- Oct 6, 2007
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[::2009 Champion LAKERS OFF-SEASON THREAD Vol. Boring Non-News Days Causing In-Thread Tension::]
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by licensed to ball,
- Start date
- Apr 20, 2006
- 8,352
- 868
Finally!
- Jul 24, 2007
- 1,250
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- Dec 9, 2002
- 482
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can someone post john hollinger's latest article?
Hijo Del Promo
formerly xxhu5sl1npnoyxx
- Sep 10, 2002
- 9,852
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over, because knowing bynum hes gonna be a bum or be injuredOriginally Posted by DontStepOnMyShoes
so this isnt the nfl training camp thread disregard all of that
over/under 25 games into the season til all of us want odom traded
- Jan 8, 2005
- 35
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Yeah, if someone can post his Insider article, it'd be much appreciated. Here's the link to it: Here's the link to the article:http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insi...ory?columnist=hollinger_john&page=odom-090730
- Apr 24, 2006
- 18,753
- 13,102
ahhhhhhhh what a great day
- Jun 15, 2004
- 427
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[h2]Odom finally ends his L.A. drama[/h2]
From New Orleans all the way to Portland, basketball fans in the Western Conference are feeling a whole lot less optimistic than they were just 24 hoursago.
Except the ones in L.A., that is. They're breathing a huge sigh of relief. After a monthlong drama in which Lamar Odom's seemingly certain return to the world champions somehow became a 50-50proposition, he relented and agreed to rejoin the team Thursday on a four-year deal worth as much as $33 million.
The Lakers will have a team option on the final year, potentially making it a lucrative trade chip should Odom break down between now and then. (I won'trepeat myself here, but for more on the increasing use of funny money at the end of contracts to sidestep the cap, read the end of my missive on the Andre Miller signing).
Of course, it never should have come to this. Odom was a vital cog in L.A.'s championship machine, a chameleon of sorts who could score, rebound or setup others depending on what the situation required. He was vital in another sense, too -- any team with championship-caliber talent needs at least a fewplayers who are willing to accept fewer shots and/or minutes for the greater good. Odom did that by agreeing to come off the bench in a contract year, and as aresult the Lakers' had the league's most potent frontcourt rotation.
Add in that everyone thinks he's a swell guy, that he's one of the few people alive who might be able to get into the head of new teammate Ron Artest, that the Lakers were offering more money per year than anyone else, and that Odomhas spent most of his adult life in L.A. and clearly didn't want to go anywhere else, and it seems a foregone conclusion that Odom would stay. Why was theMiami option ever in play?
Yet it was. Unfortunately for the rest of the West, cooler heads prevailed after emotions became heated enough that the Lakers were tempted to walk away andOdom considered taking a five-year deal from the Heat that likely would have returned less money over the life of the deal (this calculation depends on what hemight earn four and five years from now when his Lakers contract expires, so we don't know for sure).
Although the second-tier Western teams weren't direct participants, the Odom saga was a big, big deal to all those teams aspiring to make a run to theFinals. Every last one of them was praying that Odom would head to Miami and leave the Lakers at the altar.
It wasn't just that L.A. would have lost Odom, it was that it wasn't going to be able to come up with a replacement. The Lakers already used theirfull midlevel exception on Artest and had no room under the salary cap, so the absolute best they could have done would be to offer the veteran's minimumto a ring-hungry vet or use their $2.5 million trade exception from last year's ChrisMihm giveaway to acquire an unwanted scrub from somebody else.
Basically, L.A. would have been left using Josh Powell as its primary frontcourtreserve, and although the Lakers could have papered over the shortcoming by using Artest and Luke Walton at power forward when either Pau Gasol or AndrewBynum was out of the game, that was still removing a source of strength from their arsenal.
This was the opening teams such as San Antonio and Portland hoped to exploit with their own huge frontcourts, feeling they could wear down L.A. with theirsize rather than the other way around. This was the matchup issue teams such as Denver wanted to go away, with Odom frequently creating dilemmas for theNuggets bench. This was the depth New Orleans hoped wouldn't be a factor, removing the frontcourt game of three-against-two the Hornets faced every timelast season. This was the guy Dallas hoped wouldn't be on the floor when the Mavericks unleashed their five-greyhound lineup in the fourth quarter andcould run Gasol and Bynum into submission. And this was the ballhandling perimeter player nobody in Utah's macho frontcourt trio could cover.
