2005-2006 and 2006-2007 Kobe with Pau

[Ca$H]

What if Kobe had Pau during his peak and didn't waste it with Kwame, Smush, and Luke Walton as starters? Surely that is a guaranteed two more regular season MVPs, 2 more finals MVPs, and 2 more titles. Timing is everything. It's a damn shame that Kobe's peak was wasted.

[AirTupac]

GOAT status. What could have been

[blablabla]

They obviously win it all from 06-10 which means Kobe ends up with 8 rings 5 fmvps and about 3 mvps cementing goat status
a damn shame

[ImKobe]

Probably at least 1 more title if Kobe had a competent supporting cast from 05-10 instead of 08-10. Just look how damn great Kobe was in 2007.

Even in that Phoenix series in 07, he put up 33 5 4 on 46/36/92 shooting and they nearly got swept in that series. 07 was wide open in terms of anyone winning a title. 2008 Lakers would have destroyed the 07 Spurs like they destroyed the 08 Spurs in the WCF & that pathetic Cleveland Squad would have lost by 30 every game.

[1987_Lakers]

Who knows what would have happened, the Mavs got to the Finals in '06 and had the best record in the league in '07 with an average supporting cast around Dirk & a horrible coach. The West was wide open in those years.

[clutchinho]

They obviously win it all from 06-10 which means Kobe ends up with 8 rings 5 fmvps and about 3 mvps cementing goat status
a damn shame

What could have been... But 5 rings is still no joke

For some perspective, only THREE franchises have won more titles than Kobe.

[guy]

Too bad. Kobe didn't have at least an all-star level teammate for every single year of his 17 year career. Poor guy.

[blablabla]

What could have been... But 5 rings is still no joke

For some perspective, only THREE franchises have won more titles than Kobe.

in the end it doesn't matter real knowledgeable bball fans know how good kobe was and what he was capable of

[DMAVS41]

Don't see them winning in 06. Mavs and Spurs would have still been better...and the Heat in the finals would have been no joke either.

07 would have been a real possibility. It would depend on how the seedings broke down...the Mavs not having to play the Warriors could have changed everything.

The 07 Spurs are also a bit under-rated here. But there were only two teams as good as the Lakers would have been in the whole league and they might have only had to play one of them...so a title in 07 was a real possibility.

06 would have been a lot tougher though...

[SamuraiSWISH]

Who knows what would have happened, the Mavs got to the Finals in '06 and had the best record in the league in '07 with an average supporting cast around Dirk & a horrible coach. The West was wide open in those years.

No Mark Cuban team has ever been AVERAGE around Dirk Nowitzki, that's absurd and Avery Johnson wasn't a horrible coach either.

I wouldn't say the West was totally wide open. There was a lot of quality teams, just no dominant power houses like early 2000s Lakers, Kings, Mavs, Blazers, and Spurs.

Anyway to answer OP, Lakers in 2006, and 2007 w/ Gasol actually probably win the title. I don't think they'd win in 2008. Who knows if they would've then had the gas to win in 2009, and 2010 though.

2006 Finals v.s. Miami: Shaq / Wade v.s. Kobe / Gasol
2007 Finals v.s. Cleveland: LeBron v.s. Kobe / Gasol

Would've been absolutely EPIC to watch. I really wish we would've got to see that honestly.

[DMAVS41]

No Mark Cuban team has ever been AVERAGE around Dirk Nowitzki, that's absurd and Avery Johnson wasn't a horrible coach either. I wouldn't say the West was totally wide open. There was a lot of quality teams, just no dominant power houses like early 2000s Lakers, Kings, Blazers, and Spurs.

you are right that the 07 team was not "average"...but not special either;

Howard
Harris
Terry
Stack
Diop
Devean George

That was the team we ran with in the playoffs. LOL...



you could not be more wrong about Avery...he was not a good coach. it depends on how we are defining "horrible", but compared to championship level coaches...avery is definitely a really bad coach.

you give the 06 and 07 Mavs phil jackson or larry brown or doc rivers or even a guy like Carlisle...and we have at least 1 title

give those those teams popovich? I'd bet we win both.

there is reason avery doesn't have a job anymore...

[BlackVVaves]

Probably another ring at least.

Kobe with some help on the offensive end would probably put up less ppg, but on better efficiency.

Thing is though, I think it took those seasons of playing with pure garbage to inject insight into Kobe's mind. I think those years of being first round fodder with no help taught him how to better himself as a teammate and leader, so that once Pau came, he was able to cultivate a better relationship with him, which showed with their chemistry on the court.

[SamuraiSWISH]

there is reason avery doesn't have a job anymore...

Stan Van Gundy, Doug Collins, and JVG are bad coaches as well? You just compared them to 2x of the absolute best coaches ever. The best, definitively in the modern era (PJ, Pop, and Riley) ... of course he looks bad. But he was far from a horrendous coach. You think the 2006 Mavericks lost the Finals because of their coaching? And the point stands, no Mark Cuban roster has ever been average. Guy is a brillaint GM, willing to do, or spend whatever it takes to win. Because he actually cares about the product on the floor.

[BlackVVaves]

Stan Van Gundy, Doug Collins, and JVG are bad coaches as well? You just compared them to 2x of the absolute best coaches ever. The best, definitively in the modern era (PJ, Pop, and Riley) ... of course he looks bad. But he was far from a horrendous coach. You think the 2006 Mavericks lost the Finals because of their coaching? And the point stands, no Mark Cuban roster has ever been average. Guy is a brillaint GM, willing to do, or spend whatever it takes to win. Because he actually cares about the product on the floor.

Mark Cuban isn't the Mavs GM, he's the owner

[DMAVS41]

Stan Van Gundy, Doug Collins, and JVG are bad coaches as well? You just compared them to 2x of the absolute best coaches ever. The best, definitively in the modern era (PJ, Pop, and Riley) ... of course he looks bad. But he was far from a horrendous coach. You think the 2006 Mavericks lost the Finals because of their coaching? And the point stands, no Mark Cuban roster has ever been average. Guy is a brillaint GM, willing to do, or spend whatever it takes to win. Because he actually cares about the product on the floor.

Yes, I do think we lost in 06 because of his coaching. It was not good...certainly not Riley level. I said compared to championship coaches...which is the standard you are judging the Mavs on.

The 13 Mavs were average...nothing currently special about this roster the Mavs currently have either.

Cuban is not even the GM...LOL

And he is far from brilliant...he just spent a lot of money. He and Nellie JR. built flawed teams consistently post 03...LOL

You are so ignorant about the Mavs...you really need to get educated or stop talking about them.