Los Angeles Lakers: Is a 3-Team Trade the Answer?
As with many trades in the NBA, often, teams that want to make a deal have to bring in a third team in order to get a deal done.
Currently, three teams that have been rumored to be looking for a deal are the Nets, Celtics and Lakers.
Why not have a deal that includes all three teams?
It is well-known at this point that the Lakers are still exploring deals for Pau Gasol. Meanwhile, some people believe that a deal between the Celtics and Nets might make sense.
How about we take all three teams and make a deal that makes sense for everyone?
One deal that works out is one that I’ve yet to hear from any journalists.
Lakers Trade: Pau Gasol, Metta World Peace
Lakers Receive: Deron Williams, Mehmet Okur
Nets Trade: Deron Williams, Mehmet Okur, Brook Lopez
Nets Receive: Pau Gasol, Rajon Rondo
Celtics Trade: Rajon Rondo
Celtics Receive: Brook Lopez, Metta World Peace
To see how it all fits, click here.
So the big question is, why would these teams make this trade?
First, for the Lakers, they need a point guard badly. True, they would lose Pau Gasol, but getting back Deron Williams is a no-brainer, even if it means taking back Mehmet Okur.
For the Celtics, it’s clear that Danny Ainge isn’t fully confident in his young point guard and would love to trade for a young center with a bright future. While Gasol might be the more talented big man, Lopez has more youth and would be better for a rebuilding process. In addition, they pick up the sometimes crazy, occasionally useful Metta World Peace. Really, this is just to make the salaries work, so if the Celtics aren’t happy with World Peace, they can always use their amnesty.
Finally, there’s the Nets. Why trade away their biggest trade chip for Dwight?
Because it isn’t certain they’ll ever get Howard, and they can’t risk losing out on both Howard and Deron Williams. This way, the team gets back the young and talented Rajon Rondo, as well as getting one of the most versatile big men in the game with Pau Gasol. It may take them out of the Dwight Howard Sweepstakes, but with Rondo and Pau Gasol running pick-and-rolls all day, this team has the ability to win right away.
And best of all? Both stars are under contract for a while, so the Nets can grow as a team without any free-agency pressure looming.
It remains to be seen if any of these teams will take the risk of dealing their star players, but come the trade deadline, teams tend to get nervous and look to make a serious move.
Will this be a trade we could see come the deadline? I wouldn’t be surprised.
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NBA Rumors: Gilbert Arenas Not the Answer for Los Angeles Lakers
Gilbert Arenas would only distract the Los Angeles Lakers from their already uphill climb to the NBA Finals this season.
The 18-12 team has been through a lot this season with the Chris Paul rumors, Lamar Odom trade and more Pau Gasol trade rumors. Reportedly, those Gasol rumors have taken quite a toll on Gasol himself.
Adding Arenas is simply not the answer, yet the team held a private workout for him the other day just to see what kind of physical form he was in. The workouts were said to be productive for both sides, and now the Lakers have a decision on their hands.
It is no secret the Lakers need a point guard, as Derek Fisher and Steve Blake continue to be the team’s weakness on occasion. Arenas would help bolster that rotation, as well as add some consistent help scoring, assuming his positive workouts were actually a success.
However, Arenas’ ego and star mentality is something the Lakers do not need, and they should not be entertaining the idea of acquiring him.
His 50-game suspension for bringing guns into the locker room is an example of such an ego and his audacity to shock the public. Also, the fact that the Orlando Magic used their amnesty on him should say something.
Arenas only averaged eight points per game with the Magic, but his past of putting up 20+ points per game is what still entices the Lakers.
Those days are gone, as are the days of seeing actual consistent production from him on the court.
The Lakers will have a hard enough time contending for the NBA Finals in the top-heavy Western Conference. Doing that with another ego on the team would be a tall task.
Arenas’ reputation will proceed him if he heads to Los Angeles, and the team will benefit nothing from that.
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New York Knicks: Is Jeremy Lin the Answer for the Knicks at Point Guard?
When the New York Knicks signed Jeremy Lin this season, it was thought he would just be filling out their bench as one of the minimum salary players New York was forced to sign. But after last night, Lin proved he might be more than just a seat-warmer in the Knicks’ 99-92 win over the New Jersey Nets.
