http://wagesofwins.com Taking aim at the lies and damned lies in sports with stories written by the numbers. Thu, 24 May 2012 22:22:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://wagesofwins.com/2012/05/24/should-the-lakers-part-ways-with-pau-gasol/#comment-30789 Thomas Littrell Thu, 24 May 2012 22:22:13 +0000 http://wagesofwins.com/?p=10288#comment-30789 TundraGator, Star power might appear to drive attendance because "star" players tend to produce a lot of wins (Kobe and Melo aside). I'm not at all convinced by your attempt to create a false equivalence between positions that you merely believe to be true and positions backed up by statistical analysis. As for Kobe detracting from the team, that describes his current contribution not what he did a few years ago. TundraGator,
Star power might appear to drive attendance because “star” players tend to produce a lot of wins (Kobe and Melo aside). I’m not at all convinced by your attempt to create a false equivalence between positions that you merely believe to be true and positions backed up by statistical analysis. As for Kobe detracting from the team, that describes his current contribution not what he did a few years ago.

]]> http://wagesofwins.com/2012/05/24/should-the-lakers-part-ways-with-pau-gasol/#comment-30788 TundraGator Thu, 24 May 2012 19:24:04 +0000 http://wagesofwins.com/?p=10288#comment-30788 I don't understand the difficulty. Believe me, I'm not sitting here defending Bryant's unwillingness to pass more and his habitual need to take everything one on one. However, as many studies or stats you want to throw out, the fact remains that Dr. Buss has built a very strong franchise in the Lakers and i don't think he suddenly forgot all sense of business acumen when he signed Kobe to his deal. I'm willing to admit when I might be missing something or am wrong, why can't others admit that there might be forces outside stats that point to Kobe being valuable to the Lakers? As for comments that the Lakers win in spite of Bryant, you honestly think Gasol and Odom win two titles in LA, more handily apparently, if Bryant wasn't there? He's not the best player on the planet but saying that he detracted from two title teams goes a little far. I don’t understand the difficulty. Believe me, I’m not sitting here defending Bryant’s unwillingness to pass more and his habitual need to take everything one on one. However, as many studies or stats you want to throw out, the fact remains that Dr. Buss has built a very strong franchise in the Lakers and i don’t think he suddenly forgot all sense of business acumen when he signed Kobe to his deal. I’m willing to admit when I might be missing something or am wrong, why can’t others admit that there might be forces outside stats that point to Kobe being valuable to the Lakers?
As for comments that the Lakers win in spite of Bryant, you honestly think Gasol and Odom win two titles in LA, more handily apparently, if Bryant wasn’t there? He’s not the best player on the planet but saying that he detracted from two title teams goes a little far.

]]> http://wagesofwins.com/2012/05/24/should-the-lakers-part-ways-with-pau-gasol/#comment-30787 jbrett Thu, 24 May 2012 18:44:41 +0000 http://wagesofwins.com/?p=10288#comment-30787 TundraGator, The Lakers would have been a better team this year if Kobe had sat in a bean bag chair naked eating Cheetos all season. Winning is a panacea. Kobe is a BALLSTOPPER, and teams don't win because of ballstoppers, they win DESPITE them. Since he's been the undisputed team leader, he's been a drag on his teammates' productivity. He is the opposite of synergy. I pray to God that some NBA owner--maybe Prokorov?--agrees with you that Kobe drives revenue, and gives him enough of a hummer that he waives his no-trade. If LA gets NOTHING back, they win that trade. DWill and Wallace would be a miracle for LA--and most of the pundits would agree with you that they got robbed. I don't know how they would explain why LA was better next year and Brooklyn sucked even more, but I have faith that all of you could come up with explanations. Kobe the market force will never make up for Kobe the title killer. The idea is simply ridiculous. Lucky for you, the LA brass will take your side. TundraGator,
The Lakers would have been a better team this year if Kobe had sat in a bean bag chair naked eating Cheetos all season. Winning is a panacea. Kobe is a BALLSTOPPER, and teams don’t win because of ballstoppers, they win DESPITE them. Since he’s been the undisputed team leader, he’s been a drag on his teammates’ productivity. He is the opposite of synergy.
I pray to God that some NBA owner–maybe Prokorov?–agrees with you that Kobe drives revenue, and gives him enough of a hummer that he waives his no-trade. If LA gets NOTHING back, they win that trade. DWill and Wallace would be a miracle for LA–and most of the pundits would agree with you that they got robbed. I don’t know how they would explain why LA was better next year and Brooklyn sucked even more, but I have faith that all of you could come up with explanations.
Kobe the market force will never make up for Kobe the title killer. The idea is simply ridiculous. Lucky for you, the LA brass will take your side.

]]> http://wagesofwins.com/2012/05/24/should-the-lakers-part-ways-with-pau-gasol/#comment-30786 Dave Thu, 24 May 2012 18:25:42 +0000 http://wagesofwins.com/?p=10288#comment-30786 TG, I really don't think you understand what drives revenue in the NBA. My sense is you have never read a study of this issue. TG,
I really don’t think you understand what drives revenue in the NBA. My sense is you have never read a study of this issue.

]]> http://wagesofwins.com/2012/05/24/should-the-lakers-part-ways-with-pau-gasol/#comment-30785 TundraGator Thu, 24 May 2012 18:13:22 +0000 http://wagesofwins.com/?p=10288#comment-30785 TheNBAGeek, if Kobe is worth $70 million to the Lakers brand, then why would paying him less than half that be foolish? Yes, I wholeheartedly agree, if both CP3 and Howard said that they would each sign contracts for $20 million a year then the Lakers should do it. However, that's not reality. CP3 has said he's going to stick around next year for the Clippers. Howard, nobody knows what he's doing. When dealing with reality you need to keep the guys making you money, they can always amnesty him next year or simply wait until 2014. Using the amnesty on Bryant would do nothing to help the Lakers in the next two years while allowing Bryant the chance to team up with Nowitzki or Deron Williams or even worse, Rondo. Can you imagine the horror for the Lakers if Bryant goes to the Celtics and wins? TheNBAGeek, if Kobe is worth $70 million to the Lakers brand, then why would paying him less than half that be foolish? Yes, I wholeheartedly agree, if both CP3 and Howard said that they would each sign contracts for $20 million a year then the Lakers should do it. However, that’s not reality. CP3 has said he’s going to stick around next year for the Clippers. Howard, nobody knows what he’s doing. When dealing with reality you need to keep the guys making you money, they can always amnesty him next year or simply wait until 2014. Using the amnesty on Bryant would do nothing to help the Lakers in the next two years while allowing Bryant the chance to team up with Nowitzki or Deron Williams or even worse, Rondo. Can you imagine the horror for the Lakers if Bryant goes to the Celtics and wins?

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