Did The Lakers made a big mistake in acquiring.....
 

Carl Malone and Gary payton, in my opinion these guys have done little to help the Lakers. They are well past their prime and represent more of a liability then an asset, defensively Payton is killing the Lakers.

On the surface it's easy to say yes based on their current play. However, at different points at least Payton was useful to the team over the course of the season. I really don't think they are primary problem. The fact that Bryant and Shaq are making only momentary attempts to help each other score is disturbing. The supporting cast, besides Gary and Karl, are not supporting the effort. Fisher, George, Medvedenko (i'm sure that's not spelled right), and Fox aren't doing much more than providing me with some good giggles when I see them pouting on the bench. I think the Lakers are falling victim to their own hype and an underdog scenario. Michael Jordan did an interview, during one of his retirements I think, and said while they were dominating the league there were still teams that surprised them and that they should have beat. Among them were the Mavericks, pre current incarnation, that were usually cellar dwellers but could hand the Bulls their butts on the regular. Why? Because they didn't take the team seriously and by the time they did it was too late. The Lakers have put themselves in a BAD spot and while I'll truly enjoy watching them lose if they do, I think some of this could have been avoided if they had just ADMITTED that the Pistons were just outplaying them instead of saying oh we just need to do xyz and we'll stop em cause they did that tonight and no stopper.

Point Blank: The Pistons are just a BETTER team!! They've driven this point home. I initially thought the winner would come from the west, but that's because the Lakers have mentally punk'd most teams. The Pistons are my boys...they had the Lakers scrambling, confused, and just sad tonight. BEAUTIFUL!!


But, to answer the question,when the Lakers acquired Payton and Malone, I thought it was a mistake. I predicted their demise early in the season (so much for my predictions. lol). While they have talent, it takes more than talent to win. You have to play as a team. It takes all of Phil's powers to make Shaq and Kobe play nice, so adding two more to the pot smelled like disaster. So, in a sense it was a good decision for most involved. I mean, they did make it to the Finals.

Let the church say....

HOLLA!! I can't wait until Tuesday night!! :D Thanks to the Wallaces and Rip for bringing it back EAST!!!

Re: Did The Lakers made a big mistake in acquiring.....
 

Uh obviously the Lakers did Bruh! LOL! Congrats to the Pistons fans...and BIG BEN for repping Virginia Union!!

Haters!!!!!!
 

All ya'll Laker haters can kiss my Purple and Gold Behind!!!! So we gave Yall one! We will see how the Pistons handle havin a big bullseye on them for a whole season. That will be the real test! Will they have a legacy or just be legends. "I'm so sincere". Love Spell don't nobody care about Va!LOL! It's all about L.A. Baby. We will be back becuase are org is about winning period. We dominated the Eighties ( 5 rings), and then in the new millenium (3 rings). And I wont even count the 60's and 70's. I can't stand none of ya'll[cryin]. " I'm so sincere"[cryin] Now that I got that off my chest back to are regardly schedule programs.

This announcement was brought to you by " HATERADE". The drink of bad losers, broke folks, Hypocrites, and just plain haters all over the world!:p

Re: Haters!!!!!!
 

Ok ignoring the rest of your post cause you DELUSIONAL (not gonna mention that 10-15 year gap between rings), your sponsor announcement was PRICELESS. I am the definition of a Laker Hater and figured after game three Detroit could be the Giant Killers if they kept it up but even I will admit I wasn't expecting that butt whooping last night. But I ain't MAD ABOUT IT :D :p :cool:

SO!
 

Hater! I smelled you coming!LOL No really ya'll handed are butts to us on a silver platter with a 15% gratuity added to it! But on a another note I am not delusional, just a little lupy cuz I ain't took a wooping like that since I had a genie's house around my neck!LOL! Hear me all! WE WILL BE BACK!

plus how many rings you team got! In the words of Jay Z "zip, zero, stingy with dinero". Probably none especially if you in the Midwest.:D

Indy isn't my squad lol. I just reside where they play. My loyalty travels with the eye candy or whoever beats the Lakers so for right now my squad got 3 ROFL after the lovely parting gift the Lakers dropped off.

