loweyecue wrote:

VCoug wrote:http://www.nba.com/magic/news/denton-magic-trade-howard-four-team-blockbuster

It's official. LA gets Dwight, Duhon, and Earl Clark; Philly gets Bynum and JRich; Denver gets Igoudala; Orlando gets Afflalo, Harrington, Vucevic, McRoberts, Eyenga, Harkless, a protected 1st from Denver in 2014 (the lower of ours or Denver's), a protected 1st from Philly in 2015, a protected 1st from LA in 2017, and two 2nd rounders.

Why did ORL wait this long to do this crappy trade? They didn't even offload Hedo?

I have no idea, it's a terrible trade for them. They didn't get the assets that Denver, Utah, and New Orleans got in their big trades and they didn't dump any salary they actually added more longterm salary.

The Lakers just signed Jodie Meeks. Outside of injuries I can't think of a reason why LA wouldn't be the favorites to come out of the West and possibly favored to win the title.

VCoug wrote:http://twitter.com/Mike_Bresnahan/status/234021506567516162

The Lakers just signed Jodie Meeks. Outside of injuries I can't think of a reason why LA wouldn't be the favorites to come out of the West and possibly favored to win the title.

The team is too old and too thin.

Howard is supposed to play 40 plus minutes coming off back surgery.

Steve Nash going to defend Paul, Westbrook, Lawson, or Parker.

Artest going to become Andre Igoudala?

Anything can happen in the playoffs but the Lakers aren't a lock.

The Lakers make trades and get an order of magnitude better. The Knicks make a trade, and it's remarkably even.

AnubisADL wrote:

VCoug wrote:http://twitter.com/Mike_Bresnahan/status/234021506567516162

The Lakers just signed Jodie Meeks. Outside of injuries I can't think of a reason why LA wouldn't be the favorites to come out of the West and possibly favored to win the title.

The team is too old and too thin.

Howard is supposed to play 40 plus minutes coming off back surgery.

Steve Nash going to defend Paul, Westbrook, Lawson, or Parker.

Artest going to become Andre Igoudala?

Anything can happen in the playoffs but the Lakers aren't a lock.

I agree- everyone seems to be handing them the championship already but there are a lot of things that can go wrong.

Likely, Howard will miss the start of the season, and will probably be rusty as hell for the rest of it. The problem is, next season, Kobe, Nash and Artest are a year older, and they could all drop off significantly (Artest is the most likely). So their first season together, Howard won't be at his best, and the second season everyone else will have declined. What happens if Howards back plays up for the rest of his career?

They also have chemistry issues- can Nash and Kobe play together effectively- how come people aren't raising the same questions they would if it was Melo and Nash?

Also I just think Howard and Kobe are going to hate each other- they just have incompatible personalities, and I think Howards jokey, clown ways will rub Kobe's deadly seriousness and competitiveness, up the wrong way.

They could be great, but I think its too early to anoint them- last time everyone did that, it was when they had signed an aging Karl Malone and Gary Payton, and we ll saw how that turned out...

AnubisADL wrote:

VCoug wrote:http://twitter.com/Mike_Bresnahan/status/234021506567516162

The Lakers just signed Jodie Meeks. Outside of injuries I can't think of a reason why LA wouldn't be the favorites to come out of the West and possibly favored to win the title.

The team is too old and too thin.

Howard is supposed to play 40 plus minutes coming off back surgery.

Steve Nash going to defend Paul, Westbrook, Lawson, or Parker.

Artest going to become Andre Igoudala?

Anything can happen in the playoffs but the Lakers aren't a lock.

Too old? Sure, Nash is 38 but Kobe's only 34, Gasol's 33, and Dwight is 26. And they're not that thing either. Jordan Hill is a nice hustle guy who should be able to give them around 20mpg, Steve Blake is a nice player, they just signed Jodie Meeks, and my guess is that they'll be signing someone else, Kenyon Martin(?), before the season starts. That gives them better depth than Miami and us.

Why does Dwight after play 40mpg, something he's never done in his career? LA has Gasol and Hill to man the middle when he's on the bench.

No, Steve Nash has always been and always will be a turnstile on defense. Lucky for LA they have Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol to protecting the rim.

I don't even know what you're talking about with Artest and Igoudala.

No kidding. Have I or anyone else said that LA is a lock to win the West or a title? All I said is I can't imagine a scenario, outside of injuries, where LA isn't the favorite in the West and possibly the favorite overall.

VCoug wrote:

AnubisADL wrote:

VCoug wrote:http://twitter.com/Mike_Bresnahan/status/234021506567516162

The Lakers just signed Jodie Meeks. Outside of injuries I can't think of a reason why LA wouldn't be the favorites to come out of the West and possibly favored to win the title.

The team is too old and too thin.

Howard is supposed to play 40 plus minutes coming off back surgery.

Steve Nash going to defend Paul, Westbrook, Lawson, or Parker.

Artest going to become Andre Igoudala?

Anything can happen in the playoffs but the Lakers aren't a lock.

Too old? Sure, Nash is 38 but Kobe's only 34, Gasol's 33, and Dwight is 26. And they're not that thing either. Jordan Hill is a nice hustle guy who should be able to give them around 20mpg, Steve Blake is a nice player, they just signed Jodie Meeks, and my guess is that they'll be signing someone else, Kenyon Martin(?), before the season starts. That gives them better depth than Miami and us.

Why does Dwight after play 40mpg, something he's never done in his career? LA has Gasol and Hill to man the middle when he's on the bench.

No, Steve Nash has always been and always will be a turnstile on defense. Lucky for LA they have Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol to protecting the rim.

I don't even know what you're talking about with Artest and Igoudala.

No kidding. Have I or anyone else said that LA is a lock to win the West or a title? All I said is I can't imagine a scenario, outside of injuries, where LA isn't the favorite in the West and possibly the favorite overall.

gunsnewing wrote:Add philly to the list of teams the Linless Knicks will have to get past. PHILLY, BOSTON, MIAMI, OKC, LAKERS, SAN ANTONIO

The truth is that the Knicks will suprise a lot of people next season. The Knicks have a top notch defensive team, coach, and a deep bench. Only haters will disagree.

GustavBahler wrote:I've watched several interviews with Kobe about the Howard trade and he doesn't look the least bit happy he's a Laker. I don't believe its any kind of jealousy. I just don't think he believes that Howard will bring the same desire to win as Kobe, or Shaq for that matter. Still believe they will get their act together, Nash has a way of getting everyone on the same page.

Nash is going to hate playing with Kobe. Watching Kobe in the Olympics and during the playoffs, he has become even more of a black hole. I don't know if he will let Nash lead.