Lake Show Life
Fansided

Lakers Flashback Friday: Could Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol Have Beat Heat’s Big 3?

By Timothy Jenkins

Jan 28, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Chicago Bulls center Pau Gasol (16) and Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) shake hands prior to the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 28, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Chicago Bulls center Pau Gasol (16) and Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) shake hands prior to the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
Mar 19, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) talks with Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) during the second half at American Airlines Arena. The Heat won 122-101. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 19, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) talks with Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) during the second half at American Airlines Arena. The Heat won 122-101. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

The Case For The Miami Heat

In order for the Big 3 to work, all three superstars had to take pay cuts to help fill out the rest of the roster. As a result, the Heat ended up with three superstars and a mixed bag of veterans who just wanted a chance to play for a championship. Highlighted by an older version of Lakesr killer Mike Bibby, the role players included Erick Dampier, Eddie House, Juwuan Howard, Mike Miller and Jerry Stackhouse. It wasn’t the most stacked lineup ever, but the talent of the Big 3 was enough to push them to success.

More from Lake Show Life

If this dream series were to have taken place, an extreme focus would have been placed on individual matchup of Kobe Bryant vs LeBron James. During the course of their careers, James has had an edge over Bryant in head-to-head showdowns. In 22 regular season games, the King has a 16-6 record over the Black Mamba, while averaging 28 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists per game.

This isn’t to say that LeBron is a better player than Kobe. It simply means that James has had Bryant’s number in regular season matchups. It also would’ve been extremely difficult for the Lakers to contain Miami’s Big 3. During the 2011 season, Wade, James, and Bosh averaged a combined 70.9 points per game. Their offensive firepower was enough to slash through most defenses in the league.

Another advantage for the Heat was their speed and athleticism. By 2011, the Kobe-led Lakers were a very old team. Their starting five had an average age of 30 years old, while Miami’s starters’ average age was 27 years old. The Lakers played with a slow pace and the formula to beat them was to run at them in transition. The Heat would’ve been able to do just that. Highlighted by the James-Wade aerial attack, this was a team that liked to get up and down the floor each night. The Lakers would most likely have had a hard time containing Miami’s fast break attacks.

Next: The Case for the Lakers

Home/Lakers History