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Pretty much.
No one is rising in West to challenge Lakers
Hornets were tough last year, but they have made questionable moves this season.
Mark Heisler
There's one thing you can count on, some Western Conference team arising to challenge the Lakers before it's over.
Before the decade is over, I mean. Or the decade after that, for sure.
As for this season, it's looking pretty good for the Lakers, who edged another fading West power, the New Orleans Hornets, 115-111, in overtime Friday night at Staples Center.
These days, most of the powers in the West are fading. Last season, five teams finished within three games of the No. 1 Lakers. Now the Lakers lead San Antonio and Denver by eight as the rest of the West tries to pick up the pieces.
The once-stalwart Spurs, who need more players, not fewer, just lost one of their big three, Manu Ginobili -- again.
Portland is still waiting for Greg Oden to break out. Instead, he mostly just breaks, returning from the All-Star break with a bone chip in one knee the Trail Blazers didn't know about.
Then there are the Hornets, who won 56 games to the Lakers' 57 last season.
They started the night tied for fifth in the conference, 11 games back.
For reasons best known to owner George Shinn -- maybe the prospect of paying $10 million in luxury taxes -- they just traded their 26-year-old 7-foot center, Tyson Chandler, to Oklahoma City -- only to have him sent back for failing his physical.
Two summers ago, Chandler played on the U.S. team with Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
Last season, Chandler posted career highs at 12 points and 12 rebounds a game.
This season, slowed by nagging injuries, he's a ping-pong ball.
The Hornets said they traded him to get more big bodies, a strange explanation for trading their biggest body.
"If that's what we have to do, then we should get bigger or stronger, not take away pieces that we already have," Chandler said before the game.
"If we don't feel like we've got enough, then let's get enough, add on to what we've got. Let's not take pieces away that are huge pieces to the puzzle."
Coach Byron Scott reportedly was aghast when told about the deal, which would have brought two slender 6-10 forwards, Joe Smith and Chris Wilcox -- both upcoming free agents.
"It was still a basketball decision," Scott said before the game, "but obviously, money is always going to play a little bit of a part of it, as far as next year, the year after, whatever the case may be."
So much for the Hornets, who were already underdogs when they went all-out.
The Lakers, who just lost Andrew Bynum, have gone 8-1 without him, with some guy coming off their bench to average 16 points and 13.6 rebounds.
No one else in the West is as good, as big, or as deep. As for financial constraints, even if they're unloading salary, owner Jerry Buss can afford anyone he wants to afford, such as Pau Gasol, who represented a potential $90 million in additional salary and taxes over three seasons when the Lakers acquired him.
"It makes it a little difficult when you have an owner that's willing to spend whatever it takes and money is not an object," said Scott, the former Laker.
"We're in a smaller market and obviously money's a lot tighter. But that's the money side of it. I can't think of that stuff. . . . I care about playing and winning and I'm going to coach the guys that I have here and try and do the best job that I can."
Scott's teams always fight and this one did too. Imagine what he could do with more help, rather than less.
Chandler, asked if he might take less money next season to help Shinn out, didn't think so.
"You've got to feel loyalty before you can do something like that," Chandler said, "and, obviously, in this situation, you don't feel that right now."
Oh, and guess who's a free agent in 2011?
Chris Paul.
Pretty much.
Pretty arrogant article. Not surprised by the tone. Everyone thought the 1999-2000 Lakers were unbeatable in PJ's first season, but Portland took them to 7 games and even had a 15 point lead in the 4th quarter. Even with Bynum back, it just makes them alot slower against us, assuming Chandler regains last year's form.
People are surpised? Name one official in the NBA who hasn't got the memo from Stern?
I honestly don't see anyone giving LA a series. Not even the Spurs. They should take care of business in the west while the Celtics and Cavs take turns ass-raping each other until one survives to get beat in the finals in 5 games.
Last edited by Kai; 02-21-2009 at 03:14 AM.
The Lakers are 12 games better than the Hornets for a reason.
The gap between the Lakers and Hornets/Mavs/Rockets/Blazers is the same gap as those teams between the Timberwolves and Warriors.
Give SA, Denver, NO, Portland, Dallas, Phoenix, Utah or Houston Chris Bosh for a stashed Euro, draft picks and some cap space and the Lakers would have a serious threat.
Too bad the trade deadline has passed
until someone beats them in the playoffs the media will run with this story, I'm pretty sure every playoff bound team is sick of this so it's up to them to prove the world wrong.
Yea David Stern has a Secret Spy working on every 'contending' teams Front Office, nixing deals that could put teams over LA, Boston or LeBron James.Too bad the trade deadline has passed
I wish the Cavs had used Wally's expiring contract and got VC, then they would be able to beat the Lakers at their own game of getting talent for crap.
Funny coming from a Nuggets fan, considering they gave up jack for Billups.
I wonder Wilcox and Joe Smith would have helped us win tonight.
A healthy Hilton Amstrong would have helped more.I wonder Wilcox and Joe Smith would have helped us win tonight.
So did the Nets. They got Devin Harris for $21 Million worth of trash.
You would think they'd be a +.500 team having fleeced the Mavs and all.
They lost RJ for Yi. Big downgrade there. And theyre still on pace to finish a little better than last season. Plus age difference. But lets not go there again.
yeh, giving up a future HOF player was just as you described
I guess comparing Iverson to Kwame Brown shows just how dumb you really are
Kwame Brown, Marc Gasol, J Critt, a retired coach, and 2 first rounders + cap space
Ghazi =
co-signed
Bynum > TC + Hilt
Once stalwart? Keep counting those chickens before they hatch in LA (arrogance run amuck). Boston may have just had a significant injury.
LA is one mistep from being beatable. Ginobili is not out for the season. SA is very capable of beating Los Angeles in the playoffs (with everyone available). I think the Spurs can be much better than last years team WITH a healthy Ginobili.
SA blew two twenty point leads in the playoff series last year. They were not at their best.
The Lakers are the favorites of course, but stuff happens. That's why they play the games.
I'm sure we could dig up an article or two about the Mavericks before they were eliminated by GS in the first round.
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