It's showtime again in Lakerland!
Everyday when I log in to work at office, my first stop is the NBA.com website to check out the latest news from the NBA. Its free-agency season out there and today’s news has been the happiest I have got in a long long time.
Steve “No-look passing, assist record smashing, pick- n-roll popping” Nash is going to the L.A. Lakers, in a sign and trade deal with the Phoenix Suns. The Suns get first round picks in 2013 and 2015, second round picks in 2014 and 2015, $3 million in cash, for Nash, who gets a 3-year $27 Million contract to play in L.A. Now we are instant championship contenders again, sorry, let me rephrase that, we are instant top championship contenders again.
Can you not see it? Bynum sets up a high screen on the top of the key for Nash, the bigger defender rotates over to stop Nash from driving in to the lane; the next instant the ball goes between the legs of the big guy into Bynum’s hand and he tomahawks it down. Pau Gasol is in the low post, gets the ball from Nash who cuts is through the weak side and bam! Gasol passes and Nash lands one of his patented soft floaters for two. But wait! This isn’t what we are looking forward to are we. No Sir! What we really really really want to see is this: Nash drives into the lane, two defenders converge on him, he kicks to the ball to Kobe “black mamba” Bryant and there is the killer J from the high post. Nash is in the corner, kicks it out to Kobe on the top of the key and like the smoothness of the best single-malt-whiskey on the planet, Kobe nails the 3 right in the defenders grill. And then, the orgasmic feeling of seeing Nash run the court looking one way and pass the ball the other way to a streaking Bryant who goes in for a two handed slam!
Nash is the best thing that could have happened to the Lakers right now. He is an elite point guard that we have been missing for a lot of time (since Fisher’s physical powers waned), he can run and direct the offense like no one else, he is an absolute beast when it comes to doling out assists and shooting. But I think his greatest contributions will come off the court. He will provide leadership, helping Kobe in the process. He doesn’t even have a shred of Kobe’s ego and will help mollify the tensions that perpetually surround the Lakers locker room. The most outstanding thing about this deal is the fact that Nash chose to take lesser money to stay closer to his family. That says something doesn’t it?
A really loud shout to Jim Buss, who has used Lamar Odom’s exception clause really well to land a brilliant piece for the Lakers. This could be the start of the next great era for the purple and the gold. Now all he needs to do is convince the Magic to trade Howard for Bynum!
But irrespective of that, on this hot and dreary morning in Gurgaon, India, its SHOWTIME in LAKERLAND!