Do The Lakers Need To Make A Trade?

The Lakers are reeling. The team just lost a big game to the Boston Celtics. This year's Lakers team does not resemble the one that won the NBA Championship just a season ago. The Lakers lack energy and they need a spark. They have regressed and look like the Kobe Bryant Show. This much is clear about the current Lakers team.

Derek Fisher is done. His best days are behind him and he has given the Lakers nothing all season long. Steve Blake is not the answer. Blake looks awkward in the triangle offense. His offensive creativity is stifled and he seems to struggle to run the offense. Andrew Bynum is giving the Lakers absolutely nothing in the middle. Whatever happened to the Bynum of three seasons ago?

The one bright spot is Lamar Odom. He has played his way onto the All Star team and has put up fantastic numbers night after night. The Lakers may need to consider trading a player like Bynum to bring back another piece. This team as currently configured is not going to 3 peat. Maybe they could swing a trade for Carmelo Anthony. They could rent him for half the season to help them get over the hump.

I just don't see this Lakers team as currently configured beating the Spurs, Heat or the Celtics in the playoffs.

Is The NBA Headed For A Lockout?

All of the signs are pointing to a lockout occurring in the NFL. The NFL owners are crying broke and say that they are having trouble finding ways to make money off of their franchises. NBA owners are claiming poverty as well. According to David Stern, the NBA has lost as much as $400 million dollars over the past year. The NBA is asking for players to reduce their share of the revenue take in the next CBA.

I personally find it hard to believe that the NBA is losing money. NBA arenas are packed and excitement from fans has not been this high since the Jordan years. The Lakers, Knicks, and Celtics are all relevant and ratings are going through the roof. Look at how arenas sell out all over the league when the Miami Heat come to town. The NBA already has a rookie salary cap and owners want even tighter restrictions on salaries.

I think that the NBA salary structure is just right. Teams can pay their stars more money under the Larry Bird exception than other teams can pay them .If the NBA institutes a hard cap then the major stars will feel the smaller markets for the lure of larger markets. There is no reason for a superstar to stay in Milwaukee or Toronto if he can make the exact same salary in L.A, New York or Chicago.

The NBA has allowed a number of owners and player to build wealth and increase their fortunes. In my opinion, the NBA needs to keep things just like it is before they kill off the golden goose.

Time To Trade Melo???

This post was originally found on Sportsfeens
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I was watching the Denver Nuggets play against the Sacramento Kings last night and one thing was clear. Carmelo Anthony needs a new team. Carmelo was a one man team scoring bucket after bucket with little help from his teammates. Carmelo is a top 5 NBA player with the talents of a LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Kevin Durant, and a Kobe Bryant.


Chauncey Billups has gotten old quick. Kenyon Martin may be done with his vast array of injuries. Nene is a decent player and the Birdman’s day is over. The only players that the Nuggets have to build around going forward are Ty Lawson and J.R. Smith. Melo deserves better than that. He does not want to spend his best years suffering with a rebuilding project in Denver.

It’s obvious that he will bolt once the season is over so the Nuggets should do Carmelo a favor and trade him now.

Lakers Try To Threepeat Against The Talented Heat

The big story of the offseason is the talented trio of the Miami Heat. LeBron James, Dewayne Wade, and Chris Bosh are all down in South Beach hoping to knock off the two time defending champs. While everyone is giving the title to the Heat already, the Lakers are still a formidable foe in the West. They return most of the roster that defeated the Celtics in an epic seven game series in the NBA Finals.

In my opinion the Heat will represent the East in the Finals and the Lakers will represent the West. The Lakers only weakness is at the center position where Andrew Bynum still has not recovered from last season's injuries. In order for the Lakers to hold off the up and coming Oklahoma City Thunder and Portland TrailBlazers; they will need a healthy Bynum. If Bynum is able to come back and play at a 90% level, then expect to see the Lakers in the Finals for a third straight year.

The Best Free Agent That No One Is Talking About

NBA execs are lining up to throw money at LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh. This makes perfect sense but only a few teams are going to be fortunate enough to land these players. Teams with cap room should take a shot at Memphis Grizzlies shooting guard Rudy Gay. Gay is a restricted free agent and on the verge of being a NBA superstar. He averaged nearly 20 points per game last season and played well for an up and coming Grizzlies team. If some team made a creative offer to Gay (such as front loading his contract), it would be difficult for the Grizzlies to match. The team that gets Gay would lock up a budding superstar who is still a few years away from reaching his peak as a NBA player.

Lakers Win Another Championship

The Los Angeles Lakers won their second consecutive NBA championship by defeating the Celtics in a grueling seven game series. The championship is the Lakers 5th in the past 10 years. Kobe Bryant has now tied Magic Johnson for the most rings in Lakers history. This Lakers team may be on the verge of being another dynasty.

Kobe Bryant may not be the player he was a year or two ago but he is still in his prime. Andrew Bynum is nowhere near peaking and has the potential to be an NBA All Star. Ron Artest is still playing quality basketball on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court. Pau Gasol still has another 3 to 4 years of All Star level basketball left in him. The only spot that needs tightening up is the point guard position. Derrick Fisher is still a quality player but is no longer a starting point guard on a championship level team. L.A. needs to add a starter like Raymond Felton to make their entire lineup solid.

Lakers And The Celtics Tied 2-2

This series looks like it is going to come down to tomorrow night's game. L.A. missed a great chance to take a commanding lead Thursday night. Let's not forget the Lakers have done their job by stealing Game 3 in Boston. The Celtics now have to go back to L.A. I love the Lakers chances even if the Celtics can somehow steal Game 5. If you want to know who will win Game 5, look for the following signs early.

1. Lamar Odom - Odom is the barometer for how the Lakers are playing. If he is aggressively forcing the action with his playmaking abilities L.A. will roll. If he is the passive Odom of Games 2 and 4, the Lakers will struggle.

2. Andrew Bynum - The Lakers need a healthy Andrew Bynum. Game 4 showed just how much the Lakers miss Bynum. It was a layup fest. Bynum controls the middle by blocking and altering shots.

3. Paul Pierce - Pierce had an absolutely miserable first 3 games of the series. He got on track in Game 4 and helped the Celtics early. The Lakers need to contain Pierce if they want to steal 2 out of 3 at the Garden.

Prediction: L.A. in 7