ESPN: Howard to Lakers - Done Deal

[Manwiththeplan]

Shaq
Hakeem

Who else? Kareem wasn't in his prime during the 80's. Maybe Ewing.

hakeem, shaq and d-rob were all far better. ewing was better, but it's debatable.

 

[Cowboys&LakersFan]

hakeem, shaq and d-rob were all far better. ewing was better, but it's debatable.

That's three not four.

 

[RoyTheHammer]

Nash >>>>> Chalmers
Kobe > Wade
World Peace <<<<< LeBron
Pau > Bosh
Dwight >>>>> Anthony

Lakers > Miami.

:laugh2:

 

[Cowboys&LakersFan]

:laugh2:

Great response.

 

[RoyTheHammer]

Great response.

Gave me a chuckle..

 

[trickblue]

This is the problem with the NBA today, especially...

NFL has curbed it to an extent, and MLB has perfected it...

Rich get richer... it's been a farce for a long time... it's all about the TV market money...

 

[Bizwah]

Shaq
Hakeem

Who else? Kareem wasn't in his prime during the 80's. Maybe Ewing.

Kareem, not in his prime, was still pretty darn good in the early to mid 80s. Offensively, he was light years ahead of where Howard is now. Soft touch, especially on the sky hook, and a very solid free throw shooter.

Moses Malone was also a better center than Howard. Actually, I see a lot of Malone in Howard....but again, Malone was a much better player offensively than Howard.

Shaq of course
David Robinson was better
Ewing was better
Hakeem may have been the best center I've seen

So right there you have six. I think a case could even be made for Robert "Chief" Parish (who was solid all the way around...ugly game) and Alonzo Mourning.

If Bill Walton was beset with so many injuries, he would've made the list too.

Many solid centers in the eighties and nineties. I didn't mention Mark Eaton (NBA defensive player of the year) and Brad Daughtery....although, Howard is clearly better than these two. Brad was just too soft, IMO.

Even Ralph Sampson was a stud until injuries really curtailed him.

Really, I used to love NBA basketball....but like many have said, it's becoming a five or six team league. That's why the NFL is so superior. I know many hate the salary cap and parity, but any team can become SB champs.

 

[StarBoyz83]

gasol plays like he used too and this team will be a force!!

 

[Cowboys&LakersFan]

:laugh2:

 

[juck]

Have the Lakers surpassed the Heat as the most hated team in the NBA? I believe so. How is it fair for two teams to have that many great players? And who on earth could possibly root for them especially now? I mean this is actually worse than the Yankees. What a phony deal. Kobe could never and will never win a ring without other major stars next to him.Its almost like if ur not a NY or LA team ur not ever going to get attention like them. Yankees,Lakers,Jets and Giants should have ESPN on their Jerseys.lol.

 

[juck]

The new, heftier luxury tax scheme goes into place next season (the 2013-14 season). For that season, the Lakers currently have 6 players under contract (technically, they have 5 players under contract, but MWP has a player option for 7.7 million, and there's no way he doesn't exercise it):

Kobe - $30,453,000
Gasol - $19,285,850
Nash - $9,300,500
Metta - $7,727,280
Blake - $4,000,000
Hill - $3,500,000

Supposing Dwight signs with the Lakers next summer for the maximum (an assumption I would bet my house on), and assuming the salary cap stays the same (for the 2012-2013 season it is $58,044,000), his salary for 2013-2014 will be $17,400,000 (30% of the salary cap).

So, with just those 7 players, the 2013-2014 Lakers will have salaries totaling $91,666,702. I'm guessing that LA will fill out their roster with minimum-salary players (they may be forced to by the CBA; I'm not sure what kind of signings a team is allowed to make if they are over the tax line). Let's assume that, in doing so, they add another 6-8 million dollars in salary for a grand total of $98-100 million.

The luxury tax line is $70,307,000, so if LA has a team salary of $100 million, they are roughly $30 million over the tax line. Thus, their taxes would be as follows:

5,000,000 x (1.50 + 1) = 12,500,000
5,000,000 x (1.75 + 1) = 13,750,000
5,000,000 x (2.50 + 1) = 17,500,000
5,000,000 x (3.25 + 1) = 21,250,000
5,000,000 x (4.00 + 1) = 25,000,000
5,000,000 x (4.75 + 1) = 28,750,000
Add it all up, and their taxes would be $118,750,000, and therefore, their total salary expenses for the season would be $218,750,000. That is a heck of a hit.Is that even worth the ring? lol. If they get it. They have no bench and a 39 year old PG who plays no D. And D12 is not all that much better than Bynum. Better D but Bynum better O. I think Trick is right its all about TV rating for the popular teams. lol.

 

[casmith07]

I don't know why people are mad. It's just like the LeBron move.

Orlando had adequate time to get Dwight Howard help after their Finals appearance and what did they do? Traded away/blew up the roster from the Finals team.

I don't feel sorry for them anymore than I felt sorry for the Cavaliers. Build your brand with stars and compliments. Don't just sit there with Dwight Howard (the same way they sat there with Shaq) and just pay him lip service saying "yeah we'll get you help" and watch every elite swingman and point guard go to every other team in the league.

 

[Biggems]

Shaq
Hakeem

Who else? Kareem wasn't in his prime during the 80's. Maybe Ewing.

