By Matt 'Money' Smith
FOX Sports West and PRIME TICKET
MONEY ARCHIVE
What can you get for $35,000?
These days when you're the owner of a NBA team and over the league's luxury tax barrier, that rents you a barely-capable NBA center for a single week. It's likely the No. 1 item on Phil Jackson and Pau Gasol's wish list, but the sort of big-ticket item Dr. Jerry Buss, like any good fiscally sound parent explains to their child, just simply isn't realistic this time of year. You know the conversation...you wanted the Star Wars Death Star, but finances were a bit tight, and Dad didn't do as well as he had hoped. Instead of a bonus check, his boss presented him with a cheese wheel, so you get to enjoy the land speeder and Luke Skywalker action figure instead.
It looks like Dr. Buss is in "we just can't afford it this year" mode, and you have to admit $35,000 is a bit much for a guy who would likely get no more than 10 to 12 minutes a game and provide a rebound or two, clog the paint and by no means ever think about attempting a shot. If there were some Cyber Wednesday sale, maybe he would bite, but as it stands, that number is too steep for Dr. Buss, and perhaps it comes thanks to the holiday season. That kind of scratch can buy an 80-inch Panasonic Plasma television or a Lexus ES 350 with a giant red bow on top. Instead of a barely capable NBA player, he could land REO Speedwagon to play his Christmas party, or if he's found that special someone, a Tiffany engagement ring that contains the 4C's of perfection.
The only problem with choosing one of those fantastic material possessions instead of the backup center, is it comes at the expense of your $64 million investment. For the third consecutive game, Gasol played 45 minutes, and it's visibly affecting him. It's as if Jackson is making up for all the lost time on the court Gasol experienced this summer by finally taking a break from his national team duties, but is getting the snot beat out of him early in this season.
Derrick Caracter managed to provide a whopping three minutes of relief in the Lakers' third straight loss to Memphis Tuesday night, and with Andrew Bynum providing all the self-diagnosis regarding his return these days, Laker nation is still not sure we'll see him anytime soon. When Jackson says they expected the timetable to be "three weeks," three weeks ago, clearly the player and team are at odds with one another over how long this longest recovery in the history of knee scopes is taking. If the prized possession of the younger Buss, Jim, isn't going to make his way to the floor anytime soon, than it's on pops to clean up the mess and take care of the reason why there are two more banners hanging from the STAPLES Center ceiling and a relatively happy Kobe Bryant.
Considering Gasol's numbers work out to about $260,000 per game during the regular season, it might benefit the organization to take the hit and drop the extra $10 grand per contest to make sure their All-Star's knees don't fall off or watch his arms actually transform into jelly. They can make it back by getting a mess of purple and gold Santa hats made in China for about a $.10 per unit cost, and sell 'em for $15 a piece between now and Christmas day.
Wherever the money comes from, whoever gets hosed this Christmas season with a tin of cookies instead of a check for a couple hundred bucks, protect the investment. Why not make someone's wish come true and see what Jake Voskuhl or Mikki Moore are up to for the next couple weeks, it will be the gift that keeps on giving, especially come May and June when Gasol is in better shape than he is now.
Matt "Money" Smith can be heard Monday-Friday on The Petros and Money Show on FOX Sports Radio
