Sporots

[Harry Bongers]

Don't underestimate the allure of our Caribbean Street Festivals. Shaq was Grand Marshal once.

To be perfectly honest I hope we resign Marion and miss out on the Ariza sweepstakes.

[TomHicks]

I would have to say the oddest story so far is the ESPN report that Rudy Fernandez is upset about the Blazers' pursuit of the Turk. I can't figure out what leverage Rudy's agent thinks he is applying to the team, unless he just flat out doesn't want to be there anymore.

I watched that video on ESPN about Ariza leaning toward leaving the Lakers, and I suspect that the sources the man is quoting is Ariza's agent. The part about "slap in the face" and that Ariza is now considering joining another team for the same MLE sounds like bad agent jargon.

[Harry Bongers]

Sincere question: where do you get this opinion? I'm asking because its my understanding that he stands to lose a ton of money if he goes back to Spain, and he is basically trying to leverage a trade to a bigger market. But, if Minnesota plays hardball with him, he'll eventually play for Minnesota.

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_ar...r_two_seasons/

[TimBuktu]

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_ar...r_two_seasons/

So can people just shut up about how dumb Kahn was for also taking Flynn now? Also, there is a theory that this is all posturing to force DKV lower the buyout price. They are cash poor and stand to benefit a lot more from him not playing there than by having him play out the contract... They'd rather have the money.

[Adult Ed]

So can people just shut up about how dumb Kahn was for also taking Flynn now?

Yeah, start talking about how dumb they were for also taking Rubio.

[jon]

And also trading their other pick away.

[matt in the east]

Blazers don't need Ariza. They have Batum and Outlaw who both essentially do the same thing Ariza does. The cool thing about the Blazers is that they have a great back up clone for every position. For instance: Pryzbilla/Oden (shot blockers), (Batum/Outlaw) lengthy forwards, Frye/Aldridge (big guys with good shooting touch), Roy/Rudy (dynamic, athletic scorers). The only position that gives them a different look off the bench is point guard, because Bayless is the antithesis of Blake.

Now, I wanted the Hornets to copy this strategy and sign Powell and Deandre Jordan to back up West and Chandler. It was a crazy idea that I think would actually work pretty well.

Or not?

[isoS]

Now that the Celtics have seemingly passed, who's going to scoop up Powe? I think he could help just about anybody.

[TomHicks]

Blazers can have Ariza, I guess.

CBS 2 in L.A., and Ron Artest himself have reported that he is a Laker.

Lots of other confirmations pouring in, but they all seem to quote the same "Yeah yeah yeah I'm in LA" from Artest.

[Trial]

Ron Ron and Von Von Long Gone Gone!

[isoS]

Artest is clearly an upgrade from present-day Ariza, but this move is slightly unsettling to me. Maybe because Ariza became my favorite Laker who isn't Fisher this year, maybe because he's young and could be a part of the team's future with Bynum and Farmar (assuming/hoping those guys pan out), maybe because he made so many big plays for us to help win a championship, and maybe because I liked our chemistry, so tinkering with it at all scares me. This strikes me as a reactionary move on the part of the Lakers -- they saw everyone else making moves and felt like they had to do something to respond. This ignores the fact that while other teams got better on paper, they still have to gel and learn to play together, and that doesn't always work. The Lakers with Ariza didn't have that hurdle: they were only going to get better as a team by building on what they accomplished this year. Then there's the whole triangle puzzle: not that they run it exclusively, but the Lakers have a specific system, and new guys aren't always quick to pick it up (granted, Artest has a high bball IQ, but it still takes time -- or so I'm told by every analyst).

The upside is obvious: his defense is second-to-none, he is a proven scorer and an outside threat, he's tough as nails and can be very intimidating, he works hard... I guess I should stop grousing, especially as this probably means they can afford to keep Odom. I just liked the idea of Ariza being a Laker lifer. His intangibles, this year at least, were off the charts.

[Trial]

That cool, thanks for making me feel better about what was essentially an Artest for Ariza trade

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...n/6509192.html

5/33million

[TomHicks]

Even stranger, ESPN is saying Ariza has joined the Rockets for a five-year deal at the MLE. Basically, the Lakers got Ron Artest for about the same price, but for three seasons at $18 million. I'm wondering if the Lakers were always planning on getting Artest and that's why Ariza and his agent felt like they were getting the cold shoulder. They were.

[Trial]

Los Angeles, you have a problem! Ticking timebomb Artest (ref:AST2008) is going to go off aaany second now. What's it like having a "douchey New Yorker" (ref:AST2009)?

[isoS]

I don't understand your Twitter codes.

Anyway, I'm sure at some point someone said: "Well, Phil will be able to handle him." Now they REALLY have to hope Phil's coming back. You think Rambis wants any of that?

[Trial]

I'm not going to sift back through 50 pages to find posts from last offseason and this year's playoffs but here's a key for my code "ref" means "reference" and "AST" means "shut up"

[Trial]

i'm gonna kick your ass

[isoS]

Come and get me, I'm in the stands.

[Trial]

I'm not Ron Artest, I'm Tommy and I'm so nasty

[scamboogah]

Home of the recording industry signs player who gets easily distracted thinking he runs a 'record label'? Also, he is completely insane and probably only needs the constant presence of TMZ to push him into a grisly, live telecast homocide?

What could go wrong?