Kobe says this is most talented Lakers team he has been on

Kobe Bryant has been on Lakers teams with amazing talent — Shaquille O’Neal in his prime, Glen Rice, Rick Fox, Robert Horry, Gary Payton, Karl Malone, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum.

But he said he has never been on a more talented team than this one, which has a likely starting five of Steve Nash, Bryant, Metta World Peace, Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard (once everyone is healthy).

That’s an impressive (and expensive) superteam. One that could contend for a title. Kobe talked about it with Marc Spears of Yahoo.

“On its face, it’s the best talent I’ve been around,” Bryant said. “Whether that translates into winning a championship remains to be seen. But just on paper you’re talking Defensive Player of the Years, MVPs, All-Stars. You’re talking about a myriad of things. Guys who are at the top of their position at one point or another. It’s pretty dope.”

He’s right.

This is more talented than the 2004 team (with Payton and Malone, a team that fell short in the finals to a hot Pistons squad), because this team has more guys near their peak. Nash is not young but he is still as good as anyone alive running the pick-and-roll. Howard can score and is a defensive monster — and defense is the key for the Lakers. Gasol will make it work because he’s versatile and besides, that’s his personality. He fits in. And Kobe will do what it takes to win.

The team needs to come together, no doubt. There are a lot of “on paper” questions about the Lakers that still need to be answered. (And probably will in the affirmative — these are veteran players whose skills don’t overlap. They likely figure it out.)

It’s going to be fun to watch because they will be one of the best teams in the league, but if it goes south it could be a firey train wreck. Howard knows all about being in one of those.