YAHTZEE! Towers Acquires Milton Bradley

IN THE GAME OF LIFE and in baseball, nothing is a certainty. GUESS WHO? is coming to San Diego? Padres General Manager Kevin Towers has agreed to a trade with the Oakland Athletics, acquiring the enigmatic outfielder Milton Bradley and $1,360,929 in exchange for hard throwing right handed reliever Andrew Brown.

The switch-hitting Bradley has a career .271 average in just over eight seasons and can CONNECT with FOUR different teams (Montreal, Cleveland, Los Angeles & Oakland). Bradley's best season came in 2004 when he hit .267 with 19 home runs and 67 RBIs for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Last season, Bradley hit .276 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs in 96 games for the A's. Unfortuantely Bradley is more known for his BATTLESHIP sized antics and clubhouse problems. The talented player had well publicized problems with Eric Wedge in Cleveland and with Jeff Kent in Los Angeles. He was also suspended for unusual on-field incidents; i.e. throwing equipment onto the field after a perceived bad call and throwing a plastic beer bottle (which was thrown at him) back into the stands. He has also been known to throw chairs, water bottles and personal insults. (Note: Bradley is an alum of Long Beach Polytechnic High School, the same high school that produced San Diego Padres Hall of Famer, Tony Gwynn.)

Brown, 26, was 2-3 with a 2.78 ERA (11 ER/35.2 IP) in 32 relief appearances for Triple-A Portland this season. Acquired by San Diego from the Cleveland Indians along with third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff in exchange for Josh Barfield, Brown is a hard thrower who routinely hits the high 90's with his fastball. However, Brown did not refine his control the way had Towers hoped, making the fireballer somewhat expendable. Brown made his Major League debut with the Indians last September, appearing in nine games (allowing six hits and four runs over 10.0 innings, with a 3.60 ERA). Unlike Bradley, he is not known for creating problems within the clubhouse or with other players on his team. Ironically, this is the second time Brown has been traded for Bradley, as he was involved in the exchange between Cleveland & Los Angeles.

Its a STRATEGO move by Towers, as Bradley offers the Padres a low risk-high reward chance at boosting the struggling offense, or at least shoring up the bench. Bradley is an above average outfielder at all three spots. He also offers some pop and some much needed speed. If Bradley, who has often been more fun than A BARREL OF MONKEYS, doesn't fit into the Padres OPERATION, KT didn't really give up much to get the talented, yet TROUBLEd outfielder.

Balancing the outfield has been a bit of a TWISTER for rookie manager Bud Black, as he has had to juggle Jose Cruz, Jr., Termel Sledge, Hiram Bocachica, Russel Branyan and the returning Brian Giles in the corner outfield spots. For now it seems Giles, and his hefty ability to draw walks, will start everday in right field, and Bradley (if heathy) will start in left.

Like Barrett, Bradley will become a free-agent at the end of the year. It is currently unknown if the Padres will obtain any compensatory draft picks (as they will with Barrett) if Bradley is not resigned.

Los Angeles Lakers - 2007 Draft

With the 19th overall pick, the Los Angeles Lakers selected Javaris Crittenton, a freshman point guard from Georgia Tech (14.4 PPG, 1.1 3PT, 5.8 AST, 3.7 REB). Tagged as a high-risk/high-reward player, Crittenton has a ton of potential, offering a rare combination of size (6'5" 200 lbs) and athleticism at the guard position. He handles the ball extremely well and possesses NBA 3-point range on his shot. He also displayed excellent court vision, but needs to improve his decision making skills and control his flashy-ness. His size and strength will help create matchup problems for other teams, but many scouts debate whether or not he is a natural point guard (or can develop into one).

The Lakers then chose 22 year-old Sun Yue, with the tenth pick in the second round (40th overall). Yue is a 6'9" 205 pound combo guard/forward from China. Yue impressed the scouts at the NBA pre-draft camp in Orlando. Florida. He arrived at the camp tabbed slotted at forward. After a day of workouts and drills, scouts reclassified him as a guard and point guard. His size, passing skills, superior court vision and ability to handle the ball have drawn comparisons to Boris Diaw and Magic Johnson. Yue also showed good athleticism and an impressive shooting stroke. Last year, Yue played in the American Basketball Association with Beijin-Aoshen team, a team originally based in mainland China highlighting a roster full of Chinese players. He impressed NBA scouts scoring 13.5 PPG with 7 AST and 6 REB. He shot for a high percentage .655 FG%, and showed an efficient assist to turnover ratio of nearly three to one.

