2007 Spurs vs 2009 Lakers?

SK21209 · Post #1 » by **SK21209** » Fri Aug 12, 2022 10:43 pm

Took my inspiration from the 2007 Spurs vs. 2006 Heat thread, who wins this 7 game series?

Spurs were 58-24, 5th in ORtg, 2nd in DRtg and went on to beat the Nuggets (4-1), Suns (4-2), Jazz (4-1) and Cavs (4-0) on their way to the title. They were a little under the radar all season because Dallas went 67-15 and had beaten the Spurs in 06 WCSF in one of the best series I've ever seen and the Suns also won 61 games. Spurs had an expected W/L of 64-18 with a +9.3 net rating and 8.35 SRS, so they were a legit juggernaut.

Lakers were 65-17, 3rd in ORtg, 6th in DRtg and went on to beat the Jazz (4-1), Rockets (4-3), Nuggets (4-2) and Magic (4-1) on the way to the title. That year there was a consensus top 4 of the Cavs, Celtics, Lakers and Magic, but of course the KG injury happens and the Magic "upset" the 66-win Cavs. Lakers had an expected W/L of 61-21 with a +8.1 net rating and 7.11 SRS, so a little lower than the 07 Spurs in each category. Everyone thought we were getting Lakers/Celtics rematch or Kobe/LeBron in the Finals, but instead we got a 5 game series against the Magic that was closer than people remember.

These teams did play in the 08 WCF and the Lakers won in 5, but that was a pretty weird series. The Spurs went up by 20 on the road in Game 1 after sleeping on the tarmac after going straight from Game 7 in New Orleans to LA, but blew the lead in the second half. Trailing 2-1, there was also some controversy at the end of Game 4 after Fisher made some contract with Barry on a desperation shot, I think they could have tied the game with three free throws. Spurs also went up by like 15ish in Game 5 on the road and blew that lead. Ultimately, that 08 Spurs team was pretty clearly out of gas and banged up while the Lakers were on the rise, so I don't find the 08 series determinative at all.

LAL1947 · Post #2 » by **LAL1947** » Fri Aug 12, 2022 10:46 pm

Lakers all the way. Kobe > Timmy, so he wouldn't have lost to him with an equivalent crew.

A better question would be 2009 Lakers vs 2007 Suns. They should've been in that final after all... and I can see them giving the Lakers trouble with Stat vs Pau, Diaw vs Odom, Marion vs Artest, Bell/Barbosa vs Kobe, Nash vs Fisher. I think the Lakers would've been run ragged and Suns had a rotation of quality bigs to match ours. It would be up to Kobe to perform as a super star and help the team win.

Dr Aki · Post #3 » by **Dr Aki** » Sat Aug 13, 2022 12:01 am

We saw what happens to Tim Duncan when Kobe had a comparable front court team in playoff basketball

18-12 advantage in wins, 4-2 in playoff series, Tim did get to face the Lakers in 2013, but Kobe tore his Achilles a week prior willing the Lakers into the playoffs

1999 playoffs (0-4)
2001 (4-1)
2002 (4-2)
2003 (4-2)
2004 (4-2)
2008 (4-1)

It was a major part of the narrative of Kobe > Duncan all time after 2010 (5 vs 4 rings yada yada yada), until Timmy's swansong playoff runs 2013 and 2014

Post #4 » by **-Sammy-** » Sat Aug 13, 2022 12:06 am

Spurs all the way. Timmy > Kobe, so he wouldn't have lost to him with an equivalent crew.

A worse question would be 2009 Lakers vs 2007 Suns, since the Suns didn't beat the Spurs when they had the chance.

LakersLegacy · Post #5 » by **LakersLegacy** » Sat Aug 13, 2022 1:22 am

2008 Lakers dismantled the Spurs. And the 2009 team was better and on a mission to win the championship

OT check out that epic photo on the bottom of this article of Kobe and Duncan. Photo of that generation. Play-off photo as well
https://ballislife.com/2001-lakers-beat-spurs-by-29-complete-3rd-straight-sweep-in-the-playoffs/

SK21209 · Post #6 » by **SK21209** » Sat Aug 13, 2022 1:28 am

LAL1947 wrote:Lakers all the way. Kobe > Timmy, so he wouldn't have lost to him with an equivalent crew.

A better question would be 2009 Lakers vs 2007 Suns. They should've been in that final after all... and I can see them giving the Lakers trouble with Stat vs Pau, Diaw vs Odom, Marion vs Artest, Bell/Barbosa vs Kobe, Nash vs Fisher. I think the Lakers would've been run ragged and Suns had a rotation of quality bigs to more than match ours. It would be up to Kobe to perform as a super star and help the team win.

Nah, I’ve never bought the narrative that the Suns were robbed in that series. The Spurs had better better metrics all season and had beaten them in 5 two seasons prior without home court. People forget that even with Amare and Diaw suspended for Game 5, the Suns went up by like 20 in that game before blowing the lead. Then they were back for Game 6 and lost. Spurs had already won Game 1 in Phoenix and had won all three games there in 05, they were just a bad matchup for those Suns teams.

