HOWARD TRADED TO LAKERS

[Irishnuke]

Funny watching Lakers fans celebrate as if they've won next years NBA championship already. They're still not better than OKC.

 

[NDdomer2]

I will agree with that but we aren't going to get ran out of the gym anymore either. I see you are a Bulls fan. I have been telling my buddy who is a real band wagoner, suddenly is a Heat fan, that the Bulls were the best team in the league this year and would have won it all if not for Rose going down.

 

[NDinFL]

Funny watching Lakers fans celebrate as if they've won next years NBA championship already. They're still not better than OKC.

I would agree...

Nash is ancient, and Kobe is getting on in he years too...

OKC could still run LA and San Antonio out of the gym

 

[NDdomer2]

Gold Swagger-haha GOOOO Pacers lol

 

[NDinFL]

Gold Swagger-haha GOOOO Pacers lol

Been a fan since Miller time...

Mock my team if you want, OKC is still the team to beat in the west.

 

[Me2SouthBend]

I didn't see your thread last night. My bad man wasn't trying to steal your thunder. I got a text about the trade, came to the Professional Sports section didn't see anything and started a thread. Thought the few Lakers fans would like to discuss it but it turns out a bunch of haters would rather just rag on the NBA and call us band wagoners.

I am pretty excited about getting Chris Duhon and Lewis Clark in the deal as well. I expect the Lakers are done making moves this offseason now. What say you?

Can you imagine that we practically traded Bynum and Odom plus a couple draft picks for Nash and Howard? And I thought we were stealing in the Gasol trade. THIS IS STEALING.

No worries about the multi threads, and they are likely done for this offseason. This will be a different team than the one we last witnessed. Nash will make a bigger difference than Howard, but make no mistake, both are upgrades. Nash is by no means done. Lots of haters out there fo' sure.

Agreed. Here is another example. I am a Lakers fan but live in NM. I was born and raised here and really only lived somewhere else during my time in South Bend for school. However, I am a Lakers fan because when I was young there was a player on the team called Michael Cooper. Some may remember him. He was on the Show time Lakers with Magic, Scott, Worthy, etc. Guess where old Michael Cooper went to college? UNM. He was the talk of everybody here during that time because he went to school here. He would always come back during the off season and have basketball camps for kids (which I really enjoyed). So I started following him and therefore the Lakers. Been a fan ever since.

I am a Dodges fan because their triple A affiliate is in Albuquerque. They were the Dukes when I was a kid and now they are the Isotopes. Nothing like seeing some of the great Dodgers coming through here on the way to LA or having rehab assignments.

Larry Bird was quoted as saying the toughest defender he ever went up against was Michael Cooper. I remember him well, actually saw him live a couple of times against the Celts at the old Garden. Those were wars.

 

[NDinFL]

I just wonder how much gas Nash has left in the tank?

He's, what? 40?

(legitame inquiry)

 

[NDdomer2]

Been a fan since Miller time...

Mock my team if you want, OKC is still the team to beat in the west.

Miller was one of my all time favorites. I just don't like the franchise and most importantly Larry Bird.

If you look up a few posts you will see that I agree they are the best team in the West still. So I am not sure what you are trying to get at on this thread?

 

[NDinFL]

Just want to talk NBA I suppose, not trying to troll.

What will your starting 5 potentially look like this coming season?

 

[NDdomer2]

Nash, Kobe, Metta (which is weird saying still), Gasol, Howard

Bench:

Antwan Jamison (Did he look into the future or what)
Steve Blake
Chris Duhon
Devin Ebanks
Jordan Hill
Josh McRoberts (who I absolutley HATE, and wish we would trade or amnesty)
Darius Morris
Earl Clark
Christian Eyenga

Then our draft picks:
Darius Johnson-Odom
Robert Sacre

 

[NDinFL]

Duhon is a great guy to have coming off the bench....

A lot of the other guys I don't really know, (aside from the obvious ones)

You guys ditched Adam Morrison?

(btw, I'm still confused why we drafted Plumlee in the 1st)

 

[NDdomer2]

Duhon is a great guy to have coming off the bench....

A lot of the other guys I don't really know, (aside from the obvious ones)

You guys ditched Adam Morrison?

