I don't know what sales pitch it is but there has to be one, and a damn good one. Spur, Kings and Mav all could also a MLE for Payton and 1.5 mil for mailman. They either did not see the possiblity, or their sales pitch was not as convincing. This is about being creative and agressive. Two qualities our current management need to work on. Sometimes it is better to start early. Look at TWolves, I think they did a great job this offseason. With this new roster, their chance of going further in playoff and thus keeping KG next year just increased by 3 times. If they just keep waiting, they may have to worry about how to keep KG this offseason.
I don't know where you get your assesments from, but I think if any gm had a chance to get shaq, they'll give up their best player regardless of age. The only exception is probably Duncan. If Shaq was traded for O'Neal they would come out of the east. If you traded Garnett with O'Neal, they're probably in the wc finals. Shaq is and still is the most dominant player in this game until he retires or is just too hurt to play. How many players can avg 27 and 10 and be considered a off yr? Most players, thats a career yr, but it was a bad yr for him. A healthy Shaq alone is enough to propel La to the finals, but now they add Payton and Malone and now you have dominance. Itsok to be a homer sometime, but look at reality for the real results.
I don't understand how the Lakers are going to be any better with 2 more players who need the ball in their hands... both Malone and Shaq will be sharing the post and Kobe will still be wanting to be up in the top 10 in scoring... F*ck the Fakers, they gonna be the next Snail Blaizers...
The barkley, pip and dream experiment didn't work out because pip just about gave up, barkley was just a round mound. Dream was just injured. The lakers are adding 2 hard nose work horses to two other work horses. Malone is in alot better shape than barkley was a few years back. I hate to say this but the year we got barkley I wish we had gotten the mailman instead. A team of Dream, Mailman, Drexler would have gotten the ring.
I think thats what people don't understand about this deal. Pippen was a good complimentary player never having to carry a team. When the Rockets got him, they thought he could assume Clyde's production and leadership, but they were wrong. On top of that, he was fresh off back surgery. Dream wasstill a 20ppg scorer and Barkley was still good also , but neither were were to the magintude that Payton and Malone are now. Payton is still the top pg in the game in my eyes and Malone is still the 6th or 7th best 4 in the league. Add them to Kobe and Shaq both of whom are 2 of the top ten best players in the entire nba, and you've got a really good team. Its only 1 ball, but if anyone has ever played with a talented smart team, they know it makes the game much easier. When Shaq gets doubled, why wouldn't he pass the ball to a cutting malone,kobe or Payton? On a pick and role, how hard is it going to be to defend one run with shaq and payton or kobe and malone? the possibilites are endless.
You obviously don't believe that Yao Ming will become that Superstar. The Rockets think its possible and are building the Team arround him and Franchise.
