Fix your team!
Some might say that that it's a little early to make cemented judgements on one's team but I'm not so sure. I'm not saying everyone needs big changes but I think every team has some sort of need (some teams less than others) and likely have a player or two that could be utilized to help fill those holes via trade.
Need 3 point shooting & have a plethora of quality forwards? I'm sure someone out there has too many guards & could use another quality big. Have a player that's getting paid way more than they're worth? Call Isiah & see if he'll give you some relief. I'm sure Marbury's available as a quick fix for those teams with chemistry issues ;).
Though it's a given that the trade should be good for your team - I'd love to see a few that would benefit all teams involved (therefore plausible that they'd be agreed to).
Inspiration came to me from the Lake Show. I've probably got more work to do than most others (as Kupchak seems particularly inept to me) so I'll break them down in a followup entry.
Finally, feel free to venture into trades that would be good for other teams too (don't necessarily have to stick with ones including your own homer)... which brings me to an ulterior motive for this post. I'm actually hoping that someone here holds the key to the 'most pivotal trade in Lakers history' [enabling them to win 24 straight championships!!!].
ESPN's Trade Machine: http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/trademachine
4 comments:
Alright. I love the Lakers and everyone else pretty much hates them. I can understand why - I'd imagine it's like hating the Yankees & I love hatin' on the the Yankees. It makes me almost as happy to see them lose as it does to see the A's win.
So, as for the Lakers. I don't see trading Kobe Bryant - no matter what he says. He really just wants the Lakers to contend and I understand that. I need some trades that would make them better so that I can email them to Buss & Kupchak w/ hopes that they'd get'em done before the trade deadline.
Here's what I know. They started decent this summer by allowing Smush Parker to go on his way. They have some very talented young players & an expiring contract in Kwame Brown so definitely have some attractive bait for some other teams.
Needs
I see three pretty important things, in order:
1) Get an atheltic center that plays great D & rebounds (assuming they can move Kwame)
2) Get 1-2 more veteran 'cool heads' (getting Fish back was a fantastic first step here
and
3) Ideally, a defensive stopper (intimidating would help)
With any luck, I could get two guys that would both fit #2 above. Here are a few examples of players I'd LOVE to get (that aren't Yao & DHoward). I tried to stick to guys that might actually be attained.
Shawn Marion
Raja Bell
Tyson Chandler
Matt Barnes
and two more that are a little questionable due to their history 'fortitude' issues:
Pau Gasol
Kirilenko
Commodoties
Because all good players technically have value to other teams, here are the few that I'd have a very difficult time parting with, the 'untouchables': Kobe, Bynum, Fisher, Turiaf
Then there is the opposite of the untouchable, those guys I'd just as soon be elsewhere (for decent return value):
Kwame Brown - physically more than capable (he's played stellar a few times - see the Suns series in '06) but he mails it in too much for me. I want to swap him for a center that will be an intimidating shot blocker that might deter some of the penetration that the Lakers have dealt with. Kwame should be a tradeable though as he is talented (and some GM is bound to convince themselves that they can get him to play hard all of the time). He's in a contract year & I expect him to play very well because of it increasing his value a tad over the first half of the season. If the team recieving him just wants to dump salary, the Lakers would certainly take back a large contract for a team that wants to sign one of their youn'uns after the season ends (see New orleans & Chris Paul).
Lamar Odom - I love the guy & think he can defend almost anyone... when he wants to. He just doesn't bring the defensive intensity often enough. I wouldn't mind him staying but a trade for say... Shawn Marion would be super. At least he brings the effort every night (even before the Steve Nash effect made every Suns player seem 20%+ more talented than they really are).
Vlad Rad - he's got decent value due to his shooting & I didn't think he played D. I've seen much more defensive effort in the last few games but, again, assuming we get decent value back, I wouldn't mind parting with him.
Brian Cook - I like Cook too but he's just not getting the playing time behind Turiaf, Odom, & Rad. He's capable of defending well (long) but doesn't seem to move laterally fast enough. He shoots great from the outside so can draw an opponent's big out of the lane on occasion.
Vujacic - I like the kid but we're stacked at PG. Fisher, Farmar, & Crittenden (rookie). He should be relatively attractive as a bargain player to another team as he's not paid much, plays decent defense & shoots threes really, really well.
Trades
And finally, here are a couple of trades I've come up with that would help fill a few of the gaps and seem plausible from all sides, in some universe at least (all worked in the trade machine):
1) Lakers send Kwame & Radmonovich to Memphis for Gasol (maybe West could pull a McHale?)
2) Lakers send Odom & Radmonovich to PHX for Marion & Raja? (I wouldn't do this if I were PHx...)
3) Lakers send Odom & cook to phx for marion?
4) 3 teamer: would solve all of LALs problems but I don't know that PHX or NOLA would comply...
LAL - gets Chandler, Marion, Bell
PHX - gets Radmon, Peja, Odom
NOLA - gets Cook, Banks, Kwame
5) Lakers send kwame & cook to NOLA for Chandler
6) 3 teamer:
LAL - gets Chandler
NOLA - gets Ron Murray, nazr, Kwame (& farmar is optional)
DET - gets Cook & bobby jackson
who do you think looks more unhappy to be shaking hands in that photo?
i think its starbury. tough call though.
I tried for a long time to make a logical, fair trade for all teams involved. It's too hard.
But if detroit was going to make a major trade, i would want to somehow get Boozer, and while i'm at it, i'd like Paul Millsap too.
I'm willing to part with Rip Hamilton and Mcdyss. But Mcdyss Cost too much for utah, so i tried bringing in a third team, but eventually gave up.
Detroit has some quality 1st-3rd year players we could trade too. Though i'd like to hang on to Jason Maxiel and Rodney Stucky.
I guess like many good fans, i want a trade that is waaay in my teams favor.
One of the main reasons i would like a guy like Boozer, aside from his obvious size and dominance on the court, is his consistancy and (seeming) maturity.
Detroit needs a guy that is reliable night in and night out, and who is possibly even intelligent. I feel like all the detroit starters (Prince a bit less) get their head in the wrong place and start to play out of their game.
Rasheed is the most obvious one. Imo, his tendency (so far improved this year) to camp the perimeter for jump shots is directly related to how much hard work is involved in posting up. Not that he does it on purpose. And, like i said, he has been posting with much more frequency so far this year.
I won't bore ya'll with the different ways each player tends to play out of his game. Just to say that Boozer would add some nice stability yang to the Pistons' inconsistancy ying.
The Pistons are very experienced, and as for experience-based wisdom, they have it by the truck-load. But i don't think any of them (except maybe Prince) have the kind of wisdom that would allow them to be a good coach.
They lose sight of some of their most basic advantages and play away from them. And they seem pretty motivated, so it must be focus or something.
This season like last, wether they win the game or lose it, they always start their games off the same way: they go down by ten. I guess it just takes a lot for them to be sharp. Being tied in the 1st period isn't enough.
I am a millsap fan too. I was really impressed with him in last years playoffs. He really has a piston type work ethic and playstyle. Boozer was also partly chosen for Piston type tendencies:) They are both the kind of guys Detroit fans love.
I doubt there are many other teams i know enough about to have quality insight on. So no laker solutions from me. Do what ya'll did vs. detroit last game. Never let us have -ANY- defensive rebounds. /cry
I actually like the fat white guy behind them. He looks scared that Zeke & Mar'dbury are going to start brawling at any minute.
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