Showtime Lakers vs Shaq/Kobe Lakers in a 7game series

[leeprettyp]

So the barbershop debate has finally hit the TV set with players from one of my ALLTIME favorite Lakers teams saying they would mop the floor with the Shaq/Kobe Lakers in a 7 game series. In your opinion who would win, in how many games and why?

https://www.twcsportsnet.com/videos/2013/11/27/lakers-legends-showtime-vs-shaq-and-kobe

If I had to pick a Lakers squad from the Shaq and Kobe era I would say the 2001 team that went 15-1 was the best group of the Shaq/Phil/Kobe Lakers

2001 Lakers

Kobe Bryant
Derek Fisher
Rick Fox
Horace Grant
Shaq O'Neal

Key reserves
Robert Horry
Brian Shaw
Isaiah Rider (remember that season?)




And if I had to pick the best team of the Pat Riley Showtime Lakers group it would be the back 2 back championship squad

Showtime Lakers

Magic Johnson
Byron Scott
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,
James Worthy
AC Green


Key reserves
Mychal Thompson,
Michael Cooper
Kurt Rambis

[Kilroy]

Showtime in 7... Shaq would foul out against Kareem and Magic would pick them apart. Worthy was way better than any of the role players the Shaq/Kobe lakers had... And then they had Green and Scott.

The key would be keeping Shaq from going insane. But Kareem was used to going against Wilt who was longer and probably more skilled than Shaq so they could slow him down. Plus you have Rambis and Thompson to foul him for the Hack a Shaq.

[#9]

Barring the abuse of Hack-a-Shaq. 2001 Lakers

[Dr Aki]

showtime in 5.

[Desiderium]

showtime in 6

[B-Scott]

I wish I could join Scott, Worthy, Kareem and Coop and bring them some real talk. I grew up in that era and they struggled with the 1988 Dallas Mavericks, and Utah Jazz when Karl Malone did not have his Mid-Range jumper. It took them 7 games to win the series. In the mid 80s the comp from the West was very weak

Kobe would have dropped 50 on 6-7 170 pound Cooper and Shaq, who was 70 pounds heavier than Kareem would have averaged 40 and 15......

I would also tell them as im getting a haircut.....How did Kareem do against a physical center in 1983? Moses Malone was Physical....Results 76ers 4-0....Shaq is 50 pounds bigger than Malone.

Worthy says Coop would have locked up Kobe. Coop got lit up by Sleepy Floyd and Isiah for 50 in the playoffs.....Coop was a great help defender. I never saw him as a 1 on 1 defender. Kevin Johnson, Jordan, Drexler, Isiah used to light him up

[B-Scott]

Cooper was good against small forwards and help defender. Guards with handles and creativity always took him to school.....The old school Lakes should be thankful im not at the barber shop

[B-Scott]

If 2001 is knocking down there 3's...Showtime is helpless

AC Green and Kareen double Shaq.....out to Horry.....SWISH

Cooper and Magic double on Kobe....Out to Fish....SWISH

I suggest showtime look at the 1986 playoffs vs the Rockets. When Houston was knocking down outside shots off the double the series was over because Kareem could not check Akeem 1 on 1.

2001 Lakers.....You cant double Kobe and Shaq....I dare you Coop

[AcecardZ]

If 2001 is knocking down there 3's...Showtime is helpless

AC Green and Kareen double Shaq.....out to Horry.....SWISH

Cooper and Magic double on Kobe....Out to Fish....SWISH

I suggest showtime look at the 1986 playoffs vs the Rockets. When Houston was knocking down outside shots off the double the series was over because Kareem could not check Akeem 1 on 1.

2001 Lakers.....You cant double Kobe and Shaq....I dare you Coop

I agree with every one of your points but... (there's always a "but" isn't there?) There's a reason the Lakers got to the NBA finals 8 times in the 80's.. That reason was the best point guard of all time, Earvin Magic Johnson.

I do give the nod to the Kobe/Shaq era Lakers but it's ever so slight. Prime Magic Johnson was just too good to not give him at least a puncher's chance in any 7 game series.

Oh and LO fawking L at the people claiming CP3 could hold Earvin's jock. If Earvin played in this era there's no doubt in my mind he'd have been a better perimeter shooter and with his height and ball handling skills he'd give CP3 fits.

