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Waiting For Lamar

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As we all wait for Lamar Odom’s decision (and it’s guesswork on everyone’s part when that will come down) here is a little reminder of just how much fun he can be. And why Lakers fans love him.


Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lakers Nation says

    I have this growing sense that the Lakers Nation is growing very impatient with these negotiations! Let’s move on and start to really enjoy our championship this summer!

  2. lil' pau says

    Would have liked it even more if there would have been a way to digitally remove Kwame, Cook, and Smush. Still have nightmares about those three…

  4. MannyP13 says

    Dear Lamar:

    I know you must still clearly remember how a lot of Laker fans were ready to trade you last summer and that financial and tax considerations are an important factor in any job offer in the range you are considering. However, please don’t also forget that those same “haters” that wanted you traded last season changed their minds somewhere along the course of this season and, in the process, learned to love, admire and be inspired by you. In fact, I believe I speak for a lot of Laker fans when I say that this Lakers squad will not be complete without you.

    Please be the bigger person and call Dr. Buss and work something out. This team (and this city) needs you, buddy. Please come home.

  5. T34 says

    He had a few of those near posters this year, seemed like each time it would bounce of the back of the rim though.

    The Brian Hill timeout is brilliant, haha.

  6. Pat says

    Yes, Pau. It is very amusing to see Kwame and Cookie standing around on that play. What fools.

  7. Not Charlie Rosen says

    Thought for sure that was going to be a clip of him walking inbounds with the ball…ah well, I can see that one any time just by closing my eyes.

  8. Juan Johnson of Charleston West Virginia says

    Dear Lamar,
    Deep down I can understand what your going through. At times in the past you may have thought that the Lakers did not appreciate your athleticism and ability to hurt opposing teams in the worst way. But I as a fan have always believed in your abilities since your Rhode Island days. I am a Minister of God’s word and sometimes you must be lead by your innerman and not lean to your own understanding due to the power of money. Legacy and Honor are far more powerful than money. You have to know that your sweet tooth may very well lead you to the promise land. ($$$) Think outside the box when it comes to endorsement deals even in a bad economy. Everything is not what it appears. And it appears you may be making the biggest mistake of your career. Go out in style and let the playmaker help you get there. I didn’t always agree or like the playmaker on my team at times but I never lost focus of the big picture……
    “Legacy and Honor”

  10. Kurt says

    9. Buss and Lamar talked since then. The assumption by most is that the deal is still available, but really it’s all a little bit of guesswork right now.

    I will say that a number of front office people (in conversations in Vegas), particularly in the West, think the Lakers would be almost impossible to beat with Odom, but are very vulnerable without him. There is a heavy rooting interest for Miami to get him among other teams.

  11. inwit says

    One thing I think is encouraging is that there have been no leaks or rumors the last few days, probably both sides decided to talk in private, without using the press for leverage, to see if a deal can be worked out.

    Well, hope springs eternal!

  12. Texas Rob says

    Notice the “jump for joy” after the dunk. He did the same thing in the playoffs this year after hitting a crucial 3 pointer. This is why I love this guy, sheer enjoyment of the game.

  13. Minorkle says

    One thing I think is discouraging is that there have been no leaks or rumors the last few days, probably both sides decided to talk in private, without using the press for leverage, to see if a deal can be worked out.

    Well, abandon hope all ye who enter!

  15. R says

    14 – Don’t feel bad about people not responding to your comments. At least now you have a couple replies!

  17. Brian P. says

    -inwit
    The thread is short enough that people won’t scan the comments for the main regulars here. (I know you are a regular too, but the main commenters like Darius, etc.)

    P.S. I just really wanted to give you another reply.

  19. Gr8dunk says

    MARK MADSEN BACK TO LA
    ==================
    The Clippers have agreed to trade Quentin Richardson to the Timberwolves for Sebastian Telfair, Mark Madsen and Craig Smith.

    RealGM Update: The Clippers formally announced the trade Monday afternoon.

  20. bruinsfan says

    S&T LO for the Mad Dog?

    As the news about LO quiets down, I get more and more optimistic about his return.

  21. harold says

    I was actually waiting for the clip that has Lamar passing to Sasha, who was on the bench.

    Anyway, let’s hope something reasonable gets worked out.

  22. chearn says

    19). Craig Smith is the guy I am most interested in that trade. I hope that he gets back to pre-injury stats. A local guy back in Cali is always good.

  24. laker fan in raptorland says

    Beyond the importance of the bottomline $$$ and years involved — Lamar, just think about going to the whitehouse to meet Obama, the first NBA team that will meet him (btw, when will they go to the whitehouse???)

