Pau Gasol takes a seat to nobody when playing basketball in the NBA

In the world of “yeah we kind of figured”, Mitch Kupchak came out and admitted the Lakers kind of stole Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies. Really? And we just kind of thought the Lakers were lucky?

Originally the Grizzlies wanted more for Pau Gasol.

The deal included Kwame Brown and weren’t the Lakers aching to get rid of him, Aaron McKie, the long time NBA veteran role player, rookie Javaris Crittenton, and two future first round picks, and Pau’s brother Marc. As you can see, they picked him up for a whole lot of nothing. Even the first round picks will most likely be low first rounders and worth very little.

The Grizzlies were asking for Monkey King…err Sun Yue, but the Lakers talked them out of it.

The Lakers had a pair of second-round picks last year. Gasol was selected 48th overall, eight picks after the Lakers drafted Sun. The younger Gasol spent the 2007-2008 season playing in Europe.

In the end, the Lakers were able to hold on to Sun, primarily because of the scouting report that assistant general manager Ronnie Lester prepared for Kupchak, after Lester evaluated Sun in Singapore, a month before the trade was consummated.
source

So now you have a Laker team of Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum.

Sun will be surrounded with Stars!

Photo source Newscom

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Kwame Brown looks huge compared to Jermaine O’Neal in this picture

Just when you thought it could not get any crazier, Joe Dumars and the Detroit Pistons signed Kwame Brown. Yeah, that Kwame Brown.

Kwame was a 1st round draft pick by Michael Jordan and the Washington Wizards. In fact he was the first pick of the draft.

His career has really been hopeless, especially after being the first High School player ever drafted 1st.

Your intrepid author had to do a little research to figure out why Joe D would go after Kwame Brown and the result is a little surprising.

When Lakers center Chris Mihm went down with a season-ending ankle injury on March 12, 2006, Brown took over the starting center position. During his stint as a center, he raised his averages from 6.1 points and 6.3 rebounds to 12.3 points and 9.1 rebounds and started every game for the Lakers in the playoffs. Surprisingly, Kwame Brown became a central part of the LA Lakers seven game series with the Phoenix Suns. Although they would end up losing the series, it had appeared that Kwame Brown’s potential was beginning to show. The surprising consistency Brown showed while playing center prompted Phil Jackson to make Brown the starting center role in the 2006-2007 season. Brown was injured at the beginning of the season and Mihm was also out with injury for the whole season, so the starting job at center was given to the young Andrew Bynum. After playing the majority of the minutes at center despite the bench role, he was given the starting job in early December. Brown again became injured in the 2007-08 season which allowed Bynum to start again at the center position where he has now flourished.

source

So here was the deal.

A team source confirmed the deal is for two years at $4 million per season. He made nearly $9.1 million last season, the final year of a three-year deal.
source

Can Joe D do it again like he did with Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton and seemingly take a drifting player’s career and turbo charge it?

Trust in Joe D.

The best comment on this issue was “What, Darko wasn’t available?” (by DetroitDave)

The Pistons are still dogged by the Darko deal, but what GM would not have chosen Darko. Athletic 7 footers are hard to come by and Darko had all the markings of a 10 year starting center. To Darko’s credit, he is still in the league.

Of course, so is Kwame, for that matter.

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Jason Kidd looking to pass for someone else

Contemplate Jason Kidd as a Maverick.

Hmm, no D required. Actually, very little point guard play required.

No, does not seem to fit.

Contemplate Jason Kidd as a Nugget.

Hmm, pretty much the same thing.

So this brings to question why the Nets want to get rid of Jason Kidd.

Schwartz, in exploring current options for his client with other NBA teams, has been told that with Vince Carter signing a new four-year $61.8 million contract and Richard Jefferson having three years and $42 million left on his six-year deal, Kidd is the only moveable major asset New Jersey has. source

Sounds like the company line.

Maybe this is more to the truth.

To get Jason Kidd out of his life, Rod Thorn would’ve traded him yesterday. The relationship between the team president and superstar has deteriorated into bitter acrimony. Once, they were golfing buddies and confidants and now, sources say, they can barely stand to sit on opposite ends of the team bus.

…

Truth be told, Thorn had to understand that he and Kidd passed a point of no return on the December night his superstar sent a text message in the early afternoon to say a migraine would keep him out of a game with the New York Knicks. Publicly, Thorn defended Kidd, but privately he seethed. source

The Lakers tried to pull a deal with Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown, but Rod Thorn wanted Andrew Bynum. Lakers said no.

Good thing for Bynum, since New Jersey is where centers go to die.

Jason is going somewhere. What do you think would be the best fit?

The Celtics need another aging superstar. That would be interesting.

Can you see Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Jason Kidd?

(Maybe Shaq would come play for them? Just kidding!)

NBA Basketball Fan Question Where is Jason Kidd going?

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Least they forget who has ruled the Pacific Division in recent years; Phoenix brought their ‘A’ game.

