Only in SoCal.
Kyle Korver is not an impact player. He is not that good. Korver is the type of players the spurs settle for.
Only in SoCal.
The local beat writer chimes in.
http://www.ocregister.com/news/laker...838-lakers-pau
Lakers trade for Grizzlies power forward Pau Gasol
They surrender Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton and two draft picks in a deal that significantly bolsters their front line and their championship chances.
By KEVIN DING
The Orange County Register
The bold move for championship immediacy that Kobe Bryant has long been awaiting finally has happened:
Power forward Pau Gasol, a 2006 All-Star, is coming in trade from the Memphis Grizzlies with a second-round pick for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton and two future first-round draft picks. It is a deal that catapults the Lakers into championship contention both now and later.
The 7-foot Gasol, 27, is averaging 18.9 points and 8.8 rebounds in what has been a slightly down season for him as he weathered numerous trade scenarios once Memphis concluded he was not dynamic enough to anchor a rebuilding team. The Lakers expect to plug Gasol into an imposing frontcourt of size and skill with Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum, giving them three top-shelf interior players -- all 6-foot-10 or taller -- to go with Bryant, believed by many to be the best player in the game.
“We’re extremely pleased to be able to make this trade,” Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said. “Pau is a proven player of all-star caliber in this league who can score and rebound, and he’s still a young player. We feel this move strengthens our team in the short term as well as the long term.”
The Lakers lose little in the mistake- and injury-prone Brown, whose expiring $9.1 million contract provides salary-cap relief to Memphis. The Grizzlies, who saw Jerry West retire after last season and replaced him with Chris Wallace, wanted out from under the remaining $63.1 million over four years of Gasol’s contract (including this season). Crittenton, the Lakers’ 2007 No. 1 pick, has great upside but no spot in Lakers coach Phil Jackson’s current rotation -- and the Lakers have a point guard of the future already in the emerging Jordan Farmar.
The Lakers are making a commitment with three high-salary players in Bryant ($19.5 million), Gasol ($13.7 million) and Odom ($13.3 million) -- with Bynum set to join them in 2009-10 once he gets his hefty extension this summer. But the accompanying talent is unquestionable, with the Lakers also retaining all their depth. Even if Odom isn’t ideal quickness-wise as far as defending opposing small forwards, the Lakers still have Luke Walton and Trevor Ariza or Bryant to pick up that burden.
Odom also could be moved for a cheaper replacement talent next season, when he is in the final season of his contract and another club could be seeking cap relief. The Lakers will need to shed salary to avoid a massive luxury-tax bill once Bynum’s extension kicks in with the 2009-10 season.
Although the Lakers could have been more aggressive in going for available New Jersey point guard Jason Kidd, he turns 35 next month and doesn’t play as great of a need position. Jackson said after he agreed to his contract extension earlier this season that the one thing the Lakers were lacking was a quality banger inside. Gasol isn’t necessarily the most physical big man, but he is a big man who can be physical. Gasol is fully capable of filling in at center until Bynum returns.
Gasol hasn’t won in Memphis, but he has done extremely well for the Spanish national team. Spain won the 2006 FIBA World Championship, with Gasol being named tournament MVP.
The 2002 NBA Rookie of the Year, Gasol has a gentle touch around the basket and a mid-range jumper that should be ideal for the power-forward slot in the triangle offense. He is also adept as a shot blocker -- he has averaged 1.8 blocks per game for his NBA career -- and with Bynum gives the Lakers two defensive stoppers inside. Gasol has missed three of Memphis’ past four games because of a sore back, but it isn’t considered a major problem.
The move should go a long way toward ending talk of Bryant wanting to be traded away. Even though Bryant still has some issues with individuals in the organization, his desire to win more championships remains at the fore. And Lakers decision-makers Jerry Buss and Kupchak now have added two difference-makers through in-season trades: Ariza, who is out another month and a half because of a fractured foot, and Gasol.
The Lakers gave up first-round picks in 2008 and ’10 but get back Memphis’ 2010 second-rounder. They also included Aaron McKie, whom they weren’t planning on re-signing, and the draft rights to 2007 second-round pick Marc Gasol, Pau’s younger brother.
It's kind of ironic that the Grizzlies just traded away a European sexual so that they can build their team around a guy named Gay.
Bynum is not out for the season. People need to stop listening to Bucher, he has no clue what he is talking about. This is the same guy that said Kobe would never play for the Lakers again.
Bynum is on schedule to come back in the 8 week timeframe. He was just interviewed a few days ago and the swelling in his knees are down considerably and in about a week or two he can start doing training on it. Lakers will probably hold him out until they are 100% confident he can play though.
