Halx

"Money isn't everything, at least not to Gary Payton. The All-Star point guard will sign with the Lakers on July 16"

This is GREAT NEWS. Gary Payton added to the Lakers. I heard last night that Karl Malone made a statement that if the Lake Show signed GP for a multi-year, that he'd sign for the Vet min. Do you know what that means?

C- Shaq
F- Malone
F- George
G- Bryant
G- Payton

I cant sit still!!!!!!!

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gov135

If Malone signs at the minumum, the Lakers become the default team to beat.
Two observations:
1.) Shaq still must be healthy
2.) The Lakers need to play like the want it, and all season long. Getting serious at the halfway point will cause to much friction between the two older vets and Shaq and Kobe.

The_Dude

if kobe gets out of jail by the finals that is.....






j/k, that's an awesome lineup. now they have 3 good guys

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killwhitey

I think there's going to be a lot of friction if Shaq doesn't come to play. Malone isn't going to stand for it.

If all goes smoothly, Malone + Shaq in the paint = awesome

Halx

The next move for the Lakers is to get even deeper. They are ditching a couple of their PF's, but we need a good backup for the mailman.

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The_Dude

if the spurs get kidd.........i think they'll be better than the lakers

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Kurant

I agree with Dude. I still think the Spurs with Kidd, or Dallas with Kidd, trading a pretty valuble Steve Nash (Could get a good guy or 2 for a "real" point guard), would still be trouble for the Lakers. Spurs could also dump Parker for some decent talent.

However, the Lakers will be awsome, to say the least. I'd vote for the Lakers too. Why?

Because Kidd won't be leaving Jersey. So it's a moot point.

JoeyB

With all of the "if's", I would like to add, if Gary Payton doesn't poison the locker room. He is an incredible player--clearly one of the best point guards of the last 10 years, but he's been known to whine and cause problems.

With that said, I'm thrilled to have him in SoCal.

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wraithhibn

I hate to see Samaki go, but damn the Lakers are gonna be good. With Malone and Payton, they will have 4 of hte best players in the last 10 years. They will be scary.

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sixate

I think you know nothing about hoops.

GP won't cause any problems in LA. He's a veteran who wants a title. He's taking less money for a title so he will do whatever it takes to make LA as good as possible. If Malone does go to LA they can't be beat if they stay healthy and this crap with Kobe turns out to be nothing.

Take that Laker haters!

killwhitey

There is going to be SOME controversy with this team.

Believe it.

There was controversy with just 2 stars fighting over the ball.

Now they have 4.

Kobe is going to take his shots, Shaq NEEDS to take his shots, GP is going to want to get his, and then you have Malone who wants to break the all-time scoring record.

Which one is going to settle for 10 shots?

tikki

Shaq, Kobe, Glove, Mailman, George

Glove and Kobe is a damn impressive backcourt.

If the Lakers don't win at least 70 games, I will be shocked. Even the Bulls didn't have a starting five that impressive.

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Jadey

Yay! More reasons for me to hate the LAKERS!

gov135

No, the Bulls didn't. But they did play hard every night. Kobe and Shaq don't show up every game.

Seventy wins? No. No way. Favorites to win the championship ( all that matters anyway), yes.

bigoldalphamale

i agree with those who refuse to overlook dallas and sacremento. what if dallas gets kidd and mourning? what if sacremento gets kidd and can keep webber healthy? no amount of star power allows for any team in the west to sleep on the rest of the conference. it will be a fun season to watch...but honestly, the real issue here is the ridiculous rate at which the west continues to outpace the east with regards to loading talent. what next? tracy mcgrady to the lakers? kings? mavs? something needs to be done soon or there will no point in having an NBA championship game. period.

tikki

Shaq didn't show up half the nights, but Kobe busted his ass every game.

Who is going to beat them? Dallas maybe by just scoring more, but with Payton & Kobe's defense, that seems unlikely. Sacramento? Maybe if they stay healthy for once. San Antonio? Not if they get Kidd isntead of a big man that can deal with Shaq. Somebody in the East? Now, that is just funny

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killwhitey

Dallas looks as good as the Lakers if they get Kidd.

