Hollinger: L.A. now favorites with Gasol

[batboy]

I don't have Insider but I only needed to read the headline. His knee must've jerjed hard enough to knock out some teeth. More proof that Hollinger doesn't actually _watch_ NBA games. Of course he would think a fantasy-line player with absolutely 0 intangibles would make that kind of difference. Imagine what the computer said.

Guess this means he has backed off his Rockets pick (lawls).

[Vingianx]

this is off hollinger's blog on Insider



I think Pau Gasol might win a playoff game now. And I think Kobe might finally back off that trade demand.

The brilliant trade the Lakers made today, in which they traded a sack of leftovers to Memphis for the Spanish power forward, is a far better move than anything they could have done with Jason Kidd and puts the finishing touches on a seemingly overnight transformation from one-man team into title-contending juggernaut.

Yes, it cost them a bit of their future, but if you're playing for right now, this is about as good a right now move as a team could make.

Gasol is vastly underrated because he's played in a low-profile market and his team hasn't been any good the past two years. He's been one of the most consistently productive power forwards in basketball for the past half decade, with a PER above 20 for six straight seasons, and at 27 he should have several good years left.

Yes, he's a little soft. He's also one of the quickest 7-footers in the league and can shoot, handle and pass. That last item is important -- he'll share the ball and play nice with Kobe, and he'll be very effective from the high post in the triangle while Andrew Bynum takes the low block.

As for the soft part, that should be a lot less of an issue now that he's finally surrounded by big guys who can handle the dirty work. His softness was a much bigger problem on a Memphis team laden with other softies than it will be if Andrew Bynum and Ronny Turiaf have his back.

The cost is reasonable, too. The two first-rounders figure to be in the late 20s now that L.A. has assembled such a juggernaut. Javaris Crittenton, though a good prospect, would have been competing with Kobe and Jordan Farmar for minutes over the next couple years. And as for Marc Gasol ... he might be a decent role player down the road, but Pau got the good genes in that family.

Can the Lakers win the title with this team? Absolutely. That doesn't mean they will, mind you, but L.A. has the best team on paper once Bynum comes back. The lineup of Gasol, Bynum, Lamar Odom, Kobe and Derek Fisher, backed by one of the league's deepest benches, should strike fear in the hearts of other Western teams -- especially with Phil Jackson coaching them. Given how even things have been in the West so far, you'd have to look at L.A. as the favorite.

I understand this trade from Memphis's side as well. This was about as good as they could reasonably hope to do for Gasol -- two draft picks, two prospects and cap relief is a nice haul. And that's what a good trade is in the NBA -- both teams come out of it better than they went in. It happens less often than you'd think.

But long-term, the outcome of this trade hinges on what the Grizzlies can accomplish this summer. Memphis should have about $15 million in salary cap space as the result of this deal and the recent buyout of Damon Stoudamire, depending on where next year's number comes in and what the cap hold is for their draft pick. That should make the Griz the only player on the market capable of offering a max-contract.

However, having max cap space and using it to sign a star player are two very different things. The Griz need to hope somebody like Elton Brand or Gilbert Arenas is willing to take their money, otherwise they'll have a hard time getting back equal value on this deal.

In the meantime, Memphis gets some other assets -- the draft choices, Crittenton (whom I presume they'll audition as a 2 guard since they're already crowded at the point), and down the road the younger Gasol. Additionally, the trade opens playing time for promising forward Hakim Warrick. The Griz were 13-31 with Gasol, so it's hard to argue they erred in getting rid of him.

This probably won't be the end of the road as far as that goes either. GM Chris Wallace is in his first year and is obviously using their struggles as an opportunity to reshape their roster. Already, a side deal has been reported that sends Stromile Swift to New Jersey for Jason Collins. Don't be surprised if Mike Miller and Darko Milicic have new homes soon as well.

[Bruno]

Hollinger is one of the worst basketball expert. He lives and dies with his PER formula.

Hollinger picked Houston as his favorite before the year and Rockets are a lottery team for the moment. :lol

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Don't be surprised if Mike Miller and Darko Milicic have new homes soon as well
:hungry:

[ChumpDumper]

http://www.geometricrate.com/blog/media/blogs/misc/frink.gif

[batboy]

http://www.geometricrate.com/blog/media/blogs/misc/frink.gif

:rollin

[Holt's Cat]

The one thing I will say is that Phil Jackson knows how to coach. Well.

