New Season Thread Made, Move on Over :)

[senorroboto2k5]

Kobe's definitely not useless, but his showing in the Olympics is worrisome.

I get that he's playing limited minutes and is the 4th or 5th offensive option on the floor at any time. But if you watch him, when he does try to attack (how little he does try is irrelevant), he hoists a lot of bad shots and can't finish over defenders when he drives...

His turnaround still looks good and he doesn't have much of an opportunity for post-ups, which I'm sure are two things he will use a lot more in the season.

I'm not too worried, but I am noticing.

 

[picknroll24]

I noticed this last season, Kobe is not used to taking wide open shots it is like he prefers to take the difficult contested shot.

 

[thegoldenchild]

i didnt know we were in the running for Kmart...

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/...gning-los-angeles-lakers-brooklyn-nets-080712

he might be a good option.. give our frontcourt some more toughness.. that is def. something we could use

 

[mjgreatxii]

Think about how you feel.. Then add in my feelings because I always think of it..
It really is pissing me off that they won't sign someone because they are worried about an extra $3mil.. First of all it's the Lakers, not the Bobcats and we make almost $200mil alone on TV anyways a year
When common sense says start trading our young guys to lessen the tax burden. Hell Eyenga who may get 200 minutes total in the next 2 years would cut luxury tax on Barbosa 40% if you trade Eyenga for nothing. He's a young guy making $1.174, he's a project but for nothing a team will take him.
Edit: Another thing about Barbosa... He's going into his 10th year.. So if we signed him for minimum it would be $1.352mil.. With luxury tax it is $2.704mil. That's 45% of the cost if we signed Barbosa to miniMLE. And let's say we trade Eyenga for nothing.. No player, no picks. Just dump him for a $1mil TPE and let it expire. $1.174 x 2 = $2.348mil
6 - 2.704 = $3.296........... $3.296 - $2.348 = $948K. So by signing Barbosa to a mini-MLE. And trading Eyenga for a TPE, it is like we signed Barbosa for $474K above the Veteran minimum based on the extra cap hit..
And by using the miniMLE we are not out of the Dwight running. We still have an expiring McBob and a few young guys like Goudelock who are 1 year deals, so we could take on JRich.. Common sense says trade Eyenga now, and sign up Barbosa for mini-MLE.

Not EYENGA!!!
I'm a boss with him in 2k, dude is an instant spark of the bench

On a real note:
if trading him gets us barbosa, sign me up.

 

[CP1708]

Um, Barbosa at 3 mil is not a steal, it's not 2007 anymore. He may be better than Steve Blake, but he is not a steal at 3 mil. Sorry.

 

[essential1]

Um, Barbosa at 3 mil is not a steal, it's not 2007 anymore. He may be better than Steve Blake, but he is not a steal at 3 mil. Sorry.

A guy who scores 11ppg off the bench in 20minutes for $3mil is a steal.

 

[thachosen123]

A guy who scores 11ppg off the bench in 20minutes for $3mil is a steal.

I don't know if it's fair to compare situations tho.

 

[CP1708]

I know right, cuz he gon get 20 min and 11 points a game wit LA. That's gonna happen.

Numbers don't always translate team to team man. You can get garbage buckets in Toronto, or Indy, or Cleveland, but I bet you assume Twan gonna drop 17 a night too.

Nope.

Just like Pau's numbers dropped when Bynum got big, dudes come to our bench to drop their numbers as well.

Bosa isn't getting 11 a night, with Nash, Kobe, Bynum, Pau, Jamison and somewhere in there Ron's ill advised shot attempts. That would be the 7th guy on the team, getting 11 a night, for Mike Brown. Yeahno.

Not a steal, not at 3 mil, not 11 a night. Good pickup if we can get him, but steal, no.

 

[acbboyz84]

Exactly! Dudes thinking he suppose to be #1 option.
Dude is a 17 year veteran. He don't gotta do ****... plus we all know why he's there. Olympic Village

That is his only goal at the Olympic

 

[antidope]

I dont think we can judge Kobe or any player on the team by the way theyre playing in the olympics. I mean Lebron is out there chucking 3s or in the NBAs case deep 2s, everyones acting like its pick up ball all game long. I havent gotten to see the last two games but I would be shocked if they were any different, theyre just too much better than everyone else to take it seriously and that goes double for Kobe. This just isnt on his radar he has nothing to prove by playing here. 6th Ring> this in his mind.

