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MJST
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 Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 2:33 pm Post subject: |
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Chris Paul probably would have been the best "Pippen" to Kobe if we're talking about all those criteria and was also the one that had the best chance of happening. Particularly since the next move the Lakers were likely to make midway through that season would have been Dwight prior to the back injury.
So yeah, Kobe's "Pippen" would have been Chris Paul. However that got taken away. But CP3 met all the criteria. |
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yinoma2001
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| Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 2:50 pm Post subject: |
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Well pippen to me represents a guy who could guard 3 maybe 4 positions. That's why I left out PGs and PFs in this scenario.
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Capt.Skyhook
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| Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 3:11 pm Post subject: |
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| I'll take Brandon Roy. He skill set was complete on offense and he was competitive on defense. He would fit in the triangle and could play 3 positions. He was made to be a second option on a title team. |
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999
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| Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 3:12 pm Post subject: |
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| paul pierce |
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scoobs
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| Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 3:24 pm Post subject: |
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| I always thougt Iguodala could be that type of player for Kobe. Great defense and ball handling, this would allow Kobe to a focus on doing what he does best and would of been able to extend his career. Kobe wouldn't of had to defend or handle the ball as much. Iguodala would of been GREAT in the triangle with Kobe and whatever shooter you want, example: Fish, Blake, Sasha, Smush Parker (yeah even Smush Parker). Now maybe Kobe could have some success playing with perhaps a ball handling shooter like Nash/Lin and a defensive wing like Gee/Johnson. Keep an eye on Xavier Henry who is only 23.5 years years old and the power forward kid they drafted also has sick handles which is Pippen like. |
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yinoma2001
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| Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 3:49 pm Post subject: |
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I know we have folks who grew up watching different generations of NBA. I'm actually not demeaning Pippen; I think he's an underrated and one of the most versatile players (and defenders) ever. Seems some didn't watch Pippen in his prime. He was quite an amazing player, and a surefire reason why MJ is considered by lots to be the GOAT (no Pippen, no rings).
Kobe was sidekick to Shaq, had a great #2 in Pau. But never did he have a perimeter #2 anywhere close to a Pippen.
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DJ Slik
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| Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 4:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Kevin Durant |
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Mike@LG
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| Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 4:40 pm Post subject: Re: Who Would Have Been an Ideal "Pippen" to Kobe? (Post-Shaq era) |
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| yinoma2001 wrote: | MJ had Pippen. Kobe has never had an “elite” wing player in the mold of Pippen alongside him. He’s had (post Shaq) at best, Ron Artest, who was still a dogged defender, but a bit past his elite defensive/scoring prime. Next best may be Ariza, but he was a flash in the pan. Since then, he’s had a parade of sub-optimal wings alongside him.
Now, playing with Kobe as a sidekick requires a few things.
1. Ability to be a knockdown shooter;
2. Willing passer and someone willing to sublimate his game to Kobe’s;
3. Since we are talking post-Shaq, the ability to defend the other team’s best scorer to ease the load on Kobe;
4. Ability to run the 2nd unit.
Aside from salary cap constraints (since having Kobe/Pau basically meant the team didn’t have much salary cap room), which player would you pair with Kobe (post-Shaq)?
Ideally, I think a Grant Hill (pre-injury) would have been a perfect running mate due to his temperament and personality. TMac would have been a great running mate, but not sure if he would be willing to be second chair to Kobe. Kobe/Pierce might have been another great duo thanks to Pierce’s ability to be a deadly 3 point shooter. Who do you have? |
This is what I wanted before Pau Gasol came along.
I wanted the Lakers to trade Odom, Butler, and a player for Kevin Garnett.
I wanted Danny Green to be drafted by the Lakers, instead of Andrew Bynum. He was my #1 guy from the draft.
Reasons:
6'7" 225.
Played point guard for New Mexico in crunch time.
Put up Pippen-like statistics in college. He was their point-forward, their best shooter, and their best defender.
http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/danny-granger-1.html
He was already a senior in college, so it wouldn't have taken much time for him to produce. By year two, he did.
College: 18.6ppg, 56%FG, 43% 3-point, 9 rebounds per game, 2 steals per game, 2 blocks per game, 2.4 assists per game.
His game was more one-dimensional, like Scottie Pippen. He enjoyed the pull-up jumpshot or a direct slash at the basket, but nothing too dynamic.
Ideally, he would have been the "shooter" next to KG in the high post and Kobe Bryant as the slasher. For several years he shot 40% behind the arc, 45% FG, and did so as the Indiana Pacers #1 option on offense, scoring 24+ points per game.
The Lakers went a different direction and won championships.
But, still I wonder what the Laker team would have looked like with the combined intensity of KG and Kobe Bryant, with Danny Granger taking on the toughest assignments on defense and being the primary facilitator.
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Runway8
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| Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 4:54 pm Post subject: |
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MJ and Pippen were only 2 yrs apart. In terms of age, the only one I can think of is T-Mac, but he was no Pippen. T-Mac was all offense.
If Kobe is the closest thing to MJ, well then Grant Hill is the closest thing to Pippen. Grant was never healthy and never had someone like MJ or Kobe, otherwise, he'd be discussed and compared to Pippen more often. |
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HAWAIIGUY27
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| Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 6:06 pm Post subject: |
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Outside of the players already named, I would have loved to see a prime Chauncey Billups play that "Pippen-like" role from the point. Dude has that old school toughness, he could play on and off the ball, lock down most other PGs and some wings, hit the 3 consistently, and of course be a leader on and off the floor.
