Revisiting the 2004 NBA Finals, Lakers Vs. Pistons What Happened?

[humpasaurus rex]

I'd like to see different perspectives of other people as to why the Lakers weren't able to overcome the Pistons.  I didn't get to watch the series as I was working, so I don't have a good recollection of what occurred.  I remember I felt that the Lakers were stacked that year and would lock it up.  

 

[CP1708]

Shaq and Kobe were fighting over being the man.  This "could" have been overcome, buuuuuuut.....

Karl Malone and Horace Grant were our PF's and both went down with injury  (Grant was already down, Malone happened during the series).  That left us with Slava Medvedenko guarding Sheed Wallace who flat out killed us. 

If Malone was healthy enough, even at his advanced age to slow Sheed even a little, we could have worked out the Kobe/Shaq dynamic and gotten the title, and then blown it all up anyways after the season.  But that never happened.

As for Detroit, 5 vets came together and played tenacious against us and together and murked us.  They earned it, can't take it away from them.  But if Kobe and Shaq squashed all their nonsense, no way Detroit beats them on the same page. 

 

[krazyrodzilla]

Pistons were HUNGRY that year, Malone wasn't 100%, Kobe/Shaq problems, Kobe's shooting, Piston's defense, took them for granted etc.....

 

[6 Rings G.O.A.T.]

I still hate the Detroit Pistons.. to this day.. because of what happen in 2004..

 

[Bert.]

Pistons were gonna win it no matter what. These "fights", rifts, and so called injuries meant nothing.

 

[chiptoothsmile]

From what I remember. Billups killed lakes. Payton couldnt stop him. Malones injury. It would of been a sweep if it weren't for Kobes buzzer beater.

 

[ballinboykz]

Few notes from that series:

- RIP was unguardable IMO
- kobe/shaq dealio. But I believe Kobe didn't touch the ball enough in key posessions
- defense allowed kobe and shaq to get theirs, but held everyone else to limited points
- pistons vets came through

Just my two cents

 

[krazyrodzilla]

Originally Posted by ChipToothSmile

From what I remember. Billups killed lakes. Payton couldnt stop him. Malones injury. It would of been a sweep if it weren't for Kobes buzzer beater.

 

[Pathos]

Kobe should have 6-7 championships right now

 

[westcoastsfinest]

Originally Posted by CP1708

Shaq and Kobe were fighting over being the man.  This "could" have been overcome, buuuuuuut.....

Karl Malone and Horace Grant were our PF's and both went down with injury  (Grant was already down, Malone happened during the series).  That left us with Slava Medvedenko guarding Sheed Wallace who flat out killed us. 

If Malone was healthy enough, even at his advanced age to slow Sheed even a little, we could have worked out the Kobe/Shaq dynamic and gotten the title, and then blown it all up anyways after the season.  But that never happened.

As for Detroit, 5 vets came together and played tenacious against us and together and murked us.  They earned it, can't take it away from them.  But if Kobe and Shaq squashed all their nonsense, no way Detroit beats them on the same page. 

This. 

 

[charles schwag]

2004 Pistons were a fluke. One hit wonder. Got lucky for 1 year.

Similar to the 06 Colts.

 

[dman14]

5 game sweep, so to speak. the pistons were a better TEAM. they really had no answer for shaq, but did do a good job on the rest of the lakers. kobe shot the ball horribly aside from gm2. tayshaun had him on lock. was it kobe that chased rip around that series?

 

[gridebounca11]

Kobe's a killer man. Cottamn what a shot.

Anyways, i followed that pistons team all through the playoffs. The whole vibe and aura of that team was just that, THE TEAM. guys played for eachother, one of my favorite teams to watch ever. Selfless was the key word. They locked down on defense, anchored by Big Ben. Rip was running off screens hitting jumPers and aint nobody in the league was stopping him. Tayshaun defended his balls off and sheed did the dirty work. What a great team.

I remember watching chauncey hit that shot from half against the nets, and them going to triple OT, thinking if they win this game, theyre winning the chip. Tayshauns block on Reggie too, what a play.

The palace was also rockin!! Such energy. I thought the coolest thing was that Rip would spraypaint the numbers out after every win.

DEETROIT BASKETBAAAL!

Ima knix fan btw

 

[cafinest23]

Man to this day I hate the Pistons for that. My father is a Pistons fan and every time I talk about the Lakers he says "Well in the Finals we are undefeated against the Lakers." And I have no come back because it's the truth.

 

[pr0phecy718]

 

[dmbrhs]

What happened is that series might as well have been a sweep. Detroit wanted it more. They were running circles around the Lakers. I remember being in total disbelief at certain points. That Game 3 was just so dominant a performance by the Pistons, I knew the Lakers had NO chance. I don't care who was injured or who had beef with each other.

 

[thehealthinspector]

Originally Posted by Charles Schwag

2004 Pistons were a fluke. One hit wonder. Got lucky for 1 year.

Similar to the 06 Colts.

is that why they made it to the finals the next year and took the spurs to 7 games? game came down to the practically the final minute...  hell outta here with that

detroits 5 guys > the lakers 4..................... bleeedat

ben wallace and elden campbell handled shaq

 

[Deleted member 43282]

Originally Posted by Charles Schwag

2004 Pistons were a fluke. One hit wonder. Got lucky for 1 year.

Similar to the 06 Colts.

I hear a lot of people say this but they went back to the Finals the next year and lost in 7 games. Not a fluke. 

 

[ill steelo]

Mailman was hurt

GP was never comfortable in the triangle

So you basically had the same team that got bounced by Tim Duncan & 11 role players in the previous season

And that isn't gonna cut it against one of the most balanced teams in recent history.

 

[black entourage inc]

Kobe was gunning for Finals MVP that year, but shot a horrible percentage(38%)and took way too many bad shots with Prince playing great Defense. Outside of the clutch shot he hit in Game 2, he was off the entire series. IMO that's the top reason The Lakers lost as you could tell he and Shaq weren't on the same page, and no role players (other than Walton in Game 2) stepped up. Losing Malone was a big factor as well. 
Pistons played Great though, gotta give them credit. Chauncey Billups just picked The Lakers apart

 

[ag 47]

We got our $!%+@ kicked. That's what happened.

 

[mez 0ne]

My man Rip and Billups lighting it up

Was so happy when they just dismantled the Lakers the way they did because they played their %@@@+ of and just deserved, old school defense.

 

[moonman818]

I don't think I have ever been more disappointed in a sports team than the Lakers that year. They came out with the Miami Heat mentality that having the 2 or 3 best players on the court means you will win the series.

Goes to show you that basketball will always be a team game and more often than not, the best team will win.

 

[thejrob]

That series was when every Laker fan should've known that there was only one option:

KEEP KOBE

dude got left hangin by that whole squad including Shaq and is the only reason we won 1 game

 

[AIR J XIII]

Originally Posted by CAFinest23

Man to this day I hate the Pistons for that. My father is a Pistons fan and every time I talk about the Lakers he says "Well in the Finals we are undefeated against the Lakers." And I have no come back because it's the truth.

not true, the pistons are 2-1 vs LAL.

87-88, LAL beat DET
88-89, DET beat LAL