Better team - Kareem/Magic Lakers or Shaq'/Kobe Lakers

migya · Post #1 » by **migya** » Fri Mar 18, 2022 11:53 am

Which team was better - Kareem/Magic Lakers (1980-89) or Shaq//Kobe Lakers (1997-2006)?

Assume Kareem doesn't leave after 2004 like Shaq did and Shaq doesn't leave Lakers until 89.

Swap both teams in their eras and how would both fair?

Would Shaq's Lakers win at least five in the 80s? Would they have beaten Moses' 76ers? Would they have beaten those Celts and Pistons?

Would Kareem's Lakers win three straight 2000-02? Would they win more? Would they have beaten those Pistons? Would they have beaten those Spurs in 99 and 2003?

Obviously Kareem was aging and regressing but Magic was great from the start. Shaq was dominant and young but Kobe took a few years to become get good.

Post #2 » by **penbeast0** » Fri Mar 18, 2022 12:24 pm

The Shaq/Kobe combination at its peak was probably better than the Kareem/Magic combination at their peak but the personnel around Kareem and Magic was much better. The Showtime Lakers always had a ton of talent where the 3 Peat crew was limited role players around the big two. On the other hand, 2000-2002 was not an era of superteams the way the Magic/Bird/Moses/Doc era was.

falcolombardi · Post #3 » by **falcolombardi** » Fri Mar 18, 2022 9:37 pm

shaq/kobe got much closer to peaking at the same time than magic/kareem

but the latter had some more talent around them than the former

SinceGatlingWasARookie · Post #4 » by **SinceGatlingWasARookie** » Sat Mar 19, 2022 1:55 am

1982 Lakers and 2016 Warriors were the two most entertaing teams that I ever saw.
Shaq was a beast. Kareem will not enjoy defending Shaq
1982 Lakers could not shoot 3s.

For the 1982 Lakers to beat Shaq, Kobe Lakers I need to make some improvements to the 1982 Lakers. Give the 1982 Lakers peak Ostertag as a back up center. I still will play McAdoo at center some because Shaq can't guard McAdoo but I need to reduce Kareem's minutes because 1980s Kareem is not a guy that I think can't be relied consistantly on in a physical war with Shaq. Kareem would wear. down. Ostertag gave Shaq some problems because Shaq had to work to dislodge Ostertag where as Shaq could push most centers arround like rag Dolls. McAdoo will pick up some fouls trying to gurd Shaq. So lets say Ostertag takes 3 of McAdoo's minutes and 7 of Kareem's minutes.

Then I need to give Norm Nixson, Cooper and Wilkes the Shooting ability of Derek Fisher. I need to give the 1982 Lakers the understanding of how to use 3 point shooting and how to defend 3 point shooting.

The 1982 Lakers as modified should be able to beat the Shaq Kobe teams but as they actually were I think they lose to the Shaq Kobe teams.

Shaq Kobe teams beat any team in the 1980s. If I make the Shaq Kobe teams play with 3s counting as 2 and give them only a week to prepare and make them play by 1980s rules then they lose. They would have a few travels that they don't understand. They haven't masterred how to beat a sagged in 1980s team. I am not giving Shaq and Kobe Lakers any more than one weak preparation for playing with 1980s illegal defense rules. It is like The Shaq Lakers are going to a foreign country and playing by their rules. The 1980s sagging violated the 1980s rules and the 1980s players practiced an art of knowing just what they could get away with without being called for an illegal defense.

Celtics and 76ers were very skill full at finding ways to score inside against packed in defenses. Celtics loved to dominate on the offensive glass but I think the Celtics would have more problems owning the offensive glass against Shaq then they had at owning the offensive glass vs 1984 Kareem.

migya · Post #5 » by **migya** » Sat Mar 19, 2022 8:10 am

It is to note and very significant that Shaq didn't battle any other great Center during the early 2000s, there were just none. Olajuwon, Robinson and Ewing were past their prime and near the end of their careers and Mourning got that kidney problem and was not close to what he was. Duncan was PF and wasn't defended by Shaq. Truth is the Lakers won because of much less competition and stars. The 80s and 90s stars had all either retired or were over 35. The condition was great for those Lakers.

Shaq wouldn't handle Kareem well either. Head to Head Kareem would tie Shaq out. Would be epic though.

SashimiLover · Post #6 » by **SashimiLover** » Sun Mar 27, 2022 6:29 am

migya wrote:It is to note and very significant that Shaq didn't battle any other great Center during the early 2000s, there were just none. Olajuwon, Robinson and Ewing were past their prime and near the end of their careers and Mourning got that kidney problem and was not close to what he was. Duncan was PF and wasn't defended by Shaq. Truth is the Lakers won because of much less competition and stars. The 80s and 90s stars had all either retired or were over 35. The condition was great for those Lakers.

Shaq wouldn't handle Kareem well either. Head to Head Kareem would tie Shaq out. Would be epic though.

Yeah, a prime Arvydas Sabonis might also make the center battle more competitive....he was already in his mid/late 30s then. Rik Smits, despite being a decent center, was never the kind of elite big that would make the opponent's big endlessly sweat for both ends and didn't seem that much of a threat to Shaq's dominance back then.