[Kilroy]

You're name is B-Scott... And you forgot about Byron Scott... Wtf dude?

[kblo247]

01 Kobe and Shaq would wreck them. Wreck them something awful. Kobe was an animal, Shaq the mde, Fisher shot lights out and set a record vs the Spurs, prime Fox made Peja look like a scrub, Horace played the best post d of all playoff bigs, and Horry was Horry.

Coop got ate up by MJ and Clyde, so you know he would get his ass abused by Kobe like when Kobe lit him up as a 17 year old to the point west had to have him. No one can handle Shaq on that frontline, and Magic is picking himself up of he tries to drive in there on Shaq and Horace. Easily the 01 team over any Showtime incarnation. They were the best playoff team of all fn time, undisputed

Showtime would beat the 02 team easily and the 00 team would probably lose close

Stockton bothered Magic, you're crazy if any of you think 01 Fisher before the foot problems set in wouldn't get up in his ass full court relentlessly. Magic can't even leave off fish, you must've forgot, but Fisher shot 75% vs the spurs from 3 to kill them; in fact fishers 01 playoff run goes down in history as the greatest triangle pg of all time run. Fox also would give worthy the shot and body his drives. It's really unfair to place anyone but the 2nd 3 peat. Bulls vs Kobe/Shaq lakers who went 15-1

[Kilroy]

Again, Byron **** Scott... He would help Magic on Kobe... Kobe would score, but he isn't going off against Prime Magic and B-Scott... Scott would run circles around
Shaq would score and lock down the paint, but he'd have absolutely no answer for Kareem... Hell Yao gave him fits, what do you think Kareem would do? Plus you couldn't touch Kareem... Shaq would be on the bench most the game.
And nobody would have an answer for Worthy... He would be the deciding factor... Hard Nosed defender and lights out shooter that nobody on the 01 lakers could defend.

Then there's the Showtime bench... That team was deeper than any other Laker team maybe ever.

[B-Scott]

Im 43 years old and love that era, but Kobe and Shaq are simply a different level of athlete. If the 2001 role players are missing there 3's than showtime can board, get out and run.

Problem is 2001 Lakers were on fire from distants. They can attempt to guard Shaq and Kobe 1 on 1...lol

[kblo247]

MIN FG% 3P% FTM-FTA FT% REB AST BLK STL PF TO PTS

Fisher
-------
38.7 .516 .692 0.3-0.7 .500 5.0 2.7 0.0 1.3 3.0 0.7 14.0
36.8 .415 .357 2.5-3.5 .714 4.5 2.8 0.0 1.3 2.5 1.0 12.3
38.0 .457 .333 3.3-3.7 .909 5.3 4.7 0.0 1.0 1.7 0.0 15.7

Kobe
--------
44.7 .512 .400 5.7-7.7 .739 8.7 5.7 0.7 1.3 3.0 3.0 36.3
43.3 .473 .200 12.8-14.8 .864 9.0 4.3 0.5 1.3 3.5 4.0 35.0
39.7 .481 .333 7.0-9.3 .750 4.3 7.7 0.0 2.3 3.7 2.0 25.0

Shaq
-------
41.7 .530 .000 4.0-7.7 .522 14.0 3.0 1.0 0.7 2.3 4.0 27.3
41.0 .598 .000 7.3-14.8 .492 17.3 2.3 3.3 0.5 4.0 3.8 33.3
43.7 .484 .000 7.0-11.3 .618 15.7 2.7 1.0 0.0 2.3 2.7 27.0

Absolutely no let up at all as 2/3 were always put there to kick your ass. And Phil could coach circles around Riley as he showed all the time in NY; that's why he and not Riley is the winningest laker coach in history

[Tee212]

shaq would foul out kareem and bench bigs and distort the game and miss all his ft's. 01 would let magic score so no one else would get a shot off. pretty easy win for the 01 really lol. other than kareem when hes on the bench that showtime has no one that warrants a double team...maybe magic in the post but just let him score (he hogs the ball to get an assist) making him a scorer will piss him off lol.

