So, when this team gets fully healthy, how good can we be? I think we can be one of the best in the West personally. I think this trade instantly improves us on both ends. Gasol will give us the shot blocker we lack with Bynum injured, he also gives us basically a guaranteed double double. Plus, it gives us another player Kobe can trust. Pau is a superstar, end of sentence. Kobe will have instant confidence in his ability to get it done when need be. Plus, we get a center that can hit easy shots and FTs, something Kwame can't do. With that said, when Bynum is healthy, do we start a frontcourt of Bynum/Gasol/Odom? Or do we bring Bynum or Odom off the bench? If we don't, our center/PF depth might be interesting with just Mbenga and Mihm. Regardless of that though, I'm BEYOND excited to see this team play. Anyways, opinions? How good can we be?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (GM3 @ Feb 1 2008, 03:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>IMO This Laker team is better than the Shaq/Kobe tandem and that team won 3 rings.</div> I'm very excited for this team, but I wouldn't make claims like that UNTIL we make some noise with the new lineup.
Top 5 team in the West, right away. Along with NO, Phoenix, Dallas, SA. I'm not sure exactly where among those...possibly 1st, 3rd, 5th. We'll just have to wait and see how Pau does. And what Coach does to integrate him in an offense that he doesn't really know.
This past summer Kobe met with Gasol in Spain. I guess the recruiting worked. This was the same time Kobe met with Dr. Buss and demanded the trade. Was it all a smokescreen?
Odumb is still the weak link. He is not a small forward and can't guard small forwards. Trade him for Kidd. Play Walton or Ariza with Gasol and Bynum, Kidd and Kobe in the back court then you have something.
Now I think we need need to unload Odom for a true SF! Either way, I think we're the instant favorites to come out of the West if everyone is healthy. I also, bias influences, believe we're better than Boston.
I won't say we're better than Boston until I see the full product out on the court. However, on paper, if we're healthy, I do think we may be better.
We're probably better than Boston if Bynum is healthy since we had the best record at one point, and play in the West. With Gasol it seems to put us over the top and end this little downward spiral we were going into. The only thing stopping us from getting crowned is if more injuries occur or if Lamar continues to lose his mind at an increasing rate.
I think this move helps Odom more than anyone actually. He was playing some pretty good ball until Bynum got hurt because we weren't relying on him to score as much. Now, he'll be able to be the 3rd option again and he'll be used more to create shots for others. I think he'll be ok and hopefully this deal helps him get out of his recent funk.
enough with the Kidd thing, it wont happen. We traded our two most appealing pieces (Kwame's contract & Javaris). Besides, that is going to kill us financially. Word is that we need Odom's contract to expire next year anyhow, so that we have money to give Bynum his extension, not to mention Kobe's extension. If anything, instead of hoping for the Lakers to pursue all these high profile players looking for big contracts - Kidd wants an extension - expect the Lakers to attempt to shed as many contracts as they can to keep the 'big 3' in tact, without going so far over the luxury tax threshold. Keep in mind they will need a little bit of coin to extend Farmar as well, and probably Ronny as well. As deep as this team is right now - we are possibly the deepest team in the NBA from 1-12, I expect to see a lot of turnover amongst the roll players over the next two years.
