Lebron

[Palehosefan]

I would put Kidd, Payton, Snow, and Andre Miller ahead of him right now, I'm sure I'm forgetting someone. Wade has the potential to be dominant on both sides of the ball if he can get a solid 3rd scoring option on his team and not have to put forth so much energy on offense every position when Shaq is out or on the bench.

[Soxfest]

Not a james fan

[Chisoxfn]

I agree about SFs and big SGs, but he's at a disadvantage against the prototypical 6'5 and 6'6 SGs in this league on defense.  And if we're talking about small SGs, OMG, forget about it.

 

Like Rowand said, he's a Magic Johnson figure through and through.  Now, you just gotta get him Worthy, Jabbar, Cooper, Green, Scott, etc.

 

Because the fun-and-gun could only work with a s***load of all-star caliber players.  I much prefer a superb defensive squad like the 88-91 Pistons, 90s Bulls, 91-94 Knicks, modern day Spurs, Pistons, and pre-brawl Pacers, etc.  I could tell from your posts that you feel the same way.

Hell ya, no doubt about it. Defense is what wins championships. All the Bulls teams had fantastic defenses, same can be said for the Pacers and most of the championship squads. I think the late 00's Lakers were the first team to really do it without that great of defense. Well specifically point defense because every series it was the opponent pg torching the slower Derrick Fisher.

 

But they also had Rick Fox and Robert Horry that were just superior defensive role players and really did fantastic things.

 

The more I watch this Bulls team and Tyson develop the more I appreciate defense because the Bulls are not an offensively talented team, yet they are 3rd in the Eastern Conference in wins. That says it all right there, imo.

 

Defense is what basketball is all about. The games where its just teams going back and forth getting wide open looks can be fun to watch (if your team is just slamming the other team) but its not basketball. Nothing is better than watching a great defensive matchup. A Tayshaun Prince on Kobe and just shutting him down or the way I've seen Kirk ocassionally play against AI (last year there was this one game where Kirk was just in his face every shot...Allen still got his points but he shot god awful, unfortunately he hit like a buzzer beater with Kirk all over him). Hell great defense makes the offense better becasue to be a good defender you gonna have to earn you basket.

 

It seems like the NBA is getting back to this route too. Just look at Denver's improvement under George Karl...its the defense.

[Chisoxfn]

I nominate this for the worst thread ever.

 

Hype?

 

Are you kidding me?

 

Anyone who knows anything about the NBA knows that there are maybe four players in the league who are better than him and it can be successfully argued that he is the best player in the league.

 

There is no one who could've lived up to the expectations that were set on this guy.

 

He has in fact lived up to them as best as possible and has taken a team that lost its best inside player from last year to a possible playoff spot.

 

Give me a break on the not living up to the hype.  If he was on the Bulls you'd be slurping him up.

I'd be calling him a deity of some sort if he was on the Bulls

[Chisoxfn]

Since the 98-99 season, Jason Kidd has been All-NBA First Team Defense four times, and All-NBA Second Team twice.  Him and glove are really the two that you ahve to look at over the past dozen years or so.  Hinrich has a plus side with superior work ethic and basketball know-how, but the physical skills are lacking.  Plus, he's not a PG, although he can defend them on the defensive end.

I think Kidd is good when he's a SG defensively but I really think a lot of his defense is hype. He just lacks the lateral movement, imo, when it comes to the quicker PG's. Luckily though you can make a lot of that up with good position, effort, and reading the defender and keeping your eyes square on the middle of the chest. That and just getting your hands up and trying to just disrupt the shots.

[Chisoxfn]

He is numero uno in the league if we're talking court vision.  Three of the four categories you mentioned (shooting, assists, FTs) apply primarily to the backcourt.  You can say that he's the best backcourt player in the league right now all things considered, and I might buy it.

 

Take away 90% of my brain power (of the 10% that I'm using) and I'm still taking KG and Duncan 365 days a year, 24/7 without even giving it a second thought.

I'd probably take KG over him, Duncan probably too (although I take KG over Duncan). I would take Shaq if were talking one season, not many seasons. But I think arguments can be made for Lebron being overall the best. He's no doubt the best guard in the leauge. Hell, it seems that he already has Kidd's court vision and he's a hell of a lot better of a scorer than Kidd.

[Chisoxfn]

I would put Kidd, Payton, Snow, and Andre Miller ahead of him right now, I'm sure I'm forgetting someone. Wade has the potential to be dominant on both sides of the ball if he can get a solid 3rd scoring option on his team and not have to put forth so much energy on offense every position when Shaq is out or on the bench.

Hell I think this year, Duhon is a better defensive player than Jason Kidd. Payton is nowhere near what he once was. This is a new era and two of the Bulls guards are damn near the top.

 

Snow is good, not as great as he once was with Philly. AI is a good defender when needed, probably an underrated defender if you ask me. Problem is so much of his energy goes into offense. To be honest I would say Hinrich, Duhon rank easily in the top 10 and I could even see both being in the top 5 or 7 if were talking this year.

[hammerhead johnson]

Hell ya, no doubt about it.  Defense is what wins championships.  All the Bulls teams had fantastic defenses, same can be said for the Pacers and most of the championship squads.  I think the late 00's Lakers were the first team to really do it without that great of defense.  Well specifically point defense because every series it was the opponent pg torching the slower Derrick Fisher.

 

But they also had Rick Fox and Robert Horry that were just superior defensive role players and really did fantastic things. 

 

The more I watch this Bulls team and Tyson develop the more I appreciate defense because the Bulls are not an offensively talented team, yet they are 3rd in the Eastern Conference in wins.  That says it all right there, imo. 

 

Defense is what basketball is all about.  The games where its just teams going back and forth getting wide open looks can be fun to watch (if your team is just slamming the other team) but its not basketball.  Nothing is better than watching a great defensive matchup.  A Tayshaun Prince on Kobe and just shutting him down or the way I've seen Kirk ocassionally play against AI (last year there was this one game where Kirk was just in his face every shot...Allen still got his points but he shot god awful, unfortunately he hit like a buzzer beater with Kirk all over him).  Hell great defense makes the offense better becasue to be a good defender you gonna have to earn you basket. 

 

It seems like the NBA is getting back to this route too.  Just look at Denver's improvement under George Karl...its the defense.