LAist: Kwame is the Wrong Way

solid

Wed, 23 Nov 2005 23:34:12 -0800

kwame a big mistake for the lakers!!! does not rebound,score and maybe assist!!!what in the world made the lakers acquire him for a solid player like caron!!!all kwame gives are useleess fouls!!!he'd be better traded before the trade deadline comes!!!

westy310

Fri, 15 Jul 2005 10:19:55 -0800

Phil, I'll keep this brief, as this article is about to be bumped off your front page. On the subject of Kwame's original draft pick, I maintain that it is irrelevant to his value to the Lakers. I don't see Michael Olowokandi still answering any questions about why the Clippers drafted him #1. And I've listened to many hours of Mychael Tompson's radio show, and I can't recall any caller or guest or co-host ever jab him - even good-naturedly - about being a #1-pick "bust." Brown is now a Laker, so of course the media is going to find any reason to bash him, but that would be true of any player the Lakers acquire. And if Brown is a solid starter on a winning team and earning his moderate-by-NBA-standards salary, nobody's going to care that he had the temerity to be picked #1 when he was 18. I think you're overestimating this phenomenon of the "bust" stigma. As far as salaries, I get what you're saying - you don't want to see the Lakers hamstrung by overpriced contracts, but I think taking on a $7M/yr player for two or three years is not much of a risk, relatively speaking, and they're not going to have any cap room in the near future anyway (few teams do). And to Jason T. - the Miami Heat, fiscally responsible franchise? Yes, they got a nice hometown discount from Haslem, but this is the same franchise, owner, and GM who game max deals to Eddie Jones and Brian Grant, and are about to repeat this pattern with Shaq. If they do give Shaq the rumored four or five years (!), they will probably be getting into luxury-tax territory when it comes time to pay Wade. (gee, I guess I didn't keep that brief!)

Phil Wallace

Thu, 14 Jul 2005 23:15:45 -0800

Jake, perhaps I overstated Tracy McGrady's tenure in Toronto. It is true that he really struggled in Toronto at first, but you're right that his final year as a Raptor was promising, and it led to his big deal in Orlando. It's hard to dispute though, that Orlando was where he realized his full potential. Perhaps it was the change of scenary that led him to become a superstar. Perhaps it was just a progression of time. I don't know. Regardless he got a lot better on his second team. Jermaine O'Neal might be a better comparison for wishful-thinking Lakers fans. As for Greg's point, I disagree with you about Kupchak and the Shaq trade. Kupchak had no choice in that situation. It had a lot more to do with Jerry Buss and his relationship with Kobe Bryant. Do you think Mitch Kupchak woke up one day and said "hey, I've got a great idea. Let's trade Shaq," ? Of course not. Shaq demanded a trade and there were far more powerful elements at work. Some might believe that Kupchak didn't get the best deal for Shaq, but again Kupchak was handcuffed. Reportedly, the Lakers had a deal on the table to trade Shaq to Indiana for Jermaine O'Neal and a few other players. I think we'd all much rather see Jermaine O'Neal on the Lakers than Lamar Odom. But Shaq refused to go to Indiana through his no-trade clause, and had a small list that consisted of just eight teams, mostly in warm weather cities. Only about 3 of them had viable potential deals with the Lakers. With Mark Cuban low-balling the Lakers, Kupchak was forced to get what he could out of Miami. That is not a trade that will measure Kupchak's GM ability. The Kwame Brown deal, and the Gary Payton for Chris Mihm, Chucky Atkins, and Jumaine Jones are better indicatoras?

Greg Johns

Thu, 14 Jul 2005 16:04:41 -0800

Well, I don't know if this trade outweighs the Shaq departure for the "trade that Mitch Kumstain will be remembered by", but seriously...I wonder if it's a good idea to bring in a work-ethic challenged individual to Los Angeles, brilliant work Mitch. He's well on his way to the 2006 Isiah Thomas GM you most want in your fantasy league award.

