[TSFH Fan]

My memory of Hibbert was from the playoffs, a few years back, with the media talking him up big time. So, at first, I was kind of happy with getting him. Now I see Indy media talking about getting "a third-string guard, a lump of used ankle tape. Whatever. Hibbert leaving is addition by subtraction, only it's better than that. It's multiplication by subtraction."

That's not very nice. The media can be so mean. But looking at his game log from last year, ooooh, looks like we should expect a few "one more rebound than a dead man" type of games (Guess the reference!).

So it seems that Hibbert is in the position that Lin and Boozer were last year -- big pay, old teams sick of them, hoping for a career rejuvenation with the Lakers. Hmmmm. Didn't turn out so well with L/B.

Buuuuuuut, OTOH, I saw the totally unsubstantiated, openly denied rumors that Hibbert's play went down after he found out that Paul George was sleeping with his woman. So how is this relevant? Well, our very own Pau Gasol faced similar rumors here! And he rejuvenated his career with the change of scenery. So, I'm hoping Hibbert follows the game-going-to-crap-after-unsubstantiated-rumors-of-your-woman-sleeping-around-then-going-to-a-new-team-and-revitalizing-your-career career revival path. Hey! It can happen.

Okay, fine. We will rally around Robert Upshaw and play good basketball. Because getting kicked off one BB team isn't good enough -- RU did Two. Anyhow first round talent and some sort of heart condition that he was eventually cleared for (sound familiar?) I'll hope for this guy's success. If he can play and keep his nose (and other parts) clean, could be a real steal.

***
Oh, let me blatantly steal a post from another board:

Roy Hibbert is considered a "blockbuster" trade?
Taj Gibson is considered "another blockbuster" trade?
***

The moves this past week, so far, (more to come!) look like the Lakers aren't going to go for the Suck-peat a/k/a go Tank-to-Tank.
But hey, just in case the season goes badly off the rails, I've got this to trot out later on:

[Hacksaw]

that Doc Buss caption is cold,,, but I felt the same way.

[snackdaddy]

So far it ain't looking like the kids are carrying the torch from the old man. I'm not sure how much can be blamed on Jeannie. Jimmy's the one in charge. Maybe he should step down and let her see what she can do. Couldn't do any worse.

[kayfabe]

BTW that 1st round pick is actually only top 3 (not top 5) protected from the Suns for both 2016 and for 2017...so I'm guessing they'll have to give it up
next year, actually, unless they really really suck this year and finish as one of the three worst teams in the NBA (thank you Steve Nash). Oh and
there's another residual top 5 protected 1st round pick that's due to Orlando in 2017 (thank you Dwight Howard), so if the Lakers don't finish as one
of the five worst teams in 2016 then that first round pick's gone too!

But losing both those (probably high) first round picks I don't think is going to matter too much. Because the good news is that the Lakers will
have a lot of salary cap room starting next year to attract a lot of free agents, once the Kobe 2 year $48 mil contract comes off the books. And
the 2016 salary cap is going to be north of $90 million!! So bring back Kobe at a lower price in 2016, have him still tutor Randle, Russell, Clarkson,
and you probably don't need any of those lost 1st round picks. Especially with a 2016 free agent class that currently includes the likes of Kevin
Durant, Al Horford, Mike Conley, Joakim Noah, Dwayne Wade (probably), Dwight Howard (yes...believe it or not), Jeff Green, Luol Deng, Eric
Gordon, Nic Batum, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, DeMar DeRozan and Chandler Parsons. A lot of those guys could put the Lakers back in
contention in a hurry! Grab two of them, have Lou Williams return to be a sixth man after all the new faces arrive in town, and that doesn't sound
like a bad team at all. Just hope the rumored 2017 NBA Lockout doesn't mess everything up though...

[Rams Dominate]

I'd like to know why Bird was so eager to get rid of Hibbert, they made NO effort to keep this guy...

[Hacksaw]

I'd like to know why Bird was so eager to get rid of Hibbert, they made NO effort to keep this guy...

He had issues staying out of trouble. A bit of a 'tude. He needed a fresh start and the Paces were ove it.

[Hacksaw]

Lakers formally sign Williams, Bass, 2nd-round pick Brown

Published 6:48 pm, Thursday, July 9, 2015

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers have signed guard Lou Williams, forward Brandon Bass and second-round draft pick Anthony Brown.

The Lakers announced the signings Thursday, the first day to formally sign new NBA contracts.

Williams and Bass are both 10-year NBA veterans who should bring stability to the Lakers, who are coming off the worst season in franchise history.

Williams was the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year last season with Toronto, averaging a career-best 15.5 points and 152 3-pointers. He also has played for Philadelphia and Atlanta.

http://www.chron.com/sports/article/LA- ... 376451.php

[Hacksaw]

Pacers' Roy Hibbert trade to Lakers becomes official

Nat Newell, [email protected] 7:32 p.m. EDT July 9, 2015

The trade of Roy Hibbert from the Indiana Pacers to the Los Angeles Lakers for a future second-round draft became official Thursday night.

The teams agreed to the deal July 4 but no moves could be official until Thursday due to a moratorium....

http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nb ... /29906521/

[TSFH Fan]

Undrafted free agent center Robert Upshaw agrees to deal with Los Angeles Lakers
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf ... er_ro.html

LAS VEGAS – Undrafted free agent center Robert Upshaw and the Los Angeles Lakers reached an agreement on a two-year deal, league sources informed Northeast Ohio Media Group.

