Lakers+USC=#1
Fuck CBS
Im with the I dont care crew. If he resigns, then im fine with it. If he walks, BYE!!!
Any Laker fan that doesnt want Howard is in serious denial or does not know basketball.
What exactly is Laker material? The Lakers are not some mystic team where only the very best play. I'd say the best big man in the game would be anyones material. Lakers are dumb if they dont try to keep him. You build around Howard not try and make him conform to your coaches run and gun game. If thats the case why trade for him in the first place? LA was not his first choice of destination. I cant wait until next year to see how many people will claim they knew the Lakers should have kept Howard or how they knew he would make them relevant again.I'll say this again.......just because a player is the best at his position does not make him a fit for a specific team.
If it's one thing that should be obvious to everyone that watched the Lakers play this year......Dwight is NOT Laker material. He doesn't fit the culture, mentality, or style of play in LA. There is absolutely NO reason for LA to sign him outside the very dumb notion that he's the best available.......even though we all saw last season.
The Lakers would be better served in trying to get Nash, Gasol, and World Peace off the team for some younger talent that's willing to learn.
What exactly is Laker material? The Lakers are not some mystic team where only the very best play. I'd say the best big man in the game would be anyones material. Lakers are dumb if they dont try to keep him. You build around Howard not try and make him conform to your coaches run and gun game. If thats the case why trade for him in the first place? LA was not his first choice of destination. I cant wait until next year to see how many people will claim they knew the Lakers should have kept Howard or how they knew he would make them relevant again.
Talk to me after next season if Howard stays. Lakers have plenty of money and Kobe is going away. They should be able to attract a great back court.He isn't Lakers material because he isn't MATURE enough to play there. He doesn't have a championship mentality.
And they were never going to build around him as long as Kobe is playing. They've had 2 all star 7 footers in the lane for years, while no one else in the league could guard that, and Kobe STILL took all the shots. Howard was just the next in to their rotation/collection of big men that they nullify with their own offense.
He's just not a good fit - never was, and never will be. He also has no idea how to handle the LA press. I thought they should have traded him when they had the chance. I don't see how he makes THIS Laker's team relevant without some serious roster moves. Their key problem isn't their frontcourt......it's their backcourt and age.
Talk to me after next season if Howard stays. Lakers have plenty of money and Kobe is going away. They should be able to attract a great back court.
No denying Howard is a player that doesn't come around very often. Who's to say that D'Antoni's system is not suited for him. Having watched all their games last year though, returning from his surgery, he just didn't seem to be aggressive enough down low for a big. It wasn't until the very last 3 or so weeks he seemed to have a resurgence or likely getting close to 100%. Give me the damn ball should be his mantra, get to the post with urgency and force the issue as his mates will recognize and feed him the ball. Someone that size within a couple of feet of the basket(think Shaq here), will be successful more times than not. I didn't see that consistently but I defer to the recovery so maybe he's at that level now. Yeah, this Lakers fan would love to see him sign here. Tough to pill to swallow if he doesn't, then again can't win 'em all in Laker-land.
I'd bet that D'antoni will not be employed with the Lakers if Howard is unhappy with the offense again.If the Lakers actually did this, I'd agree with you.
But they've had TWO all star 7 footers for years now......and that hasn't been the case. That's NEVER been a staple of D'antoni's chuck and duck system.
The problem is the Lakers unwillingness to actually play offense THROUGH their league leading frontcourt. I'm pretty sure Dwight figured that out last season. Hell even when Kobe went down they didn't run offense through him.
Ole Father Time
I never saw Jordan in a Laker uniform. Even if he did the Lakers are not granted exclusive rights to the best in the game. There are other greats that did not start their careers as Lakers.The best don't play for the Lakers? Why don't you check the all time starters thread.
i'm telling you right now......Kobe is not going to retire until he is abolutely, positively SURE he cannot win a ring.
He will be that old dude hanging on, trying to stay in the league. He may even swallow his pride and come off the bench......but he won't retire. And I doubt Mitch has the balls NOT to resign him.
I never saw Jordan in a Laker uniform. Even if he did the Lakers are not granted exclusive rights to the best in the game. There are other greats that did not start their careers as Lakers.