The usual problem when chipping in (too) late into discussions to recent developments with already seem to be an old hat: Everything important and / or smart seems to be already said by someone else.
So please forgive me for boring the schrott out of you, but I feel the urge to put my thoughts somewhere and I can’t think of a more deserving place like this…
First of all, I would like to express that I consider all ideas of a somehow “fixed deal” to put L.A. back into contention for the sake of raising interest in the league again as absolute nonsense. I know that paranoia and conspiracy theories are somewhat of a hobby to many people living in the U.S.A., but coming from a sports world where actually fixing is not only wild speculation, but part of sports history and still widespread reality today (by the way: If you haven’t yet, check out this short but very pointed comparison of European and US Basketball by SI’s
Ian Thomsen), I really can’t believe David Stern would ever risk so much with something so stupid. No matter how much he has been bashed over the last years, finally one has to admit that Mitch Kupchack is a very solid if not real good GM…choosing Kobe over Shaq, drafting and especially holding on Bynum…good choices as time has shown. OK, he let Caron Butler slip away for Kwame Brown, but hey…it was Brown’s expiring contract that netted them Gasol! So after all, he was just smarter or quicker than everybody else. I hate it as much as everyone, but you gotta respect this.
Although I really don’t think that this deal was “fixed” in any way, Gene Bartow (PoBO) and Chris Wallace (GM) on the other hand should be ashamed of themselves. Recent developments aside, this move nearly reaches the shrewdness of the McHale moves of old. I highly agree with the assumption that Michael Heisley (Owner) probably has forced their hands on trading Pau Gasol as fast as possible and to evaporate as much payroll as possible, given his complaints about non existing revenue in Memphis (I always wished the franchise would have remained in Vancouver…maybe they also should have). A low payroll and some first round picks (although the ones from the Lakers will be low ones) might do wonders in selling the franchise to whomever (wasn’t a group around Chris Laettner rumoured to?), but as I have so often stated, cap space won’t bring home any premium free agents to a rebuilding franchise without at least a top flight point guard or a young superstar project. Gasol sure had to be traded rather sooner than later, because he just did not fit into Memphis system and his contract was hampering the rebuilding process and I have problems judging his real trade value with him being (wrongly) considered soft and unable to carry a team, but it is really hard to believe that there were no better offers available on the market. On the other hand…last year the Bulls reportedly balked at the Gasol trade because they didn’t want to give up Luol Deng…don’t know if they are kicking themselves right now, but that says something of Gasol’s trade value in this league.
I will try to keep things short now, because the usual very basketball wise highly educated reader in this forum will easily be able judge by himself how much this low risk move will affect the Lakers, vaulting them back into contention for what seems an eternity for me. With a bench laden with young but promising roleplayers, the Lakers will now field a squad of
- one of the best young centers in the league (Bynum, 7-0) at the 5,
- a highly skilled, sweet shooting and mobile big that will nicely fit the triangle (Gasol, 7-0) at the 4
- an unselfish do-it-all small forward, maybe the best and most underrated glue-guys in this league (Odom, 6-10) at the 3
to go along with Kobe Bryant (6-6), who seems to have finally grasped what ever was his biggest flaw, the lacking trust in his team mates. Thinking about the fact that the oldest of this guys is Kobe Bryant with 29 and this squad should give most other teams with their length and mobility and pondering how much Gasol will probably benefit from finally being only option number 2 or 3 in defence and offence…this is just plain scary. Depending on Bynum’s return from injury and the time the starting five will need to gel, they likely won’t contend this year immediately, but as much as I hate it…this team has time to wait and will probably use the window when the Spurs are finally aging out and the Hornets and Blazers will still be learning how it’s like to be in the playoffs.
