San Antonio at Lakers

[WayOutWest]

What is a "qualifying offer" like the one that is currently on Byns contract for 2009/10?

Not sure if the Spurs want to break the mold of nothing stiffs like Rasho, Elson and Flabs watching TD's back in the paint.  Spurs should go after another Laker, a guy named MBenga, he's a perfect fit in the nothing stiff system.

IMO the Spurs should go after Diop in NJ.  Active on D and stupid, just what the doctor ordered.

[Reality]

What is a "qualifying offer" like the one that is currently on Byns contract for 2009/10?

[WayOutWest]

What is a "qualifying offer" like the one that is currently on Byns contract for 2009/10?

I do not think the Lakers are at the point where they have to match an offer for Bynum.  Obviously he can opt out and become a restricted FA, not sure how that works with a rookie contract.  PJ said part of Bynums improvement this year was his "contract extension" motivation.

[Lurker]

What is a "qualifying offer" like the one that is currently on Byns contract for 2009/10?

I do not think the Lakers are at the point where they have to match an offer for Bynum.  Obviously he can opt out and become a restricted FA, not sure how that works with a rookie contract.  PJ said part of Bynums improvement this year was his "contract extension" motivation.

Off the top of my head...

The 4th year of a rookie contract is at the team option.  If the team doesn't pick up the 4th year then the player becomes a restricted FA which means their team can match any offers as long as they extend him a qualifying offer.  After the 3rd year of a rookie contract then the team can negotiate an extension that kicks in after the 4th year.  If a team picks up the 4th year and then can't reach an extension agreement with the player then the player is a restricted FA.

For example using Tony Parker.

He signed his original contract in 2001.  In 2004 (3rd year) he signed a 6 year extension that kicked in starting in 2005.  In summary...

2001/02  Rookie year 1
2002/03  Rookie year 2
2003/04  Rookie year 3
2004/05  Rookie year 4
2005/06  Extension year 1

Edit: in italics

[Randy]

Not sure who has the option to extend Bynums contract, based on what PJ said I would think it's up to the Lakers to extend Bynum and I cannot think of a reason why they would not.

I don't know WOW, why would anybody, much less the Lakers want to extend a goony, 7 foot bum, who will never amount to anything beyond a journeyman.

So far Bynum has fallen far short of my JB Carroll criteria but he is hovering around Brendon Haywood numbers in his quest to attain journeyman status.  In the current centerless-NBA a John Koncak type guy is a coveted asset.  

You are right, WOW -- Bynum has fallen far short of your JB Carroll criteria and is definately hovering right there around Haywood numbers.  These are this year's Bynum stats compared to the best stats each of the other players ever had:
             Min    FG%   FT%    Reb   Blk     Pts
Bynum     29     64%    70%    10     2      13
Carroll     35     52%    80%    9.3    2      24
Haywood  28    56%    74%    7.2   1.7     11
Koncak    22     61%    65%    6.8   1.5    5.7     

Definately looks like Bynum is scratching the bottom of that barrel, huh?  Good call, WOW -- definately a Realistic prognostication and evaluation.

[WayOutWest]

You are right, WOW -- Bynum has fallen far short of your JB Carroll criteria and is definately hovering right there around Haywood numbers.  These are this year's Bynum stats compared to the best stats each of the other players ever had:
             Min    FG%   FT%    Reb   Blk     Pts
Bynum     29     64%    70%    10     2      13
Carroll     35     52%    80%    9.3    2      24
Haywood  28    56%    74%    7.2   1.7     11
Koncak    22     61%    65%    6.8   1.5    5.7     

Definately looks like Bynum is scratching the bottom of that barrel, huh?  Good call, WOW -- definately a Realistic prognostication and evaluation.

Dam I'm good. 

I didn't even look up the numbers and I was pretty close to dead on, Koncak being a stretch but I just thought of the guy since he was the trigger for overpaid contracts, he wasn't in the original assesment so you remove him and the numbers speak for themselves.

[Reality]

The 4th year of a rookie contract is at the team option.  If the team doesn't pick up the 4th year then the player becomes a restricted FA which means their team can match any offers as long as they extend him a qualifying offer.  After the 3rd year of a rookie contract then the team can negotiate an extension that kicks in after the 4th year.  If a team picks up the 4th year and then can't reach an extension agreement with the player then the player is a restricted FA.

So after this season, Byns will be offered an extension.  The dollar amount of which is to the Lakers choosing. 

Even if the Lakers do not offer Byns an extension, they still maintain the right to match any offer he would get as a restricted FA.

Byns is not leaving LA unless there is another collusion ie Byns for KG.

[WayOutWest]

Byns is not leaving LA unless there is another collusion ie Byns for KG.

The KG trade was not 100% collusion, just 90%, glad to see you're seeing a little clearer in regards to the Celtics.  Your progress is extreemly slow but it's still progress.

[Skandery]

Not sure if the Spurs want to break the mold of nothing stiffs like Rasho

Speaking of being nothing stiffs ala Rasho:

March
17 games
30:36 minutes
56.2% FG   
76.5% FT   
6.9 Reb   
13.6 PPG
 
April
3 games
36:12 minutes
66.7% FG 
90.0% FT 
9.3 Reb   
1.7 Blk
22.0 PPG

What the heck has gotten into the guy!!

[WayOutWest]

Not sure if the Spurs want to break the mold of nothing stiffs like Rasho

Speaking of being nothing stiffs ala Rasho:

March
17 games
30:36 minutes
56.2% FG   
76.5% FT   
6.9 Reb   
13.6 PPG
 
April
3 games
36:12 minutes
66.7% FG 
90.0% FT 
9.3 Reb   
1.7 Blk
22.0 PPG

What the heck has gotten into the guy!!