[Medvedenko]

Chimpy used the word "juggernaut" twice in that post.....so take it for what it's worth. Health is the name of the game in the NBA>.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

http://www.geometricrate.com/blog/media/blogs/misc/frink.gif
:lol

[ShoogarBear]

Hollinger is to predictions as Sam Smith is to general managing.

[Jayem]

we can't win a championship against these stacked celts and lakers teams.

we had a good run.

on the bright side, how fun is this boston-la finals gonna be?? man i can't wait :elephant

[ludda]

"The cost is reasonable"

What a fucking idiot "reasonable?!" Kwame-scrub-Brown and two worthless picks and someone no cares about for Gasol is "reasonable"

[batboy]

we can't win a championship against these stacked celts and lakers teams.

we had a good run.

on the bright side, how fun is this boston-la finals gonna be?? man i can't wait :elephant

This has to be at least the third such near-sighted and idiotic doomsday posts of yours I have read. Exactly how long have you been watching professional sports?

[missmyzte]

For the record, while many outside of LA haven't heard of Critt, the kid is a baller. He's going to be a really good player so if Memphis is looking towards the future, he's a good pick up. It was either Farmar or Critt, I think Critt's potential is higher but Farmar has such a natural basketball IQ and fits in perfectly with the triangle so he earned his spot.

[Jayem]

This has to be at least the third such near-sighted and idiotic doomsday posts of yours I have read. Exactly how long have you been watching professional sports?have you been watching this year?

celts and lakers >>>> spurs by miles. just because we're spurs fans doesn't mean we should avoid the truth.

our reign had to come to end sometime.

[Spurms Chumps]

It already has.

[duncan228]

It already has.

Funny, that's what Cavs trolls were saying last June...

I see you're new here.
Stick around. It gets real interesting after the ASG. :)

[FilSpursFan]

In dire need of frontcourt help, Lakers acquire Gasol from Grizzlies

Associated Press

Updated: February 1, 2008, 6:52 PM ET



Pau Gasol Traded To The Lakers

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Lakers bolstered their banged-up frontline Friday with a key acquisition -- 7-footer Pau Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Lakers gave up Kwame Brown, rookie Javaris Crittenton and two first-round draft picks for Gasol. The Spaniard is certain to help a Lakers team reeling from recent injuries to inside players, including blossoming center Andrew Bynum.

Gasol, averaging 18.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.44 blocked shots in 39 games this season, can fill in at center until Bynum returns in mid-March and then move to power forward.

The Grizzlies will get the Lakers' first-round draft choices in 2008 and 2010; guard Aaron McKie, signed earlier Friday for salary cap purposes; cash considerations, and the rights to Gasol's brother Marc, a 2007 second-round pick of Los Angeles.

The Lakers also receive the Grizzlies' second-round pick in 2010.

"We're extremely pleased to be able to make this trade," Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said in a statement. "Pau is a proven player of All-Star caliber in this league who can score and rebound and is still a young player. We feel this strengthens our team in the short term as well as the long term."

Gasol, the NBA rookie of the year in 2002 and an All-Star four years later, has averaged 18.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 476 career games with Memphis. The 27-year-old forward-center, under contract for three more years, is the franchise leader in 12 statistical categories, including points, rebounds and blocks.

The Lakers were one of the NBA's best teams before the 20-year-old Bynum injured his left knee Jan. 13 against Memphis, coincidentally. Los Angeles had a 28-16 record entering Friday night's game at Toronto but had lost five of eight since Bynum was injured.

Center Chris Mihm has been sidelined with right ankle problems for several weeks; forward Trevor Ariza broke his right foot in practice Jan. 20 and is expected to be out until mid-March, and forward Luke Walton was day-to-day with a right hip pointer.

Gasol One Great Grizzly
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies don't have a lot of history (they've only been in the NBA since 1996), but Pau Gasol was likely their all-time best player. Gasol's trade Friday from Memphis to the L.A. Lakers leaves the Grizzlies with a big hole on offense and his name etched in the team's record books in several places. Here's a look:


Rank in Grizzlies' history
Points 8,966 First
Rebounds 4,096 First
Blocks 877 First
Assists 1,473 Third
Brown has been filling in at center since Bynum was injured, but the first overall pick in the draft by Washington in 2001 has been a significant drop-off from Bynum. Brown, earning $9.1 million this season in the final year of his contract, is averaging 5.7 points and 5.7 rebounds in 23 games. He has averaged 7.6 points and 5.7 rebounds in 389 games with the Wizards and Lakers.

