KOBE HURT: MEMPHIS TRADE NOT LOOKIN SOO BAD HUH?

[sports savant]

so Kobe's finger could (and I emphasize COULD) be a really debilitating injury to the Lakers.

They are only 3 games away from the 8th spot and Bynum is still out and who knows what shape and skill level he's gonna be when/if he comes back....

so what happens if Kobe has to get surgery, the Lakers miss the playoffs AND MEMPHIS GETS their #1 pick (14-16)???

and make no mistake-- Memphis will absolutely make another trade or TWO before the draft comes (if not Feb 21st....)

pick #14 aint so bad huh??? combine that w their top 5 pick, and a young Crittenton AND the flexibility to trade Mike Miller and get even more $$$

so ya got a top 5 pick, a pick in 13-16 range AND $15-$18mill in cap space....

the trade may have just got a lot better!!

[Sixerscan]

The Lakers have a pretty easy schedule the rest of the way. They probably won't miss the playoffs even if Kobe sits out (Which he won't)

[Dedicated_76ers_fan]

Kobe said he would play through the injury and Pao Gasol has been a 1-man show before. Only, he doesn't really have to be because he has Bynum with him in the front-court(who's a much more polished player then Darko.) A waste of a fourm and a pitiful argument.

[dbodner]

pick #14 aint so bad huh??? combine that w their top 5 pick, and a young Crittenton AND the flexibility to trade Mike Miller and get even more $$$

they already had a top 5 pick and the flexibility to trade Mike Miller, so that really shouldn't be in the discussion about whether the Gasol trade was good or bad.

While I like Crittenton, they're going to end up selling one (or even 2) of Lowry/Conley/Crittenton at .50 to the dollar because they're overstocked at the position.

Even if they end up with a 14th pick, I don't think it's a particularly good trade, no.

[sports savant]

by the way im playin devils advocate here:

and for us to judge the trade w no bearing on the $$$$$ that the owner had to save, is a bit unfair, but oh well--that's what we do...

and Kobe doesn't have to sit out; what if his finger hampers his play??? He is the best (or 1 of) the best players in the league. Him not playing to 100% can't be good for the Lakers-- especially in the west.

hard schedule or easy schedule-- 3 games is NOT that much....

Bynum is a few weeks away from returning and then he has to get in shape: we cant assume he will immediately be the same player he was when he got hurt-- he might be at the end of March.... but its absolutely something that can be debated...

DBOD: and while Memphis obvioulsy could have traded MIller regardless of the Gasol deal: my point is that a possible turn-around and massive massive franchise overhaul could be more quickly accomplished than most (me too) thought when the trade went down.

Gasol's trade was the beginning of the firesale, Miller might be next and then the PG that isn't needed.....

Like I said, its a lot of IFS, and Im playing the devil card here, but this Kobe injury sheds a different light on what the draft pick might be...

[Dedicated_76ers_fan]

It's alot of ifs many of which won't come true. An 80 percent Kobe Bryant makes fools of the NBA offensively.

[sports savant]

It only takes ONE of those IFS and thats Kobe being able to play or needing surgery-- but it is a lot of IFS--i admit that. Just saying. If Kobe can play I think they make the playoffs-- but Hubie Brown was on Mike n Mike saying how painful it was and its his shooting hand and he has to tape the two fingers together...

look if he goes out of the line-up it is very possible the lakers can go in a bit of a slump and MAYBE MAYBE miss the playoffs...

Bynum coming back is an IF on both sides-- you're foolin yourself (not you in particular but in general) if people think he's goin to come back and avg 18 and 10.

[dbodner]

Gasol's trade was the beginning of the firesale, Miller might be next and then the PG that isn't needed...

All that's arguing is that Gasol needed to be moved, not that the return they got from the Gasol trade was a good one.

[dbodner]

Just to clarify, from an overall talent level, I don't hate the Gasol trade. The first round picks are pretty worthless, but getting cap space and a solid prospect in Crittenton is decent return. But while Crittenton has value, he has less value on the Grizzlies than he does at most teams because of Lowry, and especially Conley. I don't see the two of them co-existing, and I don't see both of them getting enough minutes so they can be showcased and get fair value for either of them down the line.

[sports savant]

I dont hate the trade either. I actually really like Critt and was beggin for him to drop to the 76ers 2nd pick last year of 4 BK to trade up and get em.

And my point w this post and the Kobe injury is that the pick this year could possibly turn out to be pretty good..... (or I could just be wasting every1"s time)....

now Memphis definitely has a croweded backcourt-- they got 3 PG's under the age of 22, and we dont have any! lol

we should be able to trade them Carney for Lowry straight up as a "draft-do over"

most people understand that memphis wasnt really trying to get equal value for Gasol, but cap space and a young player (the best deal they could)

[Dedicated_76ers_fan]

Why would we want ANOTHER pg? It's hard enough to give Lou Will minutes. And unless Lowry is a big PG, he's not gonna co-exist with Will.

[sports savant]

Dedicated: I actually dont want Lowry-- I was tounge in cheek about trading to "hometown kids" back to their teams..