Where was the Pau Gasol All-Star snub story?

[LakeShow]

You won't like hearing this, but Kobe Bryant is only the answer to one of those, not both.

You just added a guy with a history of playoff failure to a team that can't get out of the first round of the playoffs. Maybe that extra firepower will push the Lakers to the conference semis this year. Since they're likely to have home court in the first round, that just means they avoid an upset. Let me know when they schedule the parade.

As a Spurs fan, the Pau acquisition ranks below Grant Hill and Allen Iverson on my givea -o-meter.

Yeah, that's the way I feel, as a Lakers fan about an OLD spurs team signing another OLD player that can't guard his shadow. Meaningless move!

[LA24]

and u, sir, and on the all-sensitive 1st team.

Likewise.

calm the down

I am calm, sir.

[LA24]

As a Spurs fan, the Pau acquisition ranks below Grant Hill givea -o-meter.

Sorry, you're in denial. This comment is hitting the red in my bull -o-meter.

[DazedAndConfused]

Actually you need to get off the crack. Even though Kobe is your main guy in the clutch its critical come playoff time you have other guys step up to score under pressure. All le teams have had a supporting cast filled with guys who can score under pressure. I guess you forgot how important roleplayers like Dfish and Fox were along with Horry who came through in the pressure situation. Pau is as weak as Hedo, and Peja in pressure situation and like I said before it remains to be seen if he can shed that. Don't be a fool either any player that is a major part of the COG of the team has to be able to step up other pressure situations which is your top 6-7 guys. Gasol not instantly becomes the second or third most important player on the team depending on how fast Bynum develops so it is vital that he can step up.

Anways its going to be 2-3 years before LA wins a le even with the core they have right now. First they are going to have to develop the chemistry to win with Gasol comming over there along with the development of Bynum. Plus they got a lot of young guys who are also still developing in Famar,Vujaic. Along with the fact they don't have enough experience on what it takes to go deep into the playoffs outside of Kobe all these guys except for Lamar have never been out of the first round. Factor in 2 of your COGs in Odom and Gasol melt in pressure situations that will lead to having some problems int he playoffs.

I'm not going to be a fool an deny the Lakers didn't get a bargain in getting GAsol for nothing becasue they did. What Gasol has now done for the lakers is made them into a team capable of being in the top 4 in the west instead of being a team fighting for a playoff spot. Thats still far off from being a le contender. Also keep in mind les don't happen overnight even if you have a team that looks good on paper it doesn't guarantee anything. The Shaq-Kobe laker teams before they won the le in '00 had multiple all-stars but could never get it done when it counted along with winning 57-60 plus wins year in and year out.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. Before Bynum went down the Lakers were already the #1 team in the WC. Let me repeat that, the #1 team in the WC. If Bynum had not gone down along with Ariza they would still be in the top 3 of the WC no question. So not only are they already a top 4 WC team with the team they have healthy, they get to add an All-Star PF player for basically nothing. Gasol is the missing piece we've been searching for all these years. A guy who can give you consistent production and wont disappear like Odom does. We have our twin towers now and we will OWN the paint. Gasol is not a great man defender but he is an excellent help defender, and that's what his role will be with Bynum anchoring the paint.

The only edge the Spurs have now is playoff experience. BUT, the Lakers have Kobe+Fisher+Phil Jackson and everyone on the team has been in the playoffs before so it won't be something new. There is enough playoff experience between the key starters, considering 3 of them have actually made it out of the 1st round, for it not to be an issue IMHO.

And dont act like the Spurs are a top team right now, they are playing like dog . They struggle to even score 90 pts a game. Parker is injured, Barry is injured, Horry is useless, and nobody outside of Manu and Tim can score. If the Spurs can't get the entire team healthy by the playoffs they won't be the favorites IMHO. And health is never something that is guaranteed. The rest of the WC is catching up, and the Spurs did nothing in the offseason to improve their team. You are seeing how risky that might have proven to be.

[himat]

Has Gasol ever hoisted the Larry O'Brien? Has Gasol ever gotten out of the first round? The answer to those two is the same.

That does not matter (that he has never go out of the first round). If you are on a bad team you usually lose in the first round. Here is the key stat for me. Pau has never one a playoff GAME in his whole career.

[hsxvvd]

Gasol is the missing piece we've been searching for all these years. A guy who can give you consistent production and wont disappear like Odom does.

