Replace Kobe Bryant with these superstars from 2009 onwards.

[Ronaldinho]

Lebron wins 2, Wade wins 1, Rose and Melo are still ringless. I think current Melo from 2009 on wins 1 though.

Kobe has more chance to win with the Nuggets in 09 than Melo with the Lakers.

[blablabla]

Dwyane Wade never had a playoff runs as good as Kobe in 08-10 but somehow he's suppossed to threepeat with that team despite fitting the team much worse than kobe

Lebron wins in 09, don't know about 10

[Genaro]

Hate for Kobe in this board is beyond ridiculous. You can hate all you want but you can't fight the facts.
Neither Rose, Wade or Lebron has enought shooting to keep teams from double Gasol. Melo doesn't have the defense or play making that Kobe brought to that team.

Bynum was a close to non factor as it gets on those runs. He was always injured and didn't play in the 4th in most games.
Fisher couldn't guard anyone, most point guards went off against Lakers.
Artest couldn't make a shot to save his life until game 7 of the finals.
The bench was very poor except for Odom.

That team was all Kobe, Gasol, Odom and Phil. Please don't act like this was a stacked powerhouse.

[Levity]

anyone that mentions bynum as a factor in the lakers championship run is an asshole and doesnt watch basketball

Bynum had 2.5 good years with LA. The year pau was acquired, bynum was having a coming out party, then got injured against memphis and missed the rest of the regular season. it was only after that injury when LA traded for Pau

and bynum was pretty much a non factor until mike browns first year with the team(but he was pretty decent the year he got hurt again against memphis), where bynum just dominated and was often referred to as the 2nd best C in the league.

[DMAVS41]

If that's a sure fire thing then why did LeBron lose in 2011 with a healthy Bosh, and Wade dominating like a Finals MVP?

Why did Wade also lose in 2011 with a healthy Bosh and the "best player in the world" in LeBron as his sidekick?

That's like me saying....why did Kobe lose in 03 and 04. Why couldn't he win a playoff series without Shaq in 06 or 07...especially in 06.

I'm obviously assuming Lebron plays normal. Of course he's not winning shit if he plays like he did in the 11 finals.

And of course it's not a sure thing.

But the standard Lebron/Wade of 09 and 10 were no worse than Kobe. In fact, I thought they were both better players actually...does that mean they win for sure? Hell no, but this question is basically asking if Lebron and Wade were as good as Kobe...and of course they were.

You even have direct evidence...Lebron was better against the Magic in the 09 ECF than Kobe was in the 09 finals...and Wade was way better against the 10 Celtics than Kobe was in the finals.

Props to Kobe for actually getting it done, but damn...people are seriously under-rating Wade and Lebron in 09 and 10 if they think they were worse players.

[DMAVS41]

anyone that mentions bynum as a factor in the lakers championship run is an asshole and doesnt watch basketball

Bynum had 2.5 good years with LA. The year pau was acquired, bynum was having a coming out party, then got injured against memphis and missed the rest of the regular season. it was only after that injury when LA traded for Pau

and bynum was pretty much a non factor until mike browns first year with the team(but he was pretty decent the year he got hurt again against memphis), where bynum just dominated and was often referred to as the 2nd best C in the league.

Bynum absolutely was a factor in 10.

He played 24 minutes a game and put up 9/7/1....sorry, that is a factor.

He wasn't a star or anything, but a center playing that much and producing like that matters.

Remember when everyone was going on and on about Tyson Chandler?

Well...in the 11 run to the title...8/9/0

ROFL...Bynum was absolutely a factor

[ThePhantomCreep]

Bynum absolutely was a factor in 10.

He played 24 minutes a game and put up 9/7/1....sorry, that is a factor.

He wasn't a star or anything, but a center playing that much and producing like that matters.

Remember when everyone was going on and on about Tyson Chandler?

Well...in the 11 run to the title...8/9/0

ROFL...Bynum was absolutely a factor

Bynum was on one leg in the 2010 finals--even super-bum Kendrick Perkins was outplaying him.

It's amusing the way people people overrate that supporting cast. Wade couldn't even get past the Atlanta Hawks in a 7-game series but he's good for a three-peat?

[DMAVS41]

Bynum was on one leg in the 2010 finals--even super-bum Kendrick Perkins was outplaying him.