Crittenton, the 19th overall pick in the draft last summer, averaged 3.3 points in 22 games for the Lakers. He was expendable because of the fine play by second-year guard Jordan Farmar as a backup to Derek Fisher. The 20-year-old Crittenton averaged 14.4 points and 5.8 assists as a freshman at Georgia Tech last season.

Marc Gasol, the 48th overall pick in the 2007 draft, is playing for Akasvayu Girona in Spain. The Gasol brothers were members of the gold-medal-winning Spanish national team at the 2006 world championships. The younger Gasol is 23 and a 7-1, 280-pounder.

McKie, a 13-year veteran, played in 10 games for the Lakers last season and hasn't played this season. He is expected to be released by the Grizzlies. He has averaged 7.4 points and 2.7 assists for Portland, Detroit, Philadelphia and the Lakers.

"This deal provides us with a significant amount of assets -- two first-round picks, the draft rights to Pau's brother Marc, who has emerged into the top big man in Spain, a talented young point guard in Crittenton and a sizable amount of salary cap room over the next few years," Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace said in a statement.

Additionally, a Grizzlies source told The Commercial Appeal of Memphis that forward Stromile Swift has been traded to the New Jersey Nets for center Jason Collins. According to the newspaper, the deal had been discussed for the past week and is expected to be finalized on Monday.

The Lakers also signed backup center DJ Mbenga to a second 10-day contract. The 7-footer from the Congo signed his first 10-day contract Jan. 21 and averaged 1.5 points and 1.5 rebounds in four games. Mbenga was released by the Dallas on Oct. 30 and signed with Golden State on Nov. 17, where he played 16 games before being released Jan. 6.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press



http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3226203&campaign=rss&source=NBAHeadlines

[cash459]

It already has.

do you have a crystl ball that allows you to see into the future?? no one gave the spurs credit to do it last year and look what happened! I still have my shiny broom from the finals, you wanna see it.....AGAIN!? :lol

[Spurms Chumps]

Has beens.

Nothing else

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Has beens.

Nothing else
Have been champions.
Nothing else.

[cash459]

have you been watching this year?

celts and lakers >>>> spurs by miles. just because we're spurs fans doesn't mean we should avoid the truth.

our reign had to come to end sometime.

the lakers havent done crap yet...they are still a middle of the pack team. even though they added Gasol, that doesnt mean that they are just going to have chemistry right off the bat....the celtice are over-hyped. they CAN be beat, and they have showed it. they got swept by the friggin wizards. gimmie a break :rolleyes

plus, everyone always counts the spurs out around the all star game, and then after, we put together amazing play and wow everyone....so if you have lost your "faith" in our team, then there is no reason to be here......

[mikejones99]

still alot of stuid fuckers writing for espn and trolling here. phx and sa are still heavy favorites, just look or go to vegas. truth :toast lies with cash bet

[cash459]

Has beens.

Nothing else

and the Cavs have done what exactly!?? :wtf :wtf

oh thats right...........NOTHING! come back when you have A ring....we have FOUR...wanna borrow one?! :lol

[cash459]

Has beens.

Nothing else

not much else to say huh?? :nope truth hurts doesnt it? :lol

[tmtcsc]

You know what's great ? The West is improving and now some of our biggest challenges may come from new blood and not Dallas and Phoenix. They may not make it far enough to play us. As for us...just get healthy. We'll be fine. Our chemistry is in tact and we added a decent back up at PG.

[cash459]

You know what's great ? The West is improving and now some of our biggest challenges may come from new blood and not Dallas and Phoenix. They may not make it far enough to play us. As for us...just get healthy. We'll be fine. Our chemistry is in tact and we added a decent back up at PG.

Rock On!! :clap

[batboy]

What I want to know is what the Dallas FO is cooking up.

[slayermin]

He's also one of the quickest 7-footers in the league and can shoot, handle and pass.

I really don't watch Memphis unless they play the Spurs.

But am I missing something here? When did he become quick? He doesn't exactly explode to the basket.

Also, he has that one handed shot. If I'm playing the Lakers in the playoffs, I make him beat me from the outside.

[Hemotivo]

Gasol is a C, not a PF

[cash459]

I really don't watch Memphis unless they play the Spurs.

But am I missing something here? When did he become quick? He doesn't exactly explode to the basket.

Also, he has that one handed shot. If I'm playing the Lakers in the playoffs, I make him beat me from the outside.

EXACTLY! when did he become quick....he's never been quick!

