If anyone thinks the Malone injury wasn’t a HUGE deal, look at it this way. Imagine if Malone and his backup were healthy, and Rasheed and his backup were injured instead. On paper at least the matchup looks really lopsided against Detroit. They weren’t the same team without Wallace (and I don’t think our team beats the Spurs and maybe even Minnesota that year with an injured Malone).
Malone and Rasheed averaged pretty similar numbers for their teams that year.
Joined: 03 Oct 2003 Posts: 8352 Location: Santa Monica
Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2021 5:29 pm Post subject:
The 2004 team had very little depth, and most of the "depth" they did have was old guys like Horace Grant and Byron Russell.
In Bazemore, Monk, Nunn and THT we have several supporting players who are not only more serviceable, but also much younger.
Also remember that Malone and Payton were over the hill when we got them. LeBron and Westbrook are either still in their primes, or close enough to it.
The 2004 team was flawed from the start when it came to roster construction.
I don’t even think this years team is a super team. Westbrook has played with some big names and only made it past the second round with Durant. The one time he made it past the first round without KD, Harden was the best player on the team.
I don’t even think this years team is a super team. Westbrook has played with some big names and only made it past the second round with Durant. The one time he made it past the first round without KD, Harden was the best player on the team.
Westbrook and Durant made the Finals in 2012, and at that time Harden wasn’t known to be a superstar.
I don’t even think this years team is a super team.
Not in the context of Miami with 29 year old Dwayne Wade, 26 year old Lebron James, 30 year old Mike Miller, 26 year old Chris Bosh. That was the backup shooting guard, starting small forward, backup small forward, backup center from the 2008 Olympics. The closest to Miami is Golden State with 28 year old Steph Curry, 26 year old Klay Thomson, 28 year old Kevin Durant, 26 year old Draymond Green. That was also an Olympics roster.
While this isn’t on par with either, it is certainly on par with Brooklyn
Last edited by JUST-MING on Wed Sep 08, 2021 9:22 am; edited 1 time in total
I don’t even think this years team is a super team. Westbrook has played with some big names and only made it past the second round with Durant. The one time he made it past the first round without KD, Harden was the best player on the team.
This team has big names, but we'll see whether it's really a super team. Can Lebron actually stay healthy and play at an elite level for one more year? Was Davis' regression (before he got hurt) just a product of the short offseason? Hopefully, the answer to both questions will be yes, and Lebron and Davis will find a way to integrate Westbrook. _________________ Internet Argument Resolved
G 6’3” Russell Westbrook (33 years old) G 6’4” Gary Payton (35 year old)
G 6’2” Kendrick Nunn (26 years old) G 6’1” Derek Fisher (29 years old)
G 6’1” Rajon Rondo (35 years old)
G 6’3” Malik Monk (23 years old)
G 6’4” Wayne Ellington (34 years old)
G 6’4” Kent Bazemore (32 years old)
G 6’4” Talen Horton Tucker (21 years old)
G/F 6’8” Trevor Ariza (36 years old) G/F 6’6” Kobe Bryant (25 years old)
G/F 6’6” Kareem Rush (23 years old)
G/F 6’7” Rick Fox (34 years old)
F 6’9” Lebron James (37 years old) F 6’8” Devean George (26 years old)
F 6’7” Carmelo Anthony (37 years old) F 6’8” Luke Walton (23 years old)
F 6’7” Byron Russell (33 years old)
F/C 6’10” Anthony Davis (28 years old) F/C 6’9” Karl Malone (40 years old)
F/C 6’10” Slava Medvedenko (24 years old)
F/C 6’9” Brian Cook (23 years old)
F/C 6’10” Horace Grant (38 years old)
C 6’10” Dwight Howard (36 years old) C 7’1” Shaquille O’Neal (31 years old) C 6’11” Marc Gasol (37 years old) C 6’11” Deandre Jordan (33 years old)
The 2004 team had very little depth, and most of the "depth" they did have was old guys like Horace Grant and Byron Russell.
In Bazemore, Monk, Nunn and THT we have several supporting players who are not only more serviceable, but also much younger.
Also remember that Malone and Payton were over the hill when we got them. LeBron and Westbrook are either still in their primes, or close enough to it.
The 2004 team was flawed from the start when it came to roster construction.
Malone and Payton were older but I wouldn't call them over the hill. Malone was coming off a 21-8 season, and Payton was coming off 20-4-8 season where he was an all-star
I don’t even think this years team is a super team. Westbrook has played with some big names and only made it past the second round with Durant. The one time he made it past the first round without KD, Harden was the best player on the team.
"Super team" is really a matter of semantics. To most people, it seemly means having three Hall of Fame players (at least one of whom was acquired in a trade or through free agency) who are still playing at a high level.
Westbrook's star has lost some of its luster, but I think the Lakers qualify as a super team under the most common definition.
That said, "Super team" only refers to the roster makeup, not how well the players fit together or how well they will perform.
neither are the true super teams. true super teams imo are the 2010-2014 Heat, and Warriors with KD. All their stars are in their prime. 2004's Laker team only Shaq and Kobe are, and this current squad only AD is, and he's injury prone. but if comparing the two Laker era, the 2004 team is much more talented because their main 2 superstars are in their peak prime.
