Jordan was much stronger, and posted up a lot more. He was still the scoring champ his last 3 years in Chicago, even on a team with a lot of help. Do you think Kobe would be able to get LA 62 wins, if Pau Gasol went down? Jordan did that in 98 at age 35, with Pippen missing 38 games, and Rodman missing quite a few starts as well (14). Now Jordan was a much better athlete than Kobe to begin with. To add to that, he became a lot stronger, and developed his post game after he came back from baseball. So his drop off won't be as bad as Kobe's IMO. I don't think Kobe can carry a team without a lot of help. When he has talent, he can do great with it. However, if he's asked to do a lot, then his team doesn't stand a good chance of winning. Kobe seems to get further and further away from the paint these days, and he's only 30. Jordan was still attacking the basket a lot in a much more physical era at age 30.
Right there where? OK, let's suppose that Odom does indeed walk. If that were to happen, I would expect them to keep Ariza. Outside of Kobe & Fisher, this is still a team of twenty-somethings. Both Gasol & Kobe are still in their prime while Bynum is only 21 and bound to get better. The Rockets simply aren't now nor will they be at that level without significant upgrades to their front line and backcourt. Can Morey do it? I'm not so sure. While he's been really good at finding talent in the draft in the mid to lower rounds, to make that next step up, he'll need to get someone who can do for the Rox what Gasol did for the Lakers or Garnett did for Boston last year. He's hamstrung by the bad deals that have gone down before he arrived plus he's stuck with the remnant from the last great CD folly (McGrady). Given their cap situation, their Yao situation and their need for more size and speed on the front line, he'll need to really pull off a big off-season for the Rox to be "right there" next year.
Kobe is certainly electing to shoot a jumper more than he is driving to the basket. That being said, he is undoubtedly tired from the playoffs. I personally think his athleticism is still mostly there, he was just really, really tired (and he even admitted it at one point, something Kobe very rarely does).
The Lakers will be weaker next year if Odom or Ariza leave, Kobe will be older as will Fisher etc..... Our strengths match up very well with theirs....I think the Rockets take them next year if Yao is healthy and we get some value for Tmac's contract and keep the core intact. DD
rodman missed 2 games not 14 and plus they had a pretty effective player in kukoc that replaced pippen in the lineup when he was out. mj was not attacking the basket a lot later in his career. he did his damage in the post thats what made him so effective at his age. i wouldnt be surprised if kobe bulked up a little bit and started doing that more. you saw in the finals how he was posting up more on the block and mid post. plus his mid range game his pretty pure so that will always make him an effective scorer.
Your points are true, but if Bynum plays like before he's injured, they'd only be stronger. Bynum was like 20/12/3 the month before he went down.
odom is not leaving the lakers. they have his bird rights and no team out there is willing to offer lamar anything more that 7-8 mil a year which im sure the lakers will match. ariza is another story but what team is willing to offer him more that the mle?
The loss of his athleticism didn't seem too obvious to me during the playoffs as he made incredible play after incredible play. He was fantastic overall; only the Rockets seemed to rattle him a bit. No doubt he has begun to decline some, but he is at such a high level that it shouldn't significantly affect his game for awhile. TMac he is not.
I wouldn't say he was as fantastic as you're trying to say. LBJ was much better. It is about LA, the whole team. Odom, Ariza and Gasol took their games to another level.
Can you elaborate a bit more on the "bad deals" which you are speaking of? Also Mcgrady's contract is a win-win situation.
Jesus, DD. Every post of yours in this thread reads like your that guy who says, "Oh yeah?! Just wait until next year!!!!11!!1", after his team lost in the Finals. Yes, we get it, you think the Rockets will be better next year and you are praying that the Lakers get worse next year.
Kobe doesn't drive as much, get to the FT line as much, doesn't beat his man off the dribble as much, doesn't have the jump of the other superstars, nor the athelticism, nor the strength. And yet he's this good? Yet he's still a more efficient scorer than he ever was? Holy cow, that's really a credit to the guy if you think about it.
I think it'll be Lakers, Rockets, Portland, 1-2-3 in some combination in the West next year. I don't think we're far off at all IF Yao can stay healthy for once and we add a scoring threat from the wing and a backup center.
His overall numbers weren't exactly chopped liver and he made some amazingly athletic plays. Granted, he had more help than LeBron.
Don't count out SA just yet. They still have a good core and might get healthy. They add one player and wham, they are back on top. Denver is also very close.
Its when almost the entire team has mileage on them when they lose the edge, like the Larry Bird Celtics teams and Tim Duncan Spurs. Or maybe the post championship Rockets teams who back then tried the Garnett-Pierce-Allen approach. Still, Garnett, Pierce, and Allen all lost athleticism but collectively they were still good. They may not win the title, but they can still stop YOUR team from getting there. Kobe's attempted the same number of close-in shots overall. Attempted slightly less at-the-rim layups. A little more shots from the right post than usual. So thats what we're seeing, him not exploding past his man for either the layup for foul calls. I dont see him putting up 16 points a game next year, though. I think 32's when a player really starts to decline.
That is the big question, as it is every year. But I agree, i posted in the GARM earlier, that i beleive the Rockets are the best equipped heading into next season for a championship run. Especially if Odom and or Ariza depart. I think since Yao is taking this summer off, he will be able to withstand the long season next year, and whoever we bring in for t-macs contract, will hopefully put us over the hump Chilcutt
