Perhaps the best unofficial Laker news source and journalist out there. He wrote an excellent article at hoopsworld.com. Here's a couple things he talks about: <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"><font size="1">I asked the originator of the Bender rumor, is it true or false? The response, not only is it true, but Bender was in Los Angeles to see the premiere of The Longest Yard. While in town he was given a battery of tests on behalf of the Lakers to determine if the oft injured forward was in good health. This was to be performed by doctors unaffiliated with the team. The results would be communicated surreptitiously since it's technically against the collective bargaining agreement for the Lakers to perform a physical on another team's player. My source is very confident that the deal between the Lakers and Pacers is all but complete.</font></div> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> <font size="1">Although rare, perhaps a three-way trade can be agreed to: New Orleans receives Caron Butler, Slava Medvedenko, the 10th and 27th (from Utah) picks in the draft. Utah receives Chucky Atkins, Vlade Divac, David West, the 4th and 17th (from LA via Indy) picks in the draft and a near six million dollar trade exception. LA receives Carlos Boozer, Gordon Giricek, Curtis Borchardt and the 6th pick in the draft.</font></div> The rest of his article can be found here: http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_12956.shtml
Good lookin out Mel. However, if this is indeed going down. We lose :Caron Butler, Chucky Atkins, Vlade Divac and Slava Medvedenko... We Gain :Carlos Boozer, Gordon Giricek and Curtis Borchardt & 6th Pick... Hmm, im not knocked over by this trade idea. I suppose i would have to get some more info and analyze it some.
I like these rumors and I hope they both happen. We'd have a better chance at grabbing a PG with the 6th pick and in the 3 way trade, we get a big man. What would we lose in the Indiana deal?
It seems like a good deal but I would not get rid of Caron Butler. Caron, Lamar and Kobe need to stay! It will be hard getting good players without trading them but we will have to work out some way to do so!
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Kobe 8 Ball:</div><div class="quote_post">I like these rumors and I hope they both happen. We'd have a better chance at grabbing a PG with the 6th pick and in the 3 way trade, we get a big man. What would we lose in the Indiana deal?</div> YO,I aint tryin to be a prick but why do you post here. Your info says youre a wizards fan. I know your name is KOBE somethin but whats the deal. I mean every post is agreeing to an outragous laker move or disagreeing with some rational move that can really help this team. This is not my message board and i hope not to get suspended from it but. I say if your aint a genuine laker fan; then you should be ignored.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting MR BRYANT:</div><div class="quote_post">YO,I aint tryin to be a prick but why do you post here. Your info says youre a wizards fan. I know your name is KOBE somethin but whats the deal. I mean every post is agreeing to an outragous laker move or disagreeing with some rational move that can really help this team. This is not my message board and i hope not to get suspended from it but. I say if your aint a genuine laker fan; then you should be ignored.</div> Haha. Wow. Why don't you go read all my posts, see all the contributions I've made to this forum compared to you. See all the previews I've made, I've been here for over two years posting in this Laker forum, don't tell me I'm not a genuine Laker fan, ask anybody at this site who has been around for awhile, they will tell you I have been a Laker fan since the day I signed up, and before that. You're supposed to agree or disagree BTW, that is teh point of a message board, get your opinion out there...you lose.
So we're going to keep Odom struggling at the Power Forward postition. Mitch needs to choose which one he wants and who offers more.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting LamarOdom75:</div><div class="quote_post">So we're going to keep Odom struggling at the Power Forward postition. Mitch needs to choose which one he wants and who offers more.</div> Well if the three way deal goes through, Lamar would move to the 3 spot. I actually like that second rumor a lot, and I think it would make us stronger in every position. C - Chris Mihm PF - Carlos Boozer SF - Lamar Odom SG - Kobe Bryant PG - Deron Williams ( if he falls ) or Raymond Felton sounds pretty good to me.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Phreeze:</div><div class="quote_post">Well if the three way deal goes through, Lamar would move to the 3 spot. I actually like that second rumor a lot, and I think it would make us stronger in every position. C - Chris Mihm PF - Carlos Boozer SF - Lamar Odom SG - Kobe Bryant PG - Deron Williams ( if he falls ) or Raymond Felton sounds pretty good to me.</div> Thats a pretty good team, but I don't want Boozer. What is so good about him, he is injured and not really an upgrade at PF. Rather have Odom playing PF, the only good thing about Boozer is rebounding, he can't play D and that's what we need.
Lamar Odom was not stuggling. He averaged a double doubel for the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds. He needs to improve his D a little. If we can get a better bench, Centre and PG we will be good. Caron is too good to let go.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Laker_fan:</div><div class="quote_post">Lamar Odom was not stuggling. He averaged a double doubel for the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds. He needs to improve his D a little. If we can get a better bench, Centre and PG we will be good. Caron is too good to let go.</div> Lamar was not struggling? Are you kidding me? He was ineffective so many times this year. Lamar and Kobe can't exist, they both need the ball in their hands, they both need to be the number one option on offense. Lamar downgraded from last year. People expected him to put up atleast 19 ppg, but he dissapointed with 15 ppg. The ppg weren't even the part that let down Laker fans, though. It was that he down-graded from the year before in Miami. Last year, Lamar looked more like the Clipper Lamar Odom than the Heat Lamar Odom.
Odom was playing out of position against a conference full of elite PFs. He was also still learning the triangle offense. If you watched the games, countless times he would make the mistime his cuts and such. Put him as the initiating point-forward for the triangle offense and give him some time to learn, in theory, he'll be able to contribute much more and use his ball-handling skills more effectively.
But will he want to? That is what I don't see in Odom, the urge to want to be successful here. I still think his feelings are hurt from being traded to Miami. He, along with Wade, started to turn that franchise around, he was the main man there until the playoffs rolled around. Then, in the offseason, the franchise turns around and trades him to a team he would be second fiddle on, I don't think he is happy here in L.A., I think he wants to go somewhere that he can control the ball and have the team built around him, that is not the Lakers.
