Sep.26 at 11:08 am

Myles Brown says:
I know that this trade would probably make ‘a certain someone’ happier and more inclined to stay in LA, but I would seriously rather have Lamar Odom. He’s not as good of a rebounder or defender, but his ability to handle and dish the rock plus create his own shot makes him a more versatile player in my opinion. Marion can’t run that point forward like Odom and on a team full of guys who can’t create for themselves *ahemKWAMEahem*, Lamar’s playmaking abilities are invaluable. I dont wanna trade that for another, um, well, whiner.

Sep.26 at 11:09 am

Nadav says:
keep drinking, do whatever, just approve the trade!

Sep.26 at 11:09 am

Johnny Kilroy says:
can the suns really not get better value than odom here?

Sep.26 at 11:10 am

white hot eboy says:
Myles, sounding more like Max Airington than ever before. Completley agree.

Sep.26 at 11:13 am

Bryan says:
That’s what I said in the other post..

Sep.26 at 11:20 am

mutoni says:
listen, i love odom like a brother. but let’s face it: he’s never gotten completely comfortable in the laker offense, and isn’t exactly the most consistent guy throughout the season. marion is such a dynamic talent, that i don’t see how you turn this trade down. f*ck it, give dude his money! if they don’t get shawn, kobe is good as gone, and with his departure, there goes any reason to watch that team. make the trade, jerry! mitch: glad to see you finally got a phone installed in your office, fam.

Sep.26 at 11:21 am

Rasheedionics says:
Classic mistake by Suns. They wait until disgruntled player demands the trade publicly and as a result his value plummets… Of course Suns should be able to get more for Marion than Odom who’s coming off shoulder surgery. As talented as Odom is, his injury woes are well documented. I’m not big fan of Matrix but Lakers should be all over this, if only just to appease Kobe. If they somehow can throw Kwame Brown in that deal, it’d be a steal of the century.

Sep.26 at 11:23 am

Rasheedionics says:
Mutoni, you think Marion is worth the max aka Rashard Lewis money?

Sep.26 at 11:23 am

Jake Appleman says:
mutoni, by the laker offense, do you mean “kobe bryant”, or “the barbara streisand triangle”?

Sep.26 at 11:27 am

white hot eboy says:
Does anyone really think that a 24/Mat-bitch combo is moving past the Spurs, the Suns (with Odom), or even the Jazz, Mavs or Rockets? Come on now. This would give the Lakers a little more physicality but the lose of creativity and open floor distributing of Odom’s game would hurt LA more than it would help the Suns.

Sep.26 at 11:31 am

Myles Brown says:
Mutoni, I hear you. And wouldn’t necessarily be mad at that trade from a personnel standpoint as much as I would from a financial perspective. Are we really gonna give Shawn Marion the money that we didn’t wanna give Shaq? Signing him and Kobe during the same offseason to ridiculous extensions would eat up the whole cap and put a tremendous amount of faith in our younger guys. Even if we add Marion, there still needs to be another player in the equation to make this team a legitimate contender, and if the trade and signing didn’t work out, then we’d be even more f*cked than before. I just don’t trust it. But it might be our only choice.

Sep.26 at 11:32 am

RV says:
i dont get that trade, the point is to improve the lakers, not replace the second star with another star, it makes them just as bad but in a different way. I don’t think this will keep Kobe happy, he’ll realize the team will change but not get much better. They need a third guy.

Sep.26 at 11:33 am

niQ says:
well. odom would basically be a slightly better diaw… but if u have odom, diaw and nash.. woudl ANYONE attempt to score besides amare?.hhahah

Sep.26 at 11:34 am

Rod Strickland says:
WAAAAAAHHHHHHHH I’m Shawn Marion WAAAHHHHH No one loves me WAAAAHHHHHHHH Trade me WWWWAAAAHHH I make more money than Nash WAAAAAAAAAAAAA but need more WAAAHHHH.

Sep.26 at 11:34 am

RV says:
also, not much talk on how this would change the suns, i think Odom will feel somewhat restricted playing with Nash, Marion fits so much better, give him a no trade clause or sumn..

Sep.26 at 11:35 am

white hot eboy says:
Myles, I’m sure once Bodie is awake and moving, he will say that having Marion at $30,000,000 per year but be worth it than having Shaq at $20,000,000.

Sep.26 at 11:37 am

white hot eboy says:
Sorry, would be worth it. And Rod Strickland=Artie Lange.

Sep.26 at 11:37 am

Myles Brown says:
I have been wondering what he’d say, but it’s still pretty early in Cali.

Sep.26 at 11:38 am

mutoni says:
myles: bingo! what other choice does the team have? they’ve already let jason kidd - and god knows who else - slip through their fingers, and now they have a chance to get marion (and keep their precious andrew bynum). don’t f*ck this up, mitch and jerry. i will find out where you live.

Sep.26 at 11:39 am

Reggie Evans says:
That will be an intriguing experiment if the trade goes through. We will see who is overratted more, Odom or Marion. Apparently, Marion can’t create anything in a half-court set. Last time I checked, the triangle was a half-court offense… Also, I’m not a GQ shill, just thought you guys would like to know that there is an interesting Q&A with Michael Jordan in the latest issue (and other ones with Dr. Dre, Colin Powell)

Sep.26 at 11:42 am

mutoni says:
here’s why you give shawn the money and not shaq: he’s not on the downslope of his career, he actually wants to play alongside kobe, and he doesn’t use the regular season to get himself in shape. that being said, is he worth 20 mil? of course not, but neither is rashard but that didn’t stop orlando from giving him a fortune. it’s the nature of the beast. but like myles said, this is but one (bold) step in the right direction for the lakers. they still need to get at least one more good player for them to be legit contenders in the west.

Sep.26 at 11:42 am

white hot eboy says:
Mutoni, here’s the bigger question. If they get Marion and they start Bynum, Marion, Walton, Kobe & Farmar, what is their bench looking like? Straight garbage.

Sep.26 at 11:43 am

white hot eboy says:
And one good player, Mutoni? At what spot? A proven point guard or a center that actually matters?

Sep.26 at 11:44 am

mutoni says:
yes, the bench is garbage, but at least we’d have a kick-ass starting lineup. that’s something, right? baby steps, folks. baby steps.

Sep.26 at 11:45 am

white hot eboy says:
You probably meant to say “a kick-ass 2,3 & 4.”

Sep.26 at 11:45 am

Myles Brown says:
Marion really is the best player we could get with the chips we have, however his deficiencies would only be highlighted on this team. But I dunno, maybe he’ll actually turn into SP. F*ck it, anything that keeps Kobe in town long enough to turn things around is for the best. But we’d still need a PG and another big man. Kwame’s contract is expiring this year, I think, so maybe we could turn that into something.

