Could it mean?

By drafting Cook & Walton, are we looking at the Lakers not going after Howard, Brown, or Malone? Could this mean that the Lakers will go after the likes of Gary Payton. Guess we will see next week. Interested in your comments though.

it could also mean:

by drafting cook we will trade george and fisher. cook will be a much better fit at sf for us

I was just thinking the same thing. but does this mean that we definatly arent going after a free agent forward? cook should turn out to be a third scoring option if he pans out and doesnt get plagued by injuries like walton in his senior year. no pg drafted does that mean well be more serious about getting payton. mabye we get pippen to teach walton and cook the triangle and the nba game if hell sign for the lle.
and does this put us better than before the draft i say much better

COOK will remain a PF in his NATURAL position when he suits up with the LAKERS. He'll get time at the SF spot but mainly PF. Playing the PF spot will give him an advantage because he is much quicker. He stands at 6'10.5" lets just say 6'11" thats a solid size to play POWERFORWARD in the west.

24. Los Angeles Lakers: Brian Cook, 6-10, Illinois. Shoots the 3, doesn't rebound, coasts; sound like Robert Horry?

Luke on the otherhand is a SMALL FORWARD with great size at 6'9" and "feel for the game". He would be a nice Back-up to George and or the third string SF when FOX returns.

All we need is PAYTON and our PG spot is SET. Pick-up a PJ BROWN via free agency and we are freakin set for a title run!!!

DAMN... our team got YOUNG and BIG in a HEART BEAT!!!... PHIL is probably drooling for training camp to begin!!!

To me it sais that Madsen is gone, and we're probably thinking about letting Horry go to...

Yea... but this could also mean that they might use the rookies as trade bait along with others that we have...

By drafting for the front court this means the Lakers will solve their backcourt woes through free agency. There is no power forward out there (P.J. Brown included) that would make the Lakers some unstoppable machine inside. They drafted two good players (Cook having some seriously bright upside) for the front court and they will address the other needs via free agency.

I can't see any trade scenario that any team would either bite on or the Lakers would be willing to pull. With these pick it does look as if Horry will be on his way out (bummer for me since he's been my favorite NBA player since his rookie year, but things change).

Agree with crucifido.....I think we hold onto these picks also. I think Cook is Horry's replacement and Walton will take more of the load at his spot as well, usually Phil waits with his rookies but I personally think that will change this year. (Esp. if Fox doesn't come back for awhile...I read here that he may not...also this talks a bit more about the Lakers' overall situation):

http://www.whittierdailynews.com/Storie ... 66,00.html

Not quite sure what will happen with free agency, but at least we had a good draft. Plus with Phil agreeing to a three-year extension, we won't have to worry about any coaching changes for awhile either.

crucifido wrote: There is no power forward out there (P.J. Brown included) that would make the Lakers some unstoppable machine inside.

crucifido, you don't think Malone could fill that spot and make us pretty much "unstoppable on the inside?"

Hey guys I though that George just signed a three year contract with the Lakers and therefore wouldn't be going anywhere?

Well then Devean is goin anywhere... We can still get Malone for the ver min, but I doubt that now... He still seems like a good fit for our roster. We'll have Devean play the SF pos.

That would be tight. If we picked up Malone and somehow were able to pick up GP as too. Daaaaym. That would be like dream team right there. I can't wait to see what the Lakers do July 1st.

your truely dreaming if you think both PAYTON and Malone arrives here... to play practically for free .... compared to their previous contracts.
which one the two is going to accept the MLE?..... now.. which one is DUMB enough to accept the LLE?... ask yourself

We cannot get both Payton and Malone, it is impossible to do without destroying the team for it. Beside Malone is a one ytear stop gap that solves nothing. At least Payton has 3 more good years left in him.

And actually, no, I don't think Malone would solve any rebounding problems. The guy is trying to break the scoring title. He won't change the person he is just because he comes here. I'm sure he didn't work his butt off to get the scoring title only to take a back seat to Shaq and Kobe and watch it slip away. Also, he isn't a rebounder that everyone was complaining the Lakers needed (even though they won 2 of 3 titles and arguably the 3rd during Horace's year without a true rebounder on the team) I'm not convinced that Karl is a self-sacrificing kind of player that would mesh well with this team. He needs to be THE go to guy on a team and he may put up with being the 3rd option for a bit, but I would bet his true colors would show through eventually.

Anyway, how can you want Malone as a Laker when he was one of the 3 or 4 guys that virtually forced Magic to an early retirement. Malone in a Laker uniform just doesn't work. He doesn't have that Laker attitude that has made this team so legendary in all circles of sport.