OT - Could the Dwight Howard soap opera be over??

[Deano]

ESPN is reporting the deal is getting close with cry baby Howard going to the Lakers. Even more reason to hate the Lakers now.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8...-los-angeles-lakers-four-team-deal-very-close

 

[CorduroyG]

next june: kobe, nash and dwight vs lebron wade and bosh. that would be the highest rated finals ever.

now theres reports that gasol isnt involved in the trade. kobe, nash, dwight and gasol? holy canoli.

 

[MyMeloMyMan]

What an organization to play for. The Lakers just always seem to make the right move to remain title contenders.

 

[Francis03]

Wow so the magics would trade Dwight and get neither Bynum or Gasol smh. I didn't know Scott Layden and Zeke Thomas were running the magics now.

 

[CorduroyG]

trade will be submitted to league office friday morning, and its without gasol. wow. as a laker fan im pretty giddy right now. looks like ill be getting the league pass this year. stern better not deny this one!

 

[Feelingmelo]

If they can get the local kid Bynum to resign, Philly made out on this deal as well.

 

[mountaincuse]

Just when i started to like Kobe - now Howard is there and I can't root for him.

 

[MyMeloMyMan]

Kobe is gonna pass Jordan. Crazy... what a lucky man to play with Shaq and D12 in their primes.

 

[RF2044]

Kobe is gonna pass Jordan. Crazy... what a lucky man to play with Shaq and D12 in their primes.

Kobe won't win another championship. He is just about out of gas.

 

[MyMeloMyMan]

Kobe won't win another championship. He is just about out of gas.

With D12, Gasol, Nash, etc...they can afford to keep him fresh until playoff time. This really sets up just about perfect for the Bean. A pick and roll point guard and the BEST pick and roll big man in the game today. Wow.

Kobe just pissed in Lebron and Durant's Wheaties. "Not yet, kids, not yet"

 

[RF2044]

With D12, Gasol, Nash, etc...they can afford to keep him fresh until playoff time. This really sets up just about perfect for the Bean. A pick and roll point guard and the BEST pick and roll big man in the game today. Wow.

Kobe just pissed in Lebron and Durant's Wheaties. "Not yet, kids, not yet"

LOL--I doubt it.

The Lakers haven't run with a traditional point guard since before Phil got there. It remains to be seen how Nash / Kobe will coexist. The Bean has a lot of miles on the tires. Who starts at 3? Impressive talent at the bigs, not giving up Gasol was a coup.

 

[MyMeloMyMan]

LOL--I doubt it.

The Lakers haven't run with a traditional point guard since before Phil got there. It remains to be seen how Nash / Kobe will coexist. The Bean has a lot of miles on the tires. Who starts at 3? Impressive talent at the bigs, not giving up Gasol was a coup.

OKC will certainly still have a say out West, but they are going to have to shoot the lights out to beat the Lakers. LAL will own the glass if they go with a front line of D12, Gasol and Artest. Nash and Kobe's defensive liabilities will be cleaned up by Dwight as well.

Miami has ZERO size to contend with the LAL if they were to meet them in the Finals. Bosh against D12? Dwight might average 35/17 in that series.

 

[moqui]

With D12, Gasol, Nash, etc...they can afford to keep him fresh until playoff time. This really sets up just about perfect for the Bean. A pick and roll point guard and the BEST pick and roll big man in the game today. Wow.

Kobe just pissed in Lebron and Durant's Wheaties. "Not yet, kids, not yet"

don't schedule the parade just yet. the Lakers will field:

• a 38 year old point guard learning (a) a brand new system and (b) discovering he is no longer the first or even second star
• a 33 year old shooting guard with the mileage of a 37 year old and in clear decline
• a 33 year old SF also in clear decline
• a 32 year old PF in mild decline
• a petulant center coming off of back surgery

major coup for Kupchak and Jim Buss, no doubt, but it's still an old team with no room to maneuver financially

that new Orlando GM should be run out of the league. both the NJ and Houston deals gave him better talent and more salary relief. Trading the best big in the league for pennies on the dollar is bad enough, sending him to the Lakers is a crime. I only half jokingly wonder if he's getting some kind of a kickback.

 

[MyMeloMyMan]

Fair points Moqui. Chemistry between Nash/Dwight/Kobe might be interesting, but I'd expect D12 and Nash to kiss Kobe's rings the first season and let him dictate how everything will work.

Are you telling me Miami wouldn't have offered Bosh and a 1st to Orlando? Houston's deal looked better as well... even the Hawks would have given more. Very strange...

 

[moqui]

OKC will certainly still have a say out West, but they are going to have to shoot the lights out to beat the Lakers. LAL will own the glass if they go with a front line of D12, Gasol and Artest. Nash and Kobe's defensive liabilities will be cleaned up by Dwight as well.

Miami has ZERO size to contend with the LAL if they were to meet them in the Finals. Bosh against D12? Dwight might average 35/17 in that series.

so, you're saying that Lebron has no chance - none - to win the title next year? How'd that work out for you last time?

 

[MyMeloMyMan]

so, you're saying that Lebron has no chance - none - to win the title next year? How'd that work out for you last time?

Of course he has a shot... but Wade's knees have to scare you a little bit, along with the lack of size. The Lakers or Thunder will have to really work to win the west, whereas Miami shouldn't have too much trouble in the East (barring injury again).

 

[RF2044]

Fair points Moqui. Chemistry between Nash/Dwight/Kobe might be interesting, but I'd expect D12 and Nash to kiss Kobe's rings the first season and let him dictate how everything will work.

Nash has had his greatest impact predominating the ball. Guess what? So does Kobe.

