It obvious that Payton is unhappy in LA and he wants go to a different team after the season. The Rockets could bring him in at a cheap price and play him along SF with Cat off the bench. Payton could guard the big SG in the league and SF can take the quick PG. Payton played his best in the Rockets series when he was playing alongside Fisher and when he was guarding Cat instead of SF. With the defensive schemes of JVG Payton could revitalize his career in H-Town.
You do know that how many Lakers fans hate him for his defense, his attitude on/off court, right? You can see how Parker blew him by as if he didn't even exist, right? All he did was complaining the minutes, never looked in the mirror to see his performance. I just don't see a egoistic freelancer who has to be the focal point can be fit in JVG's system, or any SYSTEM. He was one of the great PGs in the games, but with the zone defense, his age, declining production, and his attitude, I would be appalled and very upset to see him in a Rockets' uniform.
He wouldn't be guarding Parker, he would be guarding Bowen, with Francis on Parker and JJ on Ginobili or Hedo. He would not complain about his minuets here becasue he would be playing more min then he has been with LA. He was complaining because he was benched in the 4th quarter for Fisher. With Cato or the new PF and Yao to help him erase any defensive mistakes Payton can go back to playing the defense that made him the glove.
don't we need BETTER defenders at the point... ?!? The "glove" would make my kid sister look like.... Keith Van Horn... ! (I bet you all thought I would say Michael Jordan)
From what I've seen in the playoffs, I think Payton might be done. I really think the Lakers would be better off at this point if Derek Fisher started and Payton came off the bench. From what I've seen this post-season, he's a liability defensively at this stage of his career. Hard to say how much more he could contribute offesnively if he wasn't the 4th option on a team with four future hall of famers. I defintely wouldn't pay him the kind of money I'm sure he thinks he is still worth. Someone will though.
The dude sitting in for Rome called it right......Payton is no longer "The Glove" but more like "Old Catcher's Mit".
I have no problem with Payton, but I don't think I would want him. He is not the glove anymore. Too many point guards blow by him way to easily. Plus, I don't think he would be happy playing in JVG's crappy offense.
What's next? How about Medvedenko as our PF? Just because the Lakers beat us, does not mean that their old washed up vets are better than what we've got. We need a LONG TERM solution.
So you want to bring Payton over here and at the same time dump Yao??? That sure makes a lot of basketball sense to me.
amed, have you not been watching all six Laker playoff games? Payton is washed up. Francis and Parker have burned him repeatedly. and he has no offensive game anymore. father time has caught up with him. This aint the Payton from 1996, who dominated every PG he played against.
To be fair, I'd say it's premature to say Payton is washed up. I remember a playoff series where Payton was blowing by another certain point guard, and peopel were saying that this guy should hang em up, it's over. And I believe Stockton played, and played well, for another 5 years or so. Guys have up and down years, and the older you get, if you don't put the work in the down seem all the more apparant. And Payton could be done. But I don't think it's a foregone conclusion, though. But, he wouldn't come here. I think he took a $ hit to get a ring, and if that didn't satisfy him, he'll be looking for cash and assured pt. I'm not sure we can guarentee either to his satisfaction.
I think he's gonna go somewhere like Indy and dont want him here at all really unless we do the T-Mac deal and need a pg bad. All his trouble in LA came from his discomfort in the triangle system. He's splitting time with Fisher too so he may not be used to playing sporadic minutes. Maybe he needs something more Seattle like. Then again, it's definitely possible that he's just old.
You have got to be kidding me. A series after Stevie made him look like a fool, and after game one where Parker made him look like a fool this thread pops up?!
