Sky

lol Real, at least the end is near. Hopefully they only re-sign him for a year so that he can remain head of the players association, get the new CBA done, and then ride off into the sunset. Just as long as he doesn't replace Stu or coach. I want Fisher out of my life for good.

Derek Fisher.

The Gasol trade was blatantly about money. You need to apply the context of then and now Diesel. At the time the deal was made Heisley was in active talks with two groups that were considering buying the Grizzlies. So Heisley's motivation then was to shave as much payroll as possible to give a new group the lowest entry costs possible and maximum flexibility going forward. It was about saving Heisley and therefore a new purchaser a boatload of cash. The context shifts to today, where the FedEx Forum has thousands of fans dressed as empty seats. Memphis has among the lowest attendance in the league. So now Heislsey's motivation is to prove sustainable revenue to a potential buyer. The only reason they signed Iverson was in the prayer that he would bring fans in. The reason they got Z-Bo was to claim they actually have a commitment to winning, again hoping to draw fans and sell them on the team. The THEN moves were about cutting costs to make a sale. The NOW moves are about getting fans into the arena. Just because the context has shifted doesn't mean the Gasol trasde wasn't over money. It undeniably was. Unless you honestly believe Memphis thinks Kwame, Marc Gasol, Crittenton, Aaron McKie and two picks is worth Pau Gasol. Every fan outside of LA howled when that went down. Their howling is yet another aspect that PROVES the deal was about money. Because no one in their right mind thinks that the talent exchanged was in the same galaxy as equal value. That deal was about money. Period end of story. LA was willing to save Memphis nearly 50 million when the rest of the league only offered 20. That and only that is why Pau Gasol went to Los Angeles. Any claim to any other reason is science fiction.

They don't win a ring without Pau. They needed a second mind in the triangle, Kobe couldn't run it alone. You can't have Kobe as initiator and first option with no second option that can carry his own weight. Gasol was ideal, a guy that thrives as the second option that doesn't want the pressure of the first, with the hoop mind and passing skills/floor vision that Fisher the midget 2 with zero point skills will never have. Pau was the missing ingredient in the alchemy. Look at their record since Gasol came on, they've plowed people. Now add a healthy Bynum (knock on wood) and a defender for Pierce, Melo and Bron and it's over for the league. Only injury can take LA down. As for the Gasol trade, I'm just sick and tired of people only looking at the talent exchanged and ignoring the money. Money makes many a trade happen, including that one. Money is about to take center stage in the league and it's going to get ugly. BRI off a cliff, cap goes way down overnight, taxes go through the roof, all leading into the next CBA talks and a likely lockout. Ignore money at your peril. A year from now it's going to lock the doors on the game we all love.

Yugo - And the trade was earned so what's the problem? The Lakers put themselves in a position to be unstoppable. Leverage money to get Gasol, smart pick in Bynum, smart trade for Brown. Warren - Now that the team has a more mature core I don't think starting the finals on the road is insurmountable. Cleveland lost home playoff games to Orlando, Orlando lost home finals games to LA, and in Boston KG's knee is stapled together.

I agree the Lakers are unstoppable, barring injury. The league's best and most complete team. Now since you aren't drawing any conclusions whatsoever from the Gasol trade, then what does that trade have to do with LA being unstoppable? Apparently nothing. No conclusions.

What I'm debating is two things. First the notion that Gasol to LA was a gift, it wasn't, it was earned. Second that you can't just say it was lopsided and stop there, without a conclusion behind it a statement of fact is empty. Yeah it's a fact. Congratulations. Why even bring it up if you don't derive any conclusion from it? it would be like me going to the Rockets forum and saying McGrady hasn't made it past the first round and then stopping there. Yeah, so?

Can't fill in the blank? Then it's pointless. It's like saying the sky is blue. Yeah it is. So what? You're making a statement of fact without drawing a conclusion as to what it means.

The Gasol trade was lopsided and therefore _____. Fill in the blank Yugo, get to your point.

Lopsided yes, gift no.

Of course it matters why it happened. It was a ripoff in talent but it saved Memphis $50 million which is why they did it. And because Buss was willing to do what no other owner in the league was willing to do the trade was earned. It just wasn't earned in the way YOU value it. Unfortunately for you Heisley has different priorities.

You said Memphis was stupid which clearly implies gift. The rest of what I said is not a statement toward you specifically but the criticism of the Gasol deal generally. As a Laker fan I've heard it constantly and every time it's by a fan that refuses to acknowledge money is why the deal happened.

What I'm debating Yugo is the notion that the trade was a gift, an act of kindness and stupidity by Memphis, that LA lucked into a ring through this deal, that the championship has a big fat asterisk on it because of Gasol. All of which is an attempt by bitter fans of other teams to cheapen the ring. The trade was earned by Buss being the only owner in the league willing to take the long term tax hit, the only owner in the league willing to save Heisley nearly $50 million when every other offer was reportedly in the 20s. Only focusing on the talent exchanged ignores why the trade was made. You want to argue the trade was lopsided in talent exchanghed of course it was. You want to argue Memphis was stupid that's ignoring the money utterly. You want to argue LA got a gift and this puts an asterisk on the ring that completely ignores the sacrifice Buss made, the commitment of the franchise to championships, and that every other owner in the league had the opportunity to get Gasol but refused due to the tax hit. LA went out and got Gasol by saving Heisley more than double what the rest of the league was willing to offer. But you choose to ignore that by focusing just on the talent every time. The money made the deal happen. Buss did what no other owner in the league was willing to do, that is earning the trade. No gifts, no asterisks, just an owner truly committed to rings first.