With their third pick in the draft, the Los Angeles Lakers selected 22 year old Marc Gasol (Pau Gasol's brother) from Spain. Marc Gasol is 7'1" and weighs 265 pounds (DOB: 1/29/85). Gasol knows how to use his size and will not shy away from contact. Gasol is a very aggressive player, always initiating contact and taking the ball right to the rim. Gasol is also strong in terms of establishing position in the post, maintaining position as a post defnder and rebounding the ball. He has surprisingly good ballhandling and passing skills for a frontcourt player. Like most European players, Gasol’s shooting range extends out to the 3-point line. Like his brother Pau, Marc has a high basketball IQ, he will not force plays, will make good decisions and will play solid defense while staying out of foul trouble. His weight and conditioning were the main concerns that kept him from becoming a first round draft choice. Also, scouts noted that he is too right-hand dominant, making his post moves somewhat predictable and easy to defend. He was impressive as a high schooler in Tennessee, but returned to Europe (playing professionally) instead of staying in the states. If he works hard to improve his conditioning and athleticism, he could become one of the steals of the 2007 draft.

Los Angeles Clippers - 2007 Draft

With the 14th pick overall the Los Angeles Clippers selected foward Al Thornton from Florida State University. A strong senior season boosted Thornton's stock (19.7 PPG, 5.2 REB, 1.5 STL, 1.1 BLK), becoming the Clippers lottery selection. The 6'8" swingman is an excellent athlete with good leaping ability and quickness. Thornton will create missmatches with his combination of speed and size. He has a high release with his jump shot (difficult to block) and with his ability to get to the rim, Thornton can score almost automatically from within 17 feet. However the 23 year-old Senior picked up the game of basketball late in life and looks stiff and mechanical with most of his fundametals (handling & passing the ball). If Clippers coaches can help polish the rough spots in his game, his athletic ability could allow him to be dominant.

In the second round (45th pick overall), the Clippers selected a 6'2" point guard out of Marist, Jared Jordan (no relation to Michael). In his senior season for the Red Foxes, Jordan averaged 17.2 points (1.7 3PT), 8.9 assists and 5.9 rebounds. Described as a smart player with a high basketball IQ, Jordan seems to have a knack for always being around the ball and seeing the entire court. Scouts like Jordan's jump shot and he possesses excellent range, although he is a very streaky shooter. Savvy and polished, Jordan will need to improve his athleticism to keep up with the speed of the NBA.

Padres Trade for Slugging Catcher

On June 20th San Diego Padres GM Kevin Towers pulled another switch with the Cubs, sending backup catcher Rob Bowen and High-A outfielder Kyler Burke to Chicago, in exchange for 'slugging' catcher Michael Barrett and $1.5 million in cash.

Michael Barrett, perennially a fringe NL All-Star, is a 6'3" 210 pound, right hand hitting catcher born in Atlanta, Georgia. Barrett is a career .267 hitter with 95 home runs in almost 10 years of Major League service (Montreal, Oakland & Chicago Cubs). He was hitting .256 with nine home runs and 29 RBIs (also two dugout fights & six stitches) in 57 games with the Cubs prior to the trade.

Rob Bowen, a 26 year-old switch-hitting catcher, was acquired by the Padres from the Minnesota Twins in 2006. Considered a much better defensive catcher than Barrett, he was hitting .268 with two home runs and 11 RBIs in 30 games this season with San Diego. Ironically, in his last game as a Padre, Bowen hit a home run against the Cubs last Sunday. In his two seasons as a Padre, Bowen carried a .256 batting average (45-for-176) with five home runs and 24 RBIs. The trade means that Bowen immediately becomes the starting catcher for the Cubs and he will have about three months to prove he can be an everyday starter.

Burke, a 6'3" 205 pound left-handed outfielder, was the 35th overall pick in last June's Draft (a high school draftee from Chattanooga, Tennessee). This season he was hitting .211 for Class A Fort Wayne and has had a .210 average over his first two seasons in the Padres' organization (79 hits in 376 at-bats).

According to Corey Brock of MLB.com, if Barrett - a free agent after the season - does not re-sign with the team, the Padres would get two compensatory picks in the First-Year Player Draft next June. In acquiring the high-profile catcher, Towers doesn't just help the team for this year's pennant run, he helps bolster the farm system that the Padres have built up since the arrivals of Sandy Alderson and Grady Fuson.

