....don't forget about this "dream" team that was supposed to win it all. That is, until they ran into that "starless" Piston team the same season.
Karl Malone was injured for that series. Injuries could definitely derail the Heat. Also, Gary Payton wasn't great by that point. Unless James is as old as he looks, age-related decline is unlikely.
If that team had Malone and Payton in there prime........ holy shit. I could have played small forward and it wouldn't have mattered.
It's times like these, I wished we would've drafted this guy. Maybe we could photoshop Brandon Roy's head in there.
Times like these being, I assume, all times and in all places? People try and compare Durant and Oden to Bowie and I just laugh the bitter tears of one who knows how hollow that rings. How many times have I dreamt about a Jordan/Drexler back court...
I get tired of myself repeating this over and over, but: (as already mentioned), despite rumblings of pretty bad chemistry on that team, despite Gary Payton unexpectedly falling off his career cliff during the playoffs, and despite Karl Malone being hurt in the playoffs and being 40!, they STILL almost won it all. The team above is no kind of example or cautionary tale of how a "SuperTeam" is no guarantee. Wade, Bosh and LeBron WANT to be together. They are all in their primes. If they are healthy, they are going to kick MAJOR ASS. End of story. That Laker team was a mess as Kobe and Shaq (supposedly) HATED each other at that point. Malone did his best to pull it all together and he did just enough to keep 'em going. I think that team was sabatoged most by Payton's refusal during the playoffs to admit to himself that he was losing it. Payton at 35 had played monster minutes during the regular season. He was a man possessed tyring to get a ring. But at that age it was a huge mistake. By the time of the playoffs he was fried, and Payton was terrible in the playoffs. Bad defense and bad shooting (TS of 43%) and he kept taking shots. Man, if you take jumpshots when you have Shaq on the floor (TS of 57%), you deserve to lose.
That's a ridiculous comparison. Karl Malone and Gary Payton were in the twilight of their careers. LeBron is 25 Wade is 28 Bosh is 26 All entering their primes.
I'm sure this was just a friendly, non-homophobic offer to let Kobe toss his salad and reflect upon the flavor: [video=youtube;1UziUhf1ukw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UziUhf1ukw[/video]
I'm thinking 2016/17 is when the wheels start to come off the cart. Plus I question how well LeBron will play once the athleticism starts to wane and Wade the same. Bosh might be the big man by that point simply based on his game.
