Attn All Minesotans....

[E55 KEV]

Scenario - You just purchased a new NBA team franchise and could pick any current NBA player to start your team but could only take one player from each team who would you pick. Shaq or Kobe?

My money would be on Shaq?

There will always be some up and coming scoring Guards or Forwards to get - but the Shaq factor is still huge!

[LakersFan]

I agree there will always be some good guards/forwards to get, but wouldnt you want the best?

Shaqs already played 11 years and is 32 years old. If you want to build a franchise around a 32 year old 11 year vet then go ahead. Dont get me wrong, Shaq is awesome and I love the guy, but I would take Kobe. Hes the most dominate player in the league right now, but if Im building a franchise, I want someone that can dominate for more than 2 or 3 more years

Kobe, at 25, has done more for his team and won more championships than MJ did at 25.

[E55 KEV]

Sure, Kobe is a great player and very critical to the Laks, but he will not carry a team without a dominant player, when Shaq is gone he will fall. How many times has Kobe been MVP? I would not take him over these 'real' Franchise Players:

Kevin Garnett
Tim Duncan

When he has to play "D" his "O" suffers.

[LakersFan]

Originally Posted by E55 KEV

...when Shaq is gone he will fall. How many times has Kobe been MVP? I would not take him over these 'real' Franchise Players:

Kevin Garnett
Tim Duncan

When he has to play "D" his "O" suffers.

Thats kinda bold to say that Kobe will fall when Shaq leaves

Kobe has never won any MVP's (yet) but if you dont think he's an "MVP type" player, then youre nuts. KG and Duncan are legitimate franchise players and I wouldnt take Kobe over them either. I was saying I will take him over Shaq, and thats what I thought we were comparing.

In '02 Kobe was selected to the All NBA 1st team and ALL NBA defensive team in the same year. Dont see how how his offense suffered when he averaged 26 points a game and managed to make the nba defensive team.

[LakersFan]

Wow, did you guys see that game?!? I was sweating bullets!

[E55 KEV]

I must give Kobe props - he sure played like a "Franchise Player" last night! However, he did not in Game 1!

[MOMO]

I’ll give Kobe his props too, just look at all that he must be going through right now. His head must be a mess knowing that his could potentially be his last year of playing b-ball, not to mention life as he knows it now. Yes, I know that he put himself in this predicament.


On the court so much is expected from him, take game one vs. the Pistons for example. Shaq was the only one producing the other guys couldn’t by a bucket, Kobe took upon himself to produce, at times forcing shots. The Lakers need that third scorer as option to produce and to take pressure off Kobe.

Originally Posted by E55 KEV

I must give Kobe props - he sure played like a "Franchise Player" last night! However, he did not in Game 1!

Every player can’t maintain the same level of energy through the series, don’t forget that the play off’s are a different animal. All teams step it up a few notches when they are playing in the play off’s. Name one player who has not had one single bad game, I bet that you can’t. Even the NBA’s MVP KJ had a few bad games!

Let us not forget that Kobe is a ripe age of 25 years old.

[E55 KEV]

Lakers, in case you have not seen this, this is for you:

[LakersFan]

Thanks KEV but I have that up in my room! Im a huge lakers fan and I have a lot of their memorbilia. Big game tonight!