NBA Opening week

[Guest]

Kobe knew what he was doing when he signed for a team that had Brian Grant's giant contract. He's being paid how much, again? He's not a victim. The fans are the ones that suffer.

 

Hell, he could have signed with the Clippers and been on a better team. But Kobe Bryant wanted that green.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

I also don't think he expected the team to pass of Jermaine O'Neal and Jason Kidd because of Andrew fucking Bynum. The team was coming off of four Finals appearances in five years. He probably didn't recognize how horrible this front office would turn out to be.

[Guest]

We still don't know whether or not it was the right move to decline trades involving Bynum. Sure it would have been nice to get Jason Kidd, but the Lakers would have had Kwame and Turiaf as their only sizeable players. That puts the team in the same position they were in during the season they were bad enough to get Bynum in the first place. Another part of the problem is that teams want both Bynum and Odom. As much as I don't care for Lamar, it isn't a smart move to deal both for a marginal upgrade (if even at all, considering how often he's hurt) in Jermaine O'Neal. The Boozer trade is the one they fucked up on.

 

You can't tell me with a straight face that either of those two moves could have made the Lakers a title contender. The fact of the matter is that you can't build around Kobe Bryant unless the pieces are in place before you acquire him.

[Guest Pizza Hut's Game Face]

Why does Kobe veto Deng related trades? Does he want to play with him or something?

Precisely. He really wants to work with Deng. I'm fine with that.

[Guest]

Kings, Lakers, Bulls discussed numerous deals.

- Kobe is in charge of this. After every trades are discussed Kobe is shown and approved first. His involvement goes beyond that.... Kirk Hinrich's name has been discussed the most.

- Bryant knows that Hinrich dominates the ball more than Deng and Gordon. He over dribbles, and has it the longest on the shot clock.

- Bulls are willing to trade Deng, Bryant says no. NO UNTOUCHABLES

- Kobe thinks Deng is the ideal fit, and doesn't really want to play with Hinrich.

- This deal is complicated because of the third team.

- BB heard that one deal had one player (Bibby) going to the Lakers and then immediately going to the Cavs.

- The time of the Nets game was also an issue. Until Pax says this deal is over, it's still active.

- This trade is paralyzing a lot of the NBA, since so many are trying to get involved or are concerned about their opponents stronger.

- Paxson doesn't want this to linger.

- LA sells sizzle. Magic is saying they're going to steal all of our best players and Kobe will be stuck in the same situation (hell veto power?).

- Kobe wants to be on this squad under his terms.

I thought I should post this.

 

And here

 

Bulls are willing to trade Deng, Bryant says no. NO UNTOUCHABLES

is the hangup, and until Kobe budges, he won't be a Bull. The Lakers don't have to play these games. We will take our unhappy player, let him opt out in the same season Lamar's contract is gone, wait a season with a ton of cap space, and sign LeBron in 2010. If he wants to go to Chicago, he can do it at 32, with 13 seasons under his belt. He'll be getting paid less, too.

 

If the Lakers were to tell Kobe, "we'll put you on the inactive list if you don't let a deal with Deng go through", then he'd probably back off and get on the next flight to Chicago. He likes to play hardball, but he doesn't like when people do it to him.

[Guest Pizza Hut's Game Face]

Where'd you find that? That's everything they just said on the Score.

[Guest]

I found it in typed form. I meant to post where I got it from, but I didn't.

 

It's better than that Artest and Ben Wallace bullshit Ric Bucher made up earlier this week.

[Guest Pizza Hut's Game Face]

Now Paxson says there's not going to be a deal, but that doesn't mean a thing.

[milliondollarchamp 0]

if Chicago wants Kobe, they are going to have to give up a lot of players. They already have a nice team dynamic going on, and are one of the best teams in the East. Kobe is very talented, but he cannot win games by himself. Even the greatest, Michael Jordan, had a good supporting cast with Pippen, Rodman, Kerr, etc..

 

Plus, Kobe by himself on the Lakers has not really given great results. I just do not think Kobe is worth giving up so much for one player. I do know that deep down Kobe wants to go to Chicago so he can try to be the next Michael Jordan and Deng can be his Pippen.

 

[Guest Vitamin X]

+1

[Guest]

Kobe is very talented, but he cannot win games by himself.

What the fuck are you smoking. He and LeBron are the only players in the league that CAN win games by themselves.

[alfdogg 0]

Add Andre Igoudala to the list of notable players that didn't get an extension.

[Steviekick 0]

Add Andre Igoudala to the list of notable players that didn't get an extension.

 

That suprised me. Sometimes I really think that Billy King doesn't have a plan.

[Guest]

There was a fight at Lakers practice.

 

...

 

It's nice to know the Raiders have returned to Los Angeles.

[Ripper 0]

I'm sure there are fights at everyones practice all the time. Its not a big deal.