Anteaters Walking it Off!

In their first appearance at the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, the University of California at Irvine baseball team has become the first team to win back to back elimination games in extra-innings. For the third time in four games, the UC Irvine - Anteaters, have won a game in their final at bat. The dramatic wins have taken UCI from the cusp of elimination to just two games away from the College World Series Championship.

Late Tuesday evening, Irvine centerfielder Ollie Linton singled with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning to give UC Irvine an 8-7 victory over Arizona State (49-15) in a College World Series elimination game. The Anteaters rallied to beat the team that put them in the elimination bracket 3 days ago (ASU won 5-4 on June 16th). Facing a 7-3 deficit going into the eigth inning against the Arizona State Sun Devils, Irvine rallied to tie the game. The 'Eaters began the inning by drawing three straight walks. A hit batter and an RBI single would cut the lead to two. An double would drive two more in, but base runner Cody Cipriano (a second baseman who has hit a school record 14 home runs this season) would be called out at third for making contact with the third base coach (Coach's Interferrence). A double play would kill the inning, preserving the tie for ASU and setting the stage for the dramatic win in the tenth inning.

On Monday, UC Irvine played the longest game in College World Series history, beating the Cal State Fullerton Titans (the 'other' Orange County team) by a score of 5-4. It took the Anteaters & Titans five hours & 40 minutes to play 13 innings, beating the old CWS mark for the longest game by 40 minutes (in 1981 Oklahoma State and Arizona State played a five hour game). However, the win was bittersweet for Irvine head coach Dave Serrano, as he played for and coached under Fullerton head coach George Horton. But winning the game made sure the Anteaters would spend another day in Omaha (allowing Irvine to avenge the earlier loss to ASU).

UC Irvine (47-16-1) must now beat defending College World Series Champion Oregon State on Wednesday and again Thursday to win their bracket and reach the best-of-three championship round. If the Anteaters have enough magic to beat the Beavers, they can make UCIs first Championship appearance.

Swing and A Miss

I'm no Max Kellerman, but I felt that Young would take the fight in 6 rounds. On paper, Young looked very dominant as he carried the edge in every major physical statistic (height, reach and three years younger). It could have been a big draw, maybe on a Pacquiao undercard. At least until the fight was stopped prematurely, when Jake Peavy and Marcus Giles went nuts like Roger Mayweather at a Zab Judah fight.


The Tale of The Tape - Joint MLB-IBA Super Heavyweight (200+ lbs)

Christopher Ryan Young
Age: 28 DOB: 05/25/1979
By Way Of: Dallas, Texas
Height: 6'10" Weight: 260lbs
Stance: Orthodox - Classic/Out-fighter

Derek Leon Lee
Age: 31 DOB: 09/06/1975
Hails from: Sacramento, California
Height: 6'5" Weight: 245lbs
Stance: Orthodox - Slugger

Headley's Up!

Third baseman Chase Headley, the San Diego Padres fourth overall pick in 2005, made his Major League debut against the Chicago Cubs today. The former Tennessee Volunteer and second round choice, was called up to spell another rookie third baseman, Kevin Kouzmanoff (strained back). The prized prospect made the jump from Double-A and made his first big league start at third base. The switch hitting Headley went 0-for-3 against Chicago Cubs starter Ted Lilly, in a 4-1 Padres loss.

When he got the call, Headley was leading the 2007 Texas League in hitting (.357) and OBP (.433) and was tied for second in the league with 13 home runs. He also ranked second with 42 RBIs and scored 45 runs in 62 games for the Double-A - San Antonio Missions (the new Padres affiliate in the Texas League). This season, the prospect improved on some solid Minor League numbers. Turning some heads last year (2006), Headley hit .291 (141-for484) with 12 home runs and 73 RBIs in 129 games at Class-A Lake Elsinore.

In less than half the games (62), Headley's 13 home runs have already surpassed his power numbers from last year's full season (129 games). Headley, known for his plate discipline and consistency, has lit up the Texas League (a notorius hitter's league). He batted .360 in April and .324 in May with the Missions, but really heated up in June. Prior to his promotion, Headley was 17-for-39 (in June) with five homers and nine RBIs in 11 games. Hitting .436 for the month and showing increased power, Chase must have shown the Padres that he deserved the call.

