87sportsfans Blog

Knicks Want Woodson, Lakers Have Work To Do

87sportsfans — Wed, 23 May 2012 01:43:32 GMT

I really thought for sure Phil Jackson was going to be the next coach of the Knicks. Apparently, according to ESPN, the Knicks are trying to get a deal done to keep Mike Woodson as their head coach.

What's the worst that could happen?

Sure he had an 18-6 regular season record but the Knicks have real personnel problems. Can Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire coexist? Is Jeremy Lin really a viable NBA point guard? Can Melo play D? At all?

But hey, why would they want Jackson with his 10 championships, legacy of motivating superstar players, and stuff? Sources say the Knicks didn't even reach out to Jackson. I don't know how much I believe that, but if it's true: really?

From a fan's standpoint, how great would it have been to have Jackson and Riley in the same division? The interviews the day before would have been priceless.

But alas, Knicks fans will have to throw their support behind a coach who, besides implementing a system the players actually fit into, hasn't proved a thing as far his ability to motivate and extract a player's best effort.

The Lakers go home with a whimper, but hey- at least an undersized point guard didn't get sent hurtling into orbit this year.

Kudos to the Oklahoma City Thunder who out-everything'ed the Lakers. The hardest part of being a Laker fan is all the idiots I'm forced to call my brethren. I have heard/ read all kinds of crazy things, from re-signing Lamar Odom to trading Kobe Bryant.

I usually try to avoid using an atomic bomb to kill a gnat, but this is one big, nasty two headed gnat. All of a sudden, Kobe, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum are no longer championship caliber. Let's all jump in the rewind machine kids and remember that before Derek Fisher was re-aqcuired to man the point, the Lakers looked much like they do this year.

Of course, Fish is old and his ability to impact any team on the court significantly is gone. But the need for a player like that is imperative to this team. Maybe it's for no other reason than another capable initiator Kobe can trust so he's not constantly going into "F The World" mode and taking long jumpers after dribbling the clock into the low single digits.

The other head on this gnat is Andrew Bynum. I'll be damned if I can figure this guy out. We all know what he can be. He knows what he can be. The level of disinterest he shows at times reminds me of my five year old when she hears we're having anything other than buttered elbows for dinner.

Fixing these two things are where the Lakers should spend their offseason, not worrying about Pau Gasol. He is who he is and he was just fine when the Lakers were winning back-to-back championships.

Of course, none of this means anything unless Russell Westbrook pulls a Josh Childress and bolts for Europe.

Wright Is Right, LeBron is LeGone In 4th....Again

87sportsfans — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:45:40 GMT

God, do I love David Wright.

In case you missed last night, while the Mets were getting blown out by the Brewers, Mets reliever DJ Carrasco was ejected for hitting a batter. Wright was due up the next inning so Mets manager Terry Collins informed Wright that he was going to be pinch-hit for. Collins' thought process, apparently, was to protect Wright from any possible retaliation from the Brewers and avoid possible injury.

Eh, I don't agree with Collins but OK. However, Wright's reaction was absolutely priceless. Not only did he get incensed in the dugout, he said what every sports fan wishes their favorite player on their favorite team would say in that situation: "If anyone's going to get hit, it's going to be me."

That one phrase is more indicative of the clubhouse leader Wright has become more than anything else. And on a club and organization in as much muddy waters as the Mets have been the last few years, that attitude is absolutely needed from your most veteran position player. Some have chirped that trading Wright makes the most sense for the long term health of the Mets.

I couldn't disagree more. Give the man the extension he deserves and keep him the face of the franchise. For once, do the right thing- no pun intended.

So I missed the game last night, how'd LeBron do?

I'm kidding, of course, but seriously folks: how can you LeBron-bots tout this cat in the upper-echelon of all-time NBA players when he continuously can't get it done in the clutch. More than that, how can you be so bold when "King James" doesn't take a shot for the last four minutes of playoff game that was in contention for the whole fourth quarter?

