Originally Posted by
ACBboyz84
Originally Posted by
Xtapolapacetl
Originally Posted by
ACBboyz84
Originally Posted by Xtapolapacetl
It is most definitely NOT ignorant to say this. There is ton of evidence to back up this claim.
The proof can be seen with how Kobe did after Shaq left and was essentially in the same situation as those guys, having to carry the teams on his back. And he didn't do a damn thing. He had great scoring numbers on a ton of shots and a mediocre field goal percentage, just like those other players. Two first rounds and a lottery, nothing different whatsoever from any of those other early 00s stars, team-success wise. Blew a 3-1 lead in the series just like McGrady. But that's just how Kobe's career developed, one side of the story. In 2006, Shaq who was MUCH worse than the 1999-2002 Shaq won with Wade. If prime Shaq could win with Kobe and a past his prime Shaq could win with Wade, saying that a prime Shaq could've won with McGrady/Iverson/Carter/Ray Allen/Pierce/Kidd/healthy Hill is far from "ignorant".
And how the hell can you be so certain that they wouldn't even be better under Phil's system. Look at pre-Lakers and post-Lakers Lamar Odom for example. He had his best season under Phil. What in the world makes you think that they would be automatically worse in the triangle offense. I happen to think that prime Ray Allen would be DEADLY with Shaq in the triangle.
Also, I don't know if you've noticed but Kobe became a significantly worse defender as soon as Shaq left L.A. I love how this is conveniently ignored by Kobe stanboys. There are two reasons for him declining defensively post-Shaq. First, because now he had to carry the offensive load on his own and had to spend more energy on the offensive end of the court. Secondly, Shaq's presence made it easier for him to play defense. Even though Shaq was not Olajuwon or David Robinson defensively, his very presence scared the #$#% out of players when it came to driving to the basket. Playing perimeter defense next to a guy like this is a great deal easier. Tracy McGrady was a phenomenal defender his last year with the Raptors. He drew comparisons to Scottie Pippen mainly for his defensive abilities. But as soon as he left Toronto and came to Orlando, he was a mainly offensive player who played little D, just like Kobe post-Shaq. I know that McGrady would've been a great defender if he had Shaq in the post.
Overall, saying that Shaq would've won with McGrady/Iverson/Carter/Ray Allen/Pierce/Kidd/healthy Hill isn't so much a comment about Kobe.. Or any of these players. It's mostly about Shaq and just how dominant compared to any player in the league. No matter what you can say about Kobe, he was still a star perimeter player. There were several of those, and Kobe was constantly compared to those other stars and vice versa. But he had one argument over them: Rings (because of Shaq). Unlike Kobe, the perimeter star player, there was only ONE Shaq in the league. This cannot be emphasized enough. You can glorify Kobe and call him "unstoppable", but because he was a perimeter player, he could NEVER be classified as being the same kind of unstoppable as Shaq was. The rim itself would stop Kobe and his mediocre field goal percentages plenty of games.
Shaq was so dominant beause he got got Mutumbo, Rik Smith, Dale Davis guarding him. LOl look at you trying to hype up Shaq as if Shaq dominated Hakeem in the post. The Lakers took advantage of the other team lack of inside presence. Simple as that. Shag get to score 30, 40 because he got inferior center guarding him
Without Kobe performance in the perimeter they wouldn't get past the Spurs , Blazer, Kings.
Doesn't matter how you twist it. Kobe won 3 rings vs your Lebron and his 6th imaginary rings
According to your theory. I can replace Kobe on the 90s Knicks . They would have won several rings too right ? Kobe would have another 2 or 3 imaginary rings now right ?
Hahhahahahaha
You're still proving my point for me again and again. Thank you for pointing out the weak centers Shaq played against and showing the luxury Kobe had of playing with a player that nobody could stop.
Doesn't matter how you twist it: Kobe had the luxury of playing with prime Shaq for 6 seasons and he only won 3 rings in that period. Plus he prevented himself from playing with Shaq more seasons due to his hero ball and his brick-chucking in the 2004 NBA finals, only to prove how helpless he was without Shaq by "leading" the Lakers to lottery and two first round exits in the following 3 seasons.
Prime Shaq won a championship despite Kobe putting up crappy numbers like this in the 2000 finals that aren't even worthy of a 2nd option: 15.6 ppg on .367 shooting, 4.6 rpg and 4.2 apg
Past his prime Shaq who put up numbers that weren't nearly as good as those between 1999-2002 won a championship with Wade in 2006.
Yet it's ridiculous to say that prime Shaq would have won with prime McGrady/prime Carter/prime Iverson/prime Ray Allen/prime Kidd, let alone prime LeBron?