2007 Padres Draft - In Depth

Nicholas G. Schmidt (LHP) S/L 6'05" 220lbs (1985-10-10) 1st RND #23 - Signed 06/28/07
Schmidt became the Razorbacks staff ace as a freshman, a pitcher (not just a thrower) who can keep hitters off balance. The Arkansas southpaw has a fastball that sits in the low 90s, outstanding change-up and good breaking stuff. Schmidt was named as a second-team 2007 All-American by Louisville Slugger, Baseball America, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association & the American Baseball Coaches Association after going 11-3 with a 2.69 ERA in 18 starts for the Razorbacks. Schmidt is a bit more polished than most collegiate pitchers, as he had extensive international experience pitching with Team USA.

Kellen R. Kulbacki (LF) L/L 5'11" 185lbs (1985-11-21) Compensatory A #40 - Signed 06/23/07
Kulbacki has been described as an above-average hitter (plus average with raw power). Named 2006 Co-Player of the Year by Collegiate Baseball News, the college junior possesses a stocky body with a decent arm and below average speed. An average fielder who is better suited for the corners. The first-team All-American was ranked second in the nation in batting .464, led the nation in home runs (24), 75 RBIs, picked up 17 doubles, 13 stolen bases and had the highest slugging percentage in the United States (.943).

Andrew L. Cumberland (SS) L/R 5'10" 175lbs (1989-01-13) Compensatory A #46 - Signed 07/07/2007
Good contact hitter who was drafted for his exceptional speed. The shortstop from Pace High School in Milton, Florida has exceptional range and his speed translates very well on the basepaths. However, scouts are concerned with his arm strength and accuracy. Could possibly be moved to second base or the outfield.

Mitchell D. Canham (C) L/R 6'02" 215lbs (1984-09-25) Compensatory A #57 - Signed 06/26/07
An athletic catcher who possesses a good left handed bat; can hit for average with above average power. The Oregon State University senior has only been a catcher for about three years, but is considered one of the leaders for a team on its way to Omaha. Canham could develop into good defensive catcher or could be moved to a corner INF/OF spot.

Cory R. Luebke (LHP) R/L 6'04" 200lbs (1985-03-04) Compensatory A #63 - Signed 06/23/07
The Ohio State lefty has a fastball that sits in the low 90's and solid off-speed pitches (plus slider & change). Luebke led the Big Ten in ERA (1.95) this season. Though scouts question whether or not he has a plus fastball, both his fastball & slider have been very effective. According to Cape Cod League scouting, Luebke has good, repeatable mechanics; more coaching and minor changes to his delivery could lead to more velocity.

Daniel A. Payne (CF) L/L 5'10" 185lbs (1985-09-08) Compensatory A #64 - Signed 06/25/07
Deemed a "real baseball player" with marginal physical tools (average speed, average range, good reads, very good arm). The junior from Georgia Tech is a hard-nosed gamer with great baseball instincts who plays well above his ability. Payne is an above average hiiter, with below average power.

Eric S. Sogard (2B) L/R 5'10" 180 1986-05-22 2nd RND #81 - Signed 06/26/07
The 5-10, 180-pound junior second baseman was named the 2007 Pacific-10 Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Sogard, drafted out of Arizona State University, batted .400 (100-for-250) with 12 doubles, four triples, 11 home runs, 62 RBI and 74 runs scored in 64 games for the Pac-10 Conference Champion Sun Devils this season. The Phoenix, Arizona native also earned All Pac-10 honors for the second straight season.

Bradley W. Chalk (CF) L/L 6'01" 1986-01-20 2nd RND #87 - Signed 06/23/07
As a top of the lineup hitter, Chalk batted .366 (59-for-161) with 10 doubles, two triples, 18 RBI, 26 runs scored and nine stolen bases in 45 games for the 2007 Clemson Tigers. Named second team All-ACC in 2007, Chalk is also a two-time member of the ACC Academic Honor Roll. A career.360 hitter at Clemson, he led the Tigers this season in batting average and on-base percentage (.483).