The simple answer is: you can't. Let's not get crazy here folks, LeBron is a hell of talent. He's bigger, stronger, faster, and better than almost anybody in the league. Where he levels out when compared to the all-time greats? Until he gets it done when the game is on the line multiple times, he'll never ascend to that top tier.

www.basketball-reference.com calculated all-time "Win-Shares" statistics. It's not a perfect formula, but it can give us a quantitative point to start from. (Read more here) Here's the Top 50 All-Time:

ank	Player	WS
1.	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar*	273.41
2.	Wilt Chamberlain*	247.26
3.	Karl Malone*	234.63
4.	Michael Jordan*	214.02
5.	John Stockton*	207.70
6.	Oscar Robertson*	189.21
7.	Shaquille O'Neal	181.71
8.	Kevin Garnett	181.59
9.	David Robinson*	178.67
10.	Charles Barkley*	177.21
11.	Tim Duncan	175.92
12.	Reggie Miller*	174.40
13.	Dirk Nowitzki	168.88
14.	Moses Malone*	167.07
15.	Bill Russell*	163.51
16.	Hakeem Olajuwon*	162.77
17.	Jerry West*	162.58
18.	Kobe Bryant	162.43
19.	Magic Johnson*	155.79
20.	Robert Parish*	147.00
21.	Larry Bird*	145.83
22.	Gary Payton	145.53
23.	Dolph Schayes*	141.78
24.	Bob Pettit*	136.05
25.	Ray Allen	135.67
26.	Clyde Drexler*	135.57
27.	Adrian Dantley*	134.22
28.	LeBron James	133.30
29.	Jason Kidd	133.13
30.	John Havlicek*	131.72
31.	Paul Pierce	131.17
32.	Walt Bellamy*	130.05
33.	Patrick Ewing*	126.45
34.	Steve Nash	125.32
35.	Scottie Pippen*	125.08
36.	Elvin Hayes*	120.76
37.	Buck Williams	120.09
38.	Chauncey Billups	119.78
39.	Horace Grant	118.23
40.	Dominique Wilkins*	117.47
41.	Chet Walker*	117.35
42.	Bob Lanier*	117.11
43.	Dikembe Mutombo	116.98
44.	Bailey Howell*	114.82
45.	Shawn Marion	113.60
46.	Walt Frazier*	113.54
47.	Kevin McHale*	113.04
48.	Jack Sikma	112.46
49.	Terry Porter	110.39
50.	Wes Unseld*	110.08

28th is hardly elite. Unfortunately James legacy will ultimately be determined by not necessarily how many championships he does or does not win, but by how he ultimately- to date- cannot be counted on to be "the guy" in the clutch. Kareem did it. Michael did it. Magic did it.

Sooner or later LeBron has to as well.

Goodell Intentions: Roger Means Well, He's Just Gone Too Far

87sportsfans — Fri, 04 May 2012 01:04:37 GMT

Everyone's already sounded off on the NFL's one year suspension of Jonathan Vilma- and they're right. How is a player following the lead of his coaches as culpable as those who set the example?

Sure, he should miss some time if Commissioner Roger Goodell is serious about making this one example the example that hopefully eradicates this practice from the game, but if there is some incredibly damning evidence the NFL should pony it up- quick.

Even if you strictly look at the argument that given the short duration a players' career entails, missing an entire year is more than punitive- it's simply excessive.

New Orleans Saints' Head Coach Sean Payton is already missing for an entire year for his part (and for apparently attempting to mislead and instruct others to mislead the investigators). Then Defensive Coordinator Greg Williams is suspended indefinitely. A punishment that seems more and more justified the more you listen to that audio clip that showed up in the media about a month ago.

At what point have the Saints and the rest of the league gotten the point?

At the end of the day, Goodell may ultimately be guilty of cutting off his nose to spite his face. He is bound and determined to be the commissioner who champions player safety. His numerous rules changes, fines, and other initiatives have arguably been aimed at eliminating dangerous play that can affect players in the long and short term.

"Bountygate", as it's come to be called, has become so much more than simply evidence of players trying not to tackle, not to hit, but to injure. It's become about deception and the chain of command and the respect for the office.

In Goodell's fervor to plant his flag, he is losing the PR battle. He has come off not as the "White Knight" on a steed, champion of the best interest of the player but rather the indignant egotist out to make sure everyone knows who the boss is.

There is nothing more wasteful in life than good intentions. Unfortunately, Goodell is about to learn that the hard way.

Petrino's Texts, Mets Hot Start, Bulls Beat Heat

87sportsfans — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:18:58 GMT

Bobby Petrino's text messages in the wake of his little fiasco were released yesterday. The only thing offensive I found about them: substituting "no" for "know". What are you, 14?