Don't Lie
 

Oh now you a Pistons fan huh! "Folks this is your conducter speaking the bandwagon called Pistonville just went over its maximum weight capacity, due to federal regulations we will have to let some people off at the next stop in Haterville. Please watch your step and thank you for riding with Bandwagons R US ! "

I've NEVER been an Indy fan, was actually hoping they got knocked out of the playoffs earlier than they did. I'm a Texas transplant so I root for Dallas and Houston first. San Antonio if they can beat the Lakers, then I follow the eye candy. And had the Nets or anyone else beat the Lakers when they had the chance I would have supported them JUST CAUSE they beat the Lakers.

ETA: Eye Candy currently resides in Toronto for NBA purposes
NFL: Baltimore and Philadelphia since the stupid Titans let my baby go

This was a very hard lesson for Malone & Payton but I hope they learned something Championship Rings are earned and can not be bartered for. Aging players who couldn't lead their teams to a championship during their prime can't just take a pay cut and join a powerhoue team and waltz into a championship. Sports unlike most areas is a place where a person must truly earn his/her awards.

Cost of Lakers NBA Champs in 2004 shirts: $3000.00

Renting Sports Bar for Games 6 and 7: $2000.00

Amount Laker Fans spent on "Sweep" Brooms: $13,500.00















































Coming to Terms with the fact that you won't see LA in the Finals again until 2009: Priceless

http://pic6.picturetrail.com/VOL173/...6/57056653.jpg

I almost feel sorry for him...the poor baby!

That was the funniest thing I have seen in a hot minute. That was PRICELESS.

After reading today's sports page, I had a thought...are the Laker's ticket prices going down. They are going to suck next year (forecasting) and I don't see the fickle LA fans paying the high prices.

I don't think this team is going to "suck." All wishful thinking. Now if you keep either Kobe or Shaq, you will still see a relatively solid season.

But will "solid season" sell seats in LA where there is huge competition for the discretionary entertainment dollar?

Well, if they keep Kobe (like the management wants to) at the expense of Shaq (which is dumb considering the fact that they do not know if he will be a free man or not), I don't see it. I guess people will come to see Kobe. If they are able to trade Shaq for someone like Jermaine O'Neal or Antoine Walker, then I guess the fans will still come. But, I think prices are too darn high anyway. I hate the Staples Center!

Hard to tell. This is still Kobe Nation. That may be the key to whether seats are going to sell. I don't know if Dr. Buss can lower ticket prices, particularly if Ko-bay stays and gets a max-out deal.
:confused:

good points, ST, abaici. Oddly enough, Shaq (32) is in a spot. He is the dominant force but his window of dominance is 1 maybe 2 more years at most. Kobe can be the man a lot longer. Will Kobe's legal situation be resolved before his (and by extension Shaq's) contract situations have to be resolved?

yall need to become ESPN NBA analysts and team with my bruh Stuart Scott and just rock that AKA/APA/AKA panel. ...can you say RATINGS out da azz?!?! :D

p.s. but abaici, you gon have to let that bizarre Sacramento Kings thing go to make this happen.

NEVER!!! I'm a Sac fan...although if Chris leaves the love will slowly wane. I'm his #1 fan (pushing Tyra to the side).

Say it ain't so
 

Is Shaq really thinking about leaving the Lakers? I heard he's putting his house up for sale.

Re: Say it ain't so
 

His Bev Hills home is on the market for over $7 million. He's serious about leaving. Insiders are saying that this is not a contract strategy. He's tired of being disrespected, and when the management stated that would listen to trade talk from him, that was it. Again, word is Dallas, Sacramento, or Indiana. *sigh* I just don't know. Again, I have mixed feelings about him ending up in Sac. Mainly, because they are talking about trading my other hubby Peja. NOT COOL!!!