Sep.26 at 11:49 am

Myles Brown says:
And I peeped that MJ Q&A in GQ. I would talk about it here more, but it would distract from this convo. Let’s just say I would’ve loved to hear Money expand on some of his answers.

Sep.26 at 11:49 am

mutoni says:
we’re ok at the guard spot for now; the problem is up front. it the beastly west, you need as many trees as possible. much as i love turiaf, he’s just not gonna cut it.

Sep.26 at 11:52 am

white hot eboy says:
Myles, they definitley need a rough-neck scoring big. And a proven point that could move the ball and knock that jumpers and play strong D on the ball. It would prolong 24’s career and make the Laker’s a true factor in the West. Farmar is a nice back-up. So is the Bynum/Mihm combo. Oh sh*t……none of us took into account D-Fish. He helps, but only slightly.

Sep.26 at 11:52 am

Myles Brown says:
Yeah, Fisher, Farmar & Crittendon should cut it for now, I was just thinking about the future. And Ronny isn’t what I thought he’d be. But his hair is nice.

Sep.26 at 11:54 am

Zee says:
Much as I love the lakers, I really wonder how Marion will play with a trash point guard. Now had the Lakers been smart and pulled the trigger on the JKidd - Bynum trade, maybe this trade would be a godsend. But with no point guard, eh…….

Sep.26 at 11:55 am

b4hoops says:
Totally agree with Myles Brown. Marion thrives in a fast-break offense where he can use his quickness and size to good use, and Phil Jackson teams, as you all know, would rather defend and run the half-court triangle offense. He is not a good fit on the Lakers. I talk about this on my blog as well, but the dude also wants $20 million a year! No team should pay him that kind of money — he’d become one of the most overpaid players in the league. Yes, maybe it keeps Kobe in town, but this would be at best a vertical move for the Lakers. And to top it all off, it doesn’t make much sense for Phoenix either to land Odom.

Sep.26 at 11:56 am

Reggie Evans says:
I hear you Myles. But I think MJ meant he would not have been able to drop 81! As far as the Lakers, they need a change. And this has “tremendous upppside”. It’s not going to make them a ton worse, either.

Sep.26 at 11:59 am

Myles Brown says:
The worst thing that could’ve happened is this thing going public. It only gives KB more ammunition, literally and figuratively. Seriously, if this doesn’t happen now, Mutoni you won’t have to hunt down Kupcake. Kobe already knows where he lives. By the time he’s done, Mitch’ll look like he was dog sitting for Michael Vick.

Sep.26 at 12:00 pm

Myles Brown says:
And it’s always tough to interpret MJ, Reggie. It kinda sounded like a backhanded compliment to me.

Sep.26 at 12:02 pm

Reggie Evans says:
… Does Phoenix really want Lamar Odom? What do the PHX fans think of this?

Sep.26 at 12:04 pm

Rasheedionics says:
B4, I think you meant to say lateral move, not vertical. I would love to see Lakers do a vertical move.

Sep.26 at 12:04 pm

b4hoops says:
Good point Myles on Kobe getting added leverage, like he needed more, with this going public. I guess the Lakers may make this trade on some level, but I don’t know why Phoenix would want Odom over Kirilenko, if the Russian is available to them. Kirilenko’s defense and athleticism would be a much better fit on that team.

Sep.26 at 12:05 pm

Baroud says:
Why not Marion and somebody else (Diaw or Bell) for Kobe? That would make one fine Suns team.

Sep.26 at 12:05 pm

white hot eboy says:
Myles, is the MJ/GQ thing online?

Sep.26 at 12:05 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
If this trade goes through–and even if Marion gets his extension (why is it that a player making over $15 million a year can complain about being “disrespected” with a straight face?)–he’ll be complaining about the Laker offense and his role in it by Thanksgiving.

Sep.26 at 12:05 pm

jj says:
What about a three way? Matrix to the Lakers, Odom to the Jazz, AK to Phoenix. And everybody’s happy…

Sep.26 at 12:06 pm

Gerard Himself says:
I say let’s do it. Make the trade! But I’m wondering the same thing: what do Phoenix fans of this? I like Odom; always did. But the dude can’t stay healthy.

Sep.26 at 12:06 pm

b4hoops says:
hmm…I guess you’re right, I did mean lateral, or horizontal, move.

Sep.26 at 12:08 pm

Myles Brown says:
Nah eboy, it’s in the 50th anniversary issue of GQ. Cop that. And yes, I do wonder how Marion would handle Big Chief Triangle and his manipulative ways. This guy is even more mentally fragile than SP used to be.

Sep.26 at 12:12 pm

white hot eboy says:
Thanks Myles.

Sep.26 at 12:13 pm

H to the izzo says:
If I buy GQ will I still be a man because I want to read that MJ piece.

Sep.26 at 12:15 pm

Myles Brown says:
I enjoy GQ. For the money it’s probably the best men’s mag. What are the other options? Maxim? Details? Esquire? Nah.

Sep.26 at 12:16 pm

Myles Brown says:
Oh, does p*rn count?

Sep.26 at 12:16 pm

Sam Rubenstein says:
if the trade happens, at least Marion will be in a major major market and he can’t whine about being under the radar or not getting red carpet treatment anymore.
Phoenix isn’t going to get fair value back now that teams think they have to trade him. They could do worse than Odom, even if he’s always hurt.

Sep.26 at 12:18 pm

white hot eboy says:
Maxim used to be cool, before they ran advertisements for 5 pages and actual written pieces two pages at a time.

Sep.26 at 12:19 pm

mutoni says:
i picked up the gq this morning on my way to work but have yet to read it. for what it’s worth, esquire is the best men’s mag out there.

Sep.26 at 12:21 pm

H to the izzo says:
I always saw GQ as a Mens mag mostly read by women

Sep.26 at 12:22 pm

Mike says:
Man, even though I do think Marion would be a better fit alongside Kobe, Odom has shown the most heart of any Laker during the past two seasons, so I don’t know.. Also, isn’t it kinda hard to stomach trading with the team that’s eliminated you the last two playoffs? You mean Kobe’s okay with this? They gotta have some more pride than that!

Sep.26 at 12:23 pm

Myles Brown says:
I usually just like Esquire’s Best Dressed issue. I like GQ’s writing and article topics a bit more though.