"A guy who was swept 3 consecutive years....and failed to make 30 wins every other"

I'm going to remember this one when your off come 2nd round.

[daslicer]

Wrong, wrong, wrong. Before Bynum went down the Lakers were already the #1 team in the WC. Let me repeat that, the #1 team in the WC. If Bynum had not gone down along with Ariza they would still be in the top 3 of the WC no question. So not only are they already a top 4 WC team with the team they have healthy, they get to add an All-Star PF player for basically nothing. Gasol is the missing piece we've been searching for all these years. A guy who can give you consistent production and wont disappear like Odom does. We have our twin towers now and we will OWN the paint. Gasol is not a great man defender but he is an excellent help defender, and that's what his role will be with Bynum anchoring the paint.

The only edge the Spurs have now is playoff experience. BUT, the Lakers have Kobe+Fisher+Phil Jackson and everyone on the team has been in the playoffs before so it won't be something new. There is enough playoff experience between the key starters, considering 3 of them have actually made it out of the 1st round, for it not to be an issue IMHO.

And dont act like the Spurs are a top team right now, they are playing like dog . They struggle to even score 90 pts a game. Parker is injured, Barry is injured, Horry is useless, and nobody outside of Manu and Tim can score. If the Spurs can't get the entire team healthy by the playoffs they won't be the favorites IMHO. And health is never something that is guaranteed. The rest of the WC is catching up, and the Spurs did nothing in the offseason to improve their team. You are seeing how risky that might have proven to be.

First off the spurs are playing like dogsh1t and they still have the record the Lakers have or even better I haven't checked recently. That should tell you the Lakers aren't all that. Lol Dfish+Pjax means sh1t in the scheme of things Phill has been exposed the last few years. I heard sh1t for the last few years about him giving Lamar and Kwame confidence nad making them into better players. We already saw how that work out one turn out to be a bust and got traded the other one always plays scared in pressure situations. I will love to see how Phill gives the edge that a soft player like Gasol lacks in big tim situations.

Also playing in the first round the last few years and getting elminated doesn't really give the lakers the experience to go for a le run in the playoffs. I can't recall a team ever winning a championship despite having been eliminated the year before in the playoffs. The closet that ever happened was Shaq's magic in '95 but despite being younger and having more talent they got their asses swept by Hakeems rockets. Whether you like it or not experience counts for a lot thats why teams like the Hornets,Lakers,Blazers, Jazz,Warriors are highly unlikely to go for a le run this year. Youth and experience is deadly ala bull of '91 that were still young and had expereince thats why they beat up on the Pistons who had aged by then. The only team I see that causes the spurs serious problems in the west is the Mavs and thats it.

You dog the spurs for not having anybody outside of of Parker,Ginobilli,Duncan that score consistently. Who does the lakers have that can consistently score points outside of Kobe and now Gasol(who is still a question mark come playoff time?). Odom dissapears half of the time, and the rest of your team is filled with young role players that are on and off every other game.

Don't play the injury card either because by your bs logic the spurs would still be number 1 if they didn't suffer the injuries did. They started off 17-3 and was by far the best team in the west at that point until they suffered a bunch of nagging injuries. Ariza is not as important as losing Ginobilli,Duncan,Parker for periods of time. I'll give you a pass on Bynum he is your only low post presence.

I love how you also play the old card. We have heard that sh1t for the last few years now. Yes the spurs are old but its more wishful hoping by other fans that suddenly the spurs are going to become a bottom feeding team. Whether or not the spurs win the le this year they will still be an elite team for the next 2-3 years as long as they have Parker,Ginobilli, Duncan. We will hear the same sh1t from you next year. I kind of enjoy it its kind of like how fans ed about Jazz throught he mid to late 90's hoping they would fall apart due to age.

[DazedAndConfused]

Did it ever occur to you that the Lakers record is where it is because Bynum, Ariza, Vlade, and Mihm all went down at the same time? If they didn't we'd be right up there at the top of the WC. And our records our tied at the moment FWIW.

You talk about Phil Jackson being exposed, but he still found a way to beat the out of the Spurs in '04 (4-2). These last few years he simply hasn't had the talent to go all the way. The fact that he took a team that started Smush Parker, Kwame Brown, and Luke Walton to the playoffs twice is remarkable. The fact is he is the best active coach in the NBA and he's got 9 rings to prove it. He 3-peated with the Bulls twice and once with the Lakers. Don't ever question him.

