Los Angeles Lakers

Pau is 32nd all-time in PER (one spot below John Stockton, and ahead of Gervin, Drexler, Iverson, and Rick Barry), 56th in Win Shares (ahead of Baylor, Hal Greer, Dr. J, and Artis Gilmore), and 71st in rebounds per game (well ahead of Shawn Kemp, Alonzo Mourning, and Tom Heinsohn). He carried a 2006 Grizzlies team that featured Mike Miller and a 34-year-old Eddie Jones as the second and third best players to a 49-33 record, putting up 20-9-5 while Memphis played at the slowest pace in the entire NBA. Two seasons later and he transformed the Lakers from a how-the-hell-are-they-leading-the-west team to a legitimate contender that pushed the Celtics to six that June. Now fast forward to right after the 2010 finals. Pau Gasol had just finished off a magnificent season, punctuated by a 19 point, 18 rebound, 4 assist performance in Game 7 against Boston in which he was the best player on the floor and cemented his place as the second best big in the world. His nine fourth quarter points were just enough to salvage a game in which Kobe missed 18 of his 24 shot attempts. At 30 years of age, he looked nowhere near decline, but instead looked like he had plenty of productive, All-Star level seasons left to play side-kick to Kobe, win a few more titles and build on his already borderline Hall of Fame resume. The difference between then and now is that in those first Laker seasons, the Bynum - Gasol tandem was broken up by Lamar Odom, and I feel the Lakers should have expirimented with more Gasol/ Clark front lines. In only 23 minutes together, lineups with that tandem on the court outscored opponents by 7.1 points per 100 possessions, with above average defensive rebounding stats. Thoughts on keeping or trading Gasol? Pau is 32nd all-time in PER (one spot below John Stockton, and ahead of Gervin, Drexler, Iverson, and Rick Barry), 56th in Win Shares (ahead of Baylor, Hal Greer, Dr. J, and Artis Gilmore), and 71st in rebounds per game (well ahead of Shawn Kemp, Alonzo Mourning, and Tom Heinsohn). He carried a 2006 Grizzlies team that featured Mike Miller and a 34-year-old Eddie Jones as the second and third best players to a 49-33 record, putting up 20-9-5 while Memphis played at the slowest pace in the entire NBA. Two seasons later and he transformed the Lakers from a how-the-hell-are-they-leading-the-west team to a legitimate contender that pushed the Celtics to six that June. Now fast forward to right after the 2010 finals. Pau Gasol had just finished off a magnificent season, punctuated by a 19 point, 18 rebound, 4 assist performance in Game 7 against Boston in which he was the best player on the floor and cemented his place as the second best big in the world. His nine fourth quarter points were just enough to salvage a game in which Kobe missed 18 of his 24 shot attempts. At 30 years of age, he looked nowhere near decline, but instead looked like he had plenty of productive, All-Star level seasons left to play side-kick to Kobe, win a few more titles and build on his already borderline Hall of Fame resume. The difference between then and now is that in those first Laker seasons, the Bynum - Gasol tandem was broken up by Lamar Odom, and I feel the Lakers should have expirimented with more Gasol/ Clark front lines. In only 23 minutes together, lineups with that tandem on the court outscored opponents by 7.1 points per 100 possessions, with above average defensive rebounding stats. Thoughts on keeping or trading Gasol?

