Los angeles lakers It is one of the teams that has the most arguments to fight in the 2021-22 season of the NBA, after a busy offseason in which they added several veterans to give depth to their roster, such as Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard.
This list is reminiscent of what happened in the 2003-04 season, when in order to win their fourth straight championship, the Lakers decided to sign Karl Malone and Gary Payton, a bet that ended in a surprise defeat in the Finals.
Next, a position-by-position comparison of the Lakers’ starting box from that season and those who will face the new season that will start in a few weeks.
A difficult comparison between a Hall of Famer like Gary Payton and one who sure has his place reserved there, like Russell westbrook, who is one of the most complete offensive players in NBA history. “Mister Triple Double” wins the duel.
There isn’t much discussion here, as no matter what Wayne Ellington may do, Kobe Bryant is the best Laker ever. His status as one of the most brilliant scorers of all time and a five-time champion elevates him above almost any opponent.
Similar to the previous position, there is not much to discuss when choosing between Lebron James and Rick Fox. The “King” is even a contender for the title of greatest player of all time in the NBA and is writing golden history with the Lakers today.
Here is a matter of hierarchy and status, factors in which Karl Malone prevails over a great Anthony Davis. Malone is not only the second leading scorer in league history, his 2 MVPs and 14 NBA Dream Team picks give him a notable advantage despite not winning a championship.
Marc Gasol has a brilliant career, but when it comes to equating him with Shaquille O’Neal there is not much to say. Shaq is one of the best offensive centers in history with 4 championship rings, 3 Finals MVPs and 14 NBA ideal team selections.