That's garbage. Malone played the first game, and LA got their asses handed to them. He played the second, and you came one long three from losing that one too.
That series wasn't even close. Detroit blew LA out in games 1,3, and 5, won pretty convincingly in 4, and were 5 seconds from winning game 2. Saying LA wins it all in 2004 with a healthy Malone is like a Spurs fan saying a healthy Derek Anderson would been enough for the Spurs to beat LA in the '01 WCF.
You guys have no excuse to not beat the Suns in the first round this year now.
No kidding.
I can't wait for the playoffs in the west.
Every game outside of the Spurs of course, is gonna be kick ass awesome.
the only upside to this thing is i think it could be a good barometer for how folks, spurs included, can fare against and maybe deal with boston. kobe, gasol, odom can be a passable allen, pierce, kg.
Pau Gasol is a HUGE vagina. What LA has done is add a low post version of the chronic (pun intended) underachiever Lamar Odom, coupled with an at ude like Kobe.
Word is that Grizzlies will waive Brown soon.
Brown is still young, I guess that he will sign with a crappy team where he will get tons of playing time to get a new contract next summer.
however, if Brown signs with a team like Boston, it could be a pain in the ass for Spurs.
Looks like Marc's going to take Pau's Locker in Memphis.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.
quit getting your hopes up
Pau Gasol is a HUGE vagina. What LA has done is add a low post version of the chronic (pun intended) underachiever Lamar Odom, coupled with an at ude like Kobe.
this move is a great move. Gasol is a top 10 PF in this league......add that to bynum inside they will be a nightmare to defend
Here come all the in stupid Laker fans from the sewers.
Where you been hiding this time?
Beating the out of the Lakers will only be that much sweeter that they have Gasol. He is a choke master much like Amare anyhow.
Yup Gasol is a choker and a weak soft pussy. Keep telling yourselves that. Deep down you know this trade sucks for the rest of the WC.
But I am sure the Suns already have excuses for losing.
The story of this year is GM's trying to rebuild their former teams.
First McHale rebuilds the Celtics and now this nonsense with the Grizzlies.
As far as the league cracking down, why would they want to do that? After years of dreadful ratings with the Spurs, things are looking great for them now.
Coincidence?
To be fair Jerry West is not the GM of the Grizzlies.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...sol/index.html
Scout's Take
Assessing how Gasol will fit in with Kobe and Lakers
By SI.com -- In the wake of the Lakers' acquisition of Pau Gasol, SI.com's Paul Forrester spoke to an NBA scout about how the one-time All-Star big man will fit with Kobe Bryant and Co.
"The Lakers are a good place for him because as a standalone franchise player, he's probably not good enough to win at a high level," the scout said. "To be able to go to a team where he doesn't shoulder the primary responsibility and he can post up and play different areas of the floor, that will probably be a good fit for Gasol. He can play in the low post, he can play in the high post and he can shoot it from mid-range, so he'll fit into the triangle offense just fine.
"While he certainly hasn't proved to be durable the last few years, the problem in Memphis was the team's change in offensive philosophy. He doesn't seem to fit the all-out running game and early offense that they've got. He's a mobile big, but he's probably better playing in the half court.
"In Memphis, they may have wanted early post-ups from a guy like Gasol; in Los Angeles, the early offense is Kobe going the length of the floor. And when Kobe is going free-throw line to free-throw line, one's ability to score in transition doesn't matter as much.
"Lakers bigs in the past have been good at following Kobe to the rim and cleaning up behind him. So it will be on Gasol as to how motivated he is to contribute the offensive rebounds and easy put-backs that bigs can contribute when they are not as involved.
"Bottom line, it's going to be up to Gasol how well he's willing to assimilate to the Lakers rather than how the Lakers assimilate to him.
"It makes the Lakers better on paper, but you can argue that there are five or six teams equipped to win the West, so it will have to play out in the matchups during the playoffs."
Heh-heh, true but I wonder if he still has an influence on that team?
Didn't the Lakers draft Pau's brother Marc last year as well? Did they keep his rights? I wonder
He's been playing in Spain but his rights were traded to Memphis in this deal.
Yeah I heard it on the ESPN halftime report after I posted that.
That's kind of weird that his rights were traded in a deal for his brother.
Yeah, but 7 months ago he was still president of basketball operations for the Grizzlies. I guess he thought that was the minimum amount of time he could wait without this deal looking too shady. At least the Boston deal was somewhat fair. This "deal" is just a rape.
So Memphis stockpiling on busts? Darko, Brown, who's next?
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