| A Trade for Kobe Bryant?- 10/25/07 The question of whether it was better to have a mediocre team that I loved or to have a contender with a player I hate to root for was recently posed. This question arose because Kobe Bryant is on the trading block. One of the top contenders for Kobe would be the Washington Wizards. The deal would be something along the lines of Kobe for Gilbert Arenas, Darius Songaila, Nick Young and a first round draft pick. The deal would make the Wizards an immediate championship contender and one of the favorites in the East. Kobe would fill Arenas’ role as primary scorer plus he would be a big upgrade as a shutdown defender. Jamison would complement Kobe well by knocking down open 3’s and going for his 20 points and 10 rebounds a night with out needing the ball every possession. Stevenson could continue his role as a solid defender and offensive role player coming off the bench which should be okay now that he has a new contract. Daniels is a steady hand at the point who distributes well and doesn’t turn the ball over. Haywood doesn’t need the ball and maybe Kobe’s intensity would rub off on him. Finally, Caron Butler is an all purpose all star second scorer. Blatche can be the maddening young player who Kobe can complain about. The trade would make a lot of sense. Kobe would fit in well. The Wizards are already experienced in sharing with an alpha player and the pieces already in place would complement Kobe well. This is my conundrum. I love the Wizards. I love the players we have. I love the way they fit. I love their quirks and personality. It is true that they are not perfect and I love that too. I love their imperfections even as they drive me crazy. As a fan I can talk myself into believing they could win it all. When Arenas said that when they were healthy they were the best team in the league I want to believe him. On some level I do believe him. I remember what it felt like to be the best when we really were the best for that stretch before the all star break. The Wizards were the team beating the Suns at their own game. As a fan I truly believe. Unfortunately, objectively speaking I’m not sure I do believe they can be the best. Objectively speaking I think maybe last year was our best case scenario until injuries derailed the team. It is possible that we will be better this year, with our bench players improving after performing decently against long odds in the playoffs. It is possible that Blatche will break out and our rookies will contribute. But looking at the East, other teams have improved too and our defense is still a problem. There is a divide between what we know the Wizards are and what they could be. Until they prove that they can be more than what they have proven to be I don’t think I can truly call them one of the favorites in the East no matter how much I want to believe. So the question remains, would I give up my favorite player, Gilbert Arenas, for a player I despise, Kobe Bryant, in the name of rooting for a true contender for the first time in my lifetime? The answer is no. I’d rather go down with my boys then win with my enemy. I’d rather love my team and all their quirks than win with a team without that personality. I’d rather make sarcastic comments about the shortcomings of my team, a team that drives me crazy with regularity, than sit back and watch a team I don’t understand well enough to be crazy about. I’d rather watch my Wizards run the weave at the top of the key that they call Eddie Jordan’s offense, than watch Kobe take it to the hole and slam it home. That’s just the way I feel. I’ve grown up with this team, waiting for this team. I’ve been waiting for a time when our players stayed the same year to year, when it was exciting to watch basketball again. I’d rather lose with all our exciting imperfections than win without our soul. |
The Gospel of Luke
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