They are decent -> good role players and that's all they are. With the exception of Wade and Kobe. Almost every NBA team has good role players and a star or two.
Kobe had Shaq in his last finals appearance - Shaq put in his typical 25+++ and 11 - 13 rebs. While the Pistons shut Kobe down and let him chuck away. Kobe is definitely a more stoppable player. I don't understand most of the people in this thread....they are only thinking about Heat and late Laker version of Shaq.....when his best years were in the 90s to early 2000s. And even commanded more double and triple teams than MJ at times. But it's typical for this board, especially when Dwight Howard blowing away Yao for the best center in the league argument. Shaq was so good he makes Yao Ming (right now) look like a second rate player...even though is probably the best center in the league right now. That says alot at how good Shaq was. If you put the Shaq from (circa 92 - 01) on any team in league right now, like any other great center or even good centers from 90s (Ewing, Robinson, or Olajuwon).....you put them on any team that team instantly becomes a title contender. When you have people know calling players like Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Amare Stoudemire domnate centers. There are only two players in the league right now who could go down as all-time great centers one plays for us right now and the other is in EC on Shaq's former team. For instance, put Shaq circa 92-01 on the Bobcats, Grizzlies, Kings, and even the unwatchable Knicks. I gurantee all of teams would make the playoffs, if they ended up with Shaq in his prime I'm telling you all this almost turned the Magic into playoff over-night.....he took one of the worst teams in the league and took them a record of .500. 21 wins to 41 wins, tied for 8th in Eastern Conference in his rookie season. BA was averaging 29 ppg in his 2nd and 3rd year and remember this is against scrubs like Mourning, Mutombo, Ewing, Olajuwon, Daughterty, D-Robinson --- players who shouldn't have been league --- Seikaly, Duckworth, Eaton, Smits, and others. http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/o/onealsh01.html/ He may not be able to carry a bad or mediocre, but how many players can....I thought winning championships were a team effort and even requires competent talent on most ends of the floor. Probably since the mid 90s to late 90s, no other player in the league receives the type of attention that Shaq has.....he is a great big man....another big man leading bad or so-so teams to championships. I will say Orlando had talented bunch when Shaq was there, but most of those players faded when he left. Their careers weren't the same. Centers changed the game like know other, the only guard who could win without a great center or post dominate big man was Michael Jordan.
Exactly the way I would put it. Kobe is great player, hopefully he can prove to the world that he is greater player than Shaq....by winning title. Well, I take that back I hope the Rockets win 2 to 4 titles then let the Lackers win one, because we get bored from winning.
Kobe is the best player on the planet right now and the scary thing is he probably has 10 more solid years in him. Have you guys ever thought about that? Kobe is a machine, he is durable, never gets tired and plays tons of minutes. The guy will play at a high level for 10 more years, and he will own just about every NBA scoring record among others when it is all said and done. Kobe is better than Shaq, he is more durable than Shaq, and Kobe will go down in history as one of the top 5 players of all time. The Lakers made the right decision when they let Shaq go and kept Kobe.
10 solid year = age 39? That's crazy talk. Yeah I bet Kobe can also fireballs from his eyes and bolts of lightning from his ass.
He's not great FT shooter, like most big men...Wilt wasn't great and many others were below average. But when you are up by 15 + points, it doesn't matter too much. Shaq was real domination every phase of the game....while Kobe is more of a dominate scorer and at times he can be a dominate defender, but he is definitely not as dominate as Shaq. Kobe can't even get his team to far in playoffs without a great big player being around. Could you imagine him leading a team in 90s or 80s....they'd struggle to make the playoffs.
Definite good players! Beside Penny, Kobe & Wade, the rest of the players you mentioned are all role players. I can also argue that Kobe has Odom, Bynum, Turiaf, Brown, Walton. Those are solid bunch of players yet he failed to lead his team past 1st round playoffs! Shaq cant play in the last few minutes of the game? Do you know the recent league's rules especially the intention fouls at the end of the game were changed due to who? That's the effect of Shaq! Kobe's recent greatness, the 81 points game, he has to thank the league for the stupid hand check rule!
Put the pipe down. 10 solid years left? Top 5 player of all time? I guess you could believe all this if you started watching the NBA 5 years ago but the rest of us have seen *some* of the all time greats and Kobe isn't one of them.
They should not have changed those rules. If shaq can't practice his free throws then his team should suffer. Even with those rules LA rarely gave hime the ball a lot at the end. He scored a lot off put backs, because you could still just foul him when he went for the shot.
This is one of the dumbest arguments that keep coming up. Keep fouling him? You ever heard of this rule that players can have only 6 fouls. Shaq was going to get the ball, and he was going to get into position, and he was going to make the basket. Mostly made shots off of putbacks? Did you ever watch him play more than a couple of years ago? This man has to be the most amazing athlete the NBA has ever seen, and I doubt we will ever see one again like him. This guy was 300 lbs. but had amazing footwork to boot. Soft touch around the basket and just shut down the paint. This guy is OLD now. Obviously he is not going to be putting up his 25 and 13 numbers from 5-10 years ago, but to say that his career is lower than Kobes? Are you on crack? And to finish of the original question, Kobe is not winning 2-3 more championships.
If the lakers keep their current roster and bynum continues to improve his game, then i expect kobe to win 2-3 more championships at a minimum.
What makes you so sure of that? Teams who could beat the Lakers and probably still better than them: SAS Mavs Suns Jazz Teams that are about even with the Lakers or not quite as good, but could potentially beat them: NO Hornets Houston ROCKETS We match up really well with them...unlike GSW and Phoenix....they won't be running up down the court as much with the new rosters and we have a number of good PFs and even Mutombo on the bench.