    Just imagine telling your grandkids about that, huh?

    Lamar, pleeeeeease come back to defend the title!!!!

  26. Stephen says

    OT,but Minn just pared their roster to 12 plus Rubio and their GM is in Spain negotiating buy-out. They traded away their only experienced PG. Have to believe they have a trade for Rubio lined up.

  30. R says

    18 – inwit wrote on July 20, 2009 at 4:53 pm
    “Too bad I didn’t say anything of substance.”

    Not necessary. In fact, the very best way to get replies is to be a “troll”.

    I could name names, but they know who they are. (Right, Aaron?)

  31. Warren Wee Lim says

    inwit, this is your 7th reply. LOL.

    Anyways, like in real life, the guys that often get caught in TMZ or Paparazzi (think Lady Gaga) are the super famous or super notorious. I hope you grow to be one of the former than the latter “just to get a response” lol.

    At any rate, the silence might be deafening but its surely a good thing. No one leaked out the Pau Gasol trade 1 bit, everyone kinda “knew” he was going to be traded to the likes of Chicago or some other team out East, but the Lakers just have its own way of dealing with things. In the media, things get blown out of proportion.

    So I also wake up to ESPN.com/NBA hoping to see a deal done… wishing that by the time I sleep (I live in the Philippines) till the time I wake up that his signature has been officially inked up to the Laker paper.

    I love the excitement but you can never rule out the occasional concern. In the end, as Kurt plainly and so appropriately put into words: “We (Lakers) need Lamar Odom, and he needs the Lakers.”

    So at the end of the day, he will be a Laker. Too bad my 1st post doesn’t count in these types of situations.

  32. Warren Wee Lim says

    So like this post counts as 11:13pm LA time but I’m in the future and its already 14:13 from where I live.

  33. chearn says

    27) Lamar set a nice screen on Kobe’s man to set up the dunk on D-Ho. Another intangible that Lamar adds to the game.

    I hate to be the bearer of bad intuitions, but I believe that a sign and trade are in the works. The relationship may be irreparably damaged due to these negotiations. If the contract for 3/27 is off the table and management offers Lamar an MLE contract, how will that affect an enigmatic player like Lamar?

    Yes, a championship team has to make adjustments to stay ahead of the competition; a championship team should tweak the team, not dismantle it!

  34. kobama says

    Slightly off topic, but did anyone see that the Magic are close to signing Matt Barnes? Not that I fear Barnes or anything, but they have quietly had an active off-season adding VC, brandon bass, keeping gortat and apparently about to add another athletic wing. They have a very solid team, and with the exception of VC, it will be good for a while. If Jameer regains his form from earlier this year, they could be the favs in the east….thoughts?

    Also, 31, I work in Singapore, so I too wake up each morning and rush to check espn hoping that LO signed will I slept (or that we traded sasha for d rose)

  35. Yusuf says

    As a Laker fan living in Toronto, Im worried about the effects of the anthony parker/jamario moon signings the cavs have made. They now can consistently play Lebron at the 4 without having wally sczerbiak on the floor. Anthony Parker is a deadeye shooter (ninth place in NBA history in 3-point percentage at .415). Jamario Moon is an athletic wing, hes a poor mans trevor ariza. He cant create his own shot but is a good defender and he can hit the open 3 ball at an average rate. Both Parker/Moon can guard 2s and 3s while Lebron is athletic enough to cover almost any 4. 4 Wings is going to leave Shaq one on one in the paint where he’s still very efficient especially without a double team.

    Also… is it just me or do the Celtics look extremely strong. They shored up their depth concerns this offseason. Marquis Daniels can cover the few minutes that Ray and Paul are on the bench. Rasheed brings another shooter on offense who is only going to make the Celtics spacing better and their offense unguardable. If House is on at the 1 and sheed is their 5 who do you double off of when they spread the floor and give Pierce the ball in his sweet spot or KG the ball on an Iso in the post.

    The spurs are looking really tough, Popovich is feeling confident, stating in the newspaper that he should be fired if they can’t win. The spur that terrifies me is Tony Parker, we have no matchup for him and he’s going to wreak havoc on us unless Shannon or Jordan can do a decent job. Think Aaron Brooks but twice as good. McDyess paired with Duncan gives them their best big man duo since Robinson retired.

    Here’s hoping Lamar re-signs and the Artest signing pushes us past these 3 juggernauts. Im really excited and looking forward to the next season. Can’t wait…

  36. charles says

    lamar take the 3 year 27 mil. With you there the lakers are going to win at least two if not three more rings. Then at the end of that contract they will give you more money. Trust in the buss. When the rings come he will take care of you.

