Which combo would you pick?

[anonoftheinternets]

Timmay + Manu

Best PF + Top SG

or

Kobe + Gasol

Best SG + Top PF

[m33p0]

since it's pretty close, i'm going homer on this one.

[resistanze]

Royale with cheese.

[ElNono]

Number 2 with a coke, please.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Man that's tough. If we're talking long term I might be tempted to go with Kobe and Gasol, because the way Manu plays I fear he doesn't have more than a season or two of true high level play left in him. But if you were just talking one game, or one series, I'd take Tim and Manu any day of the week and twice on Sundays. Two of the best "big game" talents in the league.

[ElNono]

There should have been a third option: Shaq & Wade, even though they're not together anymore. I would argue Kobe & Gasol get the third position if the option was there.

[xtremesteven33]

Tim/Manu 3 rings
Gasol/Bryant 0 rings

[Spursmania]

It's a given that all 4 are healthy.
I'd pick Manu and Duncan over the Gasol and Bryant.
Xtremesteven33 has it right. Tim/Manu=3 rings and Gasol/Bryant=0 rings.

[JamStone]

All players healthy and playing well, I'd call it a virtual wash.

I'd probably give a slight edge to Duncan/Ginobili, but not much if any.

That's why the supporting cast of each of those teams are so important. Spurs have an advantage in terms of having another go-to guy in Tony Parker, but the Lakers have a pretty strong advantage in overall depth, especially in the front court, even with Gooden going to the Spurs. I know the thread is not directly and technically about Lakers/Spurs. But, just adding that since it's kind of about that.

[JamStone]

It's a given that all 4 are healthy.
I'd pick Manu and Duncan over the Gasol and Bryant.
Xtremesteven33 has it right. Tim/Manu=3 rings and Gasol/Bryant=0 rings.

No two player combo wins titles by itself, just like no one single player wins titles by himself.

Technically, Tim/Man have three rings and Bryant/Gasol have three rings.

Unless the NBA is a two-on-two tournament and Tim/Manu won the two-on-two NBA championship three times, this point is not as strong as you suggest.

[JamStone]

Actually Tim has 4, Manu has 3, Bryant has 3 and Gasol has none...so that makes it 7-3 if you want to count it like that. Duh-TROIT BASKET-Duh .


Touchy, touchy.

I'd count Tim/Ginobili 4 rings and Kobe/Gasol 3 rings. I wouldn't double up the three because those were the same teams. But, yeah, I should have included 1999. Not mentioning 1999 doesn't change my point.

[Ghazi]

Duncan/Ginobili are both on the wrong side of 30 and Ginobili's health is an issue

Kobe/Gasol no question!

In fact, if you swapped the combos, the Spurs would be better and the Lakers would be worse.

[Xylus]

At the primes of their careers, you have to go with Duncan/Ginobili, but right now I think the smart choice would be Kobe/Gasol.

Even though I hate defending any Laker players, you can't use the "3 rings - 0 rings" argument because Kobe and Gasol haven't even played a full season together. Who knows, they might win 3 rings yet.

[tlongII]

Roy + Aldridge

[BlackSwordsMan]

can we choose kobe duncan?

[dirk4mvp]

Tim/Manu 3 rings
Gasol/Bryant 0 rings


Did anyone see this coming?

[JamStone]

Did anyone see this coming?

None of us.

That said, Sam Jones and Bill Russell would as a combo would own Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili right now.

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

Did anyone see this coming?

last thing I expected to hear.

I chose Manu and Duncan but I find it funny that Spurs fans count 2003 when Manu was the 6th leading scorer on that team.

[hater]

I'd save Manu + Duncan for real basketball and instead use Pierce/Garnett.

Pierce/Garnett would destroy Kobe/Gasol

[baseline bum]

I'll take Duncan+Parker

[dirk4mvp]

And how many rings do the Mavs and Grizzlies have? It's great to mention that and then people like you discount it like it is nothing. What else is there? A championship is what every player, team and GM hope for. So for you to act like that is nothing makes you an dumbass and someone who just dislikes the Spurs for no reason other than they are successful. The rings mean everything. You probably wouldn't understand since you can't decide whether you like the Mavs or Grizzlies. :bang


Uh more like it makes someone a dumbass for saying Duncan/Mau 3 titles, Kobe/Pau none.

Gay Mayo > Ducan/Manu

[JamStone]

And how many rings do the Mavs and Grizzlies have? It's great to mention that and then people like you discount it like it is nothing. What else is there? A championship is what every player, team and GM hope for. So for you to act like that is nothing makes you an dumbass and someone who just dislikes the Spurs for no reason other than they are successful. The rings mean everything. You probably wouldn't understand since you can't decide whether you like the Mavs or Grizzlies. :bang

The past alone does not dictate the present or the future, otherwise the Spurs should probably have 6 or 7 titles, winning it every year since 2003.