The Phoenix Suns have won the Pacific Division title in each of the last three seasons, due in part to their success against the Los Angeles Lakers.

With the Lakers in the midst of their longest winning streak in nearly four years, though, the Suns’ dominance suddenly appears to be in jeopardy. source

Could Chris Weber soon be a Laker?

It was, of course, a game without Andrew Bynum, but this is not the time for excuses, since Phoenix plays without a true center all the time anyway.

LA and Kobe have been red hot lately and fully expected to win this game.

Phoenix outshot the Lakers 51.9 percent to 37.9 percent and that was pretty much the story. If you allow the Suns to shoot over 50 percent, you are in deep trouble.

Leandro Barbosa scored 22 points, Shawn Marion added 20 points and 16 rebounds, and the Phoenix Suns beat the Los Angeles Lakers 106-98 on Thursday night to regain the Western Conference lead.

Boris Diaw scored 19 points, Amare Stoudemire and Raja Bell added 16 each, and Steve Nash had 13 points and a season-high 20 assists for the Suns (27-12), who won for the eighth time in 11 games to move a half-game ahead of the Lakers. source

20 assists? Just a thought here, but is Steve Nash puts up 20 dishes for hoops, you are going down! 20 assists? Unreal!

The Bynum-less Lakers

The Lakers without Bynum looked out of rhythm to start the game and later Kwame Brown, the Bynum replacement, looked terrible and drew the fans catcalls.

In fact, they looked like a group of guys who just met for a pickup game at the park, rather than the cohesive unit that had won seven in a row. Their confidence was absent and their momentum was lost in a maze of unsteady play.

Shots clanged off the rim and backboard.

Passes missed their mark.

Rebounds went unclaimed.

Defensive plans crumbled. source

Chris Weber

There was speculation that Chris Weber might soon be signing with the Lakers to fill in for Andrew Bynum. Don’t forget Chris Mihm is also out with an injury for at least a couple of more weeks.

Webber told a Sacramento television station Monday that he expects to sign with an NBA team within two weeks. He said he has received plenty of offers, but is determined to take his time and find the best fit.

“I have three teams in my head (but) I don’t want to (name them),” Webber said, “but I know I’ll be back.”

In fact, the 34-year-old Webber might fit nicely in the Lakers’ high-tempo offense. He was a shooter, passer, rebounder and defender of some renown during a well-traveled 14-year career. He has not played since last spring, however. source

Other players mentioned are P.J. Brown and DJ Mbenga.

The Lakers need to find some solution as the schedule get a whole lot harder right now with a series of winning teams coming up.

NBA Basketball Fan Question Will Weber sign with the Lakers?

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Andrew Bynum – the Lakers key hurts his knee

What a way to pull defeat out of victory.

Kobe Bryant was on to his usual outstanding performance and the Lakers machine was once again humming along as it has done so recently with victory after victory. Kobe ended up with 37 points.

The Lakers defeated the Grizzlies 100 to 99 with unlikely hero Kwame Brown taking his 38 percent free throw shooting percentage to the line and making the first one to give the Lakers their game winning point with 9.2 seconds left.

So the Lakers won the game, but it was what happened earlier that has players and fans concerned.

Unfortunately, in the 3rd quarter, Andrew Bynum went down with a knee injury.

Bynum is a player the Lakers can ill afford to lose. He has been averaging a double double and giving the Lakers size inside. Without Bynum, the Lakers will have to use Kwame Brown and Chris Mihm, when he gets healthy.

Andrew Bynum, a key factor in the team’s ascent to elite status at this stage of the season, sprained his left knee early in the third quarter of Sunday night’s 100-99 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, and will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the injury.

The 20-year-old center expressed the opinion as he left Staples Center following the game that his injury isn’t serious, but perhaps that’s simply wishful thinking.

“I feel all right,” he said, walking under his own power, although limping slightly, with a brace on his left leg while personal trainer Sean Zarzana carried a pair of crutches.

“It’s on the top of the kneecap, and a little on the right,” Bynum said. “I was pretty scared. But the X-rays were negative. I never heard a pop. Just when I bend it, it hurts. I’m feeling fine, it’s not as bad as I thought. I put ice on it, and it felt better right away.” source

NBA Basketball Phil Jackson factoid - The win was the 944th of Jackson’s career, tying him with Bill Fitch, his coach at the University of North Dakota, for sixth place on the NBA’s list. source

NBA Basketball Kobe Bryant factoid - Bryant became the 44th player with 1,000 career 3-pointers with his first of three in this game. The 3-pointer was introduced in the NBA before the 1979-80 season. source

The Lakers need Bynum to get healthy soon or an excellent season will begin to disappear. The Lakers are a half a game outside of first place in the Pacific Division just behind Phoenix and Steve Nash, but keep in mind the Western Conference is loaded with potential playoff teams. There is little room for drop off.

NBA Basketball Fan Question Can the Lakers continue to win without Andrew Bynum?

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