Lakers!

[gtp]

Any other fans or does everyone here hate 'em??? I grew up 100 miles from LA and have watched them religiously my whole life. Needless to say, I am very excited with how this year is unfolding .

[humanflyz]

Any other fans or does everyone here hate 'em??? I grew up 100 miles from LA and have watched them religiously my whole life. Needless to say, I am very excited with how this year is unfolding .

Dyed in the wool Lakers fan here.

Speaking of the Gasol trade: it was absolutely thievery. They gave away nothing to get one of the best post players in the league. Compared to what Phoenix and Dallas are giving away, Lakers made it with their roster intact.

[guzziguy]

I spent most of my formative years in SoCal so I'm a Laker's fan. For me, this is the first time since the Showtime era that they've been fun to watch. They are actually playing team ball. It's what Phoenix would like to play as it translates better to the playoffs. If Bynum can come back and the chemistry stays, they are a contender this year and have great prospects for the next 3 to 6 years.

[foo_me]

I grew up watching the Lakers during the magic-larry bird era.

The best basketball I've ever seen.

For the first time since then, there may actually be another lakers celtics championship! how cool would that be...

[gtp]

For the first time since then, there may actually be another lakers celtics championship!

Lakers/Celtics is exactly what I am looking forward to. Resparking the Lakers/Pistons rivalry would be entertaining as well.

Gasol was obviously an outrageous steal. It's amusing to hear owners (Cuban) and coaches (Poppovich, D'Antoni) complaining about the fairness of this trade. I don't care how it happened, I'm just glad it did.

I am VERY high on Bynum and it will be interesting to see the 7', 7', 6'10 frontline play together.

[milkpowder]

I'm excited too. Hope Bryant's pinkie will hold out for the rest of the season. The Lakers are doomed without him...

[guzziguy]

I'm excited too. Hope Bryant's pinkie will hold out for the rest of the season. The Lakers are doomed without him...

The Lakers may or may not actually contend for a championship this year. Between the injuries and the need to rebuild chemistry, it would be difficult. However, they are now positioned to contend for the next 4 or so years. They had already strengthened themselves over the off season and then the kidnapping of Pau pushed them back into the NBA elite. Now I'm looking forward to watching them again.

[gtp]

Damn-it, now I'm afraid Kobe's pinkie is going to fall off!

[blubliss]

Been a fan awhile now. My dad's had season seats for 20+ years, from the Fabulous Forum to Staples (been selling his tx this season for him since he lives in Rome now). It's a bit hard to get back on the Kobe bus, but i think i am beginning to forget. Now he has someone to support him with Gasol. But will Gasol be able to muscle up with the beefier centers?

I'm thinking about going to the New Orleans game in April to see Gasol live. I was not interested in going to any games this year until he came.

[guzziguy]

Been a fan awhile now. My dad's had season seats for 20+ years, from the Fabulous Forum to Staples (been selling his tx this season for him since he lives in Rome now). It's a bit hard to get back on the Kobe bus, but i think i am beginning to forget. Now he has someone to support him with Gasol. But will Gasol be able to muscle up with the beefier centers?

I'm thinking about going to the New Orleans game in April to see Gasol live. I was not interested in going to any games this year until he came.

Currently, the only beefy center in the west is Shaq, and he's a shadow of his former self. It doesn't matter though, soon Bynum will be back and Gasol will only have to match up with beefy power forwards.

[gtp]

My dad's had season seats for 20+ years, from the Fabulous Forum to Staples (been selling his tx this season for him since he lives in Rome now).

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[milkpowder]

No! Gasol is hurt!

[guzziguy]

Sprained ankle, xrays negative. We'll see how bad it is.

[gtp]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! :'(

[hungrych]

Look out for the Rockets.

[guzziguy]

Look out for the Rockets.

You're about 21 games late with this warning.

[hungrych]

Bitter? At least your team isn't a complete joke and run by a complete moron who destroys everything he touches. -.-

[guzziguy]

Bitter? Not at all. Houston has been playing great and showing wonderful team chemistry. Chemistry is always underrated. They could go all the way with it.

Let me guess. You're a Knick fan. Or used to be anyway.

Until this year, Mitch has been an extremely mediocre GM. Suddenly he's a genius. He has had a very good 9 months.

[laxx]

I'm a Knick's fan. =[

[guzziguy]

I'm a Knick's fan. =[

You have my sympathy. I think that you will have to have new ownership before things really get fixed. It's a shame what has happened to that franchise in the last 10 years or so.

[Mark527]

Vladimir Radmanovich was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats for Shannon Brown and some 70's porno actor:

Player wise, almost the definition of a lateral move. Traded an unathletic 3 pt shooter for another unathletic (not as good) shooter + guard.

I hope this trade was only made to allow the Lakers to re-up Trevor Ariza and possibly Lamar Odom when their contracts are up. I don't really want to see Adam Morrison on the floor for the Lakers any time soon. He's not a good player.

[humanflyz]

This is purely a salary move, but to be fair, Adam Morrison did cut his hair this season. Nevertheless, the 'stache needs to go.

[Mark527]

I previously thought that you could not trade a player this soon after a trade has been made, but after some research I'm pretty sure that Morrison can be flipped again immediately, except only in a solo trade and not in a package deal. Hopefully, Mitch Kupchak can flip Morrison again for a 2009 expiring contract so that they can re-sign Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom. Getting Ariza back is a must. Odom was overpaid, but if he re-ups at a reasonable price, I'd want him back as well.

If they can't dump Morrison, then it's still a better contract than Vlad's so it's still a good deal. I didn't want Vlad anywhere near the court in the Finals if the Lakers were to meet Boston again this year.

[MoonShine]

I actually liked the Lakers way back in the Jerry West / Gail Goodrich days when I was maybe 8 yrs old but then . . . . .

Celtics fan since the Larry Bird days. Love the new Celtics and their team play and Intense D.

Also a Trailblazer fan since I live in Oregon so yeah.

Hate the Lakers with a passion.

[humanflyz]

I previously thought that you could not trade a player this soon after a trade has been made, but after some research I'm pretty sure that Morrison can be flipped again immediately, except only in a solo trade and not in a package deal. Hopefully, Mitch Kupchak can flip Morrison again for a 2009 expiring contract so that they can re-sign Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom. Getting Ariza back is a must. Odom was overpaid, but if he re-ups at a reasonable price, I'd want him back as well.

If they can't dump Morrison, then it's still a better contract than Vlad's so it's still a good deal. I didn't want Vlad anywhere near the court in the Finals if the Lakers were to meet Boston again this year.

Vlad is owed about $18 over the next three years, whereas Morrison is owed only $8 million over the next two, one of which is a team option. And Shannon Brown has about $800k on one year. So from a money perspective, this works out much better for the Lakers.

There's no real downside because Adam Morrison is a given a chance to prove himself: if he plays decently, Lakers are not on the books for that much; same with Shannon Brown. If both of them does not work out, the Lakers have almost $5 million worth of cap space at the end of the season, which can be used to pick up a decent veteran player.