L.O., You Got to Go: The Lakers Must Trade Lamar Odom
By Ted M. Green | L.A. Confidential, Los Angeles Lakers, Column
You love his length, his versatility, his perfect basketball body.
You admire his humility and humanity.
You see his old-school selflessness on the court, how he passes first and prioritizes his teammates, how he deflects credit and accepts blame, and you think that he must be a very chill dude.
You empathize with his private struggles, particularly the tragic loss of his baby son.
You like almost everything about Lamar Odom, who he is, how he comports himself, how he plays hurt, his grace in the face of personal pain, and so you take absolutely no pleasure in what must be said if the Lakers are going to be anything more than what they’ve been since Odom arrived in Los Angeles, and that is average:
L.O., you got to go.
I could muddy up this story with stats: How he doesn’t make shots when they count in the fourth quarter, how he underperforms on the road; heck, I could stat you straight into a column coma. But there is only one stat and one only that matters:
Into the fourth year of their partnership, the Lakers are a .500 team fronted by Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom.
The chemistry, it’s not consistently there. The talented tandem, they play well on the same nights too infrequently. The results after three full seasons: one disaster (32 wins in ‘05) followed by two first-round playoff exits.
L.A.’s 9-8 start now in the face of a tough schedule holds some promise. And with the development of both Andrew Bynum and Jordan Farmar, plus the reacquisition of smart locker-room leader Derek Fisher, the Lakers win total SHOULD improve from the low 40’s of the past two years.
But significant progress, like 50-plus wins and a conference finals… I just don’t sense that’s going to happen while Kobe and Lamar are together.
Before you start with the emails, I’m not blaming Odom entirely. Kobe obviously isn’t easy to play with. Superman doesn’t do sidekicks. Plus for $10 million (growing to $12 million) a year to date the owner’s daughter, Phil Jackson hasn’t used those Hall of Fame credentials to instill any kind of real defensive mindset into his recent Laker teams, and that’s a big issue too.
Injuries have factored in as well. And I could argue that except for Odom, who would start on most but not every NBA team, the Lakers currently do not have one other forward who is a bona fide NBA starter, so it’s a weak position for the team.
Then there is fit. As in square peg, round hole. The Lakers need a real number two scorer to take pressure off Kobe. A guy who can pour in 18-20 a night, and go off for 35 when it’s needed. That’s not the role Odom naturally fills, nor one where his game best flourishes. (It’s more a job for Caron Butler, but that’s another column entirely…)
But except maybe for that one pre-Shaq in South Beach year when they did OK in Miami, I’m just not convinced Lamar is a winning player.
No one expected Odom to have Shaq-like impact after The Trade That Changed the Lakers, but in watching every Laker game since L.O. came to L.A., there have been too many missed jumpers, too often coming in the clutch. And those disappearing acts on the road? Lots of them, too. They do not happen with All-Star level players. All lead you to the inescapable conclusion that, after nine years in the league, despite the tantalizing talent, Lamar isn’t an All-Star caliber performer and never will be.
At least not alongside Kobe.
So much talent, so many skills, so much potential…but so much of it consistently unfulfilled with the Lakers.
Thing is, NBA teams are like scientific templates for 11th grade high school science teachers. They are one big, ongoing chemistry experiment. PJ and the Lakers have been in the lab with Kobe and L.O. for quite a while now, like 3 1/2 years, and all they really have to show for it is the smell of sulfur.
To be perfectly clear, I’m not suggesting the Lakers should have traded Odom and Bynum for J Kidd. Kidd’s a little long in the tooth for that. I’m glad they didn’t trade that pair for Jermaine O’Neal. The poor man’s O’Neal is only marginally better than Lamar straight up when healthy, and there’ve been some recent knee issues that indicate he isn’t physically sound at all.
What I am suggesting is that it’s time for the Lakers to commit to changing the chemistry, to acknowledge that Kobe and L.O. are a perfectly ordinary .500 partnership, to admit that it’s time to find a different, better, more productive way to go.