Lin ran the show effectively for New York, posting career highs with 25 points, seven assists, five rebounds and two steals. He gave the Knicks what they haven’t had all season: a point guard who can dictate the pace of their offense and keep it organized as well.
And he did all that against one of the premier point guards in the league: Deron Williams.
The Harvard grad is getting his chance to play in recent nights because of the three games in a row the Knicks have had to play. Coach Mike D’Antoni is trying not to over-exert his players with the compressed schedule and his bench is becoming more and more necessary as the season goes on.
But while New York waits for the return and eventual debut of Baron Davis, can we possibly consider Lin as the answer at point guard?
At this point, no.
One career day against the Nets and their top point guard isn’t enough to crown the Lin a starting NBA point guard, but it will certainly be enough to open people’s eyes to the fact that Lin has the potential to be one.
That type of thought process could be helped along greatly if he can perform like this against one of the NBA’s elite teams.
With this win over the Nets, he’s gained credibility as a guy who deserves to be here. Lin has earned the right to get more looks in the future considering the Knicks have yet to find the solution at point guard any place else. It’s a “wait and see” approach at this point, but it’s one that coach D’Antoni will be willing to take.
With his back against the wall, D’Antoni’s job might have been saved with the win last night. With all the talent and superstar power New York has on it’s roster, I find it incredible to see that it was Lin who might have saved his job and not one of his more famous teammates, Carmelo Anthony or Amar’e Stoudemire, amongst others.
Lin is quickly becoming a fan favorite because of his small stature and underdog persona that is naturally connected to one of the players who sit at the end of a NBA team’s bench. He will have the support of the Madison Square Garden faithful moving forward.
It just remains to be seen what Lin will actually do with this golden opportunity he’s created for himself. For the sake of the Knicks and their fans, let’s just hope he’s the diamond in the rough New York has been waiting for.
Just stay cautiously optimistic, Knicks fans.
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Los Angeles Lakers: Is Andrew Goudelock the Answer at Point Guard?
The Los Angeles Lakers have nothing to lose at the point guard position anymore.
As Derek Fisher approaches the end of his career and shows on a game-by-game basis that his old legs are not suitable enough to guard the best point guards in the league, the Lakers continue to look for options for someone to eventually replace Fish.
The Lakers have reportedly shown interest for Gilbert Arenas, but the answer to their point guard woes may be sitting right in front of their face.
With the way Andrew Goudelock has been playing in the last two games off the bench, the Lakers need to continue to unleash G-Lock and hope that he emerges as the successor to Fisher.
First of all, a guy like Arenas may be all but washed up. He’s had off-court problems throughout his career and the Lakers just don’t need that kind of baggage on their team.
He may just come to LA and be a complete bust.
For once the Lakers should promote from within instead of trying to pull a New York Yankees type of deal to fix their point guard situation.
Mike Brown has actually given Goudelock some minutes in the last two games and he has not disappointed at all.
He’s averaged 13.5 points per game and he’s shooting the ball extremely well. In both of those games he’s averaged over 20 minutes which goes to show that if Goudelock gets more playing time, he will provide an offensive boost for the Lakers.
He’s also shooting the ball more. In his most recent game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Goudelock shot the ball a career-high 10 times.
Although Goudelock doesn’t do much of anything else, like facilitate the offense with assists or grab rebounds, he’s only really played in two games. Give him a break.
He’s also had trouble on defense, but with Mike Brown as his head coach, he could develop into a solid defensive player.
Goudelock is not going to be Chris Paul overnight. He may never even be an All-Star. That’s fine. The Lakers don’t need him to do that.
All they have to have him do is be a spark offensively because the team has been a mess when they’ve had the ball. They’ve only reached the century mark once this season and this is well documented.
If Goudelock develops as an NBA player in the next few months (and let’s face it—game situations are the best way for a young guy to grow, and Andrew’s starting to get some playing time), the Lakers will get that offensive boost they need.
Never forget that Kobe Bryant also used to come off the bench back in the late 1990s and his successes in those kind of situations eventually gave him a starting nod.
