So whats the Big Deal About Bynum,
- Thread starter blooo
- Start date
he's a BIG convenient excuse why not...
when andrew bynum comes back, i would inform tobe that he's free to walk.
with a front court of:
andrew bynum (assumed healthy)
pau gasol
lamar odom
and the burden of tobe's HIGHLY UNDESERVED and OVER BLOATED contract gone, they could have their pick of TRUE SG free agents to make a LEGIT run at the NBA finals again.
with the cancer gone, team morale would improve, the triangle could run to perfection, and the sky would be the limit.
only problem would be coach jackson's age. i don't think he would want to invest 2 more years having to start over with new pieces learning the triangle.
I think Tex Winter's age is the bigger issue. (being that he is the one that really coaches the squad.)
A big body that WANTS to play in the paint can cover alot of mistakes. Bynum is not the relentless rebounder that Rodamn was (with Jordan) or Mutumbo was (in Philly with Iverson), but he wants to win and knows more of what it takes to win than his non college attending teammate
Bynum didn't go to college either. Shit he barley played high school basketball. Please explain what you mean by that brah. Maybe it's to early for me still and i misread this
Before he got hurt Bynum had turned into a very good player and thats what ha people singing his praises but when Bynum first comes back he's gonna be the Bynum he was prior to this season maybe he'll return to this seasons version or maybe not, some players can't get over big injuries mentally so people will just have to wait and see how he responds to it
Bynum didn't go to college either. Shit he barley played high school basketball. Please explain what you mean by that brah. Maybe it's to early for me still and i misread this
My statement about college isn't about playing ball, it's about growing up and learning from your mistakes. Neither player went to college. But Bynum DID sit for an entire season next to Phil plus he got big man schooling from the Big Aristole himself. So he got a small form of education from some very good sources that not many players get. Also, Bynum seems to exhibit a openmindedness about himself. He's not afraid to make fun of himself in front of a large audience. Dwight Howard is the same way. They're the kinds of people who become better human beings, much less basketball players. And they'll bring others along for the ride. Both men seem more in tune with that Zen philosophy that Jackson teaches.....
Whereas the other non college dude is on some bullshit ego trip and only gives a damn about himself. He clearly will put his own needs above the needs of the team on an ONGOING basis even if it's detrimental to it (but I don't want or need to go into that)
hasn't Kobe already won 3 times?
Not falling for that
I'm not going to get into why a grown man is worried about why another man is the way he is, lol.
The Big Aristole or Aristotle? If we are referring to Shaq, AB didn't play with Shaq. Now maybe you know something different and maybe they trained together during the off season, but being that train and off season never has been Shaqs thing, I doubt it, but I may be wrong.
One of the main reasons Bynum has improved is because he worked out during the season and off season with Kareem. He wasn't going to learn ANY offensive moves from Shaq.
I'm not going to go into the Kobe bashing which seems to be very popular as of late. Every great player has a nasty/mean streak. It's all about what gets play in the media. Don't be fooled into thinking that Jordan, Magic, Shaq or who ever are just great people who you can have hours of fun bull shitting with. They "played ball" with the media and the media took care of them period.
so you think they should pick up a solid SG instead of the one outstanding great SG they already have on the team?
1. We are talking about sports and sports personalities, that's why. The question of the TOPIC is about another mans' deal. That's why. But even if it wasn't the topic, I can look OBJECTIVELY at a player's actions, then listen to what he/she says and make a determination whether that person is being honest or being full of shit with what they say in public.
One thing I have learned in my life from playing basketball, is you can almost determine if a person is generous or selfish by how he plays. If a cat is willing to dish the rock, he's more than likely a giver. And the opposite is usually true abut chuckers.
2. I'm wrong about Shaq. Not even afraid to admit it. But if Bynum works out with Jabbar, then that just reiterates my point even more so. Since Kareem has even more to teach a youngster about basketball than Shaq does. I say this again, Bynum seems like a brotha that would seek out knowledge to try and better himself (please notice that SEEMS is ITALICIZED because I do not know that for sure. It is all just speculation). But the news about his off season workouts sort of prove my case as well doesn't it?
3. I don't give a flying fuck about spelling or punctuation. I got no time to worry about that bullshit. Now to appease one mother fucca, I gotta go back and edit all the fuccing mistakes. I hate that shit.
4. None of them mofos matter to me. Ain't one of them putting money in my pocket. It's all just for conversation sake. And for your information, I happen to LIKE Bryant (a little). But I'm being objective. Despite all the talent, he's not the brightest bulb on a basketball court is he? MAYBE that has to do with his personality.
