They rank the 19-20 Lakers championship as #6 of all the Lakers championships.
Quote:
It will be interesting to see how time treats this team given the unique bubble situation, but the duo of James and Davis is right up there with prime Kobe-Shaq and Magic-Kareem. This team was dominant, though the net rating is a little deceiving, thanks to two blowouts in the Finals. What really puts them behind some of the others is the lack of depth. Caldwell-Pope had a great playoff run, but he, 34-year-old Rajon Rondo, Kyle Kuzma, Danny Green and Alex Caruso don't quite stack up to some of the supporting casts that rank higher on this list.
I didn't even include them on MY list. But others who are less emotionally-driven about LBJ/AD seem to think they should be given some credit.
They get credit for circumstance especially Vogel and spoelstra for keeping their team focused. But players have come out and said they were uninterested. Bron AD were smart. They knew this was their only chance.
Every championship can have a "circumstance" attached to it. Do the Raps get dinged b/c KD/Klay got hurt?
Or the Warriors b/c they got KD to join a loaded 3 superstar team? Or how about pre-KD b/c LBJ lost Kyrie/Love in the Finals?
In this case, the Bubble made every team a co-equal. No one had home court or any advantage. And if you're excusing teams that didn't have the mental fortitude to persist and win, then that's not on the Lakers.
So we’re not comparing them to just past lakers
Lol, did you even read my OP? I didn't list the 19-20 Lakers as my top Lakers championship squad. But that goes to show how blessed Lakers fans are. It is not meant to diminish the 19-20 championship, but to show how strong of teams we have had in the past.
I just don't understand why you walk around ashamed of the 19-20 championship. I will never understand that as a Lakers fan. Sure, there were unique circumstances, but it applied to all teams and that is a banner I am proud to see hung up in the rafters.
I know. I volunteered my best and for extra credit gave my worst.
They rank the 19-20 Lakers championship as #6 of all the Lakers championships.
Quote:
It will be interesting to see how time treats this team given the unique bubble situation, but the duo of James and Davis is right up there with prime Kobe-Shaq and Magic-Kareem. This team was dominant, though the net rating is a little deceiving, thanks to two blowouts in the Finals. What really puts them behind some of the others is the lack of depth. Caldwell-Pope had a great playoff run, but he, 34-year-old Rajon Rondo, Kyle Kuzma, Danny Green and Alex Caruso don't quite stack up to some of the supporting casts that rank higher on this list.
I didn't even include them on MY list. But others who are less emotionally-driven about LBJ/AD seem to think they should be given some credit.
How is this a great article? This has to be the most botched Laker championship list I’ve ever seen. AD title should be last.
Yes lot of rings and almost every ring may or can have an asterisk next to it but I’ll tell you one thing: I’ve never seen any title in the NBA be questioned as much as 19-20, including the Spurs 99’ and Raptors from a few years ago. That’s reality. I’ll still take it though..ring is a ring but on a list like this? 6th is absolutely comical for an asterisk ring
Tough one...I never really saw the West/Chamberlain/Goodrich team. Tough to argue against them or the 1985 team, which was pretty loaded. I still go with the 2000-2001 Laker team. They fought all year, then decided to get serious, literally destroyed all the best teams. They swept Portland (loaded team but dysfunctional), the Kings (was supposed to give Lakers trouble) and the Spurs (the actual favorite with home court). In fact the Spurs got absolutely destroyed in LA. Philly needed a rusty Laker team, overtime and Kobe's one bad game in the playoffs to win 1. They were so dominant the league had to change the rules before the next season, allowing zones knowing the Lakers had two un-guardable players.
Joined: 02 May 2005 Posts: 90323 Location: Formerly Known As 24
Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2022 9:40 am Post subject:
Hard to compare eras to each other, but the late 80's repeat team (which was actually sweeping every team en route to the finals in 89, prior to Magic and Scott going down) was just deep and dominant. But 01 was also really really dominant, if more top heavy. I don't have a problem with anyoe siding with either. _________________ “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” ― Elie Wiesel
Joined: 17 Sep 2008 Posts: 21101 Location: In a white room, with black curtains near the station
Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2022 9:43 am Post subject:
danzag wrote:
yinoma2001 wrote:
Not even sure why folks are talking about 19-20 team when I didn't even have them on my own top Lakers championship teams? *shoulder shrug*.
Just another opportunity to hate on the team they say they support
Go figure
By people with an agenda against certain players, or who absolutely cannot recognize a truly great defense when they see it, or recognize the value in a title run.
Not saying that team was that good on offense, but the defense was spectacular, especially when it mattered.
And yes it's clear the 19-20 team wasn't even listed in the OP. Not surprising this came up though, unfortunately.
That was five NBA titles in six years. It was really six in seven years, but the NBA doesn't recognize the NBL title in '48. Whoever made the decision must have been a Celtics fan. _________________ Internet Argument Resolved
2000-2001, Shaq was the most dominant force I have seen in the league. That playoff run is legendary. The fact that they somewhat coasted during the regular season and people said they were done made the playoffs more special.
