Lakers: Gary Payton Says This Year's Team is "Nothing" Like the 2003 Squad

The Glove didn't mince words about the Lakers falling short of expectations thus far.

The Lakers built a team loaded with NBA royalty this offseason. Some have compared this team to the storied 2003 team. The squad that also featured multiple future Hall of Famers: Shaq, Kobe, Malone, and Payton.

One member of that squad doesn’t think the 2021-2022 can hold a candle to the 2003-2004 Lakeers.

Gary Payton sounded off on Draymond Green’s podcast this week.

“I don’t think this team is nothing like our team in 2003. At all. I think we had players that knew their role.”

The Glove mainly referenced the inability of Russell Westbrook to integrate himself into the Lakers star-studded cast.

Westbrook has struggled to find a way to provide consistent production for the Lakers. His shooting numbers are encouraging (49.5% eFG%). His turnover numbers (4.6 TPG) and night-to-night performance have been troublesome.

In addition to Westbrook, all of the veteran pieces haven’t quite fit. Rajon Rondo, a key piece of the last Lakers championship, has already been traded away.

Carmelo Anthony has been up to the task, but DeAndre Jordan has been a shell of himself. Trevor Ariza hasn’t been healthy and has appeared in just five games so far. Anthony Davis is currently sidelined with a knee injury.

To that point, Payton did admit that the overall health of the Lakers roster has been a major roadblock to the team meeting lofty expectations.

On top of the health factor, Payton claimed the older players on his team were more productive than their 2021-2022 counterparts.

“But I don’t think this team that the Lakers got are nothing like us. I think we were more in our prime. A lot of us was way more in our prime. They’re just hurt right now. It’s a struggle and it’s hard to put a team like that together and you guys are not healthy.”

The vaunted 2003-2004 Lakers failed to bring home a championship. 

Right now, the talented 2021-2022 team seems to be far off from a NBA Finals appearance.