CORRECTION (9:24pm CT): The second-round pick the Lakers got along with Pau Gasol in today's trade is for the 2010 draft, not this year's draft. My apologies.
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UPDATE (8:16pm CT): Lakers win north of the border, 121-101. Kobe pours in 46 points with 7 boards and 5 assists. Next up on the trip: Washington, Sunday morning.
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Well, Laker fans, the day we've been waiting for has finally arrived! KWAME BROWN IS NO LONGER A LAKER. The Lakers today traded Kwame, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie (who they signed today specifically for this trade so that the contracts going both ways matched up to within the required 15% threshold), the rights to Marc Gasol and two first round draft picks (2008, 2010) to Memphis for Pau Gasol (yes, aforementioned Marc's big brother) and a second round pick in this year's draft.
This is a great day for the Lakers. It's time to celebrate! Start partying, L.A.! Parade out on 11th! No, not for a championship, not yet, anyway, but just for the sole reason that Kwame Brown is no longer a Laker! And you can very well bet the rest of the league just dropped their jaws as the Lakers pretty much STOLE Gasol for practically nothing!
Gasol will slide right into the center slot while Andrew Bynum is recovering from his dislocated knee cap, and will move over to the 4 spot when Bynum returns, whenever that might be (mid-March?). When that happens, the Lakers will field a spectacular starting lineup, perhaps the best starting quintet in the league, that will feature Derek Fisher at the point, arguably the game's best player in Kobe Bryant at the 2, Lamar Odom at the 3, and two 7-footers at the 4 and 5 in Gasol and Bynum. In the meantime, Gasol, who doesn't provide much of a defensive presence for being a 7-footer, will give the Lakers some much need inside offensive help in the absence of Bynum.
When Bynum went down with his injury on January 13th against the very same team the Lakers just made a blockbuster deal with today, the Lakers were riding high, in the midst of a seven-game winning streak. They won the game that night against Memphis to put their streak at six, but have gone just 3-5 since, and have gone from a potential top-seeded team in the West, to just barely a playoff contender. They squeezed out an important momentum-boosting 120-109 win at home against the Knicks on Tuesday night to stop a little three-game slide before heading off on a long and winding nine-game road trip, which began with a one-point loss last night in Detroit.
So for the Lakers, the deal comes at a very important time of the season which could either make or break their entire season. The impact of the deal is already being felt positively as the Lakers are rolling in Toronto with a 102-89 lead with about seven minutes left in the game. Time will tell if Gasol can help propel the Lakers into the playoffs as serious contenders or fairy pretenders.
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Disclaimer: Once again I have been insanely busy which has prevented me from posting as often as I'd like, but I will continue to do my best to post as frequent as time will allow. Thanks to all my readers for being patient with me and cooperating.
**********
UPDATE (8:16pm CT): Lakers win north of the border, 121-101. Kobe pours in 46 points with 7 boards and 5 assists. Next up on the trip: Washington, Sunday morning.
**********
Well, Laker fans, the day we've been waiting for has finally arrived! KWAME BROWN IS NO LONGER A LAKER. The Lakers today traded Kwame, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie (who they signed today specifically for this trade so that the contracts going both ways matched up to within the required 15% threshold), the rights to Marc Gasol and two first round draft picks (2008, 2010) to Memphis for Pau Gasol (yes, aforementioned Marc's big brother) and a second round pick in this year's draft.
This is a great day for the Lakers. It's time to celebrate! Start partying, L.A.! Parade out on 11th! No, not for a championship, not yet, anyway, but just for the sole reason that Kwame Brown is no longer a Laker! And you can very well bet the rest of the league just dropped their jaws as the Lakers pretty much STOLE Gasol for practically nothing!
Gasol will slide right into the center slot while Andrew Bynum is recovering from his dislocated knee cap, and will move over to the 4 spot when Bynum returns, whenever that might be (mid-March?). When that happens, the Lakers will field a spectacular starting lineup, perhaps the best starting quintet in the league, that will feature Derek Fisher at the point, arguably the game's best player in Kobe Bryant at the 2, Lamar Odom at the 3, and two 7-footers at the 4 and 5 in Gasol and Bynum. In the meantime, Gasol, who doesn't provide much of a defensive presence for being a 7-footer, will give the Lakers some much need inside offensive help in the absence of Bynum.
When Bynum went down with his injury on January 13th against the very same team the Lakers just made a blockbuster deal with today, the Lakers were riding high, in the midst of a seven-game winning streak. They won the game that night against Memphis to put their streak at six, but have gone just 3-5 since, and have gone from a potential top-seeded team in the West, to just barely a playoff contender. They squeezed out an important momentum-boosting 120-109 win at home against the Knicks on Tuesday night to stop a little three-game slide before heading off on a long and winding nine-game road trip, which began with a one-point loss last night in Detroit.
So for the Lakers, the deal comes at a very important time of the season which could either make or break their entire season. The impact of the deal is already being felt positively as the Lakers are rolling in Toronto with a 102-89 lead with about seven minutes left in the game. Time will tell if Gasol can help propel the Lakers into the playoffs as serious contenders or fairy pretenders.
**********
Disclaimer: Once again I have been insanely busy which has prevented me from posting as often as I'd like, but I will continue to do my best to post as frequent as time will allow. Thanks to all my readers for being patient with me and cooperating.
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