5. I hate all this fucing typing
Look Run I'm not starting shit with you but I just wanted to make sure we were talking about Shaq. If I had assumed that and you come back and tell me you're talking about someone else then I would look silly . I just wanted my facts straight, hence all the disclaimers in my last statement.
I can dig what you're saying and being a ex hooper I got you. But I wouldn't say Kobe's basketball IQ ( which I assume is the same thing you were talking about when you mentioned "brightest bulb") is sub par.
Maybe he gets to excited, maybe he out thinks the game, may be he's confident or maybe he's over confident I don't know....
. I just wanted my facts straight, hence all the disclaimers in my last statement. I can dig what you're saying and being a ex hooper I got you. But I wouldn't say Kobe's basketball IQ ( which I assume is the same thing you were talking about when you mentioned "brightest bulb") is sub par.
Maybe he gets to excited, maybe he out thinks the game, may be he's confident or maybe he's over confident I don't know....
are you talking about the dude that shot 40% in the finals?
you're using "outstanding great" to describe a player that goes 7-22 FGAs in a NBA finals closeout game?
yeah, can't use logic is most definitely right.
Before he got hurt, Sam Bowie had turn into a very good player. With or without Bynum this team could not beat the Celtics and won;t be able to next year. Retire Phil, 9 rings is good, you will never win with Kobe.
Another question to ask: can Kobe win without Phil?
Yeah after watching Game 2 i thought the Lakers were gonna get swept, Bynum had turned into a good player but i never saw him as a strong defensive presence which is what the Lakers needed
naw, im talking bout the nigga thats the MVP. the nigga that scored 81 pts in a game. the nigga thats a 3 time NBA Champ. yea, that nigga.
lemme ask you a question. if you were gonna trade him, who the hell would you pick up and why?
Bynum is a good inside presence...i think he was averaging like 2 bpg this season..
Something's wrong, that's for sure. But I don't really wanna discuss Kobe anyway. We got enough Kobe threads. More than enough to discuss his merits (or lack of them)
Must admit, I was skeptical about Bynum at first. Couldn't understand what all the fuss was about myself. What impressed me about the young man was how he handled himself AGAINST Shaq. I think it was the Christmas Day game. Even though Shaq eventually took him to school, he showed me a level of maturity that most 19 years olds (or whatever he was at the time) don't have. I knew if he had any desire to rebound at all (most bigs are lazy as hell), he'd be on a winning team eventually (at the time the Lakers were not a playoff caliber team)
Just wanna say, Bynum had 4 points and 9 rebounds first time he played up against Perkins... Perk had 21 points and matched the 9 rebounds...
Second game... he had 8 points and 2 rebounds Perk had 7 points, 7 rebounds.
He woulda got squash in the Playoffs, too. 6-2 against L.A. this year... it aint a fluke.
Chris Webber was 3 times the player Bynum is right now, and look what a Knee injury did to his career...
[FLASH]http://www.gritalian.com/Sig2.swf[/FLASH]
Second game... he had 8 points and 2 rebounds Perk had 7 points, 7 rebounds.
He woulda got squash in the Playoffs, too. 6-2 against L.A. this year... it aint a fluke.
Chris Webber was 3 times the player Bynum is right now, and look what a Knee injury did to his career...
[FLASH]http://www.gritalian.com/Sig2.swf[/FLASH]
What's next for the Lakers?
By Mike Bresnahan, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
June 19, 2008
Now what?
Somewhere between a staggering 131-92 loss to Boston and the start of training camp in early October, the Lakers will reconfigure their roster, though it doesn't figure to be drastic or franchise-shifting.
Kobe Bryant will still be here in the fall, as will Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, but there are some decisions to make, none of which will be solved in next Thursday's NBA draft (the Lakers have only a second-round pick, 58th overall).
Coach Phil Jackson referred to any forthcoming changes as "incremental," not sweeping, which makes sense for a team that was two victories from a championship despite going five months without its most intimidating defensive presence.
The main issues awaiting the Lakers are Bynum's contract extension and Lamar Odom's future with the team.
The Lakers must also decide whether to re-sign Sasha Vujacic and Ronny Turiaf, who become restricted free agents July 1, giving the Lakers the right to match any offer sheet Vujacic or Turiaf sign with another team.
Bynum, 20, will be in the last season of a four-year rookie contract but can sign a five-year extension before Oct. 31 that keeps him under contract through 2013-14, a total of six seasons.
He has not played since Jan. 13 and is not expected to begin jogging for two more weeks after having cartilage debris removed from his left knee and rough spots on the underside of his kneecap smoothed out in a May 21 procedure.
