Overtaking the spot held by the New York Knicks, the Los Angeles Lakers is listed by Forbes as the most valuable NBA franchise estimated to be about $900 million, a 40% increase from last year. This is largely related to their 20-year deal with Time Warner Cable.
The deal translates for the Buss family $200 million per year for 20 years. This ridiculous amount of money affords the Laker management to make stupid personnel and player transactions. Compare this income to the entire value of the Milwaukee Bucks at $268 million.
After 10 years of marriage, Kobe Bryant and wife Vanessa filed for divorce last December citing “irreconcilable differences”, whatever this means. The former couple’s assets reportedly totalled to $150 million and according to settlement issues, they agreed to a half-and-half arrangement.
Vanessa scored a grand slam as she got all three of their mansions – the one they lived in together, the one where her mother lives and another newly completed estate that took two years to build. With his enormous shoe and apparel contract, could this be the house that Nike built? Don’t worry KB fans, he still has his multi-million dollar contracts and he won’t be a pauper for a long time coming. And again to set the record straight, I ain’t no KB fan, I’m a Laker fan.
We also might consider his insistence on ball-hogging. Since he can’t touch and embrace his wife anymore, he has resorted to hugging the basketball, resulting to poor shots attempted-to-conversion ratio. In defense to this action, KB said, “My responsibility is to score and make the other team come and get me. When they come and get me, I create opportunities for teammates.”
Sure, teammates will be open when he’s double- or triple-teamed but more often than not, he forces and wiggles his way out of the trap and manufacture a shot, making the four remaining Lakers on the floor his mere minions and pray that the ball goes thru its intended purpose. This is stupid. Somebody should tell him that the KB-8 of before was better than the KB-24 of today.
Let’s take Pau Gasol’s case. He is capable of doing 20/10 a night but now, he’s averaging a career-low 16.3 points and about 7 rebounds per game. Why? Coach Mike Brown, acknowledging Gasol’s passing skills and medium range jumpers, made him stay outside the keyhole, do perimeter shots and make the drop to Andrew Bynum. This is stupid. Gasol is out of his comfort zone. He needs more ball touches instead of the out to the perimeter rotation.
When you have two seven-footers, take advantage of the situation and control the low-post. The high post is for small forwards and guards. Gasol’s footwork is almost Hakeem Olajuwon-like and he’s difficult to stop when he does his thing. Bynum does the muscle underneath and he’s making good at it. Finesse is Gasol’s game. Mix this well, goodness freaking gracious, who needs Dwight Howard?
The Lakers gave up on Lamar Odom. When you have the league’s best reserve on your team, you simply don’t trade him away for practically nothing. His being felt insulted and demanding for a trade could have been talked over by management and perhaps in a few days, Odom could have cooled down and remained as a Laker. They threw away a 6-11’s per game averages of 14.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3 assists and 32 minutes of solid playing. This is stupid. Again. Odom’s lost in Dallas averaging just 6.9 points and about 20 minutes.
The Lakers must consider breaking the peace with the Artest formerly known as Ron. Ditto with his Peace Corps. The bench sucks. With the exception maybe of Josh McRoberts, everybody else is expendable.
When Phil Jackson left, many thought that Derek Fisher will also ride towards the sunset. But he still starts at the point for the Lake Show where in most of the other teams in the league, he won’t be even in their roster. His 25 minutes on the floor and 5 points per game is not exactly the contribution Laker Nation wants. With Steve Blake’s injury, D-Fish is given extended minutes and he can’t cope up the much younger and faster guards of the opposition.
Making a move for Deron Williams would be wise. Another option is Aaron Brooks when he comes back from his Chinese adventure this March. Both are 27 y.o. and will address the point guard issue for the purple and gold. Two other options will be Devin Harris and Andre Miller, who’s reportedly not happy in Denver. This is a major concern that has to be considered. Not Dwight Howard.
The Lakers are still a playoff team but with the present composition, they’ll be lucky to go past the first round. Of course, these are my personal opinions. You may or may not agree.
E-mail me at bobbytoohotty@lycos.com