<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">? If the Lakers get left out in the cold on a KG deal ... what's the next move? They could probably wrangle Zach Randolph from the Blazers for Lamar Odom. Or they could send Odom, Andrew Bynum and the No. 19 pick to Indiana for Jermaine O'Neal. If forced to choose, the Lakers would probably prefer Randolph because he would cost them much less. Apparently there is significant interest in Bynum, which could net the Lakers a top-10 pick in the draft.</div> Please tell me the Lakers are not stupid enough to make this deal. Randolph's contract is worse than Odom's and it doesn't improve the Lakers. It's a lateral move at best.
The best to do is not trade Odom for Randolph and get Indiana to lose interest on Odom and get O'neal.No way Odom for Randolph.
Why would you have to give up so much for O'neal. He has been in the nba for 12 years and is an injury riddled superstar on a losing team that didnt make the playoffs in the eastern confrence. To me I dont think that the pacers are in a postion to demand so much for O'neal.
Eh, I think I'd do it. Randolph is an upgrade over Odom in my opinion, but not that much. If we have to give up Bynum or our pick, I'd be pissed. Bynum, Kwame and a filler or Odom for Randolph. PG Kobe Odom Randolph C or PG Kobe Walton Randolph Bynum
If this happens then Portlamd will only get better Roy, Odom, Durant or Oden, Aldridge - Fututre dynasty
Omfg dude I hate Zach... I love blazers but thats the 1 player I cannot stand! I want him gone but damn that will suck for you guys at least you will feel my pain!!! Lets hope Lakers arnt that stupid to make that trade..
Honestly I would probably do it. You get some low post scoring and you still have Bynum, #19, and Kwame to trade to get more pieces around Kobe/Randolph. You wouldn't trade too much for him and he is a legit 20 10 guy. He doesn't play much defense, but at least you give Kobe some help without sacrificing all your potential trade pieces. You can still put Bynum and Kwame for trade for someone. Here's the #'s side by side: PPG R-23.6 O-15.9 RPG R-10.1 O-9.8 APG R-2.2 O-4.8 SPG R-.8 O-1.0 BPG R-.2 O-.6 Turnovers R-3.16 O-2.91 FG% R-46.7% O-46.8% FT% R-81.9% O-70% 3 PT% R-29.2% O-29.7% As you see the numbers are pretty similar all the way around. Only real big differences are PPG and FT%(Randolph's favor) and APG(in Odom's favor). You say Randolph plays bad defense, but in SPG and BPG he is barely worse than Odom. It depends on what you would rather have someone who helps Kobe out by taking pressure off of him by scoring or someone who distributes the ball to Kobe to score. I know Randolph's off the court problems is a big question mark, but on the court he is productive and he plays in the low post something that Odom doesn't do.
<div class="quote_poster">GatorsowntheNCAA Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Honestly I would probably do it. You get some low post scoring and you still have Bynum, #19, and Kwame to trade to get more pieces around Kobe/Randolph. You wouldn't trade too much for him and he is a legit 20 10 guy. He doesn't play much defense, but at least you give Kobe some help without sacrificing all your potential trade pieces. You can still put Bynum and Kwame for trade for someone. Here's the #'s side by side: PPG R-23.6 O-15.9 RPG R-10.1 O-9.8 APG R-2.2 O-4.8 SPG R-.8 O-1.0 BPG R-.2 O-.6 Turnovers R-3.16 O-2.91 FG% R-46.7% O-46.8% FT% R-81.9% O-70% 3 PT% R-29.2% O-29.7% As you see the numbers are pretty similar all the way around. Only real big differences are PPG and FT%(Randolph's favor) and APG(in Odom's favor). You say Randolph plays bad defense, but in SPG and BPG he is barely worse than Odom. It depends on what you would rather have someone who helps Kobe out by taking pressure off of him by scoring or someone who distributes the ball to Kobe to score. I know Randolph's off the court problems is a big question mark, but on the court he is productive and he plays in the low post something that Odom doesn't do.</div> Scoring was never an issue for the Lakers last year. The defense is horrendous, and ZBo would be another liability when a team runs the pick and roll against us. We need big men who know how to show on the screen and then have the sense to rotate back to the paint. Kwame, Bynum, and ZBo all get caught in no-man's land when they try to defend the pick and roll. I really don't have a sense the Lakers are serious about trading Bynum. So this deal would create bad spacing in the post, because both Bynum and ZBo operate in the paint. ZBo would bring some toughness to the team, but he doesn't produce enough to justify his contract.
