He has a point, no doubt, and he's clearly worried about the Cavs keeping an extra big to somehwat cancel out the length advantage the Lakers enjoy over the rest of the league. Z and Shaq, even though they're stiffs, are long and can at least make Gasol and Bynum work. But my point is that the Lakers picked up Pau Gasol for a couple stiffs and a bag of potato chips. Now if Marc Gasol continues to improve maybe history is a little kinder to that trade, but for now Gasol to the Lakers is the gold standard of higway robbery in the NBA. So Phil, like he so often does, is just being a whiny hypocrite.
Who? With all the teams with cap space this summer, who can they get? All the other free agents who are any good will sign with the other teams with space or stay where they are. I don't see how they can fill that roster and make them contenders. If they sign Bosh and James to max contracts they'll have zero cap space left to sign anyone good. That means Lee is gone as well. So they'll have the mid level and minimums to throw at people. Look at this list and give me 8 guys they can get that would make them contenders. Current roster is: Eddy Curry, Danilo Ganillari, Sergio Rodriguez, Wilson Chandler, Toney Douglas, LeBron James, Chris Bosh. UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS Jason Collins Maurice Evans (P) Joe Johnson Randolph Morris Joe Smith Ray Allen Tony Allen Marquis Daniels Paul Pierce (ETO) Nate Robinson Brian Scalabrine Shelden Williams Tyson Chandler (ETO) Raymond Felton Stephen Graham Nazr Mohammed (ETO) Theo Ratliff Joe Alexander Devin Brown Acie Law Lindsey Hunter Jerome James Brad Miller Ronald Murray Jannero Pargo Hakim Warrick LeBron James (P) Shaquille O'Neal Leon Powe (T) Sebastian Telfair (P) J.J. Barea (T) Brendan Haywood Dirk Nowitzki (ETO) DeShawn Stevenson (P) Tim Thomas Malik Allen Anthony Carter Joey Graham Kenyon Martin (ETO) Johan Petro Kwame Brown Ben Wallace Chris Wilcox (P) Kelenna Azubuike (P) Raja Bell Devean George Vladimir Radmanovic (ETO) Brian Cook Chuck Hayes (T) Jared Jeffries (ETO) Yao Ming (ETO) Travis Diener T.J. Ford (P) Luther Head Earl Watson Steve Blake Rasual Butler Drew Gooden Steve Novak Travis Outlaw Brian Skinner Craig Smith Shannon Brown (P) Kobe Bryant (P) Derek Fisher D.J. Mbenga Josh Powell Steven Hunter Jamaal Tinsley Marcus Williams Rafer Alston Carlos Arroyo Yakhouba Diawara Udonis Haslem Jamaal Magloire Jermaine O'Neal Quentin Richardson Dwyane Wade (P) Dorell Wright Primoz Brezec Royal Ivey Michael Redd (ETO) Luke Ridnour John Salmons (ETO) Jerry Stackhouse Kurt Thomas Mark Blount Darko Milicic Sasha Pavlovic Oleksiy Pecherov Alando Tucker Damien Wilkins Tony Battie Trenton Hassell Jarvis Hayes Kris Humphries (P) Chris Quinn Bobby Simmons Ike Diogu Sean Marks Darius Songaila (ETO) Peja Stojakovic (ETO) Jonathan Bender Brian Cardinal Eddy Curry (P) Chris Duhon J.R. Giddens Al Harrington Eddie House David Lee Tracy McGrady Cuttino Mobley Matt Harpring Kevin Ollie Etan Thomas Matt Barnes (P) Adonal Foyle Anthony Johnson Jason Williams Rodney Carney Francisco Elson Willie Green (ETO) Allen Iverson Jason Kapono (P) Louis Amundson Jarron Collins Channing Frye (P) Grant Hill (P) Amare Stoudemire (ETO) Marcus Camby Juwan Howard Joel Przybilla (ETO) Larry Hughes Sean May Ime Udoka Keith Bogans Matt Bonner Michael Finley Manu Ginobili Richard Jefferson (ETO) Ian Mahinmi Roger Mason Chris Bosh (P) Amir Johnson Rasho Nesterovic Patrick O'Bryant Antoine Wright Carlos Boozer Kyle Korver Earl Boykins Javaris Crittenton Josh Howard (P) Mike James Mike Miller Fabricio Oberto Quinton Ross (P) James Singleton
Duck- you make it seem like NY has no good players right now. They don't need 5 knew guys to be a really good team. Tony Douglas, Gallinari and Wilson Chandler are good players. Gallianri is 6'10 and one hell of a shooter. Donnie Walsh will wheel and deal the whole summer. Al Harrington will get moved, Lee will not resign and TMac won't resign so that's a lot of money to play with. Donnie and the whole organization have been waiting for 2 years now for the summer of 2010. To think they won't do anything or to think nobody wants to come NY is ridiculous. When the Garden is rocking than there is no other place better to win and every NBA player knows that. Will just have to wait and see what happens.
