James Worthy
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Small Forward I always considered Worthy, who played on the last three Showtime championship teams, the most underrated Laker starter. He was a great finisher (important when you're getting dished by Magic Johnson), had decent perimeter range (though he was not a three-point shooter), made big shots and was a more than adequate passer when double-teamed. Marion is nowhere near as polished an offensive player as Worthy, but he has three-point range, which is important in the Suns' everybody-can-shoot-it offense. He is a much better rebounder than Worthy and more versatile on defense (though Worthy was not bad). Worthy is in the Hall of Fame, but this one is closer than you might think.
Points: Lakers 10, Suns 9. |
Shawn Marion |
Kurt Rambis
Bob McAdoo
A.C. Green
Maurice Lucas
M. Thompson
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Power Forward As you can see, this position underwent some transition in the Magic years. The point is, the Lakers always got something out of it -- points from McAdoo, toughness from Rambis and Lucas, rebounding and shot-blocking from Mychal Thompson, and a little of everything from Green, the most famous self-professed virgin in Los Angeles. (Maybe the only self-professed virgin in Los Angeles.) Diaw hasn't been around long enough to put himself in esteemed power-forward company, but his obvious potential makes this a virtual dead heat. He has become a good defender, and his passing ability from the four-spot gives the Suns two legit unselfish see-the-floor distributors. That is a huge advantage that the Lakers never really had.
Points: Lakers 10, Suns 10. |
Boris Diaw |
Kareem
Abdul-Jabbar
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Center Now how is Stoudemire supposed to win this one? A-J is the greatest scorer in NBA history and was still averaging 23.4 points per game when he was 39 years old. Further, his low-post presence was the perfect complement to a Showtime offense. The break wasn't there? Big deal. Throw it into the Big Fella with the shot clock going down and let him finish things off with a sky hook. But Stoudemire can do something Abdul-Jabbar never could: Join the break. He is part of Showtime, not a complement to it. But he has a long, long way to go to match Abdul-Jabbar, as smart a player as ever walked on the court, as a defender and all-around presence.
Points: Lakers 10, Suns 7. |
Amare Stoudemire |
Byron Scott
Norm Nixon
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Shooting Guard Nixon was already a fixture in L.A. when Magic came along; it took him a while to cede backcourt supremacy. Scott always knew what he was -- an outlet for Magic -- and I considered him underappreciated. He was a good leaper and an athletic alternative on the break. I was surprised to find that he had never made an All-Star team. Bell is an atypical shooting guard, frequently the last option in the up-tempo offense and a player who doesn't often create his own shot. But he has become a feared 3-point bomber, and his hard-nosed defense gives the Suns whatever nasty edge they have. (Sort of like what Rambis did for the Lakers.)
Points: Lakers 10, Suns 9. |
Raja Bell |
Magic Johnson
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Point Guard This harkens back to the Abdul-Jabbar-Stoudemire comparison. Magic is, in my opinion, the greatest point guard in NBA history, one whose size, brains, competitiveness and leadership abilities propelled the Lakers to the top. Nash, at least eight inches shorter, is not and never will be Magic, who won an NBA championship in his rookie season and was at the apex of his sport for well over a decade. Nash didn't make an All-Star team until his sixth season and was not added to the '04 squad. So, if the question is, does Steve Nash belong among history's greatest point guards, right there beside Magic, Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson, John Stockton and Isiah Thomas, my reply is: Not if the standard is longevity. But right now -- right now -- Nash is performing as well as any point guard who ever played the game. His playmaking and leadership speaks for itself, but no lead guard has ever shot as well as he, both from inside and outside the three-point arc.
Points: Lakers 10, Suns 9. |
Steve Nash |
Michael Cooper
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Sixth Man With the exception of the '90-91 season, Cooper was a third guard throughout Magic's Showtime tenure in L.A. He was perfect for the role, able to generate energy on offense (he usually led the team in 3-point makes and attempts) and defense (he was aggressive, long-armed, and, like Bell, somewhat the smiling assassin.) Barbosa is just coming into his own but has been an important part of Phoenix's success this season. He's not as good a defender as Cooper, but he's a much better offensive player, even as a run-the-team quarterback. Still, Cooper did it for so much longer ...
Points: Lakers 10, Suns 9. |
Leandro Barbosa | |