Official Los Angeles Lakers Thread

[podstock]

Originally posted by minew_m
And why doesn't Kobe want Phil or Shaq there. It's because he wants the spotlight and want the ball every damn time they have a possession. He'll soon realize that he can't do it on his own. He isn't even, by far, the best player in the league. Even KG couldn't get past the first round on his own. The reason he took a paycut was to bring other guys in once he realized this. It looks like Kobe is headed in the opposite direction.

I do agree with your sentiments.

With Shaq gone, and with a Lakers team of Kobe and his 4 sycophants, the Lakers are the Clippers.

it's a shame Gary Payton is coming back. The guy was useless on defense (hell, the man he was supposed to guard, Chauncey, outscored him 115-21 and got the Finals MVP).

But Payton came back b/c he realized no one else was stupid enough to pay for an aging point guard who can't score and can't defend.

what a shame; we had a great team and Shaq and Kobe destroy it.

Perhaps they'll both break their ankles and become the next Grant Hill!

[minew_m]

Originally posted by podstock
I do agree with your sentiments.

With Shaq gone, and with a Lakers team of Kobe and his 4 sycophants, the Lakers are the Clippers.

it's a shame Gary Payton is coming back. The guy was useless on defense (hell, the man he was supposed to guard, Chauncey, outscored him 115-21 and got the Finals MVP).

But Payton came back b/c he realized no one else was stupid enough to pay for an aging point guard who can't score and can't defend.

what a shame; we had a great team and Shaq and Kobe destroy it.

Perhaps they'll both break their ankles and become the next Grant Hill!

Lol, I'm still hoping for a Grant Hill comeback! I loved watching him play for Duke, but like any other Duke athlete to make it to the NBA, something terrible had to end his career.

I'm really surprised Payton did come back. But it is probably like you said, no one else really wants and old point guard who can't do all that much. He may surprise us though and do better without the triangle offense (an offene that he still doesn't know what to do in)!

It's going to be interesting to see what the Lakers do in the draft. They need some big men who can rebound and score. Hell, they needed that this year too.

[minew_m]

Also I read an article that the Dirk/Shaq trade probably won't happen. Mark Cuban still want's Shaq, but Dirk is "as close to untouchable as it gets." Not sure who else they can dish out for Shaq. The only other people are Antoine Walker (an overpaid forward who just rely's on 3's) or Finley. Those are the only real candidates because they'd have to dump one of their huge salaries to take on Shaq's huge salary.

[minew_m]

Well with the draft, the Lakers chose:
#27. Sasha Vujacic - Slovenia
#56. Marcus Douthit - Providence

I really like the Vujacic pick. He is going to be a great guard. He already played in the Elite League in Italy. Half the kids in the draft wouldn't be able to do what he did there. He can pass and shoot which is a very big plus considering what the team may consist of next year.

I'm not really sure why they picked Douthit. He is a big man that they needed, but he can't score, rebound, or pass. He played for Providence and all he could do is block shots.

[podstock]

Originally posted by minew_m
Also I read an article that the Dirk/Shaq trade probably won't happen. Mark Cuban still want's Shaq, but Dirk is "as close to untouchable as it gets." Not sure who else they can dish out for Shaq. The only other people are Antoine Walker (an overpaid forward who just rely's on 3's) or Finley. Those are the only real candidates because they'd have to dump one of their huge salaries to take on Shaq's huge salary.

The Lakers would be STUPID to take a trade with the Mavs that doesn't include Dirk

Antoine is your typical over-hyped ballplayer who can't defend, and can only score when he's hot.

Too bad Boston wised up and traded Walker....I enjoyed the 3 years he spent shooting the Celtics out of the playoffs, jacking up 3-pointer after 3-pointer after 3-pointer. It wasn't like the Celtics were NBA Finals-worthy, but they never had much of a chance to advance with Walker playing worse than you or I could.

The only trade that makes sense is Indiana

We get Jermaine O'Neal, Ron Artest, Austin Croshere

Pacers get Shaq

now that's a trade the Lakers should make in a heartbeat!!!

we got a "center", a great defensive forward to go with Kobe, and the enigmatic Croshere (whose play in the 2000 NBA Finals vs. the Lakers resulted in his $55M contract the next year - after which he promplty did nothing)

[podstock]

Originally posted by minew_m
Well with the draft, the Lakers chose:
#27. Sasha Vujacic - Slovenia
#56. Marcus Douthit - Providence

I really like the Vujacic pick. He is going to be a great guard. He already played in the Elite League in Italy.
I'm not really sure why they picked Douthit. He is a big man that they needed, but he can't score, rebound, or pass. He played for Providence and all he could do is block shots.

not sure what to say about Vujacic, other than that he'll be on the bench quite often.

As for Douthit, well, the fact that he can't score means kobe gets to jack up more shots

[minew_m]

I'd be surprised if Douthit made the team. Well you never know now, the Lakers only have 7 or 8 people left on their roster. They'll need people to warm the bench. Douthit will never help Kobe out because he can't rebound or pass, lol. It looks like Cook and Walton will be getting a lot of playing time. Rush will also have to step up to take pressure off of Kobe.

[podstock]

Unfortunately, I don't see Kareem Rush as being that good (despite his hot shooting in game 6 of West Conf. Finals vs, the Timberwolves)

Rush is not that great of a ballhandler
He doesn't play defense that well (but he does try, fwiw)
He is a streaky shooter.

All NBA players are good.

The great ones, like Shaq and Kobe, are great almost all the time.

The rest are like Rush -- when they're hot, they're awesome; when they're cold, I could beat them on the NBA court.

[minew_m]

I'd give Rush a chance though. It is only his second full season in the NBA. Unlike his brother Jaron (you must remember him, lol) he is willing to learn and develop. He did do a great job for the Lakers when Kobe was injured and he started in his place. I'd give him a year or two more and he'll be a legitimate starter.

[podstock]

Oh, I defintely think Rush is worthy of being a starter someday...

if only he could play defense like Derek Fisher -- good solid defense. Not great, but good enough.

As for JaRon - what a shame!

He not only ruined his life, but screwed the UCLA Bruins basketball program with his unexpected leave. We ALL KNEW he wasn't going to make it - too flashy, no substance. Was too skinny. Couldn't play defense. Was a streaky shooter. Didn't have size.

it's one thing to be a 7'6" Manute Bol and be skinny; but when you're about 6'6" like JaRon, and you're weak and skinny, you have no chance in the NBA, much like this year's Sebastian Telfair and Sean Livingston (both right out of high school). Livingston had the tryout with a bunch of teams watching him, and he couldn't do ONE SINGLE bench press at 185 lbs.

are you kidding!?!?! not one bench press of 185??? Karl Malone could probably bench that with his pinky!


JaRon is now living in an apartment.

All he had to do was spend 2 more years fine tuning his game, or at the least spend 1 more year at UCLA....and he'd have been a higher lottery pick.

I do not believe JaRon was drafted; instead he became a free agent, was given a tryout, but I do not believe he ever played in an NBA game

Kareem was smart, and learned from his brother's mistake. Kareem could've left after his sophomore year, like JaRon, instead, he stayed 1 more year

and came into the NBA more polished.

Kareem's defense was about as good as JaRon's (which is to say, not all that good). The biggest difference was that Kareem had a somewhat more reliable perimeter shot, was picked #19 by the Lakers (which naturally meant they would give him time to develop). As a free agent like Jaron, or any late draft picks - if you don't perform, you are released, due to financial constraints on the salary cap.