This squad was just as good as any Laker team during the 80's, and was so good it could have and should have swept the Boston Celtics during the 1984 NBA Finals. James Worthy now in his second year was for the most part was now a full-time starter although Pat Riley on occasion still brought him off the bench to go along with Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Kurt Rambis. The only significant change was that Jerry West decided to trade Norm Nixon along with Eddie Jordan to the then-San Diego Clippers before the start of the season for then-drafted but unsigned rookie Byron Scott (no. 4 pick of the 1983 NBA Draft) and Swen Nater. Scott had his share of the struggles during the season and Michael Cooper and Mike McGee were both used as starters at the two guard position. The Lakers also featured a strong bench whcih featured Jamaal Wilkes, Mitch Kupchack, Bob McAdoo, along with the afore mentioned Bryon Scott and Swen Nater. Again this team should have swept the Celtics as it overwhelmed them with a fearsome fastbreak--KC Jones had remarked it was the most incredible fastbreak he had ever seen an NBA team run-- but had costly errors down in the final minutes of game two (James Worthy throws a bad pass which is intercepted by Gerald Henderson, Magic Johnson dribbles out the clock at the end of regulation) and game four (Magic and Worthy miss crucial free throws, Magic throws a pass away intended for James Worthy) and wound up losing the Finals to the Celtics in a grueling seven game series. Many outstanding Laker squads have failed to win the championship but this may be have been the finest one and one of the greatest in NBA history to not win a championship although they would make up for it in 1985 when they defeated the Celtics in a rematch.