Joined: 24 Dec 2007 Posts: 35857 Location: Santa Clarita, CA (Hell) ->>>>>Ithaca, NY -≥≥≥≥≥Berkeley, CA
Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2021 12:19 pm Post subject:
SGV-Laker fan wrote:
neither are the true super teams. true super teams imo are the 2010-2014 Heat, and Warriors with KD. All their stars are in their prime. 2004's Laker team only Shaq and Kobe are, and this current squad only AD is, and he's injury prone. but if comparing the two Laker era, the 2004 team is much more talented because their main 2 superstars are in their peak prime.
What about the LeBron/Kyrie/Love Cavs and the Big Three Celtics? _________________ Damian Lillard shatters Dwight Coward's championship dreams:
Any team Russell Westbrook is the 3rd option on is a Superteam.
Fans seem to forget what a load Westbrook is to deal with because we should know considering Westbrook was owning the Lakers for all the years he was in the NBA.
Any team Russell Westbrook is the 3rd option on is a Superteam.
Fans seem to forget what a load Westbrook is to deal with because we should know considering Westbrook was owning the Lakers for all the years he was in the NBA.
The Lakers are a big 3 aka super team IF Lebron remains a top 10 player and AD is 2019-20 AD.
That makes it 2 top 10 players with Russ being a top 30ish player.
Joined: 03 Oct 2003 Posts: 8352 Location: Santa Monica
Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2021 1:09 pm Post subject:
activeverb wrote:
slavavov wrote:
The 2004 team had very little depth, and most of the "depth" they did have was old guys like Horace Grant and Byron Russell.
In Bazemore, Monk, Nunn and THT we have several supporting players who are not only more serviceable, but also much younger.
Also remember that Malone and Payton were over the hill when we got them. LeBron and Westbrook are either still in their primes, or close enough to it.
The 2004 team was flawed from the start when it came to roster construction.
Malone and Payton were older but I wouldn't call them over the hill. Malone was coming off a 21-8 season, and Payton was coming off 20-4-8 season where he was an all-star
That was the year before though. Malone averaged only 13 ppg with us, and Payton only 14.6.
Even if you don't want to call them over the hill, my main point was that the 04 team had little to no serviceable depth. This team right now looks to have plenty of depth, at least in the backcourt and at the 5.
The 2004 team had very little depth, and most of the "depth" they did have was old guys like Horace Grant and Byron Russell.
In Bazemore, Monk, Nunn and THT we have several supporting players who are not only more serviceable, but also much younger.
Also remember that Malone and Payton were over the hill when we got them. LeBron and Westbrook are either still in their primes, or close enough to it.
The 2004 team was flawed from the start when it came to roster construction.
Malone and Payton were older but I wouldn't call them over the hill. Malone was coming off a 21-8 season, and Payton was coming off 20-4-8 season where he was an all-star
That was the year before though. Malone averaged only 13 ppg with us, and Payton only 14.6.
Even if you don't want to call them over the hill, my main point was that the 04 team had little to no serviceable depth. This team right now looks to have plenty of depth, at least in the backcourt and at the 5.
All of the big 4’s scoring numbers significantly declined, including Kobe who was in his prime. That’s going to happen with 4 20 ppg scorers playing together.
And they played fewer minutes which they could afford to do when they could always have a star or two (or three) on the court. 14.6 and 13.2 ppg is pretty good as a 3rd and 4th option, especially with Kobe and Shaq because those two are going to take a lot of shots. And especially with Malone having a knee injury for months.
At the beginning of the season they started 18-3 and a lot of us thought they were going to get better and win over 70 games.
And the 2004 team had a bench with veterans that had championship experience. It’s too bad Fox and Grant were injured. But often playing veterans with lesser roles and reduced minutes can help teams contending for a title.
^ Who do you guys prefer between Westbrook and Payton?
I'll take the Lakers version of WB over the Lakers version of GP are you with me
What about comparing both in terms of NBA success? And don’t count the championship he won with Miami.
Hard to compare players from different eras.
But it would have been interesting to see them flip flopped.
Westbrook with Kemp.
GP with young KD. _________________ 💜💛 🏆 👀 🍖 #18!!!
The 2004 team had very little depth, and most of the "depth" they did have was old guys like Horace Grant and Byron Russell.
In Bazemore, Monk, Nunn and THT we have several supporting players who are not only more serviceable, but also much younger.
Also remember that Malone and Payton were over the hill when we got them. LeBron and Westbrook are either still in their primes, or close enough to it.
The 2004 team was flawed from the start when it came to roster construction.
Malone and Payton were older but I wouldn't call them over the hill. Malone was coming off a 21-8 season, and Payton was coming off 20-4-8 season where he was an all-star
That was the year before though. Malone averaged only 13 ppg with us, and Payton only 14.6.
Even if you don't want to call them over the hill, my main point was that the 04 team had little to no serviceable depth. This team right now looks to have plenty of depth, at least in the backcourt and at the 5.
Moving from the 1st option to the 3rd and 4th option, putting up 13-15 ppg. on a team with Shaq and Kobe is pretty good.
Depth can be a little overrated, especially in the playoffs when rotations tighten. I'll take talent over depth.
^ Who do you guys prefer between Westbrook and Payton?
I'll take the Lakers version of WB over the Lakers version of GP are you with me
What about comparing both in terms of NBA success? And don’t count the championship he won with Miami.
If you are evaluating their career success, I don't see why Payton's ring in Miami wouldn't count. He was no longer a star, but he was an important contributor, so it's part of his resume. To say his ring doesn't count is like saying Bob McAdoo's ring with the Lakers doesn't count.
Anyway, my sense is Westbrook is generally ranked slightly higher. I'd say their career accomplishments were more or less equivalent.
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