Lakers

[Flystripper]

I still like Pau, but he simple wasn't up to par this year. I wonder if the Lakers wouldn't have been significantly better if they had done the Pau deal with the Rockets after Stern blocked the Chris Paul trade. It would have looked like this:

Rockets get Pau
Lakers get Scola and Martin (the Rockets could have thrown in Lin, but lets leave that aside)
Lakers keep Odom (maybe the Lakers wouldn't have wanted him anyway, but they still could have done the deal with Dallas to dump him).

This trade would have given the Lakers a suitable replacement for Pau in Scola, who would play well next to Bynum since he likes to shoot the jumper form the elbow. Martin would have been a great bench scorer (is a 3 pt shooter and one of the most efficient scorers in the NBA) though he is awful at D, plays the same position as Kobe, and costs too much for a bench player. However, you could have found some time for him and Kobe to play together. It would have been a short-term fix, but probably would have made the team better this year.

Today, Pau has a little less value than he did last year and he is a year older but still makes 19m per year for the next 2 years. It won't be easy to make a deal that gets a great player in return.

I would have liked that team a lot. Especially if Odom was close to the Odom of 2010-2011 and not 2011-2012.

[Jacob]

Brian Cardinal talks smack about Kobe last night.

Brian Cardinal
10 assists away from a double/double...

[Flystripper]

Brian Cardinal talks smack about Kobe last night.

He must have only looked at the box score and failed to actually watch the game.

[TripletDaddy]

Pow: Dead Man Walking

If it ain't broke, don't fix it: entire coaching staff to return

[Blueintheface]

Pow: Dead Man Walking

If it ain't broke, don't fix it: entire coaching staff to return

I for one hope Brown is given an indefinite extension.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

He must have only looked at the box score and failed to actually watch the game.

Cardinal trying to hard to be the new Scalabrine.

@BrianCardinal: Just catching up on my timeline... Didn't realize everyone was so sensitive about Bynum's assists...

[TripletDaddy]

Kobe: What now?

[ewth8tr]

He must have only looked at the box score and failed to actually watch the game.

Or he watched the game, like the play where Kobe dribbled out the clock at the end of the first half, got triple teamed, then still tried an off balance spin the the lane and tossed it near the rim. Honestly, i know he was hot last night, but to dominate the ball all game like he did and not get a single assist?

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[TripletDaddy]

Mike Brown has a fat butt

[Flystripper]

Or he watched the game, like the play where Kobe dribbled out the clock at the end of the first half, got triple teamed, then still tried an off balance spin the the lane and tossed it near the rim. Honestly, i know he was hot last night, but to dominate the ball all game like he did and not get a single assist?

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or the multiple missed assists he had when bynum, et al missed shot after shot after shot?

[TripletDaddy]

Metta sez: Lakers are the best team in the NBA!

This looks like a job for Superman

Mike Brown loves muscles

[TripletDaddy]

Pow for Bosh: what could possibly go wrong with that?

[TripletDaddy]

Kupchak eulogizes Pow in exit interview

Because of the failed attempt to trade him, because of near constant rumors of a deal until the March 15 deadline came and went, Kupchak said he was certain he and the organization lost an element of trust with Gasol that cannot be repaired.

"I don't expect he'll ever be the same based on what took place," Kupchak said. "I wouldn't share with you what I told (Pau). He did the best anybody could do of being a professional. He's the consummate teammate and the consummate professional."

Bynum is not the guy

[smokymountainrain]

For as much as I dislike Kobe the basketball player - probably my most hated athlete ever - I will say I'm impressed with how good he was this past season at age 33 (34?) after 16 years in the league. I actually stayed awake for several minutes last night pondering his season and how long he may be able to keep it up.

He has lost some run/jump athleticism, but in terms of his overall game, he doesn't look to be slowing down. He still gets good elevation on his jumpshot, shows quickness off the bounce and defensively looks to be on top of his game. I still think he plays an ignorant offensive game, which is the reason for his low FG%, but I was thinking as I was laying awake that he may have 3 more All-NBA type seasons left in him and 5-6 All-Star or near All-Star level seasons. I think what sets him apart from other wing players is the way he's been able to keep his body at a peak level physically. Even MJ started get bigger in his early/mid 30s, but Kobe looks as slim and moves as well as he did 5 years ago.

I hope the Lakers make a boneheaded trade or two and keep Mike Brown around so they miss the playoffs during those 5-6 years, because I think Kobe's game will continue to be elite for a long time to come.

[TripletDaddy]

Knicks nix Jax