The Flakers had a very nicely put together team this past season: obviously they won it all, but they had a very talented team that was only marginally in the luxury (about 3 mill in tax). Keeping the team together, however, will be a serious challenge largely because of this ridiculous extension that Bynum signed. With Andrew's 10 million $ raise the Lakeshow is 2 mill in the luxury bracket w/o resigning anyone. Since the Lakers have absolutely no cap room they will have to used exceptions to sign the players they want. Odom is eligible for the Bird exception, which is quite convenient as it will allow the lakers to sign him up to his maximum contract if they so desire. At 30 years of age Lamar is probably looking for at least 4 years making around what he has been making: 11 million.
Trevor Ariza is another player the lakers need to resign, and he will obviously want a raise over his 2.9 million rookie salary. The question is whether the Lakers can keep him for the mid-level exception which is likely to be just under 6 million next year. I think that is a fair raise for him especially if the Lakers give him a 3 year deal with an early termination option.
Now I haven't been able to find out whether the Lakers used their bi-annual exception last year or not, but I'm pretty sure they didn't. The bi-annual is likely to be just under 2 million for next year and that should give them the flexibility to sign Josh Powell and Shannon Brown, or at the very least to keep Shannon Brown.
If they do all of that the Lakers will be 20 million into the luxury tax. Hella expensive, but probably worth it to keep a championship team together. Especially considering that the Cavaliers were 20+ in to the luxury this year for goons like Wally, Big Ben, etc... or that the 05-06 Knick were 62 million in the tax, 62 MILLION!
The problem with the plan is that it requires the players to take or split the exception salaries and someone out there is willing to overpay for all of these guys. Nevertheless the lure of another title is usually enough to keep guys around. Of course none of this means anything if Kobe takes his early termination option and demands more money. If that happens the Lakers would really be regretting the 15 million that's wrapped up in the three stooges: Vujacic, Walton, & Morrision.
"Both teams played hard...goodnight and godbless."
Oct 30, 2007, Floppy Divacs said: "Bynum? $14 million? I mean, I think he's already good and going to keep getting better, but $14 million per year extension? Really?"
ReplyDeleteCan Lakers get a do-over on Bynum? Or can we trade him for Dwight Howard please?
Oh boy, here we go again w/ the Bynum kerfuffle.
ReplyDeleteYes, he is currently overpaid. Yes, he is an enigma. But we must remember a couple of things:
1. Big men are, on the whole, a commodity for which teams overpay wildly.
2. Bynum is super-duper young (21).
3. Bynum suffered from the Jameer Nelson/Jordan Farmar syndrome at the end of the season/playoffs stretch - he didn't have his sea legs when all was said and done, and he wasn't able to effectively integrate himself into the Lakers defense or offense on a consistent basis.
4. Yet, as far as I can tell if he gets the sea legs back and stays injury free, his offensive potential is WAY more than D-wite's. I mean, DHO has NO (none, zilch, nada) low post moves save an occasional sky baby-hook and monstrous backboard-breaking dunk. Defensively, he was also showing ample jangletown skillz when it came to clogging up the middle. Ppl who get into foul trouble either lack talent (e.g. Mark Madsen) or are out of shape or injured (e.g. Shaq had this problem at various times).
THUS: I would say the story is yet unfinished re: Bynum. Time will tell whether a do-over is needed. I don't think I would take DHO over Bynum at this point.
I like Bynum more than Howard. Bynum was balling on Duncan, and other legit big men before he went down, let's not forget the 5-6 games before the injury when he was like 24-14 against mostly teams w/ good to decent bigs. He wasn't able to adapt well to being 70-80% mobility, so it really made him look like crap at many points in the playoffs. Particularly seemed like he had to think too much about what the knee was going to do, and that threw off the rest of his game (let's not forget, he wasn't exactly playing against chumps out there, those were tough teams w/ good bigs except Utah and post-Yao Rockets). That all to me is just inexperience, not having the moves down cold enough to adjust. When healthy he has legit offensive skillz that as Chuck points out are in many ways superior to DHo. Not as strong defensively but no reason to think he can't keep improving there.
