2015-2016 NBA Thread

[bmags]

I still will root against Lebron, but much respect to Cleveland and just an amazing job by Lebron, best player in the universe. Kind of underscores the point that nobody should be looking for the next steph curry, the next Lebron is way more powerful.

 

BUT, it's hilarious how people are acting like he took some middle school team to the finals to win. Remember how he left then CLE inexplicably won every lottery opportunity and were able to trade excess talent for Love? How they were basically given shumpert and JR smith?

 

Lebron has had a very good team this entire decade. Last years finals was the only time you saw him with absolute crap.

[Boogua]

Well again, I didn't mean at this very moment..

 

But if he wins 2-3 more titles and a couple more MVP's, plus the finality of his stats there is going be a very strong case that he is the best of all time.. The dude is a freak, I don't think there's any reason to think he cant be dominant for 4 more seasons

The likelihood of either of those things happening aren't very high, especially the MVPs. His only case over Jordan will likely be longevity.

[JUSTgottaBELIEVE]

I guarantee you no one in Cleveland cares about LeBron going to Miami now. He left as a free agent, get over it already.

 

What other superstars are winning championships without a decent team around them? How is that a knock on LeBron?

 

6 straight trips to the finals (With two different teams), 3 championships, and probably another 4-5 years of dominance left in the tank.. As hard of a pill as it is to swallow, he will be the greatest of all time even if the Jordan crowd refuses to admit it.

I would have much more respect for the guy if he stuck with Cleveland the entire time and then won a ring with them. I didn't say others could win titles without decent players around them but he went to Miami solely because they had two other superstars there and was basically guaranteed a ring (think MJ leaving to Phoenix or Houston in the early 90s). He took the easy way out to ensure he got a ring because he knows that staying in Cleveland meant years of very good teams but that it would be difficult to become a great team unless they struck gold with one or two late first round picks (I.e. Spurs). Do you really think he would have come back to Cleveland two years ago if they didn't have Irving and cap space to bring in a guy like Love? Because of this path he will never be on the same level as MJ. Also you forgot to mention MJ's college title which in many ways is more difficult to obtain than an NBA title because of the one and done nature of the college tourney.

[JUSTgottaBELIEVE]

I still will root against Lebron, but much respect to Cleveland and just an amazing job by Lebron, best player in the universe. Kind of underscores the point that nobody should be looking for the next steph curry, the next Lebron is way more powerful.

 

BUT, it's hilarious how people are acting like he took some middle school team to the finals to win. Remember how he left then CLE inexplicably won every lottery opportunity and were able to trade excess talent for Love? How they were basically given shumpert and JR smith?

 

Lebron has had a very good team this entire decade. Last years finals was the only time you saw him with absolute crap.

Yup. This isn't the 2006-2007 cavs roster.

[pettie4sox]

Did the warriors s*** the bed or did the cavs finally wake up?

[BigHurt3515]

No empirical evidence supports this claim. The NBA is bigger than it has ever been and the talent level is unreal

 

What is so fun about watching the same players and teams playing in the finals every year? It might be more popular then ever but most of those new fans are young teens who don't even understand the game of basketball and just love the hero ball that is played nowadays and the big names.

[BigSqwert]

Not going back to read the entire thread but good god, why did Kerr put Ezeli into the game in the final 6 minutes of the season? The guy offered nothing at all to start each half and the Warriors went from 4 up to 2 down in the blink of an eye because of him. You put your 5 best and most effective players in to close out the game. That decision felt like Carroll calling for a pass play on the 1 yard line to the 5th WR on the team.

 

Edit: Ezeli finished the night with no points and one rebound in 10 minutes.

Edited June 20, 2016 by BigSqwert

[caulfield12]

Jordan wins GOAT

 

1) Much better history of clutch shots, starting with 1982 at UNC...for every memorable game-winning LeBron shot, there are 3-4 iconic ones for Jordan

 

2) You can't add 2 more years to LeBron's career that MJ didn't have (actually three, because of the baseball detour) without looking at what MJ accomplished at UNC and especially the 1984 Olympic Team coached by Bobby Knight/The Dream Team, etc.

