Pau Thread: Surgery a success; now rehab & rest for 12 weeks

Texas Lakers Fan wrote:Anyone doubt that Pau is soft?

Lakerjones wrote:

Nikez wrote:trade pau back to memphis for gay

^^ That would work for me, even though I've been reluctant to let Pau go. Problem is Memphis is trying to shed salary. Gotta get a third team in the mix.

therealdeal wrote:

Lakerjones wrote:

Nikez wrote:trade pau back to memphis for gay

^^ That would work for me, even though I've been reluctant to let Pau go. Problem is Memphis is trying to shed salary. Gotta get a third team in the mix.

Minnesota. I've been plugging for that trade for a few days now.

marcelo wrote:You guys (a couple of you) want to trade Dwight... great... that will help.

Lakerjones wrote:

Nikez wrote:trade pau back to memphis for gay

^^ That would work for me, even though I've been reluctant to let Pau go. Problem is Memphis is trying to shed salary. Gotta get a third team in the mix.

Lakerjones wrote:

Nikez wrote:trade pau back to memphis for gay

^^ That would work for me, even though I've been reluctant to let Pau go. Problem is Memphis is trying to shed salary. Gotta get a third team in the mix.

432J wrote:why are you guys saying randolph wouldn't work under dan tony?


he played 11 games under dan tony and averaged 21 and 13 before he was traded to the clippers

Texas Lakers Fan wrote:

432J wrote:why are you guys saying randolph wouldn't work under dan tony?


he played 11 games under dan tony and averaged 21 and 13 before he was traded to the clippers

Why do you keep saying Dan Tony did you fail English or what?

John3:16 wrote:

Texas Lakers Fan wrote:Anyone doubt that Pau is soft?

He's clearly not the Jason Whitten of the NBA. Probably a lot closer to Tony Romo, but with rings.

Lakerjones wrote:

John3:16 wrote:

therealdeal wrote:

Lakerjones wrote:

Nikez wrote:trade pau back to memphis for gay

^^ That would work for me, even though I've been reluctant to let Pau go. Problem is Memphis is trying to shed salary. Gotta get a third team in the mix.

Minnesota. I've been plugging for that trade for a few days now.

I'm fine with both. Gay / Love. Where's my rainbow sticker?

^^ No doubt. That would qualify as the kind of excellent trade that would work for me in moving Pau this year instead of next when he's an expiring.

Lakerjones wrote:

Texas Lakers Fan wrote:

Lakerjones wrote:

Nikez wrote:trade pau back to memphis for gay

^^ That would work for me, even though I've been reluctant to let Pau go. Problem is Memphis is trying to shed salary. Gotta get a third team in the mix.

Why are you reluctant to let Pau go?

^^ I feel like I've talked on that point many, many times. But if you want it again, Pau is not worth as much now in trade value as he will be as an expiring contract. What Mitch can do with $19 million expiring? Wow, kind of boggles the mind. Remember that he got us Pau to begin with as a result of Kwame's $9 million expiring, half that amount. That single move put us in contention arguably for four years. It got us to the Finals three years straight and earned us two championships.

I understand that everyone is frustrated with Pau. I was one of the first on this board to get that way dating back to the preseason of Phil's last year. But still, to me that was his most frustrating season - because I couldn't see anything wrong with him. He wasn't hurt. He was coming off two championships. Vash has speculated that he was just worn out. I don't know. But he wasn't himself. And there was NEVER an explanation for what happened to him. Why he turned into the biggest marshmallow I'd ever seen before my eyes. People forget what a gnarly competitor he was for us. But that year, even though he put up decent numbers during the regular season I could see that he wasn't the same.

Last year he got traded, but he did the honorable thing unlike Odom, and he was a professional about it. He put his head down and he played for us. You may think that kind of thing is a given, but it isn't. He was bummed and he wasn't very effective as a third option under Brown, but I still commend him for playing and not whining too much. He whined afterward in the exit interviews but I get that. His points were fairly valid, even if basketball wisdom basically sides more with Brown in that debate. It was time to develop Bynum over Pau and it panned out to a large extent. Bynum was the more aggressive player, the hungrier player. Bynum's play improved a lot (as did his health for one season) and he earned his spot on the All Star Team for the first time.

So yeah, Pau's skills have diminished some, he hasn't ever totally recovered from whatever ailed him in Phil's last year, and he's still too hesitant at times. But to me, the main thing right now is that he's been playing hurt all year and that's messed with both him and the Lakers. I still like seeing him in the high post where he's a tremendous passer and great surveyor of the floor. I hate seeing out there shooting threes for the most part. I think we need to get back to using him in the high post where he belongs. I doubt we'll see him on the low block much except when Howard is out.

But most of all - Pau is our one chip left to really improve this roster. I don't want to see him sent out for peanuts or a short term fix. I still think his value will be highest in the offseason as a huge expiring contract. I think Mitch believes this too and that's why he is holding off.

Lakerjones wrote:

therealdeal wrote:

Lakerjones wrote:^^ No doubt. That would qualify as the kind of excellent trade that would work for me in moving Pau this year instead of next when he's an expiring.

It's not outside of the realm of possibility either if all they've looked at so far is Dudley and a pick for Gay. We can certainly get a better package out of Minnesota than that.

Hmm . . . I'm backpedaling now. I'm concerned about being locked into Gay's contract going forward. I don't think he's a savior type player. I think he's a definite quick fix solution to fit this current system, and definitely is a nice talent. But I don't have much faith in the current system anyway, so I don't think it's worth as big a chip as Pau. Keeping Pau til the offseason is better wisdom to me. Not convinced enough on Gay.

therealdeal wrote:Then I'm afraid you'd never get to pull that trigger LJ. I don't think there's a better deal out there even with Gasol being an expiring contract next season. I don't think there's much else that we can get unless you wanted to just take Minnesota's trade straight up, which I don't think gives us enough to be successful.

I think you go get Gay, you start shedding the crap players and next season you're looking a lineup of two great, talented young guys in Gay and Howard (hopefully healthy), two legendary old guys in Kobe and Nash (also hopefully healthy), and you use them to fill out the roster behind Artest and Hill. You can definitely attract some nice free agents with those names. There's no question.

Who or what do you think would be a better get than Gay?