Everybody Hates Chris
Or at least in Boston, they do. Or maybe it's that he hates Boston. It has to be something because after Rick Pitino was run out of town, Wallace has done little to make people in Beantown think that he doesn't despise them. To start, he acquires Vin Baker. Then he gets fired, goes to Memphis, and bolsters the Lakers by handing them Pau Gasol. Honestly, there must be some hidden animosity there.
As for the trade, I'll admit that I like the Conley, Crittenton, Gay backcourt. Give them Michael Beasley and it's a very interesting lineup. That being said, you still can't be impressed by the job Wallace has done. He entered this offseason with Pau Gasol, #4 pick in the draft, and a load of cap space. He came away with Javarris Crittenton, Mike Conley, and Darko Milicic. On top of that, he probably also needs to find a way to trade Juan Carlos Navarro. I can't imagine he'll be all that interested in re-signing with a rebuilding Memphis team, especially now that fellow Spaniard Gasol is gone. The Grizzlies will have cap space but do you trust Wallace to use it wisely?
The Lakers should be much improved with Gasol as part of the triangle. This also takes a lot of pressure off of Bynum to come back from injury too quickly. This season should give them a chance to look at how Odom now fits and figure out whether they should keep him or deal him for someone better suited to defend opposing SF's.
It's an amazing deal for the Lakers and if there's one reason to be excited, it's because the prospects of a Lakers/Celtics revival in the Finals is here.