Artest? A gamble but intriguing.
Kirilenko, that’d be a no-brainer, but if the Jazz were dumb enough to do that, owner Larry Miller also has a nice used car to sell you.
Mitch Kupchak knows far better than I do what’s out there now in the way of a trade. It may be something. It may be nothing. But it’s reaching the point where every option should be explored fully. I know, it’s quite possible Mitch will tell you, don’t worry, it’ll be OK, we’ll be fine when Kwame comes back to anchor our defense and give us the toughness we’re missing right now in the paint.
Of course there are two small problems with that thinking: One, you’re relying on Kwame Brown, who can get hurt just walking in from the car. And two, we’ve already seen the Lakers at full strength with Kwame, and they don’t really cut it then, either.
So without having some kind of “in” with Mitch, and even knowing he’s the Bill Stoneman of L.A. basketball, here’s guessing the Lakers are going to revisit the Odom trade dialogue between now and the deadline.
If they don’t, they should.
And if no trade happens, brace yourself, Laker fans, for deva vu, year three.
Because like I said, L.O., love ya, bro, but you got to go.
Ted Green is Senior Sports Producer for KTLA Prime News and a former writer for the L.A. Times and National Sports Daily
Discuss:
32 Responses to “L.O., You Got to Go: The Lakers Must Trade Lamar Odom”
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AMEN!!!!
Thank you for another great write-up, I couldn’t agree more.
I’ve been a big LO fan even before he came to my beloved Lakers. I’ve supported him and defended him throughout his tenure here in LA. But the fact is that both he and Kobe both need the ball to be effective and neither are very good at moving without the ball. Plus, Kobe has never been known for pushing his teammates to excel and making them better.
Sorry LO. I hate to see you go, but I can’t support you any longer.
Odom Farmar for Pau Gasol?
I’ve been against an LO trade since the rumors started swirling, but after watching the last seven games I’m at the brink. It’s a disappointment because of his talent (he seems to have a mismatch no matter who guards him) and size. How about Odom for Deng?
“Into the fourth year of their partnership, the Lakers are a .500 team fronted by Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom.”
well, duh? what do you expect when you have nobody but those two in the tough west conference? go to WCF? come on. Kobe is one of the best, and Odom is a versatile player, but there’s no way that lakers contend like they used to when they had Shaq and Kobe. Get real. it’s not just Odom.
The only thing that the Lakes will miss is Odom’s rebounding, other then that he does not do much. He is too inconsistent, is not the type of offensive player we need; he is not a good defender either. The lakes need a real number 2 guy to balance the scoring, someone like hmmm.. i dont know.. maggette would be nice
The thing that kills me is the last 15-20 games of Caron Butler’s last season with the Lakers Lamar Odom was hurt(big surprise). Kobe and Caron were putting up great numbers with Caron pouring in about 25 a game and 30 on occasion. If anything, they should have traded Lamar and kept Caron Butler. Now it’s too late and you will not get anywhere near what you could have for Lamar back then when he still had “potential”, now the closest thing to going to the all star game for Lamar is when he heads to Supercuts and carves one in his head.
While LO has struggled recently, the bigger problem, in my opinion, is Kobe Bryant and his half-hearted commitment to the Lakers. I’m not questioning his effort, but it’s a larger issue than just effort. It is evident in every post-game interview, regardless of whether LA has won or lost, that he is basically tolerating his current situation, and nothing more. I don’t see how he can effectively lead this team if it’s clear that he wants to be someplace else. When the Lakers rattled off a few wins, there seemed to be a kind of superficial calm, but now that the team is suffering through a few tough losses, the tension between all facets of the team — among players, with Kobe, with Phil — is becoming very clear. Until Kobe reaches a point where he embraces being in Los Angeles — in spite of Jerry Buss — it won’t matter whether you swap Lamar Odom or Pau Gasol or anyone else into the mix. This team lives and dies with KB, and right now, it’s dying a little with him every day.
