I was watching Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame Kobe for the Lakers Decline, and I thought about this: What if the Lakers had chosen to go with Shaq over Kobe?-Shaq would be in Los Angeles, playing for Showtime-Odom, Butler, and Brian Grant would be in Miami-Kobe would be in Los Angeles, playing for the Clippers-Cuttino Mobley would sign with Denver-Andrew Bynum would not be drafted 10th. Danny Granger would be. Bynum would be drafted 13th to the Bobcats, Sean May would go to the Nets, Antoine Wright would go to the Celtics, and Gerald Green would go to the Pacers.<u>Los Angeles Lakers:</u>PG: Smush Parker / Jordan FarmarSG: Mo Evans / Sasha VujacicSF: Danny Granger / Luke WaltonPF: Vladimir Radmonovic / Brian CookC: Shaquille O'neal / Chris MihmWorse<u>Miami Heat:</u>PG: Jason Williams / Gary PaytonSG: Dwyane Wade / James PoseySF: Caron Butler / Antoine WalkerPF: Lamar Odom / Udonis Haslem / Wayne SimienC: Alonzo Mourning / Micheal DoleacBetter<u>Los Angeles Clippers:</u>PG: Sam Cassell / Shaun Livingston / Daniel EwingSG: Kobe Bryant / Quinton RossSF: Corey Maggette / Tim ThomasPF: Elton Brand / James SingletonC: Chris Kaman / Zeljko RebracaBetter<u>Denver Nuggets:</u>PG: Andre Miller / Earl BoykinsSG: Cuttino Mobley / JR SmithSF: Carmelo Anthony / DeMarr JohnsonPF: Kenyon Martin / Reggie Evans / Joe SmithC: Marcus Camby / NeneBetterThat would change up the teams quite a bit. It looks like the Lakers made a wise decision trading Shaq over Kobe.
I don't like when people do this and try and assemble a roster, you know why? Because all the other acquisitions/draft picks would be different.- If Kobe went to the Clippers, the Clippers wouldn't have had a very high pick and they wouldn't have Livingston.- The Lakers would have been in different draft positions and they wouldn't have gotten Danny Granger or Jordan Farmar.- The Celtics wouldn't have drafted Antoine Wright (even though the order would be changed and they wouldn't have been at 18), they would have taken a PG or big. They only took Green because he was a top 5 prospect and he slipped.- Miami wouldn't have made that huge trade for Toine, J-Will, and Posey... Zo might not have come back.. they wouldn't have GP because he only signed there to get a title with Shaq/Wade... and they would have had a different draft position and wouldn't have Simien.- Denver wouldn't have gotten JR Smith if they had Mobely.See what I mean? EVERYTHING would be different, therefore your rosters are way off.
I don't think any of this can be taken seriously. Who really knows if Kobe would have signed with the Clippers or not...with Kobe who knows if they sign Tim Thomas...Maybe the Heat trade someone without Shaq around...it's impossible to know what these teams would look like today if the trade didn't go down.
Yeah to much to think about though it is interesting.Had Kobe gone to the Clippers though, I really think they'd be the class of the west.Miami would be better off for the future of course, but their title will always make that trade a valid one now.
I know that you can't take this seriously. But if you imagine the scenario, just think about what it would be like in the league today. I'm sure Kobe would have gotten traded if the Lakers lost him though. But Kobe was very close to signing with the Clippers.
Yeah, trying to figure out how things would have happened without the Shaq trade is impossible, and the breakdown at the beginning of the thread would most definitely have NOT have happened. And the Clippers would the be the class of the West if they signed Kobe? Umm... last time I checked they were a heck of a team. Without Kobe.