Odom's not an All-Star, and he's only the fourth-best player on the team. But the combination of his unique skill set and the restrictions of thesalary cap combined to make him the league's most important free agent this summer.
With Odom, the Lakers are the clear favorites to win the West and are more or less a 50-50 shot to repeat as champions in a presumed final againstCleveland, Orlando or Boston.
Without Odom? That opened the door for everybody else to get into the fray, offering a *%*** in the armor just large enough that the other contenders allfelt they had a realistic shot at breaking through.
Now? Now teams are depending on some other stroke of good fortune for them (or a bad one for the Lakers) to get in the race. It might yet come -- wehaven't played any games yet, and seasons take all kinds of crazy twists and turns. But from this moment forward, the Lakers are overwhelming favorites towin the West … just as we had assumed they would be before all this drama started.
http://insider.espn.go.co...ohn&page=odom-090730
- Jun 15, 2004
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Kurt Streeter:
[h1]Celebrate Lamar Odom's return to Lakers, but don't plan another parade just yet[/h1]
The only thing L.A. is guaranteed by bringing back the forward is another season of maddeningly spectacular inconsistency.
Kurt Streeter
July 31, 2009
Rejoice, Rejoice, Rejoice! The Lakers have signed Lamar Odom! The dangerous game of chicken is over. We can breathe easy again, we can begin celebratingback-to-back titles a year ahead of time! Start collecting the confetti for next June's parade to the Coliseum.
Uh, hold on a minute, not so fast . . .
Yes, of course, on the face of it, this is a wonderfully smart and savvy move by a team angling for a repeat. It certainly nudges the Lakers another steptoward that goal, and Odom's chilled-out vibe will certainly be a tonic for a team that now must deal with daily doses of Ron Artest.
But some perspective is needed. Let's not forget who we're talking about. Signing Odom, as maddeningly inconsistent and frustrating asanyone in the NBA, ensures nothing more for Lakers fans than a continued roller coaster ride and another season of heartburn.
Next season, guaranteed, will come moments when you'll swear he's Elgin Baylor. There will also be times when you'll swear he'sElgin your aging third cousin who comes off the bench for his church league team. Despite their great talent, if we see too much of your cousin, the Lakersjust might get upset in the first round of the playoffs.
Odom signs and it's now a lock that the Lakers will run the table next season? Be careful with that line of thinking. That's all I'msaying.
True, we found out during the most recent playoffs that a lively Odom can mean all the difference. We've long marveled at his physical skills. In crunchtime, during the last two games of the Western Conference finals and in almost all of the NBA Finals, we witnessed No. 7 merge his fluid physicality with real,hard-edged aggression. For the most part, it was marvelous. It was also, in crunch time, a first.
The Finals went by quickly, four games to one, but a few bounces go the other way and it's all different. Against Orlando, Odom'scontributions in his team's Game 2 overtime win -- 19 points (on eight-for-nine shooting), eight rebounds, three blocks, two assists, one steal and 46minutes -- may well have kept the Finals from becoming a blood match. Bathed in the glow of another Larry O'Brien Trophy, those last impressions, thememories we choose to hold on to, are pure gold.
Ah, memories, how powerful. Already dealing with unease caused by swapping rock-solid Trevor Ariza for Artest, Lakers fans were worried sickthese last few weeks, what with Odom and Jerry Buss engaged in an ego-fueled stare-down over a new deal. Suddenly, in the minds of many,Odom was a 10-time All-Star. In fact, despite having as much skill as anyone in basketball, he's never even been a one-time All-Star.
Now don't go getting me wrong. It's wonderful that he stays here. He isn't only a great talent; he's also a good guy and a calming force. Justdon't believe for a moment that he's suddenly become a player who will deliver the goods night in and night out. Memories are powerful, and sometimesfickle.
We forget, after this last playoff run, the unexplainable pratfalls that have pockmarked Odom's career. One could sift through season afterseason of examples, but there's no need to go back that far. Remember that alongside those flashy playoff games last spring therewere several with no luster at all. Remember Odom's two-point, 25-minute performance against Houston in Game 4, which kept that series a stalemate.Remember Denver and clunker Games 1, 3, and 4. Odom played a total of 93 minutes. He scored seven, eight and five points.
