Wednesday, September 12th, 2012 at 9:00 am  |  110 responses

Mark Cuban Not Impressed By New-Look Lakers


by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

With the acquisitions of Steve Nash and Dwight Howard over the summer, most people now consider the Los Angeles Lakers very serious title contenders for the 2013 crown.

There are legitimate concerns about the experiment working — aging superstars, chemistry concerns, injuries, and coaching — but the overwhelming public opinion surrounding the Lakers is that of a scary, super-team.

One person who claims to be undaunted by his new-look, longtime Western Conference rival is Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.

Cuban isn’t so sure things will turn out so well for the Lakers next season, despite major roster upgrades.

Per the Sporting News:

“The Lakers have done this before,” Cuban said. “Remember Gary Payton, Karl Malone and Kobe and Shaq were all together, and it didn’t work. It takes great chemistry, like coach (Rick Carlisle) alluded to, it takes guys wanting to be there — I don’t know if all their guys want to be there — it’s going to be interesting.”

“Look, (the Lakers are) going to be a great team, but I remember when we made our run,” Cuban said. “We weren’t supposed to win any series. The Lakers were defending champs when we swept them, and they had everybody back. A lot of teams do a great job winning the summer, but I never get so antsy about what happens over the summer.”

The comparison between the current Lakers and the 2004 version has proven to be a popular one among naysayers, but there are clear differences (back then, Kobe was dealing with sexual assault allegations, to say nothing of the simmering beef between Shaq and Bryant.)

Mark Cuban can shrug off the Lakers’ offseason bonanza all he wants, but to discount them would be beyond foolish.

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  • Conor

    Once he realizes that Howard isn’t forty, Nash isn’t washed up, and Meeks is killing them from distance… Cuban will learn.

    Also, I’m strongly inclined to believe that LA would have won the chip in 2004 if Malone had been healthy.

  • spit hot fiyah

    Lakers probably aren’ t impressed with oj, kaman, collison and brand

  • Max

    Good one Cubes, good one..

  • danpowers

    cuban often says “sometimes the best deals are the ones you dont make”. well cubes, sometimes the best statements are the ones you dont make…

  • bike

    He’s right, actually. In a jealous, bitter, green with envy kind of way.

  • 4sho

    I think he meant to say I’m jealous, but not intimidated.

  • JML-G

    Cuban needs to drop this 15 year old kid attitude and act like a grown man – yea sure DWill, Nash, Howard, Kidd and any other player who didnt sign with Mavs isnt anything special all of a sudden.. that why the F u was trying to sign them until they rejected u?! stop being salty about your franchise having some dark times ahead of yall, fool.

  • Junior Taylor

    It’s one thing to be bitter about a conference rivals piling up HOF talent and another to be downright stupid.

  • dru

    Hey CUBAN….just watch how the LAKERS captures their 17th title this coming season….sour graping kid!

  • Superman24

    When dallas swept the lakers, the team is different the previous 2 seasons. I think they lost farmar, brown and vujacic. Those 3 guards were great off the bench. Cuban is just jealous the way the lakers handled their off-season. The lakers in ’04 went to the finals despite Malone not playing much in the finals due to injury, old payton. And remember it’s their first season together. Cuban talks alot of sh*t. Someone needs to shut him up.

  • http://twitter.com/SURCALISFInEST SURCALISFInEST

    He will be when the Lakers beat thatass!!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/miamijd1 Joseph Davis

    U people think this old bad back group of guys can get pass the young guns in OKC get real

  • LakeShow

    He’s not impresses, he’s depressed.
    Seriously though, the Mav’s made some nice moves this summer.
    I don’t care if he’s not impressed with the Lakers I actually am impressed with the Mav’s.
    Collison/Redz/Beaubois
    Mayo/Vince
    Marion/Dahntay Jones
    Dirk/Brand
    Kaman/Wright
    .
    .
    .
    That’s a solid team. I hadn’t realized their upgrades until recently. They will be a force.

  • LakeShow

    impressed*

  • Zuretti Carter

    Yo Cubes…ANTE UP!!!!!!

  • LLC#12

    The majority of the basketball world not impressed by new looks Mavs

  • Redd

    They killed brother Malcolm, THEY WANT US TO BE ENSLAVED BY PIXAR. Say no to drugs. Peace.

  • DaBopper

    Dear Mark Cuban: You better be concerned! The Mavs have only beaten the Lakers once, when it mattered, in their playoff lifetime. Furthermore, the team with Gary Payton and Karl Malone went to The Finals, and without Karl Malone (his only major injury in his career) and in the midst of the Kobe rape allegations, and played valiantly. Finally, we are gonna kick Dallas’ ass every time we play your sorry team, from now on!

  • RKJ92

    completely agree! that front court of dirk and kaman is scaryyy

  • jesus

    b’tch just mad cus his “lets get rid of all long contracts n sign a couple of superstars” master plan fell the f’ck through. his mavs aint sh’t

  • shockexchange

    Well the Shock Exchange sure is impressed – Pau Gasol / D12 at the same ____ time, two skilled 7-footers at the same ____ time, postin’ up, callin’ for it at the same ____ time … Aww ya’ll know the rest.

  • NYer

    http://www.lakersuniverse.com/headtohead/lakers_mavericks.htm

    Regular season Lakers 101-31, playoffs Lakers 3-1, Dallas isn’t in our league!

