Comments on: Report: Lakers, Nuggets have preliminary Carmelo Anthony talks

By: hnirobert3

hnirobert3 — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 13:07:35 +0000

maybe that’s the plan… get melo now to extend kobe’s career, deal with having pau play center for a year and half, then go out and get howard. so you’d have howard, pau, melo and an aging but still effective kobe in his twilight years.

By: passerby23

passerby23 — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 01:43:22 +0000

This is a Laker team built to win right now. They have a window of this year and maybe next year. Who cares about what Melo can do in 3 years? Melo will be 3 years older, while the rest of the Laker core already has a lot of mileage. They don’t have the money to give him anyway. If he walks this summer, the trade would be wasted anyway.

You’ve also got to be concerned with chemistry at this point in the year – acclimating Anthony into the triangle offense and blending in with Bryant. Even if they were to click and he learned the triangle, the issue for the Lakers won’t be offense but can they rebound and stop people? Suddenly, the Lakers become a lot more beatable by teams like Dallas whose greatest concern is the size of the Lakers. I don’t think this deal makes any sense if there is anything serious at all on the table.

By: borderline1988

borderline1988 — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 22:11:27 +0000

Great post. You’re 100% right.
I actually think that this deal is really, really stupid for the Lakers. Bynum is injury-prone, but I don’t even think I wold sign Carmelo as a free agent (on the Lakers), let alone trading your starting center, whose defense is what will make or break a chance at a 3rd straight championship.
The Lakers need a shakeup, but not that kind of shakeup. The only way you would trade Bynum is if you’d get a quality defensive big man in return…the Lakers cannot makeup Bynum’s rebounding and defense

By: sixers25

sixers25 — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 21:49:31 +0000

How can reject a trade that gives you a top 10 player? You mention money being tied up but with Bynum’s knees at his size even though he is only 23 if you had to bet money on whether he or Melo is going to be healthy come playoff time you have to bet on Melo. If you were to bet money on who would be more productive 3 years from now you would have to bet Melo. A front line of Odom and Gasol is nothing to sneeze at and pairing that with Melo would make the Lakers unguardable. Yes they would need defensive help but you can use the logjam at 3 to make a trade for a big man. Or if they don’t make a trade they could just go small a lot more. No one in the West is that big and scary anymore. In fact if the trade goes through the only team with significant size in the conference would be Denver. San Antonio has Duncan and a bunch of undersized power forwards, the Thunder don’t have a post presence, the Mavs low post threat is Dirk, Big Al isn’t scaring anyone in Utah so how would they get hurt in conference. The lack of size might be an issue against the Celtics but Shaq is a 20 min a game guy, KG is a jump shooter now, Perkins can’t score, Big Baby is just a role player and the other O’Neal is a corpse.
Its pretty rare to make a deal that helps you for the immediate future and the next five years so don’t let Andrew freakin Bynum change your mind.

By: eazye76

eazye76 — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 21:33:59 +0000

They can’t trade Bynum. Even if he is hurt all the time they need a big guy if they want more championships in the Kobe era. Keep the team like it is and try for Howard/Griffen/Love in the next few years.

By: loungefly74

loungefly74 — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 19:18:42 +0000

Bingo. you nailed it. Absolutely agree. It would be a bad move IF Bynum had to go…

By: passerby23

passerby23 — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 18:12:12 +0000

Despite adding more offensive firepower, I don’t see how this trade benefits the Lakers. First of all, what makes them dominant (when they’re on their game) is their huge frontline. Take out Bynum and it’s now an average and exploitable frontcourt. Second of all, Anthony is a ball-dominating player who needs touches and shots, much like Bryant does. There is only one ball to go around. What happens to Artest and Barnes if Anthony is logjamming the 3 spot? Lastly, Anthony has never been known for his defensive prowess so it’s hard to see how this improves them in that area.

The other issue is what to do with Anthony when his contract expires at the end of the season. He’s going to want a max deal. Do you give max money to Bryant, Gasol, Odom, Anthony, plus what’s left on Artest’s deal? The Lakers are already aging, so do you want to tie up more money?

By: hnirobert3

hnirobert3 — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 17:44:14 +0000

Good move by Lakers if they can make it happen. They need someone to carry the torch once Kobe retires. Getting Melo will also extend Kobe’s shelf life.

By: loungefly74

loungefly74 — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 17:43:50 +0000

hmmm…even with his history of injuries, i’d hate to give up bynum. a perfect scenario for laker fans would be artest/walton for melo!