3 key in this off-season

[kobeslaker (It's the end to me)]

As was said in Part I of this series, the challenge the Lakers face is that
if they want to be contenders in the next couple of years they have to do it
via trade. They can’t do it through the draft (picking 19) nor do they have
the cap room to sign a major free agent.

The Lakers have three pieces other teams will be interested in, but really,
the bit issue is “The Andrew Bynum Question.” Lakers fans desperately
trying to think of a great deal are vastly overrating the desire any NBA team
has for Radmanovic, Cook, the barely-able-to-walk McKie (spare me a sign and
trade with him, please) — rose-colored glasses wearing fans are seriously
overvaluing every available Laker on the roster. Other GMs are not.

There are only three key cogs for talks. (To be fair, GMs may ask for Farmar
or Turiaf as part of a deal, but as throw ins, not key pieces.) Let’s look
at the three big trade pieces the Lakers have, starting with the big question
first:

Andrew Bynum. This is the big test not because of Bynum but because of what
it says about Lakers’ management. Bynum was Jim Buss’ pick and the young
Buss is trying to establish a reputation for himself within the organization
and around the league. Bynum was the sticking point in Jason Kidd talks back
in February, the Lakers refused to part with him.

The question now is: Has a second straight first-round playoff loss, this one
in ugly fashion after a season that was a step backwards, changed any minds?
Or specifically, one mind?

It’s easy to see the Lakers reluctance to part with him — legit
back-to-the-basket seven footers with loads of potential are a rare find. He’
s not yet 20 and improving, there were flashes this season of a guy who could
be a force in the paint. He shot 55.8% this season. And while he struggled
the second half of the year, reports are this has not tarnished his trade
value (GMs love them some potential).

But there are questions. One is his work ethic, something questioned by Phil
Jackson (and some other writers close to the team). He has come a long way in
two years and clearly has worked hard to improve his game, but if he is not
as passionate to keep improving how good does he really become? Frankly, we
can speculate but the only people who could answer this well are Kareem and
some assistant coaches. Their input should be given heavy weight.

Then there is this issue raised by ESPN.com’s David Thorpe (in an email to
Henry at True Hoop): How many true big men are left in the playoffs? Who is
left? Look at it: Dwight Howard, Shaquille O’Neal, Yao Ming all out;
remaining is Golden State without a true big, Utah and Phoenix playing fours
as the center, the Bulls have a center who is 6-9.

I’m not sold that the league is dramatically changing — if Greg Oden pans
out then three years from now every GM will be looking for his clone and
writers will be asking, “Where are all the great bigs?” The point is that
with the right guys along the front line to fit your system, you don’t need
a “classic” center to win.

And, the triangle offense (in its pure form) prizes versatility. I’m saying
the Lakers can win without a “true” center, if they have guys who can still
defend the paint. And offering up Bynum could bring someone like that.

If some minds within the Lakers brass think Bynum should be traded at all.

Kwame Brown. Don’t overestimate how much teams want him — what they want is
his expiring $9.5 million contract. Kwame’s reputation around the league may
be better than it was when he came here but it’s not good. He fills in the
salary for a trade if one happens. Nothing more.

And, despite what Bill Simmons may suggest, the demand for expiring contracts
alone seems to be waning among GMs. The Lakers were far from alone in the
last couple years of eating expiring deals because there was not much
interest from teams to take on your poor, your tired, your oversized-contract
players yearning to be free, just to gain a little cap room. You seem to have
to offer more than that now, although some fans are a little slow to see that
trend.

Lamar Odom. With everything that happened to him physically and mentally in
the past year, I don’t think you could have asked more of Lamar Odom. As was
evidenced in the playoffs, he is one of the few Lakers who “brought it”
 this year.

And, I think with another scorer on board, he would fit just fine in the
triangle. But, if you are going after someone off All-Star caliber, then Odom
’s name will come up. I’m not completely opposed to moving him — but a
number of criteria have to be met:

Moving him removes the Lakers best rebounder (he grabbed 14.5% of the
available rebounds while on the court this season, only Bynum had a higher
percentage and I hesitate to call the youngster a better all-around guy on
the boards than Odom). He is one of the few guys who can be a presence inside
on this team. If you are going to move him, you’ve got to get someone who
can do more than just replace those skills, you need someone who can do them
better and bring more defensive presence inside. There are not many guys who
fit that bill.

And since more than just Odom would likely be part of such a deal, you need
to solve the PG spot as well to make this a viable option.

Here’s my thinking on Odom — the Lakers are better off keeping him and
bringing in front line or back-court help to pair with him and Kobe. If you
bring in a “classic” power forward and move Odom to the small forward, the
Lakers become long up front and a real match up problem for other teams.
Bring in a great PG and Odom will get the ball in better positions to do
damage.

Bottom line — if you are getting rid of someone like Odom, who gave so much
to the team this past year, you had better get a blockbuster back. One that
makes you an instant contender.



