I have wrestled with this for quite sometime now. Should the Lakers trade Andrew Bynum for Dwight Howard? For some it seemed to be a no-brainer, but every since the announcement from Dwight(last year) that he wanted to be traded I have not been so gung ho to see this happen.
1. My first problem is even with a torn meniscus in 2009, Andrew Bynum played decently enough to help the Lakers defeat the Magic with Howard in the Finals.
2. Next problem is contrary to what most think, Andrew Bynum is better than Howard definitely on the offensive end, even though I have to admit that what makes Dwight great is he plays hard on both ends on the floor.
3. Dwight Howard DOES NOT WANT TO BE A LAKER. I don’t want anyone playing on the Lakers who do not want to be there.
At first it was hard for me to believe Stephen A Smith when he said that D12 reason for not coming to the Lakers is because he doesn’t want to have to follow in the great tradition that LA has for centers. You the likes of Mikan, Chamberlin, Oneal etc, he want to create his own legacy somewhere such as Brooklyn. That’s COWARDLY to me. Why? Because in Orlando you have already placed yourself in the record books. Sure to be a first ballot hall of fame player. So why are you afraid? Then he says he wants to be the go to guy at the end of the games..but you shoot 50% at the stripe…seriously…every big man needs a 2 guard that can play the game…uh and he would have a 5time champion!
Now let’s talk about all the back & forth. It has taken him NO WHERE! The guy alledging he was ”blackmailed” by the Magic into signing his extension. SMH. So being told that the Magic will take the Laker deal is blackmail now…oh Dwight how the mighty has fallen in the eyes of sports fans. No wonder the Nets moved on.
Nonetheless IF this deal goes down, I will be forced to root for him, simply because he wearing that Purple & Gold, but this situation is ridiculous.
As Kobe demonstrates level 1 of success with his Zoom VII (KobeSystem), Aziz Ansari is caught texting. Hilarious. Definitely getting the KOBESYSTEM. Finally I like the way Nike is marketing Kobe.
Well, that nostalgic feeling regarding Kobe Bryant surpassing Jerry West as the Lakers’ all-time leading scorer certainly didn’t last long. Most of the questions surrounding Tuesday’s practice focused on Bryant’s high percentage of shots versus the lacking inside game the Lakers presented in a 95-93 loss Monday to the Memphis Grizzlies. The issue first reared its ugly head when Lakers forward Pau Gasol lamented to several reporters immediately after the game about he and Andrew Bynum combining for only 15 points on five of 10 shots. “Obviously, we were not making a conscious effort to pound the ball inside,” Gasol told the Daily News’ Elliott Teaford. “So, we settled a little bit too much. It’s not like they were double-teaming us a lot. It happens.” “I’m proud of him; I congratulate him,” Gasol told the Orange County Register’s Kevin Dingabout Bryant becoming the franchise’s all-time scoring leader. “Now we can focus on winning games again.” Given Gasol’s nature, this isn’t going to turn into Kobe-Shaq. But it at least got the conversation out in the open, something the media was only happy to facilitate, but with Bryant, who wasn’t present during post-practice interviews. Of course, Bryant’s high volume of shots is nothing new. Heck, I’ve only been here for four weeks and I devoted at least five different posts here, here, herehere and here on topics involving Bryant’s shot selection. It’s become a never-ending point of conversation as Bryant has shot below .500 in 10 of the 14 games since Jan. 5 when he aggravated his right-index finger. A firmer splint has appeared to correct the issue involving his finger, and Bryant’s 44 points on 57.1% shooting (16 of 28) against Memphis is something most teams would take any day. But as Bryant closed out with the team’s final 13 points in the second quarter, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson could tell he was seeking to surpass West’s record that night, and nothing would get in his way. Said Jackson: “At halftime, we said, ‘Get Kobe the ball quickly so we can get over that record and we can move ahead.’ ” Bryant broke the record in the third quarter, but the Lakers didn’t move ahead. The Lakers didn’t have anyone else posting double-digit shots, and they were outscored inside, 42-26. That’s why Jackson said Gasol’s complaint was warranted.
Some interesting stuff there. In some instances Jackson highlights Game 5 of the 1991 NBA Finals where he told Michael Jordan to allow John Paxson some scoring opportunities, the result being Paxson scoring 10 points in the final half of the fourth quarter. Jordan may have preferred leading the comeback charge, but the end result was still there: a 1991 title. Jackson recounts team meetings he’s had with the Lakers discussing Bryant’s shooting tendencies. Jackson also predicts that’ll remain an issue whenever he decides to step down from coaching the team. Yet, when asked if Bryant has shown that “fine line” Jackson describes between scorers being aggressive and selfish, Jackson says of Bryant, “He certainly has.” Though he agreed with Gasol’s assertion that the bigs weren’t getting looks inside, Jackson placed the blame on both post players and guards for not working together. Jackson didn’t specify to what degree each party was at fault, but Gasol accepted some responsibility for the nonexistent inside game against Memphis.
Even through Bryant’s poor shooting performances, the Lakers have shown an effective inside game that can heal most wounds.
Though Bryant certainly shouldn’t be immune from criticism for his 31 points on 12 of 31 shooting in last week’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, he rightfully lit into his teammates for their lack of toughness (mainly Gasol and Bynum) for allowing the Cavs’ front line of Shaquille O’Neal, Anderson Varejao and J.J. Hickson to muscle them inside. The next day, against New York, Bryant and Gasol led a fourth-quarter charge, scoring 23 of the team’s 31 fourth-quarter points. Bryant’s 27 points on eight of 24 shooting showed he still took some unnecessary shots, but his six assists were instrumental in sparking Gasol’s 20 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter. That was also the case in other road games against Washington and Indiana where Bryant, Gasol and Bynum each posted double figures. Though the inside game is an area that can be most corrected, as evidenced by the Memphis loss, it doesn’t immediately lead to success. Case in point, Bryant recorded a near triple-double with a team-leading 27 points, a career-high 16 rebounds and nine assists last week against Toronto. He was also instrumental in the Lakers posting 56 points in the paint. Bryant continued to push for more aggressive play from Gasol, who finished with 22 points. Bryant had an uncanny feel for setting up Bynum inside with well-timed passes, resulting in 21 points.Yet, the Lakers still lost to Toronto, 106-105, with the Lakers showing an inability to protect seven- and eight-point leads throughout the game. Lakers guard Derek Fisher made two things pretty clear. On one hand he said, “we all respect who he is, what he does for us and the fact we wouldn’t be successful as we’ve been without his presence for us.” On the other hand, Fisher added Bryant shouldn’t be taking 28 of 73 shots in a game, like he did against Memphis. And though Fisher cited other areas that contributed to last night’s loss (such as the lacking inside game), he also argued Bryant’s shooting tendencies hindered team chemistry and balance. That’s something that would’ve come in handy on the final play where a double-teamed Bryant found Ron Artest, who missed a corner three-pointer as time expired. Nonetheless, Fisher said the team needs to work better with Bryant.
GOD'S PLAN-MY SUCCESS 