If you think about it, the Lakers escaped this offseason with a pretty good team as well. Sure they lost Shaq but this is what there team looks like right now:
C - Divac / Brian Grant / Medvedenko
PF - Butler / Odom / Walton(Malone?)
SF - Odom / George / Fox
SG - Kobe / George (or whoever they want to fill in a total of 8 mpg of Kobe on the bench)
PG - Payton / Rush
Starting line-up of Divac, Malone, Odom, Kobe, and Payton doesn't sound so bad.
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Greg Oden: The future of the Blazers. The future of the NBA.
Gender: Male Location: Huntington Beach, California
I was thinking the EXACT same thing last night to myself. I didn't hear any rumors about Malone going to Miami, and for Malone, i think it would be a bad decision for him because the Heat...regardless of Shaq's promise, really don't seem to have what it takes to de-thrown Detroit...and that's only in the East. I also think the Pacers would give Miami a pretty hard time as well.
I know Kobe and Gary have both become close personal friends with Karl, and I hope he comes to the Lakers...with him the team depth chart would be...
C - Vlade, Grant, Malone
PF - Malone, Grant, Odem, Slava
SF - Odem, Butler, George, Walton, Fox
SG - Bryant, George, Rush, Walton
PG - Payton, Bryant, Rush
It'd be nice if they could get rid of Fox and pick up some sort of veteran point guard....like a Lindsay Hunter type player. Someone with an all around decent/good game...and lots of energy.
Having only one center wouldn't be that bad if you had Grant and Malone on the court as your big men at the same time. Much better than Slava and Malone...like last year.
Actually, if they do pick up Malone, I'm inclined to believe that LA might be one of the best teams in the league again. Malone and Payton both became role players last year...when they need to be leaders. I think Malone is capable of a lot more offense than we saw last year. Payton too.
Malone has listed the Heat as a possibility and the Spurs have been heavily recruiting him so I think it will be LA, Miami, SA or retirement for Malone. Dallas of course always wants him but I doubt that will happen.
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Greg Oden: The future of the Blazers. The future of the NBA.
Gender: Male Location: Huntington Beach, California
that's true.
But i'm hoping it was more than just Shaq that got him into LA. Malone doesn't strike me as the type to go jumping from team to team to team at the end of his career. Though his chances in LA have been greatly deminished.
Having Shaq on the court with him only lowers his number of shot attempts and it throws him off of his traditional game. You aren't going to get too many 118-15 ft jumpers with Shaq sitting down on the block...it's too crowded.
sheed and detroit have agreed to a deal.....its 5yrs for 57m which means detriot has got all 5 starters comin back...jealous?......detriot baby detriot!!
Gender: Male Location: Huntington Beach, California
nah, actually i wasn't sure what his contract was like, so i assumed he was going to stay as a Piston atleast another year. It's a good place for Rasheed. Larry Brown can keep anyone in the league in check, and Rasheed's showing the desire to be more of a team player than he ever was on Portland.
Big up to Detroit....even though i hate them.
I'm just waiting on Malone. If he goes to LA, then LA could be a serious competitor in the west.
Payton
Kobe
Odem
Malone
Divac
is still one of the best starting 5's in the league. And having Grant, Butler, George, and the rest of last year's bench is a much better improvement, from the team they put on the court last year.
And it's nice to not having to worry so much about freethrows. For a guy with a $30 million dollar a year contract...Shaq sure the hell can't shoot free throws.
The Lakers will struggle all year to get to the 8th seed before finally losing enough games to fall far away from the playoffs. They'll be in the lottery by the end of the season and Kobe will be looking for a plane to Miami.
If anything, LA I believe will get in as the 8th seed, or either fall just shy of that. Not sure about Malone leaving LA, with Shaq gone, Fisher with Golden State, man that team is beginning to look so not recognizable.
Gender: Male Location: Huntington Beach, California
Unrecognizable yes...but not bad at all.
If they keep Karl Malone, they are much much deeper than they were last year at almost every position except point guard.
Last year, if Shaq went off the court, it was Malone and Slava holding down the low blocks. This year, if they get Malone, and Vlade goes out, then it'll be Malone and Grant downlow....which is much much better for LA defensively.
I think on one hand the Lakers will be better defensively and also worse. They will be able to guard the pick and role a lot better with more rangy players like Malon and Slava, but without Shaq the Lakers have no shot blocking and nobody could clog up the lane like Shaq could. While the Lakers are more speedy inside and outside once a player gets in the paint its pretty much a free lay up or dunk.
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“As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods, they kill us for their sport.”
there is no such thing as a free dunk or layup if malone is in the block just ask the t-wolves or isiah thomas but when he is on the bench players arent gonna be afraid to drive on slava or grant....and vlade is old he shoulda be outta game the years ago!!........but vlade is too slow to guard the pick and roll....the lakers may have got deeper but there are still gonna be holes in there defense and without malone like Doc S said..there is gonna be noone to clog up the middle..the only thing the other team would worry about would be vlade floppin
And really watching Vlade last year he didnt flop as much as he used to. I guess with age your skills deteriorate like jumping, speed and I guess in Vlade's case his flopping technique has deteriorated.
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“As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods, they kill us for their sport.”
Gender: Male Location: Huntington Beach, California
Vlade's gonna start on the Lakers because he's the best (only) center they have.
He's one of the few players who can do well against Shaq down in the paint. True, he's not a shot blocker, but being a big body down in the post will really help them.
And without Shaq on the team, now Malone can go back to being more oof an offensive threat. Similar things COULD be said about Payton, but he's going to need to prove that to me. Malone....just flat out kicks ass.
I'd love to watch him go against Shaq. He's a beast.
the only reason why vlade does well agianst shaq is coz his flopping frustates shaq and throws him off his game but if vlade isnt gettin any calls than he's toast...like you said malone would be the only big man who can D up with the best in the west...but i think the longer malone stays a free agent the less likely he's gonna re-sign with the lakers
the cavs traded for drew gooden to try and replace boozer....thats a big gamble coz gooden has potential but is known for not bein a team player and sorta a cancer in the locker room...cavs alsoo picked up eric snow which i think is a huge pickup...he's a natural at the point
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Jul 21st, 2004 07:27 AM