--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc)
◆ From: 163.25.118.133
推 jimli:唉別隊也不想用超級重量級換歐登阿.....
噓 howsiao:碼的,翻外電是不會附上出處喔
推 aaaashu:其實大家都說Bynum的態度不好，但我一直在想一個問題
→ aaaashu:他的態度差，跟球隊氣氛有沒有關聯？湖人隊一直營造不出
→ aaaashu:「整體」的感覺，就像前面的文章有提到的，真正在關心球隊
→ aaaashu:的球員不多，難道這些球員通通有問題？我們丟出去的球員
→ aaaashu:反而每個看起來都會新球隊超有歸屬感，到底問題出在哪？
推 smallandy:howsiao怎麼不去電台講給全台灣聽?
推 clark3530:我也覺得Odom不該丟出去.他的貢獻太多了!!
→ clark3530:低位單打.籃板的保護.控球技巧.......講不完~~
→ clark3530:不過他的外線投射能力真的要多加強...還有罰球的穩定~
推 capriole:不然請二樓的以後幫我們翻外電  要記得附出處喔
推 Cj3636736:2樓說話請客氣一點...人家好意辛苦幫我們翻外電
推 aaaashu:附出處有什麼用，有些人也不一定看得懂，就知道亂罵
推 wienscat:碼的２樓不機掰是會死喔
→ wienscat:算了，ｉｄ用豪洨，講話大概也很豪洨
→ wienscat:幹，連篇文也沒有還裝正義要出處？先貼篇營養文吧豪洨ꠠ
推 achu520:2樓吵三小
推 goldenlen:請2樓多幫我們翻一些外電吧
推 hrefool:我覺得有kobeslaker在湖人版真的很棒
→ hrefool:可以看到很多外電翻譯
→ aaaashu:沒錯，大推kobeslaker大
→ hrefool:可是如果再加上出處就超完美了啦
→ hrefool:這樣像二樓的小白就無話可說了
→ hrefool:感謝精采的外電翻譯Orz
推 JordanFarmar:蛤~~~ 鑰匙只有3把喔???...哼...("▔ 3▔)...
推 Cj3636736:呵...這篇沒題到樓上  再吃醋阿0.0?
推 HotKobe:看二樓在EZchat發文的水準就知道，別再丟113的臉了..
推 howdz:「超級重量級」...重量的單位是KG嗎？ XDDDD
推 Friendx:2F吃大便 <( ‵▽′)-σ＿＿ˍˍ▁▁▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅▆▆
推 Ppqp:推K大
推 ibfem:二樓人如其名( ￣ c￣)y▂ξ
推 originbook:推 就算是外電 人家也是花時間翻的
推 hankkchang:2樓去看playboy好了 你只看的懂這個外電
推 funwing:大推!! 看到2樓的傢伙覺得很傷眼睛
→ harakiri405:老實說，真的應該加出處...
→ harakiri405:但還是感謝啦
推 fireleon:大推kobeslaker大~不要理2樓就沒事了 幼稚鬼都這樣~
推 RAGERACER:果然季後賽一結束就恢復優質的湖人版了..(‵▽′)ψ
→ NightsHeeP:附出原文出處是基本常識吧...這樣每篇搞得像是自已寫的
推 mikehu:有Odom又要有強力前鋒，這有可能嗎
推 cutejerry25:推kobeslaker大~~我的英文就很濫.不然2樓的也幫忙一下
※ 編輯: kobeslaker      來自: 163.25.118.133       (05/11 16:31)
推 NightsHeeP:我指的是原文網址 就一小段而已...
→ NightsHeeP:現在又刻意把文章改掉...玩起民粹來了...
推 brucep:這是他個人的翻譯文 他高興如何就如何啊 :P 看看原文也挺好
推 RAGERACER:本來翻譯或是寫文章就不是義務性的,他愛怎麼搞是他家的
→ RAGERACER:事,東嫌西嫌的講一大堆也沒看到你們有翻個幾篇有加出處
→ RAGERACER:的文章?
推 RAGERACER:別人還肯花自己的時間去找外電去翻譯,外面要幫人翻譯還
→ RAGERACER:要給錢,現在有人免費幫忙,有些人看完之後還賣乖在那邊靠
→ RAGERACER:北一堆有的沒的是怎樣?
推 Cj3636736:要出處的後果就是給你原文  這樣有爽嗎?
推 HotKobe:樓上N大也知道原網址只是一小段而已，那怎麼不幫忙附一下
→ HotKobe:反正有時間再推文酸何不幫忙把原文找出來不是更好^^
推 wasibei:要出處應該沒有錯吧  錯的應該是要的口氣
噓 K60258:二樓吃炸藥啊! 氣死我...
→ K60258:囧..按到噓..等會推
推 Sephiroth:2F是在靠北喔....妳貢獻了沙小阿
推 jamescrw:...2F你來翻阿..嫌東嫌西..搞的大家都不能看翻譯..
→ harakiri405:推民粹...-.-
推 Zatona:幫K大推回來
推 hasebe:其實沒放上出處是不好的行為...orz
→ hasebe:翻譯固然辛苦，不過著作權還是要顧一下
推 hankkchang:樓上這麼厲害 附一下 不要只會說