It seems almost silly to write anything basketball that isn’t purely about last night’s epic Game 6 OT slugfest. In the end, Tim Duncan’s 30/17 front loaded night couldn’t quite outlast LeBron’s 32/10/11 – the latter doing much of his damage late in the game. You could almost hear the collective groan of keypads everywhere – suffice to say there were stories being written in the last few minutes of regulation that did not end up being used. In an era of quick-bite news feeds, Scott Arnovitz’s longform article about the San Antonio Spurs stands out. The premise is nothing new – centering on the recalcitrant nature of a team that plays by the fundamentals at the cost of mega popularity. Arnovitz steadily peels back the layers though, getting to some essential truths about choices made and a determination to stick with authenticity. The Grantland staff put together their NBA Finals Shootaround: Just Like Heaven and there’s not much to say except just read the piece – classic sample observation, “basketball is a drug.” On to Lakers business. You’d have to be living under a rock not to know of the parade of injuries visited upon the Los Angeles Lakers this past season. Often blared and sensationalized, the subject is illuminated through a terrific Mike Trudell interview of Lakers trainer Gary Vitti. Somewhere between the polar ends of self-parody and hard cold business lies an essential conflict. Using the framework of the new film comedy “This Is The End”, Andy Kamenetzky from the Land O’Lakers examines the act of Dwight. This year’s draft is sneaking up fast. With only the 48th pick to play with, the Lakers’ challenge will be to find a player who can actually function at an NBA level. Ben Rosales has been writing cogently about the process for Silver Screen & Roll – here he looks at six prospects who came in for a group pre-draft workout. Sasha Vujacic made a unusual two-year commitment to Anadolu Efes during the 2011 NBA lockout. This past April, the 2012 Turkish All-Star MVP was suspended for disciplinary reasons in the middle of the Euroleague quarterfinals. The team failed to advance to the next round and has yet to elaborate on how things went so wrong. Last Friday, Vujacic said goodbye to Istanbul on Facebook, adding that “the truth will come out”. The former Machine is hoping to resume his NBA career. Here, Matt Agne for Sports Media 101 hypothesizes about a place for Vujacic with the Knicks. I know, how can you follow a paragraph about a man who once reigned supreme at the charity stripe? Nonetheless, basketball life does go on. Tomorrow night will bring Game 7 of the NBA Finals in Miami. There will be no lack or predictions between now and then but if the first six games were any indication, this one will be another war. Are you fired up? Ready to go?

Mar 28, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Solomon Hill (44) dunks against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the second half of the semifinals of the West regional of the 2013 NCAA tournament at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports Solomon Hill 6’7″, 226 lbs., Small Forward, Senior, University of Arizona, 22 years old 2012-13 Stats 13.4 points, 45.8% field goal, 39% three point, 76.6% free throw, 5.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists Strengths Solomon Hill is a very interesting prospect. He doesn’t particularly have a strength, but in the same regard, he doesn’t particularly have a weakness. At 6’7, Hill will likely be seen as a small forward in the NBA, despite spending lots of time in the paint while at Arizona. Despite that, he did focus on his perimeter shooting. His 3-point shooting improved from 22.2% his freshman year to a far more respectable 39% last season. His versatility should transfer well into the NBA. Hill’s ability to grab a rebound and then push the pace will make him highly attractive to teams. Hill has deceptive explosion and ability to attack the rim. He lost some weight going into his senior season and, as a result, become a quicker, more explosive perimeter player. His pure size and strength will make him stick out to scouts. Hill has a moderate 6’9 wingspan, but still possesses a 37.5″ vertical and benched 185 pounds 14 times. His 10.77 agility time ranked relatively high on the list of scouts who participated in the combine. Weaknesses Well, Hill doesn’t have any particular strength, just like I said. If you think his shooting is his best strength, then it can be pointed out how bad he was prior to last year. If you think he’s explosive, then you can point to the fact that he has played on the perimeter only one year. He’s a good rebounder? Well he’s a 6’7 tweener who will be undersized as a four, yet may lack the ability to be a solid perimeter offensive threat. It’s also unsure whether Hill could keep up with bigger, quicker, stronger, and faster forwards in the league. Physically, he has the build of a power forward in a small forward’s body. Making the transition is something NBA teams are going to have to help him along with. Where he fits on the Lakers The Lakers were without a true small forward threat to back up Metta World Peace. Both Kobe Bryant and Earl Clark split time as the back-up, but it clearly took a toll on Bryant’s body, and Clark wasn’t effective in long stretches. Hill could step in and alleviate some of the minutes forced on Kobe last year. Hill would have a defined role on the Lakers and one that he could excel in. He wouldn’t be asked to do too much on a talented squad. Our Take Jacob Rude – Hill might be my favorite prospect yet. One of the Lakers’ biggest weaknesses was the lack of depth at the small forward position last season. Hill has a similar build and play-style to MWP offensively that he could improve upon. If Hill is available when the Lakers are on the clock, I say they take him over anyone else. Caleb Cottrell – The Lakers desperately need some athleticism and outside shooting. If Hill can shoot 37 percent from three, and play some defense, he could be exactly what the Lakers want with their pick.  As I said in my DeShaun Thomas draft profile, I think he could come in and play some minutes off the bench right away. I’m in.

