Pau Gasol

How about a new coach? Ira Winderman Sun Sentinel The best Pau Gasol trade? Mike D'Antoni for any coach with enough common sense to find a way to make it work. Once again, D'Antoni being so wedded to a system has compromised his ability to maximize his roster. With a $19 million price tag, knee tendinitis and declining statistics, Gasol will not fetch anything close to reasonable value on the trade market. This sets up as a worse situation than when the Lakers stole Gasol from the Grizzlies in the first place.

How about a new coach? Ira Winderman Sun Sentinel The best Pau Gasol trade? Mike D'Antoni for any coach with enough common sense to find a way to make it work. Once again, D'Antoni being so wedded to a system has compromised his ability to maximize his roster. With a $19 million price tag, knee tendinitis and declining statistics, Gasol will not fetch anything close to reasonable value on the trade market. This sets up as a worse situation than when the Lakers stole Gasol from the Grizzlies in the first place.

To title behind Howard Baxter Holmes Los Angeles Times The Lakers and Celtics have been knotted at 17 championships each, but Dwight Howard will lead the tiebreaking charge. Yes, Virginia, Kobe Bryant will have as many rings — six — as Michael Jordan. Oh, there's a season to be played? Semantics. Howard's back will be fine and the Lakers will roll through the West before meeting the Heat for it all. And there, you won't see LeBron James and company in the paint nearly as much as they are accustomed.

To title behind Howard Baxter Holmes Los Angeles Times The Lakers and Celtics have been knotted at 17 championships each, but Dwight Howard will lead the tiebreaking charge. Yes, Virginia, Kobe Bryant will have as many rings — six — as Michael Jordan. Oh, there's a season to be played? Semantics. Howard's back will be fine and the Lakers will roll through the West before meeting the Heat for it all. And there, you won't see LeBron James and company in the paint nearly as much as they are accustomed.

I'm feeling a little peeved with the NBA's Most Valuable Player voters after they again put a convenient narrative ahead of logical arguments about the best player. Please don't think I'm bashing Kobe Bryant. He's among the most ingenious scorers I've seen in 25 years as a basketball fan. But LeBron James outscored him, out-rebounded him, dished more assists, shot a higher percentage and lifted a less-gifted team to the playoffs. If you want to dock James for missing seven games, being a mediocre free-throw shooter and playing in the Eastern Conference, so be it. I counter with Chris Paul.

Moves Baseball DEVILS RAYS: Designated P John Webb for assignment. DODGERS: Agreed to terms with former Orioles P Scott Erickson on minor league contract. Named Jon Debus bullpen coach and promoted Jim Lett to bench coach. MARLINS: Agreed to terms with 1B Carlos Delgado on multi-year contract. TWINS: Agreed to terms with P C.J. Nitkowski on minor league contract. Basketball GRIZZLIES: Placed F Pau Gasol (foot) and G Andre Emmett (ankle) on injured list. Activated F Ryan Humphrey and F/G Mike Miller from injured list.

Sweet repeat for L.A. Brian Schmitz Orlando Sentinel The NBA and its TV partners would surely love to have this royal retro couple — Lakers and Celtics — play a best-of-17 series instead of a best-of-seven. Stretch this baby out until the NFL camps open or until one of Kevin Garnett's body parts falls off defending Pau Gasol. I'm taking the Lakers in seven for the repeat and for revenge (Boston beat L.A. in '08), but only after undergoing intense counseling.

Kupchak has the power K.C. Johnson Chicago Tribune Look, Kobe Bryant and Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak are far more similar than different, wired to win at all costs. Kupchak may do so in a far more behind-the-scenes manner. But both bleed purple and gold and victories. So Kupchak, as usual, will win in this latest mini-personnel pull. Remember when Kobe demanded to be traded in 2007? That was how many NBA Finals appearances ago? The Lakers no longer are among the NBA's elite.

LOS ANGELES — Twenty-seven seconds into Game1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, the Lakers' Ron Artest and the Celtics' Paul Pierce became entangled, wrestling each other to the floor and getting double technical fouls. Artest, Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher picked up two fouls in the first quarter, which featured 18 fouls and 20 free throws. It took 35 minutes to play the first quarter, 33 to play the second and 35 to play both the third and fourth. Lakers coach Phil Jackson would prefer the tone of Game 2 on Sunday at the Staples Center be different.

BOSTON — The Lakers were dominant down low, the Celtics unable to stop Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, when good fortune smiled upon the Celtics as a most unusual event took place, something called the start of the fourth quarter. Gasol had one shot, Bynum had two over the final 12 minutes, and the Celtics evened up the NBA Finals with a 103-94 victory in Game 2 on Sunday. Gasol had 25 points but only one in the fourth quarter, and Bynum had 21 in the game, four in the fourth quarter, part of the reason the Lakers headed to Boston in a deadlocked series that resumes Tuesday with Game 3 at certain-to-be-raucous TD Garden.