It is without a doubt that Lamar Odom has been inconsistent with his arrival in Los Angeles. His passive attitude and effortless determination is what makes fans so angry. Lamar Odom had a magnificent run against the Suns last playoffs. Mitch Kupchack felt he could feed off of that energy. His time off has made Lamar complacent to the point where he was, when he first came to Los Angeles. Without a doubt, I believe Lamar Odom is a fantastic player, with a set of fantastic skills to accompany him. The problem is he just does not have the consistent level of play in him. This year he shaved his head and left a star to display his yearning to become an all-star. Lamar is just not too assertive or aggresive to become an all-star in this league. Phil Jackson many times has asked him to step up in the scoring department. Many times Lamar Odom has failed to do that. He misses shots at critical moments and even fails to play on the defensive end. It’s these lapses that cause so much problems to his inconsistent game. The fact is that Lamar Odom is not even the second scoring option on this Lakers roster. The Lakers need a second legitimate scoring option and Lamar looks more like the 3rd or 4th option at best. The Lakers have a great player in Kobe Bryant who handles the scoring load and have a pretty decent bench. The problem is when Kobe or the bench is off on some nights, the lack of a second options really damages the Lakers chances of winning ball games. Even if the Lakers do trade Lamar Odom, the Lakers need to find a consistent scorer that can be a big second legitimate scoring option other than Kobe Bryant. A second scoring option that can carry the team on his shoulders when Kobe is out. Finally, Lamar Odom has had so many psychological problems in the past i.e. His son Jayden’s early death, His mother dying early, His grandmother dying, and him being robbed at gunpoint. All these psychological events do play a role in hampering his game. Yet, when Lamar Odom is payed around 12 million dollars a season, a team of the Lakers stature, would highly expect more from a player that is considered to be their second option. It has become to the point where Lamar Odom’s trade value has decreased so much, many teams are not even looking at him. If Lamar Odom can posses a string of consistent games with big numbers, maybe the lakers might have some leverage to trade him off. Otherwise, the Lakers will fail to do anything with Lamar Odom.
- Mr. NBA -
you can catch me at ProSportsDaily Lakers Forum.
What about LO for Zach Randolph?
The Lakers do need to do something Kobe needs help plus he is not getting any younger. And if the Lakers does not get help soon he will walk at the end of his contract. Trevor Ariza can play SF but he cannot shoot.. Maybe it’s time for Lamar Odom to go back to his roots in NYC? A David Lee for Lamar Odom would be alright. Or go out and get Alan Houston coming off the bench can still shoot the ball.
I too have been a huge LO fan. The dude is a warrior. The end of last season, and into the playoffs, was an awesome effort. However, perhaps the most telling indicator in all of this is that all of us — whether we were (still are) huge LO fans, or never liked him — are all coming to the same conclusion at the same time.
Perhaps it’s just the “square peg in a round hole” thing. Maybe that’s the biggest issue. All I know is that it’s becoming more and more clear that he’s not the guy. Whether it’s because he doesn’t fit well wit Kobe, or PJ, or in the triangle offense… I don’t know. But I’m pretty convinced he needs to go.
Perhaps it’s most obvious at this point because of how well we were doing before he came back. Can it really be called a coincidence that his return has been marked by a much lower win percentage? Why has his return had such a negative effect? Who knows. Maybe it has disrupted “the flow” too much, while not adding enough to it to balance out the negative effect. Maybe it’s that he requires too much coddling, too much hoping that tonight will be the night he shows up, that it throws everything else out of sync. Maybe it’s simply that he sucks. It doesn’t really matter why it is. All that really matters is that it’s obvious.
I’d like to see Lamar traded straight up for either Ron Artest or Shawn Marion. There are reasons I like both. Artest is a tremendous defender, and that’s something this team really needs. I believe that the arrival of Artest would give Kobe some hope of actually playing some solid team defense, and that if Kobe and Artest were both working hard at D, that their defensive energy would spread to the whole team. He’s also just plain tough, and a little bit scary. And as PJ has mentioned recently, the Lakers need some toughness. True, Artest comes with baggage. “Issues,” if you will. However, if there’s anyone that can handle him, I’d think PJ would be the on (Dennis Rodman, anyone?).