  37. Drew says

    Kurt (or whoever else might be willing to comment),

    I have a question for you completely unrelated to the topic of Odom’s contract negotiations.

    Ron Artest is currently listed at 260lbs. Wouldn’t it behoove him to pull a Kobe and shed about 15 lbs? He would be lighter on his feet and less prone to injuring his knees. We don’t need him for interior D as much as we need him to chase around other teams’ wings. He’s hitting 30 this year; wouldn’t this help extend his career?

    This question also applies to DFish. Why doesn’t he play ball at about 190lb. or so rather than his listed 210 lb. His troubles chasing around smaller, quicker guards is well documented. And at 6 ft. tall, he’s never going to be a primary defender against opposing shooting guards anyway.

    Why don’t more players pull what Kobe did, and aggressively shed weight while retaining strength to keep pressure off the knees and stay agile?

  38. Igor Avidon says

    Just saw the Barnes to Magic; Orlando looks monstrous right now. Barnes isn’t anywhere near as good as he was on the Warriors, but he’s probably bench warming on a team that stacked. Usually that much talent on a team is something I’d see as a problem, but I think SVG is one of the few coaches who can make that work. I’m not sold on the CLE/BOS pickups, I’ll have to see those additions working well before I start to lose sleep over them.

    If the Spurs stay healthy, they probably are the only team I’d really worry about. Portland might make another leap, they have a ridiculous amount of talent and potential on that roster.

  39. Phyllis Dickerson says

    Lamar, now that you have won a title ,its time to think about the Hall of Fame. You will almost be a sure in if you stay with the Lakers and win another title. Sometimes money isn’t it. Think of your legacy as a Laker in the HOF.
    Sign the contract, play your butt off, and next year see if the Lakers will give you an extention for the last two years.

  41. Zip says

    Spurs and Magic have had great off seasons. Always thought Hedo was a bit overrated. Still not sold on Celtics or Cavs. I see Shaq and the Cavs getting picked and rolled to death in every playoff game, and the Celtics still have not addressed their main weakness, the backup PG. They acquired Sheed about 5 years too late.

  42. TYLER says

    @37
    Because it is VERY VERY hard to lose a significant amount of wait while maintaining strength if you already in the kind of shape that most NBA players are in.
    Kobe can do it because he has a crazy work ethic, but few others are willing to put in that kind of time and effort.

  43. Kaifa says

    I think “a significant amount of wait” describes the Odom free agency period perfectly. 😉

    (sorry to be a wise-a**)

  46. Kurt says

    37. Drew, I think Tyler hit the nail on the head. In the case of Fisher and Artest, strength is a key part of their game. Losing weight without strength is hard at best, and so you get stronger players trying to overcome their body breaking down that way.

    This NBA season, at least right now, really looks like the haves and have nots. Lakers, Spurs, Celtics, Cavs and Orlando all have a title shot (where health and other team factors will play key roles) and everybody else is just trying to save money and build with youth. If/when the Lakers sign LO, I think you could argue each of those five contenders got better this summer.

  47. kobama says

    41, I agree completely. I also think that the Cavs didn’t address their main weakness which was having a 4 who can guard the lewis/odoms of the world and spread the floor for shaq and lebron. Still, if they do get Moon then they are a much better team.

    Boston and San Antonio are both tough, but it all depends on health for them (Cavs to some extent with Shaq). Why the Magic worry me is that I view them as the only team that can be a contender beyond this year (along with our Lakers of course).

    But these are worries for the future….now is the time for pulling my hair out until Odom signs

  48. kobama says

    Sorry for the back to back, meant to reply to 35 as well.

    I see you’re point that Lebron can become that Versatile 4 if they have moon and parker, but I still think he’d be much better of at his natural 3 spot. He may be big and strong, but he’d rack up too many fouls trying to guard Gasol and KG.

  49. Mike says

    40) My favorite is the dribbling out of bounds, because they show Phil’s face, which you might think would be mad, or puzzled, or something, but instead he’s just glaring as if to say, “that doesn’t surprise me.”

    For the record I want Lamar to re-sign and think the Lakers will be worse off without him.

    34),38) The Magic lost two starters (Hedo & Lee), and replaced them with one starter and a bunch of good (but not great) guys. I think they’ve improved their depth, but since you can only play five guys at a time, I really can’t tell if they’ve improved their team.

    I don’t think the Lakers should be afraid of them. To be honest, I wasn’t afraid of any Eastern team in the Finals last year. I think the Lakers would have beaten the Cavs or Celtics as well. I believe most of the Eastern teams have improved, but it remains to be seen whether any have improved enough to beat the best teams in the West.

