[brumbies]

And look what happened then? The Lakers had Hall of Fame players and lost 1-4 to the Pistons. This is deja vu all over again. I guarantee at least one of Lebron/Wade/Bosh will suffer a major injury just like the 2004 Lakers. Just like the 2004 Lakers, the Heat are made favourites to win the title following the signings. The 2004 Lakers started off the season 18-3. Their overall record? 56-26.

My recommendation: Take the under 62.5 regular season wins(-120) & the field to win the NBA championship at -240. These two bets are lock of the century material.

[kobefanatic]

they aren't the same, kobe is on the verge of entering his prime back then, shaq was slowly on the decline, payton and malone are way past his prime but this heat team all 3 are almost the same age, and are currently in their prime

[mihaita666]

wHY WOULD i LOCK MY MONEY FOR 9 months, with such a 'future bet'.? What could prove to be winner here is fading them ATS, as they will get very big spreads. That could and will surely work.

[Bradyd]

And look what happened then? The Lakers had Hall of Fame players and lost 1-4 to the Pistons. This is deja vu all over again. I guarantee at least one of Lebron/Wade/Bosh will suffer a major injury just like the 2004 Lakers. Just like the 2004 Lakers, the Heat are made favourites to win the title following the signings. The 2004 Lakers started off the season 18-3. Their overall record? 56-26.

My recommendation: Take the under 62.5 regular season wins(-120) & the field to win the NBA championship at -240. These two bets are lock of the century material.

This reminds me of the Big 3 in Boston, but a younger version of them. While you may want the Heat to lose, which is your perference, don't let it cloud your judgment. This team is no where near that Laker team. And how can you guarantee they will suffer a major injury???

[brandon m]

And look what happened then? The Lakers had Hall of Fame players and lost 1-4 to the Pistons. This is deja vu all over again. I guarantee at least one of Lebron/Wade/Bosh will suffer a major injury just like the 2004 Lakers. Just like the 2004 Lakers, the Heat are made favourites to win the title following the signings. The 2004 Lakers started off the season 18-3. Their overall record? 56-26.

My recommendation: Take the under 62.5 regular season wins(-120) & the field to win the NBA championship at -240. These two bets are lock of the century material.

Its a little different but I agree. What happened to that lakers team in the finals? They ran out of gas plain and simple. The Lakers that year blew their whole load trying to take down san antonio. I think something similar happens to miami, they will get checked hard in the playoffs, and all those rookies, and old people they bring in to play big minutes are gonna run out of gas, shit Bosh might run out of gas. Its been a few years since Wade played more then 85 games in a year. Chris Bosh has never played more then 85 games in a season, and has only been to the playoffs twice.

On the flip side, assuming no one gets hurt, nothing weird happens. What does Lebron do when the heat lose a game and he only has 7 shots on the game. What does Wade do when that happens? That will be the real test, can those ball hogs handle playing together and giving up their shots.

[jsmithj88]

how is this comparable to that lakers squad?
they added 2 aging veterans to a core of shaq and kobe
miami signed 3 of the top stars in the NBA who are still in their prime

[makemerich]

i agree its different. but kobe and lakers tripeat.

[beanbag]

too long to tie down that money

[Nard Dog]

This reminds me of the Big 3 in Boston, but a younger version of them. While you may want the Heat to lose, which is your perference, don't let it cloud your judgment. This team is no where near that Laker team. And how can you guarantee they will suffer a major injury???

The Big 3 in Boston had WAY deeper bench and better role players around them. The Big 3 from Miami will have to play 48 minutes per night I guess.

[brandon m]

Well I'm skeptical about Chris Bosh as well. He put up great numbers being the goto guy, playing in a weak eastern conference. He could easily be another Shawn Marion, put up great numbers in a system that worked to his style, but hasn't done anything since. Averaging 25 pts per game on a very weak sub 500 non playoff team isn't much of an accomplishment.

[ttwarrior1]

what a dumb post, malone was hurt, payton was hurt, shaq got hurt and malone and payton were on there last leg

[ttwarrior1]

no they will be signing good players like m miller, probaly end up getting shaq, iverson, fisher and a 2 or 3 others.

[Dark Horse]

I'm already bored of the Miami trio.

Nothing interesting about it.

[mihaita666]

I'm already bored of the Miami trio. Nothing interesting about it.

and we didn;t even see them in action yet )

[chrisharvard01]

cant wait to see how this unfolds.

but i also lean UND 62.5

[Tree Rollins]

There's never been anything like this. Arguably the best shooting guard, the best small forward, and a top 3 power forward all on the same team. All entering their prime. Nothing is even close. Payton and Malone were 3 or 4 years PAST their prime and certainly were no longer in the conversation as the best player at their position.

[PlatinumBerg]

this is pretty different. payton and malone were on the every edge of retiring and just wanted to give one more year to see if they can win a ring. Bosh and LeBron are still young and can ball.

[Scorpion]

how is this comparable to that lakers squad?they added 2 aging veterans to a core of shaq and kobe
miami signed 3 of the top stars in the NBA who are still in their prime

Miami will sogn players like Fisher 37, Juwon Howard 37, maybe Shaq 35+, iverson 35+

[hoopster42]

And look what happened then? The Lakers had Hall of Fame players and lost 1-4 to the Pistons. This is deja vu all over again. I guarantee at least one of Lebron/Wade/Bosh will suffer a major injury just like the 2004 Lakers. Just like the 2004 Lakers, the Heat are made favourites to win the title following the signings. The 2004 Lakers started off the season 18-3. Their overall record? 56-26.