Lakers News Latest on what Lakers will do with Dwight - Los Angeles Lakers Blog - ESPN Los Angeles Kobe Bryant and I: A lifelong relationship - Lake Show Life Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant Has Statue in China - FanSided - Sports News - An Independent Sports Network Player Capsule: Jordan Hill | THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS There’s a big Kobe Bryant sculpture in China, apparently (Photo) | Ball Don't Lie - Yahoo! Sports The treasures of homegrown talent - Lake Show Life - A Los Angeles Lakers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More 2013 NBA Finals San Antonio Spurs vs. Miami Heat - Recap - June 18, 2013 - ESPN Daily Dime - ESPN 2013 NBA playoffs -- Spurs left to regroup after Game 6 - ESPN Ray Allen sinks big 3-pointer that helps keep Miami Heat alive - ESPN Heat Reaction: Grading Miami Heat-San Antonio Spurs Game 6 - ESPN Gregg Popovich's substitutions open to second-guessing after Spurs' Game 6 NBA Finals loss - Yahoo! Sports Manu Ginobili, Spurs ponder how title-clinching game got away - NBA - Ian Thomsen - SI.com Spurs drop NBA Finals Game 6 to Heat after two debatable no-calls in final seconds | The Point Forward - SI.com Heat fans leave early during Game 6, missing dramatic overtime victory | The Point Forward - SI.com Miami capitalizes on crucial late-game miscues, defeats San Antonio to force a Game 7 | Ball Don't Lie - Yahoo! Sports Heat's LeBron James, Chris Bosh see yellow, then red before spoiling Spurs' coronation - Yahoo! Sports Miami Heat fans leave NBA Finals Game 6 early, not allowed back in for Heat comeback win | Ball Don't Lie - Yahoo! Sports Spurs' coach puts Pop into news conferences - Yahoo! Sports Ray Allen's clutch Game 6 3-pointer destined to go down in NBA Finals lore - Yahoo! Sports Duncan, Spurs collapse down the stretch - Yahoo! Sports Game 6 was not Gregg Popovich’s best night | ProBasketballTalk Spurs execution fails them when it matters most. Can they get it back for Game 7? | ProBasketballTalk Heat force a Finals Game 7 with thrilling overtime win over Spurs | ProBasketballTalk Around the League Celtics' unique offseason circumstances may give reason to revisit talks with Clippers | The Point Forward - SI.com Report: Hawks, Lakers, Mavs interested in Monta Ellis | SI Wire Russell Westbrook of Oklahoma City Thunder off his crutches - ESPN Scottie Pippen -- Derrick Rose didn't deserve criticism for sitting out season - ESPN Chicago Denver Nuggets hire Tim Connelly to replace Masai Ujiri - ESPN Monta Ellis of Milwaukee Bucks to opt out of contract -- sources - ESPN Clippers are far from done dealing - Los Angeles Clippers Blog - ESPN Los Angeles Los Angeles Clippers walk away from Boston Celtics deal -- sources - ESPN Jason Kidd must prove to be vocal leader as coach of Brooklyn Nets - NBA - Ian Thomsen - SI.com Blogs and Other Links James, Heat Turn Spurs’ Yellow Rope Into Crime-Scene Tape in Game 6 " Hang Time Blog | NBA.com Game 6: The Impact Plays " Hang Time Blog | NBA.com Game 6: The Morning After " Hang Time Blog | NBA.com 24-Second Thoughts On Game 6 " Hang Time Blog | NBA.com Spurs Aim to Forget Game 6 loss to Heat, Look Ahead To Decisive Game 7 " Hang Time Blog | NBA.com Playing Games: The Tao Of Pop " Hang Time Blog | NBA.com NBA Stats: NBA.com/Stats Number Crunch: The Finals Multimedia 2012-13 Highlight: Hill | video | THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS Press Pass: Manu Ginobili | NBA.com Press Pass: Ray Allen | NBA.com Press Pass: Tim Duncan | NBA.com Press Pass: Tony Parker | NBA.com LeBron calls Game 6 "best game I’ve ever been a part of" | ProBasketballTalk Did Ray Allen foul Manu Ginobili in the final seconds of OT in Game 6? (Video) | Ball Don't Lie - Yahoo! Sports Manu Ginobili 'devastated' after NBA Finals Game 6 loss to Heat | The Point Forward - SI.com