Sep.26 at 12:24 pm

white hot eboy says:
I always thought that GQ was printed for “gentlemen”. I never would consider myself in that category. That should be reserved for Jimmy Stewart, Bing Cosby and Lawrence Olivier.

Sep.26 at 12:25 pm

mutoni says:
eh, i always figure those best-dressed issues are for attracting teh ghey readers. not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course. (as for esquire: klosterman, scott raab, a.j. jacobs, chris jones. that’s a murderers’ row.)

Sep.26 at 12:25 pm

white hot eboy says:
Crosby.

Sep.26 at 12:26 pm

white hot eboy says:
And Ralph Tresvant was a “Stone Cold Gentleman”.

Sep.26 at 12:28 pm

Ken H. says:
Problem with odom to Utah, Kirilenko to PHX and Marion to LA is that Odom would commit suicide if he ended up in Mormonville. He already said he didn’t want to go to Indiana, Utah has to be like 10 times worse.

Sep.26 at 12:28 pm

Myles Brown says:
I do love Klosterman. And teh gheys for their impeccable taste. No Cam’ron.

Sep.26 at 12:30 pm

Ken H. says:
If GQ is “gentleman’s quartlerly”, why do they come out with an issue more than 4 times a year? It should be Gentleman’s Monthly or sumthing…

Sep.26 at 12:30 pm

fabolos says:
I think they shouldn’t trade him, but if he want out they should trade him to the jazz and get andrel kirilenko to help the suns on the defense end we could use a shot block like him we could also use him at the 4 or the 3 wish ever one but i think he will be a good fit with the suns.

Sep.26 at 12:31 pm

Ken H. says:
Or GEFWOS, “Gentleman’s Every Five Weeks or So”

Sep.26 at 12:31 pm

Matt Sergent says:
Suddenly… as a Laker fan… I love phoenix. Please… please… please… make it happen Buss Daddy!

Sep.26 at 12:32 pm

Hoop Dreamz says:
I still have the GQ with MJ rockin’ a suit on the cover from the late 80’s/early 90’s. I’m still a man

Sep.26 at 12:37 pm

Reggie Evans says:
GQ is fine to read, you just have to sift through a lot of adverstising. That’s not the magazine’s fault. It’s got some great writing. As for Maxim, don’t even compare, Maxim is for 15 year old boys. If you want skin, just go online, or buy a Playboy-type mag. Otherwise, I enjoy reading GQ and Esquire. And of course, Slam.

Sep.26 at 12:40 pm

Ryu says:
Marion to LA, Odom to PHX. Than, do not let the Matrix’s plane land in LA and send him straight to Oakland in exchange for Baron Davis. In the GSW Marion could be the brighter star, and Baron with Kobe would be amazing. All right, I know it’s time to wake up son…

Sep.26 at 12:41 pm

Tom says:
I agree with Max, I’d rather have Odom…..I propose a 3 ways deal, ak47 to lakers, odom to suns, and matrix to jazz……..everyone’s happy, and as an laker fan i’d rather have ak47 than marion

Sep.26 at 12:41 pm

white hot eboy says:
Advertising in magazines is the death of those written publications. I remember when SLAM was almost entirely written pieces and photos back in 1995, now what is the ad/content ratio, 60/40?

Sep.26 at 12:42 pm

Bryan says:
ak to the Lakers makes a lot more sense than Marion and at least Marion hustles so Jerry Sloan wont hate him too much except when he shoots a contested three.

Sep.26 at 12:43 pm

Bryan says:
Oh sorry for double posting but also he’d have the same problem , great pg (eventually) and badass power forward stealing his thunder and shots.

Sep.26 at 12:45 pm

Mike says:
Trade him to the Nets for RJ. Kidd running the break with Matrix and VC would be unreal….

Sep.26 at 12:53 pm

Jukai says:
This trade stinks for the Suns and I’m going to drink myself to death.

Sep.26 at 1:01 pm

Jukai says:
Yes, Odom is a better player than Marion but Marion fits into the Phoenix system twenty times better. This just sucks.

Sep.26 at 1:01 pm

Jukai says:
Damnit. Damnit. Damnit. Damnit. Damnit. Damnit.

Sep.26 at 1:02 pm

nacho says:
im a die hard suns fan and catching wind of this news was more ineviatble then suprising. i dont know where marion’s head is at. he plays for the most entertaining team in the nba (if not all of sports) is the teams highest paid player and took more shots than nash and amare last season! now he wants 20 mil a year? the suns championship window is 3 to 4 years at best depending entirely on nash and amare’s health, but i wanted to win with marion, hes been here his whole career and it wont seem right to win it without him, but we cant start this season with one of our major players not 100% with the squad. his mind is elsewhere and the suns have to make a move. i wouldnt mind a deal to the jazz for ak47 if they somehow can throw in milsap, and lamar odom in our offense would be a great fit because of his playmaking abilities, maybe they should talk with the bulls for deng and maybe even thomas. or even atlanta for josh smith and zaza. the suns have to look to get some size from this deal.

Sep.26 at 1:02 pm

Paul says:
Do the Lakers really need another player complaining and whining all season, especially when he only has half the basketball talent Kobe does? And he can’t pass for sh*t so that makes us worse off. Only thing he is better at is defense. And that really doesnt matter beacuse we’re still not stopping players on the inside. If they somehow manage to trade Bynum and Kwame for JO AND get Marion, I’ll be a little bit happier. But with Mitch F***cake running the show, that is just not going to happen.

Sep.26 at 1:03 pm

Cardy says:
This trade would be a great addition to an already great team II hope this pulls through

Sep.26 at 1:03 pm

white hot eboy says:
Jukai=Florida Evans, after the death of her husband James.

Sep.26 at 1:11 pm

Jukai says:
I mean, this just sucks for EVERYONE. Save New Jersey and MAYBE Detroit, Marion isn’t going to be half as good in freakin’ anywhere. So there goes Marion’s hope for greater money. And I’m not sure Odom can run the Suns offense, and AK47’s value isn’t good enough. Blah. BLAH.

Sep.26 at 1:11 pm

Dallas J says:
MATRIX! what a beech. First he costs phx a shot at KG, now demanding a trade that would rip phx off.

Sep.26 at 1:12 pm

Jukai says:
I gotta think of a better trade that’ll benefit the Suns and then cradle myself into a fetal position and tell myself it’ll happen.

Sep.26 at 1:14 pm

Jukai says:
Marion in a trade with the Bulls may be good. Give me Deng and Noah for Marion…? Or maybe Nocioni somewhere in there?

Sep.26 at 1:15 pm

Jukai says:
BAH! Screw this. I’m becoming a Spurs fan. It’s easier.