The Mets start off 4-0. David Wright jams his pinkie, can't play, and suddenly the Mets bats go silent. I think this personifies every Mets fans' feelings:

Everyone wants to make a big deal out of the Bulls beating the Heat last night. Look, when Kyle Korver is going to hit threes from the parking lot, there's only so much you can do.

Sure, Derrick Rose couldn't throw a rock in the ocean last night. He can't help but be rusty. All the pundits are spot on about the Heat bunch failing to answering the bell. The Heat are going to need someone to step up other than the big 3.

Now I also said back when this whole lockout-shortened-season began that we really wouldn't know anything about any of the teams until April. I was wrong. We still don't know anything about these teams and we probably won't until the playoffs.

The Thunder and the Heat look like the prohibitive favorites on most nights. Then they'll throw in a two or three game skid.

The Lakers, Spurs, Mavericks, Celtics and Bulls? They all can look great one night and horrible the next.

I've said before that there are few things as meaningless as the NBA regular season as far trying to judge which team can make a title run. That statement is magnified this year. Watch out for the wily older veteran clubs. The Celtics, Spurs and Lakers could both make runs into the playoffs if everyone's healtThe Thunder are poised to take the next step into the upper echelon of NBA teams. They will have to prove it to everyone when it counts and there are wolves at every turn.

Just not the Timberwolves.

The Payton- Petrino Connection

87sportsfans — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:23:51 GMT

What do the Sean Payton suspension and Bobby Petrino's firing have in common? They both are more the result of their attempts to mislead their employer (Yes, I know the Saints are technically Payton's employer, but they all subject themselves the Commissioner's office) rather than their individual actions.

As my twitter timeline blew up with people calling NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell everything short of Stalinist, the opinion that Goodell has wielded too much authority in this matter is erroneous; as is any criticism of Jeff Long, the University of Arkansas Athletic Director.

In both cases, the individuals involved had an opportunity to present their respective stories to the authorities in their respective structures. In both cases, the individuals absolute refusal to treat their employer with respect and come clean with any and all details led to their respective fates.

If you're Sean Payton and you mislead the Commissioner and then encourage your staff to mislead the Commissioner, you're putting said Commissioner in a peculiar situation. Never mind the fact that "Bountygate" creates serious questions on whether the Saints shared Goodell's pronounced concern for player safety, in those situations the person in charge is face with a choice: run the business or let the business run you.

Goodell chose the former and anyone whose ever run anything can understand it.

The same is true at the University of Arkansas. If you set the precedent that behavior like Petrino's is acceptable, the term "Pandora's Box" isn't close to being in the universe of the realm of the neighborhood of being adequate.

In college football, where your university is going to be welcomed into people's living room and your coaches are going to have to convince parents that your institution is an appropriate place for their young men to attend, the importance of the image is magnified. For all that is coming out about Petrino and his relationship with Jessica Dorrell and how he handled the details of his motorcycle accident, do you really think he could look the mother of a top recruit in the eye and say "I'll take care of your boy" without that mother breaking out in laughter?

Both entities had tough management decisions to make with situations that were thrust into their laps. In both situations, examples had to be made albeit for different reasons. Those individuals who made those decisions absolutely did the right thing and their decisions should be commended, not derided.

Manning's a Bronco, Didn't See THAT Comin'...

87sportsfans — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 22:26:12 GMT

Welp, I'm over the plague and now back to sharing my thoughts with you all. All two of you, that is. So you got that going for you...

Peyton Manning is Denver Bronco. My brain is still marinating on this whole concept. We all knew Elway wasn't buying Tim Tebow as a starting QB but to go out and get Peyton effin' Manning? Gotta give the guy credit: the opportunity was there and he got it done.

Personally, I think it's a mistake. Forget the neck surgery. The cat's 36 years old. Why in the hell would you want to go to a cold weather team when you're 36 years old? Granted, Peyton's probably in a hell of a lot better shape than me, but you know what happens to my knees when it gets below 60 degrees up here in good ole' Western New York? They scream at me for all the years I abused them working in a 42 degree environment. Sure, Peyton's got the means to get around that but father time is undefeated and he most certainly will be feeling something once the mercury dips.

People are using Peyton's stats in cold weather against him but I'm not sure how accurate that is. One of the hardest things to do in sports is win on the road in the NFL, and all those games outside in cold weather were away games. I'm not sure how much of those adverse numbers were because of the weather or the road, personally.

