What Bynum Artest trade? Bynum is still with the Lakers, had the best preseason of his very young life, and is about to have a breakout year. Trust me, Bynum could be the best big man in the league once he matures… and he’s way closer this year than last. Pau is on track to be a Hall of Fame player and is at his peak now, Odom will be more consistent, Shannon Brown and Farmar will both be all star caliber… and Artest will adapt under Phil to a very profductive role player, basically giving Kobe a rest from being the top defensive stopper.

You are high if you think the Lakers are not going to be better than last year. So, while you are high, make a bet Obner… put up your cash.

All star caliber? Cmon now.

OH, how I LAUGHED...

ugh, you know I meant Ariza.

Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar all-star caliber?
and what about Odom screams consistency? His last 3 seasons? His onset diabetes? His sham marriage to a reality TV star?

The Lakers' chances haven't improved at all.

the only thing that makes me confident in the Lakers chances is the Spurs' terrible oldness/jeffersonness and the Nuggets impending implosion. but i don't like what the lakers did this off season at all.

I actually started liking Odom once I found out about the candy addiction: I'm a fan of candy.

Not much hope for my Nets this year. I mean, with some of the young players they have the future looks bright...just not the present. It'll still be fun to watch Brook Lopez continue to grow into an elite center.

1. Lakers were the best team in basketball last year.
2. A reasonable analysis suggests that they will be better this year.
3. Yeah, I would have kept Ariza over Artest.
4. Trust me, this is the year that Bynum thunders.
5. Gasol is one of best seven footers ever to play the game... he is still getting better. Why is it laughable to point out that he is all star now, one of the top five players in the league, and could still get better?
6. To say Brown or Farmar are all star is overstating it, I agree. But they are on a rapid improvement arc... and will have moments of brilliance. They more than compensate for Fisher's decline.
7. Artest is a wild card... but could conceivably have a very positive impact on the team.

So I don't get the Lakers-hate. They were the best in the NBA last year and there is evidence they could be better this year. Kobe has three more good years... i.e three more years of one of the greatest talents ever to play the game, who now has a perfect support cast.

8. There are time Odom is the best player in basketball... streaky, inconsistent, but there are times when outside/inside he is amazing.

9. $$$ you cousin-fuckers. Who wants to put your team against the Lakers for cash.

GO PISTONS!



...yeah, i know. even i lol'd.

The Fakers?

Are you serious?

How old are you?

Bynum will never be a great player. He's just way too slow. I honestly don't know what they see in him. From a pure basketball perspective, he's just not very skilled. It's that simple. Plus he isn't a very hard worker when he's on the floor. He'll be serviceable though, in another up and down season. With Bynum, Artest, and Odom, the Lakers will be very inconsistent, but with all those options someone will always compensate. Artest will be a good fit for this team if he just focuses on defence and doesn't take a three pointer all year. Both are unlikely...

Gasol is probably the most underrated player in the league. The best passing big man OF ALL TIME. Just try to argue with that. Plus he has the best footwork and post moves since Olajuwon.

He's a tremendously underrated defender as well. His defence on Howard in the finals was outstanding.

Obviously it's between the Spurs, Celtics and Lakers.

nigga please, you're the author of some of the stupidest posts in the board's history.

Depends who you ask.

I've noticed that most of those who don't like me here are pretty boring people who take themselves waaaay too seriously...

Good article about Gasol's effectiveness:

http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/sl ... sol-no-14/

My team, no, but I'll throw some cash around that the Lakers don't repeat as Champs.

Well, it was Jabbar who said Bynum had the gifts, the potential to be one of best. He does seem slow sometimes, but when he is "on" I have seen him very fast, so I think the slowness is in his head, not a natural weakness. Admittedly he is a work in progress... and he just turned 22.

And yeah, Gasol is most underrated player in the NBA.... 7 foot and has better hands and passing instincts than 99% of the PG in the league.

$100....

<< obner secret handshake>>

Mark it.

I won't argue that the Lakers were the best team last year as the teams were assembled at the last game of the playoffs. But, a reasonable person would also acknowledge that it certainly didn't hurt that the Spurs and Rockets were without 2 of their best players on their respective teams.

Manu Ginobli only played about 2/3 of the season and missed all of the playoffs and the Spurs were still the 3 seed. Yao went down in that series against the Lakers that was very much in doubt at the time he went down.

Would the Lakers have been the same team if Gasol was gone for the entire playoffs?

That's all coulda, shoulda, woulda but that doesn't make it invalid for this year.

As for the Hawks, I think they're flying WAY under the radar and made some quiet but solid moves in the off season. We have added MUCH needed depth. Old ass Joe Smith will be able to eat up some minutes as well as Jason Collins. Jamal Crawford and Jeff Teague aren't really names that ring out but they are a HUGE upgrade over what we were working with off the bench.

Not to mention that I think this is the year that Josh Smith and Al Horford truly come into their own. If we can stay healthy (I'm looking at you Marvin Williams) I think we have a legit chance to make the Eastern Conference Finals.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4597949

Dammit,Blake Griffin is a Clipper,after all.

Bill Walton? Not that Gasol's not hugely talented-he is.

Oh,and Go Thunder?

Marco just cried a little.

Sorry,Marco. I know.

Olajuwon?? Dude, ridiculous.

I'm not saying Gasol isn't one of the best big men in the game right now but Olajuwon could take over a game and win it by himself. Gasonl will never do that on a consistent basis.

I'll respectfully disagree with you on his passing. I think Tim Duncan is much better than he is despite them both being about equal statistically.

Oh, and just by the stats, Wilt Chamberlain is the best passing big man of all time.

Gasol is a great passer... but it is more than passing, he has GREAT hands... able to catch and shoot, scoop up garbage and shoot and pass, rebound and pass or shoot...

Beyond passing the ball, his hands find and, well, handle the ball.

Define him however you want. I'll still take Duncan or KG.