Meanwhile, Marion is also a great defender. He would also bolster this team’s defense, which is much needed. And while I don’t see him as being as tough as Artest, he’s got advantages of his own. He’s a good outside shooter, and can be counted on to knock down his open shots. That’s always a plus in the triangle offense. He’s also awesome in transition. He, of course, also has his own issues, although his issues tend to be more about insecurity and feeling undervalued. But if there’s anyone he could play second fiddle to, I’d have to think he could accept being #2 behind Kobe. (After all, anyone who plays on Kobe’s team and thinks that they, rather than KB, are the man is clearly delusional.)
Marion’s salary matches LO’s pretty well, and there are many that think that LO would excel in the open court, high paced game the Suns play — and I agree. Meanwhile, Artest comes at a significantly lower price tag than LO, and we could potentially take on some expiring contracts to make up the difference.
Please no Zach Randolf. His offense would be consistent, yes, but if we’re going to trade away LO, let’s do it for someone who can help us actually improve at not only offense, but defense.
Why, oh Why did we trade Caron Butler
I saw him basically carry the Wizards to a win a couple of days ago, and it just eats me up inside.
Our situation would be so much better with a developing Bynum, and more up-beat Kobe, and dangling Lamar as trade bait while still having good talent left over. This way we could even package someone with Lamar and could have gotten a very good if not star player to go along with Caron and Kobe.
I know I shouldn’t dwell on the past, but it just tears me apart! All of the Laker Fans dreams could be a reality if we didn’t make that 1 bonehead move…
I think Lamar Odom is an all-star caliber player. he just needs to be more consistent. Remember that he is coming off knee surgery, he just needs a couple of more weeks to get back in the flow. he can average at least 18pts. and 11rbds. I think the Lakers should acquire someone like Ron Artest and/or Jermaine O’neal without giving up Andrew Bynum or Lamar Odom. they can do it with some draft picks. that is what will jum start this squad.
laker and odom must go now and that kid kobe i love the laker it not the la laker any more no more good time see the la laker fans need good time laker
I agree 100% of your assessment of Lamar Odom. However, I wonder if there is one other option besides a trade.
What about Odom as a 6th man? I think if the lakers accept who is he and take advantage of the versitility while not depending on him to be a primary guy when it counts, maybe he becomes an all league bench guy.
I know the lakers could still use one more stud to compete on the highest level and the question is whether they have enough to trade for that person. I’d certainly give up Odom for an impact player as the bench is pretty strong already, but I wonder if we would get the guy we need for Odom.
At this point I would trade Odom for Artest, but if we can’t get value then maybe shuffle the line up.
PS: If the Lakers want to improve on defense, keep Radmonavic on the bench.
Well lamar does not fit well in this system at all - he is more of a free wheeling player, he just can not keep up with triangle and gets lost. Add that to him being a bad defender, especially on help, it is awful to watch. Need more toughness from three spot, a high flyer like marion probably?
I used to be a big Lamar Odom fan, but after watching the Lakers struggle with him on the court this year I say trade him away. It really hit a head in Fridays game against Utah, were AK-47 used and abused him, he struggled on offense, played lazy defense, and to me toss the game away with his turnovers. Kobe would bring us back in that game to a reachable score only for Lamar to commit back breaking turnovers. In all my years of watching basketball I have never seen anyone as dumb on the court as Lamar, his basketball acumen is barely above a retarded kid. Constantly he is charged at least 1 time a game for a charging foul, not just any charging foul, but the kind where he puts his shoulders down, lowers his head and just runs over the defender. Shooting 3 pointers at critical times in the game knowing that shooting 3’s is not his strong point. With his potential Lamar should be a lockdown defender, but defends no one. Watching AK-47 misuse him on Friday was my final straw. I’LL be fine in trading Lamar for a 1st round draft pick and a second rounder and a salary dump. Pat Riley likes him, lets trade him back to Miami they need him a lot more then we do.
