I'm a little dubious about this move for the Lakers. You're taking a very old point guard who can barely play half the game any more, was never good defensively to begin with and has been used to having the entire team orbit around him, and moving him to a completely different environment where he'll be lucky to get half the touches he's gotten his whole career.
I mean, how many times would you describe the Phoenix offense as Nash dribbles around for 20 seconds and makes a play? Between Bynum post-ups and Kobe's 20+ shots a game, Nash is going to be playing a completely different role than he's used to.
Nash could supercharge Laker scoring but this also look like the sort of situation where a veteran player just falls off a cliff.
And giving up 2 firsts and two seconds for a 38 year old player? Here is what Ainge has gotten from non-lottery draft picks. Perk, Rondo, Tony Allen, Al Jefferson, Big Baby, Leon Powe, Ryan Gomes, Delonte West, Semih Erden, Avery Bradley, Jared Sullinger and Fab Melo. That is a playoff caliber roster without one single lottery pick on it.
Mike
Nash played 32 minutes a game last year. He can barely play half the game anymore? Have you ever seen a Suns game?
And those are non-lottery picks, sure, but Bradley was 19th, Rondo was 21st, Jefferson was 15th and those are the three best players on that list. Beyond that you just have role players or worse. The Lakers won't be picking between 15 and 21. And if they need 2nd Round picks so desparately, they can buy them. They are the Lakers.
Both of your points are quite a stretch.
1. Rondo averaged 36.9 minutes a games last year. Know how many times Nash played more than 36.9 minutes a game last year? 4. Know how many minutes Rondo averaged these past playoffs? Over 42. How many minutes is Nash going to average in next year's playoffs.
2. What is the Lakers biggest weakness? Their role players suck. What is the easiest and cheapest way to get decent role players? The draft. Where will the Lakers be if ANY of their top four players suffers a serious injury next season? Fighting to make the playoffs and getting a draft pick in the low 20s, except they won't have it. And not having any draft picks is a very big deal for LA because that may make the difference between getting Howard or not. Which do you think Orlando is more likely to take in trade, Andrew Bynum alone or Lopez/Humphries/Brooks and two #1s?
Again, maybe this will make the Lakers' offense so powerful that nothing else will matter, but it's not like the potential problems aren't staring us all in the face.
Mike
I'd much rather have Bynum than Lopez, Humphries, Brooks, and two #1's. The second best center in basketball, or 5 players who are likely to combine for 0 all-star appearances for their career? I'll take the second best center.
You are overrating the importance of depth and a bench in the playoffs. Know how many players scored for the Celtics in Game 7? Six players. Know how many players scored for the HEAT in Game 7? Six players.
No one is saying Nash is going to play more minutes than Rondo. That is absurd. There is a big difference between barely playing half the game and playing more than Rondo. Nash will play 32 minutes per game in the regular season (much more than half, btw) and more in the regular season. Whether he plays less than Rondo is meaningless. Rondo wasn't available to the Lakers this year. By your standards, KG and Pierce barely play half the game.
Once again, all of your points are a severe stretch.
Topic: Steve Nash to Lakers (sources reporting) (Read 38780 times)