Hey Lakers, Stop (Kidd)ing Us

By now, you have all heard about the Lakers' latest acquisition of Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, the draft rights to Marc Gasol (Pau's brother), two first-round draft picks and cash considerations.

Yes, the Lakers obviously stole Gasol from the Grizzlies, but my thought is, so what? 

Don't get me wrong, Gasol is a fine player. He has a nice mid-range jumper and an arsenal of low-post moves.

In other words, Gasol is a capable scorer. I guess the Lakers were following the '90s Bulls' blueprint. I suppose Gasol is to Kukoc as Kobe is to Michael. But is Gasol really what the Lakers need?  Do they need another scorer?  No! 

Gasol, like most European players, is notoriously soft on defense and lacks the physicality to bang inside with some of the monsters in the West. And, oh yeah, just a note to the Lakers, Shaq just moved back west to Phoenix and I am sure he would love nothing more than to stick it to Kobe and Phil.

What the Lakers seriously need, and I think this is obvious to most observers of the team, is a point guard. Why not make a similar offer to the Nets and package a couple of slackers and a few question marks for a sure thing in Jason Kidd?

Rumors of Kidd to the Lakers have been carrying on for two years now. I've heard them so many times, I stopped getting excited, and now I just roll my eyes whenever the 'Kidd playing in purple and gold' noise flares up.

Please stop teasing me. Enough already.

Kidd in the same backcourt with Kobe makes the Lakers, in my opinion, the favorites for the NBA Title. Los Angeles with Gasol makes them the team likely to get upset in the first round of the playoffs.

While some of you who are fans of the purple and gold rejoiced when receiving the news of the Gasol trade, I knew that after they packaged all of their castaways to the Grizz for a poor-man's Dirk Nowitzki, my dream of Jason Kidd donning a Lakers' jersey had ended.

I would like to personally thank the Lakers for alienating a life-long fan by trading for the Spanish bullfighter and his olay defense and disregarding their one true glaring need: Jason Kidd.

When Shaq and Phoenix walk away with the NBA Title this summer, let me be the first one to say I told you so.