2009 and 2010 Lakers vs 2012 and 2013 Heat

[WhiteKyrie]

I think these two squads would be an interesting series. While Miami definitely has the top and talent, I think LA played the superior brand of team basketball. The only real difference in the rosters being the 2009 squad had young Trevor Ariza, and then upgraded the 2010 squad with Ron Artest in his place.

3x players talent wise on that MVP scale with Kobe, LeBron, and Wade.

Though Dwayne was tapering his game back at this time to accommodate LeBron and was dealing with a few nagging injuries here and there.

Gasol and Bosh to me were the same level as players. Bosh easily better defensively, Gasol maybe slightly superior offensively due to his passing ability.

Rest of the rosters to me round out to be either dead even, or slight superiority to the 2010 Lakers with Artest.

How do you envision a series between these two teams going.

[StrongLurk]

Heat win both years.

[1987_Lakers]

I think these two squads would be an interesting series. While Miami definitely has the top and talent, I think LA played the superior brand of team basketball. The only real difference in the rosters being the 2009 squad had young Trevor Ariza, and then upgraded the 2010 squad with Ron Artest in his place.


Artest was not an upgrade, he was a downgrade. Ariza fit in the offense much better, I loved him in the '09 postseason, he seemed to hit every open 3. Artest's struggles to grasp the triangle offense was well chronicled. The 2009 team was better, but I will say that Artest usually came up big in crucial playoff games while he was in LA.

[AlternativeAcc.]

Didn't LeBron own Kobe?

Give me Heat all day.

[WhiteKyrie]

Artest was not an upgrade, he was a downgrade. Ariza fit in the offense much better, I loved him in the '09 postseason, he seemed to hit every open 3. Artest's struggles to grasp the triangle offense was well chronicled. The 2009 team was better, but I will say that Artest usually came up big in crucial playoff games while he was in LA.
And he was a better on ball defender. And specifically against LeBron would be an equal sized physical body. That was the point, numb nuts. But yes consistently, Ariza was a better fit OFFENSIVELY. In that regard, agreed.

[1987_Lakers]

And he was a better on ball defender. And specifically against LeBron would be an equal sized physical body. That was the point, numb nuts. But yes consistently, Ariza was a better fit OFFENSIVELY. In that regard, agreed.

That's not what you said though.

"The only real difference in the rosters being the 2009 squad had young Trevor Ariza, and then upgraded the 2010 squad with Ron Artest in his place." - You

Nice job trying to backtrack. The 2009 team was better.

[ArbitraryWater]

Lakers have the size / interior edge, but I don't trust Kobe to make enough use of it.

Heat guards too athletic, mismatch in the open court; and would stiffen up Kobe defensively.

2012 Finals Heat in 5-6.

2013 Finals Heat in 6.

[kawhileonard2]

Lakers win as Lebron was afraid of Kobe on the highest stage which is why he lost with HCA to Dwight and Pierce.

[ImKobe]

Lakers had all the right pieces to beat a team like Miami in a 7-game series.


Lakers have the size / interior edge, but I don't trust Kobe to make enough use of it.

Heat guards too athletic, mismatch in the open court; and would stiffen up Kobe defensively.

2012 Finals Heat in 5-6.

2013 Finals Heat in 6.

What does that even mean? You know Shaq, Pau & Bynum all peaked playing with KB, right?

[RRR3]

LeBron supposedly had the most help ever and Kobe supposedly had the least help ever according to certain posters on here, so Heat in 4 obviously.