In what order do you rank these guys...

[milesfides]

^Actually, if the Lakers do sign Posey, presumably for the full MLE, I think that effectively ends Odom's Laker career.

[BlaZeN27]

^Actually, if the Lakers do sign Posey, presumably for the full MLE, I think that effectively ends Odom's Laker career.

How come? You don't want Posey starting, trust me.

[Verbal]

I would seriously take Posey over all those 3.

Posey, while he may not be the player all those players are.. He knows his role. He plays tough. He hits clutch outside shots.

Gerald Wallace, Odom, and Marion's outside shooting are very iffy at best. Posey; shooting wise.. Is better than all three.

While all of those players fill up "stat" categories, like blocks and steals, Posey is the better man defender.

Now, Posey obviously doesn't have the creating ability that Odom, Wallace and Marion have, but playing with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.. we won't need that. We need someone who can space the floor and bring toughness.

All equals up to James Posey. We also keep Odom with him.

^I'm not entirely sold on Posey.

He doesn't seem like the answer for us in a time with Radman/Walton (bad SF contracts) still on our roster.

Another longterm contract for a SF? Bleh.

But hey, we do need better perimeter defense..

He's a longer and taller version of Raja Bell who's not afraid to win... which I like.

But even with all the good things I can say about him I don't think he's going to sign with the FINALS rival for a meager 2 million dollar difference that he can more easily make back via the playoffs with the Celtics on the Least Coast.

I'd rather have a better 2-way perimeter defending swingman next to Kobe.

Off the top of my head? Hm.

1. AK47 - Triangle Point-Forward that LO isn't; great perimeter/interior defense, half-court passing/dribbling, satisfactory shooting, off-the-ball skills, and rebounding/finishing skills. (only weakness is his durability)

2. Ginobili/Bowen- No point in discussing these two further - they love SA and vice versa.

2. a) Marion - Someone that I feel can be a great complement to Kobe.

3. Artest - would have to shoot less (duh), pass more, and improve his perimeter shooting (20ft. extended).

*3. a) Stephen Jackson - Point forward, good team defender, 3pt shooter, mental toughness, 2nd scorer ability.

4. Raja Bell, *Shane Battier - 3pt shooter, solid defender, and mental toughness.

5. G. Wallace - needs to improve outside shooting and durability.

6. Prince/J-Ho(ward) - solid perimeter defenders that can replace LO's scoring as well.

*

Nice list. I could add Shane Battier (perfect fit for us imo) and Stephen Jackson to that list.

[milesfides]

Kirilenko, to me, is really the best possible forward we can get. He walked the walk (after he cried the cry) in Utah when his role was essentially reduced to being a fourth, fifth option.

But he showed he can be an effective without getting any plays called for him. His usage rate is incredibly low for the talent that he is, but that bodes well for us since Kirilenko would be a 4th scoring option best. The difference would be that Kirilenko would handle the ball far more than he did with the Jazz, where Williams dominated the ball as a conventional point guard. The triangle has far more opportunities, and as a facilitator in the offense, he won't feel marginalized. After all, Kirilenko complained it wasn't so much the reduced shot attempts as it was never touching the ball.

Which is a shame, because he can handle the ball, pass, make decisions. He's a better playmaker than any of those candidates listed in this thread, by far. In fact, he's number one in the league among all small forwards in percentage of possessions that lead to an assist. If we can't upgrade at point guard, the team is going to continue to rely on Kobe as the point guard, which as I have argued before, isn't maximizing Kobe's and the Laker's efficiency.

And of course, Kirilenko is a great individual defender, but none of those guys are in his class in help defense. He's the most versatile defensive and offensive player.

In my opinion, he's also probably one of the more attainable due to his large contract.

But like Snaq said, that's probably the reason why the Lakers wouldn't consider him. If Buss really wanted to win, and money was no object, there's no better small forward for us than Kirilenko.

On the other hand, if there ever was an opportunity to dump Radmanovic's contract, it probably would come when absorbing a huge contract like Kirilenko's. In that sense, Kirilenko's contract wouldn't be any worse in impacting the total salary.

[milesfides]

^Actually, if the Lakers do sign Posey, presumably for the full MLE, I think that effectively ends Odom's Laker career.

