What if...?

[pandiani17]

What if the Blazers hadn't blown up the 15 point lead they had in the 2000 WCF? How do you think the following years would have panned out?
Personally, I think these things would possibly happen:

Portland Trail Blazers

-They don't offload Brian Grant and JO in the offseason. However, they struggle to maintain the level and don't repeat.
-Various players' legacies receive a huge boost. For example, Scottie Pippen shows the world he can without MJ and Arvydas Sabonis becomes the first player to win the Euroleague and the NBA title.

Los Angeles Lakers

-Shaquille O'Neal doesn't start taking his summers off and he comes the following year hungrier than ever. He wins another regular season MVP.
-Kobe Bryant might get traded, Phil Jackson wanted to get rid of him, one of the possibilites was sending him to Phoenix for Jason Kidd and Shawn Marion.

What are your guesses? It has not been discussed enough and actually Portland was really close to getting that ring.

[JBSptfn]

I think Portland still trades Grant, but maybe they hold on to Jermaine O'Neal instead. In the book Jail Blazers, I think that Scottie Pippen said that they should have kept Jermaine. Also, I think they end up repeating as champs, and Sabonis retires after the 2001 season.

As for the Lakers, I agree that Kobe and Shaq would break up sooner without a ring. Maybe Kobe would be traded back home to Philly for AI.

[GimmeThat]

wouldn't have mattered, no cross-over in the bag

[ImKobe]

Lakers win '01-'03 instead with a hungrier Shaq & Kobe.

[Jasper]

I would of loved to see Kobe get traded ... would take a huge ego knock