[Doormatt]

imo the 01 lakers in the postseason are strong candidates for greatest team ever. kobe and shaq are playing at an MVP level, right up there with anything Magic and KAJ did. Shaq at this time is the most dominant player ever and i dont think its close. on top of that you have fisher shooting 50% from three point land, on about 4 attempts a game, and obviously you cant leave horry open. theres just no stopping them.

magic was barely an average defender, he has no chance in hell of guarding kobe. that showtime team was known for its offense and it would simply be going up against a comparably dominant offense with waaaaaaaaay better defense.

that laker team was far and away the best offensive and defensive team in the playoffs in 01, 111 ortg and 97 drtg. the showtime lakers never played at that level.

[kblo247]

Again, Byron **** Scott... He would help Magic on Kobe... Kobe would score, but he isn't going off against Prime Magic and B-Scott... Scott would run circles around
Shaq would score and lock down the paint, but he'd have absolutely no answer for Kareem... Hell Yao gave him fits, what do you think Kareem would do? Plus you couldn't touch Kareem... Shaq would be on the bench most the game.
And nobody would have an answer for Worthy... He would be the deciding factor... Hard Nosed defender and lights out shooter that nobody on the 01 lakers could defend.

Then there's the Showtime bench... That team was deeper than any other Laker team maybe ever.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTtGfPJQf9k[/youtube]

Please lord tell me you forgot about Foxy. Worthy ain't muscling him and they damn sure can't go small with Worthy at 4 because Horace would work them. Even worthy and Horry have similar body types. They were the greatest playoff team ever for a reason, steamrolled the west like Showtime never could dream of.

And I'm going to pretend that you didn't say Scott would bother him when the Twin Towers and spurs slanted the whole defense to Kobe and he still dominated them inside and out like child's play with a smirk.

[kblo247]

People forget the coach that shut magic down and worthy playing some of his best ball of his career was one Phil Jackson.

[Kilroy]

Im 43 years old and love that era, but Kobe and Shaq are simply a different level of athlete. If the 2001 role players are missing there 3's than showtime can board, get out and run.

Problem is 2001 Lakers were on fire from distants. They can attempt to guard Shaq and Kobe 1 on 1...lol

Neither Kareem nor Shaq could guard the other 1:1... Shaq could overpower Kareem and Kareem could shoot over Shaq.

The biggest knock on Magic was his Defense... But it was Defense against other PGs that gained him that reputation. That's what Scott was for... Against a shorter, teenaged Kobe, Magic could shut him down just fine.

Kareem, Scott, Worthy, Coop, Green, Thompson, and Rambis were all good and willing defenders, many of them elite. Scott, Worthy, Coop, Green could all drain outside shots... Magic had a low percentage but he could go off in games too...

It comes down to Kareem scoring pretty much at will on Shaq and being sensational at the line. And there being no answer for Worthy...

[Kilroy]

Again, Byron **** Scott... He would help Magic on Kobe... Kobe would score, but he isn't going off against Prime Magic and B-Scott... Scott would run circles around
Shaq would score and lock down the paint, but he'd have absolutely no answer for Kareem... Hell Yao gave him fits, what do you think Kareem would do? Plus you couldn't touch Kareem... Shaq would be on the bench most the game.
And nobody would have an answer for Worthy... He would be the deciding factor... Hard Nosed defender and lights out shooter that nobody on the 01 lakers could defend.

Then there's the Showtime bench... That team was deeper than any other Laker team maybe ever.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTtGfPJQf9k[/youtube]

Please lord tell me you forgot about Foxy. Worthy ain't muscling him and they damn sure can't go small with Worthy at 4 because Horace would work them. Even worthy and Horry have similar body types. They were the greatest playoff team ever for a reason, steamrolled the west like Showtime never could dream of.

And I'm going to pretend that you didn't say Scott would bother him when the Twin Towers and spurs slanted the whole defense to Kobe and he still dominated them inside and out like child's play with a smirk.

Please, Rick Fox isn't even in the same league as Worthy... Worthy would own that matchup.

Scott was a hard-nosed, fast defender... Magic was a big fast defender... Then you had to get past worthy or green and Kareem... One of the best shot blockers in history. Kobe would score, but not like he did against San Antonio.

What Made 01 great was that Shaq was absolutely beasting that season... He was just tearing people up. But he never had to face Kap.