  50. DB says

    Kurt–was the consensus among the NBA people you talked to in Vegas that the Lakers will be a significantly better team with Artest in place of Ariza?

  51. Travis says

    lebron is a faceup perimeter player. his post game isn’t quite Kobe-esque yet, so I don’t fear him moving to the 4 permanently. that’s assuming you have somebody who can match his muscle in the paint, which we have in Artest.

  52. Kurt says

    50. Most of them fear Artest the player more, but a couple questioned how he might mesh. I would say the consensus was that if the Lakers bring back Artest’s good friend Odom, and with Kobe and Phil, they can keep him in line.

  53. Darius says

    RE Lebron playing PF: As a part time player, James is a beast of a PF. When you look at his stats, he’s more than capable of handling his own. In a way, he could be like Odom is for us in that he will just abuse most bigger PF’s that try to guard him on the perimeter and he should be able to use his good enough size (he is about the same size as Karl Malone) to defend the post adequately. Plus, as I implied earlier, this would only be part time. Those stats I linked to showed that he already player 19% of his minutes at PF last season and if that goes up to even 25-30% I think he’ll be able to sustain his level of play from last season. Plus, it’s not like they don’t have the depth at PF/C to guard legit post players – Shaq, Z, and Andy will still likely do all the heavy lifting against guys like Duncan, Pau, and the like.

  54. Brian says

    Roger Lodge – former host of Blind Date and local AM radio talk show host – reported on his show this morning that his sources say Lamar met with Dr. Buss in a room and will stay with the Lakers for 4 years/$40M.

    No one else that I know of has reported the same, and I kinda doubt that Lodge has sources that others don’t, but he is a local guy, so maybe he does.

  56. Zephid says

    I find it pretty telling that opposing teams fans/bloggers/scouts/GMs openly yearning for Miami to sign Odom away from us is a sign that Odom is more valuable than future cap flexibility.

  58. Icaros says

    If you’re wondering what the hold up is now, my sources tell me the new strategy in Odom’s camp is to wait for an expansion team to be created for next season. Since such a team has no roster to speak of, there will be plenty of cap space to beat the Lakers most recent offer.

  59. Snoopy2006 says

    Wow Orlando’s certainly not taking any chances. They’re like the greedy fat kid at the lunch table who takes all the chocolate puddings so no one else can have them. The East is going to be very, very interesting this year.

  60. drrayeye says

    (58) If Odom would allow joining an expansion team for a speculative few more bucks next year to interfere with his signing of a contract with the Lakers this year, I’d give him a complementary candy bar, and say good bye.

  61. Travis Y. says

    Hey Kurt,

    Did you ever find out whether or not Kobe is going to get surgery on his finger? Or is he going to just let it be for the rest of his career.

  63. Kurt says

    61. He is not getting surgery this summer and has no plans to. Maybe his mind changes down the line, but not this summer.

  64. Hillary Ocholla says

    E-ROC wrote on July 20, 2009 at 7:51 pm

    Kurt, you have got to show Kobe giving Howard his welcome to the NBA moment. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORe0_CS-s1A

    Thank you so much!! I have that poster in my room and for sooooo long I’ve wondered who the hell the guy Kobe dunks on is. Finally I know who it is.

    You truly have solved a long running mystery, many miles away in Nairobi, Kenya 😀

  66. Stephen says

    Kurt, Great video. I sincerely hope the Lakers bring back Lamar. He is the difference between being contenders and being the favorites to repeat, in my opinion.

    Never thought I would want to pimp my blog out like this, but I wrote “an open letter” to Dr. Buss on my site yesterday. It seems the article sparked quite a bit of emotions from everyone.

    Check it out, if you like: http://bleacherreport.com/users/128333-stephen-ramirez

    Thanks again for the great reads…love this site!

  69. The Truth About L.O. says

    1. LO is an inconsistent player who rarely plays to his potential.

    2. LO has done little in his 10 year career to improve his game (after a decade, no right hand).

    3. LO is a bench player on this Laker team, and his primary value is as an insurance policy against an injury to Andrew or Pau.

    4. By even considering a $35 million contract over 5 years in Miami, LO has demonstrated that the Lakers offer of $30 million over 3 years was absurdly high. In rejecting this offer, LO is flatly saying that his performance during the next 3 years is not likely to warrant a two year $5 million contract (roughly what Shannon Brown got).

    5. The message to the rest of the team: I value money over playing with you. Paying LO what he is asking for would adversely affect the Lakers negotiating position on future agreements (particularly Pau).

    6. LO is a great 4th option. The 4th option isn’t worth $18 million a year (with tax).

  70. Zip says

    Pincus echoed the 4 yr/40 mil number in a chat on Hoopsworld. Speculated the fourth year wouldn’t be fully guaranteed. For what’s it’s worth.