I have to call out Sasha V. that man has improved a lot since last year, he is not even hesitating pulling the trigger this year. I like our options at shooting guard and point guard. I would love to see Sasha, Farmar, Kobe, Bynum, and Lamar on the floor more often.
You have to remember, Kobe Bryant is a professional on and off the court, he breathes, and lives basketball I really don’t think trading Odom for Artest would go over well, even though Artest is a great talent and could give us help on defense, but I could see where Kobe would implode as the year went on and Artest continued to do some of the dumb things he does off the court. With Odom the dumb things he does is on the court, Artest does dumb things off the court and sometimes on the court.
I definately agree with this article. Lamar is just not that number two guy that the lakers need. We all love his potential, his versatility, his size. But when you think about it and ask yourself what makes a good nba player? Its one that know how to consistently exhibit those abilities. this is what separates the
average to good player, from the better than good players, from the bonafide stars. Everyone in the nba has talent, thats why there in the nba. But it how your able to use efficiently and effectively use those talents. We have the average players like your raja bells, luke waltons, ricky davis, james posey, rafer alstons. Guys like that. Who are talented but you can’t depend on. Guys that are definite role playersThen you have the better than good guys who you can depend when you need them otherwise you know they’ll show up. Guys like Manu Ginobili,Shawn Marion Rashard Lewis, Ron Artest, Mike Bibby, Joe Johnson,Caron butler, Richard Jefferson, Josh Howard, Tayshawn Prince etc. Those guys are gonna get you 16 - 22 points a game. This is where Lamar needs to be. He has the talent like these guys but he can use it consistently and effectively, so he’s currently in the average group. Then you have the bonafide stars - Kobe, Lebron, Dwight Howard, Garnett, Peirce, Wade, Carmelo, Nash, Duncan, Parker, Kidd, Dirk, Tmac, Yao. Guys you know are gonna guys you can depend on 82 games a season. But to have an elite team a 50 win team you need a bonafide star and at least a better than average player. The lakers a megastar and ……….
And where exactly would Odom go?
I’ve read your last Laker posts and disagree with your perspective that the team is particularly potent, and laughed when you wrote last time that you felt they were basically real deal championship contendors (I placed a comment on your article promising 58 games and full of miss - information, and which also preceded the team losing 5 of 7 games)….
Odom doesn’t fit well in this Laker offense, especially when Kobe is on the floor, which is an obvious problem. He’s a dynamic player, but who in the league would want him to the point that they’d give away a major talent to get him?
Jermaine O’Neal is the the obvious choice, and probably the most realistic in terms of an impact player. Indiana may be intrigued by Odom, as the team seems to be running an up-tempo type of game that O’Neal doesn’t fit in that well with…plus, while O’Neal’s been injured, the team seems to perform better without him…But when O’Neal’s been healthy, his numbers have been strong, especially the last week or so, and I just think Indiana could go to numerous teams that would have better offers if the Lakers wouldn’t add Bynum to a deal…
As for Artest or Kirelenko, no chance in hell Sacramento or Utah makes a trade that would greatly enhance the Lakers chances in the western conference; especially because Utah is playing extremely well and is actually a real contendor, and Sacramento is playing well enough that they may actually end up sticking around the hunt for the last playoff spot in the west….
The problem with the Lakers is not Odom per say, but the trade that brought Odom to the Lakers in the first place, one that was ultimatley orchastrated by Kobe Bryant himself….