Cubbies2120 · Post #7 » by **Cubbies2120** » Sat Aug 13, 2022 1:30 am

LAL1947 wrote:Lakers all the way. Kobe > Timmy, so he wouldn't have lost to him with an equivalent crew.

I agree, '07 Kobe > '07 Duncan.

Career and prime wise though, it's Duncan pretty clearly.

Kobe lost to Duncan with a better crew...with another top 10 GOAT player lol.

Optms · Post #8 » by **Optms** » Sat Aug 13, 2022 1:31 am

Lakers in 5.

The 2009 Lakers were even better than the 2008 Lakers, and those Lakers destroyed the defending champion Spurs. How do you think it would go?

Cubbies2120 · Post #9 » by **Cubbies2120** » Sat Aug 13, 2022 1:34 am

Dr Aki wrote:We saw what happens to Tim Duncan when Kobe had a comparable front court team in playoff basketball

18-12 advantage in wins, 4-2 in playoff series, Tim did get to face the Lakers in 2013, but Kobe tore his Achilles a week prior willing the Lakers into the playoffs

1999 playoffs (0-4)
2001 (4-1)
2002 (4-2)
2003 (4-2)
2004 (4-2)
2008 (4-1)

It was a major part of the narrative of Kobe > Duncan all time after 2010 (5 vs 4 rings yada yada yada), until Timmy's swansong playoff runs 2013 and 2014

Was another top-10 GOAT on the Lakers in '09 besides Kobe?

Cause Shaq was the #1 player on the Lakers in the threepeat, and only delusional people believe otherwise. So...yeah...

The fact that Kobe had to "will the Lakers to the playoffs" is sad in itself. They were the favorites to come out of the West going into the season...one of the biggest chokes relative to expectations in NBA history, tbh.

KingFox · Post #10 » by **KingFox** » Sat Aug 13, 2022 2:04 am

I'm tempted to say the Lakers cuz i don't remember much about the Spurs in 07. But i DO remember Duncan always obliterating and abusing Pau in the post :lol:

JordansBulls · Post #11 » by **JordansBulls** » Sat Aug 13, 2022 2:43 am

Dr Aki wrote:We saw what happens to Tim Duncan when Kobe had a comparable front court team in playoff basketball

18-12 advantage in wins, 4-2 in playoff series, Tim did get to face the Lakers in 2013, but Kobe tore his Achilles a week prior willing the Lakers into the playoffs

1999 playoffs (0-4)
2001 (4-1)
2002 (4-2)
2003 (4-2)
2004 (4-2)
2008 (4-1)

It was a major part of the narrative of Kobe > Duncan all time after 2010 (5 vs 4 rings yada yada yada), until Timmy's swansong playoff runs 2013 and 2014

True for the most part, but in 1999 and 2003 this wasn't the case.

JordansBulls · Post #12 » by **JordansBulls** » Sat Aug 13, 2022 2:44 am

Optms wrote:Lakers in 5.

The 2009 Lakers were even better than the 2008 Lakers, and those Lakers destroyed the defending champion Spurs. How do you think it would go?

Well in 2009 Lakers struggled vs Rockets and went 7 even when Yao left the series.

Dr Aki · Post #13 » by **Dr Aki** » Sat Aug 13, 2022 3:06 am

Cubbies2120 wrote:
Dr Aki wrote:We saw what happens to Tim Duncan when Kobe had a comparable front court team in playoff basketball

18-12 advantage in wins, 4-2 in playoff series, Tim did get to face the Lakers in 2013, but Kobe tore his Achilles a week prior willing the Lakers into the playoffs

1999 playoffs (0-4)
2001 (4-1)
2002 (4-2)
2003 (4-2)
2004 (4-2)
2008 (4-1)

It was a major part of the narrative of Kobe > Duncan all time after 2010 (5 vs 4 rings yada yada yada), until Timmy's swansong playoff runs 2013 and 2014

Was another top-10 GOAT on the Lakers in '09 besides Kobe?

Cause Shaq was the #1 player on the Lakers in the threepeat, and only delusional people believe otherwise. So...yeah...

The fact that Kobe had to "will the Lakers to the playoffs" is sad in itself. They were the favorites to come out of the West going into the season...one of the biggest chokes relative to expectations in NBA history, tbh.

You say that like Kobe didn't average like 30/6/5 and destroyed the Spurs in the playoffs anyway. It's not hard to look up the stats for these playoffs series, Kobe had outsized influence against the Spurs:

2001
2002
2003
2004
2008

If they gave out awards for WCF MVP like they're going to, Kobe would have had split them with Shaq (2000 aside, which was when Kobe was still a clear second banana). Everyone knew the real finals were the WC finals anyway.