The dismantling of the Spurs that year in the WCF was like watching a cheetah take down a gazelle. And Kobe was brilliant that series.
Kobe owned the Spurs in the that series. I miss those days!
Hard to go against the 71-72 team, 69-13, 33 wins in a row, and finally a championship after so many bitter disappointments.
The 86-87 Showtime squad was something to behold. They were killing people right from the jump and didn't stop. The 85 team that took down the Celtics in the cursed Boston Garden rathole. The early 80s teams with Cap and Earv.
The Shaq/Kobe squads were terrific and won 3 in a row. And then the Kobe/Pau team that won two in a row.
And of course all due respect to the terrific Minneapolis squads, the first NBA dynasty.
Yep, Lakers fans don't have a lot to complain about.
2000-2001 team wins my vote. that team had it all:
superstar in his prime (shaq)
young superstar just entered his prime (kobe)
younger supporting cast replaced the aging group from a year ago (fisher, horry, fox)
best of all, that team had a bright future ahead of them.
Last edited by SGV-Laker fan on Thu Apr 28, 2022 3:44 pm; edited 1 time in total
2000-2001 team wins my vote. that team had it all:
superstar in his prime (shaq)
young superstar just entered his prime (kobe)
young supporting cast replaced the aging group from a year ago (fisher, horry, fox)
best of all, that team had a bright future ahead of them.
I'm going with this one too. Other than the game 1 loss in the Finals (100% rust), they were a buzzsaw. Shaq won Finals MVP but any true Lakers fans know the real finals was being fought against the Spurs. Kobe was off the charts in that series. He basically forced Popovich to search for a "Kobe stopper" after that series. Other teams soon followed suit. That's how dominant he was. _________________ KOBE
The stronger teams I saw, that never looked at all vulnerable to losing a series when the series got a few games into it (2). I can't personally rate the 80s teams as I saw their series as a kid, and it's hard to trace back their dominance. I'd have to go on stats and childhood memories which is tough. I can rate from 99-present.
My top 2
00-01 Lakers 15-1 playoff record. Just dominance. The best chemistry Kobe/Shaq ever had. Great balance all around. Kobe "got it" that year. Wasn't trying to play for his own accolades, was a PG/SG balanced attack like we never saw again from him. Defensively we still had some guys that were willing to defend and this was our last year where we still had some legs on us defensively, the next year with the Sacto series you could tell the defense was starting to slip (Horry. Fox getting old, Shaq slower).
19-20 Lakers dominant defensively 16-5 playoff record no series beyond game 6 and chances to win each series at 3-1. Beating teams 4 straight games at times in the playoffs is not easy. Some of the best defense I've ever seen played. AD and Lebron peaking together like Shaq and Kobe did in 2001.
Howver I'm sure the teams that played in the 80s, just looking at their talent level and the numbers, some of those teams would surpass the above 2. But from 1990s to present, those 2 title teams stick out to me as dominant. They never looked in any series like they were in trouble, and they always seemed to control the games through their dominance. To do this in the playoffs is exceptionally rare and hard. Both teams did it. Both teams had incredible duos playing at MVP level together. Bigman/Guard combo. You could also just feel the team chemistry of the players in the playoffs.
Joined: 14 Jul 2003 Posts: 4126 Location: Space City
Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2022 10:02 am Post subject:
Rewatching games have helped me put those 80s teams into context, particularly the late 80s team (87-89). What I have realized was that those teams were incredibly talented but the competition was right there with them. There is not surprised that they won in 87 in 6, had to roles 3 sevens in 88 to repeat and were dethroned in 89 partly due to injury.
If I have to look for shear dominance over the competition, the 01 team stands out. There was NEVER a concern about that time winning and they should have swept there way through if not for a lengthy layover between the conference finals and the nba finals. But if those two had faced off, the 87 team would have beat them, IMO. _________________ Darvin
2000-2001, Shaq was the most dominant force I have seen in the league. That playoff run is legendary. The fact that they somewhat coasted during the regular season and people said they were done made the playoffs more special.
The dismantling of the Spurs that year in the WCF was like watching a cheetah take down a gazelle. And Kobe was brilliant that series.
Kobe owned the Spurs in the that series. I miss those days!
Didn’t D-Fish come back from injury in the spurs series after missing most of the year and go like 15-20 from 3-point land? He was on fire this series.
2000-2001, Shaq was the most dominant force I have seen in the league. That playoff run is legendary. The fact that they somewhat coasted during the regular season and people said they were done made the playoffs more special.
The dismantling of the Spurs that year in the WCF was like watching a cheetah take down a gazelle. And Kobe was brilliant that series.
Kobe owned the Spurs in the that series. I miss those days!
I always laugh when people say the Milwaukee Bucks would have beaten that Laker team in 2001 if they met in the Finals. They base that largely on the Bucks sweeping the season series 2-0. That Bucks team would have been a different challenge and people argue they were a bad matchup for that Laker team, but please.
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