Sep.26 at 1:21 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Deng AND Noah? Hahahaha. No thanks. I’d rather keep the affordable young guys and pass on the expensive malcontent.

Sep.26 at 1:23 pm

bryan says:
It just keeps getting better for Iike Vick huh?

Sep.26 at 1:25 pm

Gumdrop says:
From now on the words “versatile small-forward” are synonyms for words like “malcontent”, “whiner” and/or “overpaid”. Now let’s all agree on this and move on.

Sep.26 at 1:33 pm

24 Fan says:
I think the lakers should try to keep Odom and still get the Matrix, Odom to the Suns will only make the Suns better, Lets ship Bynum ass out! and George Carls son too!

Sep.26 at 1:38 pm

rob stewart says:
Grant Hill and Lamar Ododm are good replacements for a disgruntled and problem bringing Shawn Marion. Hopefully they can get Jordan Farmer, Turiaf, or even Brian Cook out of the deal.

Sep.26 at 1:58 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
i hope this trade goes through, because im just tired of hearing all this bull$hit. trix for rj would be better for the suns. does anyone read KING?

Sep.26 at 1:58 pm

Tom says:
How does this trade make any difference to the lakers? Does it really make them any better? I would guess that the answer is no. How do the salaries match up?

Sep.26 at 2:00 pm

Bryan says:
I think it makes the suns better but doesn’t make a difference to the Lakers.

Sep.26 at 2:02 pm

Sko says:
If he wants to be the man, or something like it, LA is not the place for him. It’s an ok trade in a video game, but real life is different. He’ll still be 3rd after Kobe & Phil. and mind you, he seems to have the same level of insecurity as say Kwame Brown. I think the Lakers should find some money for Pietrus and tell Odom to add 20lbs of muscle, cuz their offseason has been terrible in light of thier circumstances

Sep.26 at 2:11 pm

rob stewart says:
The Lakers getting Marion will not be a real good move for them. But it will temporarily make Kobe and Marion optimistic just because a change has occured. But not all change is good.

Sep.26 at 2:27 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
i think it would work for the lakers, if bynum, kwame, mihm, and turiaf can provide some kind of frontcourt presence. trix will take lots of pressure off of kobe on defense. he will always run the floor. fisher will help run everything. good move for the lakers. it will make them better, but not serious contenders

Sep.26 at 2:33 pm

Bryan says:
That’s a big if and also he won’t have anyone setting him up the way Kidd and Nash did.Say what you want about Steph being selfish but he managed to average 8+ assists a game.He can’t create shots for himself and Kobe can but won’t ,so how is this gonna work?

Sep.26 at 2:37 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
trix doesnt get plays run for him, and he doesnt need them, when kobe gets doubled, trix will be cutting to the basket. it would work fine, especially if walton is the 3, and trix starts at 4, where he can use all his speed as a major advantage.

Sep.26 at 2:43 pm

Bryan says:
I’m not saying it can’t work, I just don’t see it.He can cut all he wants it doesn’t mean he’s gonna get the ball.That’s what I mean,he doesn’t have plays run for him , but he will get the ball less here, he’ll still put up decent numbers I just think they’ll be hollow and not as good as they are in PHX

Sep.26 at 2:44 pm

white hot eboy says:
95 posts in about the Lakers season, and no Bodie sightings. Must be working or jailed for underage plundering.

Sep.26 at 2:50 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
maybe he got kidnapped by a gorilla

Sep.26 at 2:52 pm

white hot eboy says:
Is the Suns gorilla mascot still employed?

Sep.26 at 3:01 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Yes, but he wants an extension.

Sep.26 at 3:02 pm

Myles Brown says:
Is he gonna force his way to Europe?

Sep.26 at 3:03 pm

white hot eboy says:
He wasn’t in an SUV with Starbury was he?

Sep.26 at 3:03 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
you know, i haven’t seen it since before the whole isiah being sued thing. wait, maybe….

Sep.26 at 3:04 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
has anyone seen the suns gorilla and brown sanders in the same place?

Sep.26 at 3:06 pm

James says:
this is making me cry. my suns ripped apart in two weeks time. they need a big move to improve and win, and garnett was that move. they don’t need to lose marion. this is crazy.

Sep.26 at 3:13 pm

Dutch Rich says:
Rod Thorn get in there. It’s a fair trade. RJ gets to go home. They’re both 3rd scoring options on their respective teams. Just make the numbers work. Let’s go.

Sep.26 at 3:13 pm

Myles Brown says:
This is still pretty funny to me. Marion took more shots than anyone on his team and he makes more money than all of them too. He’s an All Star and his team has been a title contender for the past three years. If anything, all of Marion’s whining does make Kobe look a little bit better. At least hes somewhat earned the right to complain.

Sep.26 at 3:14 pm

Myles Brown says:
And yeah, I still like that NJ trade. Throw in Nachbar or Collins. Do they still have him?

Sep.26 at 3:20 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
i would get league pass just to see kidd with carter and marion on the wings.

Sep.26 at 3:37 pm

Tom says:
I read that it was Marion who nixed the trade involving himself and Garnett. Nice of him to screw Phoenix by rejecting the notion of being traded, and then just a couple months later requests a trade anyways.

Sep.26 at 3:45 pm

tike says:
AHH SAY IT SO….MARION IF YOUR READING PLEASE DONT LEAVE THE SUNS PLEASE…

Sep.26 at 3:46 pm

Bryan says:
Marion seems like kind of a d*ck.For real

Sep.26 at 3:49 pm

ForzaMilan says:
Yeah NJ! Would suck for the Suns though. Problem is their never going to get the same player back because Marion is unique.

Sep.26 at 3:58 pm

tike says:
SAY IT AINT SO!!!….THE SUNS NEED MARION LIKE WE ALL NEED A HEART BEAT…AK-47 I DNT THINK HE FITS THE PART ALTHOUGH HES A BETTER SHOT BLOCKER THAN MARION….ODOM CAN DEF CREATE A SHOT WHICH MAKES HIM MORE ATTRACTIVE TO THE SUNS HIS “D” IS WHACK….I SAY THE MATRIXS STAY AND GETS OVER ALL THIS GARBAGE.

Sep.26 at 4:01 pm

d.Y. says:
Dang Tarzan we get it. You think Black women look like gorillas. Ha ha. Showwwwwtimmmmme. On to ball. I hate when ego gets in the way of good ball. Trixie deserves Kobe and the Lakers and their next half decade of first and second round exits, but he won’t be a good fit. This will suck for the Suns, whose best replacement is (I guess) AK47 (but can he run with them). If he really did nix a Garnett trade…

Sep.26 at 4:28 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
I hope the Suns trade Trixie for Kirilenko and immediately win a title. If Trixie said any of this sh*t around Jerry Sloan, Jerry wouldn’t even need to call Charles Oakley–he’d punch Trixie in the mouth himself.