Thomas P. Toledo (RHP) R/R 6'03" 175 1988-12-13 3rd RND #117
Corey S. Kluber (RHP) R/R 6'04" 215 1986-04-10 4th RND #134

Lance F. Zawadzki (SS) S/R 5'11" 185 1985-05-26 4th RND #147 – Signed 06/12/07
Zawadzki is a switch hitting shortstop with a good arm, who can hit for avereage and power. While at San Diego State, Zawadzki hit .335 with ten home runs and 53 RBIs as a sophomore (2005) while playing for coach Tony Gwynn (He also hit the 'first' home run at Petco Park while playing in the Tony Gwynn Classic). Injuries limited the Aztec in 2006 as he struggled with a .243 avg and only 3 home runs. He then transferred to Lee University (Cleveland, Tennessee) and the senior led the Flames to the 2007 NAIA World Series; batting .461 (106-for-230) with nine home runs and 71 RBI over 63 games.

Jeremy S. Hefner (RHP) R/R 6'04" 1986-03-11 5th RND #177 - Signed 06/25/07
Emmanuel Quiles (C) R/R 5'11" 186 1989-10-26 6th RND #207 - Signed 06/25/07
Justin D. Baum (3B) R/R 6'01" 1985-10-06 7th RND #237 - Signed 06/25/07

Matt C. Teague (LHP) R/L 6'03" 210 1984-12-14 8th RND #267 - Signed 06/12/07
Teague was 7-2 with a 3.14 ERA (30 ER/86.0 IP), 74 strikeouts and 16 walks in 14 starts as a senior (2007) for Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, Tenn. Has a fastball that sits in the low 90s (89-91). A lefty with good size, also throws a good slider and change and likes to work down in the zone.

Wynn I. Pelzer (RHP) R/R 6'01" 1986-06-23 9th RND #297
Christian A. Colon (SS) R/R 5'11" 1989-05-14 10th RND #327

Shane P. Buschini (RF) L/L 6'04" 1985-04-24 11th RND #357 - Signed 06/12/07
Buschini, a Univeristy of San Diego senior, was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year. The left handed hitting right fielder led the Toreros to the 2007 WCC Championship, a No. 4 national ranking and a No. 8 national seed in the NCAA Regionals. To earn player of the year honors (WCC), Buschini hit .348, with 13 home runs and 58 RBI. He also had a .442 on base percentage as well as a .626 slugging percentage.

Luis M. Martinez (C) R/R 6'00" 210 1985-04-03 12th RND #387 - Signed 06/12/07
Allen J. Harrington (LHP) L/L 5'11" 185 1986-07-03 13th RND #417 - Signed 06/12/07
William K. Conlon (CF) R/R 6'03" 210 1983-03-14 14th RND #447 -Signed 06/12/07
Ryan Hill (LF) L/L 6'00" 185 1985-04-05 15th RND #477 - Signed 06/12/07
Robert L. Perry (OF) L/L 5'09" 190 1984-10-03 16th RND #507 - Signed 06/12/07
Brandon P. Gomes (RHP) R/R 5'11" 175 1984-07-15 17th RND #537 - Signed 06/12/07
Robert Blauer (1B) L/L 5'11" 210 1985-09-08 18th RND #567 - Signed 06/12/07
Nicholas A. McDaniel (RHP) R/R 6'01" 205 1984-11-09 19th RND #597 - Signed 06/12/07

Robert S Woodard (RHP) R/R 6'01" 205 1985-01-10 20th RND #627 - Signed 06/26/07
Woodard, drafted out of the University of North Carolina, went 11-2 with a 3.30 ERA (42 ER/114.2 IP) in 19 games (18 starts) for the Tarheels in 2007. Woodward lead the Tar Heels to their second straight College World Series finals appearance. He compiled 84 strikeouts compared to 28 walks. A 6-1, 205-pound senior right-hander, Woodard became the winningest pitcher in UNC history this season and finished his career with a 34-5 record. The Charlotte, North Carolina native also garnered second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors in 2007.

