Lakers Rumors: Is a Pau Gasol Trade the Only Way for Kobe to Win Another Title?

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Jun 272012
 

The definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over again and expecting a different result. Should the Lakers’ current core stay together, it’s safe to say that Mitch Kupchak and the Lakers’ brass are definitively insane.

As the 2012 NBA draft rapidly approaches, trade rumors have once again arrived in Laker Nation. Unfortunately, for every rumor is a disappointing response by the Lakers’ front office. They happen to believe that the same formula that has been picked apart and destroyed over the past two seasons will lead the Lakers to a title in 2013.

That would classify as insane.

For the Los Angeles Lakers to truly compete for a title, something must change. As we weight the valued options, it becomes clear that the only available trade pieces are a 24-year-old entering his prime and a 31-year-old superstar coming off of two consecutive postseason disappearance acts.

If we actually have to debate which player is expendable, we should just cut the conversation off right here.

Pau Gasol is coming off of a season in which he posted averages of 17.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.4 blocks per game. He also posted a Player Efficiency Rating of 20.51, which ranked just outside of the Top-10 among power forwards.

This all adds up to one simple fact: Pau Gasol remains an elite player with serious trade value. He just isn’t helping the Lakers win.

Kobe Bryant can still score with the best of them. Andrew Bynum is establishing himself as the best center in the NBA, including Dwight Howard. Unfortunately, the Lakers have gaping holes at the point and on the wing. Considering Gasol has more than enough value to command both a point guard and swingman, Mitch Kupchak’s finger should be on the trigger as he anxiously awaits the perfect target.

That, of course, would be if we lived in a perfect world.

With the current roster, the Lakers will continue to find themselves gasping for air come the postseason. They’re far too weak outside of their Big Three, with hardly any money available to build around them. This presents a continued lack of a three-point shooting presence, reliable point guard or consistent wing.

According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, the Lakers may have come around towards realizing such a thing.

 

The Lakers are very open to trade talk in regards to forward Pau Gasol, but nothing is imminent, according to two NBA sources.

— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) June 27, 2012

 

The issue, of course, will be finding a taker. Gasol’s trade value is still high, although diminished by his weak postseason performances, and talent still present. He is, however, 31-years-old and in possession of a big money deal. While a suitor will be there, the interested teams are far less now than they were one or two years ago.

Regardless of this fact, the deal must get done and the Lakers are reportedly aware of such a fact. With Pau Gasol on the roster, the necessary pieces to build a championship will not be present. It’s trade Gasol or face another disappointing season in Tinseltown.

Time to make a decision.

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Trading Gasol is Not the Answer: Fan Reaction (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

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Jun 012012
 

After the Los Angeles Lakers were again ushered out of the playoffs, the talk of offseason moves began in earnest. It is not in the nature of Laker Nation to think about rebuilding over a period of years. Rather, fans want to reload and make another run while Kobe Bryant is still able to perform at a high level. Since the Lakers are generally lacking in draft picks, they may only be able to improve through a big trade. Pau Gasol has been a part of trade rumors before, and he is being discussed in rumors again. Unfortunately, trading Gasol may not actually be the answer.

Kobe Bryant Mask: Pics of Lakers Star’s Newest Look

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Mar 012012
 

The Black Mamba rolled into Wednesday’s game against the Timberwolves with some hardware. Here is a close look at the masked-man, Kobe Bryant. 

We all knew Bryant was one gritty player, but this is getting ridiculous. While we are on the subject of ridiculous, let’s get a closer look at the mask that makes Bryant looking like Rip Hamilton, and not in a good way. 

Pic via TheScore’s Instagram. 

Thank you to Royce Young for this TwitPic of Kobe Bryant looking like the saddest kid at the party. I would hug him, but I wouldn’t want to get any awkward on me. 

Laker Nation gives us a top-down picture of Bryant. No matter how you look at it, Bryant looks geekier that Chris Kaman with suspenders on. 

Robert Littal of Black Sports Online gives us Bryant as Magneto. This is probably the most glorious thing I have seen featuring a pitiful Mamba face. 