The Lakers are expected to wait and see how Bynum looks in training camp before signing him to an extension. If they don't sign him by the end of October, he becomes a restricted free agent in July 2009, though the Lakers are then able to match any offer sheet he signs with another team.
Bynum was on the verge of a breakout season, averaging 13.1 points and 10.2 rebounds a game, numbers aided by six dominant games in January in which he averaged 17.3 points and 12.2 rebounds before getting hurt by coming down on Odom's left foot while reaching back for a rebound.
In an interview toward the end of the regular season, Bynum said he wanted to stay with the team and did not necessarily expect a maximum contract extension of about $80 million."I just want to be a Laker," he said. "As long as they treat me right, it doesn't matter. It doesn't have to be max [money] for me. I just want to be able to live comfortably and take care of my family."
Odom, 28, has fewer options.
He will be in the last year of a contract that pays him $14.1 million next season and is essentially a more palatable version of Kwame Brown, an expiring contract who can actually catch an entry pass and fill a stat sheet, though not always consistently.
Odom and Gasol showed high-level cohesion over the last two months of the regular season and through most of the playoffs but were soundly outplayed by the Celtics' frontcourt in the Finals.
Odom said he wanted to "get better this summer individually" and also hoped the Lakers came back with a feistier attitude next season.
"Get stronger, get nastier," he said. "It's called a disposition, just to carry yourself a certain way throughout the game. I think [Boston] did a better job of that, playing a certain way for a longer period of time."
If the Lakers trade Odom, they could bring in more consistent outside shooting, especially if they lose Vujacic to free agency. Memphis swingman Mike Miller would be a snug fit for the offense, though the Grizzlies are probably done dealing with the Lakers after being publicly ridiculed for trading Gasol to them in February.
The Lakers could also use a defensive presence in the frontcourt other than Bynum, which Jackson has referred to from time to time.
"The only missing part that I've always consistently said is we need a head-banger, we need a tough guy on this team," Jackson said after signing a two-year extension with the Lakers a month into this season.
On Tuesday, after the six-game ouster in the Finals became official, Jackson said the Lakers had to "get some players if we're going to come back and repeat, to have that kind of aggressiveness that we need."
Vujacic emerged as a dependable shooter halfway through the regular season and at times in the playoffs. He will draw more interest in the free-agent market than Turiaf.
Jason Kapono, a veteran shooter who is somewhat comparable to Vujacic in ability, signed a four-year, $24-million contract last summer with Toronto. The Lakers might part with that kind of money to keep Vujacic, who sounded as if he wanted to stay when asked about the Lakers' future.
"I think next year, especially with Andrew and the same group, we won't be short two games like we were this year, I can guarantee you that," he said. "Personally, I'm going to work myself really hard in the gym all summer. We want to win it."
Vujacic, 24, made $1.8 million this season. Turiaf, 25, earned a relatively low $770,610.
Trevor Ariza could also test the free-agent market by declining a one-year, $3.1-million player option for next season, though he is not expected to do so. Chris Mihm is expected to exercise a player option to return next season for $2.5 million.
Ira Newble and DJ Mbenga are unrestricted free agents who have only a slight chance of returning. Fan favorite Coby Karl will return if the team picks up a one-year option worth $712,000.
Luke Walton (five more years, $26 million) and Vladimir Radmanovic (three more years, $19.4 million) have weighty contracts that will be difficult to move.
About the only thing the Lakers don't have to worry about this summer is Bryant.
He has three years left on his contract, though he can opt out of it after next season.
Bryant, who turns 30 in August, was angry after the Game 6 embarrassment -- "The goal was to win a championship . . . From that aspect, we failed," he said -- but also found some kind words for the Lakers' future.
"No, we're fine," he said when asked if the team needed an off-season shake-up. "I think what we have to do is continue to work, and that's really the key, is understanding that this [Finals appearance] isn't guaranteed to anybody. There's people who have gotten here before and never gotten back, so it's important for us to understand that, to work hard and come back next year ready to go."
By Mike Bresnahan, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
June 19, 2008
Now what?
Somewhere between a staggering 131-92 loss to Boston and the start of training camp in early October, the Lakers will reconfigure their roster, though it doesn't figure to be drastic or franchise-shifting.
Kobe Bryant will still be here in the fall, as will Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, but there are some decisions to make, none of which will be solved in next Thursday's NBA draft (the Lakers have only a second-round pick, 58th overall).
Coach Phil Jackson referred to any forthcoming changes as "incremental," not sweeping, which makes sense for a team that was two victories from a championship despite going five months without its most intimidating defensive presence.