The Lakers have a better offense than the Spurs. Numbers don't lie. When the team is fully healthy we have Kobe, Bynum, Gasol, Fisher, and Odom who can put up double figures on any given night. We also have the #2 bench in the league. Offense is not a problem. With 2 7 footers controlling the paint defense won't be an issue either. We flat out have more depth and versatility than any team in the WC right now and we will be contending for the next decade.

[DazedAndConfused]

The Nuggets and Suns are both examples of teams with tons of talent but crappy coaches. Like I said you need coaching and talent to win championships.

If you are going to sit here and tell me that Phil Jackson is a crappy coach and had nothing to do with the 9 rings he's gotten well then I'm not even going to bother responding to you. You really give Spurs fans a bad name.

[Rummpd]

Spurs have a guy coming in next year Tiago Splitter who has held his own against Gasol in international compe ion!

[Obstructed_View]

Sorry, you're in denial. This comment is hitting the red in my bull -o-meter.

No, I'm not the one riding so high on the post-Kwame adrenaline that I think my team just signed Karl Malone (a move that didn't even work out when you actually GOT Karl Malone).

Lamar Odom has a better chance of suddenly becoming a high basketball IQ player than Pau has of becoming anything more than a gutless stat-padder. Pau can score a little bit. That's nice, but not necessary considering your team already has the greatest scorer in the game.

[Obstructed_View]

If you are going to sit here and tell me that Phil Jackson is a crappy coach and had nothing to do with the 9 rings he's gotten well then I'm not even going to bother responding to you. You really give Spurs fans a bad name.

Has nothing to do with Jordan, Pippen, Shaq and Kobe. Look at all the championships he's won without them. Look how successful he is with less than two of those names on his team at a time.

[DazedAndConfused]

Has nothing to do with Jordan, Pippen, Shaq and Kobe. Look at all the championships he's won without them. Look how successful he is with less than two of those names on his team at a time.

What the are you guys trying to argue?

I've said all along you need talent and coaching to win championships. You think Pop didn't have extraordinary talent with Duncan, Manu, Parker, Robinson? You think Pop would have taken the Laker teams of the last 3 years anywhere in the playoffs?

You give Phil a talented team and he produces rings. He's done it on two different teams. Outside of Kobe Bryant the Laker teams of the last 3 seasons haven't had a single All-Star player and yet they still managed to make the playoffs twice. Phil Jackson is the best coach in the NBA, period.

To quote BostonGuy

If the Spurs had gotten Gasol, you would be doing back flips and jumping with joy getting all excited. If the Lakers had a bad head coach, I could see this as a negative thing but Phil is the best damn coach in NBA History. You are just pissed off Lakers landed Gasol for nothing and trying to throw the ego/soft card to make yourself feel better. Deep down inside you know this team is more than capable of really doing something this year and it concerns you.

[LA24]

No, I'm not the one riding so high on the post-Kwame adrenaline that I think my team just signed Karl Malone (a move that didn't even work out when you actually GOT Karl Malone).

I'm not riding high at all. I've even said the Spurs are the team to beat. No where did I say Gasol will lead the Lakers to a championship.

But at the same time, you are bull ting when you imply that Grant Hill's trade was a bigger move. You will never pass the lie detector test with that. And implying how Gasol will make no impact whatsoever is just as absurd.

Lamar Odom has a better chance of suddenly becoming a high basketball IQ player than Pau has of becoming anything more than a gutless stat-padder.

Hyperbole at its best.

Pau can score a little bit. That's nice, but not necessary considering your team already has the greatest scorer in the game.

Try applying that same logic to your own team. See, it fails.

Try again...no wait...for our sake, don't.

[DazedAndConfused]

Spurs fans and logic don't seem to coincide.

[bostonguy]

Jeff..you are a moron..and I'm so sick and tired of even talking to you!

Really I had no idea..Jackson had 4 hall of famers on his team when he beat Spurs..dumbass..and The Pistons wiped his ass in the finals that year..and look at the talent level on the Pistons compared to the Lakers!