But lo and behold, all that goes that by wayside and is all for naught. The best quarterback in the last 15 years now goes to a team with some pieces that may just need cohesion.

The defense, while possessing a huge upside, was inconsistent in spells last year. However, it will be curious to see how they perform now that they have a quarterback who actually can convert a third down and keep them off the field.

If Indianapolis was a 2-14 team hiding in 10-6 clothes simply because of Manning, what do you think he can do to a Broncos team that made the playoffs last year and managed to surprise the Pittsburgh Steelers?

The Broncos wouldn't have been my choice, but this may work out just fine.

Dolphins Losing Manning A Reflection On Ownership

87sportsfans — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 15:16:51 GMT

Peyton Manning is favoring the Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals as his new place of employment, according to ESPN.com.

How's that crap taco taste, Miami?

Let's tally up the ole' scoreboard, shall we? Last season, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross effectively alienated then-coach Tony Sparano in his over-zealous attempt to attract Jim Harbaugh to come coach the Dolphins. The fact that he thought there was a snowball's chance in hell that Harbaugh would come to a team that was pursuing while their current head coach was still under contract speaks volumes to the man's football business acumen.

Sure, he threw Sparano a bone and extended his contract after the media firestorm but can you honestly look me in the eye and tell me that it didn't affect the on-field outcome last season?

And now here he is with a team that despite it's struggles last season played hard. There's talent on the roster, to be sure. Manning has a home in Miami. Do I even have to mention the weather? The spotlight? The Dan Marino connection?

None of these apparently are enough to tip the scales- at this point- in Miami's direction. The fact that Manning is considering Denver over the Dolphins is just mind-blowing to me. They're coming off a season where they were successful in spite of their quarterback, have one aging running back with multiple knee issues and another one who can't stay healthy. Sure, Demariyus Thomas sure seems to be a legitimate NFL WR, but is he better than Brandon Marshall? Is the rest of the receiving corp really that much better than the Dolphins?

This comes down to a couple of different issues. The Dolphins have a brand new head coach, and no one has any faith in the Dolphins ownership. Joe Philbin, the new coach, just got finished putting together a pretty nice season for Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, so I have a hard time putting much stock in that being the factor pushing Miami to the back burner.

The arrow only points in one direction- the owner's box. Sure, the Dolphins might still come away with Manning. If Ross wants to rehabilitate his image, he better.

Bounty Practice Indefensible

87sportsfans — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 15:45:55 GMT

"Bountygate" is old news by now but the ole' Twitter-feed is still full of people trying to dismiss/diminish/justify this revelation.

There are a couple of different angles to consider when talking about this issue. The first justification is that "everybody does it". Do I even need to address this? I'm worried I can't express my scoff at this explanation without sounding like an overbearing parent and asking you if everyone jumped off... oh nevermind.

Secondly, there is the idea that it is simply paying for performance. Well, you'd be right if it was simply throwing cash a player for stats like getting 10 tackles in a game or 5 sacks or an interception or whatever. What was going on under Gregg Williams watch was encouraging injuring players.

That's not getting the best out of your players. That's promoting the worst in them. The goal of any sport is to prove which team or individual is the best at whatever contest they apply themselves to. To coach/ preach/ demand that part of your strategy to achieve victory is to take out the opposition's best player not only goes against the spirit of competition, any victory gained would be hollow.

We as fans want to watch sports that are honest displays of athletic ability. We want it to be on the up and up. That's why steroids in baseball bothers us. And that's why encouraging injuries to incapacitate another player for a game or- even worse- a season or career should leave a sour taste in our mouths.

The other issue is how to police this activity. Some say NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is virtually powerless due to just how widespread this practice is. Bounties may be prevalent, but now Goodell has evidence. He has to respond. This clip from Hoosiers sums it up:

Your Coaching Days Are Over
Hoosiers at MOVIECLIPS.com

What should happen to Williams? It would be hard to justify allowing him to coach in the NFL again. There's evidence of this kind of thing happening at his various stops around the league. By his own admission he should have stopped it. But he didn't. He turned a blind eye to something he knew was improper, unprofessional, and unsportsmanlike. Commissioner Goodell should not make the same mistake.

