Ludden: West teams face long odds against Lakers

[Culburn369]

Lakers are the best of the NBA... props to West and their fanbase

Kupchak & Buss' kids as well. They undersold those kids. They laughed all the way to that dais in June, where Bill Russell was waitin', with the 15th, Jackson bearing witness with that X Cap.

[picc84]

When they traded Stephon Marbury and Penny Hardaway to the Knicks during the 2003-2004 season, one of the things the Suns received their 2010 unprotected pick. They then traded that pick to the Jazz in order to unload Tom Gugliotta's contract (which was expiring at the end of the season) so Jerry Colangelo could save that much more money before he sold the team that off season. Cost cutting move that did nothing to improve the roster.

That off season, they wanted Andre Iguodala at #7 but didn't think he'd be available. The way Antoni works is he has a very short list of players he wants on draft night, and if none are there, he's too stubborn to draft someone else, so he sells the pick. He and the Colangelos agreed to draft Deng at #7 and then trade him to the Bulls for Chicago's 2005 first round pick. It turns out Iguodala was available at #7 anyway. Also, Colangelo felt JJ didn't deserve the extension he wanted, so he decided to risk it and let JJ become a restritced FA next off season.

Then the 2005 off season hit after a 62 win season, they had the Bulls' pick (#21 overall) and decided to throw it in a trade with the Knicks since they didn't want to use it. So little do people know, Nate Robinson was also given away by Phoenix. In 2004, JJ wanted 6 years 50 million, but this off season Atlanta offered 5 years 70 million that Phoenix had the choice of matching. JJ felt insulted by the low ball offer Phoenix gave him, so he did everything he could to ensure they didn't match. They wound up signing and trading him for Diaw, Cleveland's 2006 first round pick, and ATL's first rounder that was lottery protected in 2006, top 3 protected in 2007, and unprotected after that.

2006 off season. They again have the #21 overall pick, and again Antoni had a very short list of players he wanted, Thabo Sefolosha topping the list. Since he wasn't there at 21, Antoni decided to use the pick to unload Brian Grant's contract (which wasn't very big at all, and was expiring a year from then). He agrees to draft Rondo and trade him to Boston.

2007 off season. ATL manages to get the #3 pick, which was terribly unfortunate cause if it was #4 or worse Phoenix would have had it. The 24 pick comes around, and none of the players Antoni loves are there, so he and Sarver agree to sell it to Portland and draft Rudy Fernandez for them, which is stupid cause if they draft Rudy they would gotten to wait a year to pay him. Later on, the Suns are beyond the luxury tax threshold, and Sarver wants to get below it cause he's a cheap . Antoni says to him, "I'm not going to use Kurt Thomas, I regret using him against the Spurs. It goes against our philosophy. So Sarver goes to Kerr and says trade Kurt Thomas ASAP to a team with cap room, include draft picks if you have to, Antoni never uses those either.


That basically sums it up.

Holee , the Suns are like the entire league's version of Santa Claus.

[chubster]

at Laker fans who think they can pull another deal like that...

Derek Fisher left 3 million on the table to join LA
Trevor Ariza for Brian Cook
Shannon Brown for Radmanovic
Sign former DPOY with MLE money

Those are top grades acquisitions from Mitch Kupchak. Outside of his early blunders (Shaq trade/Kwame trade) he's been tearing the league up.

[mystargtr34]

Ill admit it would have been good to see the West if that Gasol trade never went down. There would have been 5-6 teams that could have come out. Denver, Dallas, San An, LA, Portland, Utah, Phoenix. They all would have had a shot at at least making the WCF, and going to the Finals. Now, only one or two of those teams has any sort of chance, in a major upset. Great for Laker fans, but for everyone else... it takes alot of the fun out of it.

Then again, if the Spurs got Gasol for Thomas + Oberto and a couple of picks - i probably wouldnt be comlpaining either.

[pauls931]

Great plan though by the Suns' brass to blame the Gasol trade for everything that has gone wrong in Phoenix the last few years. I can't wait to go to a game and stare in amazement at the "We're sure we win a championship if not for the Gasol trade" banner hanging from the rafters.

I didn't know Gasol played for the Spurs. Damn you Gasol!!!