It came as a bit of a surprise that Bryant suited up for the Lakers‘ game against the T-Wolves. He was dealt a tremendous blow late in Sunday’s All-Star game wherein a Dwyane Wade foul delivered some blood, a broken nose and a concussion.

Ah, but you can’t keep a good man down. 

Here is the video of Bryant getting pummeled during a game when buckets are given like cupcakes at a bake sale. 

Wade was overzealous and cheap in trying to go for a hard foul during a game that means absolutely nothing.

Now that we got that out of the way, I can now say that Bryant’s mask was the highlight of Wednesday night.

It was a basketball-loaded evening that included Jeremy Lin, yet all I want to talk about is this goofy mask and the legend that has to wear it.  

Follow @gabezal

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3 Simple Moves to Return the Lakers to Championship Form

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Feb 262012
 

The Los Angeles Lakers don’t need a blockbuster trade.

Despite frantic cries from those who call themselves part of the Laker Nation and the media, the Lakers as currently built don’t need a drastic move. The team simply needs some tweaks. 

The Lakers can boast gaudy numbers in some categories, such as being first in the league in rebounding. However, there are huge gaps that need to be filled, and moves must be made before the NBA‘s March 15th trade deadline.

Pau Gasol doesn’t need to be traded. Andrew Bynum, having an All-Star-caliber season, certainly shouldn’t be traded.

Small changes are the way to return to the good old days of being a championship-caliber team, and the next few slides will overview these possible moves.

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Lakers Road Trip Experience: Sights and Sounds from Philadelphia

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Feb 072012
 

The Lakers Road Trip Experience is a four-part mini-blog documenting my journey to the East Coast to follow the Lakers. This is part-journalism, part-fanhood. My journey will take me from Philadelphia to Boston, New York, and Toronto. This is Part 1 of 4 which documents the Lakers’ 90-95 loss to the Sixers at Wells Fargo Center.

I arrived by bus to 30th Street Station on a cool, brisk Philadelphia morning. It was my first time in the City of Brotherly Love, and I was ready to skip seeing the Liberty Bell Center to see the Los Angeles Lakers battle the Philadelphia Sixers in a rivalry that is slowly gaining its luster back. 

The Sixers have improved tremendously in the last several years. They gave the Miami Heat some fits during last year’s postseason and were 17-7 coming into the game on Monday night.

Because of this, the team is now more relevant in a city with successful teams like the Philadelphia Flyers and the Philadelphia Phillies. This was evident by seeing the packed Wells Fargo Center scream and shout for the Sixers.

That being said, Wells Fargo Center was not short of any Laker fans. A large contingent of Laker Nation infiltrated Philadelphia on Monday night, and they let their presence be known.

There were also a select group of fans sitting in the section in front of me, and they were all wearing costumes. I saw a few of them before the game and took a picture of a guy who seems like he wants to be the Phoenix Suns gorilla. 

After seeing them again with all of their other costumed friends in the section below us, I wanted to go down and ask them why they were dressed like that, but the usher wouldn’t let me through (ahem, media pass Bleacher Report, please?).

Throughout the entire game, Laker Nation made themselves heard, but it was loudest when Kobe Bryant surpassed Shaquille O’Neal on the all-time points list. 

Doug Collins made a kind gesture to call a timeout to let Kobe have his moment, and it was surprising to see both Lakers fans and Sixers fans to give him a standing ovation.

Bryant put up 24 points in the first half and during the break, I decided to munch on some goodies.

Expensive goodies.

Be prepared to open up your wallet if you ever go to the Wells Fargo Center. Although, the prices are cheaper than the Staples Center, I paid $7.50 for a Bud Light and $8.50 for boneless chicken wings. Both were fantastic, despite the price.

Here are some more sights and sounds from halftime.

I noticed a patriotic marketing deal that the Sixers had during January. Clever.

Then I saw a middle aged man reminiscing his youth with these beautiful ladies, representing the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League.

