regular season = playoffs now really??
That's not what we were discussing. You made a statement about if Phil would tell MJ not to shoot, would MJ still shoot anyways. The answer is no. It's happened, and people were saying Jordan quit in the game. Phil never had to tell Jordan, not to shoot, because he was never coaching a Bulls team as bad as the 2007 Lakers was roster wise.
scottie pippen was nowhere near the 50 great legend he was like in Chi.
I didnt say he was. I said he was still an elite defender, and he was in 2000 when the Lakers played them in the WCFs as evidenced by his 2nd Team All-Defensive recognition that season.
you are aware that bruce bowen didnt get to the spurs until the lakers third title season right so who was on Kobe first two?
I am....but YOU brought up Bruce Bowen.
The Lakers didnt play the Spurs in 2000. They played them in 2001 and 2002. In 2001, Antonio Daniels and Derek Anderson tried their best to contain Kobe, but couldnt....just like Reggie Miller and Allen Iverson wouldnt have been able to.
BONZI WELLS!!!!??? com on breh a dude off the bench??
Bonzi Wells didnt start in 2000 for the Blazers, it was Scottie Pippen who was guarding Kobe in 2000.
2001 playoffs, Bonzi Wells didnt play in the playoffs (but was a starter in the regular season), and Pippen was guarding Kobe again.
2002 playoffs, Bonzi Wells was starting (in the regular season as well) and guarding Kobe along with Pippen and Rueben "Kobe Stopper" Patterson (John Hay product...Cleveland brehs
)kobe didnt do shyt in the finals because he was matched up wit elite SGs, my point. no one can shut down kobe, i know, but no SG out west can go with him pt for pt and make him work like the ones in the east. it was a feast in the west.
Kobe was carried in 2000 NBA Finals due to the severe ankle injury he sustained, even though he made MANY clutch plays and has a classic game under his belt in this series.
2001 NBA Finals? He was barely guarding Iverson...Fisher and Tyronn Lue was and Iverson for damn sure wasnt guarding Kobe
It was McKie, Snow, and Raja Bell (all 3 really good defensively and in their primes) which slowed down Kobe. Kobe still put up 25 ppg, 8 rpg, 6 apg, 1.4 stls, and 1.4 blks in that series.
2002 NBA Finals? Kobe DOMINATED....just Shaq dominated even more. Kobe put up 27 ppg, 6 rebs, 5 assts, and 1.5 stls in that series while shooting 51% FG and 55% 3pt range

Like I said, there was no one in the East Finals to stop Kobe, the Lakers would've won the Finals regardless in 2001 and 2002 if they went thru Kobe or continued feeding Shaq (as they chose) due to it being NO resistance in the East during that time from the Sixers or Nets.
pardon I had to laugh at that