Real Deal

Thanks for making the topic. Winner will play Spain in the gold medal game on Sunday (YOU DON'T SAYYYY?).

If the offense is ran effectively, with these five guys being the "beef" of the team (Kobe, Nash, Dwight, Gasol, Jamison), and the defensive system doesn't fail us (don't see how it could)...I will go out on a limb and say that this team can be a better team than any Showtime squad from the 80's. I honestly don't see how a team is going to be able to stop a pick-and-roll from Nash/Howard, still having to keep an eye on Kobe with their best defender AND prevent Gasol from getting his wide-open looks at the rim. The best part is, with Drew gone, the post opens up a bit more, since Howard is far too mobile to have to worry about. Kobe, Gasol, and Ron will be happy about that.

Yeah, but I can't say that's really bad...except that Orlando isn't the team that got Drew. The gap between the two isn't THAT big. Dwight is a proven superstar and primary option on an NBA Finals team, but I think that if you can stack the right pieces around Bynum, he can be a primary option on a good playoff squad. You have a superstar...then an all-star with a "franchise player" ceiling (although I will never call Drew a superstar, he has exceeded my expectations a bit). The shocking thing to me was that the Lakers didn't have to take on Hedo's contract. I knew we would end up with Howard the day Brooklyn slipped past that "deadline" and had to re-sign Brook Lopez...but to do it without taking on Turk, or any combo of J-Rich/Davis/Nelson, is surprising.

Good that you made the trade before training camp started. Absolutely bad that you took the pieces you did. I know I haven't been a loyal fan of Andrew Bynum, but if there was any chance the Magic could have gotten him + a couple of picks, they should have went for it...even if they weren't confident in him re-signing after the summer. Without Drew, the Houston deal (if it was even real...who knows now) would have been nice, and if you consider what Orlando is going to get, you could say the Brooklyn deal was better as well. I'm not one to sugarcoat anything, even if it involves my team. I can't say the Lakers didn't "pay" for Howard, though, because Bynum is the second-best center in the NBA and is a legitimate all-star...but in the four-team deal, all things considered, Orlando came out of it limping.

Being the huge Bears fan you are, now I see why you want male referees calling the game with Jay Cutler out there.

J-Rich will more than likely be at the two. Turner will need to move up and play the three, if Young is going to be a four. Not really sure what they will do, though. Turner has a point-forward feel to him, so it wouldn't surprise me if they did try him at the three this upcoming season, especially after losing Iggy...but then you're probably starting J-Rich at the two.

I think Philly will be fine on the offensive end, but now I'm kind of curious to see just how effective Drew will be on the defensive end, and how the team will do overall on the defensive end (since Iggy is gone). Young didn't play much three at all last season, and even the previous year, he seemed to be more productive at the four...so I'm curious to watch Philly run with him at the three. Don't think they'll start Wright, but who knows.

These pictures/GIFS are amazing. http://cdn3.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1074271/lakersgm.gif That was the moment Mitch decided to do something.

So basically...Dwight's 2009 NBA Finals team: C - Dwight Howard PF - Hedo Turkoglu SF - Rashard Lewis SG - Courtney Lee PG - Rafer Alston Turk, Lewis, Lee and Alston are being replaced by Gasol, Artest/Jamison, Kobe and Nash?

http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/217835_489002981112307_1010417695_n.jpg

I dropped Matt Barnes out of it, lol...had to leave it blank because I don't know what the Lakers are going to do next.

C - Dwight Howard | Jordan Hill | Robert Sacre PF - Pau Gasol | Antawn Jamison | Josh McRoberts SF - Ron Artest | Devin Ebanks SG - Kobe Bryant | Christian Eyenga | Andrew Goudelock PG - Steve Nash | Steve Blake | Darius Morris That's a lot of contributing players. Whoa.

Yeah, I was a bit worried about that, but EJ will be listening to Nash and KB a lot, so it's all good. I know you're happy about Drew. Be honest. Philly got a great deal...didn't think Iggy would be in Philly for long, anyway.

It's going to take time. The Princeton isn't that tough to learn, but a little tough if you're going to incorporate two primary scoring options, a true PG, and a pass-first big man.

Brandon Jennings seems to forget he's actually on an NBA team, and probably shouldn't act like he's rooting for another.

Better for Howard than Bynum, and it FINALLY solves our problems defending the pick and roll. Plus, LA will pull out of that Princeton many times, and run the pick and roll...and that's going to be scary with Nash and Dwight/Gasol.

The Thunder are still going to be the favorites out west, but if the Lakers develop enough chemistry, they will blow them out of the water. That's really going to be the only issue, aside from staying healthy (which all 30 teams have to worry about). The Princeton offense is going to be perfect for this team. I made this, lol.

Okay, now I'm starting to believe this is done.

Yeah, but I was expecting the Lakers to bring in an athletic four to back up Antawn Jamison (if we're trading Gasol), who is basically going to be doing the same exact thing Harrington would do for us. I guess the idea is to have a similar player at the four, starting and off the bench, in the Princeton offense. I just hate that neither are great at passing the ball, and Gasol is excellent in that department.

I don't know. I haven't had time to really look into this yet...but I did just realize that Gasol and Bynum, together, would demand a return of approx. 75% of $36 million, and that's around $29 million (off the top of my head). Harrington doesn't make enough money, so we'd be getting a third player in the deal.

I think LA will be asking for more. They weren't willing to send out both big men for Dwight, and really, I don't see how Harrington flips the switch.

TIME: 5:15 PM ET TV: NBC Sports Network

Yeah, but he was even playing that way against Nigeria in the opening minutes (when he dumped in 16 points or so in the first half), and they had absolutely nobody on him OR in the frontcourt. Bryant may be slower, but he can take a lot of these guys off the dribble. The NBA is an entirely different breed of players, for the most part. Sometimes, he's being used as a spot-up shooter out there...and understandably, because there are four other all-stars on the court at once...but Kobe just can't play that way.

I think he's struggling because the other guys are like him. He keeps looking down low, but there's no low post.

This isn't Kobe's game, at all...he can't play with four other superstars, lol.