The way I look at it is, the Lakers are going to be better off with Kobe than Shaq even if the rest of the teams were the exact same as they are besides those two players. Shaq is on the decline while Kobe has a good 3-5 prime years left in him and after that, he is still going to be pretty dang good for a while. Shaq is pretty much done. He is no longer "Shaq". Yao has clearly surpassed him and I dont think we are ever going to see Shaq again. The Lakers have a good chance to go somewhat deep in to the playoffs this year. They have looked great at the beginning of this season and I really hope they keep it up.
I dunno, you put a superstar SG/PG/SF next to Shaq and the team's a championship contender.You can't put a superstar SF/PF/C with Kobe and expect the same.I really think that for the Lakers to be more successful that Kobe has to buy into the triangle offense and actually play it more.
Kobe hasnt played with a superstar besides Shaq so that is impossible to tell. Also, Wade was the one that led the Heat in the playoffs, not Shaq. You can make the case that Shaq draws doubles or whatever, but Wade was the one that made that team go. He WAS the go to guy. Shaq is getting old and he is past his prime, and he isnt half the player he was 3-4 years ago. Kobe (once he gets healthy again) is one of the best players in the league, and his team is winning right now. I think the Lakers made the right decision.....They knew that Shaq wouldnt be that good for that many more years and they were right. And they got Lamar Odom out of the deal and Kwame Brown who COULD become a good player...so I dont think it was a bad move at all now that I look at things.
<span style="font-family:Tahoma">Miami got the short term deal out of this. They won a championship and now can build around DWade when Shaq, Zo & GP are gone.Lakers got the long term deal out of that trade. They now have young talent in Kobe, Odom and Kwame Brown.</span>
I don't know about Cuttino and Nugs working out a deal. But I think it's clear had Lakers not taken Bynum, he would have fallen in the draft to probably to 20's. Bobcats would have still took May.
We wouldn't have had the money to sign Vlad rad since shaq wanted 30 million dollars a year. We wouldn't have had Jordan farmar because we took him 26th and that was the pick we got in the trade for shaq.That team would've absolutely sucked. Thank god that didn't go downedit: For the lakers to be successful Lamar odom needs to learn how to be agressive. Or re-discover it.
What wouldve happened to Chucky Atkins. You have Mihm, which means the Payton for Mihm, Jones, and Atkins trade went down. But you dont have Kwame which means the Butler and Atkins for Kwame didnt happen. What happened to him?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lakaboy42 @ Nov 10 2006, 03:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>What wouldve happened to Chucky Atkins. You have Mihm, which means the Payton for Mihm, Jones, and Atkins trade went down. But you dont have Kwame which means the Butler and Atkins for Kwame didnt happen. What happened to him?</div>Well caron came to la through the Shaq trade. So if the shaq trade never happened than that would mean the Kwame for butler+atkins trade never happened.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Melo061 @ Nov 9 2006, 09:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Well caron came to la through the Shaq trade. So if the shaq trade never happened than that would mean the Kwame for butler+atkins trade never happened.</div>Exactly, so he would be on the team, which would eliminate the need for Smush. But then again, they might have kept GP if Shaq had stayed. There's no way of knowing. Who would be coaching? Would Phil come back?
<span style="font-family:Tahoma">If Shaq had stayed, I don't think Phil would have returned. Phil seems better coaching Guards than Big Men. It's proven with his success with MJ & Kobe.</span>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Illosophee @ Nov 11 2006, 02:01 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><span style="font-family:Tahoma">If Shaq had stayed, I don't think Phil would have returned. Phil seems better coaching Guards than Big Men. It's proven with his success with MJ & Kobe.</span></div>I'm not sure what's in Phil's head, but from what I've seen he got along with shaq more than he did with kobe.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lakaboy42 @ Nov 10 2006, 01:31 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Exactly, so he would be on the team, which would eliminate the need for Smush. But then again, they might have kept GP if Shaq had stayed. There's no way of knowing. Who would be coaching? Would Phil come back?</div>No... his point was that without the Shaq trade Caron would still be in Miami.I think Phil might have stayed and not LEFT LA if it had been Kobe who was traded.
