I know I’m in the vast minority here, and you can call me a jealous, bitter Lakers hater; but I’m glad that the NBA owners raised a big stink and made Commissioner David Stern veto the trade that would have sent CP3 (Chris Paul) to the Los Angeles Lakers in a three-team deal. The deal in full:
Los Angeles Lakers – CP3
Houston Rockets – Pau Gasol
New Orleans Hornets – Lamar Odom, Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, Goran Dragic, and a 2012 first-round pick
Simply put, I don’t think the Hornets got enough back in return in the deal when compared to what was supposedly available to them in the rumors that were reported. When you go from getting players like Rajon Rondo, Stephen Curry, Eric Gordon, to Lamar Odom, Luis Scola, and Kevin Martin, something isn’t right.
Many are arguing that this is a fair deal all-around and that when looked at under a closer microscope, the Lakers actually made themselves worst off by giving up Paul Gasol and Lamar Odom. Many also feel that the New Orleans Hornets made themselves better and received the most compensation they would receive for CP3. I just don’t buy it. I think the Hornets could have played out the first part of the season and waited for a better offer. I understand Pau Gasol, the Cro-Magnon Man, is a very skilled big-man and a top 15 player, and I will admit that Lamar Kardashian is probably better than I give him credit for, but I just can’t come to terms with the deal. I also can’t comprehend why and how the Los Angeles Lakers keep getting other teams to make these deals where they receive the superstar players.
People are failing to realize the other underlying move that was going to be made in this fiasco. I don’t think the Lakers make this deal unless they already had, or were confident that they can get a deal done with the Orlando Magic for Dwight Howard. The CP3 trade involving Lamar Kardashian and The Cro-Magnon Man left the Lakers with the pieces, a bad right knee in Andrew Bynum and scraps, to trade for Howard; and no right thinking NBA analyst would argue that the Lakers aren’t a better team with Kobe, CP3, and Howard. I am fully confident in this belief and a Lakers roster of Kobe Bryant, CP3, and Dwight Howard scares me a lot more than the Lakers current roster.
Now it’s being said that this trade is not actually vetoed and that it is “on hold” for the moment and could be reversed, but it looks like it will not be approved in its current form. Another misconception in this story is that the NBA owns the New Orleans Hornets and is trying to find a buyer for them. Ask yourself, why would anyone want to buy a team with no superstar attraction and who just recently took on more salary? As league Commissioner, David Stern has the legal recourse to veto this trade if he chooses too, and as the spokesman for the 30 owners in the NBA who all have a stake in the franchise as of now, why would you want this deal to go through?
While I can see why David Stern's action may be ethically wrong, I understand why the other owners and the NBA would block this deal. Didn't we just go through a 149 day lock-out in order to prevent superstar players from demanding where they want to be traded and to help out the competitive balance of play between large market and small market teams for the sake of the game? Wasn’t this whole lockout deal supposed to change the overall culture of the NBA? Yet a week after the NBA lockout ends, we have two superstars demanding to their owners which teams they want to be traded to, and the rich are continuing to get richer and the poorer are getting poorer. When is enough, enough? When are we going to stop the monopoly the Lakers have on the NBA and let the other 99% have a fighting chance (I know, Lewis Liberal over here is starting to rear its head)? The day the Lakers finish an NBA season 33-49 will be a great day for me and a better one for the NBA.
So I’m gathering up my tent and joining the other cuckoos and I’m starting the Occupy Los Angeles Lakers movement.
No comments:
Post a Comment