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Greatest Center in laker history.........

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Greatest Center in laker history......... 

Post#1 » by ronnymac2 » Mon Sep 15, 2008 8:28 pm

Who is the greatest center in Laker history not named Mikan, Wilt, Kareem, or Shaq?

The ones that come to mind are Elmore Smith and Vlade Divac. Maybe somebody from the 60's? Or a backup from the 80's behind Kareem?
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Re: Greatest Center in laker history......... 

Post#2 » by Chubby Chaser » Mon Sep 15, 2008 8:35 pm

Edit: Just read post. If you take out Shaq, Cap, Wilt, and MIkan it's going to have to go to either Vlade, Campbell, or Bynum. And Out of that group I guess it'd have to be andrew. Or maybe Pau since he played Center last year I guess.
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Re: Greatest Center in laker history......... 

Post#3 » by TonyMontana » Mon Sep 15, 2008 9:29 pm

MAD DOG MARK MADSON...........LOLLL
J/K......... I would say.
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Re: Greatest Center in laker history......... 

Post#4 » by kno » Mon Sep 15, 2008 10:30 pm

lol read the thread guys.

Theres a few that come to mind. Hairston maybe? Vlade Divac should be up there, but I do think Hairston put up better overall stats.
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Re: Greatest Center in laker history......... 

Post#5 » by TonyMontana » Mon Sep 15, 2008 10:42 pm

Kno wrote:lol read the thread guys.

Theres a few that come to mind. Hairston maybe? Vlade Divac should be up there, but I do think Hairston put up better overall stats.

LOLLLLLLL
I did read it Kno....... but honestly I dont think there is any other greats in the Lakers org....
I mean I was too young for Wilt , Mikan, and the ones I do recall would be Vlade, Perkins, Eldon. Shaq and K.A.J, but they are on the list.
So that leaves us with guys like Vlade, Perkins, Eldon C. etc were they greatest that I remember, No but they were good, not the best but they were okay centers.
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Re: Greatest Center in laker history......... 

Post#6 » by dockingsched » Mon Sep 15, 2008 10:45 pm

andrew bynum

/thread
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Re: Greatest Center in laker history......... 

Post#7 » by That Nicka » Mon Sep 15, 2008 11:23 pm

Bynum
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Re: Greatest Center in laker history......... 

Post#8 » by laduane1 » Mon Sep 15, 2008 11:42 pm

Smrek... Remember him. He could dunk from the foul line, hit 3 pointers from anywhere.

Oh wait. That was a nightmare I had.

I go for Bynum.


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Re: Greatest Center in laker history......... 

Post#9 » by DEEP3CL » Mon Sep 15, 2008 11:58 pm

Kno wrote:lol read the thread guys.

Theres a few that come to mind. Hairston maybe? Vlade Divac should be up there, but I do think Hairston put up better overall stats.
Hairston was a 6'7" forward, Mel Counts was Wilt's backup. But Hairston did put up decent numbers for the Lakers.
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Re: Greatest Center in laker history......... 

Post#10 » by Slava » Tue Sep 16, 2008 12:19 am

Vlade Divac was pretty solid and then we had Bynum but we've been blessed with 4 really good centers who've served the franchise a long time that very few others do come to mind.
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Re: Greatest Center in laker history......... 

Post#11 » by tkb » Tue Sep 16, 2008 4:36 am

Bynum doesn't count yet imo. Way too small sample size.

Probably Divac. Hairston was a power forward.

Elmore Smith was here for only 2 years, but one of them he set the all time record for blocks in a single game and averaged 4.9 for the season to go with double digit rebounding and scoring. Kermit Washington was decent, but a role player, and leaning towards power forward. Same with Bob McAdoo who was a center earlier in his career, but mostly power forward when he played here.

Clyde Lovellette was pretty good here, but he only had 3 good years compared to Divac' 6 decent ones. Clyde was an all star one of the years where he averaged 21.5 points and 14.5 rebounds though, and Divac never made the all star team as a Laker.

I'm going with either Vlade or Clyde, but leaning towards Vlade a bit I think. Not a big fan of Campbell, so I wouldn't consider him at the top at all.
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Re: Greatest Center in laker history......... 

Post#12 » by Luxury » Tue Sep 16, 2008 4:39 am

Pig Miller, j/k. I would have to say Pau Gasol just because of the Playoff run, but hopefully Bynum changes that sooner than later.
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Re: Greatest Center in laker history......... 

Post#13 » by Sedale Threatt » Tue Sep 16, 2008 4:46 am

Vlade. Couldn't stand him with the Kings, but before that he was one of my favorites. Very skillful and underrated player. Had a couple of very solid 15/10 seasons for us. Plus, he netted Kobe, so he was not only good while here but especially on his way out.

If Campbell had had a pulse, it would have been him. But he was way too inconsistent and lethargic. Vlade played hard, which automatically makes him the better player, let alone on the basis of his superior skill level.
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Re: Greatest Center in laker history......... 

Post#14 » by Luxury » Tue Sep 16, 2008 5:16 am

Very well supported statements on the Divac opinion, but I'm not to sure I'd put him in front of Pau. True that Divac had paid his dues early in his career for a mediocre Laker team, but there's one side of an argument that sold me on Pau being the better Laker center.

By the end of Pau's career, (atleast 4 seasons) he's going to be one of the biggest reasons for our success in the playoffs. So take last season for example, do you think if Divac and Pau switched places that he would make that same impact? Secondly, do you think Lakers of the early 90's would win more if they had Pau?

Ofcourse it's all theoretical, but that's the main thing that sold me on Pau as of today. We got out of the west with the addition of Pau alone (without Bynum) and we have a good chance of doing so for a number of years (even if Bynum wasn't in the picture). I can't say the same if we had Divac (prime or not).
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Re: Greatest Center in laker history......... 

Post#15 » by Slava » Tue Sep 16, 2008 6:25 am

^^ Good post. Pau should be counted in this discussion for the impact he provided last season alone.
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Re: Greatest Center in laker history......... 

Post#16 » by tkb » Tue Sep 16, 2008 6:33 am

Pau was very good, but generally I don't even consider players that haven't even played a full year for the franchise.

Pau does have a good chance to go down as the greatest power forward this franchise has had if he sticks in LA for a good while though.
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Re: Greatest Center in laker history......... 

Post#17 » by Kirk Moon » Tue Sep 16, 2008 6:50 am

Kareem, of course.
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Re: Greatest Center in laker history......... 

Post#18 » by WhiteMansKareem » Tue Sep 16, 2008 7:19 am

When healthy, Chris Mihm is among the best.
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Re: Greatest Center in laker history......... 

Post#19 » by Sedale Threatt » Tue Sep 16, 2008 3:16 pm

tkb wrote:Pau was very good, but generally I don't even consider players that haven't even played a full year for the franchise.

Pau does have a good chance to go down as the greatest power forward this franchise has had if he sticks in LA for a good while though.


That was my thinking, or rather lack of thinking, as well. Pau didn't even come to my mind, not only because we've only had him for half a season but because he was really playing out of position.
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Re: Greatest Center in laker history......... 

Post#20 » by bobobolas1 » Tue Sep 16, 2008 9:29 pm

The impact of DJ last season. he finally got his contract for a year and drove us to the finals.
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