Do you think the Lakers win the title in 2004 had they matched up against the Pacers.

[coastalmarker99]

I do think that had those two teams matched up in the finals that season.


That the Lakers beat the Pacers in six games with Shaq winning the FMVP as he did in 2000.

[SouBeachTalents]

Don’t you think Kobe goes kamikaze mode chucking up awful shots to finally get FMVP regardless of who they play? The Pacers were excellent defensively that season too, and I think Kobe struggles even more against Artest than he did Prince.

[coastalmarker99]

Don’t you think Kobe goes kamikaze mode chucking up awful shots to finally get FMVP regardless of who they play? The Pacers were excellent defensively that season too, and I think Kobe struggles even more against Artest than he did Prince.

It's tough to see the Pacers containing Shaq the way the Pistons did.


I can see Shaq averaging over 33 PPG in those finals against the Pacers and dragging Kobe to a ring as he did in 2000.

[SouBeachTalents]

It's tough to see the Pacers containing Shaq the way the Pistons did.


I can see Shaq averaging over 33 PPG in those finals against the Pacers and dragging Kobe to a ring as he did in 2000.
2004 Shaq while still an elite player was no longer that dude. He averaged 21-22 ppg over the regular season & playoffs, and actually had his best scoring series by far that postseason against Detroit.

There’s no way that version of Shaq was averaging 33 ppg against anybody :lol

[pandiani17]

It would be a really interesting series. I was a big fan of those Pacers teams, they had a great mixture of youth, talent and swagger. The Kobe vs Artest match-up would produce fireworks, and the Pacers were deep (Al Harrington, Fred Jones, etc.) and had bodies to throw at Shaq (JO, Foster, Pollard, etc.)

[Duderonomy]

I think it would go 6-7 games. I think the Pacers would win the Lakers were gassed out by that point and the Pacers had youth, defense and Artest and Jarmine both play the weak positions of that Lakers team.

How would be the 2001 Bucks do against vs. The Lakers since they won both regular season games and had a deeper team than the Sixers.

[RRR3]

2004 Shaq while still an elite player was no longer that dude. He averaged 21-22 ppg over the regular season & playoffs, and actually had his best scoring series by far that postseason against Detroit.

There’s no way that version of Shaq was averaging 33 ppg against anybody :lol
Sure but part of the reason his scoring was down so much is because they added Malone and Payton.

[tpols]

Don’t you think Kobe goes kamikaze mode chucking up awful shots to finally get FMVP regardless of who they play? The Pacers were excellent defensively that season too, and I think Kobe struggles even more against Artest than he did Prince.

Kobe averaged 27/5/4/2 on 114 ORTG vs Artest in the playoffs when he was with Houston. He didn't have a hard time with him. Prince and his 8 foot wingspan is what bothered kobes jumper. He didn't mind artests physicality.

@1:00


https://youtu.be/2aMyyLdRixI

[ShawkFactory]

Kobe averaged 27/5/4/2 on 114 ORTG vs Artest in the playoffs when he was with Houston. He didn't have a hard time with him. Prince and his 8 foot wingspan is what bothered kobes jumper. He didn't mind artests physicality.

@1:00


https://youtu.be/2aMyyLdRixI

That was...not the same Artest.

[Axe]

That was...not the same Artest.
Ether

[JBSptfn]

Pacers in six. That wasn't the Lakers' year. If it wasn't for that BS Derek Fisher shot (against SA in Round 2) and Sam Cassell's injury, they don't even get there.

[Reggie43]

Malone was injured and the team had zero depth while having to deal with the Kobe Shaq feud at the biggest stage.

Pacers were young and inexperienced but had an Mvp candidate in Jermaine Oneal and the Dpoy in Ron Artest both at their absolute peak leading the Pacers to the best record in the league on the strength of their defense.

A healthy Lakers would have won it all obviously even against Detroit but with the aforementioned issues the Pacers would have probably won in 6-7 games.

[Lakers Legend#32]

Nah, Lakers had too many head cases on their team that year.

[Shooter]

2004 Shaq while still an elite player was no longer that dude. He averaged 21-22 ppg over the regular season & playoffs, and actually had his best scoring series by far that postseason against Detroit.

There’s no way that version of Shaq was averaging 33 ppg against anybody :lol

+1

He was drained from 3 straight Finals (2000-2002) without getting a 2-year rest up.

[L.Kizzle]

It's tough to see the Pacers containing Shaq the way the Pistons did.


I can see Shaq averaging over 33 PPG in those finals against the Pacers and dragging Kobe to a ring as he did in 2000.
27 and 11 on 63%. Wouldn't say they contained him at all.