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Jeffs
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| Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 6:14 pm Post subject: |
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I believe Mike meant Danny Granger rather than Danny Green. He beat me to it. Pre-injury Granger was who I was going to mention.
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Jeffs
I feel like I just watched someone TRULY give 100%. Not the BS I'm-gonna-give-a-110%-just-like-everyone-else-says platitudes, but someone that went until he just....broke. - GT |
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LakerSanity
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SuperboyReformed
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| Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 6:58 pm Post subject: |
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| HAWAIIGUY27 wrote: | | Outside of the players already named, I would have loved to see a prime Chauncey Billups play that "Pippen-like" role from the point. Dude has that old school toughness, he could play on and off the ball, lock down most other PGs and some wings, hit the 3 consistently, and of course be a leader on and off the floor. |
man, i disagree with this. billups is one of the most overrated/overhyped guys. He got this reputation of being a "great teammate" or some kind of great leader out of the blue, then everyone starting talking about how great he is. Billups had some balls...took and made some good shots...but most of his game was heavily founded upon flopping...driving clumsily and getting free throws. whenever he didn't get those calls or have the announcers gushing about how great a teammate he is, he sucked for the most part...average.
Odom was the pippen role, and he played it very well. His role was a little more complex than pippen's, just like kobe's role was more complex than mj. odom was great. |
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klick
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| Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 7:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Kevin Garnett |
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krisobe
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| Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 8:35 pm Post subject: |
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| angrypuppy wrote: | | Lebron James, though their primes never really intersected. |
2007-2008 Season. MVP Kobe and Prime LeBron.
2007-2008 Kobe: Age 29. 28/6/5
2007-2008 LeBron: Age 23. 30/8/7
Them paired up that season with PHIL would've meant 70+ wins and a NBA Championship. |
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KobeBryantCliffordBrown
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| Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 8:36 pm Post subject: |
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| yinoma2001 wrote: | | Lakers95 wrote: | | Andre Iguodala? Great defender, decent shooter, and, for a guy who's 6'6", he can rebound pretty well at almost 6 per game for his career. |
Agreed. Totally forgot him. Only downside is his shaky shooting. But other than that, would have been a perfect Pippen to Kobe. |
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KobeBryantCliffordBrown
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| Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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| SuperboyReformed wrote: | | HAWAIIGUY27 wrote: | | Outside of the players already named, I would have loved to see a prime Chauncey Billups play that "Pippen-like" role from the point. Dude has that old school toughness, he could play on and off the ball, lock down most other PGs and some wings, hit the 3 consistently, and of course be a leader on and off the floor. |
man, i disagree with this. billups is one of the most overrated/overhyped guys. He got this reputation of being a "great teammate" or some kind of great leader out of the blue, then everyone starting talking about how great he is. Billups had some balls...took and made some good shots...but most of his game was heavily founded upon flopping...driving clumsily and getting free throws. whenever he didn't get those calls or have the announcers gushing about how great a teammate he is, he sucked for the most part...average.
Odom was the pippen role, and he played it very well. His role was a little more complex than pippen's, just like kobe's role was more complex than mj. odom was great. |
Very good point about LO.
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City_Dawg
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| Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 8:44 pm Post subject: |
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PNP
/thread
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MJST
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| Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 9:09 pm Post subject: |
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| yinoma2001 wrote: | | Well pippen to me represents a guy who could guard 3 maybe 4 positions. That's why I left out PGs and PFs in this scenario. |
I'd wager that Chris Paul is probably the best defender out of everyone mentioned thus far. Just a guess, I haven't read through the thread yet. |
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focus
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| Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 9:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Manu Ginobli. Plus, unlike some of these other guys, pretty proven to be clutch in championship games. Which touches on what would probably be Kobe's own main criteria - can i trust this guy when it counts, and does he make good decisions...like DFish plus much more talent. |
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67ShelbyGT
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| Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 9:11 pm Post subject: |
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None of the above mentioned. Seriously. Not even close. Pippen may be the most underrated player in history.
Best perimeter defender ever (with respect to Coop and Alvin). Great handles and playmaking skills. Decent jumper. He wasn't dominant on offense b/c he had more of a facilitator mentality.
Grant may have been similar in playmaking but can't touch Pip on D. Artest was a very good defender in his prime but he's more the physical sort. Pip and Kobe have some of the best on-ball defense in history. Pippen is better team defender than Kobe tho.
Remember he was one rebound away from leading the Bulls back to Finals sans MJ/HoGrant. 55 wins too that yr.
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Jeffs
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| Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 10:13 pm Post subject: |
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The question was merely who would have been the best player for the Pippen role during Kobe's prime. I don't think anyone here was arguing that guys like Ginobili, Granger, LO, etc. were anywhere near the caliber player that Pippen was.
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Jeffs
I feel like I just watched someone TRULY give 100%. Not the BS I'm-gonna-give-a-110%-just-like-everyone-else-says platitudes, but someone that went until he just....broke. - GT |
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Jeggs
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| Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 10:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Gonna have to say Odum was a poor man's pippen until he became a crack addict of course. |
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Inverse
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| Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 10:36 pm Post subject: |
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| Maybe Luol Deng in his prime |
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Shaber
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| Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 11:36 pm Post subject: |
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We had our ideal four horsemen for a while.
Until some of them broke mentally, some physically.
If these guys would have kept their heads (mostly), we'd be talking about old and dangerous Lakers instead of old and dangerous Spurs.
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