There is blood in the water and somebody is getting ready to jump overboard . .

[JoMal]

Atlanta is growing, numerically, faster then any other metro area in the U.S. And I believe their metro area is in the top five as of 2006. But the fan support for the Hawks is one of the worse. Also an interesting tid bit is that they are not in the top tier of teams regarding their worth as a team, nor in operating revenue, which I think is a key stat for a teams financial success and health.

Both the Kings and the Spurs are making money in relatively small markets while doing any overall better job in fielding decent teams. The Sixers are losing money - just under 3 million last year.

The Bulls are truly a money-generating tornado, (no doubt the result of having Jordan all those years) but both the Suns and Lakers are doing better in their markets, aren't they. I have to believe that if you are financially secure as a team, you should be a player in the NBA market and be able to accumulate the right players as needed. The Bulls, however, don't seem to be doing so hot lately and are falling into the same trap the Knicks fell into because they are starting to act stupid.

The Lakers, however, are smart with their profits and always have been. The Suns? Have to see how that O'Neal trade works out, I guess, but Nash and Stoudemire were good building blocks. Detroit and the Rockets are others who seem to be smart with their money profits.

You know, it is interesting to see which teams profit from their situations, meaning the cities in which they are located, and then actually work out smart deals for the right players and make their teams successful. The Lakers and Pistons do it right; the Knicks can't do anything right. The Bulls clear more operating revenue then anyone, but the players they get are not doing much for the money they are being paid.

[WayOutWest]

The Lakers, however, are smart with their profits and always have been.

By smart do you mean stingy?  With the exception of Gasol, the Lakers seem very reluctant to spend much over the cap.  The Lakers seem to put all their eggs in one or two baskets and then don't want to spend much money on anyone else.  Horry and Fish are two I guys I would have liked for the Lakers to hold on to, but they let them walk, in Horry's case it might have been cause of age and Fisher got a fat contract.  Those guys would have helped the Lakers a lot, IMO they Lakers would have beaten the Suns with Horry and Fish on board two years ago.  The Lakers then go and overspend on RadMan IMO, who was hurt and underperforming until this year.  So I don't think the Lakers are smart in that regard, the trades involving Shaq and Butler are another story. 

It seems like the Lakers are over cautious in spending big bucks, they only seem to go for a sure bet.  On top of that they are not as deligent as teams like the Spurs and Suns in aquiring inexpensive solid role players.  The Spurs, Suns and Don Nelson seem to dig a little deeper to find diamonds in the rough.

[Randy]

Buss has a long history of being stingy -- however, he is a smart businessman.  He recognized that the addition of Gasol would add even MORE money to his coffers.  It is definately a case of spending money in order to make even more money.  He could charge $100 more a ticket at this point and still fill the Staples center (or just jack up the oncourt seats another $5000).  He would get it too -- if this team gets healthy and gels together, he could almost charge anything he wanted.

One of the biggest struggles I have with the injuries -- it means more playing time for Radmanovich.  I don't mind him coming off the bench for 5 to 10 minutes but starting?  It's only marginally better than watching Kwame in purple and gold.  I hated this acquisition from the very beginning and Mitch way overpaid for him.

[westkoast]

The Lakers, however, are smart with their profits and always have been.

By smart do you mean stingy?  With the exception of Gasol, the Lakers seem very reluctant to spend much over the cap.  The Lakers seem to put all their eggs in one or two baskets and then don't want to spend much money on anyone else.  Horry and Fish are two I guys I would have liked for the Lakers to hold on to, but they let them walk, in Horry's case it might have been cause of age and Fisher got a fat contract.  Those guys would have helped the Lakers a lot, IMO they Lakers would have beaten the Suns with Horry and Fish on board two years ago.  The Lakers then go and overspend on RadMan IMO, who was hurt and underperforming until this year.  So I don't think the Lakers are smart in that regard, the trades involving Shaq and Butler are another story. 

It seems like the Lakers are over cautious in spending big bucks, they only seem to go for a sure bet.  On top of that they are not as deligent as teams like the Spurs and Suns in aquiring inexpensive solid role players.  The Spurs, Suns and Don Nelson seem to dig a little deeper to find diamonds in the rough.

I wouldn't say its stingy is you think about them having success at the begging of this decade.   You don't just spend money just to spend it.  I think we've seen that blow up in a few teams faces in the league.   Also it's not like they are stingy like the Clippers to the point where the team never is and never will be a factor.  They didn't spend money during the "rebuilding" process and got lucky with solid picks, one of the most one sided trades of all time, and just picking their spots.  They did shell out dough for Phil Jackson and Radmonovich so I wouldn't quite use the word 'stinigy'

The Spurs are not a small market team because their 'market' happens to be the entire US where they have fans and coverage coast to coast.  If you play good basketball and are an entertaining squad I think you move past basing your market worth on just who lives within a 30 mile radius of your stadium.

[JoMal]

The Lakers, however, are smart with their profits and always have been.

