2004 Lakers vs 2008 Lakers - Better Team?

[garcia vega]

Which team will be looked at as the better team when its all said and done?

The 2004 Lakers - lost in NBA Finals to Detroit 4-1

Kobe Bryant
Shaq
Karl Malone
Gary Payton
Derek Fisher

off the bench

Luke Walton
Devean George
Slava Medevenko

The 2008 Lakers - ???? to be determined

Kobe Bryant
Lamar Odom
Pau Gasol
Derek Fisher
Luke Walton

off the bench
Sasha Vujacac
Ronny Turiaf
Vladamir Rodmanavic
Jordan Farmar

[kevshine]

tba

[mcbro]

The 2008 team is better...They are deeper, faster, and younger and they can beat you different ways

[garcia vega]

should be interesting debate

[slice]

Its all about them rings, has nothing to do with individual talent, regular season wins, or anything else. Ask the Giants and Patriots. There is no way a non-champion can ever be better than a champion IMO.

So like Kev said - tba

[StreetStylez_DVD]

I say the 2008 team is better skill wise but 2004 team had experience but old legs to go with it. lol

[slice]

I say the 2008 team is better skill wise but 2004 team had experience but old legs to go with it. lol

04 team most decorated but not most lethal soldiers LOL

[C. Sheist]

Its all about them rings, has nothing to do with individual talent, regular season wins, or anything else. Ask the Giants and Patriots. There is no way a non-champion can ever be better than a champion IMO.

So like Kev said - tba

i dont really know which team is better...hard to call

but this statement doesnt always hold true...it pretty much comes down to the competition of the league in that particular season..and the matchups you draw..

i feel the 1999-2000 portland trailblazers were better then the 1977 championship blazers...the reason they didnt win a championship is because the lakers were better then them as well. Both of those teams were better then that 1977 blazer team...but obviously only one team can come out victorious...

as for the lakers squad, i cant make the call just yet...to tough to judge

[Jazzy1]

2008 is a better team. The Lakers didn't even have a bench besides Fisher in 04. George was the 5th starter not Fisher.

[slice]

i dont really know which team is better...hard to call

but this statement doesnt always hold true...it pretty much comes down to the competition of the league in that particular season..and the matchups you draw..

i feel the 1999-2000 portland trailblazers were better then the 1977 championship blazers...the reason they didnt win a championship is because the lakers were better then them as well. Both of those teams were better then that 1977 blazer team...but obviously only one team can come out victorious...

as for the lakers squad, i cant make the call just yet...to tough to judge

I feel what you're saying, shit is just tricky. The only true "better" to me is a title or if one team beats the other in the playoffs. Anything else is fantasy basketball.

[C. Sheist]

lmao...anybody else get a kick outta mcbro spelling fisher FISCHER

[mcbro]

lmao...anybody else get a kick outta mcbro spelling fisher FISCHER

I been spelling his name like that the whole season 2:lol I don't know why I add a "C" to his name eitha:lol

[entesq]

My 2:

I've had the fortunate opportunity to sit in the stands & see each of those teams play at least 20 games apiece, on top of the rest of the games that were watched on TV. And though the 2004 team had one of the best starting 5 ever assembled (4 Hall of Famers), the rest of their team didn't make many contributions. Fisher and Fox got lost in the mix alot that year. And as someone mentioned, there were a lot of bodies with some "mileage" on that team. They got out to a great start, but when Malone hurt his knee, that early energy left. With Horace Grant, his backup, getting hurt a few games prior, they had to go to fuckin' Slava (can still hear Stephen A. calling his name in disgust). They maintained throughout the season, but you could tell that the slightest mishap was gonna cost them. Walton was a rookie averaging about 2 points that season, so he wasn't a huge contributor off the bench in terms of scoring. He knew the offense well & they didn't have anyone else. Gary Payton never took the time to learn the triangle, and just never seemed to find any rhythm in the system or with PJ. Real talk: Ime Udoka was on the Lakers that year for a few games...lol. Pargo's game was non-existent back then as well. George was decent. I, along with every other Laker fan, thought that he was gonna have a better year/career. Turned out to be the beginning of his end, as he fucked up that knee after that year.

Today's team just plays a lot better as a total unit. Though they still need work on the defensive end, two of their better defenders in Bynum and Ariza went down for the 2nd half of the season. But even without them playing significant roles at this moment, the Lakers are on the brink of the Finals. They've shown in both the Utah and San Antonio series that they can lock down on defense when it matters most...the sign of any Championship team coached by PJ. This team is just "honed in" on the offensive end though...very cerebral group. Besides Pau (and seemingly Vlad at times), the other players know all 5 positions when it comes to the triangle. This has led to such a huge improvements in the passing efficiency & fgs made off of assists. The 2008 squad has players who are capable of picking up the scoring slack and avoiding "lulls" when your 1 & 2 options are on the bench. Still don't like to see it when they don't have Kobe or Lamar in the game, but I feel much more confident with Sasha & Farmar ('cept for a few games this playoffs) than Kareem Rush & a washed up Bryon Russell. :lol

In all seriousness, its scary to think how far this year's team has come....and they're missing to key players. Next year, barring injuries....:19:
:67:

[garcia vega]

lol