Gasol Leads Spanish National Team
Lakers forward Paul Gasol will be leading what is perhaps going to be the biggest competition for the USA national basketball team in Beijing. The Spain squad should make a formidable opponent and is a consensus top three team in this year’s games. Gasol will be paired up with his brother Marc, who is expected to play his rookie season in the NBA this year and is a bonified bruiser. The Gasol brothers will also be teaming up with shooting guard Rudy Fernandez, who the Blazers selected in the 2007 draft and will be crossing the Atlantic to play in the NBA’s 2008-2009 campaign as well. With Toronto Raptors point guard Jose Calderon and former Raptor Jorge Garbajosa on board, the talent on the team is substantial.
Spain and Greece are the two most likely teams to give the U.S. a run for their money. While the Greek team is full of unknowns who just play solid team basketball, the Spanish team is crawling with NBA players and hopefuls. Spain also has a trick up their sleeve in the form of teenage sensation Ricky Rubio, who at 17 is set to be one of the youngest players to partake in Olympic basketball. Rubio is being projected as a top five pick in the 2009 NBA draft and has been compared to Steve Nash. This blogger has watched plenty of tape on him and he looks like the real deal.
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No Artest in L.A.
Ron Artest will not be joining the Lakers in an offseason trade, as the forward was dealt to the Houston Rockets yesterday for rookie Donte Green, Bobby Jackson’s expiring contract and a first-round pick. So the Lakers didn’t acquire the controversial defensive ace as many NBA pundits had anticipated. Make no mistake; they’re still a top team in the league.
The club would have loved to swap Odom for Artest, but the Kings’ insistence on including Kenny Thomas’ hefty contract was probably a deal-breaker for Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak. With Odom still on the roster, the Lakers are still in great shape to contend for a title. With Andrew Bynum back, the team will receive some much-needed toughness on the inside. Celtic bigs Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins seemed too physical for the Lakers in the finals, but there’s no way they would have manhandled the seven-foot, 275-pound Bynum. He’ll inject rebounding and defense into the Lakers’ game, but will add that presence that makes opposing players hesitant to enter the paint on offense. With Odom and Pau Gasol as second and third offensive options alongside Kobe Bryant, the offense is as potent as any in the league. The team will be just fine sans Artest.
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Vujacic Signing Shows League’s Strength Isn’t Fading
The fact that Sasha Vujacic turned down more lucrative offers from European teams in favor of re-signing with the Lakers shows that not every player is prepared to make the overseas jump, even if they hail from Europe. A lot of people went into panic mode when Josh Childress left the NBA to play for more money in Greece, declaring it as a new trend that was about to explode. At this point, Childress is pretty much a pioneer and it doesn’t appear that too many players are prepared to follow him.
The day after Childress signed with Olympiacos there were rumors about several players leaving the NBA for European teams, including Vujacic. But the prestigious honor of playing in the NBA doesn’t seem to be lost on most players. Childress made a financial decision and that’s his right, but don’t expect it to become commonplace. If European-born players like Vujacic would rather play in the NBA for less financial compensation, it signals that the reputation the NBA has built as the premiere basketball league in the world has not faded. Players will occasionally jump at the cash and play overseas, but expect it to be the exception more than the rule.
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Sasha Staying, Signs Three-Year Deal
After learning of the possibility of losing him to a European team, the Lakers decided to step up their offer to Sasha Vujacic and have come to terms on a three-year $15 million deal. The Lakers had reportedly offered a contract worth $12 million earlier in free agency. After Josh Childress and Bostjan Nachbar left the NBA for more to play overseas, there were reports that Vujacic was considering going back to Europe instead of returning to the Lakers.
While it would have been a bargain to get Vujacic for $4 million a year, the team is not overpaying at five. Vujacic played an integral part in the Lakers’ success last season. After several years of looking lost on the court, Vujacic finally came around last year. The 6-7 guard/forward averaged nearly nine points per game last season coming off the bench. The Yugoslavia native also scored a playoff career-high 20 points in game three of the NBA Finals, which included a clutch three-point shot in the final minutes. Vujacic provides the team with a scoring spark off the bench and supplies instant energy when he enters the game. Re-signing Vujacic was identified as the team’s number one priority this offseason, so the club has to be satisfied that they made it happen.
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So Long Sasha?
While there has always been a chance that restricted free agent Sasha Vujacic would not be in a Lakers uniform next season, now, in a more surprising turn, there is a chance that he won’t even be in the NBA next year. In the wake of NBA contributors Josh Childress and Bostjan Nachbar departing from the league to play in Europe, and not because they had to, Lakers fans could see Vujacic follow suit. Since Childress signed with Greek club Olympiacos, there have been rumors flying around about other players going overseas. Due to salary cap restrictions, some players can make more money in Europe.
While some players may just be using the possibility of playing overseas as a bargaining chip with their respective teams, don’t assume Vujacic’s threat to be idle. It’s much more likely for a European-born player to ditch the NBA because there will be little, if any, adjustment period in their new country. American-born players have to take a number of factors into consideration before taking the plunge. There is a good chance that they don’t adjust well to playing overseas or just don’t like it, exemplified by Childress’ ability to opt-out of his contract after each season.
