Bryant's 2009 and 2010 Championship teams

[BlackWhiteGreen]

It would've been a great series.. Kobe was better/healthier in 09 and Ariza/Odom were shooting lights out in the playoffs. Bynum was also slightly less gimpy than he was in 2010. KG was playing great that year and declined in 2010.

obviously I'm biased, but I'd have loved to have seen LA w/ Gasol and Celts w/ the big 3 from about 06 and watched them grow as rivals. It's also a shame injuries have curtailed what little time we had of the two together.

Side note: I'd argue KG is as good, if not better, now than he ever has been since the injury.

[Celtic_Pride]

If only Bynum was healthy from 08-10 playoffs.. I wonder how that would've played out.

Bynum has no place in triangle. Fisher, Kobe, Artest/Ariza, Odom, Gasol was about the perfect lineup for Phil and heck even Gasol guarded Dwight for the most part during 2009 finals despite Bynum being healthy.

And we saw this year, if Gasol and Bynum play together, 1 of them will always be under utilized since they are similar type of 7 footers

So using Bynum's injury excuse is kinda silly!

[BlueandGold]

They were the traditional style championship team, with one superstar, a great all star sidekick, and varied contributions from good role players in the playoffs. Nothing more, nothing less. If only Bynum was healthy from 08-10 playoffs.. I wonder how that would've played out.

Kobe has also declined since then

This is pretty much the view that I have now of the team. Although I would say that outside of their great sidekick that they still had borderline all-stars in bynum and odom, although Odom is mentally and sometimes physically soft and Bynum like I stated earlier was way too injured to be considered.

Bynum has no place in triangle. Fisher, Kobe, Artest/Ariza, Odom, Gasol was about the perfect lineup for Phil and heck even Gasol guarded Dwight for the most part during 2009 finals despite Bynum being healthy.

And we saw this year, if Gasol and Bynum play together, 1 of them will always be under utilized since they are similar type of 7 footers

So using Bynum's injury excuse is kinda silly!

/credibility

[bwink23]

You don't need a traditionally stacked team, you just need role players to step up their game....

Kobe's never "carried" any team, he's had plenty of help collectively over his championship years.

[thelucifer69]

Last game Vs Rockets
Lakers down by 5 Kobe's out.

Lakers up by 3 when he came in.

[Anaximandro1]

The Lakers had a pretty stacked frontcourt relative to the era with Pau,Odom and Bynum.

[AMISTILLILL]

Last game Vs Rockets
Lakers down by 5 Kobe's out.

Lakers up by 3 when he came in.

Too bad he wasn't even in the game until they'd already taken the lead, genius.

[TheAesirsFinest]

Too bad he wasn't even in the game until they'd already taken the lead, genius.

I'm pretty sure that's what he was going for. Not that that matters since the current Lakers are quite different compared to the 09, 10 Lakers.

[Deuce Bigalow]

Great post. Lakers are still contenders with no Kobe those seasons.

6/8 and 9/7 playoff averages for their starting center Bynum in '09&'10
stacked

[Yao Ming's Foot]

There are a lot of such 'legendary players'.

such as...

[Yao Ming's Foot]

The Lakers had a pretty stacked frontcourt relative to the era with Pau,Odom and Bynum.

Kobe's teams were stacked only if you

1) ignore NBA history
2) pretend NBA is a 2v2 sport (Shaq)
3) pretend that NBA is just SG-PF-C (and that Bynum wasn't injured)

[Cali Syndicate]

6/8 and 9/7 playoff averages for their starting center Bynum in '09&'10
stacked

Kinda tells you how much Phil thought about Pau, if Bynum, arguably the best center right now, was essentially his back up in 09 and 10.

And FYI, Bynum was playing some great ball right before he went down in 09. Was playing solid throughout 10 as well.

[guy]

Kobe's teams were stacked only if you

1) ignore NBA history
2) pretend NBA is a 2v2 sport (Shaq)
3) pretend that NBA is just SG-PF-C (and that Bynum wasn't injured)

Wow seriously, how much help does the dude need? No one said it was 2v2 with Shaq, but its not like they didn't have their typical great role players besides them during those years.

[Mr. I'm So Rad]

Wow seriously, how much help does the dude need? No one said it was 2v2 with Shaq, but its not like they didn't have their typical great role players besides them during those years.

Honestly, outside of 2001, their role players were average at best in terms of how well they played during the Kobe/Shaq years, especially in 2000 and 2002. Those early 3 peat teams really were pretty much Kobe and Shaq.

[Yao Ming's Foot]

Wow seriously, how much help does the dude need? No one said it was 2v2 with Shaq, but its not like they didn't have their typical great role players besides them during those years.

It was insane depth (Kings/Blazers) vs star power (Kobe/Shaq). Those two teams had 6-8 guys better than the Lakers third best player.

It was like the Heat vs the Bulls except Wade and Lebron would have to get it done without Bosh.

"Stacked"