Lakers Vs. Suns (Pre-Game Hype)

[azirish]

The Lakers are in the odd position of having a bunch of guys coming off contract, yet being a long way from having any cap space ($57 million without any signings).

Coming off contract (per Hoopshype)

Grant
Mihm
McKie
Shammond Williams
Walton
Smush Parker
Turiaf

Walton, Parker and Turiaf can all expect major raises or will be gone. If I understand correctly, Turiaf was a second round pick and re-signing him will require using MLE space.

 

[Chaplin]

I don't know why the Lakers would want to lose Bynum anyway. He has some value, yes, but the piece you get back wouldn't equate to a young developing center with sky-high potential.

 

[Skkorpion]

I don't know why the Lakers would want to lose Bynum anyway. He has some value, yes, but the piece you get back wouldn't equate to a young developing center with sky-high potential.

Agree completely. I'd love to have Bynum.

The Lakers or Nuggets are trouble for us. I don't think we'll win any series in the west in less than six games, given the way Amare, Diaw, Marion and JJ are playing.

I can't wait for the playoffs but I don't see the Suns winning the west this year.

 

[D-Dogg]

Bynum is a few years and an attitude adjustment away but I'm sure (and I hope) the Lakers have no intention of trading him.

 

[arwillan]

Agree completely. I'd love to have Bynum.

The Lakers or Nuggets are trouble for us. I don't think we'll win any series in the west in less than six games, given the way Amare, Diaw, Marion and JJ are playing.

I can't wait for the playoffs but I don't see the Suns winning the west this year.

i dont fear either team in the slightest, and i feel we have as good of a chance as anyone to win the west. Denver has 2 scorers, we have 5. we are the number one offense, they are one of the 3 worst defenses. The lakers center around one player, who raja has been able to limit (or as close to limiting as you can get with kobe) while we have a balanced attack. the lakers have 1 real veteran player, most of our team is made up of veterans. The only teams i fear in the west are the spurs and the jazz. other than that, i think we got it covered.

 

[Chaplin]

Agree completely. I'd love to have Bynum.

The Lakers or Nuggets are trouble for us. I don't think we'll win any series in the west in less than six games, given the way Amare, Diaw, Marion and JJ are playing.

I can't wait for the playoffs but I don't see the Suns winning the west this year.

I wouldn't get too worked up about the Lakers. They are playing their worst basketball of the season and there is really no reason to think we couldn't beat them in 5 or 6 games, and probably pretty easily as well.

The Nuggets, however, are a different story. I still think we can beat them in 5 or 6 games, but it would be much tougher than a Laker series. IMO.

 

[D-Dogg]

I wouldn't get too worked up about the Lakers. They are playing their worst basketball of the season and there is really no reason to think we couldn't beat them in 5 or 6 games, and probably pretty easily as well.

The Nuggets, however, are a different story. I still think we can beat them in 5 or 6 games, but it would be much tougher than a Laker series. IMO.

I'd have to agree with you here Chap...as opposed to last season when I had confidence going into the postseason in the way the Lakers played, I don't have any right now. They are playing uninspired, terrible and especially lazy basketball. The Lakers look like a one and done playoff team this year and it might be better for them to not make the playoffs at all and get a better draft pick. There's always a .5% chance to get Durant!

 

[ArizonaSportsFan]

I'd have to agree with you here Chap...as opposed to last season when I had confidence going into the postseason in the way the Lakers played, I don't have any right now. They are playing uninspired, terrible and especially lazy basketball. The Lakers look like a one and done playoff team this year and it might be better for them to not make the playoffs at all and get a better draft pick. There's always a .5% chance to get Durant!

With Stern at the helm, it is more like a 50% chance to get Durant...

 

[abomb]

With Stern at the helm, it is more like a 50% chance to get Durant...

Imagine that! ha ha

I'm sure there would be a congressional hearing for the accounting company and the NBA if the Lakers ended up with the #1 pick and Oden. It would make the Patrick Ewing frozen envelope look like child's play.

Mikan. Chamberlain. Abdul-Jabbar. O'Neal. Oden.

 

[boisesuns]

I wouldn't get too worked up about the Lakers. They are playing their worst basketball of the season and there is really no reason to think we couldn't beat them in 5 or 6 games, and probably pretty easily as well.

The Nuggets, however, are a different story. I still think we can beat them in 5 or 6 games, but it would be much tougher than a Laker series. IMO.

I don't really think i'm worried about the Nuggets either. They have some size, but I think the Iverson-Melo thing will self destruct in the playoffs, wen it comes down to the big shots and who wants the ball.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Browns' value is the fact that he has an $8MM+ number and is in the final year. Those kind of contracts always have trade value, especially for that high of a number.

The only guy I don't want them to move is Luke. He is the most valuable Laker other than Kobe, as the offenese is 100X more efficent when he is in there.

Other than that, I am open to just about anyone being moved. Of course if we do move Bynum, it better be for a very, very good player.

I do agree with you in Kwame. He will have value, because he is in his final year, but everyone else's value is not that great. (except for Bynum, but if you blew up your team, why would you let him go?)

Odom's value is not great, as he cannot stay healthy.

What exactly would you blow up by just moving Kwame and fillers?

 

[D-Dogg]

Imagine that! ha ha

I'm sure there would be a congressional hearing for the accounting company and the NBA if the Lakers ended up with the #1 pick and Oden. It would make the Patrick Ewing frozen envelope look like child's play.

Mikan. Chamberlain. Abdul-Jabbar. O'Neal. Oden.

They would take Durant...they have bought into Bynum. Just 'cause you're mad at him right now doesn't mean the team is....