How come? You don't want Posey starting, trust me.

Because the Lakers wouldn't pay Posey the full MLE (costing Buss 12m a year) to scrounge for backup minutes with Radmanovic and Walton. Unless, of course, the Lakers plan to create an army of backup MLE small forwards.

[Verbal]

"After all, Kirilenko complained it wasn't so much the reduced shot attempts as it was never touching the ball."

+1

A confidence and momentum killer.

That's why I had to write in that 120oz vodka cocktail jab in that AK47 thread 2 years back.

[lakErfrOmManiLa]

1. artest
2. prince
3. battier
4. wallace
5. marion

[islander009]

artest
marion
wallace

but if i could add a player that is on the market.... T prince and he would be my first option for a trade. but there hasnt really been any talks of this.

t prince has the ability to play great defense on 3's just has some issue when they are much stronger then he is. But that isnt to say that he just lays over and lets them score he makes it tough for them. but what i like most about him is that he will hit the open lanes for easy lay ups, he can post up, and he doesnt really settle for 3's but for mid range shots. his FG% is just a little higher then artest but he does all the little things. He in my opinion is my perfect 3 for this team.

artest will be a great acquisition because of his defense presence. He is an intimidating factor whenever you play him. There are only a few players that can really feel comfortable dominating Ron Ron and when i mean few its because they respect him soo much that they take it as a challenge. Kobe is one that is close to ron and ron thinks really highly of him. I do believe that the loss has really made a bad image of ron. When he was traded to sac he spoke highly of making his team better and helping them get to the championship. They didnt make it that far with bibby and company getting the injury bug. They just didnt have what it took to win because they were still young. With the Lake-show they are in position to win, with Kobe, Pau, Bynum, and company all set to push for a title ron is place to really be there to push for that championship. Kobe is serious about a championship and it has influenced his team to the big stage. They didnt make it with a W but they were there, and for kobe that is not enough. You know he will be coming back with more passion to win...So add that to a determined Ron. yes he doesnt have the greatest FG% he tends to slow the game down on offense. But think how slow the offense will be already when you pack the middle with Pau and Bynum? Bynum is going to do his work on the low post and then pau is going to work on the high. Kobe on the perimeter to either slash or reset the play. well that leaves with Fish and a ron open on the other end, well you know that fish isnt going to be slashing all that much so who do you have slashing? ROn ron, big and strong hitting a cutting lane, gosh thats going to be scary because i dont see anyone wanting to stop him to take charge so they will try to block him which will send him to the Freethrow line. Gosh there are soo many possibilities for him on the offense. Just as we have had isos for Kobe on one end, they can switch it to an iso on the opposite end with ron. this all just excites me because once the offense has been run through, the other end is where he excels. He will lock down that three spot. Lebron will have another physical defender, pierce will get bodied up and bothered, and that goes for any three. If they are quicker say a t prince, then kobe can switch it up or even have ariza playing them.

marion wouldnt necessarily be my 2nd pick, he would be my third. he hustles which is what i like he doesnt play great lock down defense but above average. He plays the passing lanes and all the help defense in the world. That is what makes him look soo good. But once the opponent has the ball he tries hard. His 3's have been shaky and i wouldnt trust him with a midrange shot (just like i didnt trust LO with it), but he was more willing to take it to the hoop off the dribble. i feel he is not as efficient on the offensive side but he does hustle and will be going after teh ball despite his age. he tends to vacuum up those rebounds. He is quick off his feet and his second jump is just as high allowing him to get boards over those that are taller then him. but he does get out muscled against a stronger defender he also doesnt give up.

wallace.....havent really seen too mcuh of him, but he is like marion in that he hustles and gets to all the open spots on the court when he can. i saw him when he played for sac and that he would have great potential because of his quickness. But once again its his strength and durability that concerns me. He has had his fair share of injuries and being in LA he wouldnt have to play the 4 as much but there will be times he will have to and thats where i think LO will be much better then gerald. But he is a tenacious defender against smaller guards and wings, and a great rebounder.

[Slava]

Shane and S-Jax are two of my favorites.

