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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Three-Team Deal in the Works?
There are rumors that a potential Ron Artest trade could get more complicated with the addition of a third team. There is speculation that the Lakers and Kings could bring the Chicago Bulls into the mix. One possible three-way deal would have the Lakers shipping Lamar Odom to Chicago and Jordan Farmar and Chris Mihm to Sacramento. The team would receive Ron Artest from the Kings and guard Kirk Hinrich from the Bulls. The Bulls would receive Odom, while the Kings would get Farmar, Mihm and Bulls forward Tyrus Thomas.
This deal would be incredible for the Lakers, which is why it’s hard to believe it will happen. The Lakers would have a great starting lineup in Hinrich, Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. Hinrich would fit in very nicely with the team and was a player that the Lakers had reportedly been very interested in last summer during the trade talks involving Bryant. Hinrich isn’t a true point guard, which is fine in the triangle offense. He’s smart and can knock down shots, which Phil Jackson would love. The Lakers wouldn’t be sacrificing a ton of depth by making the trade, but they’d have to look to add a big man at some point.
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Walton to Have Surgery, Summer League Update
Lakers forward Luke Walton will undergo surgery on his ankle to remove bone spurs. This type of surgery usually isn’t a big deal and is a clean-up type of procedure. It would be surprising if this caused Walton to miss a significant amount of time. Walton is a really solid player. He does everything well and has a high basketball IQ. Son of former NBA great and current commentator Bill Walton, basketball is in Luke’s blood. He’ll be an integral part of what should be a title contender this season.
In summer league, the Lakers fell to the Sixers 81-73. Colby Karl led the team in scoring yet again, notching 18 points. Again, it appears that rookie Joe Crawford poses the most threat to Karl as far as a roster spot is concerned. Crawford chipped in 16 points and three rebounds. Bryant Dunston added 10 points and eight rebounds, but he’s a real long shot to make the squad. Local products Davon Jefferson and Lorenzo Mata-Real didn’t see any playing time. The Lakers’ summer league team shouldn’t be expected to win many games, as nearly every player is either headed to the D-League or overseas and most teams have a few NBA players and a first rounder playing. Karl and Crawford appear to be the only guys with a shot at a roster spot.
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Kobe Karl?
No, it was Coby Karl who led the Lakers to a win in their second summer league game. The PA announcer busted out a “Kobe Bryant” shout out when Karl went right at Memphis rookie O.J. Mayo and scored in impressive fashion. Karl might not quite be Kobe Bryant, but he led the Lakers’ summer squad with 16 points in their victory against the Grizz. The second-year man dropped nine in the third quarter alone and had a nice overall game. , son of Nuggets head coach George Karl, is the only player on the summer team that was on the Lakers roster last season. He was unquestionably the last guy on the bench and rarely saw time on the floor.
Karl does have some competition for his roster spot this summer. The team’s second round pick in the 2008 draft, Joe Crawford, has chipped in nine points in both summer league contests thus far and has looked good. Two other players I would watch out for based on talent alone are Davon Jefferson and James White. It’s likely that Karl makes the team again because he has a year under his belt learning the triangle offense, probably the most difficult offensive scheme to master. Crawford is a possibility, but he’ll likely end up in the D-League or overseas. The Lakers play their third game in the Vegas Summer League today against the Sixers.
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Odom-Artest Deal Still Alive
Rumors circling the Lakers concerning a Lamar Odom for Ron Artest trade have yet to be squashed. Speculation continues that the Lakers forward will be shipped to Sacramento in exchange for Artest and Kenny Thomas’ $18 million contract. Thomas’ contract would have to be included to make the financial aspects of the deal match up. Artest has just one year remaining on a contract in which he is grossly underpaid, at $7.4 million for the final season. Odom is set to make approximately $14 million next season.
Keep an eye on the Ronny Turiaf situation because it relates to the trade scenario. Turiaf has signed an offer sheet with Golden State for four years at approximately $17 million. The Lakers have a week from the day he signed the offer sheet to match the offer or Turiaf walks. It’s unlikely the Lakers will match the offer given to Turiaf, but if they do you can immediately disregard the possibility of an Artest deal for financial reasons. Should the Lakers pull of this trade, it would make them the hands down favorite to win the NBA Finals. Artest reportedly holds Kobe Bryant in the highest respects and it’s unlikely that there would be any clashing between the two stars.
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Turiaf Signs Offer Sheet
Lakers restricted free agent Ronny Turiaf has signed an offer sheet with the Golden State Warriors for four years at approximately 17 million dollars. Turiaf averaged six points, four rebounds and more than a block per game last season for Los Angeles. The Lakers have seven days to match the offer from the Warriors or Turiaf will walk.
The Lakers should no match this offer. Turiaf is a pretty good bench player and a high energy guy that can give a team a spark when he enters the game, but he’s not worth the money Golden State offered him. It appears that the Warriors are in somewhat of a panic mode after losing point guard Baron Davis, as they have offered contracts to both Turiaf and Corey Maggette that appear to be higher than each player’s market value would dictate. The Lakers should not dole out four million dollars per year for a bench guy who averages six and four. Turiaf is a great teammate and a good locker room guy, but that only takes you so far. Andrew Bynum will be back and Chris Mihm will get more minutes, so that doesn’t leave much of a role for Turiaf. The Lakers need to focus on signing Sasha Vujacic and potentially acquiring Ron Artest via trade.
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