I think odom was more effective at the 4, but I don’t agree that the problem is odom. Yes he has not performed well this season, but kobe isn’t playing at a high level yet. The only players that I think can take us over the top would be a Ron artest or a tashan prince. Tashan is not a big time scorer, but his D is excellent and he is more consistent from the perimeter. When kobe plays, he’s a tough defender and if we add another top flight defender with bynum on the back line it will make us alot better. Scoring is not the problem at all, we put up alot of points, we need some defenders. Arizi will help also
keep odom…finish out the season. get bynum/farmar/critter as much experience as possible.
sign elton brand next year and put out this line up.
kobe sg
bynum c
brand pf
farmar pg
odom/walton sf
with walton, critter, vujacic, radmonovich, ariza coming off the bench.
if that doesnt say contender i dont know what does
odom bynum and brand will own the boards on both ends. kobe will easily put up 25 and still have the energy for his lock down d. and farmars distribution and defense will be just good enough.
it could happen…please let it happen
Trading Lamar Odom could be fantastic for the Lakers if they pull in a tremendous scorer. But the fact remains that Odom provides so much more than points. When he was hurt last season, the team’s defense was a revolving door at the forward position, which allowed guards to freely penetrate and depending on whatever the inept defenders the Lakers had (e.g. Brian Cook) chose to do the guards would either dish to a wide open post player or lay it in. L.O. is a key factor in the Lakers team defense, and his work on the boards is critical. Nobody on that team save Kobe has the ability to pull down boards like Odom… although Bynum is getting there.
As for Odom’s own shortcomings, there is no denying that he could improve. But, his playoff performances should also be considered. In the MOST IMPORTANT time of the season, L.O. has been stellar - outplaying Phoenix’s Shawn Marion in both meetings.
Another thing, I’ve spoken with Lamar and I’ve gotten the feeling that this will be his last season in the NBA. Everything from getting robbed in his home town of New York City to the loss of his mother and his son has taken its toll on him. The man turns to basketball as a refuge, and I think once the wounds heal enough he won’t need that refuge and he will retire. So one way or another, the Lakers won’t have Lamar Odom on the roster next season.
There are different avenues you can go. Like Lamar and another player for Joe Johnson. As far as AK47 that was a missed opportunity. He is one of a few versatile players. Certain games it looks like he could get quadruple doubles. Another trade could be Lamar for Andre Iguodola. Artest is a good acquisiton because Kobe knows that he does not need to help Artest but what goes on in Rons head is beyond me and i wouldnt trust him. Him makin demands to leave and make a cd and stuff like that. Had it not been injuries i would rally for an Elton Brand to give us some physical players down which would let Vlad be a mismatch as he takes the 3 position.
As a Laker fan, let me first say that I miss ShaKobe Incorporated. People feared the Lakers and Shaq and Kobe were arguably the best C/SG of all times. Now to 2007 Lakers! Lamar Odom production has been subpar, and we should get rid of Radmonivich and bring in Artest and J o’neal; L odom could be a 6th man. We need some defense on the perimeter and we need to plug up the lanes; Kobe should stay, and the organization should build around him…perhaps try to get shaq back with an Artest or Marion? Wow, what a treat….
Talked about him and he had a good game last night. Let’s see if he can keep it up or fit in. Trevor Ariza he is a very good young defender who can get the 2 or the 3. Played well for Orlando not sure why they did not want to keep him, maybe now they will not have to depend too much on Lamar Odom. But I do think what the Lakers need is a PG could have gotten Jason Kidd that would have help..
It is easy to say trade LO now that he is struggling. However, you must think about this pratically. You never trade a player when he is playing bad because his trade value is low. I believe are best bet would be to wait for LO to start playing better which he will as he is getting back into shape from knee surgery. Lets not forget the guy didnt have training camp or preseason. Anyhow, I say we wait until the trade deadline approaches and then, as LO will be at his highest level of the season, trade him along with Chris Mihm or Kwame Brown, for Paul Gasol or Artest. J kidd is getting old, and we have a solid foundation right now at PG with D fish playing good ball and Farmar coming along nicely. Artest would bring toughness on D that he desperately need and also 20 points a game which would help KOBE. Gasol would bring an inside presence as well as a legetimate shot blocker that would help on D. Either one of these 2 guys would catapult the lakers into the elite 4 in the West.
