Chris Paul Makes L.A. Lakers Prohibitive...

In a development that unfolded this afternoon, Chris Paul is unofficially the newest member of the L.A. Lakers. Traded in exchange for Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol, the four-time All-Star will join Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum under new coach Mike Brown. The Lake Show covets the franchise's 18th NBA title, which would bump them ahead of the Boston Celtics for most all-time.

Yahoo! Sports Adrian Wojnarowki broke the 3-team deal, citing a league executive. The Houston Rockets are the third team in the trade and will send Luis Scola, Kevin Martin and Goran Dragic, and a 2012 first round pick to the Hornets in exchange for Gasol.

Bryant, a 13-time NBA All-Star and former League MVP, will undoubtedly be ecstatic to be joined by Paul, who is considered by many to be the best point guard in the game. It was CP3, averaging 22.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 11.5 assists, who nearly pushed L.A. to the brink in a hard-fought six-game first round series last postseason. All this despite the Hornets playing without star PF David West.

In the prime of his career at 26 years old, Chris Paul instantly makes the L.A. Lakers NBA title contenders, and the prohibitive favorite to win the Western Conference. As it stands now, L.A. is +200 to win the West and +450 to win the NBA championship, according to a frequented odds-making site. The Miami Heat are currently listed as the overall favorite at +200, subject to change.

Comments: 9

Kathleen Ewing Dec 8, 2011, 10:22pm UTC

I hope the front court is ready for what the back court will dish.

reply to this comment

Adam Jun Dec 8, 2011, 10:43pm UTC

*UPDATE- Deal shot down by David Stern after several owners who are against big market teams leveraging small market teams for their best players called to discourage it.

reply to this comment

Ali Hussein Lopez Dec 9, 2011, 12:33pm UTC

Even a trade for Chris Paul, who is NOT considered the best PG in the game, will not make the Lakers a favorite in the West: The OKC Thunder will still be younger, more athletic, faster and have a year more of experience at the top level under their belt. The defending champs now know what it takes to win, and the Spurs are aging but always dangerous.

While having Paul in LA might be a marketers dream, stripping the Lakers of their best players and giving them a shallower roster that costs as much won't make them a better team.

reply to this comment

Adam Jun Dec 9, 2011, 4:04pm UTC

Thanks for your opinion Hussein, Chris Paul is in fact considered by many to be the best point guard in the game. Many others, may feel differently.

Ali Hussein Lopez Dec 9, 2011, 4:19pm UTC

Derek Rose is younger, bigger, faster, stronger and the reigning MVP. Paul is in the top 5, but at this point, outside of Rose, I'd rather have Deron Williams or Russell Westbrook.

reply to this comment

Adam Jun Dec 10, 2011, 6:20am UTC

Chris Paul is 26 and in the prime of his career. He may have had a bum knee, but please try to make the argument that it's still effecting him when he just got done putting up nintendo game numbers whilst nearlysingle-handedly slaying the L.A. Laker Giant. Even though L.A. was swept in the following round its roster was at least twice as talented as Paul's Hornets.

Derrick Rose plays for the Bulls (my team) and was correctly called the League's MVP last season. He is truly phenomenal and his ceiling if he even has one is the greatest to ever play. That said, Paul is still the best in the game, at least as of the playoffs last year. Did you tune in? This year may very well be a different story.

Here's a couple quotes from Grantland's Bill Simmons on the matter written 9/12/11 in his column about the blocked CP3 deal.

Simmons - "Paul, a true artist, maybe the best pure point guard who ever lived"

and

Simmons - "The best point guard of his generation was switching teams, in his prime, to the Los Angeles Lakers … "

All I said was, "Paul, who is considered by many to be the best point guard in the game." Again, this is totally a matter of opinion, and as result is as true as ever. If I had been more definitive I contend it would have been just as true, but that's for another time.

Ali Hussein Lopez Dec 10, 2011, 8:49am UTC

Bill Simmons is obviously a guy who hasn't seen watching professional basketball for as many years as I have: Paul isn't even in the top ten.

I commend him for being able to riddle an aging and defensively suspect Lakers team for lots of points, but I think the hype surrounding this premature coronation is way overblown.

Ali Hussein Lopez Dec 10, 2011, 9:28am UTC

I should say top ten yet: he's an immensely talented player, but you can't judge a player as "the best point guard who ever lived" based on his limited body of work.

Ali Hussein Lopez Dec 10, 2011, 9:30am UTC

And one more thing: I was a Bulls fan before you were born.

reply to this comment

Chris Paul Makes L.A. Lakers Prohibitive Favorite in NBA West

2 people recommend this post

Comments: 9

Join the Conversation