's firstyear salary, expected to be about $6 million, up front.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=24780

That's roughly 16M$ right away.

I doubt they are matching that considering that Q said he wants to move on that is a pretty hefty price to pay for a guard especially since trading him wouldn't be an option at all since they have to pay basically the first 2 years of his contract immediately.

And I could be wrong but I remember reading that in Brand's case the Heat structured his contract so that his team has to pay his salary always in once at the beginning of each year.

So the Clips would probably have to pay about 30M$ for Brand and Q at the beginning of this season, ouch.

 

[JerkFace]

I doubt they are matching that considering that Q said he wants to move on that is a pretty hefty price to pay for a guard especially since trading him wouldn't be an option at all since they have to pay basically the first 2 years of his contract immediately.

this is good news

 

[Dave64]

Mark Curtis reported that the Clippers have spoken to Richardson and he told them that he doesn't wan't to play for the Clippers . He has decided that he wants to play for the Suns next season which reportedly means that the Clippers will not match the Suns offer for Richardson. Sounds very promising and hopefully it will be offical soon. Mark Curtis reported this on the 6:00 P.M. News .

--------------
This is from Thursday's news. I get the feeling we will get a lot of conflicting reports on what will happen to Q over the next few days/2 weeks.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Mna - I hope more than aything that the Clips don't match Q - in light of everything that has gone in in recent days - if we were to get both Q and Nash - this team could be a VERY tough squad next year - and likey one of THE most exciting in the league - I was shooting for the moon - but after seeing Kobe tease the Clips - which is exactly what he did and Pelinka's client's other behavior - I guess the Suns did know what they were doing - that is usually the case - hellI was throwing things when they drafted Marion instead of Maggete - althouhg Maggete is a stud - it still wasn't a bad move and at 9 they got a great plater - I hope you are all right and that Nash really does imrpvoe MArion's game that much- the west is WDIE OPEN - and I LOVE that Amare was ble to recognize that this team needed leadership veteran wise - it just makes me believe oncer again that that kid is gonna be, falt out - the BEST power forward in the game - and possibly one OF THOSE TRANSCENDANT player - you know the kind when we're up by three in the Western Conference finals in one or two years and the ball goes in to him wth 30 seconds left and three second left on the shot clock and he rises over Duncan for the dunk and the foul bringing AWA to it's frwaking fett again as we got to the finals. Bring on the future! Bring on Nash and most importantly BRING ON AMARE!!@!@!!!!!!!!