<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Kobe Bryant consistently had the largest crowd of reporters around his table during the NBA All-Star Game's media session Friday. Popular lines of questioning were Bryant's 81-point game and the next Team USA, but there was also interest in how he is handling playing for a mediocre Lakers team with an uncertain future. Bryant said he and Coach Phil Jackson aren't that uncertain about it. "When Phil and I have talked about the future of this team, we both feel like we're not that far away," Bryant said. "One piece, two pieces, maybe. So the vision that we have for the team may be a little different from the direction other people may see us going in. As long as we're on the same page, we're fine." About the salary-cap space the Lakers will have in 2007 to sign free agents, Bryant said: "I get calls every day from players wanting to come out to L.A. and play. If Mitch (Kupchak) was to ask me about it, I would just tell him and let him handle it from there." Bryant didn't name the players calling him, but he did say several former teammates called with congratulations after his 81-point game: Caron Butler, Chucky Atkins, Ruben Patterson and Tyronn Lue. Bryant also said Baron Davis called. </div> link: http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews...ts/13901333.htm i agree with kobe and phil. this team is probably just one player away from being title contenders. will we ever get that "one" player? who knows. btw, its nice to see chucky calling kobe. lol.
You know what sucks about all of this? The lack of communication between Kobe, PJax, and Mitch. These 3 should be on the same page when it comes to player movement. Kobe Bryant's role is the franchise player of the LA Lakers for the next 6 years. He's won 3 titles, he knows what his weaknesses are and what players around the league could fill the holes in his game. Phil Jackson's role is coaching the team and putting the right players around Kobe. Apparently, these two have no problem communicating and evaluating what they want. Mitch Kupchak's role is getting the players his coach wants. This is where the communication goes wrong. Kupchak either has a different vision of what he wants for this team, or has no plan at all. I'm guessing it's a little of both, and because of this, the Lakers are stuck with the wrong mix of players around Kobe. I think Kupchak's intentions are good, but he didn't learn the key lesson from Jerry West. It's not always going after the most talented players, it's about getting the 'right' player for your team. Jerry West was brilliant as a GM because he had a great eye for spotting players who would excel in specific roles for a title contender. Kupchak is easily seduced by finesse players with TUP (tremendous upside potential). He's keeping pieces on this team that worked with Shaq in LA, but don't work with Kobe. Players like Luke Walton, Sasha Vujacic, and Brian Cook are terrible compliments to Kobe. All three are soft, and all three need an effective player in the post to make them valuable. Without Shaq, teams are not intimitaded by anyone in the post. So now when these three are on defense, they have a tougher time, because their man is going right at them because there's no one physical inside. Luke Walton has no one to feed in the post right now, and his lousy jump shot makes him a liability on offense. Brian Cook has come around on offense, but he's still a huge problem defensively for the Lakers without any bangers on the inside. Until they sort this out the Lakers will continue to struggle and be inconsistent.
Nice post, shapecity. The question is, for me anyway, which one player will launch the Lakers back into the playoffs? Will a guy like Ben Wallace - or, for that matter, Kenyon Martin or even Nenad Krstic - do the trick?
It's not gonna be any ONE player, but I think a trade for multiple role players will do...I like my trade idea to New Jersey....its in the Trade Idea forum if you want to check it out, Bravest.
Both make sense for both teams. Nice work. In terms of giving your bench a boost, you definately do that with the first deal. You lose a starter in Odom, but that spot can easily be filled with another role player (which will later turn into Turiaf's spot in a year). Not to mention the addition of tall center, a powerful forward to replace Odom, and a guard who could start.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting bravest:</div><div class="quote_post">Both make sense for both teams. Nice work. In terms of giving your bench a boost, you definately do that with the first deal. You lose a starter in Odom, but that spot can easily be filled with another role player (which will later turn into Turiaf's spot in a year). Not to mention the addition of tall center, a powerful forward to replace Odom, and a guard who could start.</div> I'm guessing you are referring to my trades...thanks for the compliments..and I was thinking the same thing....the guys we get replace the production of Lamar and they can do that more consistently....Nets are trying to deal Planinic so that should be easy to get him...and Nets can't realy turn this down because they get a rebounder in Lamar...and a big man who can run the fast break with the Trio they already have up there
