In the world series of poker, you play with the cards you're dealt. You can ask for some new cards -- not specific ones -- and you still won't know what you're getting. Ergo, I don't understand your analogy. Mine fits -- sounds like you'd do anything, regardless of principles or honor, to win.
Yeah you're right about the analogy. It was just a mashed up analogy that represents my frustration with the team's lack of success and the priorities of some people on the board. I'm not sure how principles or honor apply here. TMac is not a native of Houston. He did not start his career in Houston. He was acquired in a trade for 2 players that did start their careers in Houston. He has increased our regular season success by a modest amount, but that could be attributed to Yao's improvement. He has not increased our playoff success, and that is what really matters. Kobe wears #23+1 as his number because he wants to be MJ+1. I think he wants to win 6+1 championships so he can be MJ+1. He has 3 titles right now. He wants to be like Mike, and more often than not he plays like Mike. TMac wears #1 as his number because apparently his favorite part of the playoffs is round 1. I think he wants to get out of round 1 so he will not be the best player to never win a playoff series. He has 6 playoff first round defeats. He beats his chest like Tarzan ("It's on me") and many times plays like Jane. Winners are remembered as winners. Losers are remembered as nice losers or mean losers. Kobe is a winner and has a heart and ego the size of MJ's. TMac is a nice loser and is a drama queen. I'll take a winner over a nice loser any day. How about you?
Better answer. Trading for superior players is a GM's permanent quest. I'm old school in that I love the honor and honesty of the game itself. I allied myself with the Rockets when they moved to Houston -- I moved there the same year. Now I live in San Antonio. It would be easy to switch allegiance to the winning Spurs, especially since all my relatives and neighbors are huge Spurs fans. I do cheer for the Spurs but only when not in conflict with my first loyalty -- i.e., the Rockets. Who remembers a loser? There is no dishonor in losing. The dishonor is in giving up -- something Bryant does as soon as events are not going his way. I can forgive a great but disturbed player like Artest -- he' can't help that he's crazy as a loon. You've never seen me play cards. I'm as aggressively vicious as you'll find at a table -- but I never cut corners to win. My soul would ache, and that's not worth the pain. Lastly, if you recall the movie "Field of Dreams" and how the protagonist hurt his father, I feel the same way about my heroes. The Dream was a heroic figure, whether winning or losing, because he gave it his all -- and he never had to buy his way out of a rape conviction.
I'm curious as to why no one is proposing T-Mc for Jermaine O'Neal. I could cheer for a team anchored by JO and Yao Ming.
A Kobe Breakup Would Be Best For Houston AND Los Angeles? Realgm.com: Authored by Dennis Silva II - 31st May, 2007 - 1:11 pm Bryant wants to be traded; gone, removed, exiled from the Los Angeles Lakers. Uh, whoops, scratch that – nevermind, Kobe wants to stay. Whatever the mercurial Lakers superstar desires, this much is known – for better or for worse, his days in Los Angeles are numbered. Whether his tenure ends this summer, or in 2009 (his opt-out year), is unsure. But it’s fairly safe to bet that Bryant will not finish his career as a Laker. He doesn’t trust the higher-ups. He has no confidence in his teammates. He feels betrayed and sees no light at the end of the tunnel. Does that sound like someone who is pleased with his current (and future) situation? "I would like to be traded, yeah,” Bryant told 1050 ESPN Radio (New York) on Wednesday. “Tough as it is to come to that conclusion there's no other alternative, you know?" When he re-signed with the club three years ago, following Shaquille O’Neal’s tumultuous exit, Bryant was told by Laker officials that the team would build a contender around him. He was told they will win. He was told they’ll compete. Instead, he feels the Lakers are rebuilding. Los Angeles has had plenty of opportunities to give him help. But the likes of Baron Davis, Carlos Boozer, and Ron Artest, among others, bypassed them as the club’s efforts to acquire such assets were lukewarm at best. "They (Lakers) obviously want to move in a different direction in terms of rebuilding," Bryant said in the same interview, citing the Clippers and Bulls as viable options at the time. "Three years ago when I was re-signing they should have told me they wanted to rebuild." Bryant lightened his words a bit later Wednesday afternoon, telling ESPN’s Dan Patrick a different story after speaking to Lakers coach Phil Jackson earlier in the afternoon. "I'm so tired of talking," Bryant said. "It's tough. I always dreamed about retiring as a Laker. I just hope and hope that something can be resolved. Something can be figured out. Just something so I can stay here and be in this city and be with the team I love. When Phil and I spoke, he was optimistic and determined that we'll both be back," Bryant told Patrick. "Phil is somebody I listen to. I lean on him a lot. He assured me things are going to be OK. Things are going to be all right. Don't go full bore just yet. Take a deep breath and let us work these things out and everything will be all right.” Either way, it’s apparent that bridges are burned, especially after Bryant made public earlier this week that it was Jerry Buss, not himself, that was solely responsible for O’Neal’s dismissal. So what happens now? Well, both parties will make every attempt to kiss and make up. After all, Bryant sells tickers and puts fannies in the seats, and no other city will embrace the embattled star like Los Angeles. But it would be best if both went their separate ways, especially now when Bryant is in the midst of his prime and is, arguably, the best player in the game, and the best scorer in the league. While Bryant boasts a $9.5 million trade-kicker that will be added to his total contract value and absorbed by any club that acquires him, he’s undoubtedly worth every penny. For clubs desperate for a superstar player who lives and breathes the game, and who would give his right arm to win, Bryant will not only make up that deficit in ticketing and merchandising sales, but in wins and a chance every year at contending for a championship. If the Lakers want to get equal value, they need to look no further than Houston. While it would not be smart to trade Bryant to a Western Conference rival, it makes the most sense. Rockets guard Tracy McGrady would still put people in the seats, and brings about the same amount of flair and thrills to the court as Bryant. The Rockets could also throw in forward Juwan Howard – who Jackson has been interested in as a mid-range shooter for the 4-spot in his triangle offense – and guard Bob Sura’s expiring contract. If the Lakers cooperated by sending free-agent bust Vladimir Radmanovic to the Rockets, it would work out for both clubs. Houston adds a dominant player who doesn’t have to defer to Yao and who can be counted on in clutch time, as well as a long-range shooting forward to complement Rick Adelman’s fluid offense, and the Lakers get a star athlete in return, as well as a capable role player in Howard, as well as salary cap room. For McGrady, it’d be his shot at complete control over a team, with a plethora of sidekicks. He’d be welcomed to shoot and create at any time, and has help in Lamar Odom, Luke Walton, Andrew Bynum and Jordan Farmar. Kobe would be given what he needs most at this point of his career – a change of scenery, and a contending team that has all the pieces to thrive in the West. However, in all likelihood, Kobe probably stays. Aside from death threats from Bryant himself, Mitch Kupchak and the Buss’s would be scorned for life for being the ones responsible for letting Shaq AND Kobe walk. Even if a breakup would be best for both.