Tyler J. Davis (RHP) R/R 6'03" 195 1985-05-15 21st RND #657 - Signed 06/12/07
Keoni M. Ruth (2B) R/R 5'11" 200 1985-03-21 22nd RND #687 - Signed06/12/07
Angel Mercado (RF) R/R 6'00" 205 1985-08-19 23rd RND #717 - Signed 06/25/07
Bryan Oland (RHP) R/R 6'03" 220 1985-06-05 24th RND #747 - Signed 06/12/07
Hunter Ovens (RF) R/R 6'02" 215 1988-11-03 25th RND #777
Andrew B. Parrino (2B) S/R 6'00" 185 1985-10-31 26th RND #807 - Signed 06/12/07
Zachary T. Brown (1B) L/L 6'00" 200 1985-03-13 27th RND #837 - Signed 06/12/07
Shawn Olsen (RHP) R/R 6'02" 200 1984-06-05 28th RND #867 - Signed 06/12/07
Brian Joynt (3B) R/R 6'03" 220 1985-03-14 29th RND #897 - Signed 06/12/07
Dylan Axelrod (RHP) R/R 6'00" 195 1985-07-30 30th RND #927 - Signed 06/25/07
Colt Hynes (LHP) L/L 6'00" 200 1985-06-28 31st RND #956 - Signed 06/12/07
Anthony Renteria (CF) L/R 6'00" 180 1989-08-30 32nd RND #985
Andrew Schugel (3B) R/R 6'00" 180 1989-06-27 33rd RND #1014
Joseph Pagan (1B) L/R 6'00" 210 1989-08-30 34th RND #1043
Ross I. Wilson (SS) R/R 5'11" 185 1988-11-09 35th RND #1072

Kobe's Confusion

Seems like Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant can't make up his mind. For ten years he wore number 8, won three championships, then decided to change his number to 24 (his original high school number). For 7 years he played with Shaquille O'Neal, together they won three championships… in a row, and then Kobe hinted to Laker's management that he wouldn't resign if they resigned Shaq. Then, for the past few years Kobe let the basketball world believe that it was his Kobe-ness that ran Shaq out of Los Angeles. This past week, Kobe decides to drop the bombshell that it was actually owner Dr. Jerry Buss' idea to run the big fat fella with declining skills out of town. (Btw Kobe - thanks for jumping the gun to make it even harder to trade the Diesel.) For someone who prides himself on being intelligent and cultured, Kobe doesn’t seem to think things through..

Kobe seems conflicted, confused. Maybe he’s bi-polar? Maybe he needs a big-brother type figure? Maybe he just needs a hug (or a friend, but that’s another post) There are times Kobe feels their best chance to win involves scoring more than 50 points a game (and 200 points in a four game span); and there are other times Kobe will go almost the whole game (2006 playoffs against the Suns) without putting up any shots. The Lakers are Kobe's team. The Lakers AREN'T Kobe's team. He’s a great teammate. He doesn’t have any friends on the team. I want to be traded! I don't want to be traded! Will the real Kobe Bryant please stand up?

Kobe Bryant might be right; maybe the only way he'll win another championship is if he gets traded to another team. The Lakers seem to have a ton of problems, both on the court and in the front office. The current roster is loaded with players who are either oft injured or can't make wide-open jump shots. To further compound the rebuilding process, the Lakers second best player, Lamar Odom, is a free agent; and their only trade-able players are the ones worth keeping (Andre Bynum & Jordan Farmar - Rookie Game All-Stars).

The Lakers front office has also been a mess since Jerry West left for Memphis. West's protégé, General Manager Mitch Kupchak, hasn't been able to draft or sign the same kind of productive talent. Kupchak hasn't drafted or signed any All-Stars or at least any players that could be traded for All-Stars. (Blockbuster trades brought Wilt Chamberlain & Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Los Angeles and Shaq was signed as a marquee Free Agent). Instead, Kupchak's best trades seem to help other franchises (Shaquille O'Neal - Miami Heat Championship, Caron Butler - Wizards All-Star). Then again, Kupchak may have his hands tied; as everyone else in the front office is related to the owner and his lone superstar always seems to complicate his job.

Phil Jackson may be great at managing superstar egos like Kobe's, but as the late Red Auerbach (Boston Celtics) pointed out, Phil picks and chooses his spots. In other words, Phil goes to franchises that are pre-built for success. In his two terms as the Lakers head coach, Jackson hasn't developed any homegrown All-Stars. He might be a Hall-of-Fame coach, but he's not a great teacher and doesn't develop any young talent. It could be argued that Kupchak hasn't provided him enough talent, but Jackson also has an unwillingness to trust young players - possibly stifling their development (Bynum & Farmar).

Both Phil and Kobe might have a front seat for a Lakers renaissance if Jerry West returns. Unfortunately, all of Kobe's pouting has made West rethink his return to Los Angeles. In fact, Kobe's annual media tirades may make it difficult for the Lakers to sign any top-tier Free Agents. Kobe wants someone to share the load, but doesn't seem to want to share the spotlight. He also wants to be the franchise guy, but keeps making things difficult for his franchise to grow and win. Kobe needs to think things through and make up his mind because he can't have it both ways.