  71. DirtySanchez says

    40 mil ten years, thats highway robbery. Im glad its not my money thats covering his check. Does everybody think this will make LO happy and sign on the dotted line?
    I do think the FO made a mistake by believing that LO was genuine when he said he would give LA a discount when it came to a new contract. With this in mind the FO went out and used all the MLE on one player and left themselves no wiggle room to sign outside FA. LO’s agent siezed the opportunity and cornered the FO knowing they had only two optiions. Pay LO what he wanted or risk losing him, with no possible way to find his replacement this late in FA. So the extra money that the FO will have to pay to keep LO, they can only blame themselves. Score: FO 0 AGENT 1

  72. fanerman says

    Assuming the 4/$40 deal is true, Buss is thinking about more than himself. And I don’t mean Odom. He’s thinking about the California state budget. Signing Odom means millions of dollars in income tax. Money that can pay for our schools. He’s thinking of the CHILDREN!!!

  73. Mike says

    Zip wrote: “Pincus echoed the 4 yr/40 mil number in a chat on Hoopsworld. Speculated the fourth year wouldn’t be fully guaranteed. For what’s it’s worth.”

    Probably not worth a whole lot. Pincus admitted his was a total guess with no source.

    Roger Lodge is at least citing a source, although I can’t see how his source can be any better than the more well-connected beat reporters.

    I still think we got nothing of substance. Luke’s comments give me the most hope (even though they were made Saturday), because it sounds like Luke may be privy to Odom’s mindset and that Odom intends to sign.

  74. oldie says

    The longer this impasse drags out, does it favor Lamar or the Lakers? Assuming it goes into October/November and Lamar signs then, as I’ve heard it speculated on radio, Lamar gets to take off training camp and first few games of the season (he has inconsistencies, so maybe time off will allow him to focus more?) If Bynum comes back strong (in training camp), the Lakers are at a advantage. If he doesn’t, it’s Lamar’s advantage.

    I think it’s been talked about already, but I think the 2 reasons why Lamar is holding out is, (1) his skill level is going to go down each year, and his bargaining power is not ever going to be this high again (2) who knows what the new CBA is going to do to Lamar’s ability to make major money?

    Maybe the Lakers can sign him for 4 years or whatever and fight hard in the new CBA to make sure another salary amnesty provision is negotiated, in case Lamar’s skill level deteroriates in 3-4 years and he’s untradeable.

  75. kaveh says

    I think that Boston is most improved, Cavs/Spurs come next and the Magic bring up the rear.

    Boston:
    Sure they got Grandpa Sheed, but this is the Celtic’s second best acquisition of the summer, and perhaps third depending on how you qualify it. KG is their best pickup of the summer since he will be on the court the same way that Manu will be on the court next year for the Spurs. They are basically like FA pickups. The next best pickup for the Celts is Marqiuse Daniels. This kid can BALL. The reason he was let go was because his team option was like 7.4m for next year –he is playing on the celts for like a million and change. This guys is basically a Trevor Ariza who doesn’t have as much range. Wouldn’t we like a TA? Grandpa Sheed is highly skilled but the question with him will be determination.

    The big question with the celtics will be the performance of the Granpas. Grandpa KG, G Ray, G Pierce and G sheed. Will KG return to form? Or is he too old. Will G Ray continue his decline, although until now it has been slight. G Pierce is clearly over the hill and has been declining rapidly. I expect him to be a shell of his former self next year. And G Sheed. Stat wise he was horrible last year. But how much of that is desire and how much actual decline?

    Cavs —
    I think that everyone is underestimating the arrival of Shaq. He is still a dominant force inside. And they got Lebron who is the most physically gifted athlete i have ever seen regardless of sport. Moon and Carter are also huge upgrades. All this while losing nothing of significance. The question with the Cavs will be how long Shaq and remain a force? And will Lebron learn to play basketball? By that I mean that currently he is playing like the Kobe of 3-4 years ago. I think Kobe 3-4 years ago was a better player than LEbron today, but i’m talking mentally. The current Kobe has raised his game to MJ level mentally. He makes all his teammates better than they really are. Lebron currently makes his team mates WORSE in my opinion. All standing around and watching lebron go 1 on 5.

    Spurs –it all depends on Manu and Duncan. Duncan has started to fall off of a cliff performance wise. If he can stall the decline and Manu comes back healthy then i would say that the Spurs have a small chance.