Larry Brown owned Phil Jackson..made him look like a little !!!!! And then Phil being a little bag retires from coaching and writes a book ing about Kobe. Phil realized that he wants the lime lite back so he came back to coaching..lets not forget his salary of $10 million, which is now $13 million per year.

Kobe took the team to the playoffs not Jackson..Kobe runs that team, not Jackson. He shoots as much as he wants whenever he wants without any consequences period! Kobe decides when to ball hog and when to pass...its not like Jackson goes up to Kobe before the game and says "I don't want you to shoot today, so get your teammates involved"; or "I want you to shoot as much as possible, whenever you have the ball do whatever you want!"
Kobe runs the Lakers!

And please shut the up about the 9 rings..Michael with the help of Scottie won those rings..and if you don't know that your as dumb as a post. I could have sat on the bench and the bulls would have still won those les. He had the greatest player ever and another top 50 player in Scottie! It wasn't Jackson's coaching.

The only reason the Lakers won those les were because they were so damn stacked. They had the deepest bench and the most dominate player ever..not because of Jackson.

Also, shut the up about Bynum the kid is decent he is averaging 13 points a game you act like he the greatest center in the league..Wow he scores a lot of points against the Suns and Warriors name 1 big man who doesn't?


Now I'm going to say it again..Fisher is old man and Parker owns his ass..Lamor is worse than Marion in the playoffs. stop talking about how Fisher and Odom are producers because their not!

Your offense got better but not your defense.. We also have 2 7 footers that roam around the middle and always do to.

I can't believe you said the Lakers have second deepest bench in the league..really I love how you came up with that one!

So with all that talent as you say Phil should win the le...so I guess since I live in Los Angeles I'll see you in parade in June!!!

lastly the team that should be dominating in years is going to be Portland they have a deep bench and have two all-star players right now in Roy and Aldridge and if Oden can be decent then that team will be hard to beat.

And talent doesn't mean either...perfect example look at the Nuggest with their Melo, AI, Camby and Kmart..and the Suns, with Nash, Amare, Marion, Grant Hill.

your an idiot!

The Lakers were actually more stacked before Phil came along. That team was so ing talented it was disgusting. Del Harris coaching them didnt help improve their chances. They had problems and tons of distractions. A head coach was missing and they landed the greatest one ever in Phil Jackson. He meshed that talent and had them playing as a team. Despite the Lakers imploding in 04, Phil managed to keep that team in tact for 5 years. If it was any other coach, the Lakers would have imploded alot sooner. I guess Pop doesnt deserve any credit as a coach. He hasnt won anything without Duncan. it was Duncan and the rest of the big 3 who led them to those les, not Pops coaching.

[bostonguy]

During the 90's Dennis Rodman didnt last long in San Antonio, LA, Dallas yet managed to work out in Chicago. Phil Jackson controlled Dennis well as he wasnt a cancer by any means. Phil Jackson comes back and the Lakers make the playoffs ever since. If anything, Phil is showing even more reason on why he is the best damn coach in NBA History.

[peskypesky]

LOL, they got Pau for virtually nothing.

No matter how you spin it, they got a steal. You all sound like ing idiots trying to discredit Gasol. He's no savior but it was a damn good move which should undoubtedly improve their squad.

Yep. Lakers got a steal. Gasol is an excellent player. Maybe not quite the franchise player the Grizzlies hoped he would be, but only a fool would try to downplay the importance of this trade. The Lakers, who were already dangerous, just got a lot better, at least on paper.

We'll have to wait and see what this does to the chemistry of the team, but I think the Lakers made the deal of the season.

[resistanze]

Yep. Lakers got a steal. Gasol is an excellent player. Maybe not quite the franchise player the Grizzlies hoped he would be, but only a fool would try to downplay the importance of this trade. The Lakers, who were already dangerous, just got a lot better, at least on paper.

We'll have to wait and see what this does to the chemistry of the team, but I think the Lakers made the deal of the season.

Exactly. He'll be at most the team's second option, and that's with all the injuries they have now. I mean, they got rid of Kwame Brown for god's sake.

I guess people are just being hostile because of the expected onslaught of Laker Fan bandwagoning. I don't seem them as immediate championship contenders this season, but the playoffs in the West just got that much more interesting.

[2120vision]

the playoffs in the West just got that much more interesting.

If anything, this should be a challenge for whomever draws the Lakers in the first round...and the second round....and maybe if they make it to the WCF