I challenge anyone to come up with a greater all draft bust team than the Nets can field: Pearl Washington (13th overall pick), Dennis Hopson (3rd), Ed O’Bannon (9th), Eddie Griffin (7th – OK, we traded him on draft night, but still) and Yinka (14th). Of course, all of these guys except Griffin precede the current excellent Net management team led by Rod Thorn.

Granted there are worse in a pure skill comparison. Smush actually has some damn fine skills…which is why I think that qualifies him for at elast a nod for the worst. Or…maybe it just really felt like it back in the spring of 06-07 when the wheels came off the Laker’s buss…with Smush at the wheel.

As for the deal, Lakers with the win. Radmanovic has never come up with a loose ball in his life, and will drive Larry Brown insane with his nonchalant turnovers.

I love, however, that Charlotte fans are so willing to call Morrison the “worst” this or that ever. lol. He is essentially a rookie, that went to a team that did not have the ability to condition and teach and build him up, where he was injured and out for all of last year. He went to a team that needed him to walk in and be a starter in the NBA immediately. Bad teams with bad coaches (not Larry Brown…he just got there) like Charlotte are bad matches for players like Morrison. He is a skill player…he does not rely on sheer athletisism. He needs to work into a system…find his roles…find his game. Phil Jackson, who has unfairly been accused of not liking developing players, is just what Morrison needs. I mean, if he is not going to be able to become a good NBA player…better to find out in practice and situations rather than put the poor guy into the fire and making him perform. And who did he have to mentor him in Charlotte? On the Lakers, he will have a lot of guys with a lot of solid experience in winning to help him out. He may sink rather than swim, but at least it will be because of him and not because he is on a team that cannot afford to develope him.

Morrison is a shooter…he just needs to find his shots. He needs to play with a group who do not for a minute want to rely on him to win…yet. The Lakers will give him limited and situational shots to prove himself, while he gets to practice and learn with some of the best the game has ever had. And…if attitude has anything to do with how a player performs…well, he just landed a bench spot on the team favored to win it all…that should put a smile on his face and some bounce in his step.

I agree that Brown might be the best thing the Lakers got out of this trade…that and out from under Vlade’s contract. It also frees up minutes for Walton and Ariza…both better team players day-in, day-out than Vlade. But, Morrison’s potential is still there. Perhaps if he had spent more time on a sub-par losing team that had no interest in being patient with his development, that would totally be gone…but situations are different for him now, and I think everyone may still see him break out as a shooter. If not, at least he now has a real opportunity to learn rather than being put on the floor with a bad team and expected to develope on his own.

Seriously? Have you been watching the NBA for under 5 minutes?!!

You will probably really like the contribution he brings. He is one of the best 3pt shooters in the NBA and he does read the passing lanes reasonably well. He can be a space cadet, but he also functions better with more minutes – something he just wasn’t going to get in LA.

At 6′10″ he has a very quick release, with a high arching and accurate jump shot. He can rebound, but doesn’t cut inside a lot. He can also drive, but you don’t want him doing it in heavy traffic.

Why did the Lakers trade him?
1) He was unhappy with his minutes and not starting and there could have been chemistry issues with this going forward. We don’t need this when we are trying for the championship this year.
2) He never could completely grasp the triangle offense. I suspect he will do much better under Larry Brown.
3) We need his salary to sign Ariza and perhaps LO this year.