Magic Johnson and James Worthy will always be remembered for being apart of the Showtime Lakers. Jerry West and Elgin Baylor will be apart of the heartbreak teams that always made it to the Finals, yet couldn’t overcome the big bad Celtics. Kobe Bryant will go down as arguably the greatest, and most popular, Laker of all-time once his career is said and done. But it’s simply because these guys were apart of title-winning teams that fans hold them higher up. It’s not because they were some of the best players of their generations. Fans look at these guys in a different light because they are Lakers through and through, never leaving the franchise, never playing elsewhere. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played as important of a role in the Showtime Lakers as Worthy or Magic, yet he isn’t as begotten as those two. The Lakers don’t win a title in the early 70s without Wilt Chamberlain, yet he’s an after-thought to West and Baylor. Bryant has transcended a generation, bridging the gap between Shaquille O’Neal and Pau Gasol, winning titles with both big men. Current fans maintain a special connection with Bryant. We’ve witnessed him grow from an immature teenager into a a seasoned, savvy veteran. Magic went from the overly energetic youngster to clutch champion in one season. But his energetic personality made him the beloved child of Los Angeles. Even after his retirement, Magic is considered “one of us” to the city of LA. For West and Baylor, Lakers fans suffered with them. Years and years of emotional losses to the Celtics in the Finals were finally revenged when they won the title in 1972 over the Knicks. Fans were relived and ecstatic to celebrate with West to get his title. And although Baylor retired at the beginning of the season, he was still given a ring for his involvement. This isn’t to say the Lakers don’t love their other stars. Shaq played for six teams in his career, yet his jersey was retired this past season. Wilt Chamberlain five years in LA, but his jersey hangs in the rafters. Even Gasol has spent just five and a half years in the purple and gold, but he has a case for his name hanging alongside the greats as well. But none of these players have the same kind of connection with the fans that Magic, Kobe, and company still maintain to this day. Unfortunately for the Lakers, no current player outside of Kobe nor is there anyone who potentially might. With the Lakers focused more on buying players than developing them in recent years, those type of connections may become a distant thought in the forthcoming future. But you can guarantee that no matter who the current roster consists of, West, Baylor, Magic, Worthy, and Kobe will always be considered one of the guys.

The prevailing thought surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason is that they are at the mercy of Dwight Howard’s decision to stay or go. That may be true, but there are many more decisions for general manager Mitch Kupchak and vice president of player personnel Jim Buss to make that will shape the direction of the franchise. Even if Howard chooses to re-sign in L.A., which the Lakers have said is their hope and desire, there are still many more dominoes to fall.