 

The Bulls should give up Hinrich. If they are holding off this trade and having the ability to have Deng and Kobe as their two guys for the next few years because of Kirk fucking Hinrich, John Pason should be shot.

 

Kurt Hinrich is good but he is nothing that special that you don't trade for one of the best players in the NBA.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

What makes you think Lebron will sign with the Lakers in 2010? That's a pretty "Crystal ball" Type of prediction. Not to mention you know when you're talking about things going well three years from now with a player whose given no indication that he wants to play for you being the reason for your positivity that things are pretty shitty.

[Precious Roy 0]

Kobe has really been an idiot when it comes to Bynum. That kid has the talent to be a great center, and great centers help you win championships. I think in some part it goes back to the rift with Shaq. Kobe didn't like being the sidekick to the big man, and now it's like he's resentful of the fact that they're trying to groom another one. And really, would Jason Kidd or Jermaine O'Neal win them a championship right now? I don't think so.

 

I don't remember Shaq throwing Kobe under the bus when he was straight out of high school and shooting the Lakers out of the playoffs. He didn't complain about the development of a high school kid holding him back. He took Kobe under his wing and suffered the growing pains. Kobe is spoiled. He needs to step back and realize the potential he has with Bynum and that his blossoming should occur while he's still in his prime, instead he's been selfish and impatient, and it doesn't surprise me that Lakers fans and media are turning on him. Personally I think the Lakers' front office has done a pretty good job putting that team together, other than perhaps the Butler for Kwame Brown trade (though you can at least see the rationale behind it as they had a bit of a positional jam there).

[Guest]

By 2010 the young players on this team, namely Crittenton, Farmar and Bynum, will have developed to the point where the Lakers aren't consistently shitty. Not only that, if Bynum continues his development, playing with a premier big man is something most top of the line free agents would love to take a crack at, especially with the cap space that will be available provided the Lakers take the hard line and wait the Kobe situation out. If the distraction ever got bad enough that the Lakers were to put Kobe on the inactive list (which will certainly become an option, as we head on down this road), they'd be stockpiling top of the line young talent through the draft, much like Portland. And they'd likely be at the point where a player like LeBron could put them in position to make runs at a title for the duration of both he and Bynum's contract.

 

There are a few other reasons for LeBron to want to play in a large market like Los Angeles. Namely his Nike contract, and being the biggest fish in a large pond. By 2010, the Lakers will be competitive. Apparently Kobe can't wait that long, and I don't necessarily fault him. I fault the way he's gone about his business, but as far as the future goes, the Lakers are going to be in great shape, Kobe trade or not.

 

Unfortunately, some people, including our fanbase, are very impatient. I can wait for a long time, myself. I will sit through trash in order to get the prize years down the line. The Lakers front office has chosen the right path. I didn't feel that way at first, but taking a long look, it's the right basketball decision. Financially, it probably isn't. But I'm not making money off the Lakers, why should I care?

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

But doesn't the whole issue stem from the fact that Kobe is annoyed by Bynum being lazy and unmotivated? I was under the impression that it's not necessarily that Bynum is young and inexperienced, but that he does nothing in the way of preparing himself to be a better player and Kobe resents him for that fact. He was concerned that they missed the boat on acquiring a potential Hall of Famer like Kidd because the team was enamored with a player that hasn't really shown anything yet.

 

By the way, this is not my opinion, just my interpretation of what has gone down.

[Guest]

Kobe is annoyed that the Lakers won't mortgage their future in order to bring some of his friends to Los Angeles. It just isn't smart to trade both Bynum and Odom for, well, anyone that is out there to be traded for. That's our entire frontcourt! I mean, the Lakers could trade for Jason Kidd or Jermaine O'Neal, but for what? A higher seed that doesn't even get them homecourt, and a first round exit? Hell, we're already doing that with a team that has bright hopes for years down the line, and isn't necessarily ready to compete now. We couldn't surround Kobe and another star player with the support that they would need to do damage without trading the whole roster and picking up 5 guys at the minimum to round things out.

 

Kobe wants everything his way, RIGHT NOW. Shit, son, you could have had your cake and ate it too had you left. For all the shit that's constantly been slung in Shaq's face by people out here in LA, the guy ALWAYS has players that want to play with him. They'll take paycuts, or do whatever else it takes. Do we see anyone try to do that in order to play with Kobe? No, we don't. The best players we can get out here in free agency are Vladimir Radmanovic and Derek Fisher. We can't pull in a highly sought after veteran like the Heat can. They have no problem getting shit done. Kobe got Phil back just like he wanted, even though we probably should have went with a younger coach. This motherfucker got what he wanted. Now he needs to suck it up and deal with the problems he has caused. And if he wants to bitch about it all the time, send his ass home. That's what I would do. Kobe's box office attraction is GONE. People hate his fucking guts, and I don't blame them.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

The Lakers are never going to send Kobe home and make him sit out the rest of his contract. There is a 0% chance of that happening, so stop suggesting it.

