KB8 Blog: Gasol, Fishergate, and More

KB8 Blog: Gasol Rant, Fishergate, and More
Written on 5/28/2008



I'm starting to get a tad bit annoyed with the "Lakers robbed Memphis on the Gasol trade" thing.

Lets really think about this for a second.

Kevin Garnett, the superior player, was traded for a big expiring (Ratliff), a young stud PF (Jefferson), two 1st rounders, and role players (Green, Gomes, Telfair).

Pau, the inferior player, was traded for virtually the same amount on an expiring contract, two first rounders (that at the time pegged to be more valuable than a Celtic first rounder), a talented combo guard in Crittenton, and a project in Marc Gasol.

First off, I think we can all CLEARLY agree that Kevin Garnett is better than Pau Gasol. IMO, that's like comparing Devin Harris to Chris Paul. Are Harris and Gasol top-10 in their position when you factor all of the skills they have? Probably. But unlike Garnett and Paul, they aren't even considered to be the best at their position.

When you consider who went out and who went in, it's clear that the Gasol trade isn't really robbery at all. It's fair when you look at the big picture. Sure, Jefferson in a package dominates what the Lakers gave for Gasol, but the Lakers also didn't land a player like KG.

If this trade didn't put Pau on the Lakers with an already stacked team, no one would care. The fact is, people complain about this trade because they know that the league is going through L.A. for half a decade minimum. A basement dweller gives up the same value and it's just portrayed as a new destination for Gasol and a rebuilding process for Memphis that needed to be done.

It's a random rant, but I had to say it.
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I was at work while Game 4 was going on, so I had nothing but Yahoo! live updates to keep me posted on the most important game of the year.

I'll also miss Game 5 due to my money making venture.

With nothing but text from you guys when I got on the computer for a minute or two, I assume that Fisher NAILED Barry and the refs blantantly called nothing. All I can say is, that was a good no call. I personally think it's because they realize how shafted we got on the Fisher shot that DID hit the rim. Besides, Barry hesitated and didn't even attempt to get a shot off while Fisher was in the air. He does that, he goes to the line. You can't call that as a foul when the stakes are that high. I can't say I wouldn't be pissed if I was a Spurs fan though.
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Also, is there anyone brave enough to say this Laker team gets 68 wins or more next season? I'm interested to know.