<div class="quote_poster">shapecity Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Scoring was never an issue for the Lakers last year. The defense is horrendous, and ZBo would be another liability when a team runs the pick and roll against us. We need big men who know how to show on the screen and then have the sense to rotate back to the paint. Kwame, Bynum, and ZBo all get caught in no-man's land when they try to defend the pick and roll. I really don't have a sense the Lakers are serious about trading Bynum. So this deal would create bad spacing in the post, because both Bynum and ZBo operate in the paint. ZBo would bring some toughness to the team, but he doesn't produce enough to justify his contract.</div> I thought you all were complaining that you didn't have someone to help Kobe shoulder the offensive load. Scoring wasn't a problem because Kobe could drop 50 on any given night and the rest of the team just needed to chip in 40-50 combined. Wouldn't you rather have a guy who you know can get 20 ppg every single night down in the low post to free up Kobe more? Randolph is consistent. I know the contract is large, but you are getting a consistent 23 and 10 player. That sort of justifies his contract. Unless you are planning on keep Odom for this entire season, struggle again, and then use him for trading his large expiring contract the year after I don't really understand not doing this trade. Randolph won't make you competitors, but you would be much more well balanced on offense and you still have pieces you can trade to get a 3rd or 4th good player, rather than giving it all up for Jermaine or someone like that. The spacing would be a problem, but can't Randolph spread the floor a little at times? I thought he could step back hit a 3 and/or hit a mid range jumper. That would free Bynum up a little.
<div class="quote_poster">GatorsowntheNCAA Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I thought you all were complaining that you didn't have someone to help Kobe shoulder the offensive load. Scoring wasn't a problem because Kobe could drop 50 on any given night and the rest of the team just needed to chip in 40-50 combined. Wouldn't you rather have a guy who you know can get 20 ppg every single night down in the low post to free up Kobe more? Randolph is consistent. I know the contract is large, but you are getting a consistent 23 and 10 player. That sort of justifies his contract. Unless you are planning on keep Odom for this entire season, struggle again, and then use him for trading his large expiring contract the year after I don't really understand not doing this trade. Randolph won't make you competitors, but you would be much more well balanced on offense and you still have pieces you can trade to get a 3rd or 4th good player, rather than giving it all up for Jermaine or someone like that. The spacing would be a problem, but can't Randolph spread the floor a little at times? I thought he could step back hit a 3 and/or hit a mid range jumper. That would free Bynum up a little.</div> The Lakers can score with or without Kobe going off. The Lakers have plenty of talented scorers, but they lack consistency (because of youth) and they lose confidence when they can't stop anyone on the other end. Losing Odom in the deal just leads to the same problem as before. The Lakers lose their second option, who can run the offense, and replace him with another second option, who can't run the offense. This puts the burden back on Kobe to have the ball in hands and facilitate the offense. Plus you don't improve te defense, so Kobe is once again your best scorer and best defender. It's too, much to ask from anyone in the league to shoulder that type of responsibility. Randolph gets 20/10 on a BAD team. He's not going to have the same freedom in the Triangle offense. Also how long will it take for him to learn it? Odom is finally comfortable in the Triangle after playing in it for 3 seasons, you can't just give that up. If the Lakers are serious about winning now, then you have to retain Odom with Kobe and bring in another solid contributor. Or you package Odom and get someone significantly better (KG). A trio of Kobe-Odom-ZBo would work, but a duo of Kobe-ZBo-Bynum isn't an improvement, it's a step backward.
