Comments on: Pau Gasol says a trade seems more likely this season after being sent back to the bench

By: kiwi94

kiwi94 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 23:49:30 +0000

Dantoni’s throwing all of his eggs in Howard’s basket. He’s playing sides and views Howard as the organization’s highest priority. Anything he can to keep the job next year.

By: paleihe

paleihe — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 21:21:27 +0000

Gasol definitely deserves better.

By: spthegr8

spthegr8 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 20:48:21 +0000

@jed
I know you are a clipper fan, which means we typically dont see eye to eye. But you HIT the nail right on the head!!!! Couldn’t be more right!!!

By: dirtyvu

dirtyvu — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 19:10:48 +0000

finally, D’Antoni is doing what he should’ve done all along. what Phil Jackson did with Gasol and Bynum. Phil couldn’t get them to perform well together so he stuck Bynum to anchor the second team. And that worked out great. The second unit was barely a dropoff at all. In fact, the second unit would often dominate the second unit of the other team with Bynum and Odom. There not enough room to operate with 2 big men in the middle. It took D’Antoni how long to realize this? I know he was trying to keep Gasol from melting down and crying about it. But he’s being paid so much so you should be able to do whatever you want him to do. For that much money, he could be the waterboy.

By: mogogo1

mogogo1 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 18:25:16 +0000

The Gasol situation is just one symptom of the bigger disease, which is the Lakers’ complete dysfunction and lack of direction. Having two quality bigs should be a strength for them, only it’s become a weakness because D’Antoni can’t figure out how to get them work together. They don’t play defense which would spell their doom in the playoffs even if they found a way to make it into them. And the grand plan on offense is to go the whole season outrunning younger teams with a collection of old and tired guys?

By: 00maltliquor

00maltliquor — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 17:13:24 +0000

You’re lucky!!

In other sports one team you cheer for wins the World Series and the other likely to win the Superbowl ( I’m going for the Niners, my older brother is a massive fan, and it’s been a long time for him).

The Lakers were my only sanctuary, my other team is the Raiders and they suck worse then the Lakers! I haven’t had a winning season with them dang near my entire adult life!

By: franchiseplaya

franchiseplaya — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:58:59 +0000

The time is now for the Lakers, not the future. the lakers will always reload and find a way to get big name players. having said that, i think dwight is the one that needs to go. pau is a more skilled big man, his outside shooting touch is better and his FT % is better than howard. he may not bring as much defensively but i still think hes more versatile than howard. Also at this point, how do we know that howard will improve much more over his ailing back? maybe for him this is 100%. the lakers need to look past howard as the future face of the franchise.

By: davidly

davidly — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:13:08 +0000

If he really wants to be traded, he’d keep quiet and strive for solid games regardless. Bickering and playing mediocre-to-substandard off the bench isn’t good for him or the team, whether they end up trading him or not.

By: voiceofreason6

voiceofreason6 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 14:38:14 +0000

Howard not showing me much these days. Bench him for a bit.

By: omniusprime

omniusprime — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 13:54:38 +0000

I’m sick and tired of Dumbtoni trying to blame Pau instead of his worthless coaching and ignorant small ball system for the Laker’s losses and poor play. Pau is great at playing power forward, making him the backup center so Earl Clark can start instead is truly stupid.

Howard is more of a problem than Gasol. Kobe had to verbally kick Howard in the behind last night to play harder. Why didn’t Dumbtoni do his own dirty work telling Howard to play harder? Because Dumbtoni is a coward and an idiot.

Ancient Nash looked ancient last night against the Bulls as little Nate Robertson made Steve look like an old fool who doesn’t belong on an NBA court any longer. Nash is the player most needed to be traded away, for a young point guard who can play defense.

If Pau is traded away and Ancient Nash and Dumbtoni stay with the team then I am finished with being a Laker fan after over 40 years. Way to go little idiot buss boy, you’re destroying your father’s legacy and losing fans. Heck of a job Jimmy.

Fire Dumbtoni!!! Trade Away Nash!!! We Want Gasol!!!

By: loungefly74

loungefly74 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 13:00:21 +0000

a sinking Titanic…ugh. As a Laker fan, this is baffling…but the reality is those guys can’t play Defense together.

well, lets makes this clear…no player is above the franchise. as much as i loved Pau and what he did for the Lakers, his time there is up. it’s business. if the Lakers can get some guys to strengthen the bench for Pau? great! my concern is salary cap issues. oh, i am sure another team will take Pau. He is still a good player but just unmotivated and hurt by the current scene.

hmmmm…this season has been hard. i didn’t imagine it would be this bad. well…i can take solace that my Giants won the World Series…and now my 49ers are in the SuperBowl! Gotta be happy for something…it sure ain’t the Lakers.

By: bucs24

bucs24 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 12:58:42 +0000

Howard is not the problem No one is playing D, the bench is just horrible fire the coach dumbtoni is he really doing better so good job baby buss lakers suck

By: bonner504

bonner504 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 12:17:05 +0000

@dalucks Mitch Kupchak is a fine GM the idiot is Jim Buss who doesn’t know his ass from a hole in the ground about Basketball, he is a stubborn incompetent control freak! If not for him Jim Buss Phil Jackson would definetly have this team above .500. Time for Papa Bear Buss took give little Jimmy a spanking and take his “toy” away from him.

By: jedifriedchicken

jedifriedchicken — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 10:59:06 +0000

I’m so disgusted by the Lakers this season. Gasol would improve just about any other team you placed him on. Instead the Lakers mismanage his talent, and treat him like a scrub. If the Lakers trade him, we’ll be talking about how stupid they were for years. I’m at a point where I kinda wish they would trade him. He deserves better.

