ducks
07-16-2003, 09:16 PM
Are the Lakers too good for their own good?
by Larry Beil
July 16, 2003
It's the middle of July, and by all accounts, time for David Stern to start polishing up the old championship trophy for delivery to the Hall of Fame Club, also known as the Los Angeles Lakers. By adding Karl Malone and Gary Payton to a starting lineup that already included Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, the Lakers will undoubtedly steamroll over the rest of the NBA and slam-dunk their way to the ring ceremony. Or will they?
This NBA offseason has been like the Cold War, with two superpowers adding so much firepower they could blow up the world over and over again. The Lakers get Payton; the Nets retain Jason Kidd. The Lakers get Malone; the Nets get Alonzo Mourning.
Granted, the Lakers' foursome might be the best collection of talent since Hugh Hefner started collecting bunnies, but stockpiling talent doesn't necessarily translate into championships. If that truly were the case, the Portland Trail Blazers would lead the league in wins every year instead of arrests.
Speaking of which, any conversation about the Lakers' next dynasty comes with the assumption that whatever Bryant was doing with that concierge in Colorado, he won't be watching the playoffs next year in an orange jumpsuit.
Beyond his legal problems, Bryant also will have to deal with a Payton problem. Payton has been a star in the NBA for a long time. He was the heart and soul of the Sonics for 13 years, but neither his heart nor soul did much for the Milwaukee Bucks when he joined them at the end of last season. Surely, suiting up in purple and gold will appeal to Payton's psyche more than George Karl's terminally ill Bucks, but I wonder about chemistry on the court.
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Payton loves to control the game -- Kobe lives to control it, the ball almost welded to his hands on key possessions. Notice how when Shaq got into foul trouble in recent seasons, you could almost see the light go on inside Bryant's head. It was his time to single-handedly save the day: Have no fear, Kobe's here! How does Kobe deal with Payton controlling the offense, dictating whom gets shots with the game on the line? I see friction and frustration just waiting to happen.
Add the Mailman to the mix, and now you have another guy who is used to being the focal point of the offense. How does he fit into the triangle offense after a lifetime of running the pick-and-roll with John Stockton?
And that's just the offense. The Lakers still haven't answered the question that stumped them in the second round of the playoffs against the Spurs: Can anybody around here guard Tim Duncan? Malone may have the biceps of the Hulk, but do the Lakers really expect the 40-year-old Mailman to deliver defensively in crunch time against the two-time league MVP? Or do rookies Brian Cook and Luke Walton get that job? Yikes.
L.A.'s Fearsome Foursome have great resumes. Kobe, Shaq, Malone and Payton have combined to score more than 86,000 career points. But as the Lakers may learn next season, too much of a good thing may not be such a good thing. scoop (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=lb-lakers&prov=yhoo&type=lgns)
by Larry Beil
July 16, 2003
It's the middle of July, and by all accounts, time for David Stern to start polishing up the old championship trophy for delivery to the Hall of Fame Club, also known as the Los Angeles Lakers. By adding Karl Malone and Gary Payton to a starting lineup that already included Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, the Lakers will undoubtedly steamroll over the rest of the NBA and slam-dunk their way to the ring ceremony. Or will they?
This NBA offseason has been like the Cold War, with two superpowers adding so much firepower they could blow up the world over and over again. The Lakers get Payton; the Nets retain Jason Kidd. The Lakers get Malone; the Nets get Alonzo Mourning.
Granted, the Lakers' foursome might be the best collection of talent since Hugh Hefner started collecting bunnies, but stockpiling talent doesn't necessarily translate into championships. If that truly were the case, the Portland Trail Blazers would lead the league in wins every year instead of arrests.
Speaking of which, any conversation about the Lakers' next dynasty comes with the assumption that whatever Bryant was doing with that concierge in Colorado, he won't be watching the playoffs next year in an orange jumpsuit.
Beyond his legal problems, Bryant also will have to deal with a Payton problem. Payton has been a star in the NBA for a long time. He was the heart and soul of the Sonics for 13 years, but neither his heart nor soul did much for the Milwaukee Bucks when he joined them at the end of last season. Surely, suiting up in purple and gold will appeal to Payton's psyche more than George Karl's terminally ill Bucks, but I wonder about chemistry on the court.
ADVERTISEMENT
Payton loves to control the game -- Kobe lives to control it, the ball almost welded to his hands on key possessions. Notice how when Shaq got into foul trouble in recent seasons, you could almost see the light go on inside Bryant's head. It was his time to single-handedly save the day: Have no fear, Kobe's here! How does Kobe deal with Payton controlling the offense, dictating whom gets shots with the game on the line? I see friction and frustration just waiting to happen.
Add the Mailman to the mix, and now you have another guy who is used to being the focal point of the offense. How does he fit into the triangle offense after a lifetime of running the pick-and-roll with John Stockton?
And that's just the offense. The Lakers still haven't answered the question that stumped them in the second round of the playoffs against the Spurs: Can anybody around here guard Tim Duncan? Malone may have the biceps of the Hulk, but do the Lakers really expect the 40-year-old Mailman to deliver defensively in crunch time against the two-time league MVP? Or do rookies Brian Cook and Luke Walton get that job? Yikes.
L.A.'s Fearsome Foursome have great resumes. Kobe, Shaq, Malone and Payton have combined to score more than 86,000 career points. But as the Lakers may learn next season, too much of a good thing may not be such a good thing. scoop (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=lb-lakers&prov=yhoo&type=lgns)