Remember how, smack in the throes of the playoffs, doctors were sending the Lakers unasked-for-advice theorizing that Odom's insatiable sugar cravings hadcreated an NBA Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Remember how, not so long ago -- just the start of last season -- Odom was a whipping boy. When I wrote a piece last October titled "Don't be so hardon Lakers' Lamar Odom" my in-box overflowed with e-mails claiming I'd lost my marbles. Back then, in the minds of many who now say his signingensures a dynasty, Odom was a lost cause: wonderful trade bait in a deal for Shawn Marion, a pack of pecans and an old goat.
Today, of course, we talk about how great Odom is and will be. Today we prattle on about how this signing ensures the spectacular chemistry of nextseason's Lakers and the wisdom Odom will bring his New York City running buddy, that wack job Mr. Artest.
Already there's talk of whether the city should pay for next year's parade.
Lamar is back! Rejoice! Rejoice!
Go ahead and do it. This is a smart and savvy move by the Lakers, true enough. But don't forget who we're talking about. With Odom, bless him, all thatcan be counted on for next year is more maddeningly spectacular inconsistency. It was good enough for one title. Whether it will be good enough for moreisn't as sure a bet as many -- bedazzled by memories of a few great games -- seem to think.
[h1]Celebrate Lamar Odom's return to Lakers, but don't plan another parade just yet[/h1]
The only thing L.A. is guaranteed by bringing back the forward is another season of maddeningly spectacular inconsistency.
Kurt Streeter
July 31, 2009
Rejoice, Rejoice, Rejoice! The Lakers have signed Lamar Odom! The dangerous game of chicken is over. We can breathe easy again, we can begin celebratingback-to-back titles a year ahead of time! Start collecting the confetti for next June's parade to the Coliseum.
Uh, hold on a minute, not so fast . . .
Yes, of course, on the face of it, this is a wonderfully smart and savvy move by a team angling for a repeat. It certainly nudges the Lakers another steptoward that goal, and Odom's chilled-out vibe will certainly be a tonic for a team that now must deal with daily doses of Ron Artest.
But some perspective is needed. Let's not forget who we're talking about. Signing Odom, as maddeningly inconsistent and frustrating asanyone in the NBA, ensures nothing more for Lakers fans than a continued roller coaster ride and another season of heartburn.
Next season, guaranteed, will come moments when you'll swear he's Elgin Baylor. There will also be times when you'll swear he'sElgin your aging third cousin who comes off the bench for his church league team. Despite their great talent, if we see too much of your cousin, the Lakersjust might get upset in the first round of the playoffs.
Odom signs and it's now a lock that the Lakers will run the table next season? Be careful with that line of thinking. That's all I'msaying.
True, we found out during the most recent playoffs that a lively Odom can mean all the difference. We've long marveled at his physical skills. In crunchtime, during the last two games of the Western Conference finals and in almost all of the NBA Finals, we witnessed No. 7 merge his fluid physicality with real,hard-edged aggression. For the most part, it was marvelous. It was also, in crunch time, a first.
The Finals went by quickly, four games to one, but a few bounces go the other way and it's all different. Against Orlando, Odom'scontributions in his team's Game 2 overtime win -- 19 points (on eight-for-nine shooting), eight rebounds, three blocks, two assists, one steal and 46minutes -- may well have kept the Finals from becoming a blood match. Bathed in the glow of another Larry O'Brien Trophy, those last impressions, thememories we choose to hold on to, are pure gold.
Ah, memories, how powerful. Already dealing with unease caused by swapping rock-solid Trevor Ariza for Artest, Lakers fans were worried sickthese last few weeks, what with Odom and Jerry Buss engaged in an ego-fueled stare-down over a new deal. Suddenly, in the minds of many,Odom was a 10-time All-Star. In fact, despite having as much skill as anyone in basketball, he's never even been a one-time All-Star.
Now don't go getting me wrong. It's wonderful that he stays here. He isn't only a great talent; he's also a good guy and a calming force. Justdon't believe for a moment that he's suddenly become a player who will deliver the goods night in and night out. Memories are powerful, and sometimesfickle.
We forget, after this last playoff run, the unexplainable pratfalls that have pockmarked Odom's career. One could sift through season afterseason of examples, but there's no need to go back that far. Remember that alongside those flashy playoff games last spring therewere several with no luster at all. Remember Odom's two-point, 25-minute performance against Houston in Game 4, which kept that series a stalemate.Remember Denver and clunker Games 1, 3, and 4. Odom played a total of 93 minutes. He scored seven, eight and five points.
