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Archive for September, 2007

Odom for Marion in the works?

Published by Kam Pashai on September 26, 2007 in Articles. 43 Comments

There’s been some word that a Odom for Marion trade could be in the works (again). Training camp and media day and just days away. We’ll keep a close eye on this one, should be interesting.

Sporting News:: Shawn Marion, L.A. Laker? If he has his way, that will happen.

According to a league source, the Lakers and Suns have been in discussions about a deal — a blockbuster deal — that would send the four-time All-Star to Los Angeles to play alongside Kobe Bryant. The Suns would get forward Lamar Odom and perhaps some salary-cap filler in return. The main obstacle appears to be Lakers owner Jerry Buss, who needs to OK the deal. Asked to handicap the likelihood of the deal going through, the source said, “50-50.”

Upon hearing this, I caught up with Marion this afternoon by phone. He confirmed that he spoke with Bryant over the weekend, but added, “I’ve been friends with Kobe for a while, so we talk here and there, anyway.”

Still, Marion was enthusiastic about the potential trade. “Why wouldn’t I be?” he said. “You have a great organization, great ownership there with the Lakers. I don’t see no problems with playing there.”

This, it appears, would be a good fit for everyone. It has been a rocky summer for Marion and the Suns, who drafted him out of UNLV in 1999 but have been unwilling to give him a contract extension. Marion is the highest-paid player on the team, and he can opt out of the final year of his deal and become a free agent next summer.

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Can Baron Davis be Lakers bound?

Published by Jim Murdoc on September 26, 2007 in Articles. 1 Comment

We haven’t had a true point guard in years. Would Baron be the perfect fit? Uh, yeah… Sound-off in the comments and tell us what you think!

Fox Sports: After his breakout postseason, Baron Davis is looking for long-term love. He’s got two years and about $33.5 million left on his deal with Golden State, but could opt out after this season — which he says he’ll do if he doesn’t get an extension signed in the next couple weeks. Obviously you can see why the Warriors wouldn’t be rushing to commit a lot of years and money to Baron; as good as he is, the injuries are always an issue. But there’s no way the Warriors contend without him, so they’re in a tough spot. If they don’t re-up with Baron, do they try and trade him around the deadline to get something in return? What are the chances Baron ends up in his hometown L.A. with Kobe?

Will Bryant be in camp?

Published by Jim Murdoc on September 26, 2007 in Articles. 0 Comments

O.C. Register: That conscious decision Kobe Bryant made to forget he was a Laker? It did help him survive and even enjoy the rest of his summer, but the time has just about come for him to remember.

In one week, the Lakers reconvene for the next NBA season having not traded Bryant, as he sought, or traded for proven talent to help Bryant, which was his initial offseason request. Bryant’s disenchantment with the Lakers led to some speculation he would not report to training camp.

“We have no reason to believe that he won’t be there,” Lakers spokesman John Black said.

Bryant has steered clear of the Lakers’ workout facility in El Segundo in recent months, spending considerable time out of town first with USA Basketball in Las Vegas and then on a promotional tour of Asia.

He has scheduled a time to show up for his Lakers pre-camp physical examination, however, furthering belief from the organization that Bryant will maintain a professional approach to start the season. The Lakers are set to gather Oct. 1 for a 1 p.m. team flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu, where they will train through Oct. 11.

Besides the lack of substantial roster upgrades, Bryant returns to find his most talented Lakers teammate still not healthy.

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Shaq To LA? Not Likely…

Published by Jim Murdoc on September 26, 2007 in Articles. 0 Comments

HOOPSWORLD.COM: Late last week HOOPSWORLD’s Eric Pincus contemplated a trade scenario that the Los Angeles Lakers were “rumored” to be pondering with the Miami Heat - a trade scenario that would bring Shaquille O’Neal back to the land of purple and gold. In his piece, Eric compared it to one infamous season finale to the television show Dallas, in which Bobby Ewing magically came back from the dead and the entire previous season was written off as a dream. Patrick Duffy, the actor who portrayed Bobby Ewing, just couldn’t stay away, and frankly the show had suffered greatly for his absence. An agreement was reached, a plot was written, and fans were so overjoyed to have the character back that they forgave the entire dream sequence scenario and happily welcomed their favorite Ewing back into the fold.

That was an apt comparison, but not for the same reason Eric points to. The Lakers can’t just wipe away the seasons since Shaq left, any more than they could wipe away the bad blood that has developed between Kobe Bryant and his former teammate. The two may be on speaking terms twice a year when the Lakers and Heat meet, but thinking they could somehow come back together and play cohesively is a stretch. But the real fantasy - the real shower scene - is the one that has the Heat willing to entertain the idea of trading away the most successful marketing icon they’ve ever had for what amounts to some junk no team would easily take in trade.

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Lakers a Bubble Team?

Published by Jim Murdoc on September 22, 2007 in Articles. 43 Comments

HOOPSWORLD.COM: LAKERS: Whether or not the Lakers had a successful offseason probably depends on who you ask. They did keep free agent Luke Walton, they lost Smush Parker to the Miami Heat, signed veteran Derek Fisher, and added rookies Javaris Crittenton (who played very well in summer league) and Coby Karl. On paper that seems like some decent upgrades, especially at point guard.