The seven-footer would have been a lottery pick had he not been kicked off of two collegiate programs (Fresno State and Washington) for disciplinary reasons. His skill-set has never been questioned. It was his character that was cause for concern.

The Fresno native show his promise in his Summer League debut against the Minnesota Timberwolves by swatting away three shots in 12 minutes of play. If he continues to develop and mature, the sky is the limit and the Lakers got a steal.

[TSFH Fan]

[Me: I'm really hoping for this guy's success here. I thought he looked decent and held his own against KAT on Friday. But with league testing and all that, I'm just not sure that going to Bill Walton's house to talk about struggles and finding Bill's house to be "like going to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory" is a good thing. On the other hand, I bet Bill's brownies were great!]

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2015/5/21/8 ... on-sleeper
Robert Upshaw could be a star if he overcomes his demons
By Ricky O'Donnell  @SBN_Ricky on May 21, 2015, 1:48p

CHICAGO -- Robert Upshaw left the biggest impression at the NBA Draft combine without ever needing to lift his knees to run. Upshaw measured at an even 7 feet in shoes and came away with the longest wingspan (7'5.5), biggest standing reach (9'5) and the largest hands of any player in attendance.

Of course, size isn't Upshaw's problem. During his abbreviated time at Washington this season, Upshaw proved he was exceptional at being the biggest player on the court. He blocked 85 shots in 19 games, hit nearly 60 percent from the field and became the most menacing interior defender in the country. Game tape isn't Robert Upshaw's problem, either.

To get to the root of Upshaw's issues is to accept an invitation to an uncomfortable conversation. It starts with the delicacy of addiction and the trouble that can come when youth basketball players get too much too fast. It's about failed second chances and the acceptance of one's own problems. It's not about basketball so much as it is the every day struggles of humanity.

"It's been a long process," Upshaw said at the draft combine. "I've had a lot of education around drugs and alcohol. A lot of things I've been through, I haven't kept them a secret. I've just been working on myself with a team of people that are close to me to have structure and success at the next level."

The first thing you need to know about Upshaw is that the stumbling blocks that led to his dismissal from Washington were not an isolated incident. It stretches back to the center's time at Fresno State, where he entered the program as a top-50 recruit and as a purported savior for coach Rodney Terry's program. Fresno suspended Upshaw twice in five weeks as a freshman for an undisclosed violation of team rules. When he slipped up again, Terry kicked him off the team.

Upshaw examined his options and chose to go with Lorenzo Romar and the Huskies. Romar would be hard on him, which he felt he needed. That tough-love policy even extended to the year Upshaw was forced to sit out as a transfer. Romar would often limit Upshaw's participation in practice or his ability to sit on the bench during games if he wasn't going to class and controlling himself away from the floor.

When Upshaw finally got back on the court at the start of this season, he lived up to every bit of potential he flashed on the recruiting trail. He averaged 4.5 blocks per game and helped the Huskies make an unlikely run to the top 25 after starting the season 11-0. He proved he could handle even the top big men in the nation when he finished with 13 points, nine rebounds and six blocks against Utah's Jakob Poeltl on Jan. 25.

Unfortunately, that would be the last game Upshaw ever played in college. He was booted from the team the next day for another vague violation of team rules. Without him, the Huskies finished the season just 2-10.

(Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports)

What has Upshaw been doing since January? For one, he hasn't been playing basketball. Upshaw could have followed the path P.J. Hairston took after getting kicked out of North Carolina a year ago and played in the D-League. Instead, he chose to focus on bettering himself as a person.

As Upshaw will tell you, it's been a long process. He went through counseling. He hired a life coach. He cut certain people out of his life and added more positive influences. He understands where he went wrong. Now it's about suppressing his impulses and proving to NBA teams he won't make the same mistakes again.

"I hit my rock bottom at Washington when I left," Upshaw said. "It was a surprise. I didn't think it was going to happen. I thought I was doing so well that [Romar] was going keep me around. It was just, I made a lot of bad decisions before that.

"I realized that I'm 21 years old, I got a family to feed and food is not going to put itself on the table. I have one more opportunity to accomplish my goals and be able to take care of my family. I have one chance and I'm gonna sacrifice and do anything possible."

Upshaw played five-on-five basketball for the first time since leaving Washington just last week. He's been working out at P3 in Santa Barbara and hired Bill Duffy as his agent, the same man who represents Rajon Rondo, Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson.

Along the way, the education has never stopped. That's included an unlikely proponent in his corner: Bill Walton.

Walton called Pac-12 games throughout the season and used Upshaw's dismissal as a platform to take on America's outdated marijuana laws at a game earlier this season. Walton reached out to Upshaw about a month ago and welcomed him to his southern California home to talk about overcoming his own personal struggles. Upshaw described the experience as "like going to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory."

"We just talked about everything he went through," Upshaw said. "The struggle. Basketball for him, his injuries, his addiction. It's been a great experience. It's really been humbling to see somebody who has established himself to have me at his house and talk to me, it's great."

Now Upshaw is approaching the hardest part of his journey. He can't just get clean; he has to stay that way. If he can do it, there could be a hundred million dollars in his future.

At his best, Upshaw projects as a DeAndre Jordan-type, right down to the 40 percent free throw shooting. He could be a dominant shot-blocker and defender on one end and a screen setter and rim roller on the other. He says he's been working on his perimeter skills as well and is trying to model his game after LaMarcus Aldridge. He also knows it will only happen if he can stay disciplined.

With incredible size and an intrinsic knack for blocking shots, basketball always came easy to Upshaw. If he can control everything else, a team is going to find a talented big man way later in the draft than should be possible.