You don't completely discount past championships of players and teams, especially as it relates to experience and knowing how to get it done. But, you cannot rely that as the sole consideration as to which player, team, or combination of players are better now. It's naive to think that the 3 titles together alone makes them better than Kobe/Gasol right now. Could it be a factor? Absolutely. Does it end the debate? Hardly.

[jack sommerset]

last thing I expected to hear.

I chose Manu and Duncan but I find it funny that Spurs fans count 2003 when Manu was the 6th leading scorer on that team.

I find it funny considering Gasol and Kobe have yet to play a whole season together. Again its all about Duncan! Mangoo is a side show.

[Spursmania]

And how many rings do the Mavs and Grizzlies have? It's great to mention that and then people like you discount it like it is nothing. What else is there? A championship is what every player, team and GM hope for. So for you to act like that is nothing makes you an dumbass and someone who just dislikes the Spurs for no reason other than they are successful. The rings mean everything. You probably wouldn't understand since you can't decide whether you like the Mavs or Grizzlies. :bang

EXACTLY. Another dumbass Mav fan. Yeah, in the NBA nobody cares about rings or Championships. They just play for fun... WAKE UP!!

NBA is about rings and Championships dumb ass-That's the point of competing. Of course, Mav fans would want to discount and ignore Championship titles since your team will never have one. :nope

Please stop...you're really killing me with your accute observations. They are so dead on...:lmao:lmao

[anonoftheinternets]

DAMN, i meant in a 2 on 2 pickup game. The whole conversation in the thread was about rings and teams. I guess I should have mentioned it in the initial post :bang. And obviously when they are both healthy.

Also someone mentioned Pierce and Garnett, but Pierce is more of a small Forward build (like lebron), so ud have to have ray allen and garnett which doesn't look very impressive.

[JamStone]

Before last year, Paul Pierce played a lot of shooting guard. He's really either or. He has the size to play small forward and the perimeter skills and athleticism to play shooting guard, and he's played both positions a fair amount of time in his career. As you saw in the Finals last year, he spent a lot of time guarding Kobe, especially in the fourth quarter. It's like distinguishing Duncan as either a PF or a C.

If it's a 2-on-2 game, I'd give the edge to Kobe/Gasol. Gasol really can't stop Duncan and Manu can't really stop Kobe. But, I like Kobe's one-on-one ability in a 2-on-2 format, with Gasol's jumpshooting ability being able to take Duncan away from the rim defensively.

[TheMACHINE]

kobe/shaq = timmy/manu

[hater]

Its a no brainer. Kobe and Gasol have dominated Manu and Duncan.

just like KG and Pierce dominated Kobe and Gasol?

[ManuTP9]

manu and duncan

[TheMACHINE]

just like KG and Pierce dominated Kobe and Gasol?

yes...Just like Gasol/Kobe dominated Duncan/Manu

[anonoftheinternets]

Before last year, Paul Pierce played a lot of shooting guard. He's really either or. He has the size to play small forward and the perimeter skills and athleticism to play shooting guard, and he's played both positions a fair amount of time in his career. As you saw in the Finals last year, he spent a lot of time guarding Kobe, especially in the fourth quarter. It's like distinguishing Duncan as either a PF or a C.

If it's a 2-on-2 game, I'd give the edge to Kobe/Gasol. Gasol really can't stop Duncan and Manu can't really stop Kobe. But, I like Kobe's one-on-one ability in a 2-on-2 format, with Gasol's jumpshooting ability being able to take Duncan away from the rim defensively.

Good take. But on the other end, Gasol cant guard duncan 1 on 1, so kobe will have to come over to help, and a slashing manu or wide open manu will make him pay. So I dunno if its as simple as gasol stepping away from the paint. Then the question becomes, which pair is closer in terms of talent, Kobe & manu or Gasol and Duncan.

[JamStone]

Gasol has height and length on Duncan. He can't stop Duncan, but I think he'd bother Duncan on many of his attempts, and he'd do an overall better defensive job on Duncan than Manu would on Kobe. Manu is a gambler on defense. He's not really a good one-on-one defender on the ball. Plus, I don't think Kobe would help on Duncan.

[j-money24]

kobe/gasol would destroy duncan/manu with both in their primes.

[manufor3]

Technically, Tim/Man have three rings and Bryant/Gasol have three rings.


??? I don't see your logic

[JamStone]

??? I don't see your logic

Already addressed. Should be 4 and 3, not 3 and 3.

I initially didn't count the 1999 title. Not as a slight, just posted too quickly to catch it.

I didn't double up the rings of the same championships for Tim and Manu.