Sep.26 at 4:42 pm

d.Y. says:
Amen Russ.

Sep.26 at 4:45 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
I wonder if his teammates even talk to him? Amare Stoudemire works harder than anyone to come back from a career-threatening injury, Steve Nash signs a below-max deal and wins two straight MVPs (and you don’t hear anything about HIM asking for an extension/renegotiation), Kurt Thomas essentially gets cut so the owners can avoid paying the luxury tax, and meanwhile poor Shawn can only think of himself and how sorely mistreated he’s been. How is he going to play alongside Kobe when he so obviously wants to BE Kobe?

Sep.26 at 4:49 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
For the record, if I ever have a kid, I’d want him to be a lot like Shawn Marion on the court, and NOTHING like him off of it.

Sep.26 at 4:54 pm

Bryan says:
So basically all agreed: Shawn Marion=selfish as*hole.

Sep.26 at 4:57 pm

H to the izzo says:
I honestly couldn’t agree with Russ any more.

Sep.26 at 5:01 pm

chronically_ill says:
What??? I dont get this. So Marion wants out of Phoenix and not play with Steve Nash cuz he wants to be THE MAN. And he wants to end up in L.A. so he can play with Kobe??? How the hell does that make sense?

Sep.26 at 5:02 pm

H to the izzo says:
I think he wants to guest star in Entourage,thats it.

Sep.26 at 5:02 pm

chronically_ill says:
Jesus Christ, Lamar Odom would have a MONSTROUS year with Phoenix. He basically is a better version of Boris Diaw. And look what Phoenix did for Diaw’s career.

Sep.26 at 5:14 pm

Bryan says:
Steve Nash could turn Lamar Odom into everything we’ve been hoping he would be since 1998.

Sep.26 at 5:59 pm

chronically_ill says:
BTW, I really cant think of any ways the Lakers can improve by trade, since most of the trade rumors involving the Lakers mention Lamar Odom. Look at what Lamar Odom brings to the team: size, rebounding, athleticism, playmaking ability AND an unselfish approach. Getting an all-star like Shawn Marion or Jermaine O’Neal would be great for sure, but losing Odom would be losing a HUGE dimension of the team. If the Lakers trade Odom for
Marion/O’Neal, who would they have beyond Kobe and Marion/O’Neal? Luke Walton and Kwame Brown? With the Lakers being capped out and not having any real tradeable assests (unless you count Vladmir Radmanovic or Brian Cook as one), the only way they can really improve is by improving from within. Drew Bynum, Jordan Farmar and Javaris Crittenton better improve QUICK and ALOT if the Lake show hope to contend at all in the future.

Sep.26 at 6:02 pm

Jukai says:
I actually haven’t thought about a bright side to this until Chronically_Ill’s post… Marion we know is only an above average player without Steve Nash around. Exactly HOW GOOD could Odom be with a point guard?

Sep.26 at 6:05 pm

Jukai says:
If the Lakers get Odom + 1 (It would either be Crittenton or Farmar… Get a freaking point guard for chrissakes) I think I could live with this. But man, that means the forwards depend on Odom AND Hill being healthy? Ugh…

Sep.26 at 6:07 pm

Jukai says:
I can’t see Buss parting with Odom unless Kobe “suggests” it. It would be like the Knicks trading David Lee… Yeah, Marion is probably better than Odom but Odom is the HEART AND SOUL of the Lakrs. This is a toughie.

Sep.26 at 6:12 pm

chronically_ill says:
Actually, the Lakers can probably improve by picking up hard-ass players like The Kobe Stopper. Cuz the Lakers have alot of finesse players like the Black Mamba, Odom and Walton. And you know their big men never lay the wood (with the exception of Turiaf, who’s like the Caribbean Mark Madsen with better dance moves). Wonder why they never went after players they could actually get like Patterson, who could have been signed to a bargain basement deal, instead of chasing that KG pipe dream. Getting the Kobe Stopper would have added a mean streak and toughness that they lack, something every team needs to win the chip (See Bowen, Bruce; Rodman, Dennis)

Sep.26 at 7:13 pm

DaBomb says:
Suns fans: This sure has been a crappy year, hasn’t it. First we get screwed by David Stern and Stu Jackson in game 4 vs the Spurs. Then we find out later on that we could’ve gotten screwed by Tim Donaghy in Game 3, and now this bull$h!t! But if we really look at it- this could be a good thing either way. If the suns don’t trade Trix, then hopefully his teammates can help him change his mind- if he gets traded to the Lakers for Lamar Odom, i think Odom would fit in this sytem perfectly. People say he’s injury-prone, but we got one of the best trainers in Aaron Nelson to handle that. Bottomline: The Phoenix Suns WILL be NBA Champs this year, with Marion in purple and orange or with Marion in purple and gold.

Sep.26 at 7:14 pm

Holly MacKenzie says:
Thanks Marion… you are messing up my season preview.. and Russ.. I have always loved Amare and I don’t doubt that he worked hard to come back from his surgery, I mean, you don’t recover like he has without working hard but, the most interesting part of Jack MacCallum’s book “07 Seconds or Less” were the parts that suggested Amare was less than focussed on his recovery. I’m not sure if you are familiar with the novel, but it was surprising to me, reading that the team kept up appearances for him while he slacked off and did not follow doctors/therapists rules. Any idea to the truth behind this? I’ve always wondered. I mean, it turned out fine obviously, and maybe the guy knew his body better than anyone else, but it is just interesting to think about. As for Marion on the Lakers….Unless he gets a lobotomy to go along with the trade, that would be a disaster in the making. It doesn’t make sense, but, that makes me believe that Mitch will find a way to make it happen and then play it off like he was trying to please Kobe and Phil by making changes. If Marion is not content with D’Antoni who works his butt of to ensure the media gives him credit along side of Nash and Amare then he sure as hell won’t like the heat he’ll have to take under the bright lights of LA where Phil won’t coddle and Kobe won’t care.

Sep.26 at 7:54 pm

albie1kenobi says:
let’s just swap malcontent AK with malcontent SM. it just seems sensible in this mess. it’s like trading space! if i’m steve kerr, i wouldn’t wanna see marion’s sorry arse 4-5 times a season as a laker. actually if i’m Kerr, i’d ship him to bobcats or hawks or something. you wanna be the man Marion? let’s see how well you do being the go-to guy. (i’d say trade him to the 6ers but they really have NO ONE that suns can use. bobcats and hawks at least have good young talents. hey why not take joe johnson back?)