It is an interesting team from a name perspective, but Moqui is right--several of the principals are over the hill, and it remains to be seen how they can share the ball and coexist.

 

[RF2044]

don't schedule the parade just yet. the Lakers will field:

• a 38 year old point guard learning (a) a brand new system and (b) discovering he is no longer the first or even second star
• a 33 year old shooting guard with the mileage of a 37 year old and in clear decline
• a 33 year old SF also in clear decline
• a 32 year old PF in mild decline
• a petulant center coming off of back surgery

major coup for Kupchak and Jim Buss, no doubt, but it's still an old team with no room to maneuver financially


that new Orlando GM should be run out of the league. both the NJ and Houston deals gave him better talent and more salary relief. Trading the best big in the league for pennies on the dollar is bad enough, sending him to the Lakers is a crime. I only half jokingly wonder if he's getting some kind of a kickback.

You are so right on both counts, Moqui.

Just a bizarre trade for Orlando--he CLEARLY [not even debatable] had better trades on the table earlier on. Not sure why they pulled the trigger on this one, after derailing the other, better offers by being obstinate.

 

[MyMeloMyMan]

"Half price night at the Amway Center" will be seen on billboards throughout the Orlando area over the next few seasons.

 

[Francis03]

"Half price night at the Amway Center" will be seen on billboards throughout the Orlando area over the next few seasons.

When a player known as Big Baby, is your most popular player then you know something isn't right lol.

 

[The General]

Kobe was 30 points or so from winning the scoring title last season. His decline is stil really good. I expect him to close the Olympics strong.

They have Jamison to spell Gasol, they will likely sign Barbosa. They know they have to manage minutes better. Kobe's minutes last season were the most in 5 years. Not smart Mike Brown.

Orlando panicked. That's what happens when you hire a 30 year old GM. Kupchak on the other hand has pulled of the Gasol trade, drafted Bynum, grabbed Nash and now Howard.

 

[CorduroyG]

don't schedule the parade just yet. the Lakers will field:

• a 38 year old point guard learning (a) a brand new system and (b) discovering he is no longer the first or even second star
• a 33 year old shooting guard with the mileage of a 37 year old and in clear decline
• a 33 year old SF also in clear decline
• a 32 year old PF in mild decline
• a petulant center coming off of back surgery

major coup for Kupchak and Jim Buss, no doubt, but it's still an old team with no room to maneuver financially


that new Orlando GM should be run out of the league. both the NJ and Houston deals gave him better talent and more salary relief. Trading the best big in the league for pennies on the dollar is bad enough, sending him to the Lakers is a crime. I only half jokingly wonder if he's getting some kind of a kickback.

they'll also be fielding

-one of the greatest point guards of all time who finished 2nd in the league in assists last year and led the league the 2 years before that, tied his career high in fg% last year, and finished 4th in the league in true shooting %
-one of the greatest players of all time who finished 2nd in the league in scoring last year and 14th in efficiency (his best in 3 years). he played too many minutes last year, that shouldnt be a problem this year.
-agree about world peace, although he was playing great down the stretch until the elbow
-one of the most skilled big men in the nba who was the 8th most efficient player in the league last year
-the greatest center of his generation who is entering the prime of his career and is a monster in the pick and roll, something that 38 year old pg he'll be playing with excels at too.


also throw in a guy who averaged 17ppg last year coming off the bench. this team could be ridiculous.

 

[Knicks411]

There is something to be said for the age of the 3 best players after Dwight. The Phoenix medical team seems to get a ton of credit for keeping Nash healthy; I'll be interested to see how healthy Nash is this year with the Lakers. And there may be a lot of mis matched talent, especially with Nash and Kobe in the back court.

But at the same time, look at the 2009 Magic. They went to the finals with the best players other than Dwight being Jameer Nelson (who was injured a lot of the year), Hedo, and Rashard Lewis. Kobe and Gasol especially have a long way to drop to get to that level. Now that Dwight is in LA, I don't think he's going to be all that petulant. The back surgery seems to be an underrated storyline; I am not sure what the recovery is supposed to be, but assuming he's all systems go come opening night, the Lakers should be a great team. Orlando won 50 games plus (including 59 twice) the last 4 full seasons Dwight played, and he's going to be surrounded by better players in LA than Orlando.

 

[longislandcuse]

I can't tell how I feel about this move. I wonder if L.A. will run into the same issue NYK have with Tyson and Amare. Interesting to see how Pau and Dwight mix. Also Nash is a good 3 point shooter but Kobe, as good as he is, and Artest arent lights out shooters. Kobe is more of a jump shooter now than Melo, but Melo had trouble finding room to operate with two bigs clogging the lane. I do think they could win the West though, I am not completely sold on OKC protecting their WC championship. Westbrook is going to give L.A. nightmares and Durant will get his, Harden is a great piece off the bench but is that enough to get them back to the Finals with the L.A. move? Definately going to be a fun season.

Bynum to Philly and Iggy to Denver are great for both teams. Orlando uhhhhh What were you trying to do lol?

 

[Knicks411]

I think there may be some issues with Dwight and Gasol both in the post. But it's still Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol, you know?

Also Nash is a good 3 point shooter but Kobe, as good as he is, and Artest arent lights out shooters.

I was thinking about this but didn't say it in the post; Orlando's offense basically revolved around posting up Dwight and spreading the court with shooters and finding the open man when the double on Dwight came. Obviously the focus of the offense will be different this year, but outside of Nash the Lakers don't have a ton of shooting.

Bynum to Philly and Iggy to Denver are great for both teams. Orlando uhhhhh What were you trying to do lol?

It's unbelievable that Orlando traded the bes tplayer and got probably the worst package.