Pop's Tart

Popovich on the Pau trade:

"What they did in Memphis is beyond comprehension," said Popovich. "There should be a trade committee that can scratch all trades that make no sense. I just wish I had been on a trade committee that oversees NBA trades. I'd like to elect myself to that committee. I would have voted no to the L.A. trade."

When told that Wallace had challenged executives to criticize the deal publicly, Popovich replied, "Well, there you go. I'm on the record."

Man I love Gregg Popovich (agape not eros, so stop right there). He is always good for a speaking-his-mind quote, and he's usually right. If I wasn't a Laker fan, I'd be pissed at that trade too. See: Garnett to Boston for a box of spare parts.

I'm Talkin' About The Road

4-2 on The Road Trip after a big win last night, with three to go. I asked for 6-3 trip before it started (actually 7-3 but for some reason I thought the Knick game was on the road) and that looks very possible:

- At Miami on Sunday, with the debut of Maid Marion
- Back-to-back at Charlotte on Monday, against a team that Isn't Very Good
- At Minnesota on Wednesday, an enigma team that shouldn't be taken lightly

Then All-Star weekend where Kobe is in the Dunk Contest Skills Challenge Celebrity Game Shooting Stars Three-Point Shootout. Um, what?

So About Last Night: how about 36 for Kobe and 30 for Pau? I could get used to that. Pau is picking up the triangle faster than anyone I've ever seen, and is thriving in the pinch post, making some nifty passes. You see what he does to inferior talent, like abusing Adonal "He's So Well Spoken" Foyle. Once Bynum comes back and Pau is playing PFs, watch the fuck out.

One thing I really like about road games is hearing the road announcers. Not just because Joel Myers makes me want to puncture my eardrums, but to get a different perspective. Last night was classic: huge homers who couldn't believe a single foul call against the Magic. Howard picked up his 5th via a two-hand-check on a driving Kobe, and even after the replay they were acting like that was ticky-tack. On the plus side, my favorite so far is Steve Smith doing color in Atlanta: good player insight, funny... he should get picked up for national games.

Boom, Pau Surprise!

I was in meetings all morning, away from my computer, but knew something was going down when I got several calls and text messages in the space of about 5 minutes.

Ladies and Gentleman, let me introduce your 2008 Championship Lakers:

PG - Derek Fisher
SG - Kobe Bryant
SF - Lamar Odom
PF - Pau Gasol
C - Andrew Bynum

B - Jordan Farmar
B - Luke Walton
B - Trevor Ariza
B - Ronny Turiaf
B - Vlad Radmanovic
B - Sasha Vujacic
B - Chris Mihm
B - Coby Karl


I do find it amusing that part of the trade was the rights to Gasol The Younger, so Memphis keeps their Gasol quotient the same. This is a banner day in more ways than one.

Plus, 2009 is more of the same... most everyone is under contract.

[Morning update: After looking into this deal further, I realized there is one additional winner: Aaron McKie! Because the Lakers didn't renounce their rights to him, they were able to sign him for the veteran minimum and include him in the trade to make the dollars match.

He was working as an unpaid assistant for Philly, so he has to resign, accept a paycheck for $750K, get then waived by Memphis before he can get back to coaching. Not a bad day's work.]

I Kidd, I Kidd

I'll be damned if Bill Friggin' Simmons didn't come up with a plausible "Kidd to the Lakers" trade scenario:

Los Angeles gets Kidd, Augustine and Madsen; Orlando gets Radmanovic; New Jersey gets Kwame, Telfair, Crittendon and a lottery-protected No. 1 from the Lakers in 2008; Minnesota gets Garrity, Vujacic and $600,000 from the Lakers.

That... just... might... work? I hate anything that breaks up a really good bench right now, but at the same time that's a trade that brings in a star without giving up Bynum, Odom, or Farmar:

Starters
- Kidd
- Kobe
- Odom
- Turiaf
- Bynum

Bench Mob
- Farmar
- Fish
- Luke
- Ariza
- Mihm

Garbage Collectors
- Mad Dog
- Coby
- Whoever the hell "James Augustine" is

Royce with the blocked shot

A player pulls up and shoots over Jamaal Tinsley:

Tinsley's group had arrived at the club in three cars owned by the player -- a Mercedes, a Rolls Royce and a Dodge Charger. Thompson said a group of people gathered around the Rolls Royce and gave Tinsley a hard time about his cars and his earnings.

After Tinsley and friends left, they realized they were being followed by a gray Chrysler and a dark pickup truck, Thompson said.

Instead of going home, Tinsley's group pulled into the Conrad Hotel, a downtown luxury hotel, where the shooting began. Tinsley's Rolls Royce was struck by several bullets, and five bullet holes were found in the Charger, police said.

Better trade him and JO to the Lakers then. (Actually, please don't.)

No Mo: Cook and Evans for Trevor Ariza

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Lakers traded forwards Brian Cook and Maurice Evans to Orlando today for Trevor Ariza, an athletic 6-foot-7 swingman who made a name for himself when he played at UCLA.

Sad to see Mo going... no such love for Cookie since he can't defend anyone. We're getting back a 4th-year player who was named a starter for Orlando this year, but has yet to round into form after battling foot tendinitis. I remember him being pretty good on a lousy Knicks team his rookie year. Real explosive and a good defender at 6'-8" and will probably play mostly PF considering Luke and VladRad off the bench. Which means.. Luke is the new Ko-B?

Stephon Marbury said in Ariza's rookie season: "After watching him the first week of camp, we knew we had a steal." And don't question starbury because he has some damaging info on all y'all motherfuckers.