Can Ariza be Kobe's Pippen?

[deathbringer6]

Based on what Ariza showed this past season, (esp. in the Playoffs) can he develop into Kobe's Pippen? Share your thoughts

[Slava]

Pau Gasol is Kobe's Pippen.

[slifersd]

Two words, Contract year. I am not saying Ariza wouldn't still be a good player but he is breaking out during his contract year is all. Vujacic looked like Stojakovic at his prime last year until he got his extension. And how did that one work out this season?

[chefy]

Pau Gasol is Kobe's Pippen.

+1

they're playing style fit each other perfectly.

[Mamba Venom]

I am REALLY scared that Ariza is so hyped up right now. I fear that the hype may kill this teams hopes at a dynasty.

Ariza was in a contract year and he performed well in the play-off. I'm thrilled he stepped up. Ariza is a good player but Scottie Pippen, YOU HAVE TO FREAKEN KIDDING ME... ARE YOU LOCO?

LA has Ariza fever and it is scary! How many guys in the league have LOs skill set and size? Where would the Lakers be if Odom didn't step the last 2 years when Bynum went down? Not in the Finals last year.

Bryant and a front line of Gasol, Odom & Bynum is the way to more championships. A SF defensive specialist that can shoot the 3 is one of the easiest roles to fill for a championship team. Ariza is better than Luke or Sasha and he is a really good player but he stepped up for 4 months and we are ready to give him the world?!? Odom has had a far greater impact on this team but he doesn't get the same props because we expect it from him.

We have already learned the lesson of over paying a guy on a contract year. Aren't Luke and Sasha over paid. The bench was stale w/ Ariza so Luke was a good player and brought some ball movement to the bench. Ariza fits in nice w/ the starting unit but this team CAN win w/ another player that can fill Arizas role. There is no one out there that can fill Odom's role for less than 12 mil.

[DubaLakers]

Pau Gasol is Kobe's Pippen.

j far lol i logged on to write that same thing and you beat me to it. great fans think alike.

[Verbal]

Prince can.

[snaquille oatmeal]

Ariza lacks point guard skills to be a Pippen. I can't picture Trevor as a point forward.

[KObe Bryant]

of course, i know he can if he continues to do well and even improve more. Oh wait, and if he'll be back next year.

[hermes]

Pau is, and then maybe Odom

he might be able to get there

[96 Til Infiniti]

No. Pau's game is the best compliment to Kobe's. Their ability to run basically flawless two man offensive sets immediately after the trade last February was incredible. As if they were old teammates being reunited.

As for a point-forward like Pippen, Lamar's probably the closest thing we have. But his style hasn't really followed the Pip mold as everyone hoped it would since 04-05.

[salmahayek]

Ariza's a great piece if we can keep him. While I still think he has upside, I am not ready to compare him to a HOFer with six rings, where Pippen was the second fiddle.

I agree with enlightenment that Odom is a more crucial piece. Bynum, as much as I love him, has not been able to stay healthy. The Lakers can still compete for a title with Gasol and Odom. Without Odom, the huge advantage we enjoy in the front court would be gone. Odom's presence also makes foul problems for Gasol and Bynum pretty much non-exisitant - that's huge.

People are just excited about Ariza because he is a home kid that stepped up and exceeded expectations, whereas Odom, no matter how well he does, may never meet expectations.

Odom is the more critical piece, if we have to pick. My first choice would be to keep both.

I may be getting like a broken record on this, but I'd still like to see Gerald Green brought in whether we lose Ariza or not. I still think there is a lot of potential there and if we do lose Ariza, Green should be a much cheaper replacement.

[MAMBAEMD]

From a defensive standpoint, Ariza is already a Pipen-like compliment to Kobe's game. They are able to play a smothering type of defense on the perimeter much like MJ and Pipen used to. This was really evident in the Finals specially last 2 games.
Offensively, Ariza is getting there. His ball handling is not at the same level as Pipen but his outside shooting has really improved.
Ariza is very young. He has not played a whole lot in this league. The Lakers have asked him to do many things so far and he has responded. They asked him to play solid perimeter defense and he has done that. They asked him to work on his outside shot and he's done that.
The next level, specially if they are not able to keep Lamar, would probably be to work on his ball handling skills and be a point-forward to bring the ball up and take some of that pressure off of Kobe.

[lakersfanatic]

For now it's currently Pau. Ariza still hasn't earn the experience like Pau yet. Ariza was awesome for us on the playoffs but he did show some spurts of inconsistencies... although he made it up with his defense. Pau had a tough job playing middle but he was consistent they whole time.
The scary thing is Ariza is still getting better and has a lot more room to improve. Once he's there... everyone watchout.

I sure hope he wasn't play like an attack dog all season because it was his contract year. We all know how contract year players turn out to be but i think Ariza will defy that myth... (crossing fingers hehe sign him Kupchak)

[JordansBulls]

Not sure about him being as good as Pippen, afterall he doesn't need to because Gasol is the guy who is the other star on the team. I think it is more applicable to say that Gasol is Kobe's Kevin Mchale.

[LLcoleJ]

The question is not.... Can Ariza be as good as Pippen? It is asking can Ariza be Kobe's Pippen? there is a difference.

The easy answer is no, because Pau is.

[EiRON]

Never, more like Gasol is Kobe's pippen.

[brassviews]

Ariza fits the role of a Shane Battier, so NO.

[TylersLakers]

A weak man's version of Pippen.

You can't say that their shooting is equal yet, Trevor hasn't proved that consistently over a couple seasons.

Defense.. Pippen's still a heck of a lot better. Might not be as good in the passing lanes as Trevor, but his man to man defense was one of the best ever. He could lock you down. Trevor will make you work for it, but he's not in Pippen's class yet.

And Pippen's PG skills are much better than Ariza's.. he still has some improvement to go with that, although he hasn't got much of a chance to show that.

[TylersLakers]

I also think "Can Ariza be Kobe's Pippen?" is the wrong question to ask. It's more of.. "Can Ariza end up as a Pippen-type player?"

Because, even though they have totally different skill sets.. Gasol is the second best player on the team. So technically, he would be Kobe's "Pippen," with different skills than Scottie Pippen brought to the Bulls.

So can Trevor end up as good as Pippen? Probably not, but can he get close if he works at it? Heck yeah.

In my opinion, wrong question to ask as long as Gasol and Bynum are on the team. Now, if Gasol wasn't on the team, this would be a viable question.

It's almost referring as to if the Dynasty Era of the Chicago Bulls were now in present time and this years Lakers was in the past, and someone asked.. "Can Rodman/Bill Cartwright end up as Jordan's "Gasol?" Well, of course not, because Scottie Pippen is the second best player.

Weird way of putting it, but that's my thinking.