Lakers or Rockets, who has more talent ON PAPER

[Young_Star11]

Myself, a Houston fan, says the Lakers on paper....just

Rafer/T-Mac/Ron/Scola/Yao to Fisher/Kobe/Odom/Pau/Drew is almost a dead-heat. Lakers, just, if you had to lean one way.

Francis/Barry/Battier/Landry/Hayes/Dorsey/Deke and Sasha/Farmar/Walton/Ariza/Rad/Mihm/Mbenga is almost a dead-heat too. Rockets if you had to lean one way.

Would be an awesome series!

[Joseph17]

Fisher=Rafer
Kobe>>T-Mac
Odom<<Artest
Gasol<Yao
Bynum>>Scola
I'll take the Lakers by a hair. It's extremely close. The Lakers are generally more healthy than the Rockets as well.

[Tesla]

eh, head to head there isn't a >> gap between Kobe and Tmac, if health isn't a big concern in the series/game. Kobe's better, but its not that far between the two.

I think the Rockets have better talent on paper, but I think the Lakers would beat them in a series, but I could see it going either way. Both teams have injury concers and concerns to staying healthy... if they are both healthy all year, I think them two and New Orleans are clearly the top teams in the West, with Boston/Cleveland being the top in the east.

[Derekman]

eh, head to head there isn't a >> gap between Kobe and Tmac, if health isn't a big concern in the series/game. Kobe's better, but its not that far between the two.

I think the Rockets have better talent on paper, but I think the Lakers would beat them in a series, but I could see it going either way. Both teams have injury concers and concerns to staying healthy... if they are both healthy all year, I think them two and New Orleans are clearly the top teams in the West, with Boston/Cleveland being the top in the east.

The same can be said for Lamar and Artest where LAmar plays against him very well.

[Storm Surge]

The Rockets strength is defense while the Lakers have offense, in a 7 game series I'd take the team with the better defense if overall they are pretty even.

[Baller 24]

eh, head to head there isn't a >> gap between Kobe and Tmac, if health isn't a big concern in the series/game. Kobe's better, but its not that far between the two.

I think the Rockets have better talent on paper, but I think the Lakers would beat them in a series, but I could see it going either way. Both teams have injury concers and concerns to staying healthy... if they are both healthy all year, I think them two and New Orleans are clearly the top teams in the West, with Boston/Cleveland being the top in the east.

The same can be said for Lamar and Artest where LAmar plays against him very well.

This past season yes because Artest wasn't guarding him...check out the head 2 head matchups the previous seasons when Odom plays Artest, not so great on Odom's side.

[dockingsched]

eh, head to head there isn't a >> gap between Kobe and Tmac, if health isn't a big concern in the series/game. Kobe's better, but its not that far between the two.

I think the Rockets have better talent on paper, but I think the Lakers would beat them in a series, but I could see it going either way. Both teams have injury concers and concerns to staying healthy... if they are both healthy all year, I think them two and New Orleans are clearly the top teams in the West, with Boston/Cleveland being the top in the east.

The same can be said for Lamar and Artest where LAmar plays against him very well.

This past season yes because Artest wasn't guarding him...check out the head 2 head matchups the previous seasons when Odom plays Artest, not so great on Odom's side.

lamar has been playing pf since he was with miami in 03/04. not sure why you would count previous seasons if you're willing to discount this past season.

[Baller 24]

This past season yes because Artest wasn't guarding him...check out the head 2 head matchups the previous seasons when Odom plays Artest, not so great on Odom's side.

lamar has been playing pf since he was with miami in 03/04. not sure why you would count previous seasons if you're willing to discount this past season.

K. I'll make it in words where its easier for your to understand


Artest doesn't always guard Odom, so head 2 head match ups are irrelevant, but when considering that he does play small forward Artest handles Odom pretty well.

[Derekman]

This past season yes because Artest wasn't guarding him...check out the head 2 head matchups the previous seasons when Odom plays Artest, not so great on Odom's side.

lamar has been playing pf since he was with miami in 03/04. not sure why you would count previous seasons if you're willing to discount this past season.

K. I'll make it in words where its easier for your to understand


Artest doesn't always guard Odom, so head 2 head match ups are irrelevant, but when considering that he does play small forward Artest handles Odom pretty well.

I'm not talking about Artest guarding Odom. I'm talking about Odom guarding Artest. If you watched the games, you'd see Odom's D is perfect against Artest. While other Small Forwards are usually smaller and quicker, Odom doesn't usually meet someone with his size and speed. He plays Artest perfectly.

[TheNewEra]

I would go with the Rockets.

Even though the Rockets don't have the PG depth as the Lakers(If Francis play up to par this changes) they are overall better.

The Lakers got beat in the championship team that was hard nose physical team. The Lakers have done nothing to improve their defense game other than hoping on Bynum.

Did people forget that Battie is considered the best lock-down defender in the league against Kobe. Posey is second.

Telling me a fully healthy Rockets team could not beat the Lakers....Please be serious.

[Big Bird]

Did people forget that Battie is considered the best lock-down defender in the league against Kobe.

People didn't forget. That simply isn't true. Unless you consider Kobe going for 29/6/5 (albeit on 42% shooting) over their head to head matchups as a lockdown.

I'll give you that he usually does fare better than the other former "Kobe stoppers" (like Ruben Patterson, Raja Bell or Bruce Bowen).

I think, talent wise, it's pretty close and you probably can't go wrong either way.

[JordansBulls]

Fisher=Rafer
Kobe>>T-Mac
Odom<<Artest
Gasol<Yao
Bynum>>Scola

I've never understood comparisons like this. How the hell does that show who is better?

[dockingsched]

whoever the alligator mouth is eating, duh.

[ShaY]

Did people forget that Battie is considered the best lock-down defender in the league against Kobe.

People didn't forget. That simply isn't true. Unless you consider Kobe going for 29/6/5 (albeit on 42% shooting) over their head to head matchups as a lockdown.

I'll give you that he usually does fare better than the other former "Kobe stoppers" (like Ruben Patterson, Raja Bell or Bruce Bowen).

I think, talent wise, it's pretty close and you probably can't go wrong either way.

There isn't such thing a Kobe stopper but Battier does a very good job on him.

Kobe gets a lot of points but also takes a lot of shots against us , Battier will never stop Kobe because nobody can.
But with Battier gurading him , Kobe is less likely to torch us and have a great shooting %.

[pillwenney]

Fisher=Rafer
Kobe>>T-Mac
Odom<<Artest
Gasol<Yao
Bynum>>Scola

I've never understood comparisons like this. How the hell does that show who is better?

The thread didn't ask who was better--it asked who was better on paper.

[ChocolateThundr]

Rockets are better on paper because they have some good defensive players

But Lakers are better in reality. I think people pretend that the Lakers have no defense. Bynum is our defensive anchor down low. Im confident because we got to teh finals with a softie at center last season. And somehow he got us past Camby, Boozer, and Duncan.