The main issues awaiting the Lakers are Bynum's contract extension and Lamar Odom's future with the team.
The Lakers must also decide whether to re-sign Sasha Vujacic and Ronny Turiaf, who become restricted free agents July 1, giving the Lakers the right to match any offer sheet Vujacic or Turiaf sign with another team.
Bynum, 20, will be in the last season of a four-year rookie contract but can sign a five-year extension before Oct. 31 that keeps him under contract through 2013-14, a total of six seasons.
He has not played since Jan. 13 and is not expected to begin jogging for two more weeks after having cartilage debris removed from his left knee and rough spots on the underside of his kneecap smoothed out in a May 21 procedure.
The Lakers are expected to wait and see how Bynum looks in training camp before signing him to an extension. If they don't sign him by the end of October, he becomes a restricted free agent in July 2009, though the Lakers are then able to match any offer sheet he signs with another team.
Bynum was on the verge of a breakout season, averaging 13.1 points and 10.2 rebounds a game, numbers aided by six dominant games in January in which he averaged 17.3 points and 12.2 rebounds before getting hurt by coming down on Odom's left foot while reaching back for a rebound.
In an interview toward the end of the regular season, Bynum said he wanted to stay with the team and did not necessarily expect a maximum contract extension of about $80 million."I just want to be a Laker," he said. "As long as they treat me right, it doesn't matter. It doesn't have to be max [money] for me. I just want to be able to live comfortably and take care of my family."
Odom, 28, has fewer options.
He will be in the last year of a contract that pays him $14.1 million next season and is essentially a more palatable version of Kwame Brown, an expiring contract who can actually catch an entry pass and fill a stat sheet, though not always consistently.
Odom and Gasol showed high-level cohesion over the last two months of the regular season and through most of the playoffs but were soundly outplayed by the Celtics' frontcourt in the Finals.
Odom said he wanted to "get better this summer individually" and also hoped the Lakers came back with a feistier attitude next season.
"Get stronger, get nastier," he said. "It's called a disposition, just to carry yourself a certain way throughout the game. I think [Boston] did a better job of that, playing a certain way for a longer period of time."
If the Lakers trade Odom, they could bring in more consistent outside shooting, especially if they lose Vujacic to free agency. Memphis swingman Mike Miller would be a snug fit for the offense, though the Grizzlies are probably done dealing with the Lakers after being publicly ridiculed for trading Gasol to them in February.
The Lakers could also use a defensive presence in the frontcourt other than Bynum, which Jackson has referred to from time to time.
"The only missing part that I've always consistently said is we need a head-banger, we need a tough guy on this team," Jackson said after signing a two-year extension with the Lakers a month into this season.
On Tuesday, after the six-game ouster in the Finals became official, Jackson said the Lakers had to "get some players if we're going to come back and repeat, to have that kind of aggressiveness that we need."
Vujacic emerged as a dependable shooter halfway through the regular season and at times in the playoffs. He will draw more interest in the free-agent market than Turiaf.
Jason Kapono, a veteran shooter who is somewhat comparable to Vujacic in ability, signed a four-year, $24-million contract last summer with Toronto. The Lakers might part with that kind of money to keep Vujacic, who sounded as if he wanted to stay when asked about the Lakers' future.
"I think next year, especially with Andrew and the same group, we won't be short two games like we were this year, I can guarantee you that," he said. "Personally, I'm going to work myself really hard in the gym all summer. We want to win it."
Vujacic, 24, made $1.8 million this season. Turiaf, 25, earned a relatively low $770,610.
Trevor Ariza could also test the free-agent market by declining a one-year, $3.1-million player option for next season, though he is not expected to do so. Chris Mihm is expected to exercise a player option to return next season for $2.5 million.
Ira Newble and DJ Mbenga are unrestricted free agents who have only a slight chance of returning. Fan favorite Coby Karl will return if the team picks up a one-year option worth $712,000.
Luke Walton (five more years, $26 million) and Vladimir Radmanovic (three more years, $19.4 million) have weighty contracts that will be difficult to move.
About the only thing the Lakers don't have to worry about this summer is Bryant.
He has three years left on his contract, though he can opt out of it after next season.
Bryant, who turns 30 in August, was angry after the Game 6 embarrassment -- "The goal was to win a championship . . . From that aspect, we failed," he said -- but also found some kind words for the Lakers' future.
"No, we're fine," he said when asked if the team needed an off-season shake-up. "I think what we have to do is continue to work, and that's really the key, is understanding that this [Finals appearance] isn't guaranteed to anybody. There's people who have gotten here before and never gotten back, so it's important for us to understand that, to work hard and come back next year ready to go."