Mar 28, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes forward Deshaun Thomas (1) shoots against the Arizona Wildcats during the first half of the semifinals of the West regional of the 2013 NCAA tournament at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports DeShaun Thomas Small Forward, 6’7″, 220 lbs. Junior, Ohio State University,  21 years old 2012-13 stats: 35.4 minutes, 19.8 points, 44.4 field goal percentage, 34.4 three point percentage, 83.4 free throw percentage, 1.3 assists, 5.9 rebounds, 0.5 steals, 0.3 blocks. Strengths: DeShaun Thomas’s biggest strength is his scoring. On an Ohio State team that didn’t have any other big scoring threats, Thomas was every opposing defense’s main focus. He has a smooth jump shot, as well as a nice post game. Thomas is at his best when he is in the catch-and-shoot role, no matter where he shoots it from. One of DeShaun’s best traits might be his mentality. He enjoys pressure situations, as we were able to see during his last season at Ohio State. Weaknesses: One of DeShaun’s big weaknesses is his defense, especially at the next level where his size may be a concern. He’s not big enough to play power forward, where he played a lot in college, and he’s not athletic enough to effectively guard small forwards. Another big concern is his rebounding. Out of the power forwards in college, Thomas ranked dead last in defensive rebounding. If Thomas isn’t rebounding well, and doesn’t shoot well in the same night, there’s really no point in having him in the game. The last concern is his shot selection and three point shot. As I said earlier, he has a nice jump shot, but he only shot 34.4 percent from three in his last season in college — that’s not ideal. To add to that, Thomas forces a lot of shots; this may come from the fact that he had to carry Ohio State’s offense at times, but it is still troubling. Where he fits in with the Lakers:  DeShaun Thomas could become an instant scoring boost for the Lakers off of the bench. Earl Clark could become the stretch four in Mike D’Antoni’s offense, while Thomas plays the small forward. His lack of athleticism and rebounding isn’t exactly what the Lakers are looking for, but I could see him being a decent fit on the team since the Lakers could use a reliable offensive weapon off of the bench. Our Take: Caleb Cottrell: There are other players I would rather have, but if no one I like left is available, I don’t think it would be a terrible thing. I think he can earn minutes right away, especially with the Lakers awful bench. I watched his whole career at Ohio State because my dad is a big OSU fan, so I may be a bit biased towards him, however. Jacob Rude: Thomas would give the Lakers another scoring option off the bench, but his weaknesses are everything the Lakers already have. Questionable defending? No thanks. Taking bad shots? I’ll pass. There’s a lot of options worse than Thomas, but there are also a lot better.

Reports say Dwight Howard may not re-sign. Reports also say that the Lakers are not interested in a sign and trade. The arithmetic is not too hard on this one: reports say the Lakers will be left with nothing. Apr 28, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (12) leaves the court after being ejected with two technical fouls against the San Antonio Spurs in game four of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports Sure you can count Nash and his bad back, Kobe and his torn Achilles or Metta World Peace and his children’s book. You can even count Pau Gasol – in the hope that his “black swan” re-emerges, sporting a new pair of “big boy pants.” But really, the Lakers would be left with nothing. Even their over-sized coaching staff has been chopped down. I, for one, don’t think this subtraction would be so bad. Don’t get me wrong, I want the Lakers to win. But I trust in the franchise. The way the current CBA is constructed, the Lakers can’t just “be” and thus win titles. Mistakes will be more permanently damaging. With this CBA, they can’t afford everyone. But they can survive losing Dwight. Here’s the thing. talent-wise, they probably won’t get much better than Dwight Howard – for the future or the present. But this up-coming season might be a write-off already. It’s the cold truth. Bryant shouldn’t rush back. If he arrives as a Christmas present, or even a belated one, I wouldn’t be too concerned. There isn’t much tread left on his career anyway, so he may as well make sure he’s at his most capable for a shorter burst than battling for a longer – but still short in relativity – amount of time. Shed of their leading scorer and Dwight Howard, they figure to be bad. This Lakers core had been good for a while. In the late-2000’s, the Lakers and Celtics both added pieces and became contenders overnight. Those teams had short windows, with Boston’s aging core being even shorter. The