LOL.  I was watching NBA Fastbreak or something and they were going live to various games being played that night and I see Rasho get an and-one for his 20 something point in the game and I was like WTF?

For shame Bynum, for shame!

[WayOutWest]

Ick, the Spurs lose to the Suns, now they will take their revenge on the Lakers.  Should be a good game but the Spurs don't typically lose two in a row, the Lakers on the other hand are very comfortable losing 2 or 3 in a row.

I'd like to see some solid D cause TP is going to cause alot of problems in the paint if the Lakers cannot contain him.  PJ will probably play him normal then challenge him to hit the jumper late in the game or maybe even save that strategy for the playoffs.

[Laker Fan]

Ick, the Spurs lose to the Suns, now they will take their revenge on the Lakers.  Should be a good game but the Spurs don't typically lose two in a row, the Lakers on the other hand are very comfortable losing 2 or 3 in a row.

Really WOW? The Lakers have only lost 2 or more in a row 5 times this year as opposed to SA losing 2 or more in a row 7 times this year. LA lost 2 in a row twice in March, the Spurs lost 4 in a row and 2 in a row in March. The Spurs have gone 3-8 against playoff teams since March 1st, including dropping 4 straight against NO, Detroit, Philly, and Boston, only one of their consecutive loss stretches didn't include back to back losses to playoff teams. The Lakers have gone 6-2, have lost back to back to playoff teams twice, and most of those were while riddled with injuries.

By Minnie Me's reckoning, the Lakers are head and shoulders a better team than the Spurs. That reasoning being ridiculous however, I will say that SA doesn't scare me as much as they did even earlier this week and them being out to make someone pay for that loss to Phoenix, doesn't make sense because Phoenix should have been the recipient of their ire following the pounding they took from Utah, and the beat down they took by NO in March didn't mean they took it out on the next 3 playoff teams they faced they lost ALL those games. If any team faces their wrath for the loss to the Suns, it will be Seattle on Friday. No telling who is going to beat whom in this crazy season, this late in the year, I say LA wins Sunday, seeding demands they win to get to Phoenix in the first round.

[WayOutWest]

Really WOW? The Lakers have only lost 2 or more in a row 5 times this year as opposed to SA losing 2 or more in a row 7 times this year. LA lost 2 in a row twice in March, the Spurs lost 4 in a row and 2 in a row in March. The Spurs have gone 3-8 against playoff teams since March 1st, including dropping 4 straight against NO, Detroit, Philly, and Boston, only one of their consecutive loss stretches didn't include back to back losses to playoff teams. The Lakers have gone 6-2, have lost back to back to playoff teams twice, and most of those were while riddled with injuries.

By Minnie Me's reckoning, the Lakers are head and shoulders a better team than the Spurs. That reasoning being ridiculous however, I will say that SA doesn't scare me as much as they did even earlier this week and them being out to make someone pay for that loss to Phoenix, doesn't make sense because Phoenix should have been the recipient of their ire following the pounding they took from Utah, and the beat down they took by NO in March didn't mean they took it out on the next 3 playoff teams they faced they lost ALL those games. If any team faces their wrath for the loss to the Suns, it will be Seattle on Friday. No telling who is going to beat whom in this crazy season, this late in the year, I say LA wins Sunday, seeding demands they win to get to Phoenix in the first round.

Seesh!  Have the Laker back-to-back losses happened recently?  It just seems like the Lakers have been faltering lately while the Spurs have been rolling.  I must not be paying close attention to the race, I am more concerned with injuries and time tables I guess.  My perception has been that NO, SA, PHX and Utah have been solid lately and the Lakers have been on again off again and GS and DEN have been battling for their lives while the Mavs were circling the drain.  Obviously the Mavs have had some help with Dirk comming back sooner than expected.

One positive note is that the Lakers cannot seem to deal with prosperity, when they are in a position to make strides they falter and on the flip when I expect them to lose they come up big.  The Spurs game is going to be huge cause they would not only lose ground for the top seed but they could lose the 3 spot and fall to 5 or 6 cause the Suns could take over the lead in the Pacific.

[msc]

C'mon WOW, you know the Lakers save their back to back losses for teams like the Bobcats and Grizzlies    Oh maybe there was a W between those games now that I think about it...

The good news for the Lakers is that they won't have to see those teams in the playoffs.  I will give them credit for the fact that the seem to get up for the big games. 

[SPURSX3]

April 10, 2008
Mike Monroe: Groin injury to sideline Ginobili indefinitely
Spurs guard Manu Ginobili suffered a strained muscle in his left groin in Wednesday's home loss to the Phoenix Suns and won't play when the Spurs meet the Seattle SuperSonics on Friday night at the AT&T Center.

Ginobili's status for Sunday's game against the Lakers, in Los Angeles, also is in question.

"I don't know how long he will be out," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said after the Spurs' practice, "but he definitely will be out tomorrow (Friday)."

Popovich said Ginobili suffered the injury immediately after checking into Wednesday's game with 6:40 left in the first quarter. Though he played through some discomfort and returned to the game in the second half, Popovich held him out of the bulk of the fourth quarter when it became apparent the injury was affecting his play.

"He felt something on his very first play of the game last night," Popovich said. "He tried to play on it. The doctors checked him at half and didn't think there was a defect -- just a little bit tight. That's why we started him in the third quarter, while he was still somewhat loose.

"It didn't really get any worse, didn't get any better, so I opted not to play him at all after I took him out early in the fourth quarter."

With the playoffs to begin next weekend, the Spurs will take no chances with Ginobili's health, regardless of the effect his absence might have on the team's potential playoff positioning in the closest Western Conference race in NBA history.

"It's pretty tight," Popovich said, "and I just don't want to take any chances with him."