Sep.26 at 8:17 pm

DaBomb says:
Hold up, f*** all you guys who think Marion is a dick for nixing the Garnett deal. Imagine that you were Shawn Marion. You’ve been with this team for 8 years now,and they (Suns Management) tell you that the nucleus will be kept intact, when all of sudden KG’s ass wants to be traded and suns management acts like they no cared about what the hell you’ve done to this organization and ASAP put your ass in negotiations for Garnett. I don’t about you,but if i was in trix’s shoes, i would be f****** pissed off by now with Suns Management. Oh, you want to trade my ass for Garnett? Well, i’ll say no, then later on demand a trade so i could screw the organization that was going to screw me. In other words, i’ve have done exactly what Marion is doing- in fact, i would’ve done it sooner.

Sep.26 at 8:59 pm

chronically_ill says:
DaBomb, the Suns management didnt do anything wrong by looking to move Marion for Garnett. Matrix is an all-star, but KG is a FRANCHISE player, the type of player you build your entire team around. The Suns management would have been stupid if they didnt at least consider making that move. And the Suns never ignored Marion’s contributions to the team. As others have mentioned before, he’s the highest paid player on the team! Not only that, but Matrix took the most shots on the team! It’s obvious Matrix is jealous of the attention Nash and Amare is getting, even though they can achieve greatness together. And if Marion wants a bigger role in his team’s offense, he should finally work on his ballhandling and playmaking skills, otherwise he’ll always be stuck as the third option.

Sep.26 at 9:04 pm

truthismygame says:
as a Suns fan, i’m royally pissed to receive confirmation that Marion’s camp was actually the one that stopped the Garnett-to-Phoenix deal from happening.. i’m even more pissed that i’m now thinking about potential deals that might help the Suns, but honestly with the build of the rest of the team, Marion fits. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh. any way you think the Suns could land Marion for Gerald Wallace? that’d be a more or less even trade and i think Wallace would thrive in Phoenix..

Sep.26 at 9:05 pm

truthismygame says:
PS. f*ck AK47 & Lamar Odom.

Sep.26 at 9:10 pm

alan says:
correct me if i’m wrong but i think lakers might be champions this year

Sep.26 at 9:19 pm

Z says:
DaBomb has a very good point. I still think that Trix is whining b…, but he does have a point: why would he agree to be traded from the Suns to make the Suns better?

Sep.26 at 9:34 pm

Jukai says:
Cause it’s his job, Z. He’s being paid 17 million dollars for it. If he gets 20, is that better?

Sep.26 at 10:27 pm

Will Lee says:
Jordan + Pippen

Sep.26 at 10:44 pm

JpT says:
tasty.

Sep.26 at 11:33 pm

Reno says:
If this trade actually take place, it will benefit the suns more than it would for the Lakers, Lamar’s talent as a point forward is going to give the Suns a broader offense. the Lakers however is going to have a tough time incorporating Marion in their offense, or anyone in the 2 or 3 position for that matter (Unless of course they got a solid 4/5)

Sep.27 at 12:21 am

Z says:
Trix doesn’t have to be incorporated into an offense : he’s a garbage man, deluxe edition. He’ll get his regardless of offensive schemes. The thing I’m not getting is why would the Suns agree to this deal? I just don’t see it from their angle. I mean Odom might very well be the most over hyped player of the decade. Yeah he’s got all the tools and makes everything look so easy like he was born to play the game… but so does JD Drew…

Sep.27 at 12:22 am

Sesa says:
I’ll go with Reno on this one.
It’s true that Marion requires no ball to operate and underated defender, but Lamar Odom is the playmaker of the Laker team and he’s also a great defender too. I mean, if Kobe takes a breather then you your second best player is Marion. What would he do?
He don’t have the handles or the abilities to create his own shot.
Lamar Odom would excel playing in place of Marion because he can at least defend the likes of Tim Duncan better than Amare and Odom provides a playmaking in the halfcourt situation in case of playing with types of Spurs. He and Grant Hill makes a great passing frontline.

Sep.27 at 3:56 am

Froggiestyle says:
Dayummm ! ! ! ! ! Am I the only idiot who actually has to have a job up in here? I think I’m jealous of you cats - but still… PS. Where is Artie Lange (WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA) ?

Sep.27 at 4:14 am

Jukai says:
This entire ordeal still stinks to high hell. But I still want Marion out. What an ungreatful bastard.

Sep.27 at 4:35 am

Amare Stoudemire says:
Good Bye m*therf&ck$r. You look like a f*ck!ng praying mantis.

Sep.27 at 4:39 am

Paolo says:
This trade is sane at face value. But Odom might be too valuable. Maybe they can work something with a third team that is willing to take Bynum and another dude. I don’t think the Lakers need 2 Kwame Browns anyway.

Sep.27 at 4:40 am

Paolo says:
Though I still think that Jermaine O’Neal might be a better fit in LA

Sep.27 at 4:55 am

Holiday says:
First off I’d like to say although what you see in the news portrays Utah as a bad place, some parts yes but Salt Lake is like nothing you know, not outrageous but anyway, We love AK47 but would love to have Marion the trade benifits both teams! But all Marions career he’s been a stand up guy he just aint getting the respect he deserves and Odem for the record isn’t worth either player! There both pretty much in the same boat unappreciated were they have seniority!

Sep.27 at 4:56 am

Jeter says:
Marion to the Lakers. Bynum, Vujacic, Jack Nicholson, Justin Timberlake to the Nets. Jefferson to the Suns.

Sep.27 at 4:59 am

Jeter says:
In a Marion-Kirilenko trade, I think I like Utah’s end more. Marion’s play has never been questioned.

Sep.27 at 6:15 am

SwingMan says:
You all can quit licking your chops: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/0926marion-ON.html

Sep.27 at 6:30 am

Holly MacKenzie says:
Nice read swingman… Honestly, if anyone deserves a bigger contract it’s Nash and no I’m not saying that because he’s Canadian. Look at his quote, trying to smooth everything over, just like D’Antoni, they try so damn hard to let Marion know he is appreciated. Why can’t everyone just get along?

Sep.27 at 7:45 am

ab_40 says:
you know odom is gonna avarage 25,8 and 5 if he goes to phoenix right? lakers just need to add a bruizer or a high energy guy ahum ronny turiaf and this trade will be good for both teams.