team in green now figures to have an ugly rebuild or a stagnant team going nowhere. The purple and gold tried to restock mid-air and crash landed miserably or spectacularly depending on your rooting interests. Rather than hold on to the burning cockpit, the Lakers could see this as an opportunity. The Spurs, finalists again, show an example of how to capitalize on the injury of a star player. Without an injury to David Robinson, Duncan and his five titles may be elsewhere. I’m not advocating tanking, no franchise, let alone the proud Lakers, should ever truly tank. But maybe they luck into a high-lottery pick. That’s an interesting opportunity. It’s also a potentially exciting one. This team could use an injection of youth. It would be fun to have our own talent, developed in-house. It’s what makes Kobe, Magic and Jerry West such deities in the eyes of Laker fans. At the very least it wouldn’t be worse than another Dwight-mare. In truth, what really appeals to me about being left with nothing, is the ability to start afresh. With the books relatively clean in 2014 it’s not about getting LeBron, it’s about getting pieces that fit. They could find pieces that add up to a whole greater than the sum of their parts. The pieces didn’t quite mesh this time. There was too much new and too much old and too much everything. It was a team of excess. With too much ego, too many injuries, too many years on the clock, too many personalities. All put together too soon. Perhaps a sort of minimalism is required. It’s an approach the Lakers have never really taken before. They’ve never needed to. But they have also never existed within the confines of this CBA. I don’t want Dwight to leave. At his best, I think he is the number one center in the league. But if the reports add up, you can’t escape arithmetic. And we should start preparing ourselves mentally in case the reports are true. If they are, we should see the positives. Hopefully, they will be able to revamp the tea

What will the Lakers do if the offseason goes as poorly as possible? Apr 28, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers injured guard Kobe Bryant watches the final seconds of the Lakers 103-82 loss to the Spurs in game four of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports Here is what would end up being the Lakers worst case scenario for their offseason: Dwight Howard does not re-sign. Kobe Bryant suffers a setback in his rehab, is out for the season or a large part of it. Pau Gasol suffers a setback in his offseason rehab and is forced to play injured all season long. Metta World Peace is amnestied and the Lakers watch him to play for a different team with no replacement. Earl Clark doesn’t re-sign with the Lakers. Now none of these items take into account anything outside the current situation. Kobe is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon and Pau Gasol had offseason surgery on both knees (albeit minor surgery). Dwight Howard and Earl Clark are both free agents. Metta World Peace has a salary that can be amnestied to give the team significant relief from the luxury tax. If all of these things occur, the Lakers salary cap will be at $79.63 million. The salary cap is expected to be set at $58.5 million, with the luxury tax at $70.3 million. This means the Lakers will be unable to make any serious plays in free agency, with only a $3.3 million mid-level exception at their disposal. Two players who earned around that salary this season for the Lakers were Jordan Hill and Chris Duhon. That gives you the idea of what type of player the Lakers can lure – an underachieving lottery pick and a player who got paid after one good year. Not exactly franchise changing talents. So free agency will not be the solution should the Worst Outcome occur. Dwight Howard and Earl Clark not re-signing means the Lakers will be losing two players who played 4085 minutes for the Lakers last season. The entire team played 19,757 minutes, meaning those two players accounted for 20% of all the time players were on the court. The Lakers would have to somehow fill that 20%, using the plethora of 2nd round picks the Lakers have on their roster or free agents looking to sign for less than their market value. Not an appealing proposition. If the Lakers were to amnesty Metta, that’s another 2530 minutes the Lakers would have to replace. By losing those three players, the Lakers would be losing 1/3rd of their entire minutes contributed last season. Metta may not be the player he once was, but he is still an above-replacement level player and the Lakers would still be paying him on whatever team he would join. This would leave the Lakers with no small forwards on the roster, with very little room to sign replacements. Now we look at our current injury question marks. Kobe Bryant is seriously injured, and although he claims he intends to