    Magic –I do not believe that the magic are better. They traded Hedo/C Lee/Battie for VC/Bass/Barnes. Off first thought everyone believes that Hedo for VC is an upgrade. I highly doubt that. VC has never won anything in his life –why would that change now? The guys is content with being OK. He is content with not taking too many risks. He is content with just getting through the games and taking home the paycheck. He is a loser. He loses things. Hedo on the other hand was absolutely clutch. His effort may not have been 100%, but he did not shy away from the big moment.

    The magic will not get out of the second round next year. Both the Cavs and the Celts are better than the Magic in my opinion.

  78. VoR says

    Kurt,

    I’m tired of logging onto this site and not finding any good news about Lamar.

    Can you just send me an email to let me know when he is re-signed?

    Thanks

  80. Igor Avidon says

    74.

    M.Daniels is nowhere near Trevor’s level of D. His offensive choices are questionable as well. Sheed has been disinterested in basketball for a couple of years now. Celtics are still a top 3 team but it’s not because of those two, it’s because they have the Big 4.

    Shaq doesn’t have Suns’ trainers to keep him healthy and thus productive. He’s also more of a liability because he clogs the paint (hindering LeBron’s ga,e) and can’t defend the pick and roll. In fact he can’t defend anything moving at speeds over 2mph. I’m skeptical about Moon as well, he looked good in Toronto because the team didn’t have many options and he got a lot of burn. In Cleveland the minutes will be shorter and his performance will suffer imo.

    Critics have questioned the Spurs’ age for years now. Duncan hasn’t slipped one bit in terms of on-court production. He’s had pretty much the same numbers for the last five years. His athleticism is quickly leaving him, but his IQ is as high as ever.

  81. Minorkle says

    Which way is the Lamar Odometer pointing..Lakers or Heat? we are all being held hostage…..help!!!

  82. harold says

    Kobe said “I just won a championship with this hand, I ain’t fixing a thing” or something like that in his Disneyland interview, I think.

  83. kaveh says

    $40m for 4 years way too generous? I think so too. I also think that without Odom the lakers did have options. Trade before the deadline next year with expiring contracts, etc.

    However, for us FANS this is the best possible move. Why? Because it is NOT our money. We are not the ones forking over $40m for 4 years. That’s Buss and the other owners. For us, all that should be important is the level of talent on the team, regardless of cost.

    Of course this will reduce flexibility in the future, but who cares? Our window for winning is the next 4 years. As long as Kobe can be the leader and superstar. After that, it is rebuilding time. Perhaps trading Gasol and any other assets we have for young talent in order to surround Bynum/Farmar/Brown, etc. So who cares about flexibility now. With Artest, Odom, Bryant, Pau and the rest, we have the best talent in the ENTIRE league. Why should us fans care about flexibility?

    Without Odom or someone of his capability, then even if we have flexibility it is irrelevant since we do not have the talent level to beat the Celtics/Cavs and perhaps even the Spurs/Magic. We need Odom to compete. With him our team is soo much better. That’s why I was always the guy saying that Odom is far more important than Ariza. Ariza can be replaced with the likes of Marquise Daniels, Jamario Moon, MIchael Pietrus, and the like. Odom cannot be replaced without another $10m guy. Ariza can be replaced with a lot of other athletic wings who can shoot.

    With Odom back we have what can possibly be a defensive powerhouse. Artest is the best perimeter defender in the entire league. Shannon Brown has the tools to become a guy who can stop the likes of Tony Parker, Deron Williams, Aaron Brooks, etc. Kobe is all-nba defender when the time calls for it. Odom is one of the best defenders. Pau is very under-rated. Bynum healthy has the tools to become great on the defensive and offensive side.

    Our team can be a defensive POWERHOUSE next year if Odom comes back. On the offensive side, we have all the tools. I think that if we get Odom back, we must be considered the favorites by a good margin because we have much more room for error than the other teams and less variables.

  86. wondahbap says

    “Sheed has been disinterested in basketball for a couple of years now. ”

    I wouldn’t say he’s disinterested. He’s just not as good as he used to be.

  87. DirtySanchez says

    If replacing Ariza could have been done with the likes of Daniels, Barnes, and Moon. Why didnt the FO use MLE money on these type of players, instead of Artest. To them LO was a given to be re-signed, so it justified the reason to use all MLE money on Ron Ron. This gave LO’s camp all the leverage it needed in negotiations. Either sign me to a long term contract or I walk and leave you with nothing. Its a shrewd game in that somebody has to be the loser. The FO just got caught holding the bag with all the money, and must now share with the CANDYMAN.

  89. Kaveh says

    Igor #80

    I completely disagree with you regarding Daniels. I put him and Josh Howard basically in the same group. I remember even being confused on who was better when they played together. Daniels is an absolute gem for the celtics. The problem with the celtics is the big 4 —the grandpa 4. Will KG be the KG of old post-serious-injury? Will Pierce continue to decline?