Sep.27 at 8:41 am

Sesa says:
is there anyway that Lakers can get Marion without giving up Odom and Walton?
How about Cook, Maurice Evans and Coby Karl?
Cook is a Shooting big guy, Mo is a high flyer and Coby Karl is a 3pt threat.

Sep.27 at 11:14 am

jbn74sb says:
As someone who loves to use stats to analyze players, it would seem that I would support Odom for Marion. But nothing could be further from the truth. Odom, if healthy (and that’s a big if) is a better, more versatile, player than Marion, and his skills and mindset are better suited for the 2nd man role than Marion’s.
If Marion is whining about the attention and shots he received in Phoenix, with Nash as the PG and perhaps most gracious and selfess star in the game, how on earth is he going to deal with LA, where it is all Kobe all the time?
Marion is a good player, and is perfectly suited for being the 3rd option on a good team, but I cannot see him getting his own shot. Odom, on the other hand, is bigger, taller, and stronger, a better ball handler, can get his own shot, is a better half-court player, and his personality seems to be a good foil for Kobe’s.
TO make a long story short, I wouldn’t trade Odom for Marion straight up, let alone add Cook (who is very limited, but effective at what he does), and I certainly wouldn’t give Marion anywhere near $20,000,000 per.
And eboy - my silence of late has been the result of my comments disappearing as soon as I type them on my work computer, not due to any nefarious activities. Pervert.
BTW - The Clippers are hosting an intra-squad scrimmage a few blocks from my house next Saturday, and I going with a friend who is a long-time Clippers fan and season ticket holder, aka a glutton for punishment. SHould be fun.

Sep.27 at 11:27 am

white hot eboy says:
Bodie, mine was more tame than Ryan’s take over in Khalid’s “Garden” piece.

Sep.27 at 1:17 pm

DaBomb says:
Adam- you may be the funniest person in the world right now, i almost laughed my ass off when you said that the Lakers might win a championship- Listen, a 7th grade girls basketball team has a better chance at winning a championship than the Lakers. Thanks for the laugh though

Sep.27 at 1:24 pm

DaBomb says:
Chronically_ill - you’re right, KG is a player to build a team around- if you’re a stuggling team that needs Kg- (ex, Boston) The Suns already had players to build a team around- Nash, Marion, and Amare. Kg is better than Marion but Marion is better on the suns than KG (i just don’t see KG and Amare gettin’ along). We already had a nucleus, and Suns had to blow it by trying to get a player that doesn’t fit in our system.

Sep.27 at 2:14 pm

data187 says:
trade matrix to the nets, odom to the jazz, ak47 to the lake show and rj to the suns.

Sep.27 at 2:42 pm

Allenp says:
That Trade seems to suck for the Lakers.

Sep.27 at 2:58 pm

Allenp says:
Russ, Nash’s big contract, $60 million if I’m not mistaken, came after his worse year in like five years. So it wasn’t like he signed a smaller deal to save the Suns money. He signed a much larger deal than anyone expected. I felt that neeeded to be said.

Sep.27 at 3:02 pm

Allenp says:
Marion got six years at $80 million on his last contract. That’s pretty similar to what Nash got. Nash got five years a $65 million and Marion was coming off a better year. Marion still complains a tad bit too much, but some of it is justified considering how many people believe he is only good because he plays with Steve Nash. That’s just not backed up by facts.

Sep.27 at 3:10 pm

Daniel Opoku says:
I’m guessing this has already been discussed and that we’re onto something completely different now, but I just would like to say that if Odom goes to PHX and they actually make him run at full speed he will be a beast

Sep.27 at 3:12 pm

Daniel Opoku says:
The only problem being of course is that they have Boris ‘The Baker Diaw’, who cn run the point forward very well. I’m not sure Odom is a huge upgrade on that, but a slight one nevertheless

Sep.27 at 3:18 pm

data187 says:
i think ak47 to the lake show is an upgrade over odom.
odom is injury prone and bad on defense.
the lakers don’t need more offense, they need more defense and ak47 brings that.
imagine how much better kobe would be on offense if ak47 guarded the bestt guard/forward on the other team.

Sep.27 at 3:18 pm

Myles Brown says:
Allenp is right about Nash’s contract. There was a time when people laughed at that deal. And are Shawn Marion threads the new Kobe threads?

Sep.27 at 3:28 pm

sjeeezy says:
win win situation for both clubs, reason being for the lakers they get a more aggresssive, all around, double double freak in marion, and alongside kobe, oh mayynnnee, but lets look at the suns, steve nash can turn lamar odom into an allstar, now look here nash at the 1, odom can play the 2,3, hell even the 4, amare at the 5, barbosa backing up nash, g.hil vet experience, if this all goes down, nba look out, cuz the sun isnt about to go down fo a while

Sep.27 at 4:01 pm

Nathan says:
I hate to say it but don’t trade Lamar you do that the lakers lose alot of momentum and attack when Kobe isn’t in the game. I mean yea, it would be great to see The Matrix in a Purple and Gold, but you trade Lamar you start back at the bottom of the pile. We Laker Fans don’t want that…

Sep.27 at 4:22 pm

jay says:
come on jerry…do the trade..asap!!! matrix and mamba….kobe can handle the rock. i like how the matrix can play without the ball. this will give kobe another athlete on the floor with him and if he has to ball handle a little more early in the game so be it. you have fisher now anyways…do the trade!!!!

Sep.27 at 5:29 pm

Allenp says:
The Lakers will suck with Shawn Marion, and they will suck horribly. At least Odom could post up on occasion. Shawn Marion’s success is dependent on the pace of the team moreso than any other guard he plays with. He needs uptempo, without it he will struggle.

Sep.27 at 6:40 pm

kobe says:
lol marions gonna get pissed playing wit kobe nash gives him the ball alot kobe wont at all

Sep.27 at 9:58 pm

RasheanMathis says:
So Marion is asking for a trade because he is TIRED OF HEARING HIS NAME IN TRADE RUMORS?? Quality UNLV education there.

Sep.27 at 10:10 pm

bootlace says:
If the Lakers get rid of Odom..whos gona be the second scoring option…Luke Walton???!?!?!?!??! Seriously, as much as I love Marion, hes not the type of player to benefit a talentless team as much as Odom. What Marion is really good at is fitting into a team with loads of stars and scoring options because his game is so diverse from the norm, so he can always find a way to contribute. Bad bad trade if this goes through.

