<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>DJ Mbenga's 10-day contract expires today. Jackson said Mbenga, averaging 1.7 points and 1.3 rebounds, will travel with the Lakers, indicating they're going to give him another 10-day contract.</div> Source: Press Enterprise They definitely need to sign him.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Shapecity @ Jan 30 2008, 01:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>DJ Mbenga's 10-day contract expires today. Jackson said Mbenga, averaging 1.7 points and 1.3 rebounds, will travel with the Lakers, indicating they're going to give him another 10-day contract.</div> Source: Press Enterprise They definitely need to sign him. </div> Shape, who do you think LA will drop/waive from their roster? Is Karl going to stay the rest of the season?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (huevonkiller @ Jan 30 2008, 02:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Shapecity @ Jan 30 2008, 01:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>DJ Mbenga's 10-day contract expires today. Jackson said Mbenga, averaging 1.7 points and 1.3 rebounds, will travel with the Lakers, indicating they're going to give him another 10-day contract.</div> Source: Press Enterprise They definitely need to sign him. </div> Shape, who do you think LA will drop/waive from their roster? Is Karl going to stay the rest of the season? </div> They don't need to drop/waive anyone because they've been carrying only 14 players after the Ariza trade. Mbenga is player #15 The Lakers will have to decide after his second 10 day contract if they want to guarantee him a contract for the rest of the season. A team is only allowed to sign a player on 10-day contracts two times before they have to guarantee them a contract.
So the Lakers aren't sure if they are going to offer him another 10 days? Seems pretty obvious what they should do.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lavalamp @ Jan 30 2008, 03:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>So the Lakers aren't sure if they are going to offer him another 10 days? Seems pretty obvious what they should do.</div> I'm pretty sure they will especially since Luke is out and they are about to leave for an extended road trip. We have a lot of back to back games during this stretch in February. We need healthy bodies!
Logic says yes, we resign him. He may not be the best option out there, but he at least gives us a healthy body and 6 fouls to blow through at a position we're thin at.
Update! Project Mbenga continues for another 10 days. DJ Mbenga traveled with the team to Detroit, an indicator he would be signed to another 10-day contract. Source: LA Times
I think the Lakers should sign him to a two year contract, the guy is gifted physically, he just turned 27 in december, and he only picked up a basketball at the age of 19. But even if he doesn't improve, he's fairly young and can play hard, he is a big body, and if the Lakers can sign him cheap for a couple of years at a 1 mill, then I'd say he'd be worth it. Even just as a 3rd tier center, and let Mihm go. He probably will learn the Lakers' defensive scheme better and how to rotate on plays properly if he was there for a while. If he doesn't work out, a lot of teams look for big men and at a million bucks per year that is a steal. (Unlike Kwame at 9 mill lol)
I don't agree with offering him a two year contract. Keep in mind we still have Marc Gasol stashed away overseas. He's been tearing up the league he's in winning the MVP award the last two months. He has far more upside than Mbenga.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Shapecity @ Jan 31 2008, 02:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I don't agree with offering him a two year contract. Keep in mind we still have Marc Gasol stashed away overseas. He's been tearing up the league he's in winning the MVP award the last two months. He has far more upside than Mbenga.</div> So if you had to predict his production next season for us, what would it be? I'm curious and I haven't followed up on his recent ventures.
Is Gasol a legit PF? Or is he one of those foo foo PF's who lurk on the perimeter? I want a real PF around Bynum.
they are holding off on signing him to his 2nd 10-day. They want to wait until they are deeper in the trip, so that his 10 day can run through the latter games of the trip. That suggest to me that after the 2nd 10-day, they are going to let him go. Otherwise, why not sign him now, why wait until game 4 or whatever it is of the trip
I can see them not giving him the guaranteed contract yet, so he will try to prove himself and work harder during the 4 games.
Well we have a back to back Detroit and Toronto, we could've used him tonight for sure and again tomorrow to help defend Bosh.
Sorry I had to double post, because this is some ass backwards thinking by the head guys. The Lakers are dealing with so many injuries right now we need everyone we can have available. If they don't plan on re-signing him after the next 10 days then go out and sign another guy for 20 more days until some of players get healthy enough to play again.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (huevonkiller @ Jan 31 2008, 03:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Shapecity @ Jan 31 2008, 02:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I don't agree with offering him a two year contract. Keep in mind we still have Marc Gasol stashed away overseas. He's been tearing up the league he's in winning the MVP award the last two months. He has far more upside than Mbenga.</div> So if you had to predict his production next season for us, what would it be? I'm curious and I haven't followed up on his recent ventures. </div> Here's a good clip of him from youtube showcasing his skillset <div><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/maT6goJvbKs&"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/maT6goJvbKs&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350" /></embed></object></div> He has good hands, passes well out of double teams and is comfortable playing back to the basket. He can also drain 3's. It's hard to predict how his game will translate in the NBA game, but he's definitely a well rounded offensive player. I'd expect him to be developed similar to the way they nurtured Bynum. He's only 22 years old so there's no need to rush him. Having him train with our strength and conditioning coaches and having him learn under KAJ will have get him on the fast track to being an effective player for us. I think he can give us a solid 12-15 minutes once he's brought over and provide a legit post option when Bynum is resting.