(btw, I'm still confused why we drafted Plumlee in the 1st)

Yeah, that's the Bird for you. Don't get me wrong he saved his reputation this last year in a half with some of the guys he brought in but overall I don't think he should have even been in that position by the time made those decisions. The plumlee draft is a super laugh. Some many other players he could have picked instead.

Jordan Hill was a guy we got in the D Fish trade. He is a high effort big man who will provide quality minutes off the bench. Glad we resigned him this offesason. He is capable of 5 pts 10 boards if you ask me but 5 and 5 from him every night will be perfect.

Devin Ebanks was our 2nd round draft pick a couple years ago- Great athleticism, good effort, just needs a lot of work on jump shot.

Steve Blake was practically our starter at pg last year even though D Fish or Sessions always "started" he will provide quality minutes for Nash, as he is getting older and unable to play the minutes he used to. Blake's three point shooting improved last year from the year before but it can still be better. Hopefully less minutes and better looks will help. 10 a game from Blake isn't impossible but if he is around 6-8 a game its all they should need.

Antwan Jamison- HUGE pick up for the Lakers. He could have got much more money and started by signing with some scrub team as he career ppg is around 17 I believe. Takes the veteran minimum to come off the bench. Can't wait to see what he brings to the team. He isn't the greatest defender, he even admits, but with the bigs behind him now we can somewhat make up for it.

Chris Duhon- as you mentioned is a great addition to our bench. The ability to play the 1 or 2 is awesome. He is a career 36% from 3 and shot over 40 last year. This will be his biggest asset to the team. if he stays on his carrer ppg of over 6 perfect. Two threes a game should be easy to come by.

Those 5 will get almost all the bench minutes. The other guys are just bodies in case of fouls/injuries. Unless one of the younger guys ends up figuring it our along the way I don't expect to see them.

Earl Clark is an athletic big man but don't see him getting many minutes over Howard, Gasol, Hill.

McRoberts is the equivalent of a hockey bruiser.

The Lakers before the Howard trade were looking for a true SG to back up Kobe as last year we used Goudelock (college pg who has some scoring ability but undersized for the position) and Barnes (a true 3 man).

My guess is that Duhon will fill this role more now which leaves little minutes for DJO, Morris, Goudelock, Eyenga.

Darius Johnson Odom, Darius Morris, Christian Eyenga, and Andrew Goudelock (who I think I forgot on my last post) are all guards and I think will struggle to find minutes.

Christian Eyenga was a player we got in a trade that has some serious upside be he is a small forward in a guard body (can run and jump out the gym but not passing/shooting). His reports from summer ball were good but I don't buy much of that crap until I see it consistently in regular season.

Morris was said to have really put on some strength this offseason and looked like he was getting to the rim really well so maybe he gets a few here and there but doubtful.

 

[NDdomer2]

 

[ChiRish]

Yeah this is complete b.s.

Idk how the lakers get that deal and the Knicks consistently get trade raped

James Dolan.

 

[ChiRish]

Funny watching Lakers fans celebrate as if they've won next years NBA championship already. They're still not better than OKC.

Dwight Howard. Pau Gasol. Kobe Bryant. Steve Nash.

This team isn't better than OKC? On paper, which is all we have to go with now, you can most definitely make the argument that they are.

 

[irishog77]

James Dolan.

And that maestro of a GM/President-- Isiah Thomas.

Was gkIrish sleeping through the last 12 years of Knicks basketball??

 

[NDinL.A.]

Nash, Kobe, Metta (which is weird saying still), Gasol, Howard

Bench:

Antwan Jamison (Did he look into the future or what)
Steve Blake
Chris Duhon
Devin Ebanks
Jordan Hill
Josh McRoberts (who I absolutley HATE, and wish we would trade or amnesty)
Darius Morris
Earl Clark
Christian Eyenga

Then our draft picks:
Darius Johnson-Odom
Robert Sacre

First off, I LOVE the Lakers.

Now, I'd still take OKC in a 7 game series b/c of their explosiveness, their ability to defend our bigs one on one, and we still are too slow on the perimeter (who's going to check Durant and Westbrook?). Metta shouldn't be a starter, but who else do we have??? I love the addition of Jamison, but we still have basically 7 1/2 players (Blake being the .5).

Having said that, we just made that series a whole lot more interesting, and now at least we have a very good chance to beat them. I'd still take OKC, but they have something to worry about, no doubt...

 

[NDdomer2]

First off, I LOVE the Lakers.

