KNOTT: Winning without the draft is a big deal

Once the NBA Finals succumbed to a plethora of hosannas being showered on Kobe Bryant, a nagging question surfaced. What was Chris Wallace thinking? No, really? It was Wallace who traded Pau Gasol to the Lakers on Feb. 1, 2008, which, of course, led to the celebratory riots in Los Angeles this week. Gasol meshed perfectly with Bryant's enormous ego because he does not need a lot of touches or shots to be effective and because complaining about the stupidity of it all would not lead to a satisfying outcome. That is the lesson Gasol gathered from Shaquille O'Neal anyway. ... Email </a