Funny how you accuse me of "would've" arguments while you say that the Lakers "would've" been out of the playoffs without Kobe by bringing up some random Kobe game where he played well. I can mention a ton of examples like this of Lakers role players stepping up in various games. Not to mention Gasol and Artest bailing a 6-24 brick-chucking Kobe in game 7 of the 2010 finals and Derek Fisher bailing him out in game 3. We've sure seen how lost the Lakers were without the almighty Kobe in game 2 of the 2000 finals where he played 9 minutes.
Keep dreaming Kobe stan in your imagiation land where Kobe didn't piggyback ride Shaq for those 3 championsh
You proved nothing. Sit your @! down. Yes it is ridiculous to say Lebron would have , Tmac would have etc. Kobe have real actual proven championships. There is no actual evident of Tmac, VC Lebron or whoever etc would have won with Shaq.
And i have said 1000 times without Kobe's help. Shaq won't win 3 rings. Same with Kobe. Without Shaq Kobe won't win 3 rings. Get that through your tiny ugly head . Your brain is so small that you can't see the big picture
You keep mentioning Kobe performing in 2000 Finals and ignore Kobe for the entire playoff and regular season number lol . Especially the WCF where the real challenge happened. Kobe 15.6 ppg in Finals is your weak argument ? lol
You keep saying stupid crap like "Kobe piggyback ride Shaq" as if all Kobe had to do was sitting on the bench like Luke Walton and get his rings lol. Do you know what the term piggy back ride is ? That term is use for guys that sit on the bench not for a force like Kobe. I posted videos of what Kobe did to help the team won championship. It's actual, real proof. Not stupidity that come out of your stupid brain like Lebron would have , Tmac would have etc argument lol. What a complete joke view from a stupid Kobe hater/troll hhaha
Lebron would have been better than MJ right now. Replace Lebron with Kobe . He'd have 6 or 8 rings right now plus the one he just won with Miami. That's 9 rings total . Lebron is better than Jordan in your imaginary world LOL
How about you providing evidence that Shaq
wouldn't have won without Kobe?
If you're going to dismiss any claim backed up by facts as "imagionary" then there's really no evidence that a team consisting of prime Magic, prime Jordan, prime Bird, prime Duncan and prime Shaq would've ever won a single ring. After all, that scenario never actually happened and those players never played together. So I guess claiming otherwise is pure imagination.
This is my evidence:
Exhibit A: The fact that prime Shaq won a championship despite Kobe putting up crappy numbers like this in the 2000 finals: 15.6 ppg on .367 shooting, 4.6 rpg and 4.2 apg, and also won game 2 of the finals where Kobe only played 9 minutes
Exhibit B: The fact that past his prime Shaq who put up numbers that weren't nearly as good as those between 1999-2002 won a championship with Wade in 2006
Exhibit C: The fact that most star perimeter players had seasons that were statistically better than Kobe's 1999-00, when Shaq carried the Lakers to the title. 2000-03 McGrady was at least just as good as 2000-03 Kobe. And I somehow need to prove that LeBron who is a better passer, better rebounder, better defender, more efficient and more consistent scorer and flat out a BETTER BASKETBALL PLAYER THAN KOBE BRYANT would've won with prime Shaq?
You keep bringing up Kobe's better games while conveniently ignoring that other perimeter star players had plenty of good games as well.
And what ABOUT Kobe's 1999-00 regular season and playoff numbers:
Regular season: 22.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 4.9 apg
Playoffs: 21.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.4 apg
Look at Iverson's, Carter's, Kidd's, Allen's numbers that season. There was nothing statistically substantial to differentiate Kobe from other star perimeter players in those seasons. Shaq was the one who was completely unique and completely irreplaceable.
Kobe missed 16 games in the 1999-00 season. The Lakers' record was 12-4 in those games.
Kobe missed 14 games in the 2000-01 season. The Lakers' record was 11-3 in those games.
Shaq missed 3 games in the 1999-00 season. The Lakers' record was 1-2 in those games.
Shaq missed 8 games in the 2000-01 season. The Lakers' record was 5-3 in those games.
But get this: Shaq missed 15 games in the 2001-02 season. The Lakers record was 7-8 in those games! They were 51-16 with him, in the remaining games. Kobe missed only 2 games that season. By the way, the Lakers record in those two games: 2-0.
Yeah, Shaq was lost without Kobe. It was a complete 50/50 partnership if I ever saw one.
LMAO @ the Kobe needed Shaq, but Shaq needed Kobe angle, like trying to say "see how objective I am by acknowledging that Kobe needed Shaq too". Yeah that partnership was SOOO 50/50.
Jordan never won a ring without Pippen.
Bird never won without McHale/Parish.
Hakeem never won a ring without Kenny Smith.
That doesn't prove a damn thing that one player isn't overwhelmingly more responsible for the team's success. I can say that Kobe and Fisher are 50/50 in those 5 rings as well seeing as how one never won without the other. And again you disregard the fact that a much worse Shaq without Kobe went on to win with the Heat in 2006.