[SenorSpur]

As much as I hate to admit it, the Fakers are really chewing up the compe ion, at this point

[chubster]

Ill admit it would have been good to see the West if that Gasol trade never went down. There would have been 5-6 teams that could have come out. Denver, Dallas, San An, LA, Portland, Utah, Phoenix. They all would have had a shot at at least making the WCF, and going to the Finals. Now, only one or two of those teams has any sort of chance, in a major upset. Great for Laker fans, but for everyone else... it takes alot of the fun out of it.

Then again, if the Spurs got Gasol for Thomas + Oberto and a couple of picks - i probably wouldnt be comlpaining either.

72-10 Bulls team seemed to boost the league's attendance and popularity so even if the Lakers emerge this season as a force that dominant (which I highly doubt), it will still be a good thing for NBA.

[Muser]

I didn't know Gasol played for the Spurs. Damn you Gasol!!!

?

[picc84]

He means the Gasol trade isn't the reason the Spurs wiped the floor with the Suns, so they're complaining about something that didnt directly affect them.

[Culburn369]

Great for Laker fans, but for everyone else... it takes alot of the fun out of it.

Oh, yeah, it was a lot of fun watching everybody harp on Daddy rang/sans Kobe.

[21_Blessings]

Or watching the most boring team in basketball history win the ship in 03/05/07. The Spurs should be strung up and flayed after the abomination which was the 07 NBA finals.

[pauls931]

lol "We can thank Memphis for that"

Coaches/players/gm's/fans still being pissed about Memphis and Gasol amuses me very much. Glorious.

Wait til they see what we're gonna pull at the deadline this year. Everyone is gonna bricks.

Farmar for Chris Paul, then bring CP3 off the bench?

[Chieflion]

Or watching the most boring team in basketball history win the ship in 03/05/07. The Spurs should be strung up and flayed after the abomination which was the 07 NBA finals.

The Cavs sucked, not the Spurs' fault.

[Culburn369]

Or watching the most boring team in basketball history win the ship in 03/05/07. The Spurs should be strung up and flayed after the abomination which was the 07 NBA finals.

Amen Brother 21.

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

Or watching the most boring team in basketball history win the ship in 03/05/07. The Spurs should be strung up and flayed after the abomination which was the 07 NBA finals.

I blame Detroit for imploding against Cleveland. Detroit vs. San Antonio would have gone to at worst 5 or 6 games and would have at least been a compe ive series without games that were over by halftime. I remember when Duncan missed an ally-oop early in game 1 of that series and had a big smirk on his face like it was a preseason game.

[picc84]

Farmar for Chris Paul, then bring CP3 off the bench?

Yep, we'd need Fish's steadying hand on the first unit. CP3 can share ballhandling duties with Vujacic and Shannon running the second.

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

I still think the heist for LA this year will be Nelson getting drunk and trading Anthony Morrow (during a bad shooting stretch even though Morrow is the best young shooter in basketball) and Speedy Claxton's expiring contract for The Machine. Vujacic seems like a "shooter" Nelson's ego believes he can turn into an all star, while the alcohol makes him forget how good Morrow has been.

[The Gemini Method]

Yep, we'd need Fish's steadying hand on the first unit. CP3 can share ballhandling duties with Vujacic and Shannon running the second.

I don't think CP3's ego would allow him to take a backseat to anyone especially D. Fish. As much as that dream scenario would be ilating to behold, I would have to say CP3 starts and Derek Fisher is the 2nd off the bench. There probably wont be any major moves made by the Lakers this year, but you never can tell.

[TheMACHINE]

When they traded Stephon Marbury and Penny Hardaway to the Knicks during the 2003-2004 season, one of the things the Suns received their 2010 unprotected pick. They then traded that pick to the Jazz in order to unload Tom Gugliotta's contract (which was expiring at the end of the season) so Jerry Colangelo could save that much more money before he sold the team that off season. Cost cutting move that did nothing to improve the roster.

That off season, they wanted Andre Iguodala at #7 but didn't think he'd be available. The way Antoni works is he has a very short list of players he wants on draft night, and if none are there, he's too stubborn to draft someone else, so he sells the pick. He and the Colangelos agreed to draft Deng at #7 and then trade him to the Bulls for Chicago's 2005 first round pick. It turns out Iguodala was available at #7 anyway. Also, Colangelo felt JJ didn't deserve the extension he wanted, so he decided to risk it and let JJ become a restritced FA next off season.

