Saturday, October 20, 2007 Sayson: The Kobe watch continues By Homer Sayson Second Overtime
CHICAGO - If the Kobe Bryant trade rumors were a fever, it reached combustible heights yesterday as the NBA Nation continued to wildly speculate on his future.
But as another day of this Kobe Watch turned, he’s still stuck in L.A. And he’s making the most of it by playing with his peers in last night’s pre-season game, scoring 20 as the Lakers beat the Sonics, 126-106.
“I’m enjoying my teammates,” Bryant told the Associated Press. “We’re having a good time.”
Asked about his impending trade, Kobe replied: “When I’m here, wherever I’m at, I’m ready to go. It’s not my job to worry about what management is doing at this point, I voiced my frustrations over the summer and I’ll just leave it there.”
Meanwhile, Chicago remains the leading contender to this Kobe Lottery. The Bulls have the pieces the Lakers want in return for the mega talent they are trying to dispose.
But Chicago is reportedly unwilling to part with 6-foot-9 Luol Deng, a budding superstar at 22. And without Deng in the conversation, the Lakers aren’t listening.
Dallas remains in the race, but even if the Mavericks were willing to offer Dirk Nowitzki in a blockbuster swap, I don’t think Kobe is going to Dallas. The Lakers would rather trade Bryant to the East Conference.
TEAM TO BEAT. There’s just 11 days left before the 2007-08 NBA season begins, and while many teams have shored up their line-ups in pursuit of the Larry O’Brien trophy, I still think the San Antonio Spurs are heavy favorites to repeat.
Led by the versatile team Duncan, the Spurs will parade 12 players from last season’s championship team. No other squad in both conferences flaunts such an impressive lot of veteran players hardened by playoffs experience.
Quietly, the Spurs added two weapons in their already-potent armory – 6-foot-11 Ian Mahimni from France and veteran guard Ime Udoka.
When the Mavericks were eliminated by the Warriors in the first round of last season’s playoffs, Dirk Nowitzki and company were exposed for their lack of speed.
That concern was addressed in the offseason when Dallas inked veterans Eddie Jones and Trenton Hassell.
But the mental state of the Mavs remain the bigger question. Can they get past the trauma of losing the Finals in 2006 and exiting early in 2007?
As always, the Suns will fastbreak with blistering speed.
Steve Nash is still in his prime and eager to reach the Finals. Amare Stoudemire is healthy. Leandro Barbosa is year older, and hopefully, a lot wiser. And the bench remains deep.
The only dent in Phoenix’s armor is Shawn Marion, who publicly demanded a trade. Will the disgruntled “Matrix” be a force or a distraction?
WEAK EAST. Even though Kevin Garnett is now with Boston, the East is still weak compared to the powerhouse-loaded West. But that doesn’t mean the Least Conference won’t have fun with their intramurals.
With Shaq on steady, not-so-subtle decline, the East is more open than a public park.
Which means that teams that can run and gun will thrive.
Boston has to be up there among the shoo-ins. The Celtics have the triumvirate of KG, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. They will provide match-up nightmares on a nightly basis.
The Bulls have a platoon of shooters in Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich and Andres Nocioni. And Ben Wallace in the middle. But if they can snatch Kobe from LA, the East is won.
As long as it has Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince in the line-up, Detroit will always be in the mix. But the other significant Pistons – Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess --- are getting old.
Cleveland is a little fractured right now with two starters – Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic --- still negotiating contracts. But there’s still LeBron James, who added another 10 pounds to his frame. Question is: Can he carry Cleveland again with the same inferior supporting cast?
And what about Orlando Magic?
They acquired Rashard Lewis to complement the inside might of Dwight Howard. I think they’ll be fun to watch.
