KIDBLAZE

Kid blaze could never agree with you more. GP should have signed with the blazers, we would have probably won the title

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Minstrel

Yes, very much so. That "money" is starting to become cents on the dollar. His jumper is drawing iron more and more with each passing season.

He still shot 46% in Utah, because he was the number one option and played inside a lot. With Shaq on the block, Malone will be forced further out.

Again, very much so. In picking who I'd rather have take a shot from outside or slashing into my defense, I'd pick Payton each time. Payton is / was a Hall of Fame talent because he fused great scoring for a point guard with great rebounding for a point guard with great play-making skills. But he never was the scorer Kobe is, and he's not even in his prime anymore.

Double Kobe, let Payton take his declining long-range shot or slash into the paint, where he'll be contested. Less shots by Kobe is a good thing.

This is not to argue that the Lakers haven't upgraded. They have. But I'm not yet convinced that they've become unstoppable or far better than they were.

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You'll never live like common people
You'll never do what common people do
You'll never fail like common people
You'll never watch your life slide out of view
And dance and drink and screw
Because there's nothing else to do.

RetroDreams

Speed,

I understand that. But he put up those numbers which means he is still capable of doing so. So you're telling me that if Malone wanted to sign with Portland for the veteran minimum, you wouldn't take him?

My whole point was that he can still produce and was one of the most efficient players (STILL) in the league last year at age 318. Twist and bend that anyway you want, but what it means (at least until a team can prove otherwise) is if a team plans on double teaming Shaq everytime down the floor, that team is going to come away with a L more times then not.

The same goes for double teaming Kobe. You leave Gary Payton free, hell, if you leave ANYONE in the NBA open, they are capable of hitting shots. Like it or not, they essentially have 4 All-Stars (and Hall of Famers) starting for them next year IF both Payton and Malone sign on the line.

Goldmember

Remember when Kobe told Karl to "get out of my way old man" during an all-star game? I wonder how many times old man Malone will frustrate Kobe just by being old and in the way. Or how many times Gary brushes off Kobe and passes to Shaq. Ego Bryant already had problems playing in Shaq's shadow, now you got two more HOFers to darken Kobe's spotlight. Not only that, but Kobe is going to spend the whole year playing to get those other guys their rings.

I may be taking the Blazer homer point of view on the situation, but I don't see Kobe being a happy camper this year, and that could lead to the old chemistry breakdown. Kobe will probably be taking his ball somewhere else. Come to Portland Kobe, your new found "street cred" will fit right in with the Blazers.

Goldmember

I don't see why the Blazers would want Malone. We already have Sheed and Zach.

RetroDreams

Are you kidding?

Zach is the future, I'll give you that, but Karl Malone outplayed Rasheed (statistically) last year and over his whole career. I'd NEVER pick Rasheed over Karl.

That said, I wish Portland would deal Rasheed so Zach could finally get his due. You have a perennial all-star there.

Goldmember

Sheed is 30, Karl is 40. I'll stick with Sheed.

I say keep Sheed and move him to the three and start Zach at four. We still need Sheed to defend the Garnetts, Webbers and Dirks of the league.

RetroDreams

Is this a serious statement? The Lakers started both Mark Madsen and Derek Fisher at the PG and PF slots last year in the playoffs.

Gary Payton vs Derek Fisher
Karl Malone vs. Mark Madsen

It's not even close.

Blazer Ringbearer

Looks great on paper, but excuse us Blazer fans if we're wary of such phenomena...

The onus is still on the players to put it together and play great team basketball over the course of the season.

Minstrel

The problems is, it's not a two-on-two league and there's only one ball. You can keep adding scorers and, unless each one is a drastically different type of scorer, you get diminishing returns. Add one Jordan to a team and you have a HUGE difference. Add a second Jordan and you have almost as large an increase. Add a third Jordan and the fact that they can't all shoot means you're starting to get redundant and the gain to the team isn't big. Fourth, fifth, sixth Jordans are just overkill without really making the team much better.

Malone duplicates a lot of O'Neal's game, at a far inferior level. If you want to go inside, why would you ever dump it to Malone, when you have Shaq? Sure, Malone can hit a mid-range jumper...so could Horry. Malone is far better than Horry mostly in that he can also kill a team inside...but that's useless on the Lakers.

Payton duplicates Kobe's game, in an inferior fashion, when it comes to scoring. Now, when it comes to play-making, he's better than anyone on the Lakers, so that's a large improvement.

Payton's play-making worries me, on the Lakers. Malone, unless he embraced a sixth man role, playing when Shaq was on the bench (which I can't see him embracing), doesn't worry me because he mostly duplicates, in lesser form, what LA already had.

__________________
You'll never live like common people
You'll never do what common people do
You'll never fail like common people
You'll never watch your life slide out of view
And dance and drink and screw
Because there's nothing else to do.

Dan

and why did they start Madsen?

Because Horry was injured, and Samaki Walker really sucked. let's say Malone gets injured, who's the starter? Thats right, Madsen.

pointless to compare Malone to Madsen starting. Compare him to who actually did start. Samaki.

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when will the loss of life end?

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Yega1979

Ya, you said the SAME thing when they signed Glen Rice. But he sucked after going to LA.

jackiejackal

I will put the Spurs ahead of them,and that's before Kidd.

Let's vote !

I say Spurs for the title,they are so incredibly well balanced.

I watched Bucks play with Gary,he looked older for the first time.
I watched Malone with Jazz,he just looked old,no dunks,no leg kick,and no jump shot.

Spurs have healthy combo older/younger with a super talent
in the wings. Combo of Kidd and Parker ???oh man..

Sha-Kobe O'Bryant

seems like a lot of sour grapes goin on in here. None of the "Gary is old" crap did i read BEFORE he signed with the Lakers. When you guys thought you had him, he was the best thing since sliced bread. Cmon folks dont be so transparent.

You are entitled to your opinions. We all know that. But to say the Lakers will not be a factor next year after the additions they are going to make, is really letting your hatred for the lakers cloud your judgement.

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Skiptomylou12

Malone has no jumpshot? You've gotta be kidding me, he swished his jumpshot 60% of the time, i still belive he is a premier PF in this league and has about a year and a half left in him.

And if you put the Spurs IMO (without kidd), against the Lakers, I doubt the Spurs will win, seroiusly, Look at RetroDreams' post, Madsen vs. Malone, Fisher vs. Payton, it's not even close, besides the Lakers were a jumpshot from winnign that series (if that shot had gone in, i'm sure Lakers would have won at home), If you add Kidd to the Spurs then it's a whole different story. And no, I seriously doubt there would be a Kidd/Parker combo, Parker will most likely to demand a trade, besides, I'd rather watch the Kidd/Ginobili combo.