I don't think we can get either of them cheap though. :-/

Battier is set to stay in Houston and frankly there's nothing to not like about the guy. S Jax on the other hand could be had via trade if they see Magette as the long term solution at SF and Al Harrington/ B Wright filling up the PF spots.

Captain jack can shoot 3s, defend well and is as tough as they come.

[milesfides]

Who's crazier, Jax or Artest? I think it's a close call actually.

The guy who punches a fan after he gets a beer thrown at him or the guy who fires his gun in the parking lot of a strip club?

Who's crazier, a guy who shaves words into his head or the guy who gets a tattoo of praying hands - holding a gun?

Who's crazier, a guy who forgets to feed his dogs or a guy who kicks a fallen handicapped man?

[Slava]

Well I'd obviously take the guy that wouldn't complain about not getting shots and is ready to follow the game plan in the 4th quarter. Capt. Jack has been a good mentor in golden state and lead his team to a miracle win in the playoffs. Gotta respect that.

[supaflash]

Jackson... not a big fan. He is very turnover prone and is a very inconsistent shooter. Sure he can score at times when he has a green light to jack up shots, but how would he do getting limited shots in LA? His effort as a whole is iffy as well, I noticed often he seems to barely show up for games. Hell the last few games of the season when they were desperately fighting for a spot he looked like he was barely trying. I'd swap him for Radmanovich or Walton, but not much else that we have.

I agree about Kirelenko, in a different system he's extremely capable. MVP of the Eurobasket tells you something. BUT... his contract is ridiculous. Combine that with Utah's stability at PF with Booze and Milsap there is no way either team does that deal.

Out of all the SFs I'd rate them as follows and the likeliness of getting them

Battier (unlikely)
Prince (small possibility)
RJ (small possibitly)
Artest (possible)
Kirelenko (unlikely)
Josh Howard (unlikely)
Wallace (possible)
Marion (possible)
Jackson (unlikely)

Why Battier and Prince at the top? Well, both are very professional guys and perfect role players. Both are very smart with high BBall IQ and would fit into the triangle and the locker room great. Both are very good defenders and the best small volume 3 pt shooters. Both also have very reasonable contracts and have been extremely stable and durable.

Kirelenko would probably be next but for his unwieldy contract.

RJ I just think would fit better the Artest. He's a little pricey too but not as much as Kirelenko but brings more explosive penetration and offense without stagnating the ball and slowing things down ala Artest. He's also a very good defender and very strong and athletic. He finishes hard and powerful and can be an intimidator. (Just ask his rival PP) I just think him coming home to LA with lite a fire under him along side Kobe and his buddy Luke. I think he's still getable too as I think Milwaukee wanted to get rid of Simmons more then they actually wanted RJ. With the drafting of Alexander I think they would move him, especially given how much they need a good PF. Lamar would fit well there, he could play off Bogut very much how he played off of Pau. Bogut is a very good passing big man. His deal would also be nice because it would be basically Lamar for RJ straight up, no junk along with it.

Artest, I have the same concerns as I do with Jackson but to a lesser degree. Can he keep the offense flowing? He slows the ball down quite a bit to get his points and I'm not convinced he can be efficient on limited shots. He also seems to take games off. It worked with Rodman I suppose it would work with him but taking Kenny's contract really hurts us for a few years. I'd rather take a chance with the team now, wait a year and if he really wants to play with Kobe and win, he'll sign then.

There are deals that work for all the guys. I'd really only do those top 3 though because they all help the team now and don't hurt us down the road at all.

Battier/Jackson for LO works but won't happen except for possibly mid season if Houston is not in the playoff picture

Battier/Jackson/S&T Landry for LO/Ariza could possibly work if they can't agree on Landry and feel they really need a PF.

Prince/Dice for LO/Ariza seems like a deal with possiblity. It works well for both teams and contains no bad contracts or anything.

LO for RJ works and I think would be good for both teams.

LO for Artest/Thomas is more ugly. Thomas' contract sucks for us and Lamar has cloudy usefullness for Sac

LO for Kirelenko works, but is bad for utah in terms of position and bad for LA in the contracts.