So let’s see, even though he is coming off a summer long injury and missing training camp, he is #2 on the team in scoring and rebounding while hitting 48% from the field. He didn’t trade away Shaq or Caron Butler. He didn’t bring in butterfingers Kwame. He didn’t fail to bring in a legit PG until this year. He didn’t fail to replace Shaq immediately with a stud center. So yeah, let’s blame Lamar. Get Real! Everybody needs to stop taking turns blaming the players we got, because it is the front office that put this Team together. And it takes a Team to win.
First, I have to agree with this assesment because I have felt this way for the past two years. And agree with some of you that we (Lakers) should have never traded Caron Butler, especially for the likes of Kwame Brown. I felt they should have just kept Caron ran Kobe at the one and Caron at the two and Lamar at the three, would have provided a three headed monster as most of the elite teams have today, but Mitch saw other wise.
Look, facts are facts. Lamar, although very talented and has much heart, is for one not mentally tough enough to play with Kobe Bryant and that my friends has always been the problem. Plus he is too inconsistant, 16 shots one night and 5 the next, man what is up with that. I would rather shoot the ball 16-18 and shoot poorly than, shot effienctiantly 5-8 shoots. The key is to my statement is his assertiveness and aggressiveness. If you look at the Triangle when it was in Chicago with Michael and Scottie, Scottie would always have the second most shot attempts to his airness. Many of are probably think so what does that mean. As I have said to many of my friends who believe Scottie was just a good role player, no it is about Scottie’s belief that he could be the man. That is toughness, heck even said recently that he felt he was more valuable than Michael (clearly he was smoking something), but that to me spoke loudly about his confidence in his ablity. Many people fail to remeber that when Mike first retired that Scottie was and MVP candidate and that the Bulls Posted a 55-27 record that season, so Scottie was the real deal, just never Michael Jordan.
So, unlike what Tucker stated (no offense) the Lakers need a number two who feels that they can be a number one. Caron would have been that because how he played with Kobe, how he plays with Arenas, and how he plays with out Arenas. However, like others have stated, the Lakers (Mitch) dropped the ball on that one.
So, it is clear to most you who watch the lakers that LO is the man for the job, the question remains who could be. I will give you names of could and names the Lakers (again Mitch freaken Kupcake) could of had.
Could Get:
Jason Kid: Makes of for those rebounds and adds to assists and defense, and is mentally tough.
Steven Jackson: crazy and though, and he can fill it up. Plus he probably would try to punk Kobe.
Ron Artest: I am not to high on him because he can’t provide points consistantly but man he can defend, but may be PJ could stir him around.
Cory Magatte: I like him probably more than any body because he and Kobe are friends, plus Cory is just a Flat out athlete.
Shawn Marion: Athletic, can defend, just not a creator like Pippen was.
AK(Andre Kerelinko): is the best of them all but this may not happend since he is happy now.
To the Could Haves:
Baron Davis: Man did we miss out on him
Caron Butler: I will stop riding his Jock strap now, but you all get the point.
Gerald Wallace: Would have been great.
Jason Richardson: Cold ass ice.
Carlos Boozer: I don’t why Cleveland let him go
And that is just to name few.
Agreed, trade Lamar, give me McGrady, throw in whoever else you want sans Bynum, don’t think Houston would want him anyway with Yao; this would pair this generation’s MJ and Pippen, although McGrady is a better scorer, albeit injury prone. Putting him next to a truly great player might push McGrady to try and keep up, conditioning becoming a priority. Anyway, I’d love to see this pairing, LA would be in much better position and gives Phil the trifecta of Kobe, Tracy and Ariza and three big athletic guards who can D up anyone, with Bynum protecting the basket, this squad has championship potential. throw in Fisher, even Walton, the parts not needed; I’d keep Vladrad for his outside shooting shooting. That’s my take anyway.