By smart do you mean stingy?  With the exception of Gasol, the Lakers seem very reluctant to spend much over the cap.  The Lakers seem to put all their eggs in one or two baskets and then don't want to spend much money on anyone else.  Horry and Fish are two I guys I would have liked for the Lakers to hold on to, but they let them walk, in Horry's case it might have been cause of age and Fisher got a fat contract.  Those guys would have helped the Lakers a lot, IMO they Lakers would have beaten the Suns with Horry and Fish on board two years ago.  The Lakers then go and overspend on RadMan IMO, who was hurt and underperforming until this year.  So I don't think the Lakers are smart in that regard, the trades involving Shaq and Butler are another story. 

It seems like the Lakers are over cautious in spending big bucks, they only seem to go for a sure bet.  On top of that they are not as deligent as teams like the Spurs and Suns in aquiring inexpensive solid role players.  The Spurs, Suns and Don Nelson seem to dig a little deeper to find diamonds in the rough.

The Lakers chose to develop their own role players instead of paying an arm and a leg to acquire free agent millionaires. Phil Jackson is even working on developing his latest version for replacing Rick Fox as his enforcer for the team in Sasha Vujacic. And don't start sounding like an Arco crywhinny who bemoans every personnel move your team makes, either for economic reasons or age/injury. If the Kings wanted to still be way over the cap, but winning now instead of rebuilding, we would still have Peja, Hedo, Gerald Wallace, and Bobby Jackson playing around Chris Webber. But the idea is to play around the cap money without facing bankrupcy and the Lakers are doing just fine in that regard.

And what am I doing, defending the Laker's personnel moves with you, boy? You should be taking the lead in their defense, not working on Laker ownership to go overboard with money ladened contracts for players who would be doing just what your underpaid squad is doing now.

[WayOutWest]

Phil Jackson is even working on developing his latest version for replacing Rick Fox as his enforcer for the team in Sasha Vujacic.

LOL!  Sasha couldn't enforce a "pee tax" and a junior high girls bathroom.  By enforcer do you mean an annoying little yappy dog that makes you want to smack him then yes.  Fox at least was physical, Sasha is just annoying.

PJ does have a "fetish" about making something out of nothing.  After the Kwame trade I read stories about PJ's plan to resurrect Kwame career and fix all the mistakes in regards to Kwame's development.  PJ relishes those types of opportunities.  I do like how the Laker talent is developing with the exception of Walton.  Walton went from the 3 best player on the Lakers to the 2nd/3rd worst.  Some of it has to do with the progress of the bench but most of it has to do with Walton's regression.  At least his intelligence and effort are still there but his skills have taken a step back, I know he's been fighting injuries all year but he's definately regressed in my eyes.

I know you don't want to waste money but why did the Lakers not hold on to Ho Grant and Horry when they had a chance to keep a known commodity?  RadMan was overpaid IMO.  The Lakers were lucky that Fisher fell into their lap due to his hardships.  Obviously you don't look a gift horse in the mouth but that horse is not going to stop by Mitch's door step every couple of years.

[JoMal]

LOL!  Sasha couldn't enforce a "pee tax" and a junior high girls bathroom.  By enforcer do you mean an annoying little yappy dog that makes you want to smack him then yes.  Fox at least was physical, Sasha is just annoying.

Sorry, WOW, but YES, that is exactly what I meant, but, you know, I hate to offend anybody on the Lakers or their fans, so was holding back.

PJ does have a "fetish" about making something out of nothing.  After the Kwame trade I read stories about PJ's plan to resurrect Kwame career and fix all the mistakes in regards to Kwame's development.  PJ relishes those types of opportunities.  I do like how the Laker talent is developing with the exception of Walton.  Walton went from the 3 best player on the Lakers to the 2nd/3rd worst.  Some of it has to do with the progress of the bench but most of it has to do with Walton's regression.  At least his intelligence and effort are still there but his skills have taken a step back, I know he's been fighting injuries all year but he's definately regressed in my eyes.

Jackson still needs something to work with, and in Kwame's case, he looked like a stud, but turned out to BE a stud - the type with a nail sticking out of it.

I know you don't want to waste money but why did the Lakers not hold on to Ho Grant and Horry when they had a chance to keep a known commodity?  RadMan was overpaid IMO.  The Lakers were lucky that Fisher fell into their lap due to his hardships.  Obviously you don't look a gift horse in the mouth but that horse is not going to stop by Mitch's door step every couple of years.

And you DO like to waste money, especially LAKER money?

Horry and Grant were not getting any younger and him jettisoning them in not that hard to see, but he certainly never found guys who could do what they could, did he? But the replacements certainly did less for less money   

From what others have implied around here, the Lakers seem to have benefitted from that gift horse with the Gasol trade. Not that there is anything sinister about that, LOL!