Remember how, smack in the throes of the playoffs, doctors were sending the Lakers unasked-for-advice theorizing that Odom's insatiable sugar cravings hadcreated an NBA Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Remember how, not so long ago -- just the start of last season -- Odom was a whipping boy. When I wrote a piece last October titled "Don't be so hardon Lakers' Lamar Odom" my in-box overflowed with e-mails claiming I'd lost my marbles. Back then, in the minds of many who now say his signingensures a dynasty, Odom was a lost cause: wonderful trade bait in a deal for Shawn Marion, a pack of pecans and an old goat.
Today, of course, we talk about how great Odom is and will be. Today we prattle on about how this signing ensures the spectacular chemistry of nextseason's Lakers and the wisdom Odom will bring his New York City running buddy, that wack job Mr. Artest.
Already there's talk of whether the city should pay for next year's parade.
Lamar is back! Rejoice! Rejoice!
Go ahead and do it. This is a smart and savvy move by the Lakers, true enough. But don't forget who we're talking about. With Odom, bless him, all thatcan be counted on for next year is more maddeningly spectacular inconsistency. It was good enough for one title. Whether it will be good enough for moreisn't as sure a bet as many -- bedazzled by memories of a few great games -- seem to think.
- Jul 2, 2009
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- Feb 6, 2001
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^^^ can you post the insider article about the Andre Miller signing the guy who wrote the Odom insider piece referred to? It would be greatly appreciated.
- Jan 18, 2006
- 40,357
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Its a great day in Laker land.
I just out the order for the lamar and artest authentic.
Season should be good....
Let's go!
I just out the order for the lamar and artest authentic.
Season should be good....
Let's go!
- Mar 15, 2007
- 3,405
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Finally! It's great to see Odom coming back.
- Aug 9, 2008
- 4,686
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^
- Sep 19, 2008
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Kurt Streeter
July 31, 2009
Next season, guaranteed, will come moments when you'll swear he's Elgin Baylor. There will also be times when you'll swear he's Elgin your aging third cousin who comes off the bench for his church league team. Despite their great talent, if we see too much of your cousin, the Lakers just might get upset in the first round of the playoffs.
Is this guy serious???
Did he say the Lakers might get upset in the first round because of Lamar Odom's inconsistency?
Thats the dumbest thing i've read all day... Of course they could, but of all the teams in the NBA they are probably the least likely to.
Odom may be inconsistent with his production but he does the intangibles that help a team win, he is the heart and soul of the Lakers... and who cares if hedoesn't show up for a couple of games... we have Kobe and Gasol....and Artest
- Aug 31, 2006
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Where you buying from? How much? I need an Artest away
- Feb 3, 2008
- 2,776
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i think many know how i feel
- Sep 27, 2008
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- Feb 26, 2004
- 2,277
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Mannnn....what did i tell y'all?!?!?!?
Told y'all to just let things run it's course.....
Told y'all to just let things run it's course.....
- Feb 1, 2008
- 478
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I was late with the news ,but when I found out, it totatlly made my day....Bring on next season, and let's do this all over again
notorious 858
Banned
- Jun 11, 2009
- 1,743
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notorious 858
Banned
- Jun 11, 2009
- 1,743
- 10
- Jan 18, 2006
- 40,357
- 45,103
The team LA store online. I forgot to tell you guys they are having a 40% of sale that ends today. The only authentics you can personalize are the homes and insize 56 only. But everything is on sale. I got a 4 rings t also.
The code is 09summersale.
Los Angeles
formerly bright nikes
- Apr 11, 2004
- 23,224
- 4,898
Originally Posted by TH0MAS CR0WN
Originally Posted by Pill Clinton
Originally Posted by TH0MAS CR0WN
word
Faith in them I have.
I do too, I just hope Ears has it in him to earn that starting spot,
I root for him to take it but he falls off for periods of time, hopefully this is his year
Seriously lets end all that Ears in the starting spot talk.
He will never be a starting point guard in this league, his attitude won't let him. His pouting and inconsistent play will always take him out of games.
He's never worked on his weaknesses from UCLA and they've carried over here in the NBA.
D.Fish isn't getting any younger, but I'm content with him starting ball games with limited minutes and haveS.Breezy take over from there.
There's a reason Kupchak tried getting rid of J.Farm, too bad no one wants him.
KenJi714 wrote:
yall sound like ladies in here smh . Odom suddenly became Lakers # 1 player
