Gary Payton has verbally agreed to sign with Los Angeles. Karl Malone had said that if Gary signed, he would too.
The L.A. Lakers will trot out a starting lineup next season that includes Shaquille O'Neal, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant (court proceedings notwithstanding), and Gary Payton.
Alas, Seattle's chances of doing anything in the west grow dimmer... although they will be exciting to watch with all the young players. They got Nick Collison and Luke Ridnour in the draft, I watched both of them in the NCAA Tournament.
With Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, I don't see them losing. :shrug:
I don't know Seattle's players though.
Last year the Lakers had Shaq and Kobe, and nobody else. They lost in the playoffs.
Seattle has Ray Allen (from the Payton trade) along with Rashard Lewis, Kevin Ollie, Jerome James, Calvin Booth, Brent Barry, Peja Drobnjak, Vitaly Potepenko, and Vladamir Radmanovic. Seattle likes their European players. 😊
Last year was an accident?
Can't argue with you. I don't know my subject very well, nor the European players. I was just giving my opinion.
To much talent, I do think they will lose a good amount of games. Peoples Egos on the team will drown the lakers.
If all the boys can play nicely together, they may as well all but award the Lakers the 2004 championship.
Of course that's a big if. I don't know if even Phil Jackson can pull off that magic.