Kupchak has the power K.C. Johnson Chicago Tribune Look, Kobe Bryant and Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak are far more similar than different, wired to win at all costs. Kupchak may do so in a far more behind-the-scenes manner. But both bleed purple and gold and victories. So Kupchak, as usual, will win in this latest mini-personnel pull. Remember when Kobe demanded to be traded in 2007? That was how many NBA Finals appearances ago? The Lakers no longer are among the NBA's elite.

NBA Pollin's widow wouldn't mind return to Bullets name Wizards: Abe Pollin 's widow and former team co-owner said recently that she wouldn't object if the new owner Ted Leonsis decided to return the team name to the Bullets. "I respect my husband's wishes. I love him very much. I miss him terribly. If the fans want to change it back — hey, why not?" Irene Pollin said. "To me, it's what do the fans want? What's going to please them? To me, they're the ones who support, care.

LOS ANGELES — Release the balloons. Ah, better make that purple-and-gold confetti. In a game featuring two very tired teams, the Lakers exorcised the ghosts of past failures by winning the NBA championship Thursday over the Celtics 83-79. The Lakers had to rally midway through the fourth quarter to make it happen and it took some key free throws by Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant to wrap it up. The Celtics were within two with 13 seconds to play. Sasha Vujacic was sent to the line and made both with 11.7 seconds left, giving the Lakers a four-point lead and the victory.

LOS ANGELES — It'll be a memorable night for the Lakers, for better or worse. If they beat the Celtics Thursday at the Staples Center, Kobe Bryant collects a fifth championship ring, tying Magic Johnson and moving within one of Michael Jordan. The Lakers' 73rd win of the season would earn a 16th championship trophy, one fewer than Boston, and take some sting out of their painful Finals loss two years ago to the Celtics. If Pau Gasol can dominate down low without Kendrick Perkins there to clog the lane, coach Phil Jackson can pick up an 11th championship and something else he has never done — a Game 7 victory in the NBA Finals.

BOSTON — The Lakers were dominant down low, the Celtics unable to stop Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, when good fortune smiled upon the Celtics as a most unusual event took place, something called the start of the fourth quarter. Gasol had one shot, Bynum had two over the final 12 minutes, and the Celtics evened up the NBA Finals with a 103-94 victory in Game 2 on Sunday. Gasol had 25 points but only one in the fourth quarter, and Bynum had 21 in the game, four in the fourth quarter, part of the reason the Lakers headed to Boston in a deadlocked series that resumes Tuesday with Game 3 at certain-to-be-raucous TD Garden.

LOS ANGELES — Twenty-seven seconds into Game1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, the Lakers' Ron Artest and the Celtics' Paul Pierce became entangled, wrestling each other to the floor and getting double technical fouls. Artest, Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher picked up two fouls in the first quarter, which featured 18 fouls and 20 free throws. It took 35 minutes to play the first quarter, 33 to play the second and 35 to play both the third and fourth. Lakers coach Phil Jackson would prefer the tone of Game 2 on Sunday at the Staples Center be different.

NBA Pollin's widow wouldn't mind return to Bullets name Wizards: Abe Pollin 's widow and former team co-owner said recently that she wouldn't object if the new owner Ted Leonsis decided to return the team name to the Bullets. "I respect my husband's wishes. I love him very much. I miss him terribly. If the fans want to change it back — hey, why not?" Irene Pollin said. "To me, it's what do the fans want? What's going to please them? To me, they're the ones who support, care.

LOS ANGELES — It'll be a memorable night for the Lakers, for better or worse. If they beat the Celtics Thursday at the Staples Center, Kobe Bryant collects a fifth championship ring, tying Magic Johnson and moving within one of Michael Jordan. The Lakers' 73rd win of the season would earn a 16th championship trophy, one fewer than Boston, and take some sting out of their painful Finals loss two years ago to the Celtics. If Pau Gasol can dominate down low without Kendrick Perkins there to clog the lane, coach Phil Jackson can pick up an 11th championship and something else he has never done — a Game 7 victory in the NBA Finals.

LOS ANGELES — The Celtics' highlight reel from their Game 1 loss to the Lakers, which lacked ample material anyway, was missing a player who's usually good for a few neck-turning clips: Rajon Rondo. That's not to say the wiry point guard didn't have decent numbers in the Celtics' 102-89 loss. He had 13 points, eight assists and six rebounds. But he wasn't able to coordinate the Celtics' offense in his usual ways, in part because of the Lakers' — and especially Kobe Bryant's — defense.

Sweet repeat for L.A. Brian Schmitz Orlando Sentinel The NBA and its TV partners would surely love to have this royal retro couple — Lakers and Celtics — play a best-of-17 series instead of a best-of-seven. Stretch this baby out until the NFL camps open or until one of Kevin Garnett's body parts falls off defending Pau Gasol. I'm taking the Lakers in seven for the repeat and for revenge (Boston beat L.A. in '08), but only after undergoing intense counseling.