 

[essential1]

I know right, cuz he gon get 20 min and 11 points a game wit LA. That's gonna happen.
Numbers don't always translate team to team man. You can get garbage buckets in Toronto, or Indy, or Cleveland, but I bet you assume Twan gonna drop 17 a night too.
Nope.
Just like Pau's numbers dropped when Bynum got big, dudes come to our bench to drop their numbers as well.
Bosa isn't getting 11 a night, with Nash, Kobe, Bynum, Pau, Jamison and somewhere in there Ron's ill advised shot attempts. That would be the 7th guy on the team, getting 11 a night, for Mike Brown. Yeahno.
Not a steal, not at 3 mil, not 11 a night. Good pickup if we can get him, but steal, no.

No I don't think Antwan will get 17. I think they both hover around 10 a night depending on their minutes... If they play less than I think they will play, then of course it will be less.

If Barbosa plays 15 minutes it's probably 7 ppg. 20 he's at 9-10ppg. 25 he's at 11ppg.

Barbosa is a scorer. And will be the primary ball handler off the bench.. Creates his own shots. Can score in the paint, can score from 3 at a decent rate.

$3mil is a steal because it's under what his value is. For one of the better bench Guards in the league.. It's a steal.. He's worth a shade under $5mil just based off what he can do on offense, why he didn't sign at the beginning of free agency is beyond me where he'd get more, maybe he was focused on the Olympics, I don't know.

And Pau's numbers dropping can be argued as evidence of partial decline as well as being a lesser focus on offense..

 

[senorroboto2k5]

I dont think we can judge Kobe or any player on the team by the way theyre playing in the olympics. I mean Lebron is out there chucking 3s or in the NBAs case deep 2s, everyones acting like its pick up ball all game long. I havent gotten to see the last two games but I would be shocked if they were any different, theyre just too much better than everyone else to take it seriously and that goes double for Kobe. This just isnt on his radar he has nothing to prove by playing here. 6th Ring> this in his mind.

Of course they're in a different rhythm and playing different roles, but where Lebron and Durant are chucking threes, Olympic Kobe's game has consisted of one-on-one off-the-dribble shots and drives - and they look terrible. He doesn't have the lift or athleticism for those things to work at a high level anymore. Watching what he's been trying and why it doesn't work, it can't be explained by "he's not playing big minutes" - it's simply not there anymore.

When Kobe enters the season he needs to focus on the spot-up jumpers and footwork-based post moves. When he tries to drive and play a one-on-one game, he looks really old and succeeds less and less.

 

[pmatic]

Carlos Delfino would be an ideal addition to the team. Probably unlikely because I think Delfino could get more money elsewhere and the Lakers don't seem willing to use their mini-MLE.

 

[thegoldenchild]

Of course they're in a different rhythm and playing different roles, but where Lebron and Durant are chucking threes, Olympic Kobe's game has consisted of one-on-one off-the-dribble shots and drives - and they look terrible. He doesn't have the lift or athleticism for those things to work at a high level anymore. Watching what he's been trying and why it doesn't work, it can't be explained by "he's not playing big minutes" - it's simply not there anymore.
When Kobe enters the season he needs to focus on the spot-up jumpers and footwork-based post moves. When he tries to drive and play a one-on-one game, he looks really old and succeeds less and less.

stopped reading after that! funny how everyone is supposed to be an expert, on how to get your shot off...

 

[senorroboto2k5]

Kobe's lost some of his lift and athleticism, which are some components of an NBA player's shot (although I'm no expert).

He used to be able to look opponents in the eye and rise up for a jumper before guys like Battier, JR Smith, or Pietrus could twitch. He's only lost a touch of his athleticism, but it's enough to where guys can now get a decent hand up when Kobe takes those contested shots. They're not great looks anymore - Kobe's still taking them almost exclusively in the Olympics - which is why he's not doing well.

All my point is, Kobe will look old and his play will suffer if he insists on these types of looks instead of relying on his post-up game and catch-and-shoot jumpers. Kobe is not ageless, it's inevitable that he'll lose some of his step that made him special. He just needs to adapt.