Goudelock is like the boy born into a rich family. He got lucky he was drafted by such a great team with smart, high-IQ veterans. Being groomed by Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Fisher can only make him better.
The Lakers just have to give Goudelock a chance and let him shoot more. If it doesn’t work out, that’s fine. It’s better than blowing money on Arenas and having that plan backfire.
It’s just that the Lakers already have enough talent defensively to win plenty of games. For this reason, an elite point guard like Derrick Rose or Chris Paul is not a necessity, but a luxury. They just need an efficient guy who can score and play defense.
The way it’s looking for Goudelock after the past two games, the Lakers may have found their diamond in the rough.
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New York Knicks: Who Is the Answer at Point Guard?
One of the main themes of the New York Knicks season so far has been the point guard position. Ever since the departure—via the amnesty clause—of Chauncey Billups, a void has been left behind in the “floor general role.”
Presently, the Knicks have five potential starting point guards on their roster, having gone into the season with Toney Douglas in place. Performances have shown, though, that the position has yet to have been truly taken over and, with Baron Davis coming back from injury, D’Antoni and the Knicks will have a decision to make—be it short-term or for the long-haul—as to who should lead this title-hopeful team.
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Nuggets answer back, avenge Lakers loss
Danilo Gallinari scored 20 points, Ty Lawson had 17 points and 10 assists and the Denver Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Lakers 99-90 on Sunday night.
Nene had 13 points for the Nuggets, who avenged a three-point loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles less than 24 hours earlier.
Pau Gasol had 20 points and 11 rebounds and Andrew Bynum had 18 points and 16 rebounds for the Lakers. Kobe Bryant scored 16 points on 6-of-28 shooting.
After a seesaw battle for most of the final period, the Nuggets scored the final 11 points to pull out the win.
Gallinari scored two fast-break layups to give Denver a two-point lead with 2:07 left. After Gasol missed a short turnaround jumper, Lawson’s layup gave the Nuggets a 94-90 lead with 1:20 left.
Bryant missed a 3-pointer from the top of the circle and Harrington hit a 12-foot jumper to make it 96-90 with 49 seconds left.
The Lakers took a 90-88 lead on Bryant’s layup with 2:47 left and didn’t score again.
Trailing by 11 at halftime, the Lakers came out strong in the third quarter. Bynum scored seven points in the first four minutes, including a three-point play that tied it at 50-all.
Denver didn’t hit its first field goal of the second half until Lawson’s drive gave the Nuggets the lead back with 7:03 left. Gallinari followed with Denver’s first 3-pointer of the game to make it 55-50.
Denver’s lead grew to nine late in the third before the Lakers made another run to pull to 72-71 heading into the fourth.
Bryant missed his first five shots and committed two offensive fouls before sitting in the final minute of the first quarter. He returned midway through the second, hit a 3-pointer but missed his next four.
The Lakers team didn’t fare any better. Los Angeles missed its last 11 shots of the first half and shot just 32 percent at the break.
The Nuggets struggled from the field, too, missing all nine of their 3-point shots before the break, but they surged at the end of the second quarter. Leading 39-36, Al Harrington hit four free throws and had a nice interior pass to set up a dunk by Chris Andersen that helped Denver take a 47-36 lead at halftime.
NOTES: Denver was 2 for 18 from 3-point range. … The Lakers have played six games in the first eight days of the season, including three in three nights to open the schedule. … Lawson has scored in double figures in four of Denver’s first five games. … Denver came into Sunday second in scoring in the NBA but 24th in 3-point shooting.
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NBA Free Agents: Rip Hamilton Signing Isn’t the Answer for Chicago Bulls
The growing sentiment after Richard Hamilton was reported to be going to the Chicago Bulls was that it would catapult them past the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference this season.
But while Hamilton will be an upgrade at the shooting guard position, which the Bulls desperately needed, he’s not going to be the difference they need to get past the Heat.
Keep in mind that this has more to do with the Heat than the Bulls.
With the Hamilton signing, the Bulls will be an improved team and the 33-year-old will allow point guard Derrick Rose to get a little more breathing room driving to the bucket than last season.
But, despite all the hoopla about the Heat not winning the NBA championship last season, the fact of the matter is they deserved to be in the NBA Finals.
