How far do the 2005-2006 Lakers go if TD was swapped with Kobe?

[LkrFan]

Serious question. Kobe played with dog that year, yet the Lakers went 45-37 and took a loaded Suns team to a 7th game before bowing out in the playoffs. Here is what the Lakers would look like if you swap TD with Kobe:

1. Sasha Vujacic - ‘nuff said
2. Von Wafer - rookie
3. William "Smush" Parker - undrafted rookie
4. Devin Green G – who?
5. Aaron McKie - 33 years old
6. Jim Jackson 35 years old
7. Laron Profit – LOL
8. Luke Walton – LMAO
9. Devean George – scrub
10. Lamar Odom - extremely inconsistent back then
11. Brian Cook – 1st round pick BUST
12. Stanislav Medvedenko - LOL
13. Kwame Brown – you already know
14. Ronny Turiaf – great 2nd round pick
15. Chris Mihm C – foul waiting to happen
16. Andrew Bynum – extremely raw rookie
17. TIMMY D

Kobe gets a lot of flack on this site but he took ^^ roster to the playoffs. TD NEVER had to work with such a putrid roster. My guess is if Timmy D was a Laker in 2005-2006, they would go lottery or be a 1st round fodder. But Kobe gets ted on for trying to make lemonade out of .

Discuss.

[LkrFan]

Probable starters:

Smush
Sasha
Luke
Lamar Odom
Timmy D

Yeah, that's a great lineup there.

[Giuseppe]

It was those 2 years where Bryant grew up, turned from a boy to a man. The rape stunted him, but, it was the 2 Phoenix failures that took him to manhood.

No, they weren't a blessing, they were Bryant's days of judgment. Some he passed. Some he failed dismally, but, they were his rights of passage and they were as clear & defining as Magic's days of drums thru the Summer of 1984.

[LkrFan]

It was those 2 years where Bryant grew up, turned from a boy to a man. The rape stunted him, but, it was the 2 Phoenix failures that took him to manhood.

No, they weren't a blessing, they were Bryant's days of judgment. Some he passed. Some he failed dismally, but, they were his rights of passage and they were as clear & defining as Magic's days of drums thru the Summer of 1984.

Well put. Kobe had to go 35/5/4 that year in order to even sneak into the playoffs. And this is with no consistent help whatsoever.

[baseline bum]

Since Duncan had plantar fasciitis that season, I'd say 50 wins and the second round.

[LkrFan]

Since Duncan had plantar fasciitis that season, I'd say 50 wins and the second round.

No way in . Let me remind you, here is the lineup Timmy D would have had to roll with: Smush, Sasha, Luke, Lamar Odom, and Kwame Brown. Thanks for playing though.

[Giuseppe]

Well put. Kobe had to go 35/5/4 that year in order to even sneak into the playoffs. And this is with no consistent help whatsoever.

Those two losses to Phoenix taught Bryant the realities of the NBA, and his responsibility to control his destiny within that sphere. That Buss was no father. That he would not self function as Kobe's champion & catalyst unless Kobe held him to that standard and made an accounting of Buss. Buss was not Kobe, did not hold the same drives and code that Bryant holds to this day. Nothing wrong with that. They're different men, but, Bryant knew without being told that if Buss innately did not hold the same values as he did, that he, Bryant would have to instill them in Buss, albeit if only temporarily to sate Bryant and his needs, & thru the natural order:::our needs.

It would have been easy for him after the close call in Colorado to just drift out into the wasteland, cash his checks, and appreciate forever life outside the walls. And he did drift for a spell. In the end though, Bryant awoke, accepted the baton from the waiting, patient Magic, the father that Buss could never be, and brought us all, all of us, back into the light.

[baseline bum]

No way in . Let me remind you, here is the lineup Timmy D would have had to roll with: Smush, Sasha, Luke, Lamar Odom, and Kwame Brown. Thanks for playing though.

LOL.. Duncan carried a team that started Terry Porter and Danny Ferry to 58 wins and the WCF. Not to mention that Antonio Daniels was the starting SG for most of the playoffs and Derek Anderson was a cripple when he returned for games 3 and 4 of the WCF.

[ezau]

Wcf tbh

[LkrFan]

LOL.. Duncan carried a team that started Terry Porter and Danny Ferry to 58 wins and the WCF. Not to mention that Antonio Daniels was the starting SG for most of the playoffs and Derek Anderson was a cripple when he returned for games 3 and 4 of the WCF.

Yeah, well Terry Porter >>>> Smush Parker and Ferry...well you got me there!

I still don't think TD could take that roster any further than Kobe did. Feel free to keep that though.

[LkrFan]

Wcf tbh

[TheRealCB]

It was those 2 years where Bryant grew up, turned from a boy to a man. The rape stunted him, but, it was the 2 Phoenix failures that took him to manhood.

No, they weren't a blessing, they were Bryant's days of judgment. Some he passed. Some he failed dismally, but, they were his rights of passage and they were as clear & defining as Magic's days of drums thru the Summer of 1984.

Cubby,ever considered becoming a writer? Serious question

[100%duncan]

lol you obsessed with TD?

[ezau]

TD has always been the better player between him and Kobe. In 2005, he was at his prime and even if had to deal with a bunch of injuries, he still hoisted the LOB.

[LkrFan]

lol you obsessed with TD?

Naw, I wouldn't say obsessed. I respect TD and all that he has achieved. I just believe that Kobe has had a better career. TD always had a pretty good or a really good supporting cast. This has been ever since he was a rookie. So for you guys to hoop and holla about how many consecutive 50 win seasons you guys have had I say big whoop.

We've seen what happens when Kobe has had a competent supporting cast. Even when he was the so-called Robin to Shaq's batman, people on ST don't acknowledge his greatness. For example, look at the 2001-2002 season. Shaq got his 27.2 ppg, but Kobe was at 25.2. Does that really seem like a Robin? Look further in the playoffs that year: he upped his scoring to 26.2 ppg to Shaq's 28.5. So despite Shaq being the clear cut #1 option and "Most Dominant Ever" he only scored about 2 points more than Kobe did. And Kobe was like 24 that year.

So I'm not obsessed with TD. I'm just proving a point that if you don't have competent talent around you, you won't win despite your greatness. TD on the 2005-2006 Laker team maybe makes the playoffs, but as an 8th seed they would have played the same loaded Phoenix team. And they would have loss.

[ElNono]

52 wins, 2nd round... Can't fathom Tim squandering a 3-1 series lead, especially against the D'Antoni Suns, or not taking shots in a closeout game to make a point...
Or talking about a teammate, or demanding to be traded to the Clippers for that matter... crofl

[LkrFan]

52 wins, 2nd round... Can't fathom Tim squandering a 3-1 series lead, especially against the D'Antoni Suns, or not taking shots in a closeout game to make a point...
Or talking about a teammate, or demanding to be traded to the Clippers for that matter... crofl

[ElNono]

[LkrFan]

[Spur_Fanatic]

Nice lineup upfront, but without Kobe that team is full of holes.
Obviously, it was built around Kobe, and not a big man.

1st round exit. Still, if anything, I don't see a 2006 Duncan going down against the Suns after a 3-1 advantage... So dunno. Maybe he could pull off a 2nd round exit.