Finally, what exactly is this? It seemed cool at first but then I realized Blake Griffin pretty much does this without a trampoline and it all became unimpressive.

Kobe was completely silenced after halftime. The Sixers defense stepped up and Jrue Holiday and Lou Williams exposed the Lakers’ weak point guards throughout the rest of the game.

The Lakers, however, absolutely dominated the glass, outrebounding Philadelphia 55-30 and they still managed to lose.

That doesn’t seem possible, but it happened. 

The margin was tight from start to finish with no team having a double digit lead. That led to an exciting finish and a boisterous and raucous crowd which made for an electric atmosphere, unseen in Philadelphia for a Sixers game in a long time. 

Philadelphia’s success is great for the league. It’s a huge market with diehard sports fans and they came out strong on Monday night. 

WIth that, here were a few Philadelphia celebrities who made it out to the game.

Finally, after the game, I decided to stop by the Lakers team bus to check out some of the players walking on. A hilarious and head-scratching moment ensued. 

Luke Walton walked out, starting doing push-ups in the parking lot and was later driven away by a cab. Rather than leaving with the team, he left alone, leading me to think of a few curious questions for Luke and the Lakers.

Enjoy.

As I write this, I’m in an Amtrak train heading to Boston. I’ll be in enemy territory but I’m sure I’ll witness a tremendous game between the two greatest rivals in basketball. 

See you Thursday night!

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5 Reasons the Los Angeles Lakers Won’t Make the NBA Playoffs

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Dec 272011
 

As former president of Laker Nation, it pains me to say this, but the Los Angeles Lakers are in serious jeopardy of missing the playoffs.  It is apparent from watching them lose their first two games that the Lakers got old and slow in a hurry. 

The lockout-shortened season will be especially tough on them as they try to implement a new system, stay healthy and win enough games to stay in the playoff hunt.  The Lakers are a prideful bunch with a top-five player on their team so I won’t completely count them out, but if they do come up short of the postseason here are the five reasons why.

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Lamar Odom Trade: Los Angeles Lakers Take Step No. 1 in Landing Dwight Howard

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Dec 112011
 

News broke late Saturday night that the Los Angeles Lakers pulled out of trade talks with the New Orleans Hornets for point guard Chris Paul and traded Lamar Odom to the Dallas Mavericks in return for the trade exception from the New York Knicks in yesterday’s Tyson Chandler sign-and-trade deal.

Got all that?

Basically, with the league standing firmly in the way of any CP3 deal, the Lakers said “no thanks” and moved on to their main target all along, Dwight Howard.

Consider the Lamar Odom trade the first step in a multi-step process to land Dwight.

The Lakers needed this trade exception, valued at $8.3 million, in order to take on the contract of Hedo Turkoglu in a trade scenario. It is understood that Orlando will only trade Dwight Howard if they can also unload Turkoglu’s contract.

Since Turkoglu earns around $11 million per year, the trade exception in its entirety is not enough to neutralize Turkoglu’s contract. However, it’s a strong start and one the Lakers had to make if they have any hope of securing Dwight from the Magic.

The trade also allows the Lakers to throw in draft picks to the Dwight deal with the Lakers reportedly receiving the Mavericks’ first-round pick in 2012 and a possible second-rounder.

As for Odom, his departure from Los Angeles seemed almost inevitable after skipping training camp the past two days and being visibly shaken over his uncertain future with the team. 

Lamar Odom, a seven-year Laker player, certainly deserves better and should be treated with more dignity. He’s essentially being traded to an interconference rival in return for a salary cap playing card. He’s worth much more than that.

But such is the business of basketball, something Pau Gasol acknowledged Saturday after practice when speaking with reporters for the first time since the botched CP3 trade of Thursday.

And so the drama continues. What happens next is anyone’s guess.

Lamar Odom will be truly missed by Laker Nation. His contributions on the court and in the locker room for this Lakers’ team have been critical to their championship success and will be hard, if not impossible, to replace.

Laker fans should hope nothing but the best for one of the nicest, most down-to-earth guys in sports. 

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