Short term the more worrying situation is relegation … Right now Newcastle are every team’s favourite squad to play. Many teams feel they’re easy pickings …. and Joe Kinnear is someone who can light a fire under his troops and get some fighting spirit back into the camp, which should give them a shot of avoiding the drop. He’s a good hire.

I’m also a Michigan alum, so this sports season has already been rough, and promises to be rougher, with the Ducks’ owner maybe heading to jail over stock backdating and the Kings being typically abysmal.

At least the Dodgers are still in it, and the Lakers are going to be entertaining, or this would be a miserable sports year.

I can’t see why Bynum would not be a focal part of the offense. Who can guard him, especially when Kobe and Pau are on the floor too? No double team for Bynum means an incredible scoring opportunity. Phil always looks for mismatches, right? Bynum is now bigger than 90% of NBA centers.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-lakers5-2008oct05,0,5214326.story?track=rss

Lakers center Chris Mihm is back healthy
Andrew D. Bernstein / Getty Images

After three surgeries in three years, Lakers center Chris Mihm says he’s playing above the rym again.
After three surgeries and countless frustrating moments because of right ankle problems, he says he’s fit and ‘playing above the rim again.’

I agree that LO is a serious issue, but he is definitely NOT A PROBLEM! Lakers do not really have problems, other than deciding who is going to be utilized and how… Most teams would sell big chunk of their tickets for free to have the players of Lakers qualities.

LO is an issue because he represents a decision that needs to be addressed and made soon. His contract expires and Lakers must decide if it is strategically correct to keep him. Notice I used word strategically, as Lakers will be facing severe financial limitations and burdens with Bynum and Kobe (max territory), Pau (almost Max) and Farmar and Ariza (their value is yet to be determined) potentially carrying a big chunk of the payroll and limiting Lakers chances to pursue free agents and avoid luxury bills.

LO is not a problem because, the Lakers are definitely better by having him. Many people have pointed to Lamar’s skills/weaknesses and I think that when a player like Lamar is the biggest concern for your team (as compared to lack of frontcourt/backcourt depth, lack of shooting, and other problems), things must be really going for you. There are 3 things Lakers can do with LO:

1) Let Lamar play out the season and let him walk for free after it: This option is justifiable and makes sense only from financial considerations. In terms of talent, Lamar is certainly too skilled to be lost for nothing. In that sense (financial vs. talent considerations) Lakers have the luxury of half a season to make a decision, which brings me to

2) Trade Lamar at the mid-season transfer window in a package with a bad contract (Luke? RadMan?) in exchange for any combination of defensive 3-point specialist small forward ( a la Bowen), future draft picks, young talent and expiring contracts and/or hard rebounding energy power forward with good defensive instincts and basketball IQ. In this case, the decision is between financial considerations (more tax burdens from incoming contracts) vs. personnel issues (integrating new pieces into the system during half season and also giving away Lamar to a potential opponent, this issue has been raised already). This scenario has a life-span of 6 months and is pretty much a Yes/No question. Considering Lamar’s personality, relationship with the team, depth of the team and positive balance of his cost-benefit analysis, LO should be given at least a full year of trial period to be extended (or not) in the summer’09, which logically leads to

3) Adjust Lamar to the power game of Andrew, finesse game of Pau and everything of Kobe and use this season as a preparation for settling LO in a comfortable role where he can feel good and be as productive as he can be. Then, next summer, re-sign Lamar and have the most unguardable league in the league with potentially 4 All-star caliber (caliber being the key word) players.

So those are the three options. Lakers do not have to choose just yet. They have everything going for them: Happy Kobe, emerging Bynum, flourishing Pau, ultra-reliable Fish, growing youngsters, accumulation of grit and experience, developing inside/outside game opportunities, tempting half court/transition offense, and credible belief that defense will be much better with Pau and/or Pau manning the middle. I think this is the happiest days in the Lakerland since Karl Malone and Gary Payton brought high hopes of four-peating with Shaq and Kobe. I can not say which options from the above 3 the Lakers will opt for, but I have full faith in this organization’s and its managements ability to decide what’s right for the cause of taking advantage of all the leverages available to convert Lakers into one of the dominating teams (dynasties???) for years to come.

I agree lack of regular season shifts our attention and fantasies into “what if” and alike situations, and that is a good thing, after all that is why this is a Blog and why Kurt has gotten the appreciation that he was long due for.

I think we are really over obsesssing with LO though. I would love to and personally request that we have articles/topics about some other players (i.e Derek Fisher, Jordan Farmar and others) so that we can properly gear up for this season, which will soon be knocking on the door.