OK, so they lost the best rebounder and one of the best interior defenders in the league and got NOTHING in return, and you call that addition by subtraction? You do realize that, in spite of his poor FT shooting, the Lakers were better with Howard on the court than with him on the bench last season, don't you? If you haven't already done so, go to 82games.com and check out his net production and on court/off court stats. His net production is +6.4. This means he out produces the opposing teams' centers. His net on court/off court is +4.1. That means the team is better with him on the court than off.
And, are you seriously siting adding Jordan Farmar as a positive? Farmar is a back-up PG who gets consistently out played by other back-up PGs. He didn't even play in the NBA last season and hasn't had a positive net production in six years. Yeah, he's their savior. They'll never miss Dwight now that they have Farmar.
They lost the best center in the game, Pau is 33 and missed 33 games last season. Nash is 39 and missed 32 games last season. Kobe is 35 and coming of a severe injury and several weeks away from being ready to play. Steve Blake is 33 and missed 37 games last season. The only two healthy veterans they had, Metta World Peace (missed 7 games) and Antawn Jamison (missed 6 games) are both gone.
Last season, they were the 7th seed and the team that was the 8th seed (with an identical 45-37 record) just added Dwight Howard and gave up nothing to get him. And, you really think the Lakers are going to move UP in the standings? Even a fountain of youth could not save that roster. They need an epidemic of Benjamin Button disease.
BNM