Then the 2005 off season hit after a 62 win season, they had the Bulls' pick (#21 overall) and decided to throw it in a trade with the Knicks since they didn't want to use it. So little do people know, Nate Robinson was also given away by Phoenix. In 2004, JJ wanted 6 years 50 million, but this off season Atlanta offered 5 years 70 million that Phoenix had the choice of matching. JJ felt insulted by the low ball offer Phoenix gave him, so he did everything he could to ensure they didn't match. They wound up signing and trading him for Diaw, Cleveland's 2006 first round pick, and ATL's first rounder that was lottery protected in 2006, top 3 protected in 2007, and unprotected after that.

2006 off season. They again have the #21 overall pick, and again Antoni had a very short list of players he wanted, Thabo Sefolosha topping the list. Since he wasn't there at 21, Antoni decided to use the pick to unload Brian Grant's contract (which wasn't very big at all, and was expiring a year from then). He agrees to draft Rondo and trade him to Boston.

2007 off season. ATL manages to get the #3 pick, which was terribly unfortunate cause if it was #4 or worse Phoenix would have had it. The 24 pick comes around, and none of the players Antoni loves are there, so he and Sarver agree to sell it to Portland and draft Rudy Fernandez for them, which is stupid cause if they draft Rudy they would gotten to wait a year to pay him. Later on, the Suns are beyond the luxury tax threshold, and Sarver wants to get below it cause he's a cheap . Antoni says to him, "I'm not going to use Kurt Thomas, I regret using him against the Spurs. It goes against our philosophy. So Sarver goes to Kerr and says trade Kurt Thomas ASAP to a team with cap room, include draft picks if you have to, Antoni never uses those either.


That basically sums it up.

damn all that and all they came up with was Shaq...and now he's gone =P

[mystargtr34]

Or watching the most boring team in basketball history win the ship in 03/05/07. The Spurs should be strung up and flayed after the abomination which was the 07 NBA finals.

But the Lakers run to their 2009 default championship was thrilling for all the neutrals because theres nothing more exciting than seeing all of the other contenders missing their best players.

[TheMACHINE]

But the Lakers run to their 2009 default championship was thrilling for all the neutrals because theres nothing more exciting than seeing all of the other contenders missing their best players.

fortunately most people watched because of the Laker players not the other teams players.

[milkshakeballa]

[cobbler]

But the Lakers run to their 2009 default championship was thrilling for all the neutrals because theres nothing more exciting than seeing all of the other contenders missing their best players.

Sour grapes!

Injuries are a part of the game. I didn't hear all this moaning when Magic and Scott went down allowing the Pistons to win the le. Or how about Jordans first le when Worthy and Scott got injured. Or Malone in 2004. Bynum and Ariza in 2008.

But it sure gets brought up when the Lakers win. And even more so when the Spurs get injured and lose. Then its just another excuse on the long list of excuses. You can go upstairs and see them already being formulated a quarter into the season.

[Chieflion]

Sour grapes!

Injuries are a part of the game. I didn't hear all this moaning when Magic and Scott went down allowing the Pistons to win the le. Or how about Jordans first le when Worthy and Scott got injured. Or Malone in 2004. Bynum and Ariza in 2008.

But it sure gets brought up when the Lakers win. And even more so when the Spurs get injured and lose. Then its just another excuse on the long list of excuses. You can go upstairs and see them already being formulated a quarter into the season.

To be fair, in 1988, Isiah Thomas did get injured in the finals. The Bulls were up 3-1 before Scott and Worthy missed the whole game. Malone would not have helped the Lakers beat the rolling Pistons.

[cobbler]

To be fair, in 1988, Isiah Thomas did get injured in the finals. The Bulls were up 3-1 before Scott and Worthy missed the whole game. Malone would not have helped the Lakers beat the rolling Pistons.

No doubt about it. Isiah hurting his ankle definetly helped in 88. That was my point. Magic and Scott were injured in 89. Injuries happen. Worthy and Scott were hurt in game 4 of 99. Losing 2 starters mid series has an impact. Malone (and I have always detested him) was the glue for that 2004 Laker team. Would they have won with him? We will never know. Doesn't matter. It is what it is. Again, injuries happen. My point was you don't hear how the Pistons and Bulls les were tainted because of them but it is brought up all the time about last years. Go figure...