Throw in 'Zo and who knows what could happen.

Halx

I think throwing Kidd on an all ready good team is an overrated move. Nash to Kidd is hardly an upgrade. Dallas STILL wont have have D. Parker to Kidd is also moot. These teams weren't built around a point guard.

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bigoldalphamale

true on both counts...except that parker is still sketchy in big games. alonzo mourning to the mavs supplements their blazing offense with the stauch D they have desperately been needing. kidd might be a slight step up from nash with regards to vision and the ability to get the ball to where it needs to be. but kidd is no where near the shooter that nash is. i agree kidd doesnt help too much there. kidd in san antonio is a better fit, but the tandem of speedy claxton and tony parker provides the spurs with plenty of speed and firepower at that position. again, no real need for kidd. none of these teams NEED anybody. the lakers didnt NEED payton or malone. i dont know...like i said before...give the east some fucking players already so that the post season is worth watching. christ.

crow_daw

You guys are overlooking the Spurs. There is no one, and I repeat, NO ONE, in the league as good as Tim Duncan. Say what you will, but its true.

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killwhitey

You're both wrong.

Kidd is a major improvement over Nash, he's the best PG in the league. He wouldn't need to shoot that much with NVE Finley and Nowitzki. If you thought Dallas played a fast paced game with Nash, imagine what they could do with a great great passer like Kidd.

The Spurs just don't need Kidd. They need to replace Robinson, maybe sign someone to a 1 year deal, and guess who's a free agent next year? KG!

Duncan right now is the best player in the NBA, but if Shaq comes back next year in shape like he's promising, look out.

Halx

Kidd has the benefit of being a veteran on a young team in NJ. His guys follow him like sheep. He won't get the same kind of chemistry in Dallas or SA.

Dallas - They play a frantic game compared to NJ. At least the Nets swing the ball around the horn when they cant run it, Dallas is a one-pass team. Unless they change their tactics, I don't see how Kidd can improve them. Saying he's the best PG in the league means nothing on a different team. It's all about what the coach draws on the board and like I said, the team isn't built around the PG position. It's all just a bunch of shooters who pick spots on the floor to jack up jumpers.

Duncan is a great, great player for sure. He amazed me in the playoffs. All I have to say is, "Watch out for Shaq. Caaaaan youuuu diiiiig iiiiit?"

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Halx

I also wanna spell out why GP and Karl are perfect for the Lakers.

The team is built around Shaq, we must establish that. Shaq owns the middle on every offensive set. This means all the other players for the lakers have to be cutters and shooters. GP is a SWEET cutter. Malone has a fadeaway jumper to die for. These are offensive moves. As far as defense goes, you cant help but improve on the crappy defense of the PF position. Sure, Robert Horry has the best defensive hands in the game for a PF, but the rest of the Lakers PFs last year were HIDEOUS. Malone is not a great defender, but he is a lot better than Walker, Madsen and Medvedenko combined. As far as GP vs Fisher on the defensive end, I am not sure if GP is any faster, but he has better hands than Fish.

All we need is someone like, say, Pippen and we'll be the All-Retirement team.

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sixate

Sorry, but an in shape and healthy Shaq is better. I'd even take Garnett over Duncan.

Let me give you some season stats to show you why I feel this way.

A very fat and unhealty lazy Shaq this year.

• 27.6 points
• 2.61 blocks
• 2.8 assists
• 12.1 rebounds

Kevin Garnett

• 23 points
• 1.57 blocks
• 6 assists
• 13.4 rebounds

Tim Duncan

• 22.9 points
• 2.5 blocks
• 3.2 assists
• 12.3 rebounds

All of these guys shoot over 50% from the feild. Garnett is the best free throw shooter at 75%.

Doesn't look like any of these guys stats are that much better than the other. The reason I'd take KG over Duncan is because his team is complete garbage and if it wasn't for KG they wouldn't even make the playoffs. Shaq is also better than Duncan. Sure, Duncan is the most fundamentally sound player in the NBA, but that doesn't make him the best. When Shaq is in shape he is too big and too athletic for anyone to stop or slow down. He is without a doubt the biggest matchup problem in the league. How can anyone expect to stop a guy that's over 7' and 320 lbs who is a great athlete? If it wasn't for all the Laker injuries they would have 4 in a row, but shit happens.