    Phoenix Suns training staff have secret elixir? I’m not a doctor, but i do understand the concept of economics better than almost anyone. And I’m here to tell you that if teams spend roughly the same amount of money on trainers then they will get roughly the same quality of trainers. They all go to the same schools and read the same books and study the same material in sports medicine. How can one group be sooo much better than the other? And even if we assume that one groups is huge leaps better than the rest, this cannot be a stagnate situation as the other would catch up. They would research the “secret elixer” and pay money for the information. Perhaps even hire Phoenix medical staff for huge amounts of money. Or just for the info? Corporate intelligence? Whatever. So i don’t buy it for a second that the Phoenix trainers were so good and the Cavs trainers are so bad.

    In regards to Shaq’s play. Well, he is a monster. Always has been and always will be. Can you imagine Pau in there fighting it out with Shaq? Shaq throws his weight around and Pau/Odom go flying. I’m not saying that he is the Shaq of old. But the guy is still about 1000X better than Grandpa Ben Wallace, Z and Verajaow.

    Regarding Duncan —are you seriously telling me that this years Duncan was the exact same player as Duncan of 5 years ago? There is just no way in heck that’s true. I don’t care “evidence” you have, it is false. I have eyes. I can see. There is no way that anyone would claim that he is just as good now as he was 5 years ago.

  90. Kaveh says

    85 — Bo Jackson vs Lebron

    I must say that I remember Bo. He was my favorite running back even though I live in Seattle and Bo would always have his best games against my Seahawks. The guy was gifted, no doubt about it.

    But Lebron is 6’8″, 260lbs and is as quick as a cat. One of my friends told me that he has been timed running the 40 at 4.3! That’s Bo Jackson speed. I don’t know the integrity of the information. He may have just read it off some board or something. But jugding from what I see, I have no reason to doubt it. He is blazing fast/quick.

    I say that Lebron is a better athlete than Bo was.

  92. palani says

    Re Jim@88,

    I was informed of this great news by Brian Kamenetzky

    the new is not even in BK’s own LA Times blog.

  93. Kurt says

    88. There’s some reaching going on in that Bleacher Report article. There’s a lot of guesswork going on right now because the Internet abhors a vacuum. Talk radio abhors a vacuum. And (as Pincus said in his chat today) everyone involved in this and close to it has shut up. Does that mean they are close to a deal or not talking to each other? Who knows?

  94. Igor Avidon says

    89.

    Josh Howard is a known defensive sieve in the NBA, so comparing Daniels to him isn’t exactly making a case for him. One of the guys on a Celts blog had a good article describing Daniels. http://celticshub.com/2009/07/17/welcome-the-grand-marquis-the-ta-experiment-has-failed/

    The Suns’ staff is more efficient at bringing back players from injuries and keeping them healthy than other teams’ staff (Grant Hill & Shaq will attest to that) They do not go to the same schools, and certainly don’t have the same tricks up their sleeves. No secret elixir, just a better understanding of the human body and methods of taking care of it. I think Shaq and Z both had fluke seasons last year in regards to how relatively injury-free they were. Shaq is still strong, nobody would disagree with that. But he’ll have a lot of trouble chasing younger/more athletic bigs around and will be more of a hindrance on the court rather than help when it comes to playing D.

    Re: Timmy. Look at his statistics from the last five season. They are very good and very consistent. http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/duncati01.html Yeah, he’s lost a step or three, but his smarts still make him as efficient as he’s been.

  95. ozlaker says

    The silence is deafening. Lamar has even been VERY quiet on Twitter which is unusual for him as he seems to like to Twitter and talk with people via that.

    I reckon it will be sorted in the next day or so. I think Buss showed his hand early and knows Lamar can’t get that close a deal at Miami.

    Done deal by weeks end, but this weekend to think about has stretched into Day 4 of the weekend.

  97. penston says

    Kurt wrote on July 21, 2009 at 6:15 pm (84) –

    “79. Sure, I could easily pay Odom’s salary myself. Not a problem.”

    Well. No wonder Larry M. sounded a little bitter.

  98. Jhun says

    Under the Buss Negotiations : LO-Lakers Deal Imminent?
    by Jonathan Hernandez

    Apparently, there’s an end to the game Candy Land…

    In observing the recent ebb and flow of all things Lamar Odom-related , it appears likely that an Odom-Lakers deal is imminent. According to AM830 Roger Lodge, Lamar Odom met with Dr. Buss in a room (as opposed to a hot tub) and will stay with the Lakers for 4 years/$40M. This isn’t official, but news and opinions from around the league seem to coincide with this same likelihood.

