Malone to Lakers IF Payton Signs as well

[Guest Redhawk]

You are forgetting a one major thing Karl Malone has over Medvedenko. Respect and Reputation. Referees, opposing players, teammates and coaches all respect Malone and treat him like a star, whereas Medvedenko is a nobody. Medvedenko might have the same skill set as Karl (which he doesn't, but let's just pretend he does for now), but Karl gets 1) plays diagrammed for him, 2) calls from the refs, 3) defended like a guy who can score 25 per night, and 4) his teammates will look for him since he's a proven guy. Medvedenko is a nobody in the League. He won't get the superstar foul calls that Karl gets, no one is going to feel like they need to stick a top-notch defender on him, he won't ever be even the No. 3 scoring option, and in crunch time no one on the Lakers is going to be looking for Medvedenko.

[Guest Ripper]

You are forgetting a one major thing Karl Malone has over Medvedenko. Respect and Reputation. Referees, opposing players, teammates and coaches all respect Malone and treat him like a star, whereas Medvedenko is a nobody. Medvedenko might have the same skill set as Karl (which he doesn't, but let's just pretend he does for now), but Karl gets 1) plays diagrammed for him, 2) calls from the refs, 3) defended like a guy who can score 25 per night, and 4) his teammates will look for him since he's a proven guy. Medvedenko is a nobody in the League. He won't get the superstar foul calls that Karl gets, no one is going to feel like they need to stick a top-notch defender on him, he won't ever be even the No. 3 scoring option, and in crunch time no one on the Lakers is going to be looking for Medvedenko.

Who in the blue hell is going to "look to Malone" in LA. The game on the line, you got Payton, Bryant AND Shaq, who in the hell will say "Hey, there's Karl."

 

Nobody really respects Karl Malone. he is a whiney little bitch that is happy that the best point guard ever played on the team with him. The refs don't even give him the calls anymore like he used to. Now if he was in LA, he probably would get the calls, but no teams respect him anymore. I haven't seen Karl Malone get double teamed in years now. And yeah, the best big man checks him. But who were they going to check...Ostertag? Collins? Maybe John Amechi. Trust me, it wasn't because Karl was a threat. In the clutch, the Jazz have gone to everyone, Stockton, Harpring, CALBERT FUCKING CHEANEY before they have gone to Malone now. The guy just isn't that good anymore. Kirelinko, Harpring and the play of two great point guards carried them to the playoffs last year. Malone was just there to hit the WIDE OPEN jumpers that he got because no one respects his scoring ability anymore.

 

And no, Medvedenko would not be the best guy to put in for the lakers. But they should be trying to make a run at a PJ Brown, or a Alonzo Mourning instead of a jumpshooting, no rebound getting, no defense playing old man that is only playing to chase a fucking record even though everyone will still know that Kareem was better.

[Guest Redhawk]

Who in the blue hell is going to "look to Malone" in LA.  The game on the line, you got Payton, Bryant AND Shaq, who in the hell will say "Hey, there's Karl."

 

But who would you look at first? Karl Malone or Medvedenko? Is Medvedenko even on the court during crunch time?

 

Nobody really respects Karl Malone.  he is a whiney little bitch that is happy that the best point guard ever played on the team with him.

 

So why would he all of a sudden become worse when he's got one of the Top 10 point guards of all time playing with him (Gary Payton), not to mention two other superstars (Shaq and Kobe) who will make it less likely anyone will double team him? And GP, Kobe, Shaq and Malone are all great passers for their position.

 

The refs don't even give him the calls anymore like he used to. Now if he was in LA, he probably would get the calls, but no teams respect him anymore.

 

Malone was 7th in the League in free throws attempted last season, and is always in the Top 10-15 in that category. Everyone says all Malone does is shoot jumpers now, yet he still shoots a buttload of free throws. So he must be getting calls somehow.

 

I haven't seen Karl Malone get double teamed in years now.  And yeah, the best big man checks him.  But who were they going to check...Ostertag? Collins?  Maybe John Amechi.  Trust me, it wasn't because Karl was a threat.

 

How can you say he's not a threat, when Malone was still getting 20 points and almost 10 rebounds a game when -- as you said -- the best big man on the other team was always checking him? Don't you think he'll get his points against any team's 2nd best big man, then? Karl might not be MJ in the clutch, but you can't say he's not a threat.

 

But they should be trying to make a run at a PJ Brown, or a Alonzo Mourning instead of a jumpshooting, no rebound getting, no defense playing old man that is only playing to chase a fucking record even though everyone will still know that Kareem was better.

 

Why is everyone on PJ Brown's nuts? What has he ever done? He gets you eight boards and eight points a night, something any PF can do with enough playing time. Yeah, Brown plays good defense, but -- as I said -- since Malone is still a star in the League he can get away with more fouls to compensate for any lack of athleticism to keep up. And seeing as Malone is in hella shape and never gets hurt, who said he lost that much of a step? Alonzo Mourning is a major health risk anyway. Who knows if he'll last 20 games before he has to shut it down again?

 

Again, I don't like Karl Malone, but I'm not going to say he's not good anymore. The numbers show that he doesn't just shoot jumpers anymore, because he goes to the FT line as much as anyone. And he averaged 7 rebounds a game last year, and between 8 and 9 per game in the four years before that. Kareem is better, of course, but Malone has put in his work and at 40 years old is still one of the most in-shape guys in the league. Besides, if you were within striking distance of the record, you'd go after it too.