Captnhowdy
2nd String
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- Mar 27, 2013
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I can just imagine now Kobe being amnestied by the Lakers out of nowhere and the fan base going ape over it. What a day that would be.
On Dwight- I'm in the Bill Simmons, Colin Cowherd camp, Dwight has peaked. He is a player whose dominance is predicated on athleticism. He has no post up game. And he never will. He may have a couple good years left in him but like Sean Kemp and Amare, the decline is on the way. He did not protect the rim last year for the Lakers. He wasn't explosive. Maybe its the back. Or maybe its the slow decent.
Kobe will never be amnestied. My bigger fear is how much they sign him for in '14. It obviously can't be a max deal but will Kobe play for 15 mil or less? He's not a Tim Duncan. He's not getting lowballed.
They will amnesty Metta. They will eventually trade Nash if they can (Toronto makes sense). They will have zero players under contract for the '14 free agent class. Lebron is likely staying in Miami. Paul George and Kyrie Irving are restricted and their teams will match. The only guy I see opting out and coming is Melo. I love Melo and would love him to be a Laker but could there be a worse fit than Melo and Kobe? Melo and Dantoni?
They already tried that and it didn't work. They did have Stoudamire that did help wreck that team but I doubt Lakers make a run for 'Melo with Dantoni at the helm.
On Dwight- I'm in the Bill Simmons, Colin Cowherd camp, Dwight has peaked. He is a player whose dominance is predicated on athleticism.
They will amnesty Metta. They will eventually trade Nash if they can (Toronto makes sense). They will have zero players under contract for the '14 free agent class. Lebron is likely staying in Miami. Paul George and Kyrie Irving are restricted and their teams will match. The only guy I see opting out and coming is Melo. I love Melo and would love him to be a Laker but could there be a worse fit than Melo and Kobe? Melo and Dantoni?
In any case, that point of view was demonstrated to be false last season. With a bad back and a torn labrum - limiting his athleticism - D12 still managed to lead the league in rebounding and post a PER close to 20.
He may have "peaked," but a decline does not always immediately follow a peak - there can be a long plateau. If he stays healthy, I'll bet he will post a PER above 20 and be the top center in the league for the entire length of his new contract.
This is kind of where the max salary helps. I don't know if Dwight is ever going to be the player he was in the 2008-2011 period (when he was one of the three best players in the league, IMO), but he doesn't need to be like that to be worth his contract. Like you said, if he puts up a 20 PER or whatever, with the good defense, he will be worth the max deal.
Lakers are leaning towards keeping Metta. Amnesty would save them 19 mil in luxury tax. I imagine he will be moved to a contender later this year for picks but that's a lot to pay for Ron.
Fyi, Kobe has one friend, Melo. They were spotted out to dinner together Sunday night in Newport. And Stephen A. said this AM that it was 50/50 on whether Melo would be a Laker next year. Take it all for what it's worth. Maybe nothing. Maybe something.
Bounce Dantoni, sign Melo, sign Cousins. Or wait til '15 for Rondo, Love. Options remain. They also have their pick in '14 which could be in the lottery. Would it shock anyone to see the ball bounce their way?
The cupboard won't be bare long.
Yeah, for whatever reason, Kobe really seems to respect Melo's game and has always seemed to want to play alongside him.
And somehow Melo can tolerate Kobe's tyrannical behavior. I think Kobe respects Melo's work ethic. It's my dream to see Melo in a Laker uniform.
Much less of a dream, I'd like them to sign Wes. Just once I want to see a Cuse guy in purple and gold. Not sure it's ever happened.
I agree he is worth the money, that's the nature of the league. Just don't know if he will ever lead a team to a title. And that is how he will be measured. Not on PER. Guys who win titles are serious when the ball tips, Kobe, Duncan, Lebron. They aren't around. Dwight seems to lack that edge.
Will be fascinating to see how it plays out. Howard is out of excuse if this doesn't go well. He got what he wanted. I don't see Harden dumping it into the post 20 times a game for a dude who has no post moves and can't hit free throws. Gonna get old, fast. Is it Harden's team or Dwight's? The problem with Dwight is he refuses to accept what he is, a great defensive player and rebounder. Great in transition. Average offensive game. But he demands the ball.
Wes will land somewhere on a cheap deal and end up being a bargain.
Wes will land somewhere on a cheap deal and end up being a bargain.
Not trying to troll or anything, but I've seen this sentiment in a few places, am I missing something? I mean, he cracked 40% for the first time in his career, but on the other hand, he cracked 40% for the first time in his career.
Not trying to troll or anything, but I've seen this sentiment in a few places, am I missing something? I mean, he cracked 40% for the first time in his career, but on the other hand, he cracked 40% for the first time in his career.
The cupboard won't be bare long.
His #s after the all-star break were pretty decent. He's hurt because people remember him as a lottery bust though. I look at a guy like Demarre Carrol, who has a new contract, and isn't the player Wes is, especially considering he settled in once he got some consistent run. Wes will land somewhere and he still has some upside, especially on a really cheap deal.
I watched some Jazz games and picked Carroll for a reason. Wes is a better player.I guess, he shot 42.6% from the field after the break, which is really only good in comparison. And it's a really small sample.
Carroll was a pretty good player last year. He played over 1,000 minutes with a PER of 15.5. Wes has a career PER of 9.5.
I dunno, I'm not trying to be a hater here, but I see pretty much nothing from Wes.
The cupboard won't be bare because they have a revenue stream and the NBA is a game of musical chairs - everyone wants to land on a seat and keep playing. But, there is no reason for any title-driven superstar to sign up with the Lakers - they have no stable to offer them. Unless a future superstar lands in their lap in the 2014 draft, I think that the balance of the decade is going to resemble the Nick Van Exel/Cedric Ceballos era.
Unless, of course, Jimmy B eats humble pie and lets Phil Jackson run the basketball operations. Phil alone would lure quality FAs and could become the West Coast Pat Riley.
Eh, I think that there are still plenty of reasons to want to be a Laker. They aren't going to suddenly turn into the Bucks. Phil is looming. It's a matter of time. Phil can't go a day without a Laker related tweet..
Why would Melo stay with the Knicks? They are going nowhere.