Of course, if you ask Kobe Bryant you likely will get a very different answer – and he’s right. None of the changes or additions the Lakers made will have that big of an impact in the standings. Last season the team won 42 games and squeaked into the playoffs, largely by riding Kobe’s strong shoulders. If Crittenton and Fisher give the Lakers consistent point guard play and Lamar Odom plays a full season, perhaps the Lakers will be better – but on nominally.

If Bryant was promised a contender – and no general manager should ever make a promise like that just to make a free agent stay – then yes, he absolutely has something to be annoyed about. The Lakers absolutely need a healthy and happy Bryant to make this season a success – and that starts from day one when players report to training camp. If Bryant is there this team will be roughly the same as last year, unless Crittenton and Andrew Bynum provide a much bigger than expected boost.

If Bryant doesn’t show up, the Lakers may as well start planning for the 2008 NBA Draft.

AK to the Los Angeles Lakers, for Lamar Odom?

Published by Jim Murdoc on September 21, 2007 in Articles. 22 Comments

I find it funny anytime an NBA asks to be traded or theirs a free-agent roaming around, someone always brings up the Lakers as one of the possible destinations for a team. Nevertheless, let us know who would you give up to get AK47, is he worth trading for Lamar Odom? Sound-off in the comments!

True Hoop: Just about every max-player trade involves smaller parts being thrown in on both sides, and I see no reason why either team should add to this deal. No need for Sasha Vujacic to head to the Jazz, or for Utah to needlessly throw in a stud like Paul Millsap or Ronnie Brewer. In the Triangle, the holes in Luke Walton’s head can be filled with the bumps in Kirilenko’s; both can work at the apex, finding cutters and seeing the floor, and we know Tex Winter thinks the world of AK.

Problem is, Mitch Kupchak has never shown much interest in acquiring players fit for the offense that the Lakers have run since 1999. Odom can ably play small forward for the Jazz, and he shouldn’t have any problem with the usual silly Salt Lake City-stereotypes once he’s winning 60 games and on the road for half the year.

Kirilenko wants to play ball in Russia

Published by Jim Murdoc on September 21, 2007 in Articles. 1 Comment

No such news or rumors that the Lakers were after him but if they wanted to, he seems content to play in Russia.

Deseret Morning News: Another day and another report has come out in a Russian news source telling of Andrei Kirilenko’s discontent in Utah.

And this time, Kirilenko, the national hero for leading his country to the recent European championship, indicates that he wants to stay in Russia rather than play for the Jazz.

“I want to do what I enjoy doing, and I think the emotions that I experienced with the national side are worth going back to Russia and playing there for Russian supporters,” Kirilenko told the Sports Express newspaper in Russia, which has both English and Russian editions, in a story published Thursday.

The complete article can be found at english.sport-express.ru/news/13_1223.

Jazz vice president of basketball operations Kevin O’Connor has reiterated several times in the past few days that they expect Kirilenko to be at training camp, which begins Oct. 1 with media day in Salt Lake City before practices start on Oct. 2 in Boise.

Kirilenko, the Jazz’s highest-paid player, is still under contract with Utah and couldn’t join and start playing for a Russian professional team without some sort of arrangement with the Jazz as per FIBA rules. Kirilenko is scheduled to make $13.71 million for the 2007-08 season in Utah with his contract running through the 2010-11 season. In all, Kirilenko, a “max-money” NBA player, is scheduled to make about $63 million during the remainder of his Jazz contract.

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Larry Turner likes chances with Lakers

Published by Jim Murdoc on September 21, 2007 in Articles. 3 Comments

Tennessean.com: Larry Turner didn’t exactly bounce right from college basketball to the NBA.

There was plenty of unfinished business the 6-foot-11 Turner needed to tend to after graduating last spring from Tennessee State.

Eventually he signed a two-year free agent contract with the Lakers. He arrived in Los Angeles just this week, and Wednesday went through his first workout, a one-on-one session with Lakers’ forward-center Kwame Brown.

“I’m excited and looking forward to it,” Turner said. “It’s always been my dream to play in the NBA.”

Hearing that Turner, who averaged 5.8 points and 6.1 rebounds for TSU, had signed with the Lakers came as a surprise for some. The 2005 transfer from Oklahoma was never a consistent contributor for the Tigers and didn’t even stay in the starting lineup.

After leaving TSU, Turner relied on a local training facility, Velocity Sports Performance in Cool Springs.

When Turner showed up, he was 233 pounds and determined to get bigger and stronger, according to Mick Weber, Director of Sports Performance at the facility. Working two-hour sessions, five times a week, Turner increased his bench press from 300 to 335 pounds, and bulked up to 255 pounds. Turner worked feverishly to improve his game. He worked one-on-one with Pistons star Nazr Mohammed and the Celtics’ Rajon Rondo, and played in the NBA Summer League.

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