Things looking up for Laker fans..............

[Hanmudog]

Next year could look like this:

Kobe
Rondo
Randle
Love
Anthony-Townes

or possibly

Kobe
Clarkson
Randle
Anthony Townes
Marc Gasol (sorry Griz fans)

 

[hatfieldms]

Marc Gasol will not be in LA next year

I'll be shocked if he isn't in Memphis.

 

[Hanmudog]

Honestly I would too but there is always hope.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

If he's not in Memphis, it will be San Antonio. 80% chance he stays in Memphis.

 

[FreeDawg]

Rondo is an aggressive form of team cancer. It's beyond me why any team would want him.

 

[Hanmudog]

Rondo is an aggressive form of team cancer. It's beyond me why any team would want him.

Because even Rondo is better than most of the garbage the Buss family put on the court last year. A cancer would actually be an improvement for the disaster that the Lakers have become.

 

[patdog]

The franchise went to hell when Jerry died. Hopefully, a competent owner will buy the team soon. His two idiot feuding kids are killing one of the 2 most historic franchises in NBA history.

 

[mstateglfr]

You seem quite confident Okafor will be gone first.

 

[Hanmudog]

I would take him first because he is the more polished player now but Townes may end up the better one in the long run.
It is a little hard to accurately judge UK players because of the way they are shuffled in and out and play fewer minutes than at most schools.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Add in Kevin Love with Rondo and you have a recipe for success.**

Both those guys are absolute cancers.

 

[JungRebel]

Can someone explain why Chris Paul's trade to the Lakers was vetoed? I've never heard how and why that went down how it did.

 

[thf24]

I may be wrong but I think I remember something about the trade being deemed suspiciously disproportionate in favor of the Lakers.

 

[Hanmudog]

Because David Stern was an evil gnome.

 

[HD6]

The Hornets front office didn't think so. They were going to get 4 players plus a first round pick for Paul. The NBA moved in because it wanted to cure the image of big players going only to certain franchises, and since at the time the league was handling ownership of the Hornets, they could do so. If Paul had played for the Magic or Pacers, he'd be a Laker today.

 

[patdog]

And as it turned out, the Lakers trade would have been a better trade for the Pelicans than the one they wound up with.

 

[olblue.sixpack]

Both those guys are absolute cancers.

I want to see the Cavs win it all if for no other reason than to hear the talking heads say how they did it without him.

I bet he has his eye on the Lakers but can you imagine how much Kobe would hate playing with that guy?

 

[Seinfeld]

It is a little hard to accurately judge UK players because of the way they are shuffled in and out and play fewer minutes than at most schools.

Ain't that the truth? You'd also think that the law of averages would tell us that a handful of them wouldn't have panned out, but I really can't think of many of Cal's first rounders that have not at least become solid NBA role players. Aren't Orton and Teague about the only ones that have struggled?

As far as Towns goes, I agree with those that have said that Okafor is more polished at this stage. However, I think that Towns's ceiling is in another stratosphere as compared to most players in this draft. He's got some really strong post moves to be that young and inexperienced, and when he was on last year, he was virtually unstoppable. This is all, of course, before he's even had a chance to develop much of a jumper.

The one thing that would worry me a bit, though, is that he did have a tendency to completely disappear at times. Now, maybe that's just because Kentucky had the luxury of being able to allow that due to the obscene amount of talent around him, but I'm sure that it will get picked apart. Towards the end of season, I just remember several instances where he'd put up 20 pts and 10 boards one night, but then follow it up with an 8 and 5 night.

I guess the beauty of the Lakers' #2 spot this year, though, is that they'll be getting a hell of a player either way. I had really been hoping that the Grizz would have Booker on the board for their pick, but it's looking like he's climbing up the boards.