 

[abomb]

They would take Durant...they have bought into Bynum. Just 'cause you're mad at him right now doesn't mean the team is....

C'mon Bynum could play PF.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

They would take Durant...they have bought into Bynum. Just 'cause you're mad at him right now doesn't mean the team is....

C'mon Bynum could play PF.

They would take Oden. Durant and Kobe in the same backcourt, can't see that working too well.

 

[abomb]

They would take Oden. Durant and Kobe in the same backcourt, can't see that working too well.

Durant is a good ball handler and would enable KB to move back to pure SG. We could trade Odom at that point too.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Durant is a good ball handler and would enable KB to move back to pure SG. We could trade Odom at that point too.

Yes, Durant is a great ball handler. I just don't think that it will work with Kobe. Kobe and Oden would be an awesome pairing though.

Odom and Oden on the same team? Yep, one of them would have to go.

 

[D-Dogg]

They would take Oden. Durant and Kobe in the same backcourt, can't see that working too well.

Are you kidding DCR? Durant is the IDEAL complement to Kobe...he is everything that Lamar is not...he's aggressive while Lamar is passive...he's consistent while Lamar is not...he can score and rebound and shoot and play freaking defense.

Kobe, Durant, Bynum, Farmar and some other forward and I would flip out.

Durant is actually the exact type of player Kobe is dying to have on his team...another threat. The Lakers are at their best when Lamar does his best Durant impression...that only happens every 2 months or so.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Are you kidding DCR? Durant is the IDEAL complement to Kobe...he is everything that Lamar is not...he's aggressive while Lamar is passive...he's consistent while Lamar is not...he can score and rebound and shoot and play freaking defense.

Kobe, Durant, Bynum, Farmar and some other forward and I would flip out.

Durant is actually the exact type of player Kobe is dying to have on his team...another threat. The Lakers are at their best when Lamar does his best Durant impression...that only happens every 2 months or so.

Short term, I might agree with you. What's going to happen to Kobe if Durant starts putting up 25 FGA a game?

Durant is a ball player, don't get me wrong. I have concerns about how big Kobe's ego is, and how well he will defer to Durant if ever given the chance.

I'll never be proved wrong on this issue, as Durant or Oden will never be on the Lakers, but I see Oden as a much better fit for the Lakers than Durant.

JMHO.

 

[D-Dogg]

Short term, I might agree with you. What's going to happen to Kobe if Durant starts putting up 25 FGA a game?

Durant is a ball player, don't get me wrong. I have concerns about how big Kobe's ego is, and how well he will defer to Durant if ever given the chance.

I'll never be proved wrong on this issue, as Durant or Oden will never be on the Lakers, but I see Oden as a much better fit for the Lakers than Durant.

JMHO.

In a world without Bynum, I'd say Oden.

However, Bynum is there and is a centerpiece of the future. I can guarantee you that Kobe would "hand over the reins" as it were to a younger player, unlike the type of treatment he received.

Kobe is a volume shooter, but he also works well with others who get their touches...he never had a problem with Shaq getting shots, he had issue with Shaq being lazy and not caring about the game...Kobe got his with Shaq getting his and no problems. They had completely different mindsets (Shaq Lazy, Kobe Workout Warrior) and no respect for each other. It had nothing to do with on-court basketball in that regard.

If Durant started putting up 25 FGA per game, Kobe would put up 20-25 as well, and the team would be sick. Two scorers? The game gets easier for both of them...from everything I know of Kobe (all I've read which is a ton and followed him since jump) he would use another scorer to his advantage to simply get better shots and tear people's hearts out. As great as Kobe is individually right now, I've never seen him better than the 2001 season and particularly playoffs where he dismantled the Spurs and Kings almost singlehandedly by getting perfect shots.

Yeah, it would never happen but I can dream about a Kobe/Durant/Bynum lineup all I can...Durant will be the new KG pipe dream.

 

[azirish]

Who cares whether Kobe would be able to play with Durant? With Durant they could trade Kobe and actually have a real team. Thankfully, that won't happen.

 

[D-Dogg]

Who cares whether Kobe would be able to play with Durant? With Durant they could trade Kobe and actually have a real team. Thankfully, that won't happen.

Haters, they gonna hate...

 

[Treesquid PhD]

Haters, they gonna hate...

Did you just call me a ***** ho?

 

[D-Dogg]

I called you a happy no.

 

[azirish]

Haters, they gonna hate...

Actually, the notion of trading Kobe is a serious one. He's a great player and should get a lot in trade. If the Lakers had a great offensive threat like Durant, then the Lakers could fill in with higher quality support players.

As it stands now, the Lakers do not look like a team that is close to becoming a championship contender.

 

[LakeShowMan]

Actually, the notion of trading Kobe is a serious one. He's a great player and should get a lot in trade. If the Lakers had a great offensive threat like Durant, then the Lakers could fill in with higher quality support players.

As it stands now, the Lakers do not look like a team that is close to becoming a championship contender.

Not sure what your assumptions are or anything, but are you saying that trading Kobe and getting Durant would improve the Lakers?

I REALLY like Kevin Durant and his potential, but Kobe might be the most complete offensive player the league has ever seen. If he is not the best, he is definetly in the discussion. I really don't see how subbing Durant into Kobe's spot would be anything but a downgrade.

Now, if you assumption is the Laker somehow miss the playoffs, then miraculously win the lottery and are able to get Durant, and the have both guys. Then I MIGHT understand the relevance. Of course if that miracle did happen, I would be of the mind that you keep both, and have a team set up for now and the future of Kobe, Durant and Bynum.