what if

[skip2mylou]

ok, I will post some stuff and you say what would have happened

* If the Lakers didn't trade Shaq
* If the Raptors would have selected Wade
* If Kobe got traded from the Lakers instead of Shaq
* If the Lakers have made the playoffs(current roster)
* If the T-Wolves made the playoffs
* If the Nets drafted Kobe in 96
* If the Blazers drafted Jordan Over Bowie



what I think:

* The Lakers would have a 46-36 record, lose in 1st round
* They would have been in the playoffs with a roster of Rose, Carter, Bosh
* You would see Kareem Rush develop and play well.
* They would have made the 7th or 8th seed and lose in the 1st round
* Could have been potential conference finals, or NBA Finals
* Would see an awesome Lineup of Kidd, Bryant, Jefferson, K-Mart, Mourning , right now
* They wouldn't be known as the Jail Blazers and have a better repuation.




Post what you think could/would have happened for the statements above.

[not2shaby]

If Kobe was selected by the Nets, they would have never traded for Kidd and kept Marbury...

If the Blazers had selcted Jordan, they would have traded him eventually(bad front office), so we'll never know.

What if...The Mikwakee Bucks would have kept Dirk. He would have prosperd, keeping Cassel there, and we would see a less expensive version of the Dallas Mavericks in Milwakee haha. Milwakee.

Actually.. What would happen to the NBA if they were to get a salary cap like the NFL.

[BstnRdSx]

Erm, doesn't the NBA have a cap? Are you thinking of the MLB?

[sep]

Ya I thought the NBA had a cap to.

[Buzz Killington]

This topic may have been discussed independently, but what if the Pistons took 'Melo instead of Darko?

[RimRockinAI09]

If the lakers didnt trade Shaq, they would be playing the Suns or Spurs right now

[Buzz Killington]

Uh dunking, You spelled your sig wrong...

[not2shaby]

The NBA's cap system is screwed up. Their finding a way to establish the type of one in the NFL into the NBA without screwing over teams. You cant start a Salary Cap with 20 of the teams in debt.

[Alex Confer]

-- If the Lakers never traded Shaq --
We'd probably be looking at the typical. Los Angeles could be a top ten team that constantly gets to the playoffs, but without Derek Fisher, Gary Payton, or Karl Malone, would they have enough support? That's a damn tough conference...

-- If the Raptors selected Wade over Bosh --
Dwyane wouldn't be half the player he is now. Toronto drafted on need, and at the time, Antonio Davis was basically hauling them past other frontcourts. With that said, I can't say I blame them for making that decision.

-- If Kobe got traded from the Lakers, not Shaq --
See the first big "what if". Kobe and Shaq played in the triangle for so long that it seems as if both are integral to the other's success. In this case, O'Neal got D-Wade to replace Bryant; KB8, on the other hand, got nothing.

-- If the Lakers made the playoffs with their current roster --
Let's play a game called "Who Cares", and whomever cares gets a pineapple in the bunghole.

-- If the Nets drafted Kobe in 1996 --
Kobe had low stock from the get-go and was trade bait for any team. Charlotte nabbed him with the 13th overall pick and made no hesitation whatsoever dealing him off to La-La Land.

-- If the Blazers drafted Jordan over Bowie --
That's too complex to even get into. MJ transformed the league as a Bull, so looking at him as a Blazer is...mind-boggling.

And to clear up this nonsense, the NBA has a soft cap of approximately $42.2 million that can be surpassed through exceptions such as the MLE, LLE, or Larry Bird.

[BstnRdSx]

What if Joe Johnson was still on Beantown v_v

[Alex Confer]

bstnrdsx said:

What if Joe Johnson was still on Beantown v_v

He'd commit suicide.

[detroitbasketball]

Ah, the game of what if. I love it.

Lakers never trade Shaq - They would have ignored his trade demands, meaning he's disgruntled all year - a. he sits out, b. he doesnt give 100% ala Vince Carter, c. he plays the role of ballhog, making Kobe even angrier. Lakers flounder.

Raptors select D-Wade - I still think D-Wade is great, but without a big post player like Shaq, Raptors don't get far.

Kobe traded - He needs an inside presence wherever he gets traded. With it, his team is good. Without it - his team isn't that great, most likely.

Lakers made playoffs without current roster - They don't have the talent, they proved it...really dumb question.

Nets draft Kobe - traded to Lakers, making things moot.

Jordan over Bowie - Blazers = how the Bulls are regarded today.

[detroitbasketball]

And if Joe Johnson was still a Celt, Al Jefferson isn't a Celt.

[Jami]

If the Bucks kept Dirk Nowitzki, Dirk is the early version of Darko Milicic. The Bucks' karma is funny like that. Poor Andrew Bogut, who's going to get sucked into such a trap. Stay in school, kids.

[Alex Confer]

jami3406 said:

If the Bucks kept Dirk Nowitzki, Dirk is the early version of Darko Milicic. The Bucks' karma is funny like that. Poor Andrew Bogut, who's going to get sucked into such a trap. Stay in school, kids.

Some experts have Marvin Williams going #1, but I'd laugh so hard if:

a) The Bucks pick up Bogut based on comparisons to Dirk (trust me, they're everywhere), and he ends up being a complete flop.

b) The Bucks select Bogut, deal his rights in what appears to be a steal, and boom, he's an instant star. Nowitzki Vol. II ;D

[bravest]

Well, those are two things that aren't alike by any means. See, if Bogut was just 6'10" or even 6'11", he'd have no chance in the NBA. Centers have a style about them, and we all stereotype them to have one function - rebounding - but Bogut is that and more. I expect him to be Nowitzki and more, without the jumpshot. So, in my own reality, he's not even like Nowitzki, but his own breed of athlete that has never set foot on a court. I say, like Seattle's Danny Fortson in terms of rebounding (without the fouls), and Minnesota's Kevin Garnett in terms of agility for a big man.

[not2shaby]

Is it safe to say Jermaine O'Neal is his own type of player. I have yet to see a Power Forward/Center in the league who has everything. He's gont control, a shot, rebounding, blocking. He's a little bit of everything.

I like to think that before he came to the game, he was the player you joke with your friend about, because he created such a star to lead a team lol.

[BstnRdSx]

Except O'Neal is overrated on defense. Horrible on-ball defender.