Kurant

Shaq is the pwnage.

If he's healthy, with that team, and all the less double/triple teaming on him. His numbers and play could be scary. Phear him!



.

SACKINGSFAN

3 huh? because i thought there was 4 hall of famors on that list but i guess thats just me. If they can all get over how great they Should be then theres no way anyone will beat them, and if malone doesn't try to take over just to get the points record.

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tikki

I think they got over themselves when they took a massive paycut.

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Mondak

I used to be indifferent, but I think I am going to have to go full time rooting against the Lakers. That is sooooo friggen dominant I cannot stand it. Unreal. I mean hey - if you are a fan - you have to be out of your mind. For me, I am cheering that much harder for the Washington Bullets (I will never call them that other name) and the Houston Rockets.

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tikki

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/bas...one_lakers_ap/

Malone's going. Let the Laker bashing begin.

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Halx

this is mental masturbation for me

I am absolutely thrilled.

Next Wednesday, I will be on cloud 9

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Prophecy

I don't know how I just found out that L.A. is going to get GP and the Mailman, but I did. That said, 3 cheers for Malone, he might finally get a ring now.... If L.A. plays well together and stays healthy they are going to be a wrecking machine. I can't wait for the season to start again Move over Spurs, L.A. is back with a vengance.

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tikki

Only thing holding back Lakers is they still have a shitty bench.

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Sion

with a starting 5 like that, the bench wont mean much. Phil will just come up with a rotation that allows each of them his rest while leaving the other 4 on the court at all times. I'd expect each of these 5 guys to play about 38-40 mins per game during the regular season. Come playoff time, more like 42-45 mins per game.

end result - Malone and Payton finally get a ring.

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Halx

Sion, that's way too much playing time for people in their late 30's

Derek Fisher, Mark Madsen and Rick Fox are still capable of playing a lot of minutes. The only trouble I see is a backup for Shaq.

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Kurant

Fox was just on The Last Word 2 weeks ago, he's still hurt. He's going to make it to camp, he's also playing VERY limited minutes in the summer league games.

He said even with playing time and and full time in camp, he still may miss some of the start of the season if he's not 95-100%.

inkriminator

Barring injury, the question at hand isn't whether or not they will win a ring next year, because they most certainly will. The only remaining question is the year after this, when Malone and Payton finally get a ring to call their own, will they stick around for another year and another guaranteed ring. I think GP might, but Malone would goto a weaker team to ensure he can get the scoring title before he retires.

Halx

Malone only needs to avg 12.2 points per game over the next 2 years (assuming he plays in every one) to take the scoring record. He can do that on the Lakers.

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crow_daw

I'm not gonna lie, I've always hated the Lakers, but its really hard not to root for them when they've got two VERY deserving vets going for a title. I'm still gonna be a Spurs man myself, but I wouldn't mind at all seeing The Mailman and The Glove get their rings. They both deserve it, that cannot be denied.


Halx, I wanna ask you something, are you aware that after this season, it is a very big possibilty that Kobe won't be a Laker anymore? He'll be the most sought-after free agent, and the Grizzlies, for one, will be poised to make a very serious move for him. I get this from ESPN the magazine btw.

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Halx

Yeah, I'm aware of the possibility. The whole thing is a fake-out I think. Kobe is just nudging the Lakers to show some concern for the goal. He's disappointed about last year because he brought his toys to the sandbox EVERY GAME and nobody else felt like joining him. As long as the good doctor and kupchak show that they are willing to maintain a championship team, he'll stick around.

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BulletBob

I don't see the Spurs repeating next year. They are by far my favorite team but when they can't lock down the two best free agents it hurts the team. If I was the spurs GM I save the money and sign Garnett next year. The Lakers solved their depth problem now that Fox, Fisher, And George/Horry will be coming off the bench.