    Furthermore, Luke Walton gave this assurance to people at a public tournament he attended this weekend:

    “LO will be a Laker. Trust me.”

    It’s Luuuke. You’d be wise to trust.

    To recap all the tension and strife between these back-and-forth negotiations with Lamar Odom and Jerry Buss, here’s a parody video that gives us an in-depth look at just how fiery things got:

    http://ohmeohmyjellosjigglin.blogspot.com/2009/07/under-buss-negotiations-lo-lakers-deal.html

    (click here to watch the youtube video parody)

    Best Quote:

    “Maybe if we wait it out, Odom will finally come down off this sugar high and quit being such a douche cake.”

    This game of Candy Land is finally drawing to a conclusion, and here in L.A., it’s never too out of the question for everyone to get his equal share of the cake. Minus the douche.

    original link:
    http://ohmeohmyjellosjigglin.blogspot.com/2009/07/under-buss-negotiations-lo-lakers-deal.html

  100. Kenslc says

    Bo Jackson was a better athlete than Lebron. His 40 time was 4.12 seconds. Until Lebron plays two sports as well as Bo did, then there is no comparison.

  101. Travis says

    @48

    I won’t argue any of your points, except for #6. LO isn’t the 4th option. right now he’s clearly option #3. And he’s option #1 when Kobe’s off the floor.

    Bynum is really the last option unless we are playing a team like the clips or warriors who have no power down low. Artest is option #4, and will probably stay that way unless he shows a remarkable amount of comfort in the triangle, which I don’t expect.

    Right now, our options assuming LO comes back:

    starting 5 (LO on the bench)
    option 1: Kobe (Mamba mode)
    option 2: Kobe (S&R with Pau)
    option 3: Pau (high post)
    option 4: Artest off Kobe penetration
    option 5: Bynum (low post)
    option 6: bring LO off the bench early

    closing 5 (Fish, Kobe, Ron, LO, Pau)
    option 1: Kobe as Mamba
    option 2: Pau in the post
    option 3: LO off the break
    option 4: Ron for 3 off Kobe penetration
    option 5: Fisher bails us out with a rainbow 3 (or doesn’t)

    bench mob: (either Pau, Ron, or Bynum still in)

    option 1: LO penetrating and pushing the break
    option 2: Ron/Pau/Bynum in the post
    option 3: Luke distributing from post
    option 4: Sasha or SB gets hot from 3

    All of the above reminds me….wow we are scary if LO comes back.

  103. chearn says

    No! Kobe has given the Laker’s all that one could ask of an athlete. He starts every new season: in shape and with a new element to his game. He withstood all of the Kobe is the reason Shaq is no longer with the team hoopla, all of the heckles from fans and negative publicity from the media. Give the guy his money, he does not own the Lakers, yet.
    Kobe made one faux pas (I will not get into the guilty or innocent argument) that almost cost him his freedom and his marriage. Since the Colorado debacle he has been a model citizen, even winning the gold medal for America!

  104. Chris B. says

    Please for that holly come back Lamar!!!
    Man you are a Laker for life! Come on Take that dumb offer and get a new one 3 years from now when you have 4 rings baby! 4 championship rings!!!Think about that! Its hard to get back to the top. DONT LEAVE PLEASE!!!!
    I EAT AT YOUR RESTAURANT ALL THE TIME!
    Chris B.

  106. Anonymous says

    WHY PONDER ABOUT LAMAR WHEN HE IS GETTING AWAY FROM THE LAKERS. WHETHER IT’S LAKERS MISTAKE OR LAMAR’S, THE TEAM MUST GO ON. COME RON, ANDREW, SHINE UP AND PROVE TO ALL AND SUNDRY THAT YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE MUCH TO RETAINING THAT TROPHY.

  108. jeremiah says

    If Lamar isn’t sure….. sign and trade time. Odom & Bynum for Beasley & J. O’Neal

  109. JOEL B. says

    C’mon Jerry, give Lamar four or five years. He’s worth it. You want more championships? You’ll get them if you keep lamar. I know I’m not paying the bills, but those seats at Staples are anything but cheap. I’m a life-long Laker fan (Jerry West was/is my idol), but I’ll be very dissapointed if you let Lamar get away. Big mistake. Hey Mitch, get it done.

  110. pcblack says

    The lakers need to set a deadline for this deal. The few good FA are being signed. Lamar its time to sh$$ or get off the pot!!!
    Lets get luke on roids and let him play the 4…lol. seriously thou mitch tell him decide by the 31st or else………pc