Dwight Night


On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Lakers pulled off a move to get back to relevance — they landed free-agent point guard Steve Nash. Though 38, Nash is still a premier point guard and premier player in the NBA. The idea of pairing him with Kobe Bryant seems like it will instantly upgrade the Lakers' lineup.

But now comes the question — what will the rest of that lineup look like? Last year, prior to the start of the season, it seemed the Lakers were pursuing Orlando center Dwight Howard. Howard is a good defensive player, one of the best centers in the league, and a coveted player that seems to constantly be rumored to be available. Once upon a time, the Lakers scored big by prying a center away from the Magic. In that case it was Shaq, and it led to three NBA titles for the Lakers.

But is this the same type of situation? I say no. In fact, I agree with Bob Ryan, who on Thursday on PTI said he thought the Lakers were better off staying with the two big men they already have.

The Lakers front court now is dominated by Pau Gasol — who was great for three years and has been iffy the last two seasons — and Andrew Bynum — a talented young player that doesn't always show up big when he should.

Trading for Howard would, undoubtedly, cost the Lakers both Gasol and Bynum. So, would he be worth it? The answer is, probably not.

Howard is a good player, but he's mercurial. He's driven the Orlando front office crazy the past few seasons, he's not a great team player, and he's coming off an injury. Add to that his marginal offensive skills and poor free throw percentage, and you really have to weigh the costs.

Gasol can still be a great player. His summer playing for Spain in the Olympics might heighten that. And Bynum, for all his up-and-down play, is still a good young center. Those two combined with Metta World Peace (Ron Artest), Bryant, Nash and a few complimentary pieces just might be enough to return the Lakers to Western Conference contention.

Here's to hoping they don't over pay for an unproven commodity.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Burial a courtroom drama with heart

Image
Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) is a brash trial lawyer who is good at rallying a jury to his cause. Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) is a quiet grandfather who is trying to ensure the business his family built remains viable after he’s gone. These two don’t appear to have much in common on the surface. But when they’re brought together by young lawyer Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie) brings them together, a connection is formed over their shared background of working hard to become self-made men. And it turned out that Willie was just who Jerry needed in his corner to win the fight of his life. The new Prime Video film The Burial, which opened in theaters October 6 and started streaming October 13, captures that trial against the Loewen Group that changed the course of their lives. The film is based on the true story and covers the trial, but more importantly captures the relationship between the men. The film plays out like a traditional courtroom drama. Foxx is solid as Willie Gary, while Ju
Read more

Broncos Draft Targets

Image
  The NFL Draft is just a few days away. On April 25, the Denver Broncos will head into the draft in the midst of something of a rebuild. In the draft, the Broncos have the No. 12 pick in Round 1, then have a Third Round Pick, Fourth Round Pick, three Fifth Round Picks, a Sixth Round Pick, and a Seventh Round Pick. So, what might they be targeting? Let's dive in and look at possible positions. Quarterback : The team clearly needs a long-term quarterback. Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are there but the team could certainly use someone else. Could they move up for Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy? Yes, they could. Will the take Bo Nix at 12? It's possible. Or will the Broncos wait until next off-season to make a move? Anything is in play for the Broncos in 2024, but quarterback is surely a need. Tight End: The team brought back Adam Trautman and still has Greg Dulcich, but it's still a need. Dulcich hasn't been able to get on the field and Trautman hasn't been great. Co
Read more

Favorite Westerns, No. 43

Image
  Do you like a good Western? It's a classic genre in film and this year I've decided to look at some of my favorite Westerns. So, join me each Friday as I count down my favorite Westerns from No. 50 to No. 1. Rooster Cogburn : [ watching Mattie ford the river hanging on the back of her horse] By God. She reminds me of me. True Grit (1969) Starring : John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper Director : Henry Hathaway About: This is the third straight week with a film from Wayne. As you might guess, we're not done. As I've mentioned, he sets a standard for the genre. Here, we seen him bring to life an iconic character. This one is based on a novel, and it has endured. He's great as Rooster Cogburn, so good that he got a sequel in the same character. But this is a later film in his career. This is a different, more grizzled Wayne. He's still quite good and this is a film that really has stood the test of time. It's not the only ve
Read more