Jake Olson

Thu, 14 Jul 2005 14:36:35 -0800

Phil, Tracy McGrady found his potential with his second NBA team? Huh, that's weird, given that it was that team that signed him to a big contract. I wonder why they'd give him a big contract before he reached his potential? Oh, right. He averaged 16/6/3 his last year with the Raptors, as a 20 yr old. Sounds like he found his potential there. Sure, he made The Leap in Orlando, but it wasn't like he was a complete bum with his first team, unlike Kwame Brown. By the way, www.firemitchkupchak.com is still available.

Jason T.

Thu, 14 Jul 2005 11:02:17 -0800

a good example of smart fiscal work this summer is the Miami Heat's deal with Udonis Haslem. He's making 5 to 6 mil next year which allows them to sign their mega-deal with Shaq and still upgrade in other places. It's no shock that the teams competing at the highest level aren't breaking the bank or getting into luxury tax territory. They aren't quick-fixing or praying for a miracle which, unfortunately, is what the Lakers are doing. I don't think Kwame is terrible. He showed some promise this last season. He's going to get destroyed if he's asked to defend Tim Duncan and Amare Stoudemire on a regular basis and his heart isn't in basketball but who knows? More confusing about it is that it isn't a move that helps bring Bynum along. Kwame ain't a teacher.

Phil Wallace

Thu, 14 Jul 2005 09:22:51 -0800

Westy310, You have completely missed what I was saying. I agreed with you that now is the perfect time to trade Caron Butler. But my point about Brown making too much money isn't a rant on high-priced athletes. It's about fiscal responsibility in today's NBA where the cap determines all. I am baffled when teams throw $9 million at Bobby Simmons or $7 million, guys who clearly haven't earned it and won't be worth it. The market is what it is, but when teams like the Knicks are $50 million over the cap, paying Tim Thomas $12 million a year, have no prayer of making the playoffs, or cap room to get better, then other teams should learn from their mistakes. The San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons don't spend big money on players who aren't worth it, and they're the two best teams in the NBA. Kwame Brown has yet to show anything on or off the court to show that he is a $7 million player. All he has shown is size and potential. The NBA is littered with guys like him who are hording big money, tying up their teams' cap, and not producing. My point about him being the game's biggest top-pick bust is also relevant (aside from being a distinction for sports geeks to discuss). Sure, Mychael Thompson comes to mind as someone who was a No. 1 overall pick, didn't live up to expectations, but wound up being a quality contributor to the Lakers. Maybe Kwame Brown could turn out like him, if he's lucky. But once a top-pick, always a top-pick. For the rest of his life, Brown will be answering questions about him being a top-pick bust. For the rest of his life, he will be labeled as a No. 1 overall pick. And for the rest of his career, he will have to overcome his "bust" label. That's not fair. But that's the way the sports world works.

westy310

Thu, 14 Jul 2005 07:44:08 -0800

"No number-one overall draft pick has ever accomplished less in the NBA than Kwame Brown." How exactly is that relevant when assessing his potential value to the Lakers? The Lakers aren't the ones who burned a #1-overall pick on him. Of course he has underachieved - if he hadn't, he wouldn't be available to the Lakers for Caron Butler & change. And yes, under the current CBA, a young physical freak with huge upside is worth $7 million a year. With rookies and superstars making artificially low salaries, roleplayers are going to make more and more. Have you seen how much money has been thrown at the likes of Bobby Simmons, Carlos Boozer, A. Foyle, etc.? That makes it all the more important for the Lakers to get rid of Caron - they'll need to pay through the nose to keep him once his rookie contract is up. C'mon. You need to provide better insight than "he hasn't lived up to his assessed value four years ago" and "these athletes make too much money."

condiment

Thu, 14 Jul 2005 07:24:44 -0800

Personally, I'm all for anything that will take Chucky Atkins off our hands. And if Kwame is ready to drink deeply from Phil's Zen-laced KoolAid, the trade could really work out.

DCist Jason

Wed, 13 Jul 2005 22:06:00 -0800

Hey! Don't you guys ruin this deal for us!

Kyle Bunch

Wed, 13 Jul 2005 21:23:06 -0800

AGREED. This is a mess waiting to happen. Mitch, I know you're reading the LAist comment section....DO NOT MAKE THIS TRADE.