It's amusing the way people people overrate that supporting cast. Wade couldn't even get past the Atlanta Hawks in a 7-game series but he's good for a three-peat?

A playoff run is not just the finals. Bynum was a factor...just admit it.

I'm not saying he was great or anything, but he was a factor.


I didn't say Wade was "good for a 3 peat"...I said he would have had a chance with that 08 team...unlike Lebron. I don't think Lebron was good enough in 08 to get past the Celtics with that Lakers roster. The Lakers weren't elite defensively like the Cavs were...and Lebron really struggled against the celtics early on in his series.

Look...anyone acting like Kobe was on a different level or even just objectively better in any real way than Wade and Lebron in 09 and 10 is just living in la la land.

That doesn't mean Wade and Lebron do as well...we don't know what would happen. Different players and different teams...

But here is what Wade did to the Celtics in 2010;

33/6/7 65% TS

Does that mean he'd do that in the finals or in a big series? No, but at least it's evidence that he could play at least as well as Kobe against them. Same thing for Lebron imo...

[Fire Colangelo]

Lebron and Wade don't win shit with these teams.

They are built horribly for those two guys, with a clogged paint and no shooters around them Wade & Bron would have trouble.

The only person I can see winning with this team is Melo, but then you have to factor in you're losing Kobes play making and defense..

Kobes WCF in 09 & 10 were incredible and would not be duplicated easily..

I think Melo has the best shot with this team as his skill set would mesh well with the squad.

Lol'd at this clogging the paint crap. Because Varejao and Z were both stretch bigs? Gasol had very good mid range game, and a smaller line up of LeBron, Odom and Gasol would be wrecking the league. Are we gonna act like Shaq and UD were stretch bigs? UD had a good midrange jumper but so does gasol, yet Wade won with them.

[MadSolar]

A playoff run is not just the finals. Bynum was a factor...just admit it.

I'm not saying he was great or anything, but he was a factor.


I didn't say Wade was "good for a 3 peat"...I said he would have had a chance with that 08 team...unlike Lebron. I don't think Lebron was good enough in 08 to get past the Celtics with that Lakers roster. The Lakers weren't elite defensively like the Cavs were...and Lebron really struggled against the celtics early on in his series.

Look...anyone acting like Kobe was on a different level or even just objectively better in any real way than Wade and Lebron in 09 and 10 is just living in la la land.


That doesn't mean Wade and Lebron do as well...we don't know what would happen. Different players and different teams...

But here is what Wade did to the Celtics in 2010;

33/6/7 65% TS

Does that mean he'd do that in the finals or in a big series? No, but at least it's evidence that he could play at least as well as Kobe against them. Same thing for Lebron imo...

Lebron wouldn't even make it to the finals. He'd get shut down by the same team who shut him down in the 2007 finals.

[HoopsFanNumero1]

Lebron three-peats easily. Wade probably wins at least 2 as well.

[Yao Ming's Foot]

A playoff run is not just the finals. Bynum was a factor...just admit it.

I'm not saying he was great or anything, but he was a factor.


I didn't say Wade was "good for a 3 peat"...I said he would have had a chance with that 08 team...unlike Lebron. I don't think Lebron was good enough in 08 to get past the Celtics with that Lakers roster. The Lakers weren't elite defensively like the Cavs were...and Lebron really struggled against the celtics early on in his series.

Look...anyone acting like Kobe was on a different level or even just objectively better in any real way than Wade and Lebron in 09 and 10 is just living in la la land.

That doesn't mean Wade and Lebron do as well...we don't know what would happen. Different players and different teams...

But here is what Wade did to the Celtics in 2010;

33/6/7 65% TS

Does that mean he'd do that in the finals or in a big series? No, but at least it's evidence that he could play at least as well as Kobe against them. Same thing for Lebron imo...

Andrew "The Factor" Bynum everybody...

[Yao Ming's Foot]

In these mythological scenarios are Lebron and Wade facing the usual Eastern conference cream puffs or are they actually facing a legitimate path to the Finals?

[ThePhantomCreep]

Lebron three-peats easily. Wade probably wins at least 2 as well.

They couldn't even beat the Maveircks in their primes.

Together.

GTFO.

[DMAVS41]

Andrew "The Factor" Bynum everybody...

I said 2010...not 09...

LOL...that is a factor!...that is great for a 24 minute a game 7 footer...

Jesus christ people...just admit Bynum was a factor in 2010...