 

[thachosen123]

Kobe's lost some of his lift and athleticism, which are some components of an NBA player's shot (although I'm no expert).
He used to be able to look opponents in the eye and rise up for a jumper before guys like Battier, JR Smith, or Pietrus could twitch. He's only lost a touch of his athleticism, but it's enough to where guys can now get a decent hand up when Kobe takes those contested shots. They're not great looks anymore - Kobe's still taking them almost exclusively in the Olympics - which is why he's not doing well.
All my point is, Kobe will look old and his play will suffer if he insists on these types of looks instead of relying on his post-up game and catch-and-shoot jumpers. Kobe is not ageless, it's inevitable that he'll lose some of his step that made him special. He just needs to adapt.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with your earlier post. Kobe has lost some of that lift/athleticism, it's natural it come with age......you don't have to be a "expert" to realize simple stuff like that.....it's basketball

 

[essential1]

Wrote something for my friend's blog. Has to do with the Lakers, the mini-MLE, and title contention.

Stuff you've read on here, but nonetheless wrote it for his blog

http://www.theevery-thingbagel.blogspot.com/2012/08/lakers-costing-themselves-title.html

 

[thegoldenchild]

Kobe's lost some of his lift and athleticism, which are some components of an NBA player's shot (although I'm no expert).
He used to be able to look opponents in the eye and rise up for a jumper before guys like Battier, JR Smith, or Pietrus could twitch. He's only lost a touch of his athleticism, but it's enough to where guys can now get a decent hand up when Kobe takes those contested shots. They're not great looks anymore - Kobe's still taking them almost exclusively in the Olympics - which is why he's not doing well.
All my point is, Kobe will look old and his play will suffer if he insists on these types of looks instead of relying on his post-up game and catch-and-shoot jumpers. Kobe is not ageless, it's inevitable that he'll lose some of his step that made him special. He just needs to adapt.

yet six 3s in the 2nd half

 

[misterp0315]

@WojYahooNBA Orlando and the L.A. Lakers are engaged in 4-way talks with Denver and Philadelphia on a Dwight Howard blockbuster, league sources tell Y!

@WojYahooNBA The four teams have been engaged in discussions for several days, league sources tell Y! No deal imminent, but talks have substance.

 

[essential1]

@WojYahooNBA Orlando and the L.A. Lakers are engaged in 4-way talks with Denver and Philadelphia on a Dwight Howard blockbuster, league sources tell Y!
@WojYahooNBA The four teams have been engaged in discussions for several days, league sources tell Y! No deal imminent, but talks have substance.

Please no Pau....


I'll believe it when Dwight is in a Lakers jersey and asks the Lakers management to move the team to Brooklyn

 

[mrdieselfuel09]

Looks like Pau will be moved if Lakers get Dwight.

Not sure how I feel about that at all.

Lakers bring in Harrington and Dwight and move out Bynum and Pau|I

 

[tuna629]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--l...rade-talks-to-send-dwight-howard-to-l-a-.html

There are multiple moving parts in the fluid talks, but the framework of a possible deal includes Howard and Denver forward Al Harrington going to the Lakers, Philadelphia guard Andre Iguodala going to the Nuggets, Los Angeles center Andrew Bynum moving to the 76ers, and Los Angeles forward Pau Gasol and Denver guard Arron Affalo going to the Magic, sources told Yahoo! Sports.

I'm not so sure about this...

 

[finallyfamous]

Damn that sucks they might get rid of both of them...

Is Dwight worth it?

 

[shoeking2101]

yet six 3s in the 2nd half

True, he hit all those 3's in the second half but that still doesn't have any real merit towards what he said. He wasn't creating those 3's, they were mostly either catch and shoot stuff, or transition stuff, things any good basketball player who gets hot can do.

In the first half, one play in particular summed it up. He had a 7 footer switch out on him and couldn't come close to beating him off the dribble and had his shot sent back to him. That part of his game is no more, he's not beating anyone off the dribble and he isn't finishing at the rim like that anymore. That isn't news though, as i'm sure all the Laker fans in here will attest to. However, with the Lakers he catches the ball in the mid-post, elbow, and low post which basically negates the need to beat people off the dribble because of his gigs and his weight.

And I know you guys have to be TIREDDDD of every few weeks talks about Dwight comes up sheesh IMO if the Lakers give up BOTH Pau and Bynum that sets them back, completely unnecessary.

 

[misterp0315]

Bad deal. Do not get rid of Gasol and Bynum for Howard.