Brand is slightly better than Gasol. I'd take Bynum over Kaman, and Thornton is good, but I wouldn't say he's that much better than Odom, already. Factor in Kobe, the Lakers are still the better team.
I like Brand way more than Gasol because he's tough on the inside and plays better D and is a much better shot blocker. Bynum vs Kaman is a real ? Kaman had a very good year before getting injured as did Bynum. How each of them bounces back and improves will be a major influence on both teams ability to win the division.
Kaman = Bynum, Brand is much better than Gasol, and I'll take Thorton over inconsistent Odom. Don't sleep on Tim Thomas either. You guys still have Kobe though, and that is the major X factor. But Baron, Mobley, Ross, Gordon, and possibly even Livingston doesn't sound that bad to me....................Clippers will give the Lakers and the rest of the West a run for their money next year........
Lol did you really just mention Tim Thomas? That is like us saying don't sleep on Vladimir Radmanovic. I am much more partial to Brand than Gasol, but I don't think the advantage is that much in favor of the Clippers. I'd take Gasol's offensive game, but Brand's defensive game and his toughness. Both are all-star caliber PF's though and both have been career losers.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Black Mamba @ Jul 2 2008, 01:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Brand is slightly better than Gasol. I'd take Bynum over Kaman, and Thornton is good, but I wouldn't say he's that much better than Odom, already. Factor in Kobe, the Lakers are still the better team.</div> This is all assuming that the Lakers backup pgs dont sabotage the game, jk. I think that the Lakers are still a much better squad and have a MUCH better coach to top it off. The only problem is Fisher's ability to guard elite pgs. A big part of why the Lakers picked up GP a few years back is because Fisher was constantly getting smoked in the playoffs (Bibby, Parker, etc).
It's great to see you back, I don't know if you remember me, over @ JBB I was: Kobe 8 Ball, TheLakerShow, K8B, etc...hahah I had so many user names there.
Andrew Bynum > Chris Kaman - Bynum should be healthy and ready to go at the start of the season. Last year, when the two matched up, Bynum definitely outplayed Kaman. He couldn't be stopped. Gasol < Brand Odom > Thorton Kobe > Davis Lakers bench > Clippers bench Lakers coach > Clippers coach Lakers > Clippers
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jurassic @ Jul 2 2008, 01:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I think that the Lakers are still a much better squad and have a MUCH better coach to top it off. The only problem is Fisher's ability to guard elite pgs. A big part of why the Lakers picked up GP a few years back is because Fisher was constantly getting smoked in the playoffs (Bibby, Parker, etc).</div> Fisher actually did a terrific job in the playoffs this year against guys like Deron Williams and Tony Parker
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Brian @ Jul 2 2008, 02:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jurassic @ Jul 2 2008, 01:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I think that the Lakers are still a much better squad and have a MUCH better coach to top it off. The only problem is Fisher's ability to guard elite pgs. A big part of why the Lakers picked up GP a few years back is because Fisher was constantly getting smoked in the playoffs (Bibby, Parker, etc).</div> Fisher actually did a terrific job in the playoffs this year against guys like Deron Williams and Tony Parker </div> That don't mean shit because he let Rajon Rondo rape him.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Andrew Bynum > Chris Kaman - Bynum should be healthy and ready to go at the start of the season. Last year, when the two matched up, Bynum definitely outplayed Kaman. He couldn't be stopped. Gasol < Brand Odom > Thorton Kobe > Davis Lakers bench > Clippers bench Lakers coach > Clippers coach Lakers > Clippers</div> for the last time the lakers bench sucks........I'm sorry but there is no "true" 6th man. There are numerous teams with better benches.......Mobley alone is better than anything off the lakers bench. Lakers need to ship out Odom for a replacement....with the Spurs and Clippers getting better, and Portland getting Oden back, along with The Hornets and Jazz, the West will be tough again next year.......