 

By the way, I understand the concept of not mortgaging the future for marginal gains today. But it's not like the Lakers are the Blazers or Sonics or some other team that is busting out with young talent and not much else. They have one guy who might be a good center some day and a bunch of filler. You don't hold tight with this roster when you are paying Kobe $20 million a year. It's a total disservice to the player and to the fans. Maye adding O'Neal or Kidd only gets you bounced in the first round but I assure you that it's a hell of a lot closer to a championship than you are right now. What's the point in building for the future when you have no cap room and no A+ prospects to build around?

[Guest]

You don't know Jerry Buss, then. If this doesn't get over with soon, Kobe will get sent home sometime this season. Bank on it. It's too much of a distraction for everyone involved.

[Ripper 0]

I am with King here. Of the few teams that really would send a player home, Buss is one of those guys that would really toss a fuck you his way if they couldn't find a deal.

 

People keep saying that they have to trade him or they get nothing. People are forgetting that they would actually get enough money to sign two star free agents if they can't get a deal and just let him walk which is pretty much the same as trading him for someone.

 

Not that I think that WILL happen, but there is definately more than a 0% if a chance of it happening.

[Guest]

What would happen is, if Kobe keeps vetoing deals, Buss will send him home. In doing so, Kobe will get SO pissed off about not being able to play that he'll be much more lax and willing to leave at any cost, so he wouldn't veto much, if anything. You take away basketball from Kobe and he'd die inside. He lives to play basketball. He'd want to get out ASAP, so he wouldn't be vetoing deals with Deng involved any longer. And if Kobe gives the Lakers a reason to, they can suspend him. Then he won't be able to play, AND he won't be getting paid. You think he's going to live with that for two years? FUCK no. That's if the Lakers see something they really, REALLY want, and can't get it because of Kobe's veto power. Otherwise they can take the cap room when he opts out, and if he doesn't play the way Phil wants him to, they can just bench him. Jerry Buss is a bitter old asshole. I don't think he's too concerned with what makes Kobe happy anymore. I'd almost rather NOT trade him, because it'll be nicer to sit back in the summer of 09 or 2010 and be able to choose what we want. God, that would be nice.

 

Kobe wouldn't stay for the duration of his contract, because he wouldn't be able to sit there without playing. A deal would get done quickly after him being sent home. Trust me, Kobe isn't going to sit and collect his money. That's not Kobe. He'll push for a deal, ANYWHERE, immediately.

 

If the 76ers can send Iverson home, the Lakers would DEFINITELY do the same to Kobe. And if he ballhogs like he did on Tuesday, it'll be soon. If the guy's going to play for himself and not play team ball, you have to send him out. The Lakers are trying to develop players, they don't need the problem of someone holding onto the ball for the majority of every single possession without wanting to give it up.

 

 

David Aldridge said that the Lakers aren't talking to the Bulls until Kobe completely waives his no-trade in regards to Deng. The Lakers are sick of wasting phone calls discussing deals that Kobe's nixing. Once Kobe forgets about playing with Deng, a Chicago deal is possible. Until then, it's nothing more than speculation and baseless talk. Good on the Lakers for that move. As Barkley said, if Kobe really wants traded, he'll waive his no-trade. Period.

[Guest Vitamin X]

In other news, I'm already regretting that Portland didn't take Durant now as Seattle is up on Phoenix 68-63.

 

Rant must be happy.

[Guest]

Gilbert guaranteed that the Celtics will be beaten by the Wizards tonight.

[Broward83 0]

...T-Mac scored 47 and the Rockets easily beat the Jazz to move to 2-0.

 

We now return you to your regularly scheduled Kobe Trade Talks.

[Guest Pizza Hut's Game Face]

Nobody cares. The Rockets will never amount to anything. Celtics are gonna go 82-0.

[Guest Pizza Hut's Game Face]

SEATTLE -- Sonics owner Clay Bennett says he'll file with the NBA to relocate the team to Oklahoma City.

 

Bennett says he notified commissioner David Stern that he wants to move as soon as the team can get out of its Key Arena lease or at the end of the lease in 2010.

 

Bennett says the Sonics have been losing money and there's been no progress in building a new arena.

 

Earlier today a group led by a former Sonics minority owner said it's interested in buying the franchise. Dennis Daugs is an investment manager who says his group wants to save the Sonics for Seattle and keep the team playing in the Key Arena.

 

Bennett has said the team is not for sale. His group of Oklahoma City businessmen bought the Sonics last year for $350 million.

Well, that's that, I suppose. I bet Stern blocks it, though. Seattle is too big to lose.

[Guest]

After the Sonics leave, Sacramento will probably be next to go.