for Brian Grant Caron Butler and Lamar Odom

only one word to say at a time like this...... ****

i think it's a good deal for miami. wade and jones are enough of a support cast for shaq in the east. they still have the MLE and could probably try to get swift/dice/vin...someone along those lines. lakers just lost any type of post option they have. they need to swing another deal.

All this means is that in 2-3 yeasr the Heat will be a a lottery team once again. Just around the time we will truly challenge for the title. Really, this makes both teams worse as far as I see it. I felt the Heat were gonna be a really good club next year if they kept there kore. People want to talk about loyaltie with Boozer, well the Heat dumped Odom who turned there franchise around in a heart beat when they saw a better deal. Its all about business, so everybody shoudl get of Boozers back.

Will the Lakers play Odom at his natural position (SF) and bring Butler in off the bench or force Odom to guard the tough PFs in the west so they can start Butler?

Posted by Rich:

If Kobe signs with the Clippers the Lakers are screwed.

well said i think they should be, i really hate the lakers

this makes the heat the best team in the east. if you add in eddie jones and dwayne wade, that by FAR is the best threesome in the league. All they need to do now is use their MLE and LLE for quality depth, because they dont need scorers. they have noce athletic compliments at PF with Haselm Allen back up C with Zhi Zhi what they need is a back up PG--perhaps Bobby Sura and Chris Mihm and thats a scary club--no EC team can contain Shaq and Miami as a unit has many more answers than the Lakers had. I wouldnt be surprised to see Karl Malone end up in Miami

why do i have the feeling the MLE will be going to derek fisher...

i wouldn't say the heat are the best team yet. they have the most dominating player and wade is a budding star BUT detroit still proved that they're the best team in the league and beat a better combo of shaq and kobe.

Jones has never been a high calibre scorer in the playoffs

I don't see how this makes the Heat anything great. They still don't have a good perimeter shooter. As good as Wade is, he can't consistently hit a 15 footer, and Jones never could either. Add to this the Shaq constantly being injured factor and the not being able to hit foul shots factor, and you still have major question marks for the Heat. Now if they got a shooter and a supportive power forward, ie, Al Harrington type, they would be in business.

at this point i would put the top 4 in the east

Miami
Indiana
Detroit[as longas rasheed comes back]
Nets[as long as K mart come back}

the knicks can go anywhere from 5-10 at this point and could move up to 4-9 if Kmart bolts. If we get Crawford I would put our odds at 4-7 crawford and dampier 2-4. I think no matter what happens miami is the team to beat. I also believe Indiana improved because they added a legit C in Harrison 7-0 265 and I think Steve Jackson is better than Al Harrington for the Pacers.