  • Nicolas Fleming

    He also thinks the Mavs are better off without Deron Williams…sooooo

  • madman jp

    Cuban is not impressed he is shutting in his pants that’s all

  • LakeShow

    Das front court scary indeed.
    They will be vunderfull.

  • LakeShow

    Dwight Howard is 6’11″
    Get your facts straight.

  • http://twitter.com/natsthecat M Joelle Mahan

    Dallas has a way better coach. Brown is not going to be able to win a championship ever.

  • http://twitter.com/natsthecat M Joelle Mahan

    Same could apply this year re: Nash, Kobe, even Howard…

  • http://twitter.com/natsthecat M Joelle Mahan

    Cubes is a smart guy. Watch..he is most likely right. And I am neither a Laker or Maverick fan. I do think Carlisle is a better coach than Brown.

  • Dagger

    “I don’t know if all their guys want to be there.” Wait, what?

  • Dagger

    It’s solid, it’s deep, but not a contender. Dirk and that coaching staff will make the most of their pieces though. I’m curious to see what Mayo can do this year, but I’m not sure Kaman can actually make a team significantly better.

  • http://twitter.com/natsthecat M Joelle Mahan

    possibly even shorter now post back surgery. His new nick name…shrimpy

  • Dagger

    For once Shock has a decent point though. If the ball is in Kobe’s hands it’s hard to see the Lakers making the most of their big men on offense. That said, in public Kobe has said all the right things about playing off the ball.

  • ken

    talks cheap when u win as many titles then maybe laker fans might listen but we know that will not happen

  • RKJ92

    LOL #DEAD

  • LakeShow

    Why wouldn’t Kaman make them better?
    He’s not the near 20-10 guy he once was, but still can give you 10+ points with 7 or 8 boards in less than 30 minutes of action.
    I don’t have them as a legit contender, but they can beat any team not named Thunder or Lakers.

  • drizzle

    Y do u keep saying that? Besides the perfect storm championship, Carli hasn’t done crap! Outside of the championship, brown’s resume is better.. do some research

  • http://twitter.com/Denimourson Dejon Watson

    I Don’t think any would proclaim Scottie Brooks or Eric Spoeltra the second coming of Phil Jackson or Doc Rivers but the talent on there teams got them there.

  • Egres

    2004 is 2004 . the present is what matters .
    the Lakers just might win it all ;the only visible weakness would be dwight’s free throw shooting .

  • shockexchange

    Hey, close enough for government work.

  • Dagger

    Well there’s an ongoing debate between the basketball stats crowd and the more oldschool observers of the game about Kaman’s worth. I don’t know how you feel about Wages of Wins, but this article pretty much summarizes things (the comments section has responses by Mark Cuban):
    http://wagesofwins.com/2012/09/03/attacking-the-center-ari-caroline-reveals-the-nbas-blind-spot/. I think quantitative data should always be tempered with qualitative analysis, but in this case the statistical evidence does overlay nicely with the success of Kaman’s teams. Neither the Clippers nor the Hornets were exactly talented, but I’m not sure if Kaman made them much better. Cuban has said that the Mavs – in particular Dirk – have a history of maximizing players’ strengths, so we’ll see how it all turns out. Just bear in mind that Kaman only hits 39% of his fieldgoals in the paint, and I don’t think his love of taking jumpers will mesh well alongside Dirk. Ultimately I think that Chandler was a much, much better fit with Dirk; letting him go was, in my opinion, a serious mistake.

  • laiksho

    Cuban is a staight out idiot! I bet he could take the lakers roster over his anytime, nuff said!

  • shockexchange

    “For once” Dagger? Co-signing the Shock Exchange and dissing him at the same ____ time?

  • LakeShow

    Well duh he’s not Chandler.
    Chandler is a top 3 defensive center in the L.
    Kaman makes them better than their front court was last year, that is for sure. They dude plays defense, but had a down season offensively being “the guy” in Nawlins.
    Now that he is being asked to do what he can do (play 25 mins, focusing on defense, and playing 5th option on offense) he is going to play better.

  • http://www.facebook.com/cora.mariano.9 Cora Mariano

    Who cares what he says…Cuban is an idiot!!!

  • Dagger

    Will Kaman make the Mavs not just a bit better but “significantly better?” Will he and Dirk be “vonderful?” That’s what I’m asking, and that’s what I’m responding to. Sure, statistics aside I think Kaman will probably be mediocre in Dallas, but I don’t think he’ll have a breakout season, I don’t think he and Dirk will be a great tandem, and I still see the center position as a weakness on the Mavs. We’ll see! Obviously this stuff is hard to predict, or it wouldn’t be fun to debate.

  • MPS

    Cuban thinks there are players who don’t want to be there?? NBA players who don’t want to be in LA…Cuban’s in denial

  • LakeShow

    And… Kobe’s tradition of shooting hard fade aways unnecessarily.
    Nash’s ability to run a half court offense, despite having his most success in the SSOL system.
    Pau Gasol’s spirit, or lack there of.
    MWP’s lack of Ron Artest’s ability.
    Back court defense.
    …
    Those things also could be their undoing.

  • Mr. Wet

    Didn’t kobe, gary, karl, and shaq make it to the finals?

  • hernan

    well,see you in 2013 championship…. you will not champion again ..look at your team this 2012 you loose!!

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