How many games will the Lakers win with these 4 players starting on the team, Shaq, Kobe, GP and Karl Malone?

I think that the expectations are going to be so high, that they won't be able to live up to them. I think Shaq will come in out of shape, Kobe will be dealing with this sex assault case(reports out today stating that if it goes to trial, it will begin in six to nine months), Phil Jackson's health, and how will the cohesion be on a team with four future Hall of Famers on it? Also, who are going to be the role players on this team? They still have alot of questions, but they are the team to beat now in the entire NBA, not just to West!! My Mavericks definitely need to make a move.

Lakers = Yankees basketball style - no salary cap like all the other teams

One purpose of the salary cap in the NBA was to prevent a few teams from getting all the star players thus shutting out other teams with less means. That being said, it seems now it could be a moot point with players willing to sacrifice salary for the chance to play with a winner. The Lakers are doing the same as the Yankees except they don't have to overspend to do it. I don't expect this trend to continue if the player's agents can help it.

[ July 11, 2003, 07:20 PM: Message edited by: phillyrunner ]

YO! IF a player knows what team he can win a CHAMPIONSHIP with so be it!!! Don't knock anybody for taking less $, Afterall it is all about the ring! That is the real glory! I feel sorry for Horry, but recognize Malone is the better defender! I hope all works out and LAKERS take yet another title!
AII YI YII!

Y'know, I'm not impressed with these signings. For those who think the Lakers just bought a championship, I have four words: Michael Jordan: Washington Wizard.

Just like Jordan might have been able to accomplish something with the Wizards if he had been 10 years younger, I don't think the Lakers adding some Hall of Famers at the very end of their careers would be nearly as effective as adding future Hall of Famers on the upside.

Gary Payton is still reasonably close to the top of his game. But Karl Malone? Maybe if Dr. Jerry Buss can afford a way-back machine and shave a good 10 years off Malone and his legs, then maybe this would be impressive.

And the core of Shaq and Kobe isn't going to be any better next season. Shaq as aging quicker than Robin Williams in that awful movie "Jack." And Kobe? Let's just say he's going to be pre-occupied (and especially nervous during those road trips to Colorado).

The Lakers will make the playoffs. But Phil Jackson will need to work miracles to get them a one seed. I don't think they'll even be better.

OK so who besides LDB voted for setting a record? :confused: Put me solidly in the camp that WAY too much is being made of these acquisitions.If I remember right,both Payton and Malone were stars on teams that failed to advance past the first round-now a year later they are going to make like the Messiah and lead the fakers back to the Promised Land?Sorry I just don't buy it.

Interestingly enough, most of the "experts" crowning the Lakers,are the same idiots that kept telling us the Spurs would be no match for the Lakers.It's a little early for predictions,since we haven't even reached the July 16 free agent signing onslaught,not to mention that training camp is a mere 3 or so months away. eek! Reality check to the "broadcast gurus" -we're on the brink of the All-Star break,that's the BASEBALL All-Star break fellas.

I totally agree with you you Charlie on all fronts. Who says that the Lakers are automatically crowned the champions, by these acquisitions. The last time I looked, the games still have to be played!! There are no such things as paper champions!! The signings aren't even official yet, and the majority of the sports nation have already crowned the Lakers champions!! BTW, they still have ??'s they have yet to address; i.e., who are going to be their role players, Phil Jackson's health, Shaq's health and durability, and Kobe's legal distractions and availability. Wow, what an offseason this has been already!!

[ April 21, 2004, 01:55 PM: Message edited by: CnSEA ]

The last thing this board needed was another Lakers fan, 34ra. wink

Both Kobe Bryant and the woman in the question ended up being treated in a hospital shortly after the alleged sexual assault. That seems to be the one thing we know for certain about the incident. Whether Kobe committed a criminal act of sexual assault, we'll know soon enough. But it's still a little too serious to dismiss the matter as mere "trouble with the girls."

[ April 21, 2004, 01:55 PM: Message edited by: CnSEA ]

You know those bulls teams of the 90's had something the lakers never have had... heart. The lakers have to the LAZIEST dynasty ever seen in sports. As much as anyone ever hated the jordan teams... or the boston teams of the 80's or that matter the laker teams of the 80's.... they played hard, they didnt mail it in.. they didnt say... eh, i dont feel like playing tonite..

Which is why the NBA is becoming more and more unwatchable. 3/4 of the teams mail it in till the playoffs... 1/2 of them are too into the bling bling... The only thing that can save the sport is big dumb white guys from europe who will actually pass the ball, play some D, and not worry about just shootin the rock and gettin on sports center.

[ April 21, 2004, 01:56 PM: Message edited by: CnSEA ]

You won't get any argument from me on the points you've made regarding GP and Malone, both of whom deserve all the accolades they have received, particularly in this era of greedy professional athletes continually "selling themselves" to the highest bidder....however, I still have some doubts as to how these four "superstars" playing on the same court with only one ball will affect team chemistry, a highly underrated ingredient to any championship team IMHO....in particular, the undeniable fact that Malone still desires to become the league's all time points scorer combined with the fact that Father Time is even more crucial in his case leads me to wonder how "satisfied" the Mailman will be with scoring 10-12 points per game, lengthening and perhaps permanently curtailing his attempt to pass Kareem....one thing is certain -- this will be a VERY interesting team to watch come October.

Just wait until they play my Pacers in the finals! You'll be wishing you had Whorry to hit that 3 pointer after...after...after...well after a Pacer player yet to be named whoops all over you!

