The Honorable Cock Jowles: Except Kobe’s one year older and will probably take 25 shots per game next year. Do you know that at a whopping 52.7% TS, he led the league in usage?

Did you know he’s never played with a point guard anywhere near Nash’s level? He’s won 5 championships dude get over it, he clearly knows how to play in the playoffs. If you really think the Lakers lost because Kobe was shooting a lot and not because they had a mediocre defense and Ramon Session passing up WIDE open jumpers, I don’t know what to tell you. The Lakers were a solid team last year that just fixed it’s 3 biggest weaknesses, 3 point shooting, pick and roll play for easy buckets, and a slow defense that couldn’t cover the pick and roll well. Howard pretty much fixes that alone, and Kobe, Artest, and Pau are at least slightly above average defensively (although Kobe’s All-Defense nod was a joke). Howard is also much more refined at passing out of double teams than Bynum, so the incredibly hard double teams Bynum faced in the playoffs will no longer work. If they somehow managed to replace Artest and Barnes with somebody good (Delfino is still out there no?) The Lakers are taking it this year.

Juany8:
So…. the Lakers just got Bynum for Howard straight up. The Magic seem to have gotten trash. I think the Lakers might have just won the title.

Except Kobe’s one year older and will probably take 25 shots per game next year. Do you know that at a whopping 52.7% TS, he led the league in usage?

Tony Pena:
Ephus – How come Bynum does not get more money if he stays with Philly? I thought this was always the case. Thanks!

He does. If Bynum waits until he is a free agent at the end of the season, he can resign with Philly for five years at the max salary with 7.5% raises – just under $100 million ($17.2/$18.5/$19.8/$21.1/$22.4). If he signed with anyone else, the most he could get is 4 years at the max with 4.5% raises – $73 million ($17.2/$18.0/$18.7/$19.5).

What may be confusing is that if Philly tried to sign him to an extension before he becomes a free agent, they can only extend him for 3 years for around $55 million. That is a big reason for Bynum to play out the string.

BigBlueAL:
Pau stays with the Lakers, Orlando gets Al Harrington, Afflalo along with some young players and future picks (all from teams almost guaranteed to make the playoffs it seems).WTF is the point of that for Orlando??

According to ruruland, Al Buckets will be a great “shot creator” for the Magic.

BigBlueAL:
Plus Orlando doesnt even shed their bad contracts, only J-Rich and they are getting Afflalo and Harrington’s contracts!!

I think Harrigton’s final two years is non guaranteed or just partially guaranteed so its not that bad.