My recommendation: Take the under 62.5 regular season wins(-120) & the field to win the NBA championship at -240. These two bets are lock of the century material.

nothing close in this comparison, payton and malone were way past their prime, shaq and kobe had already won three rings together and were growing tired of one another, they were ready for a change, this situation in miami is a guy wade with only one ring and two other guys ready to win a ring at all costs

bad comparison buddy, bad bad comparison, you are totally and utterly wrong

[hoopster42]

Miami will sogn players like Fisher 37, Juwon Howard 37, maybe Shaq 35+, iverson 35+

fisher is 35, shaq is 38, you are so off

[tealish]

Prime years vs not.

[brumbies]

they aren't the same, kobe is on the verge of entering his prime back then, shaq was slowly on the decline, payton and malone are way past his prime but this heat team all 3 are almost the same age, and are currently in their prime

Shaq on the decline? He captained the NBA championship winning Heat team in 06. And Gary Payton was part of that same squad too. In fact he was clutch in that series. Down 0-2 in the series, he hit the winning shot in Game three. Go take a look at Karl Malone's stats for his last season. Not too shabby. More or less the same as with previous seasons.

[brumbies]

This reminds me of the Big 3 in Boston, but a younger version of them. While you may want the Heat to lose, which is your perference, don't let it cloud your judgment. This team is no where near that Laker team. And how can you guarantee they will suffer a major injury???

From http://www.wageronhoops.com/07/press...mpionship.html

The Celtics were not favorites to win the title back then. They were +450, coming in at 5th place. This current Heat team are favorites to win the title just like the 04 Lakers. Besides, the Celtics were 24-58 before they acquired the Big Three. Their last championship was back in 1986! The 04 Lakers had won 3 championships in a row before acquiring Payton and Malone. This current Heat team last won the championship in 06.

[brumbies]

nothing close in this comparison, payton and malone were way past their prime, shaq and kobe had already won three rings together and were growing tired of one another, they were ready for a change, this situation in miami is a guy wade with only one ring and two other guys ready to win a ring at all costs bad comparison buddy, bad bad comparison, you are totally and utterly wrong

Why do so many of you say that Malone and Payton were way past their prime? They were not. Go check out Malone's stats for his last season. Also how did the Heat win the 06 championship back then with both Shaq and Payton in the roster? Besides if they were really past their prime, why were the Lakers made favourites to win the title?

[hoopster42]

Why do so many of you say that Malone and Payton were way past their prime? They were not. Go check out Malone's stats for his last season. Also how did the Heat win the 06 championship back then with both Shaq and Payton in the roster? Besides if they were really past their prime, why were the Lakers made favourites to win the title?

wade, haslem and even antoine walker carried the team, not shaq and payton. you keep talking stats, go and look at shaq's stats during the 06 playoff run, his stats are laughable

because they won in 00, 01, 02 and were ready for the bounceback after losing to the spurs 03. there were no power teams in the league so shaq, kobe and phil jackson got the nod as the nba favorites. they went ahead and made the finals representing the west so the oddsmakers were very close, and no one in the world expected detroit to make and win the final when that 03-04 season began

youre very welcome for the edumucation that myself and others just dropped on you. your analogy here in this thread is dead wrong, plain and simple, dead wrong

[Donkwin47]

I like your thinking.. The BULLS will take them out. GO BULLS! Can't wait for this year.

[hoopster42]

malone retired in 2004 and payton in 2007 but yeah they were not past their primes when they joined the lakers in 2004

i'm sure lebron and bosh will have one of them retire in 2011 and the other in 2014

[jsmithj88]

where is the comparison??
lakers added 2 vets at the end of their careers to a core of shaq and kobe
miami signed 3 of the top free agents in their primes
gary payton was done by the time he got to miami, dude wasnt even starting

[GELATINOUS CUBE]

Karl-malone?

[ttwarrior1]

u stupid dummy, malone was hurt and hurt bad and payton, you probaly 14 then and can't fvcking remember like i can

[Mr Windy City]

Bulls will give them a run for their money in the Eastern Conference Finals.

[SHADYLANKY]

I hope they wind up their season the same way. Losing in the playoffs. Oh and I don't care what other team wins it.

[Mac4Lyfe]

I hope they get knocked out by the Cav's... Karma baby.

[Tree Rollins]

Why do so many of you say that Malone and Payton were way past their prime? They were not. Go check out Malone's stats for his last season. Also how did the Heat win the 06 championship back then with both Shaq and Payton in the roster? Besides if they were really past their prime, why were the Lakers made favourites to win the title?

Karl Malone was 40 YEARS OLD when he played for the lakers, but he wasn't past his prime? righttttttttttt. He was only 40 years old and averaged 14 points less a game then he did in his prime.
When Gary payton joined the Lakers he was 35. In his prime he averaged 24 pts. 9 ast. and 6.5 rebs. With LA he avg 14 pts 5 ast and 3 reb. So literally almost half of the numbers he averaged in his prime, and he was 35 years old.

[Tree Rollins]

Why do so many of you say that Malone and Payton were way past their prime? They were not. Go check out Malone's stats for his last season. Also how did the Heat win the 06 championship back then with both Shaq and Payton in the roster? Besides if they were really past their prime, why were the Lakers made favourites to win the title?

Uhh, probably because of the fact that they were just one season removed from winning 3 straight championships, and they had Shaq and Kobe on the team.