Jackson is the man if he can make that team worth.

Portland proved that having too much talent is almost as bad as not having enough.

Phoenix added Sir Charles to a roster of 3 all-stars. Where's Charles ring?

Philly added the premiere power forward back in the 70's. George McGinnis...to a team full of all-stars, including Dr. J. Sportswriters were calling it the greatest team ever assembled. They bombed miserably.

I can't envision GP changing 15 years of playing habits, and staying within the triangle. Karl Malone hitting spot up jumpers @ 40? Whose gonna consistantly knock down the 3? Defensively, how are they gonna fare against the quicker Mavs or Kings...or even a year older warriors team?

Way too many question marks to be penciling them in as champions. I see 50 wins tops, and thats if a Kobe stays out of the joint.

If I recall, McGinnis was already on the team when they acquired Dr. J. And they made it to the finals their first year before losing to Portland, which isn't quite "failing miserably." Then came the "We Owe You One" ad campaign followed by more playoff failures until they finally got the puzzle in place by adding Moses Malone.

Aren't I the only LAKERS Fan on this board? I hate the Horry departure BTW Pacerpride! I think it may haunt us! I will agree Malone is a better defender! But Horry has proven he can hit "THE BIG SHOT" Malone has no championships, Horry has 5, and was a major player in all of them! If his shot had dropped at the buzzer in Game5 vs Spurs I believe the LAKERS would have had a 4th-in-a-row, and Robert Horry would still be a LAKER! I hear all 3 Texas teams are interested in him, and it scares me that he might be the "Missing Link" Dallas needs! I'm sure Shaw will be released as well! UGH!!! But I still LOVE THE LAKERS!!!

Just to clarify, I didn't say the Lakers would win it all, I just said they have an Unlimited Budget like the Yankees !

Remember how this strategy worked for the 2000 Redskins.

[ April 21, 2004, 01:56 PM: Message edited by: CnSEA ]

Would it be blasphemy for this Laker fan to suggest that a starting 5 of:

Fox-Shaq-Malone-GP-Fisher

could be quite enough? I think it's pretty certain that Kobe's gonna walk at the end of the season, as long he's not in jail that is, so maybe they should trade him now and get some high draft picks and cash (and cap room)?

Or am I talkin' crazy talk?
I've felt that way for a while, too. The East is pretty hopeless these days; it's almost as if whoever wins the West is almost de facto the champion.

I don't think the LAKERS should trade Kobe! I think if they win the title, KOBE is for sure a LAKER for many more years! By his choice and that of the LAKERS! The Kobe/Shaq feud didn't need to be taken public but it was! I don't know that Kobe was all wrong though, He's going through a lot and should be recieving support, not flack from his team! I also believe justice will be served and KOBE will be found INNOCENT!!!

Can't we have a thread for Laker losses too ?

We'll give Lebron a year to get his feet wet, before him and the Cavs kick all the Western teams asses. 25 points in his 18 year old debut against the Kings is a pretty good start !

So much for the undefeated Lakers, darn.

[ April 21, 2004, 01:57 PM: Message edited by: CnSEA ]

[ April 21, 2004, 01:57 PM: Message edited by: CnSEA ]

I thought the Bulls went 72-10 one year. Or did they "only" win 70?

In 1996 the 70-12 Bulls beat the 64-18 Supersonics in the finals. Remember the Bulls went up 3-0 in the series, Chicago kept preparing for riots but the Sonics pushed it to a game 6. I think the Bulls won it on father's day, the year Jordan's dad died. Sonics had a starting line-up of GP, Kemp, Hersey Hawkins, Sam Perkins and Detlef Schrempf.

Mavs finally broke their loooonnnnnggg losing streak at the Lakers last night. Don't know how significant it is, but Mavs must be so relieved to fianlly have this monkey off their backs.

And can somebody please smack the crap out of Jack Nicholson. His front row antics have just grown so very tired, like Spike Lee. Only thing with Spike is that at least with the Knicks sucking, he hasn't been quite as visible. Plus the fact that he's such a bandwagon jumper that he's now reportedly being seen at Nets games!

The networks don't help as they cut to Jack at every opportunity. He gets more face time than Brenda Warner did during the Rams Super Bowl run! His critique of the refs went something like this: "This crew really doesn't like LA very much, Shaq didn't deserve the flagrant foul call, blah, blah, blah". Why the refs haven't tossed his ass out slready is beyond me. They shouldn't have to put up with his nonsense. Shut your piehole Jack. Nobody cares!

Well it looks like the "Greatest Team Ever" won't be breaking any records this year. They'd have to go 53-2 the rest of the way to break the Bulls mark and 52-3 to tie it. Aside from the fact that I am a Spurs fan, I want the Lakers to lose for one major reason: I want Karl Malone to retire ringless. While many admire him for taking a pay cut to go after a ring, I view it as selfishly hitching onto an already championship-caliber wagon in the hopes of improving his career reputation by winning a title. Ll you need to know about Karl is that he couldn't bother to show up for the Christmas Day game against the Rockets. I realize he was injured, but he was asked by Phil Jackson to come to the game. Malone was a unexcused no show. Yeah he deserves a ring.

For all the hoopla around this team, they looked less than mediocre last night against the Rockets and are only tied for first place in their division with the Kings and only percentage points better than the Spurs, a team the Lakers have 3 wins against already. They may still end up winning, but those who handed the trophy to them before the first tipoff might want to wait until they play the games.

[ December 27, 2003, 09:16 AM: Message edited by: George_vikingfan ]