Who knows if they will ever win a title (especially with LeBron James‘ late-game woes), but they were clearly better than the Bulls last season.
Even adding Hamilton will likely not close the gap enough for the Bulls to get past the Heat, especially since they lost four games to one in the Eastern Conference Finals.
You also have to worry about the aging Carlos Boozer, who shot 43 percent from the field in the playoffs last season, including 40 percent in the conference finals.
There’s also center Joakim Noah, who suffered a serious ankle injury last season, forcing him to miss 34 games. There’s always the chance that Noah, especially given his furious style of play, could re-aggravate that injury this season. In my mind, it would be hard for me to see him not re-aggravating it at some point.
But beyond all of this, you have to understand that Hamilton is not the All-Star he used to be. He turns 34 years old in February and he shot under 43 percent last season with the Detroit Pistons.
Hamilton is highly regarded in the league, but his signing is not going to be enough to propel the Bulls past the Heat.
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Duke Basketball: 5 Questions the Blue Devils Need To Answer After OSU Drubbing
Duke doesn’t lose often, let alone get blown out like they did last night against Ohio State.
After an early run that pulled the Blue Devils even with the Buckeyes, it was all OSU.
What had looked like a confident group in Maui that was gelling in the new season now looked confused and slow (jet lag from their return from Hawaii?).
Coach K’s classic post-game words sum up an awful night in Columbus:
“I’ve had my butt kicked before,” Krzyzewski said. “We’ve kicked some butt. Tonight my butt’s sore.”
Coming out of last night’s 22-point loss, here are five questions that Coach K and the Blue Devils need to answer to get back on track:
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NBA Trade Rumors: Dwight Howard Isn’t the Answer to LA Lakers’ Problems
Lakers fans have been wetting themselves over a potential Dwight Howard deal, but the league’s best center won’t solve L.A.’s issues.
Although I love Derek Fisher, the Lakers desperately need an upgrade at point guard. And unless they get one, the twilight of Kobe Bryant‘s career will be mired in mediocrity.
The 37-year-old Fisher should be commended endlessly for helping to save the season (thank you, thank you, thank you), but let’s not forget just how awful he was last year.
Of all point guards who appeared in at least 40 games, only six had a worse Player Efficiency Rating than Fisher. His P.E.R of 8.93 ranked behind guys like Carlos Arroyo, T.J. Ford and Earl Watson.
Simply put, if you can’t outproduce somebody whose Wikipedia page is shorter than this article, you shouldn’t be in the league anymore.
Fisher played 32.5 minutes per game in the 2011 playoffs because of his experience and Horry-esque mastery of crunch time. However, he spent most of his playing time getting his ancient ankles broken by Chris Paul and J.J. Barea.
The speedy point guards put on a dribble penetration clinic against the Lakers, exposing Fisher’s weaknesses possession after possession.
The Lakers need to bring in a young, talented point guard to replace Fisher or this will continue to happen. Unfortunately for L.A., they don’t have many options.
This year’s crop of free agent point guards is just awful. Guys like, well, Carlos Arroyo, T.J. Ford and Earl Watson aren’t exactly franchise saviors.
L.A. will have to be active in the trade market if they want to get someone of value. Sacrificing some of their size would hurt, but it would be worth it if it brought in Chris Paul or Deron Williams.
A deal for Dwight Howard would undoubtedly boost morale out in Hollywood, but it won’t cure their sickness.
It doesn’t matter what other roster changes they make.
If the Lakers don’t upgrade at point guard, they will be treated to another early exit from the playoffs.
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Toronto Raptors: How Deron Williams Could Be the Team’s Answer at Point Guard
The NBA players union has filed a disclaimer of interest, which allowed it to file an antitrust lawsuit against the NBA. The cases were consolidated in Minnesota this, the site of NFL’s lawsuit, assuming any decision would be more favourable to the players unlike in New York.
This lawsuit seems to have the desired effect, the players and owners are back at the bargaining table and again there is hope that a deal could be reached in time to allow games in time for Christmas.
To date, most casual fans haven’t even noticed the NBA is on strike. However, diehard fans are missing their basketball as we approach what should be Week 4 of the NBA season.
