ORIGINAL ARTICLE HAS BEEN UPDATED "You want the truth, you can't handle the truth"
We have spent all summer trying to make Kobe happy with every trade scenario in the world on the table. But the truth is that the Lakers never intended to make a trade unless it was on their terms.
They never had any intention of trading Andrew Bynum. They might have traded the often injured Lamar Odom for another often injured star, but Bynum was off the table unless the never injured Kevin Garnett was coming to LA. Instead Kevin Mchale gave him away to his old alma matter, the Boston Celtics.
Some time between now and the end of next summer, the extremely intelligent plan of the Lakers front office will become apparent to all. They want to improve with what I will call their new "addition without subtraction" formula. With Chris Mihm coming back and with Bynum the heir apparent for the starting role at center, Kwame Brown is the odd man out with his 9Mil expiring contract. Kwame, other expendable players, and draft picks have been offered for various players including Shawn Marion and Jermaine ONeal, but so far those overtures have not beared any fruit. So far.
This is the package that the Lakers will continue to offer during the upcoming season and if it brings them one of the players they want, so be it. But It will need to get done before the trading dealine in February. If it doesn't, they could sign and trade some of those players, sign and keep them, or just simply let them go. Not trading them and failing to sign them could have the negative effect of reducing the Lakers down to the new salary cap. That would give them even less money to work with. They currently enjoy being above the cap at 68 Mil by signing their existling players, but are not over the luxury cap.
Gilbert Arenas, Jermaine O’Neal, Shawn Marion, Corey Maggette and Baron Davis, have opt out opportunities next summer. And there are others who could opt out and new free agents will be available. Will the Lakers go shopping? You bet. But it is much easier and better for the Lakers to make a trade than wait until next summer
The truth is that the Lakers have as much as 20 Mil coming off the books next summer. Players who are in the last year of their contracts include Kwame Brown, Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic, Chris Mihm, Maurice Evans, and Ronny Turiaf. These are all good players, but expendable players if it means having the money to bring in another franchise player. These players become more expendable if it means bringing in an all star caliber player without having to trade one of you core starting players. This is the formula of addition without subtraction that works. Get what you need by only subtracting that which you do not need. Granted they might still bring back a couple of those players. It depends on how much money they need to get the player they want.
If a trade does not materialize during the season, the rules of the game get harder. The 6 Mil exemption will buy you a good player but not a great one. The Lakers are currently 19th in the NBA in total player salaries. So they certainly are not currently among the leagues biggest spenders. If they don't get something done, Kobe will be waving "bye bye."
Shawn Marion wants to be a Laker. Jermaine Oneal is one of Kobe's Five. Baron Davis might want to come home to LA. Corey Maggette just might want to stay in LA and be a Laker. And all these players are more inclined to want to come if they know that the Lakers did not have to gut their lineup to bring them here. They know the team will have a better chance of a championship by addition without subtraction.
I just read all the of rules regarding the cap and the collective bargaining agreement and it is a nightmare and a maze of rules and regs. My brain melted down. And my NBA sources all seem to have a slightly different take on where the Lakers sit against the cap. We will have to all be patient, but our dreams are about to come true. It is just not as easy as you think. And it takes two for a trade to go down.
So we start camp just about where we started. We have a different starting PG with Fish coming home, but other than the fact that we might start the season healthy, we are just about where we were last season. We will be better, if healthy.
So which players do we need to watch to see whether or not we make a significant improvement without the big trade we all desired?
Andrew Bynum - is the big X factor this season. He has been quietly working out in the gym, his upper body is ripped, but more importantly his legs look a lot stronger. He hit 56% from the field last season. He is taller and stronger this year and with his freakish long arms, nobody will be able to stop him. If Kobe makes sure he gets 15 shots a game, that will bring 16 - 20 points per game (with free throws). A strong low post scoring game is essential to help our outside shooters getting the shots they need. Andrew's defense and shot blocking will be there. If he gets significant minutes he will probably get at least 10 rebounds per game. He is the most important player that will determine if we get to the next level or not.
Derek Fisher- steady but not an overpowering PG. Does he still have any gas in his tank? At age 33 he probably still does. He knows the triangle and Kobe's game. He can still defend and take the charge. He shot 40% from the field and a healthy 37% from the 3 last year so he will be an efficient player if not a dominating one. His play will be one of the keys to our success.
Chris Mihm - will not play that big of a role, but his role will get bigger if Kwame gets traded. Also, he gives the Lakers the flexibility to move one of their Bigs to PF and Lamar Odom to SF at times against certain lineups.
Javaris Crittenton - Probably should have gone higher in the draft and some had him slated as a late lottery pick. Could be very good, but with Fish and Farmar there at PG, getting minutes this season are a problem for him. If Farmar gets packaged in a trade, he could find himself being a bigger part of the rotation.
Vladimir Radmanovic - hurt his hand at the beginning of the season last year and never got totally back on track before his stupid season ending injury. Confidence is what a shooter like VladRad needs and he never got it going. So far, at the Lakers training facility where pick up games have continued, his team mates say he is stroking it with ease. Let's hope so. Another consistant outside shooter takes the pressure of Kobe and keeps other teams from simply double teaming Kobe all the time.
Kobe Bryant - will he come to camp with his head screwed on straight? Will he bring Andrew Bynum under his wing and make sure the young fella gets the job done? The answer is yes on both counts. Kobe is to much of a competitor to be a slacker, and he knows how important Bynum is to the Lakers improvement as a team. The front office has obviously already shared with him the addition without subtraction formula for improving the team, so he knows help is on the way. It is just a matter of time. Kobe lost weight, is quicker, and showed a renewed committment to defense while playing with team USA. If Kobe plays that kind of defense, the others will have to as well. If not, Kobe will chew their jerseys and spit them back in their faces. I think this season Kobe will say "either play defense or endure my rath." I actually think that Kobe will be an even more effective leader this season than he has ever been. He will lead first by example, and second by getting in somebody's face.
The Rest - you can expect about the same out of the rest of the squad except they should as a group be able to play better if everyone is healthy. So far, So good. Lamar should be ready by the beginning of the season. Chris Mihm and Kwame are most of the way there.
So we should be ready to go. I think this team is going to surprise a lot of people, including us fans. I think by the end of the season Andrew Bynum is going to shock the world. With the addition without subtraction formula in place, waiting to be executed, this team has a bright future.
So sit back, and enjoy. "The game is in the refridgerator, the eggs are cooling, the Jello is jiggling, and the butter is getting hard." Kobe is getting ready to "fake somebody into the popcorn machine." Ah, don't we all miss the great Chick Hearn. He was the glue that kept us all together and constantly told us that everything was going to be alright.
JamFan...aka Don Allen