[Randy]

I really don't think that this Gasol trade has suddenly made Mitch a great GM.  You do have to give Mitch credit for some of their draft picks (Bynum, Sasha, Farmar, Mark Gasol, Crittendom, etc.) and he deserves some props for trading for Trevor Ariza -- but there is still the trade of All-Star type Caron Butler for Kwame Brown.  That one is always going to hang over his head.  Also, for overpaying Radman. 

I don't think that Mitch gets any credit for signing Fisher.  Fisher was pretty limited in where he wanted to go for the care of his daughter -- and LA had what he was looking for and gave him a chance to go back and play for the Lakers.  This was huge for the Lakers because they really have benefitted from Fish's leadership on and off the court.

The Lakers didn't resign Horry because Horry wanted to go be closer to his family (for the same reasons that Fisher left Utah).  Horry wanted to go to the Rockets but the Jazz made him an offer to play for a championship caliber team and with San Antonio's proximity, it made it a no brainer. 

I do think, overall, that Buss has been very stingy with his money -- he has, at least in the past, refused to open his wallet to go over the salary cap.  However, I don't think that the Lakers have always been smart with their signings -- they overpaid Radman, the gave Cook an extension although it wasn't that much, they traded for Kwame and got a fat contract in return.  I do think that Buss is a smart business man and I do think that he WILL pay the luxury tax, if necessary (although he won't be happy about it), in order to bring the Lakers back to contention.  Because, even if he has to spend more money in salaries and taxes, he knows that he will still make MORE money than he was making with the Lakers stuck in the middle of the pack.  Some of this is because of Hollywood -- some of it is because of the Lakers tradition and history -- but for Buss it always comes back to $$$.

[Skandery]

Horry wanted to go to the Rockets but the Jazz made him an offer to play for a championship caliber team and with San Antonio's proximity, it made it a no brainer. 

<smacks forehead>

. . . this could either mean the San Antonio Jazz, or the fact he things Salt Lake City is geographically close to Houston. 

Bet is 72:1 against the former.

[WayOutWest]

Horry wanted to go to the Rockets but the Jazz made him an offer to play for a championship caliber team and with San Antonio's proximity, it made it a no brainer. 

<smacks forehead>

. . . this could either mean the San Antonio Jazz, or the fact he things Salt Lake City is geographically close to Houston. 

Bet is 72:1 against the former.

LOL!  Another bandwagon fan EXPOSED!  If you had been following San Antonio for more than the last couple of years you would KNOW that they were called the Jazz before they were called the Spurs. 

OWNED!

I got your back Randy!

[Lurker]

Horry wanted to go to the Rockets but the Jazz made him an offer to play for a championship caliber team and with San Antonio's proximity, it made it a no brainer. 

<smacks forehead>

. . . this could either mean the San Antonio Jazz, or the fact he things Salt Lake City is geographically close to Houston. 

Bet is 72:1 against the former.

LOL!  Another bandwagon fan EXPOSED!  If you had been following San Antonio for more than the last couple of years you would KNOW that they were called the Jazz before they were called the Spurs. 

Was that before or after Maravich played for the Jazz in New Orleans?  Just trying to keep the timeline straight.

[SPURSX3]

...OK....here is a train that went WAY off track...

[WayOutWest]

Horry wanted to go to the Rockets but the Jazz made him an offer to play for a championship caliber team and with San Antonio's proximity, it made it a no brainer. 

<smacks forehead>

. . . this could either mean the San Antonio Jazz, or the fact he things Salt Lake City is geographically close to Houston. 

Bet is 72:1 against the former.

LOL!  Another bandwagon fan EXPOSED!  If you had been following San Antonio for more than the last couple of years you would KNOW that they were called the Jazz before they were called the Spurs. 

Was that before or after Maravich played for the Jazz in New Orleans?  Just trying to keep the timeline straight.

I stand corrected.  I meant to post "Los Jazz".  My bad.

[JoMal]

Horry wanted to go to the Rockets but the Jazz made him an offer to play for a championship caliber team and with San Antonio's proximity, it made it a no brainer. 

<smacks forehead>

. . . this could either mean the San Antonio Jazz, or the fact he things Salt Lake City is geographically close to Houston. 

Bet is 72:1 against the former.

LOL!  Another bandwagon fan EXPOSED!  If you had been following San Antonio for more than the last couple of years you would KNOW that they were called the Jazz before they were called the Spurs. 

Was that before or after Maravich played for the Jazz in New Orleans?  Just trying to keep the timeline straight.

I stand corrected.  I meant to post "Los Jazz".  My bad.

In what country are these basketball teams located?

[WayOutWest]

Horry wanted to go to the Rockets but the Jazz made him an offer to play for a championship caliber team and with San Antonio's proximity, it made it a no brainer. 

<smacks forehead>

. . . this could either mean the San Antonio Jazz, or the fact he things Salt Lake City is geographically close to Houston. 

Bet is 72:1 against the former.

P.S.  Where do we start with this masacre de grammar?  Este pinche pendejo can't write for caca!