Sep.28 at 12:53 am

Walter Olivera says:
Marion to the Lakers is a bad deal because Kobe is still going to take alot of shots.
Marion to the Jazz equals a chance to the NBA Finals, because AK-47 and Marion have great defesive abilities, but the difference is Marions offense. I think shawn and boozer, plus Deron, will be one of the greatest teams the Utah Jazz has ever had.

Sep.28 at 1:03 am

Ben Osborne says:
First comment for Myles: I wish you’d do more posts for us, but at least your comments are entertaining. Second comment for Myles: no love for KING?? Whitehot: the content/ad ratio in SLAM is like 60-40. Your estimate was exactly backwards (and not really appreciated). Bodie: we miss you, man.

Sep.28 at 4:52 am

ab_40 says:
odom and cook for marion. a big do it all guy and a big who can shoot the ball perfect fit for phoenix their system. And let’s see if marion can get his pippen on with the lakers. ok lakers add an 09 first round draft pick

Sep.28 at 5:32 am

tt says:
wth??!! odom can create shots for himself and is a good defensive palyer. marion needs to be spoon feed the ball..and we all know kobe will not be feeding anyone.

Sep.28 at 6:23 am

OneShot says:
Marion, Barbosa and some loose change for Kobe? I know, it’s crazy.

Sep.28 at 8:04 am

Matrix2Lakers says:
Matrix is more pippenisque than odom. approve the trade now buss!

Sep.28 at 9:16 am

white hot eboy says:
Ben, I did mean it to read 60/40 the other way. My bad. BTW, it was just an observation. Not a criticism. I know it costs money to run a mag, and that advertisers help move the ship. But almost every mainstream mag I read today is loaded down with ads, as opposed to when I was a teen back in the 80’s when mags were almost entirely content. If you thought I was slighting you guys, you must not know the love and appreciation I have for the SLAM brand. Or maybe my appearances here a million times a day are just misleading.

Sep.28 at 9:38 am

Ben Osborne says:
White hot, I am aware and appreciate your love for us, and it’s reciprocated. I was just annoyed at that particular (incorrect) observation.

Sep.28 at 9:42 am

white hot eboy says:
Sorry for the misunderstanding, Ben. As Eric Cartman would say “I love you guys”.

Sep.28 at 10:19 am

Chris O says:
I was hoping to post here and be like g-yeah, 187th! White hot got it instead. I’ll try again for the 211.

Sep.28 at 10:48 am

jbn74sb says:
Thanks Ben. For some unknown reason, as of late, my comments submitted on my work computer disappear into thin air.
Not to start any trouble, but I’ve got a bad feeling that Kobe isn’t going to show up on Monday, when the team gets together for media day and boards a plane to training camp. Of course the mainstream media appears to have no idea this date is approaching, focused as they are on the pennant races and the NFL. Should be interesting.

Sep.28 at 10:57 am

white hot eboy says:
Bodie, why wouldn’t he? If he still is holding out hope for a move to improve, wouldn’t he want to show the Lakers his full suppport? But then again, it’s your boy, so who knows…..

Sep.28 at 11:07 am

Ben Osborne says:
Bodie, sorry about your work computer issues. I thought you were the man at your office. I don’t want to divulge too many secrets, but I am extremely confident your boy will be at camp (would he skip media day? I guess it’s possible. But he’ll be at camp.)

Sep.28 at 11:11 am

white hot eboy says:
Ben Osbourne=modern day Deepthroat.

Sep.28 at 11:30 am

Tom says:
I think they should trade Marion FOR Kobe. Realistically, the Lakers would never do it, and Im sure the salaries dont match, but Kobe would LOVE to go to Phoenix with Nash and the crew. And it would teach Marion a lesson - careful what you wish for.

Sep.28 at 12:22 pm

bobby stew says:
I have a feeling Marion is going to have a lesson taught to him this season for sure. Whether or not he listens and learns is up to him. I would trad Marion for Granger and a first round pick easily.

Sep.28 at 12:23 pm

jbn74sb says:
Ben - Aside from in my in own mind, I am not the man at my office. I’m the man next to the man, and can’t exactly inquire as to why my 635 pro-kobe, anti-shaq messages don’t show up.
I wish you could/ would explain your confidence, but I won’t hold my breath - we’ve (okay, I’ve) been waiting to hear Ryan’s take on 24 all summer, and it’s fall now. If he does show up, he’s going to have to say something to pacify the media, or the story will hang over the neck of the franchise like Shaq’s contract over the Heat.
As for the Lakers improving, to the point that they are true contenders in the West, that is not likely to happen anytime soon. First, it is too early to get rid of Bynum, and he is their most tradeable asset. I’d have hated to see him go to Jersey in a package for Kidd, watch the Lakers not win a title within the next 3 years, have Kidd retire, and then watch Bynum drop 20, 12, and 2.5 a night. Not a good plan.
If, however, everyone stays/ gets healthy, the Lakers can push for the number 4 or 5 spot in the West, and I can live with that. And you never know - Nash, Duncan, and/or Nowitzki could get hurt, and the entire conference could open up. The Lakers roster is actually fairly deep and balanced, but there just isn’t one move they can make to contend. Looking back over 25-30 years, there hasn’t been a more satisfying team to root for in the NBA than the Lakers, so I’m not going to whine too much about having the best player and making the playoffs. Things could be much, much worse, and have been for every other franchise.

Sep.28 at 12:27 pm

white hot eboy says:
I guess Ryan’s deprogramming didn’t take.

Sep.28 at 12:31 pm

jbn74sb says:
No, eboy, it didn’t. It takes more than The Ryan Jones System (deprivation of sunshine, food, weightlifting, and subjection of video of stars with a nervous, childish, nailbiting habit) to break me down.

Sep.28 at 12:32 pm

white hot eboy says:
Lebron is good at basketball.

Sep.28 at 12:34 pm

jbn74sb says:
He has the potential to the best there ever was.

Sep.28 at 12:38 pm

white hot eboy says:
Potential is underrated.

Sep.28 at 12:43 pm

jbn74sb says:
Potential is overrated.

Sep.28 at 12:47 pm

white hot eboy says:
Potential sucks.

Sep.28 at 12:54 pm

jbn74sb says:
Eboy - What are these nitwits doing? Why isn’t there anything interesting to read on here today?

Sep.28 at 12:59 pm

white hot eboy says:
Bodie, I think they’re gearing up to actually start working next week once camps open. Shouldn’t be an excuse, but whatever…

Sep.28 at 5:33 pm

Chris O says:
I just really wanted this thing to hit 211 so I could claim the second most gangster comment space on the site (first going to 187). Marion’s ridiculous, he’ll have fun in LA when Kobe won’t give up the rock and Phil Jackson starts messing with his head.