Re: Re: Say it ain't so
 

mixed feelings, huh? Abaici, you KNOW you and me are --->HERE<---- but I gotta call bullisht on this one....

how could you not want Shaq in Sac?? To date, what has Sacremento won....pocketlint. Granted, the diesel is waaaaay too familiar with the interior of Krispy Kreme, but he's STILL the NBA's most dominant guy. I think he's got another year, maybe 2 of dominance left, and then he'll still be an upper-tier player.

And....I know he lost the "whose is it" battle for the team to Kobe, but really, how you "disrespect" someone to whom you paid $28.9 million in salary last season?

Again, as a King's fan, I really have mixed feelings about Shaq joining the team. On one hand, I think that he would contribute greatly. Also, their major block to a championship would become a non-issue. However, I'm still a little bitter about the "queens" comments. I'm a woman remember. We never forget anything!Also, they are talking about trading Brad Miller, Peja, and Christie. Aww, heck naw!! I mean, you cannot get rid of Peja!! **sigh**

And disrepecting Shaq is limited to picking Kobe over him this time around. I think it's an insult.

If Shaq ends up with the "Queens," I may have to become a reluctant rooter.
Obviously, I'm put off by all of this mess. Shaq, yes, he may need Hooked On Phonics, he may take off during the regular season and he even may be a crappy dresser. But he's still a dominant force and basically a decent citizen, unlike the boy wonder who decided to creep in Colorado, but I digress.

True, true!!!

"Disrespect?" I just think Shaq was a victim of timing. Shaq's 32 and is putting on major lbs.; Kobe is 25, immature as isht, but a major baller who is the Lakers' future. Deep down, Shaq has to see this. ....pay me $29 million per annum and you might could "disrespect" me for a minute.

Steeltrap, pointing out Kobe's "Colorado creep" move, all I'll say is you on-point. Hooked on phonics? Are you separating your Laker love from "the diesel" already? :p :D

I'm going to be a Laker lover and a Diesel lover. I just am having a hard time wrapping my mind around him being part of another team. I've been a Shaq lover since 1991, when he was at LSU.

Trust me, you can do it. I was a Laker fan from way back. I also followed Shaq from the time he was drafted (little known fact: I had a Shaq poster on my wall during freshman year! Waiting on Tony to clown me But, my feelings changed. My transformation to a Laker hater was quite easy!

Damn.
 

I read some of what Shaq had to say about the Laker's front office and Abaici is right.....that man is pissed about how they treated him.

I feel that the Lakers tried to buy themselves another championship and it didn't work. They still didn't learn that they are a team and not a 2 person show. U can't put that many stars on one team and think everything is going 2 be koo, cause it's not. Everyone of them were use 2 being in the spotlight and now they had 2 share. As far as Shaq coming to Sac, hell no I don't think so, I really don't want that 2 happen. Malone needs to take his old ass home and face the fact that he ain't gonna get a ring. And I love the KINGS to death and we gonna he our stuff together and get a ring soon. They better not trade Paja and no Lakers need to join the bunch, they can keep they drama in LA. And i'm happy to say that they got Wallce wack ass outta Sac cause he was 2 much on his own nut sack to be a bench warmer.

Lawd someone get out the smelling salt!!
 

My man C-Webb said that he would not be opposed to being traded to the Lakers! I doubt that happens, but if it does, I will definately have to relinquish my Laker Hater title. Hmm...Purple and Gold?!? It's been awhile.

Shaq in Miami?
 

Sources are saying that the Diesel and The Lakers are talking to management of the heat about a trade for Shaq.

Re: Shaq in Miami?
 

Unbelievable. But I have a sad feeling this is going to happen. I understand that the Lakers would want to build around a 25-year-old talent. But that 25-year-old showed, at the least, incredibly poor judgment in Colorado and his life is still at risk until the trial is completed.

The only mistakes Shaq really has made had to do with his mouth getting into trouble, and he did apologize, etc.

Besides, Brian Grant is hardly a upper-echelon center.