Have we forgotten about the '04 Lakers ?

[no pun intended]

Nah, we haven't forgotten at all. It just doesn't compare lol. Nice try though buddy. You'll get it next time!

[tpols]

This Peja dude will be nowhere to be found when GS chokes again

lmao.. that sounds like you every year bron doesnt win.

[Mikaiel]

It's because Malone and Payton were past their prime. Most people viewed it as a flawed team

Hell no. After/during the season, sure. But when they got those two guys, the general consensus was they were gonna beat the Bulls' regular season record and cruise to an NBA championship.

[AngelEyes]

I'd say it's about as different as LeBron's Decision.

Both of them were 20 ppg guys the season before. Obviously not in their primes, but still very capable players.

Anyway, my main point was don't give a team the crown before the season begins. Everyone thought a Laker title in '04 was a done deal. Paper vs reality.

20 point per game guys on teams that had little to zero chance for competing for anything of any significance. There have been plenty of guys who have average 20+ ppg on average to slightly above average teams. Malone was ancient by 2004 and Payton was very old. Both guys were role players and nothing more by that point and time.

[ScalsFan21]

Steve Kerr also probably is taking cues from Phil regarding managing all the egos, though this is not as tall an order as what Phil had to deal with in '04.

[alanLA92]

Durant is still in his prime along with the 3 all-stars that he is joining. That makes a huge difference than the big 4 that the Lakers had in 03/04.

[AngelEyes]

Hell no. After/during the season, sure. But when they got those two guys, the general consensus was they were gonna beat the Bulls' regular season record and cruise to an NBA championship.

The general consensus by idiot NBA observers. Malone was in his 40's for ****sake. He hadn't won anything of any significance for years by that time. 20 points per game? Who gives a shit? In 2003 he also still had stocked and sloan. Stockton's game was timeless so he could still set up Malone consistently for good looks. Payton also was another guy who hadn't won anything in years by 03' and to any sane, rational NBA observer he was slowing down significantly by that point despite whatever watered down, low impact stats he was putting up in 2003.

[Smoke117]

Malone and Payton were both way past their prime and on the tail end of their careers...stupid ass comparison.

[AngelEyes]

Hell no. After/during the season, sure. But when they got those two guys, the general consensus was they were gonna beat the Bulls' regular season record and cruise to an NBA championship.

Also, NBA writers would consistently say a team would break the Bulls record just about every year after the Bulls reign. You had the 00'-02' Lakers, The 05' Suns, the 06' Pistons, 07' Dallas Mavericks, The Heatles, etc. Doesn't mean a thing. NBA writers are guilty of hyperbole often.

[Mikaiel]

Durant is still in his prime along with the 3 all-stars that he is joining. That makes a huge difference than the big 4 that the Lakers had in 03/04.

I'm not saying this even compares to Durant's decision to join the Warriors. If you want to talk about lame decisions, that's gotta be in its own category. That Heat superteam thing does not come close. All I'm saying is the '04 Lakers are about the same distance away. Not really. But close enough that we should at least mention it. That was the first superteam in NBA history. Although I think there was that Wilt/Baylor/West Laker team, but honestly I'm not knowledgeable enough to talk about it.

[AngelEyes]

Malone and Payton were both way past their prime and on the tail end of their careers...stupid ass comparison.

Oh but they scored a lot of points on mediocre teams. That must mean they were still in their prime.

[Mikaiel]

Also, NBA writers would consistently say a team would break the Bulls record just about every year after the Bulls reign. You had the 00'-02' Lakers, The 05' Suns, the 06' Pistons, 07' Dallas Mavericks, The Heatles, etc. Doesn't mean a thing. NBA writers are guilty of hyperbole often.

I'll give you the '06 Pistons and the Heatles, but I don't remember any talk about those other teams breaking that record. Also, only the Heat triggered that debate before the season even began.

[AngelEyes]

I'm not saying this even compares to Durant's decision to join the Warriors. If you want to talk about lame decisions, that's gotta be in its own category. That Heat superteam thing does not come close. All I'm saying is the '04 Lakers are about the same distance away. Not really. But close enough that we should at least mention it. That was the first superteam in NBA history. Although I think there was that Wilt/Baylor/West Laker team, but honestly I'm not knowledgeable enough to talk about it.

It wasn't a super team though. Not even close. Broken down, old ass Malone, Gary Payton in steep decline, 32 year old still great but not peak anymore Shaq and near peak level Kobe. Plus a bunch of meh role players that didn't fit with the stars as well as they once did.

[alanLA92]

I'm not saying this even compares to Durant's decision to join the Warriors. If you want to talk about lame decisions, that's gotta be in its own category. That Heat superteam thing does not come close. All I'm saying is the '04 Lakers are about the same distance away. Not really. But close enough that we should at least mention it. That was the first superteam in NBA history. Although I think there was that Wilt/Baylor/West Laker team, but honestly I'm not knowledgeable enough to talk about it.

You can argue that the 60's Celtics was the first super team. Then the West era Lakers come to mind.

[AngelEyes]

I'll give you the '06 Pistons and the Heatles, but I don't remember any talk about those other teams breaking that record.

Well that's fine if you didn't but I do and many others do. . . because it happened. The 70+ wins talk always surrounded the Lakers during the Shaq/Kobe era. That same kind of talk also heavily surrounded the Suns when that Nash/Stoudemire/Marion era kicked off and they were killing teams. Same thing about that Dirk team that won 67 games.