be ready for opening night, he is a 34-year old recovering from one of the most devastating injuries possible. We like to think of Kobe as invincible, but the reality is players don’t come back at their same level from this type of injury. If Kobe suffers a setback, or even just returns along a more reasonable timeline, the Lakers will struggle mightily. It goes without saying that Kobe is the most important part of the Lakers offense. Without him the Lakers would be forced to run everything through Pau Gasol and Steve Nash. Pau Gasol has minor surgery on both knees this offseason in an effort to remove the pain that plagued him throughout the year. If this surgery was successful, Gasol should look closer to his former self. If the surgery doesn’t fix what ailed Gasol, he will be forced to play the season through this pain – pain that caused Gasol to miss games and definitely affected his play. If Gasol misses time, with no Kobe due to injuries, no Dwight Howard, no Earl Clark, and no Metta World Peace, the Lakers would look like a bottom feeder. Think o

From TheGreatMambino, Silver Screen & Roll: In just two weeks, the Dwightmare could reach it’s highest peak. That’s when Lakers center Dwight Howard will officially become a free agent, available to be courted by whomever has the will and the wherewithal to sign the three-time Defensive Player of the year to a maximum contract. Lakers Nation seems to be split on whether or not Howard, one of the most polarizing players of his era on and off the court, is truly worth the money and trouble that seem to follow him wherever he goes. Let’s take the pulse of Silver Screen & Roll: From Dan Duangdao, Lakers Nation: Metta World Peace, a.k.a Ron Artest, joined a local Houston radio station on Monday to discuss a typical day in the off-season, his thoughts on LeBron James’ play in the Finals so far and Dwight Howard’s impending free-agency. When asked about Dwight Howard’s plans this off-season, World Peace quickly dismissed any possibilities of Howard going to Houston: “Well, he’s not going to Houston. I’ll tell you that.” The Houston Rockets are one of the rumored teams Dwight Howard is interested in as they enough cap room to sign him and a young core centered around James Harden, Chandler Parsons and Omer Asik. Regardless of what the Rockets have to offer, World Peace remained confident with his response and further explained his reasoning the only way Ron Artest knew how to: “The bulls that you bullfight…those things that you tie those things to the bulls that make them go crazy? I got two of those things tied to Dwight Howard’s t——–, so he can’t move.” From Eric Pincus, LA Times: The Lakers’ final non-Mike D’Antoni assistant coach left over the weekend as Darvin Ham joined the Atlanta Hawks under Coach Mike Budenholzer. “Darvin has a great feel for the game and knows what it takes for a team to be successful and compete at a high level,” Budenholzer said in a prepared statement. “He was a smart player who played with intensity and toughness every night and he has gone about coaching the same way.” Dan D’Antoni, brother to Coach Mike D’Antoni, is the only holdover from last season after the Lakers let both Chuck Person and Bernie Bickerstaff go. Phil Handy joined Mike Brown’s staff in Cleveland, while Eddie Jordan took the head position at Rutgers. From Brett Pollakoff, Pro Basketball Nation: Phil Jackson is unquestionably one of the greatest coaches of all time, but he didn’t get there by placating people or considering the feelings of others — especially those with seniority or who were holding down a higher-level position within the organization. Speaking at an event last week where Jackson was plugging his latest book, he recalled the time he asked then Lakers general manager Jerry West — also one of the franchise’s all-time great players — to leave the locker room so Jackson and the team could be alone to dissect the night’s troubles in private. From Dan Devine, Yahoo Sports: Kobe Bryant has ranked among the most popular players in the NBA for more than 15 years now, as his legendary scoring prowess, on- and off-court charisma, affiliation with the glamorous Los Angeles Lakers and near-constant exposure to massive audiences through nationally televised games and deep playoff runs have combined to make him one the sports world’s highest-profile figures. He’s also donequite a bit of work over the years to extend his mega-star status into the massive and hoops-mad nation of China — he’s made annual offseason trips there to meet fans and host camps, and appeared in commercials airing in the nation. He’s participated in exhibition charity games and even reportedly briefly entertained the idea of playing in China during the 2011 NBA lockout. He’s built a Chinese social media presence and launched multiple charitable initiatives in the Far East. And so on.