Now, I'd still take OKC in a 7 game series b/c of their explosiveness, their ability to defend our bigs one on one, and we still are too slow on the perimeter (who's going to check Durant and Westbrook?). Metta shouldn't be a starter, but who else do we have??? I love the addition of Jamison, but we still have basically 7 1/2 players (Blake being the .5).

Having said that, we just made that series a whole lot more interesting, and now at least we have a very good chance to beat them. I'd still take OKC, but they have something to worry about, no doubt...

Agree, we may not be better than them, but we actually have a chance now.

 

[Kanye West]

Thunder/ Heat are still better. Things that might/will derail this team.
Nash is old and the dropoff might be huge year to year.
Kobe is selfish and will not like the dropoff in touches.
Back injuries can ruin careers and will affect Howard for a while.
Gasol and Howard might not mesh together.

This team has a 2-3 year window in which the Heat and Thunder will still be better.

 

[PraetorianND]

Thunder/ Heat are still better. Things that might/will derail this team.
Nash is old and the dropoff might be huge year to year.
Kobe is selfish and will not like the dropoff in touches.
Back injuries can ruin careers and will affect Howard for a while.
Gasol and Howard might not mesh together.

This team has a 2-3 year window in which the Heat and Thunder will still be better.

Injury issues can hurt any team. The Heat have had some big injury issues lately. Half of Miami's team is old as dirt too. I think OKC is going to have payroll issues.

I think LA's biggest issue is coaching.

 

[PraetorianND]

None of Miami's key pieces (Big 3) are over 32. 3 of the 4 of the Lakers are on their backside of their career. Especially Nash and Bryant

Miami's big 3 have had some pretty serious injury concerns age aside. What matters more injury history or age? I'd argue injury history. Look at Brandon Roy.

 

[NDPhilly]

You could make the argument Wade is on the backside of his career.

 

[Kanye West]

You could make the argument Wade is on the backside of his career.

He is.

 

[NDdomer2]

Looking like lakers add Meeks as well. Mitch K you deserve a pay raise sir.

was going to edit a previous post but it was page back i think. McRoberts and Eyenga went to magic in the deal. Thank you even more Mitch.

 

[gkIrish]

And that maestro of a GM/President-- Isiah Thomas.

Was gkIrish sleeping through the last 12 years of Knicks basketball??

It was a rhetorical question lol. I hate Dolan

 

[WhoDeyIrish]

The Lakers are loaded. I don't see how they can be stopped. Antawn Jamison off the bench is going to be huge. Jordan Hill is coming into his own and was a solid contributor off of the bench last year, after they traded for him. Lakers fans have a lot to look forward to. However, did somebody really say Chris Duhon is a solid addition?

I watch a ton of the NBA and I honestly have to clue why he is still in the league. He's freakin terrible. When he runs the point it's really atrocious to watch. He's a terrible ball handler. He's really too short to play the 2 but he is still considered a combo guard.

 

[koonja]

I'd love to bet a bunch of v-bucks that barring major injury (starting 5 or Harden), the Lakers take the west next year. For what it's worth, Vegas already has them as favorites.

 

[NDdomer2]

I'd love to bet a bunch of v-bucks that barring major injury (starting 5 or Harden), the Lakers take the west next year. For what it's worth, Vegas already has them as favorites.

Vegas having them as favorites is just good business. Everybody is still high emotion on this, whether its all for or against. Big bets both ways.

As far as Jordan Hill, I think that was Mitch priority no. 1 this offseason. The Lakers have had poor big man back up for a while, and considering other than beginning and end of games Pau and Bynum rarely were on court at same time a third quality big man was huge. Hill's successful playoff experience is going to be a boost for him this upcoming season.

Duhon has had two bad years at Orlando, but he is career 37% from three and will not need to handle ball much with Nash, Kobe, Blake and Meeks.

 

[AtkinsonsCleats]

I still dont think la is as strong as the heat, thunder, knicks, but they are still gonna be damn good

 

[notredomer23]

I still dont think la is as strong as the heat, thunder, knicks, but they are still gonna be damn good

Woah there haha. I am a pretty big Knicks fan but they do not belong in that group of teams you just mentioned. Unless Felton really steps it up at point guard this year we are at best a 3 seed come playoff time. Woodson is the right coach for the job, but if LA played the Knicks 10 times I'd be willing to bet LA wins at least 7.