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Walton Expected to Be Ready for Training Camp
Luke Walton is expected to make a full recovery before training camp after undergoing ankle surgery this offseason. Walton has been somewhat prone to injury since the Lakers selected him in the second round of the 2003 draft. He’s is the son of former NBA player Bill Walton.
This is good news for the Lakers. Walton is the embodiment of a solid role player. Every team could use a Luke Walton. He’s strong, athletic, plays hard and can pass. He’s never going to make an All-Star team or get much fanfare, but he’ll play an important role for any team he’s on. Walton is the kind of player that Phil Jackson loves having in his triangle offense. Walton has a high basketball IQ and is a great passer for his size at 6-8. He’ll come off the bench next season for the Lake Show unless the team somehow moves Lamar Odom without getting a small forward in return. Walton is a great guy coming off the bench though. He’s the type of player who won’t make any noise about not starting, and he’ll just do his job and whatever is asked of him. He’s the type of player that helps turn really good teams into championship teams.
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Kobe’s Role
Keep in mind that Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant is still not healthy. He still has a painful finger injury that he will carry with him throughout this summer’s Olympic Games in Beijing. Without Bryant, team U.S.A. would definitely be a weaker squad. There are some questions surrounding the Laker guard though, as far as his play is concerned. Kobe is the best offensive player in the NBA. He’s used to being the number one, sometimes only, option on his team offensively. On team U.S.A., however, he’ll be playing with the likes of LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. James could develop into the best player to ever play the game and Melo’s game should torch the competition in international play.
Bryant is going to have to share the ball, which he’s willing to do, but what happens when the team plays a formidable opponent? The first few rounds should be a breeze, but eventually they’ll have to match up against Spain or Greece. If it comes down to a last-second shot, who gets the ball? Coach K is used to dealing with kids that will obey his every command, but what will Kobe Bryant say if Melo is given the game-winning opportunity? Kobe will undoubtedly be a leader and a primary weapon on this team, but hopefully his mind will be focused on the gold and not personal pride.
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Kobe Leads Olympic Team
Lakers star Kobe Bryant and the rest of the U.S. Olympic team squared off against a squad of NBA youngsters yesterday in a scrimmage in preparation for the summer games in Beijing. While there was no official score kept, Bryant said he kept track of the count himself, showing that he’s taking everything this summer seriously. Bryant is certainly one of the leaders of this team and is arguably the best player on the roster.
After the U.S. was embarrassed four years ago, losing multiple games, team organizers realized that you can’t just throw talent out on the floor and beat the best nations in Europe. This year’s squad has guys who are focused on winning as a team. This team features unselfish guys, or at least guys willing to play unselfishly for this event. Every player on the roster appears to be taking this year extra seriously in an effort to reclaim what they believe is rightfully theirs, the gold medal. Bryant and LeBron James should be dominating forces in the Olympic Games. There is no player in the world that can match Bryant’s skill level and all-around game, while there is no player that can match James’ combination of strength, size and speed. If this team plays together, they should win gold.
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Summer League Wrap-Up
With the Vegas Summer League now finished, let’s take a look at how the Lakers fared. The club finished with a 2-4 record, but it’s not team success that summer league is really for. The primary purpose of summer league is to evaluate rookies and players vying for a roster spot. Second-year guard Coby Karl led the team in scoring, averaging 13 points per game. The Lakers’ lone pick in the 2008 draft, guard Joe Crawford, was the only other player to average double figures, chipping in 11 a game. Former Maryland forward Nik Caner-Medley played well and undrafted rookie and former USC Trojan Davon Jefferson played well in limited minutes.
One would think that it will be Karl that makes the team. He surprised a lot of people by claiming the final roster spot last season, though he barely saw the floor on a very deep team. Karl has a year under his belt learning Phil Jackson’s triangle offense and was the best player on the summer league team. Crawford, an undersized two guard, is likely headed for the D-league or overseas. Former second-round pick James White was a disappointment in this year’s summer league, despite having first-round talent when he was drafted by the Pacers.
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Turiaf Officially A Warrior
The deadline for the Lakers to match the offer sheet signed by restricted free agent Ronny Turiaf and the Golden State Warriors has come and gone. The Lakers failed to match the offer within seven days of the signing. Turiaf will make approximately $17 million over the next four years. It was no surprise that the Lakers didn’t match this offer, especially because it’s frontloaded. The team’s free agency priority remains signing Sasha Vujacic and that may require the entire mid-level exception. Turiaf was a solid role player for the Lake Show last season, but he provided energy more than anything else. He doesn’t have much of a skill set and doesn’t project to ever be a starter in the NBA, but he does provide a spark off the bench, good locker room presence and a lot of hustle.
Hustle, though, is not worth $17 million. If the Lakers hope to re-sign Vujacic or pull of a deal for Ron Artest, letting Turiaf go was a no-brainer. The Warriors overpaid him and it’s entirely possible that his contract becomes one that we’ll look at in three years and wonder how he landed it. He was a good energy player and a guy who was always cheering from the bench, but that doesn’t warrant the kind of money he got.
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