Guns in NBA Arenas – Gilbert Arenas signs with the Memphis Grizzlies

March 25, 2012 Leave a comment

Former all-star Gilbert Arenas signed with the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday after trying out for both Memphis and the Los Angeles Lakers earlier in the season.

Gilbert gone from Hero to Free Agent Zero

Arenas was once one of the deadliest (and most popular) guards in the NBA but Gilbert has been more Zero than Hero the last couple of seasons. Bringing guns in the arena when he was a member of the Washington Wizards was a bonehead move and began the downward spiral of his career. The Orlando Magic took a chance on him but Arenas averaged career lows and looked slow and old on the court during his stint there. The Magic jumped at the chance to waive Gilbert under the new amnesty clause this offseason and not suprisingly nobody in the NBA claimed him off of waivers.

Derek Fisher, Gilbert Arenas, Lakers, Agent Zero, Hibachi, Fisher trade, Lakers trade, Arenas Lakers

Turns out neither of these shoot-first point guards will be making a championship run with the Lakers this postseason.

Some Memphis BBQ, Hibachi-style

It had been thought that a playoff contender would take a flyer on Gilbert mid-season if the teams suffered any injuries at the guard position. Sure enough, the Lakers put Arenas through a private workout after both Derek Fisher and Steve Blake were ineffective at the point guard position earlier in the season. The Lakers eventually decided not to sign Arenas who sources say looked decent in his workout, even though Kobe Bryant was reportedly on board with the signing. Gilbert then worked out for Memphis, a team loaded at guard making a signing seem unlikely. However, Arenas signed a contract for the remained of the season this week as the Grizzlies continue to make a playoff push in the hectic Western Conference. Hibachi!

Lakers fans, do you think Arenas will be an asset for Memphis come playoff time? Should the Lakers have signed Gilbert while they had the chance?

Filed under 2011 Free Agency, FREE AGENTS, LAKERS BLOG Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,

Heat Stroke – Miami signs Shane Battier over Lakers Shannon Brown

December 8, 2011 Leave a comment

Lakers fans, it looks like the Heat got their guy. Veteran swingman Shane Battier announced today via his Twitter account that he will sign with the Miami Heat on the first day of free agency.

Low Down Dirty Shane

This is a huge get for Miami as Battier is regarded as one of the best teammates in all of the NBA. He’s unselfish, a scrappy defender, has tons of playoff experience and is a proven winner. Shane also has a sweet stroke from 3-point range, something the Heat were hoping to get out of forward Mike Miller last season. After reaching the 2011 NBA Finals last season, Miami and the “Big 3″ should be poised to make another deep run in the Eastern Conference playoffs with the addition of sharp-shooting Battier.

What can Brown do for you Lakers fans?

Brown Recluse

The good news for Lakers fans is that Battier’s signing has eliminated the Heat from guard Shannon Brown’s wish list. That now leaves the Lakers, New Orleans and Boston as the most likely landing spots for Brown according to rumors and reports. Re-signing Brown is far from a given for the Lakers, however.

LakerMagic puts the chances of the Lakers re-signing Shannon at less than 50% due to his desire to get more minutes or even start, something he’ll only be guaranteed on another team. Stay tuned to see which team Brown will be reeling off highlight dunks for this season.

Filed under 2011 Free Agency, FREE AGENTS, LAKERS RIVALRY Tagged with , , , , , ,

Shaq Up in Beantown – Ex-Laker Shaquille O’Neal opts for Celtics

August 4, 2010 1 Comment

It was only a matter of time before the Big Aristotle became “the Big Shaqrecaun”. Okay maybe that nickname needs work, but the point is Shaquille O’Neal is officially part of the Boston Celtics and it feels weird and kind of creepy if you’re a Lakers fan. Before signing, Shaq had failed to land mid-level exception offers from Atlanta, Dallas and even teams in Europe (can you say desperate?). After the Cavs said thanks but no thanks to re-signing the Big Fella, Shaq realized there weren’t many options left.

Boston Market

Enter Boston, a team in the market for size after the starting center Kendrick Perkins severely injured his knee in the 2010 NBA Finals. Shaq reportedly signed a 2-year deal for the veteran’s minimum totaling $2.8 million. Ouch, major hit to the ego (not to mention the pocket book). The Celtics have now reloaded their frontcourt with the addition of Shaq and Jermaine O’Neal and should give the Miami Heat fits down low come playoff time. NBA fans, are you feeling a Lakers-Heat or Lakers-Celtics 2011 NBA Finals?

Shaq hopes to be a 4 ring clover for the Celtics this year in Beantown. Speaking of beans, that's still 1 ring behind Kobe Bean Bryant.

Shaq Bench Press

The Celtics pressed Shaq to come off the bench before they agreed to sign him. All indications point to Shaq being okay with this, but you just know he’s licking his chops waiting for starting center Jermaine O’Neal to get injured. Yes, a literal Shaq attack! Which brings me to my next point: Boston now has two O’Neals. There are only two O’Neals in the entire NBA and they both play for Boston now. This means Shaq’s jersey is going to have S. O’Neal on the back rather than just O’Neal. Another hit to the ego!

O’Neals are Ol’ Neals

Regardless of who gets more minutes, both O’Neals are old and injury-prone and neither is explosive anymore. Jermaine will begin the year as the starter after averaging 13.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game last season in Miami. The Celtics can expect similar or slightly better numbers from him while knowing he can get injured at any moment. No stranger to injury himself, the other other O’Neal (that’s right Shaq has fallen that far) will have to prove to the Boston faithful that he still has something left in the tank.

Filed under 2010 Free Agency, Boston Celtics, FREE AGENTS, LAKERS RIVALRY Tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

← Older posts

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 64 other followers

%d bloggers like this: