Results tagged “briangrant”

Now Smush Parker may be a fun player, and LAist thinks the second-year man from Fordham has a decent game, but when he's your best point guard you've got a problem. Aside from Parker, the Lakers have unproven Euro Sasha Vujacic, rookie Von Wafer, and former Cincinnati guard Tony Bobbitt on the roster. That's it.

Sometimes things need to get worse before they can get better. The Lakers are in desperate need of a big man and a point guard, and with Brian Grant eating up $12 million in cap space through 2007, they can't exactly sign one soon.

The fact of the matter is that the Shaq trade has been a total disaster. While we never pretended that it was possible to get equal value for Shaq, LAist did think that Lamar Odom and Caron Butler would play better.

The Kobe-haters of LA were desperately hoping Bryant's recent absence coupled with a 3-game win streak would in some convoluted world make the Lakers trade him.

Now even as an ex-Laker, Payton is wreaking havoc. After demanding a trade out of LA, Payton rescinded it, and now refuses to play for the Celtics. His failure to take a physical has cost the Lakers Marcus Banks and a second round draft pick.

The truth is that "The Glove" never fit in LA. Despite coming to the Lakers knowing they ran the triangle and that he'd be the third or fourth option, he complained relentlessly about the triangle and being the third or fourth option, once saying "I didn't sign up for this s---." But by the time the NBA Finals rolled around even he admitted a lack of confidence as his uncharacteristically porous defense led to Chauncey Billups picking up a Finals MVP Award.

With the Lakers desperate for a big man, Vlade Divac told ESPN.com's Marc Stein that he would like to rejoin the Lakers.

It's still almost impossible to believe.

LAist can't help but think that it's probably not a great idea to reunite Odom with his southland drug dealers who helped him get suspended several times for violating the NBA's substance abuse policy. We also don't like the idea of paying Grant nearly $15 million a year through 2007, considering he's been a bust for most of his career. Lamar Odom may be a skilled player, and an Olympian, but if this is the best the Lakers can do then it's pretty disgraceful.