Those in Toronto, though, are left trying to decide what is the lesser of two evils. No one wants to see the cancellation of the entire season, but on the other hand, the Raptors are in for a long season, if and when, it starts.
Bryan Colangelo was the member of a panel at the 2011 Sports Management Conference last week and discussed the future of the Raptors. He spoke about building for the future and the possibility of having as much as $24 million in salary cap space next summer.
Toronto has approximately $34 million committed to seven players in 2012-13. As well as a $2.9 million caphold for Jonas Valanciunas, presumably, a similar caphold for their 2012 first-round pick, Jerryd Bayless would attract a $4.1 million qualifying offer and a team option for Solomn Alabi at a rate of $890,000.
Also, the new collective bargaining agreement is widely expected to have an amnesty clause, allowing each team to waive one player, at any point in time, during the length of the new CBA. The likely candidates to be waived by the Raptors are Jose Calderon or Linas Kleiza.
Calderon is set to make $10.5 million in 2012-13. If he were the player selected this would provide even more salary cap relief for the team in what could be a strong free-agent class. A few of the top players who might be available that summer include Chris Paul, Dwight Howard and Deron Williams.
It is widely believed that Paul will join the Knicks, provided the team has enough cap space to sign him. Rumors have been circulating for months on where Howard will land, as he has declined to sign an extension with the Magic. The rumor mill has been rather quiet when it comes to Williams, though.
Williams was traded by the Utah Jazz to the New Jersey, soon to Brooklyn, Nets without so much of a hint that the team was interested in moving him. The Nets surrendered Devin Harris, Derrick Favors and two future first-round draft picks in order to acquire him. However, this might turn out to be a year-and-a-half rental.
Assuming Williams opts out of the final year of his contract there is no telling where he may end up.
He was selected third overall in the 2005 NBA draft and will turn 28 next summer. It is unlikely he wants to be part of a long rebuild. Williams is a top five point guard in the league and in the prime of his career.
The knock on Toronto has always been that star players don’t want to come here. It’s a foreign country, it’s cold and we don’t have ESPN. I don’t see any of that as a deterrent should the team wish to pursue Williams.
Toronto will likely have the money to offer him a max-contract, whatever that may be under the terms of the new CBA. And Williams is spending his time during the lockout playing in Turkey for Besiktas Milangaz. If he is willing to go to Turkey to play basketball I can see no reason why he wouldn`t come to the Raptors, who will be able to pay him just as much as anyone else.
The question then becomes why would he want to join a team that only won 22 games last year?
The answer is this team has potential.
Toronto hired Dwayne Casey, the defensive architect behind the NBA champion Dallas Mavericks., selected what looks like the steal of the 2011 draft in Valanciunas, have a solid young core of players and will likely have another top 5 draft pick in what is set to be one of the deepest drafts in the last decade.
David Thorpe of ESPN recently wrote an article where he broke down the best fits for prospective lottery picks. He believes that the best choice for the Raptors come draft time is Harrison Barnes.
Barnes is a 6`8″ small forward out of North Carolina. He is a good shooter and a solid defensive player. There is no question Barnes would plug the gaping hole the Raptors have had at the three-spot over the years.
Imagine a starting lineup of Williams, Barnes, Valanciunas, Andrea Bargnani and DeMar DeRozan. Depending on each player`s individual development Bargnani could end up being the worst player in the starting five.
Despite how much Raptor fans love to bash Bargnani, as he hasn`t lived up to his No. 1 overall selection, there is no question he has talent and is capable of starting for an NBA team.
If this team were to bond right away and develop the chemistry needed to be a winning team, there is no question Toronto would be back in the playoffs in 2013. Not as a seven or eight seed either. This team could legitimately win the Atlantic Division.
Therefore, if the NBA and its players are able to reach an agreement in the next week or so, I hope Colangelo sticks to his long-term plan and doesn`t spend aimlessly. Preserve the team`s cap space so that Toronto can have the opportunity to sign a game-changing player.
The league is becoming run by point guards. As a result, it is imperative to have a dynamic player leading your team. Colangelo vastly improved his team in Phoenix with the addition of Steve Nash and I believe Williams could have a similar impact on the Toronto Raptors.
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