Okay... I said the Laker's bench is better than the Clipper's bench. We were one of the highest scoring benches in the league before Bynum went down
I don't see how. Player for player that bench isn't that great. Walton = stiff Vujacic = good shooter...but that's about it Turiaf = I like the dude, because he really loves the game....but he's nothing more than a black Mark Madsen Radamonovic = if you guys get him back he'll be another spot up shooter, but his defense is poor and he can dissapear Mbenga = stiff Farmar = inconsistent Weren't the lakers trying to get Marion from Miami????
Um, assuming we resign our free agents... pg: Farmar sg: Vujacic sf: Ariza pf: Turiaf c: FA?? Yeah that's a pretty good bench. Again, we were one of the highest scoring benches in the NBA before Bynum went down. Obviously that accounts for something, does it not? And again, I never said we had the best bench in the NBA. I just said our bench is better than the Clipper's bench
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The Dream @ Jul 2 2008, 03:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Andrew Bynum > Chris Kaman - Bynum should be healthy and ready to go at the start of the season. Last year, when the two matched up, Bynum definitely outplayed Kaman. He couldn't be stopped. Gasol < Brand Odom > Thorton Kobe > Davis Lakers bench > Clippers bench Lakers coach > Clippers coach Lakers > Clippers</div> for the last time the lakers bench sucks........I'm sorry but there is no "true" 6th man. There are numerous teams with better benches.......Mobley alone is better than anything off the lakers bench. Lakers need to ship out Odom for a replacement....with the Spurs and Clippers getting better, and Portland getting Oden back, along with The Hornets and Jazz, the West will be tough again next year....... </div> Lol getting Oden back? He needs to first establish himself in the league before he is even mentioned as an impact player. Also, he's coming back from a far worse knee injury than Bynum is, a bit hypocritical to throw him out there, yet question Bynum's health, isn't it? I'll take Ariza's defense, slashing abilities, and his improved jumper over Mobley, as well. Ariza is going to play a huge role for the Lakers this year, that's why he didn't opt out. The Hornets don't scare anybody, they're still a couple of pieces away from being legit playoff contenders. Utah is always a threat, but they're not as good as the Lakers or Spurs, and maybe not even the Clippers, now. And our bench sucks? We had one of the best benches in the league. Individually the players might not be that great, but as a unit, they were one of the best in the league.
that bench has got to get better and Odom needs to go.....if one or both of those things don't happen, I don't see the Lakers getting out of the West next year.......
We came out the west last year without Bynum, our starting center, and with Gasol playing out of position. We came out of the west last year without our second best defender, Trevor Ariza. I don't see what the big deal is. All of a sudden, just because we lost to the Celtics in 6 in the Finals, teams like the Spurs (who we beat in 5), Jazz, and Hornets are better than us? Keep in mind we made it all the way to the Finals, and took the Celtics to 6 games without two important players. You take a Kendric Perkins and a James Posey from the Celtics, I'm sure the Finals would have been much different.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The Dream @ Jul 2 2008, 03:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>that bench has got to get better and Odom needs to go.....if one or both of those things don't happen, I don't see the Lakers getting out of the West next year.......</div> Thanks for your insight, Marc Stein. We got out of the west this year just fine and with Bynum coming back, we'll only get better. Our bench is fine just the way it is. We just need to add some defensive minded, physical vets, and we'll be back in the Finals. Odom doesn't NEED to go, either. It'd be nice to unload him, but minus the Boston series, he did have a nice playoff run.
The Lakers depend on Odom too much for him to be inconsistent. Lake show made it out of the West this past season, but teams will and are getting better............
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The Dream @ Jul 2 2008, 04:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>The Lakers depend on Odom too much for him to be inconsistent. Lake show made it out of the West this past season, but teams will and are getting better............</div> We don't depend too much on Odom, next year, he'll be the fourth option behind Kobe, Pau, and Bynum Teams are getting better, and so will we. We will have our starting center next year, Andrew Bynum (who is only 20 years old and will get better and better), and our second best defender back healthy in Trevor Ariza. I don't know what you're talking about.
You're inflating Ariza's value. He's nothing more than a servicable swing man off the bench...And Odom does a lot of creating to free up Gasol and Bynum. That's why when he was going Pau would also be clicking..........he has an important role in the triangle. I still think it would be wise to move Odom for some talent that shows up every night......
