2008 Fab 4 vs. 2004 Fab 4

[Mamba Venom]

2008 Fab 4

Kobe the MVP and leader
Gasol the Spainyard
Bynum the Kid
LO Mr. Almost tripple double

vs.

Shaq-Daddy (last years of dominance)
Kobe Skywalker
Mailman Malone (unfortunately a little late and hurt)
Gary The Glove Payton

Payton has said that the Lakers would have wonnit all in 2005 and they shouldnt have broken up.

Shaq has 2 great seasons since... Malone felt guilty for ring chaising and never joined the Spurs in 2005... I guess he didnt want a ring, Shaq made things right with GP. Lakers rebuilt around Mamba and now its his time to shine and be the king of the new dynasty.

5th Wheel in 2004 was George after Fox got hurt. In 2008 Fish and the best bench in the league are doing great.

Time machine... which team wins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tnayrbrocks]

Definately this year's team. I think the biggest difference is the bench and LO. Devean George manning up against Lamar Odom? lol. and the 04 bench was really old

[Tommy Trojan]

this years team. Just look who we have off the bench, can anyone say the MACHINE????

[tayzer]

I think this team is better. .

[MAMBAEMD]

As much as I love the current Laker team, I think the 2004 team was better.
That was a team with Shaq that was still playing dominant ball, Kobe coming into his prime, Malone, and Payton.
It was a dominant team and had it not been for Malone's injury, the Lakers would and should have won the championship that year.

[That Nicka]

Kobe: 24, 5, 5
Shaq: 21.5, 11.5, 2.5
Malone: 13, 9
Payton: 14, 5.5

Kobe: 28, 6, 5
Gasol: 22, 7
Bynum: 13, 10, 2
Lamar: 13, 10

Right now, I'd take 2004.... 2008 Fab 4 put up similar numbers but there is so much experience in that 2004 group... Kobe wasnt Kobe that year, Malone was hurt, Payton looked like Smush in the playoffs...

Hopefully the 2008 fab 4 doesnt lay an egg in the playoffs like our last fab 4.... By next year though, our current group will be much better than the 2004 group

[TruSkool]

i would take the 04 group...shaq was still a beast during that time....malone was still a great player...and kobe was still kobe...(although hes a bit better and smarter now)..the only backoff would be payton cuz he sucked it up for us most of the year...
the 08 team has too much to prove to be considered even half as good as the 04 class.
the talent is there, none the less. but i think we're ahead of ourselves...

sh*t if u ask me, i dont even think we're playing our best basketball yet...we could still be a lot more lethal than we really are right now.

[J Rob]

This team has chemistry that 04 fab four only dreamed about.

Not to mention you guys are forgetting how much of a disappointment the glove was as a Laker. He was terrible in the triangle.

Kobe's better now than he was in 04, Gasol would kill 04 Malone up and down the court, and Bynum could've at least slowed Shaq down (who was good but not nearly as dominant in 04).

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say 08 team would beat the 04 Lakers pretty easily imo.

08 04
Fisher>Payton
Kobe>Kobe
Odom>>George
Gasol>>Malone
Bynum<Shaq

Bench Mob>>Reserves

[slifersd]

This year's team can beat the 04 team because that 04 team had no defense. They struggled all year long on the defensive end even when the Fab 4 were all healthy. They weren't at the bottom of the league in terms of defense but they could and should have done a lot better. Shaq was still dominating on offense, but he wasn't protecting the basket at the same rate as he did the years before; Malone was a good man on man defender but couldn't block shots; Kobe was never that interested in playing great defense while Payton lost the legs to play great defense.

With the way this current Lakers team run their offense, that 04 team has no chance at stopping them. In the meantime, this 08 Lakers can play some very rough defense, especially their bench players.

[alfurd]

Considering the '08 four haven't played a single game together yet and we're going by how they look on paper only, I'll take the '04 four right now. Just looking at the schedule and results from '04 alone you can tell when Malone went down.

[SashAlex]

Definitely this year's team ! We have future and great perspective now ! That team was one of the greatest we've seen, but a bit old. Also that team was just a one year plan.

The '03 - '04 team if Malone, Shaq and Payton were in their prime, that would've been the best team in the entire basketball history, undoubtedly ! But, as I said, they were looking old already. Malone's long-term injury during that year was the first in his career. Why ? Just because he was old. Also, they reminded me a bit of showtime era in many games during '03 - '04.

[alfurd]

Oh if we're going by the four PLUS their team that's different; the '04 squad had almost no depth behind its starters. I'll stop myself here before I go on a rant about the front office for that, but if we're looking at the rosters from top to bottom I might lean towards this '08 team. I still take the '04 four.

[Tommy Trojan]

This team has chemistry that 04 fab four only dreamed about.

Not to mention you guys are forgetting how much of a disappointment the glove was as a Laker. He was terrible in the triangle.

Kobe's better now than he was in 04, Gasol would kill 04 Malone up and down the court, and Bynum could've at least slowed Shaq down (who was good but not nearly as dominant in 04).

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say 08 team would beat the 04 Lakers pretty easily imo.

08 04
Fisher>Payton
Kobe>Kobe
Odom>>George
Gasol>>Malone
Bynum<Shaq

Bench Mob>>Reserves

[Mamba Venom]

I'm drooling over the possibilities of the 09 and the 2010 team.

I would take the future 09 team than many others in history. If Bynum can become a great player and Fisher can sustain for a few more years than the Lakers will have a chance to make history.

This team has great chemistry.
In PJ's Last Season he talked about how Kobe / Shaq + others approached Jackson before game 4 and said lets play the original Laker guys.... those guys know how to win championships, they've done it before.

That means there was basically NO chemistry whatsoever on the 04 team once the Lakers hit that wall.

I CANT WAIT TO SEE THE NEW FAB 4. I think the Lakers still need to add another young PG in the offseason. If Fish or Farmar get hurt this team may not fullfill their potential. I'm rooting for a combo gaurd like Ben Gordon. LA needs to keep LO, he is a great glue guy and wont become a Joe Johnson or a Marion... there not many 4th bananas that talented that dont want the spotlight

The Lakers are going to be great and I think Kobe will win 7!!!!

7!!!

7!!!!

[wezbo]

this years team is better, but 04s fab 4 is better

[J Rob]

The Names/Lore of the 2004 Fab Four
vs.
The Chemistry/Energy of the 2008 Fab Four



No contest: 08 wins. Mailman and the Glove were shells of their former selves.

[dockingsched]

when karl malone was healthy, the 04 lakers were unbeatable.

[KobeFarmarEra]

That 2004 team was pretty overrated. The Bench was absolutely terrible. Payton was washed up. Kobe wasn't in the best shape due to his surgeries/trial. Shaq was out of shape per usual.

Anyways, 2008 wins in a 7 game series 9 times out 10. Pau would foul Malone/Shaq out. 08 Kobe > 04 Kobe. Who in the hell is going to guard Odom I have no idea. Shaq was not dominant that season, not like he was. Bynum would lose the 1v1 battle, but would win the war due to his quicker help defense.

The X-factor is the bench. Plain and simple. 08 2nd unit would utterly destroy 04's pitiful bench. Turiaf would eat Slava alive.

[Sofa King]

when karl malone was healthy, the 04 lakers were unbeatable.

+1

He was probably the best PF the Lakers franchise ever had too.

[KobeFarmarEra]

-= original quote snipped =-



+1

He was probably the best PF the Lakers franchise ever had too.

No, that would be Pau.

27 year old Gasol > 40 year old Malone