It has been apparent for over a year now that KP intends to bring Kobe here, no matter what the cost. Nothing has changed.
Not really. He's much bigger. He takes the ball to the hole more frequently. Much more aggressive personality on the court. He's not nearly the 3-ball threat that Martell is. However, he's showing this season that he's very capable of shooting the long ball. More versatile forward IMO. Doesn't quite have the handles I'd like for my SF, but if he can get free of his man and he's got any sort of driving lane, the dude is going to jam it down your throat. His problem has been consistency. Hopefully they can play him more at the SF as soon as Smith gets back.
and that's what would suck. we would have to either a) overpay to pry him away or b) work out a sign-and-trade. So my question to you or anyone else. If Marvin continues to improve, to say the level that Josh Smith got to last year, would you offer the same contract that Smith got, and would Atlanta match that in a heartbeat? I think they would.
Watching Gerald Wallace right now (NBATV). Man, REALLY liking his game! I think he'd be a fine fit here, actually.
Absolutely! We've got more jump shooting specialists than you can shake a stick at on this roster, so I don't want to hear any more of this crap about "we need a 3 that can spread the defense," that's what Rudy, Blake, Travis and Lamarcus are for (LMA not a three point threat, but a great 17-20' mid range shooter).
For the sake of argument though, what about a SF that can both shoot from outside and take it to the hole? I mean if we're having our pick of the best player to add to our team why not go all out and select one with fewer weaknesses. Just sayin.
That's the feeling that I get too. It would be funny though if we offered Kobe a big deal AND Marvin Williams.
Do you really believe that or just messing with peoples minds? If you are serious then what is your reasoning?
I've agreed for some time. Wallace is a defender and a slasher and an athlete and unselfish. He'd be a great fit... and what we all hope Batum is four or five years from now. I am having troubles really enjoying the game because of John Nash. The dude fucked our team up so badly. At least the picture is magnificent. It pisses me off that Comcast Sports Northwest (or whatever it's called) can't look like this. Ed O.
Pritchard has targeted the '09 free agent market. He has spoken about this coming free agency again and again. Who else on the list would you consider a big name worth signing? Iverson? Right... Marion? I don't think so. Most of the big name restricted free agents are gone. Kobe is the only name that would be worth the money. The question is, will he opt out? I think he will. The other question is, if he opts out and the Blazers throw huge money at him, would he say no? Would you turn down a chance to play with Brandon Roy, Aldridge, Oden, and Rudy? I guess it depends on how well the Blazers do this season.
I might be totally fishing on this one, but I still get the feeling that Kobe might like the idea of going somewhere completely fresh and winning a title. But there's always the "small market vs. large market" argument. Would he be willing to play in Portland vs LA or NY? I'm not sure. I just know that Kobe wants to win another championship badly. He has a chance with the Lakers, so I'm not convinced he would leave. I do believe, however, that Portland has a longer window, which could entice him. Either way, it's fun to speculate. What would you do Rizzle, if Kobe signed with the Blazers this summer?
But we don't have our pick. We can't get any player we want, only ones that are available. Very few players possess no flaws in their game and none of them are realistically available. Gerald Wallace is actually quite a multi-faceted player and he really shouldn't be available (and I'm still a bit skeptical that he is). He plays great defense, he has positional flexibility, he's an efficient and productive scorer and he rebounds very well for a wing. Plus, he's not an old player. He's only in his age-26 year. You'll be hard-pressed to find such a good and young player available that you might be able to get without giving up one of the core.
Kobe is the oldest of the key players on the Lakers, I believe. The window there basically goes with him, so I don't think that's an enticement. In addition, there's the market size, the glamour of the team and the money (the Lakers can give him more, by CBA rules, than Portland can). When money, glamour, market size and certain contention are all in one place, the place he already is (he also loves the area, from reports), I see basically a zero percent chance that he'll change teams.
Well put Minstrel. I think we're in a unique position though, that we can offer a number of quality young players AND cap space for an All-Star caliber player. We have some very talented guys that we can throw into a trade. Outlaw has good value around the league. I really think we could get someone like Wallace if we offered up Outlaw and LaFrentz, with a couple others. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
You're probably right, buy as far as the window goes, Gasol is 28 and I've never been a huge Gasol fan regardless of age. Odom is probably on his way out of town. That leaves guys like Bynum, Farmar, and Vujacic. If you did a side-by-side comparison of the two rosters, who would you say has the brighter future? I think LA has a much better chance of winning a championship this season, and maybe next season, but I don't think they will be a better team three years from now. Kobe has to think future. If he's looking at what will more than likely be his final contract in the NBA, why would he sign with the Lakers when they realistically don't have a second star? Wasn't there some article this month about winning championships with more than one star player? Who is the other star on LA? I felt that was the main reason why Boston was able to shut the Lakers down in the Finals last season. They focused on Kobe and the Lakers' offense collapsed. Has that changed? I'm still not sold on Bynum as a star. I think he's solid, but a star? Not sure yet. The Blazers have one All-Star already in Roy, and at least two other potential stars in Oden and Aldridge. Not to mention Rudy. I completely concede the glamour argument, Portland can't compete with that, and the market size is unquestionable. But once you've reached a certain status, do you really need that market?
If Miles were signed to a ten game contract would his ten game suspension for drug violations bar him from playing or would he sit out ten games, then play?
He'd have to sit out the six games or so that his team played during those ten days, and then the ten day contract would expire and he'd be a free agent again, with a four-game suspension left.