One deal i thought up that might work involves Miami. If Utah thought Booze would bolt for Miami next year they could go: LAL get Kirelenko UTH gets Marion/Beasley MIA gets Boozer/Odom
Very unlikely but its a thought and seems to work for all teams.

Wallace is getable, especially if they lose Okafor but I'm not sure how the deal would work. If they want us to take Mohamme's contract then hell no, thats horrible for LA, but if it was May a 3 way with another team involving Felton then maybe.
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/t ... &te=&cash=
that works, PHX gets its backup PG and some frontcourt depth but very doubtful.

Josh Howard... He'd fit, decent defender and has a bit of a nasty streak. Probably more effective as a 3rd/4th option... Cuban seems to have forgiven him and its doubtful he'd deal with LA for more age.

Marion just isn't worth the risk for a likely 1 year shot.

Jackson... not really getable I don't think and not worth it. Too inconsistent/turnover prone. Won't do well with limited role.

[tkb]

1. Ron Artest
2. Shawn Marion
3. Gerald Wallace

I have zero doubts about how to rank them, although all 3 are good players.

[Gerald3Wallace]

Who's crazier, Jax or Artest? I think it's a close call actually.

The guy who punches a fan after he gets a beer thrown at him or the guy who fires his gun in the parking lot of a strip club?

Who's crazier, a guy who shaves words into his head or the guy who gets a tattoo of praying hands - holding a gun?

Who's crazier, a guy who forgets to feed his dogs or a guy who kicks a fallen handicapped man?

Artest is crazier than Jack imo..although what u stated makes jack the crazier one...but people leaves out the positives jack does.

Mainstream media outlets generally portray Jackson in a negative way.

Some sources identify Jackson in a more positive manner. Former teammate Tim Duncan once labeled Jackson as the “ultimate teammate” during his days in San Antonio. ESPN analyst and sportswriter Michael Smith finds Jackson to be “articulate, charming, and thoughtful.”

Marcus Thompson of the Contra Costa Times conveys his opinion as such: “He takes the younger players under his wing, taking them shopping, dispensing advice, lending an ear. What’s more, he does the little things that are unbecoming of a millionaire thug. He looks people in the eye when they talk to him, as if he cares about what they’re saying. He frequently doles out handshakes, half-hugs and, to women, pecks on the cheek. He returns phone calls. He mends fences, lifts spirits, makes others feel special.”Gwen Knapp, of the San Francisco Chronicle states "He couldn't have been more charming or more engaged, the perfect face of the franchise."

Former coach Rick Carlisle and current coach Don Nelson have constantly referred to Jackson's high character. On the Jim Rome show, Nelson stated Jackson is not simply a good person in the limited world of the NBA, but one of the finest people he has ever known. Pacers executive Donnie Walsh, who was principally responsible for the Golden State trade, stated "I love Jack to death. He's emotional and he's going to get technicals. But that's just part of the package. He's a great team guy."

During his 7-game suspension to begin the 2007-08 NBA season, Jackson decided to donate a significant portion of his time towards community service in the Oakland area, in order to make a positive impact while giving the public a chance to meet him. He organized several events, geared mainly towards children. Additionally, during a game against the Toronto Raptors, Jackson paid tribute to forward Matt Barnes and his ailing mother whom he had left to support in her battle against cancer, by wearing the number 22 on his headband. Jackson also offered to miss his return from suspension if Barnes needed the support at home.

The NBA recognized Jackson for his ongoing charitable causes and presented him with the league's Community Assist Award for March 2008.

[Slava]

Good post G3W!

I make love to pressure

[milesfides]

Fair enough, I'm sure Stephen Jackson does a lot of community work, but so does Artest.

He went on a Feed the Children mission to Africa, and rather than the standard PR crap the NBA and NBA players shove down our throats, he seems to have been genuinely touched and involved in it. Holding HIV-infected babies, handing out rice to starving people, living in a tent inside villages, you know, doing things that people, let alone rich basketball players, don't do.

But who's comparing?

Anyways, overall, I understand Ron Artest a lot more than I do Stephen Jackson.

Not that it matters so much on the basketball court to me, but I never thought of Artest as a crazy guy. Intensely competitive, emotional, bad decision-making at times, but not crazy.

On the other hand, Stephen Jackson? Inexplicable.