[DazedAndConfused]

No, Gasol is a PF like Duncan is a PF.

[cash459]

either way, he will guard Tim and the same result will happen, Tim will use & abuse him.

Different uniform same result

[DazedAndConfused]

LOL he won't guard Tim Duncan. Bynum will. We'll put Gasol on the slower Oberto.

[cash459]

sooo.....bynum is going to guard him from the bench?? LOL :lol even still, with Oberto on gasol, gasol isnt fast enough to beat even him....

[spursfan09]

Just another team in the west trying to build thier team for one goal only, to beat us.

[cash459]

Just another team in the west trying to build thier team for one goal only, to beat us.

true that!

[anakha]

It already has.

Hey! Louis is back! :lmao

[slayermin]

LOL he won't guard Tim Duncan. Bynum will. We'll put Gasol on the slower Oberto.

Bynum. Gasol. WTF is the difference?

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Like Hollinger or not, he's right about Gasol - he's a PERFECT fit beside Bynum and Odom in that front court. This trade makes the Lakers contenders again.

[lefty]

We should call him Hollinper

[nkdlunch]

Bynum is extremely overated . Everything Lakers do is exagerated x100. It must be because they are so close to Hollywood.

Truth is Gasol WAS and Allstar, he is a loser in the playoffs and he is a star who is on his way downhill careerwise. He is not the next messiah

Yeah, Lakers MIGHT get to 2nd round now. But that's it.

ESPN makes me laugh.

[LA24]

Bynum is extremely overated .


:lol :lol :lol

He's underated if anything !!!

[batboy]

EXACTLY! when did he become quick....he's never been quick!

He must've been pretty quick in the postseason. I mean, I try to remember playing the grizzlies and all I see is this 4-game blur and then it's over.

[Medvedenko]

Keep yapping boys...keep yapping...gut you guys would be drooling if Pau landed on your team for Elston or any of your other scrubs.

[T Park]

Well of course :lol

Hes a good player we acknowledge that.

Just not the superstar that ESPN makes him out to be.

[Medvedenko]

All I know is that he's fucking better than Brown.

[T Park]

I think trading Brown for a bag of balls and a 20 oz diet coke would've been a winning trade honestly.

Wonder what Vick the Brick thinks of this trade in SO CAL.

He loved "The Kwame" when they made that deal in July a couple years ago :lol

[nkdlunch]

medvedenko go to the pharmacy and buy something so you can sleep tonight :lol

[itzsoweezee]

the biggest lineup in the league now belongs to the lakers. damn, they look tough.

[nkdlunch]

the biggest lineup in the league now belongs to the lakers. damn, they look tough.

size matters?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Gasol has as many playoff series victories as I do. Big deal.

[phyzik]

Look whats passing through the media!!!

http://www.norman.k12.ok.us/087/webpix/Bandwagon%20Final.jpg

[Spurms Chumps]

Jealousy? because another team have just gotten better than yours?

[Fernando TD21]

Jealousy? because another team have just gotten better than yours?
Jealousy is something that only fans of teams with no titles have.

[Dave McNulla]

Jealousy is something that only fans of teams with no titles have.jealous is when you think your wife is cheating. envious is when you want your friend's wife.
...

personally, i think gasol is good. that gives the lakers a good front line. i'm guessing that they won't play much triangle, but they didn't play much in 99-00 either. they just don't have enough time to adjust. maybe they'll be more dangerous next season.

i'd be surprised if the fbi doesn't look into that trade. somebody had to be getting extorted.

[SAGambler]

Chimpy used the word "juggernaut" twice in that post.....so take it for what it's worth. Health is the name of the game in the NBA>.

And he stipulated "When Bynum comes back". Who knows when that will be and what his attitude will be. He could have some "cold feet" over this injury to his knee, and not be the beast he was starting to become. A bad injury to the knee can affect how the guy plays and his attitude also, when he sees how close he may have come to walking with a cane the rest of his life.

[m33p0]

too bad, there's only one ball to go around. one of 'em lakers is gotta whine about touches.

[Rummpd]

Lakers will simply not come out of the West this year (still 4th best team at best) and next year Spurs add Tiago Splitter who has outplayed at times Gasol in international competition and matches up well. Meanwhile Spurs added DA and Ime Ukoda is impressive.

Not worried at all. Healthy Spurs team still rolls through the tough West when it counts.

[Obstructed_View]

The trade certainly improves the Lakers this season, perhaps enough to keep them the second best team in their division.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

:lmao Obstructed View is slaying me today.