Hypothetical: 2004 Pacers vs. 2004 Lakers

[ChrisKreager]

Let's say the Pacers had found a way to squeak by Detroit in the Eastern Conference Finals, and that you would have had a 2000 rematch:

The star-studded but turbulent 2004 L.A. Lakers of Shaq-Kobe-Malone-Payton instead facing the other defensive bruisers from the East- Indiana.

That was when Indiana had Jermaine O'Neal in his prime, Defensive Player of the Year Ron Artest, Jamaal Tinsley, Jeff Foster, Al Harrington, and Reggie Miller.

Also, if this had happened, one other thing to consider:

Indiana would have had home-court advantage. The Lakers won 56 games, but the Pacers won 61 games and were tops in the entire NBA.

Plus, they had a great homecourt advantage- this was back when the Fieldhouse was a tough place to play- going 34-7 at home that season.

Would Indiana have been able to suffocate the Lakers defensively the same way Detroit did?

[The_Yearning]

Nope... nobody on that team could guard Shaq. You can't risk JO guarding Shaq. Lakers probably would have edged them 4-2.

[PacerRaptor]

Originally Posted by The_Yearning

Nope... nobody on that team could guard Shaq. You can't risk JO guarding Shaq. Lakers probably would have edged them 4-2.

at that time the Pacers had Foster and Pollard who could were decent defenders

[ImmortalD24]

Kobe does historically well vs Artest. Pistons on both ends of the floor>> Pacers.

[kennethgriffin]

larry brown said he was gonna let shaq get his and shut down everyone else

it worked...

back when they won titles it was about kobe and shaq playing off each other..

they collapsed on kobe the entire series.. forcing him to take tough shots over 2-3 defenders.. shaq can only do so much

people always acted like shaq was frozen out by kobe... the dude averaged like 30ppg

after shaq.. where do you get the other 70 points you need to win?

payton was garbage... malone was injured. kobe was tripled all night.

larry brown beat the lakers.... and it all worked out best in the end for kobe. because losing in 2004 gave him a chance to make his own career without shaq

[ShaqAttack3234]

I believe Jermaine O'Neal had a knee injury himself in the '04 ECF. I think that Detroit was a better team anyway in hindsight, and better than I realized at the time.

The Lakers were really dysfunctional though and if we're still assuming Malone is injured then it'd be really tough for the Lakers, but if Malone is healthy then I'd take the '04 Lakers over '04 Pacers.

Originally Posted by kennethgriffin

larry brown said he was gonna let shaq get his and shut down everyone else

it worked...

back when they won titles it was about kobe and shaq playing off each other..

they collapsed on kobe the entire series.. forcing him to take tough shots over 2-3 defenders.. shaq can only do so much

people always acted like shaq was frozen out by kobe... the dude averaged like 30ppg

after shaq.. where do you get the other 70 points you need to win?

payton was garbage... malone was injured. kobe was tripled all night.

larry brown beat the lakers.... and it all worked out best in the end for kobe. because losing in 2004 gave him a chance to make his own career without shaq

Kobe wasn't tripled all night. Shaq was indeed guarded with single coverage most of the time, but Kobe also was missing a lot of those long jumpers vs single coverage.

You are correct to point out that Malone was injured and Payton was garbage in the series(and playoffs), and generally a poor fit in the offense despite being a capable player through the regular season.

Billups averaging 21 ppg on 50% shooting while Payton averaged 4 ppg on 32% is hard to believe, and a hard thing to overcome.

[kennethgriffin]

Originally Posted by ShaqAttack3234

Kobe wasn't tripled all night. Shaq was indeed guarded with single coverage most of the time, but Kobe also was missing a lot of those long jumpers vs single coverage.

You are correct to point out that Malone was injured and Payton was garbage in the series(and playoffs), and generally a poor fit in the offense despite being a capable player through the regular season.

Billups averaging 21 ppg on 50% shooting while Payton averaged 4 ppg on 32% is hard to believe, and a hard thing to overcome.

any time kobe put the ball on the floor... multiple defenders collapsed on him.. its all i remember from that series

kobe didnt trust anyone to hit a shot if he passed to them either... no one was shooting well on the lakers except for shaq. and he wasnt gonna average 50ppg