ReplyDeleteKeep the core, sell jerseys to pay the luxury tax, win a couple more titles while Kobe still has it, build around Bynum/Gasol/Ariza in a few years. How can anyone step to two (2) athletic top 5 centers on the same team? Oh hey, they can't.
don't forget, as kobe winds down (which should be a couple years away unless his finger actually gets broken off), his shots go to pau / bynum, that is not really a big loss of production, you could argue they should give it to pau more often even now.
ReplyDeleteLong Bynum rant, reader beware:
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying I don't want Bynum at all. I'm saying I don't want Bynum at that price. His body of work, and even his potential over the next few years, do not justify his being paid $14 million a season beginning next year and potentially costing the team the opportunity to resign odom/ariza.
That said, I view Bynum's shortcomings as more mental than physical. Couple issues I have with him:
a) Both before and after the injury, Bynum consistently got caught in no-man's land defensively. He doesn't seem to understand how the team's defensive rotations work and is always a step late getting to the spot, giving up open layups or stupid fouls. His pick and roll defense is atrocious. His go-to defensive move on these plays is the point guard hip-check/blocking foul. These mental lapses are why he was in endless foul trouble during the playoffs. Hopefully (and probably) at least some of this was just the product of reduced lateral quickness from his knee injury. When he comes back healthy and one year more experienced next season, he should hopefully be better, but currently, he is nothing close to a defensive stopper.
b) He is very disinterested in filling the role the team wants him to fill. The team needs him to be a rebounder and defensive stopper. He is a dreadful rebounder for his size and never boxes out. I don't feel like ringing up a few box scores, but go check out his rebounding numbers during the regular season and especially the playoffs.
c) He is a black hole on offense who should never ever be getting post touches instead of Gasol. He took 11 first quarter FG attempts in game 5. Suffice it to say, I stopped screaming at the TV when Odom came in the game.
Dwight Howard is a defensive stopper, obviously. His defense on the pick and roll is terrific - his length and quickness let him guard both players well enough off the pick to give his teammate time to recover. He is far and away the best rebounder in the league - remember that first half where he outrebounded the entire Laker team? The only series Dwight really got into foul trouble was against Cleveland because Lebron would throw himself at Dwight play after play and, being Lebron, would get BS foul calls to put him on the line.
As far as offense is concerned, Dwight has a ton of potential, more than Bynum. Howard is more agile, quicker, and has better footwork. The only slight-advantage Bynum has over Howard is with respect to touch. Howard's effective range around the basket is currently similar to Shaq's. He can work to expand his range though. Howard, too, is young, still only 23. I'm also positive he's hungrier and will work harder than Bynum.
Keep in mind that the Lakers were doubling and tripling Howard in the finals. Bynum was struggling against single coverage. In fact, Bynum has generally struggled whenever defended by a player close to his height. Bynum also really only has 1 or 2 post moves.
I would happily trade Bynum for Howard on the basis of potential. I'm going to go out on a limb and say Howard ups his scoring average to 25+ ppg this year and finishes in the top 3 in MVP voting.
Woah...mad discussion. I agree that Bynum is good, better certainly than he was able to show on a still rehabbing knee. He will develop more and may grow into that contract. Before his 1st knee injury he was averaging 13 and 10 with 2 blks, and after rehabbing from that he came back with 14 and 8 with 1.8 blocks. Plenty of room to improve but still very good. And after a chance to finally get healthy I think he will at least match his earlier performance, at least!
ReplyDeleteThat being said: Bynum for Howard? The receiver of Howard wins easy. Bynum could develop into an all-star, but howard has the ability to be a hall of famer. If Bynum ever gets up to the 21 and 11 with 2 blocks eschilon his career will be a success. Things is that Howard put those exact numbers up last year, and he too is still developing.
Both have the potential to be good players, but howard is just more physically gifted. And he is fully cognizant of the ways in which he needs to improve. Again I'm not dogging Bynum at all, he is good and could become tight. He's just not Dwight Howard, don't let the finals fool you. Besides, both teams played hard.