Saints head coach Sean Payton is culpable as well. As head coach, you are responsible for what happens under your roof. You are responsible for the people you hire and their conduct on the job. Payton's inaction condoned the practice.

Goodell needs to act and act swiftly. If Gregg Williams is to be suspended/ banned/ etc, his new employer, the St. Louis Rams, needs to make plans. If the Saints are to lose draft picks, the sooner the better for the teams who haven't been caught yet.

Goodell is also supposedly all about player safety. This issue has to be dealt with the appropriate punishment if safety really is as important to him as he claims it is.

Bounties may be nothing new to the NFL, or football in general, however now is the time to address it and put processes in place to attempt to control and eventually eliminate the practice. Common or not, it has no place in football.

Lin, NBA All-Star, Mets, T.O., and RG III

87sportsfans — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:53:55 GMT

Lin-sanity continues.

In other notes, the NBA All-Star game was played tonight. Even Switzerland was impressed by the lack of defense. Thank YOU!

In all seriousness though, I know it's an All-Star game. It's an exhibition for the fans. I get that. But REALLY LeBRON???

Dwayne Wade is getting closer and closer to my Hall of Nemeses. Breaking Kobe's nose in an All-Star game? To quote the great 21ST century philosopher Chad Ochocinco: "Child, please". I want defense, don't get me wrong, but the way he hacked down from behind was dirty and flagrant. You got beat by the old man, son. Take your lumps and try to throw it down on his head on the other end.

Maybe I'm sensitive to the whole situation because I was hit just like that in college in an intramural flag football game. It was the championship game, I ran a drag route, the frat goon covering me tried to knock the ball out of my hands in the exact same manner Wade did last night. He didn't break my nose, but it started gushing blood to the point I had to have it cauterized. If you've ever experienced that, you know why I hate what Wade did.

In case you haven't noticed, the New York Mets are in turmoil and the big question in spring training isn't how many games they are going to win but rather how many players on the opening day roster will be there August 1.

Most importantly 3B David Wright. The face of the franchise since his arrival to the Majors, the popular opinion is that the Mets should trade him because he's the last remaining player that could net them multiple young prospects.

If you're a baseball fan, did you ever think we'd see the day where the Mets are being talked about needing to trade the face of their franchise while the Washington Expos extend theirs?

The good thing about baseball is that is a marathon and not a sprint. There's a lot of baseball to be played. The bad thing about baseball when you're a Mets fan is that it is marathon and not a sprint. There's a lot of baseball to be played.

I don't know about you, but I'm not convinced of anything regarding Terrell Owens' debut with the Allen Wranglers. Three mostly unimpressive TD catches, while in traffic and around defenders, hardly showed anyone if he's capable of running at the game speed in the NFL.

He at least tried to say the right thing in the post-game interview.

RG III ran a 4.41 in the 40? Cam Newton last year? 4.59. What's 2-tenths of a second? A lot when trying to elude NFL defenders.

If you're a team like Washington looking up in the draft order at Cleveland, you have to be thinking about going to the mattresses to trade up to get him. If the the Redskins roll into training camp without Peyton Manning or Griffin, the off-season is a failure.

If you're Cleveland, you have to be talking to St. Louis about that number 2 overall pick to make sure no one else gets him.

One of these teams is going to lose the Griffin derby. You HAVE to be considering doing whatever it takes. He's got the physical attributes, aside from being a little skinny in the legs. He fling it, he's intelligent, and he can run like the wind.

What more do you need?

Why I'm Pulling For Ryan Braun

87sportsfans — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 12:44:19 GMT

Ryan Braun held a press conference in which he said, among other things, that "the truth was on (his) side". He may be right, but this whole fiasco is more of testament to how jaded baseball fans have become. I mean, who could forget this?

Or this:

Turning into this:

So when the news broke months ago that the newly-minted Major League Baseball MVP had failed a drug test, the world outside of Milwaukee threw their hands up.

Can you blame them?

For the record, I am a skeptic when it comes to this. I sincerely hope Braun is telling the truth. There is nothing in his history to suggest he isn't. No sudden surge in production. No litany of missteps. He seems like an honest to goodness "good guy" we could all root for.

Which makes this season the most important of Braun's career. Unfair? Of course it is. However if he can have a similar season everyone can just write this whole mess off as a mistake. If his numbers dip, the haters will only grow and the skeptics will think they're given credibility.