The reason they got Kwame Brown was because of Heisley only valuing money. Heisley didn't see Kwame Brown, scrub. He saw an expiring contract. You continue to ignore the money by harping exclusively on the talent exchanged when the money is the reason for all of this.

It was a lopsided trade because Heisley preferred saving money over talent. Period.

Of course they won the trade but they won the trade because Buss saved Heisley nearly $50 million; that's why it was made, not the talent exchanged. Fan basis for evaluating the trade: exclusively on who offers the best talent. Heisley's basis for evaluating the trade: exclusively on which deal saves him the most money. Person who makes the call on what trade Memphis accepts: Heisley The Laker offer can't compete on talent but it was never intended to. Their offer focused on what Heisley wanted, not what fans demand, or what the media thinks. The Laker trade saved Heisley nearly $50 million and no other offer came remotely close. And that and only that is why Gasol went to LA. Not because Memphis is stupid, or feeling charitable toward LA, but because Memphis only cared about the money they saved and LA saved them the most - by a metric ton of cash. LA won the trade, LA gave scraps for an all-star. Yes. But how? Because their owner was the only one in the league willing to take a big long term tax hit for rings. Everyone knew the price, only Buss was willing to pay it.

Memphis could have gotten better young talent but every offer they received also required Memphis taking on an expensive long term contract. Every offer but one. And that is why that one team landed Pau Gasol and other teams offering better talent were rejected. Money money money monnnnnnnaaaaaaay.

Who cares about the money? Heisley. Who said do the deal? Heisley How could LA get Gasol for scraps? MONEY That's why the money matters. The money is the SOLE reason the trade was made. Do you honestly think Memphis made the deal to get Marc Gasol, Crittenon and picks? Seriously?

Fine and how was that accomplished? By an owner who puts rings above everything else, who was willing to pay the luxury taxes to do it, who was willing to make the fiscal sacrifice that no other owner in the league was willing to do. In other words he EARNED it. Part of why I love the Lakers is my franchise does things like this. Aggressive, smart. There's a reason LA has gone to half the finals since Buss took over the team. A big part of that reason is Buss. Smart aggressive, rings first, best owner in the league. Whine all you want. Money is why the deal was made not the talent exchanged. Anyone with a brain stem should see that. And yet all they do is whine about the talent exchanged and ignore the money.

How Steve Nash, the media and every fan outside of LA views the Gasol trade: LA receives: Pau Gasol Memphis receives: Kwame Brown, Marc Gasol, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, two #1s How Heisley viewed the trade: LA receives: $50M contract Memphis receives: Two rookie contracts totaling $5 million, expiring deals, and 3M cash thereby saving over $48 million in the deal, thereby giving him a better chance to sell the team. How every NBA owner but Buss viewed Heisley's demands: Memphis wants every cheap contract I have while I take on a max player, no way. I don't want to pay over 15M in luxury taxes for each of the next three years. What every NBA owner but Buss asked his GM to offer and why it was rejected: Some cheap contracts paired with a big one so that the next year's payroll only went up by $5 million. Heisley's savings on next year's payroll are far too low, offer is rejected even though the talent offered is better. What Buss did and why the trade was made: Offered only rookie contracts and expiring deals, therefore being willing to add 15M to next year's payroll. Something no other owner was willing to do.

Of course the Lakers won it. But calling it lopsided and claiming it's unfair and makes Memphis look bad is only looking at it on the COURT when MONEY is why it was made. That's my point and what you are missing. Everyone that whines about that trade ignores it was made over money not talent. Buss was the only owner in the league willing to take on an extra 15M in his following year's payroll. Thas's why Gasol went to LA. Period end of story. You want to cry about it then ask Les Alexander why he wasn't willing to do that. Reinsdorf. Paul Allen. Cuban. The entire league knew what Heisley's price was. Only Buss was willing to pay it. Which means that landing Gasol was EARNED. By an owner who puts rings first.

Another fan who doesn't understand (or won't admit) why the Gasol trade went down? Follow the money Yugo. It's not about the players exchanged, it's about the contracts. Only Buss was willing to offer expiring and rookie contracts exclusively for Gasol. Every other offer included a contract Heisley didn't want. Other teams offered more talent but weren't willing to add 15M to their payroll the following year. Only Buss was willing to deal last years and rookies for a max player. Only Buss was willing to add 15M to his payroll. That and only that is why the deal went down. Everyone crying about lopsided trades are ignoring the reason why the trade was made. Money.

Spurs, always helps to have made it all the way, know what's required. That said I am very confident the Lakers get back to the finals unless injury hits at a bad time.

They have good players but you need impact to win. Good players still need the great player to free them. I have the Rockets in an 8-11 window, but the 8 seed is the optimistic scenario with McGrady back as soon as he can and then staying healthy the whole season. Looking at the schedule I have the Rox at 7-10 through November and then under .500 again in December. Can easily see them six games under .500 as of New Year's Day. Tough hole to climb out of.

Budinger and Anderson are talented but new to the league. They face a learning curve at the same time that McGrady is out, making it harder for them to succeed. TMac out until at least late November also means a slow start and that can build on itself with a team that doesn't have experienced starters. Houston has played without Yao or McGrady but usually they have at least one on the floor. Their experience with both out is limited.