He would be a very good complement to Yao. He is a very good shot blocker, plays a good face up game, and has range on his shot. However, Garnett would be a better option as far as a twin tower superstar lineup goes. He is not the shot blocker that JO is, but is arguably a better all around defender than him. The main advantage to Garnett is his ability to dish out assists. He is also a better rebounder. With either I worry about the rest of the team's ability to keep opposing teams honest on the perimeter. The Duncan/Robinson combo won a title. It is possible that Yao/KG or Yao/JO could do the same. Another possible advantage is KG's larger than normal contract that expires soon. I believe he is owed something like 22M this year. There is a distinct possibility that he would sign an extension at under the max to allow his team to sign better complementary players (he really wants a ring). Even if he chooses not to resign, the team he leaves becomes a major player in free agency when his 22M comes off the books. I believe this would be the same year that the draft class of '03 (Lebron, Wade, Carmelo) can become free agents.
"He has the talent, he can do it," Allen said. "But is his attitude going to allow him to take a back seat and let Lamar Odom shine and let Caron Butler have his nights and bring those big guys along with him?" Allen said Bryant's ability and willingness to incorporate others will be the gauge for the Lakers' success. Bryant was re-signed for seven years at more than $130 million this summer. "If Kobe doesn't see he needs two and a half good players to be a legitimate playoff contender or win a championship in about a year or two he'll be calling out to Jerry Buss that 'We need some help in here,' or 'Trade me,' " Allen said. "And we'll all be saying, 'I told you so,' when he says that." Butler, who like Allen attended UConn, is in his third year in the league. "His successes now is going to be based on if Kobe allows him to eat," Allen said of Butler. "If Kobe allows him to sit at the dinner table with him." Allen was asked about the personal part of his game against Bryant. At different times, Bryant bumped into Allen and talked trash. After blocking a fast-break layin attempt by Allen, Bryant stared down at Allen, who had fallen to the floor, allowing Luke Ridnour to grab the loose ball and pass to Rashard Lewis for a dunk. "I think he talks because he feels like he has to talk," Allen said. "He's out there playing, and if he does something good I feel like he needs to pat himself on the back because to me, it seems like he's isolated out there. As much as it's five-on-five, I don't see much camaraderie going on out there with his teammates." wow, is ray allen a psychic or what? believe it or not, teh general consensus around the L is kobe is the best individual player in teh NBA, but also one of the most, if not the toughest, guy to play with.
How does trading TMac for Kobe decrease our team's money potential? Kobe is probably the most popular player in the world. What does Yao have to do with this?
no, odom and walton are his best teammates after yao if he does go to the lakers. and it's not even close. tmac would still be in the playoffs. and true, lose in the first round again. but it aint like yao is helping him.
if the current version of t-mac tried any of those lebronesque hard drives punctuated by hard, acrobatic changes of direction in the lane to finish strong/avoid the charge, his spinal column would instantly disintegrate. on topic: i'd trade either one (t-mac or yao) for kobe.
T-mac is really hurt after seeing the poll result, we should enhance our current team (ya, maybe with some minor adjustments) but not like a total rebuilding process Afterall, we are not that bad, we wouldn't get anywhere if we keep changing our main players I support Yao n T-Mac though they didn't make it this season
Another update: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2888660 Later Wednesday, he had two different messages for the Los Angeles-area media. Later Wednesday, he had two different messages for the Los Angeles-area media. "I can only hope that they do something because I don't want to go no place else. I don't want to," he told radio station KLAC. "I want to stay here. I hope they can do something." Still later, he told the Los Angeles Times in an interview that he wouldn't mind a trade. Speaking at 8:27 p.m. ET, according to the Times, he said: "Nothing's changed. It's just a matter of I don't want to go no place else. I don't have much of a choice. When things like this go down, you just sit back. What can I do? It's like a broken record." The Times asked Bryant if he still wanted to be traded. "Yes," he said.