The really rough part about this coming season is that Braun's numbers could dip anyway. He no longer will have Prince Fielder batting behind him. I'm sure Braun's aware of the scrutiny that will be placed on this season, which would cause anyone in this situation to press and force the issue. The loss of Fielder alone could make things more difficult than any perception of Braun ever could.

So for the first time in my life I'm pulling for a Milwaukee Brewer this coming season. Not so much for Braun's sake as my own. The kid in me still wants to believe that the players who play the game I love more than any other are still in it for the right reasons and doing it the right way.

There's enough skepticism out there. Here's hoping Braun puts it to rest for good.

The Peyton Manning Plan, According To Me

87sportsfans — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 14:32:11 GMT

So everyone wants to know where Peyton Manning is going. He could have some fun with this. He could start a website with cryptic clues and the first fan to guess which city he is in to sign a contract wins a Peyton Manning autographed picture of Jim Irsay.

Of course, that's assuming that Peyton can still play and that the writing on the wall around Coltsville is that of change and the all-time franchise quarterback- that's right, I said it- will be allowed to become a free agent.

I've written before that I am against that move from a Colts perspective, and I stand by that to this day. However, I've also come up with a scenario that I think would be more beneficial from Peyton's perspective, regardless how unlikely it really is.

Peyton Manning should become a Houston Texan.

The Texans are as close as any team to taking that next step toward a realistic shot at a Super Bowl. Peyton gets to stay in the AFC South and twice a year stick it right in Irsay's derriere for the way this all went down.

I'm pretty sure Irsay's reaction would be something like this:

I know what you're saying- the Texans already have a pretty capable QB in Matt Schaub. And you're right, Schaub has proven pretty proficient in the Texans system. However, in an NFL world where once you get to that plateau, you're window to win championships is about 3-4 years until free agency blows the whole damn thing apart, can you really say that you wouldn't take a shot at a healthy Peyton?

Of course, there would be repercussions. The relationship with Schaub would be toast. Trade him and the Texans first round pick to Washington for their first round pick straight up. The Redskins need a quarterback and Schaub has a resume to justify the trade.

Then, the Texans need to take that first round pick they just received from the Redskins, package it with Arian Foster or Ben Tate to the Cleveland Browns for their#4 overall pick and draft Robert Griffin III to be the successor after Peyton hangs it up. Everyone wins and the Texans probably make a couple deep playoff runs.

Oh, and twice a year, Irsay gets reminded of how he blew this whole thing up. Needlessly.

Kobe's Right About Lakers Management

87sportsfans — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:27:04 GMT

NBA Commissioner David Stern's effect on the 2011-2012 Lakers' season continues to play itself out.

Since the once-faultless leader of the league placated cry-baby Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and rescinded the trade that would have sent Chris Paul to the Lakers, Lamar Odom to the Hornets and Pau Gasol to the Rockets, the ripples have turned a near-championship squad into also-ran's and shrouded the team in turmoil.

Immediately after Stern's decision, Odom's feelings were hurt and the weak, psychologically fragile Odom showed himself again- necessitating a trade to the Dallas Mavericks.

And since then, with the fate of eventual free-agent Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard dangling in the breeze, the rumors regarding Gasol's future in Los Angeles have persisted.

And now Kobe Bryant has had enough. There was this the other day:

And last night Kobe showed his frustration even more, telling the front office to crap or get off the pot, so to speak.

I could justify trading either Gasol or Odom for a player like Paul. Even Howard would merit some thought, as I am still not impressed with the actual basketball skill displayed offensively by him. To lose both does the Lakers no good and would weaken the overall roster.

Trading for Howard makes no sense for this team, as the season has shown that a true Point Guard is their biggest deficiency. Derek Fisher, who has has a storied career, is showing rust. Whether it be from being the face of the NBPA during the lockout or just plain Father Time claiming another victim, it's clear he can no longer be considered a viable option as a starter. To be honest, it was obvious last year in the playoffs watching him get torched by JJ Barea time and time again.

So Kobe's right: the front office needs to make a decision. More importantly, Mitch Kupchak needs to make the right decision. Keep Gasol and come out and say so. Put an end to all this uncertainty so the team- and more importantly Gasol himself- can just focus on basketball.

And the rest of us can resume yelling and screaming at Stern for denying the Lakers the point guard they negotiated for in the first place.