Kareem
Malone
Olajuwon
Robinson
Ewing
Mourning
Shaq

I take all of these guys over Howard.....possibly even Mutombo, cause he wasnt a headcase like Howard is.


Howard sucks offensively. He can't shoot FTs. He loses his temper and gets hit with tons of technicals. Yes he rebounds and blocks some shots, but that is because he is freakishly athletic. Still, for someone so athletic, he sure has huge holes in his game. But once again, the child acts like he knows more than the adults. I know you are a Lakers homer, but get real. All the players I mentioned and I even left a few off, who I would gladly take over Howard in a heartbeat.....like Daugherty, Ming, Duckworth, and Laimbeer, who offered far more complete games than Howard.


BTW, I also failed to mention that Howard is coming off a back injury.....and for a big man, that is one brutal injury to deal with, just ask David Robinson.

 

[Biggems]

Kareem, not in his prime, was still pretty darn good in the early to mid 80s. Offensively, he was light years ahead of where Howard is now. Soft touch, especially on the sky hook, and a very solid free throw shooter.

Moses Malone was also a better center than Howard. Actually, I see a lot of Malone in Howard....but again, Malone was a much better player offensively than Howard.

Shaq of course
David Robinson was better
Ewing was better
Hakeem may have been the best center I've seen

So right there you have six. I think a case could even be made for Robert "Chief" Parish (who was solid all the way around...ugly game) and Alonzo Mourning.

If Bill Walton was beset with so many injuries, he would've made the list too.

Many solid centers in the eighties and nineties. I didn't mention Mark Eaton (NBA defensive player of the year) and Brad Daughtery....although, Howard is clearly better than these two. Brad was just too soft, IMO.

Even Ralph Sampson was a stud until injuries really curtailed him.

Really, I used to love NBA basketball....but like many have said, it's becoming a five or six team league. That's why the NFL is so superior. I know many hate the salary cap and parity, but any team can become SB champs.

Dude, David and Patrick were both far superior to Howard. Not only were they studs defensively, but both could carry the load offensively. Howard would get absolutely prison raped by the centers from the 80s to mid 90s.

 

[Biggems]

I am not sure Howard is a better option than Bynum from a talent standpoint. However, Bynum does have some injury concerns and is a prima donna. He also has a problem with discipline.

Howard has injury concerns and temper issues during a game. But, he does seem to give everything for his teammates, even when he doesn't want to be with the organization.

Bynum has the huge edge offensively, and I believe the Lakers foolishly ignored that this past season. Howard has the edge defensively and also personality wise.

I feel Bynum definitely needed a change of scenery and Philly, might be the perfect place for him, since he is from that area. Howard will love being in LA and will ham up the star appeal.

One problem I do find with the trade, I feel the Lakers should have tried to keep McRoberts. I feel he was a quality and versatile big to bring off the bench.

 

[Bman32x]

:laugh2:

Everyone forgot Ray Allen already? Lakers are MUCH better without Bynum, but I think the team that just won a championship against OKC who throttled the Lakers last year deserve a bit more credit. I want to see LA continue to build their bench. Josh McRoberts and his knee socks can go somewhere else, and I'd dump Matt Barnes for a bag of chips.

 

[Bman32x]

Surprised. All these Centers not one of you named Bill Russell or Wilt Chaimberlain.

Why feel sorry for the Magic? They screwed themselves just like Cleveland. They got team players and three 1st rd picks. Back to the drawing board Orlando. Next time you get the best Center in the league, build around him. 2 strikes now before Disney buys the entire team stock and fires everyone.

 

[RoyTheHammer]

Everyone forgot Ray Allen already? Lakers are MUCH better without Bynum, but I think the team that just won a championship against OKC who throttled the Lakers last year deserve a bit more credit. I want to see LA continue to build their bench. Josh McRoberts and his knee socks can go somewhere else, and I'd dump Matt Barnes for a bag of chips.

I was chuckling over the simpleton logic being used, and im not sure the Lakers are MUCH better without Bynum.. especially if Howard doesn't resign.

 

[Bman32x]

I was chuckling over the simpleton logic being used, and im not sure the Lakers are MUCH better without Bynum.. especially if Howard doesn't resign.

Insults aren't necessary but since you're the expert I'll continue. Bynum, despite numbers had a piss poor attitude and this was playing for LA. You're seriously discrediting the importance of having a solid back court if/when Howard has back issues, or Pau comes up soft. Again. Logic still simpleton? Don't worry I'm not done.

Miamis bench on the other hand came up big in the finals showing up on defense while adding 32 points from Battier and Miller alone. Bench play is important especially when starters like Gasol and Wade decide to be invisible for a series. I did not say the Lakers acquisition was not significant, because it is. But if you would rather have Andrew Bynum than the reigning 2 time, would be 3 if not for injury, defensive MVP doesn't make LA much better than last year and that's not even bringing up Nash, you must not watch a whole lot or played a lot of basketball.

 

[Bman32x]

I was chuckling over the simpleton logic being used, and im not sure the Lakers are MUCH better without Bynum.. especially if Howard doesn't resign.

Because at this point Howard would rather go play for Brooklyn who has Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and a great coach, but not nearly the fan base, championship history, or $$$ LA will have to offer??? Again, calling people simple and not really knowing why you're talking about doesn't make you look very smart.