Because Clippers + LBJ = serious title contender. You can't say that about Knicks or Nets. Lakers don't need cap room. There is a thing called sign-and-trade. I don't like Knicks because LeBron wants to win. He won't if he goes there and he knows it.
Who? Who can they get for the mid level or the minimum? Even if they do land James and Bosh their roster looks like this: Eddy Curry, Danilo Ganillari (who is 6'8), Sergio Rodriguez, Wilson Chandler, Toney Douglas, LeBron James, Chris Bosh. And they'll have no cap space left. Lakers would walk all over that team.
Duck there roster will not look like that next year! Gallinari, Tony Douglas and Wilson Chandler are the only guys that will be on that roster. I'll say it again, Donnie Walsh is building a knew team in NY and 2 big free agents will sign this summer. You can take that to the bank. And he will fill the rest of the roster with good role players and build a team that will contend. It's not that difficult. I'm not going to sit here and pick and choose who will sign with the knicks because nobody has any idea what kind of money they will have when there done cleaning house. Lebron will never play for the Clippers or the Lakers. Kobe was on espn last week and was asked about playing with Lebron and he came out and said no way because 1. no cap room and 2. they have a deep team and only 1 superstar can play on that team. And plus that team is set for years to come with Kobe. I can see the Lakers making a move for Durant in 2 years. Fill that hole when Kobe decides to call it quits. And I'm seeing Gallinari listed at 6'10. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/teams/nyk/roster Not that this is a big deal or anything. If your 6'8 or 6'10 your still tall as shit in my book.
How the hell do you suppose to make that happen? Explain. It's not difficult to build a Championship team? Really? And I have an idea what kind of money they will have. Zero. Source? I can't imagine Kobe saying that. Kobe isn't going to retire in two years. I don't trust any site that has that idiot Kelly Dwyer on their payroll.
Sorry Duck my multiquote button does not work at my work. The 3 guys I listed are the only 3 with contracts next year except Eddie Curry and J.R Giddens. Hopefully some sucker team will take Curry but I doubt it. Sergio Rodriguez and Bill Walker will be bought out. http://hoopshype.com/salaries/new_york.htm Kobe was on PTI about a week or so ago. You know what show that is on espn? If you can find that interview you will hear him talk about no cap space for Lebron or Wade. Didn't mean Kobe was retiring in 2 years. In 2 years LA will have cap room to go after a Durant. I can see that happening. Check the site I posted for that. Anyways Duck, we can go back and forth on where Lebron will end up but in the end not even Lebron knows where he will end up yet. But I do believe NY are serious contenders to land him still. I don't think it's a 2% chance that he will end up in NY. I obviously think it's more than that.
Exactly. Curry is not opting out and he is untradable. So they're stuck with him. That's obvious. Him saying there's only room for one superstar though. Did you just make that up then? And Kobe is not going to suggest trading any of his teammates for LeBron. That would just be stupid. But that's the only way they can get him. And it makes sense for both teams. No they will not. Kobe will have his contract extended and Lakers will no doubt pick up their option on Bynum. So Lakers will not have cap space in two years. Maybe 2% is a bit low but if he does decide to leave, the Knicks are the least attractive option, among the teams with cap space; Bulls, Miami, Knicks, Nets, Clippers, as far as being a championship contender.
Curry blows but he's defiantly tradable. His expiring contract is what makes him tradable so there will be teams out there looking to cut cap for 2011 and may trade for him. If he had 2 or 3 more years on his contract than yeah he's defiantly untradable.
Durant's streak of 29 games with 25+ points ended tonight with 21 points in a loss to the Spurs. It was the longest streak since Jordan had a 40 game streak in 1986-87 and is tied for the 3rd longest streak by a forward in NBA history (Source: ESPN).
Not really no. The amount of bad contracts out there are decreasing. I don't think they can move Curry. At least not this summer to effect this free agency which is impossible.
Lakers with a loss to the Bobcats match last season's loss total - is this team not as strong or has Kobe's injury been a big part of that? Many of us thought they'd be a stronger team this year - is there a reason for this?
Can't be just down to Kobe's injury, they actually went like 5-1 in the games where he was out and that one loss was only lost on the final possession of the game. They just seem very disjointed for some reason...
True - although he's been also playing hurt some too right? Makes me wonder if they'll regret the Artest - Ariza swap - I said at the time that some times role players can be more important to team cohesion - although really hard to come to conclusions now in the "pre-season". But the Bulls dynasties had incredible swagger - made it all so effortless in destroying everyone and assimilated new players well - although that might have been after more than one championship.
Gasol not content with the amount of touches he's getting apparently. Although this problem dates back as far as last year's finals.
Laker's drop another one - although the Magic tried to gift them a victory when they should have won more easily. First 3 game losing streak for Kobe Gasol and first in 2 years.