By: danielcp0303

danielcp0303 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 07:50:41 +0000

“I seriously doubt that anyone wants an aging, declining, free-agent-to-be, overpaid prima donna like him.”

Howard or Gasol?

By: dko83

dko83 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 07:37:46 +0000

I absolutely will not deny this guy’s skill set. He’s very skilled. But soft as a pillow and I’m calling it now, he’s traded by the deadline.

By: sportsnut101

sportsnut101 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 06:56:32 +0000

How can anyone be good with Kobe taking 35 shots

Gasol has plenty left in him He’s just on wrong team Why not bench Nash n gasol leave Kobe n Dwight to start. Nash doesn’t fit with Kobe Does it matter if u start don’t u wanna play when it counts at the end

By: 00maltliquor

00maltliquor — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 06:55:45 +0000

Oh yeah, he’s definatly getting traded. And after tonights loss, it’s inevidable. And at this freakin’ point, I don’t care anymore. Everyone can go. Everyone but Kobe, D12, MWP, Jordan Hill and Earl Clark.

By: fruitcovejag

fruitcovejag — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 06:43:52 +0000

I’m just saying get this ball-stopping turnover machine off the court for a while and see how this team plays. Pau has two rings and has shown he could play w/another big. Dwight parks it in the post and the offense seems to just slow down. We will see in several years if he can win a championship. He looks like a complimentary piece. The spotlight appears to be too hot for Dwight to handle anyway. Who’s to say he’ll even resign.

By: eventhorizon04

eventhorizon04 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 06:16:30 +0000

“Any idea why they are not shopping Howard? Because Dwight is younger than Gasol?”
With a roster widely criticized as being old, age of players is relevant.
There’s virtually no chance the Lakers would get good value trading away either Howard or Pau, since the value of both has gone down this season. If the Lakers are going to try to pull off a trade, it would make sense for them to try to ship out the worse/older player (Pau) – though I wouldn’t get my hopes up for a good haul in return.

“What was the Lakers record last year w/Kobe and Gasol?”
Last year, it was Kobe + Gasol + Bynum (All Star in 2012), and the Lakers went 41-25, which is a 0.621 winning percentage. That’s equivalent to winning 51 games in an 82-game season (last season was lockout-shortened).
To reach 51 wins this season, the Lakers would have to finish 34-7.

“Watching the game tonight I’m not sure how good Dwight is anymore. And it looks like the Lakers would be better off if Dwight were out for a while. Maybe with some sort of a phantom strain?”
So the proposed solution here to the Lakers’ problems is to make up a fake injury for Dwight Howard, which means giving more time for Robert Sacre.

Sure.

By: tombstone7

tombstone7 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 06:13:23 +0000

The problem/s with the Lakers begin & ends with the Owner, GM, & Dwight Howard. The Coach had never won a CHAMPIONSHIP…DWIGHT HAS NEVER WON A RING….PAU HAS AT LEAST 2 RINGS!!!”"Can the GM DO THE MATH? Get Rid of HOWARD!!!”"” HE SUCKS….WHERE IS SUPERGURL?

By: fruitcovejag

fruitcovejag — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 05:53:41 +0000

Any idea why they are not shopping Howard? Because Dwight is younger than Gasol? Dwight is so limited offensively and Gasol is being pushed out of the paint. He’s not Ryan Anderson or Hedo Turkoglu. It seems that Howard is turning the ball over at a very high rate. Not sure how many times he’s flailed his arms in the air while the other team steals or strips the ball. What was the Lakers record last year w/Kobe and Gasol? Watching the game tonight I’m not sure how good Dwight is anymore. And it looks like the Lakers would be better off if Dwight were out for a while. Maybe with some sort of a phantom strain?

By: herkulease

herkulease — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 05:42:06 +0000

Good luck getting anything of value in return.

Gasol missed a point blank lay up to close the game when Boozer/Noah wasn’t really even try to defend.

By: shwoogy1

shwoogy1 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 05:19:55 +0000

The Bulls need to swoop in and grab this guy NOW!

By: pudgalvin

pudgalvin — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 05:19:33 +0000

The lakers looked like a rec league team out there tonight. A few guys take turns dribbling around in circles before heaving up a terrible shot and a couple of giant oafs that only look like they’d be good at basketball.

By: tiennguyen645

tiennguyen645 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 05:17:41 +0000

Laker need trade Pao Gasol he isn’t good anymore

By: tiennguyen645

tiennguyen645 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 05:15:38 +0000

Sick and tire of laker game watch a loser every

By: sunsation3413

sunsation3413 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 04:56:35 +0000

Quit whining you big baby and do your job as you’re told. Its supposed to be a team game and you don’t sound like a team player right now. Your check is still the same amount.

By: kanemoney

kanemoney — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 04:52:58 +0000

The problem is the coach… well actually the owner who hired the coach.

They won’t even make the playoffs, which is pathetic given their talent level (even if it’s old).

By: dalucks

dalucks — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 04:46:40 +0000

Normally, to increase a player’s trade value, a team will start a player in hopes that he plays well to increase his value. Coming off the bench will only decrease the value of Pau Gasol along with the extra year of 19 million dollars left on his contract. It would be different if Pau had an expiring contract but that does not come until next season.
One trade will not fix the Lakers roster, it is really that bad plus Mitch Kupchak traded three 1st round pick for Steve Nash which further handicaps their ability to reshape the roster.
Maybe Jim Buss will realize Mitch Kupchak is a terrible GM and fire him as the Lakers will get alot worse before they get better.
Unfortunately, Kobe’s last 2 NBA seasons are starting to look like Michael Jordan with the Wizards.
Sad, so sad. Sad but true.