 

3) MJ's history of voting totals for Defensive Player of the Year

 

4) Jordan's accomplishments were limited to pretty much the Bulls...he also didn't bolt in order to get a couple of gift titles playing with a hand-picked roster of All-Stars in Miami

 

5) Jordan almost single-handedly destroyed the Cavaliers, Celtics and Pistons...for decades

 

 

Time will judge the level of competition....many will argue the 1980's and 1990's as the NBA's peak, others will say it has never been better or more athletic. You had players like Malone/Stockton and Barkley struggling their entire careers to win just one championship.

 

 

 

 

[bmags]

Golden State was the epitome of team basketball. Hero Ball is such a stupid description of modern NBA. This isn't 2002 anymore. You don't like basketball, move along. What is the purpose of fans that pipe in to a major sports championships just to say the sport is stupid?

[BigSqwert]

Golden State was the epitome of team basketball. Hero Ball is such a stupid description of modern NBA. This isn't 2002 anymore. You don't like basketball, move along. What is the purpose of fans that pipe in to a major sports championships just to say the sport is stupid?

[Jenksismyhero]

Golden State was the epitome of team basketball. Hero Ball is such a stupid description of modern NBA. This isn't 2002 anymore. You don't like basketball, move along. What is the purpose of fans that pipe in to a major sports championships just to say the sport is stupid?

 

Come on now, the last 5 minutes was exactly that. Both teams went a combined 1-17 in that span with Irving's shot - a one on one fall away three - the only made bucket. Both teams went to the ISO to get a bucket and sucked at it. Both went against what got them to that point. Lebron had about 4 awful drives/shots and so did Curry.

 

To answer the other question posed, the Warriors CHOKED that series and game 7 away. I know Lebron is going to get all the praise, but good teams don't lose when up 3-1. Curry and Kerr were especially atrocious. Curry for putting up some horrific shots and making some horrific turnovers at key moments in the game, and Kerr for playing Ezili and Varejo significant minutes in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, short bench or not.

 

Also, Harrison Barnes. Jesus.

[Jenksismyhero]

Jordan wins GOAT

 

1) Much better history of clutch shots, starting with 1982 at UNC...for every memorable game-winning LeBron shot, there are 3-4 iconic ones for Jordan

 

2) You can't add 2 more years to LeBron's career that MJ didn't have (actually three, because of the baseball detour) without looking at what MJ accomplished at UNC and especially the 1984 Olympic Team coached by Bobby Knight/The Dream Team, etc.

 

3) MJ's history of voting totals for Defensive Player of the Year

 

4) Jordan's accomplishments were limited to pretty much the Bulls...he also didn't bolt in order to get a couple of gift titles playing with a hand-picked roster of All-Stars in Miami

 

5) Jordan almost single-handedly destroyed the Cavaliers, Celtics and Pistons...for decades

 

 

Time will judge the level of competition....many will argue the 1980's and 1990's as the NBA's peak, others will say it has never been better or more athletic. You had players like Malone/Stockton and Barkley struggling their entire careers to win just one championship.

 

I still don't think Lebron ever went through a good to great team in the ECF either. Who's a hall of fame player that Lebron has had to go through to get to the Finals? Jordan had to go through peak Thomas, Ewing, Reggie, Shaq, etc.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Jordan wins GOAT

 

1) Much better history of clutch shots, starting with 1982 at UNC...for every memorable game-winning LeBron shot, there are 3-4 iconic ones for Jordan

 

Hyperbole. But yeah, I'd go with Jordan over LeBron in the last two minutes.

 

2) You can't add 2 more years to LeBron's career that MJ didn't have (actually three, because of the baseball detour) without looking at what MJ accomplished at UNC and especially the 1984 Olympic Team coached by Bobby Knight/The Dream Team, etc.

 

I don't understand any of this

 

3) MJ's history of voting totals for Defensive Player of the Year

 

DPOY voting is different now than it was in Jordan's time. It was actually pretty lazy for the most part. X guard gets a lot of steals so he was a great defensive player or X center blocks a lot of shots so he was a great defensive player. The standard for what truly makes a great defensive player is much higher now. And MJ, even at his peak, can't touch LeBron's defensive versatility. Sorry.

 

4) Jordan's accomplishments were limited to pretty much the Bulls...he also didn't bolt in order to get a couple of gift titles playing with a hand-picked roster of All-Stars in Miami

 

lol@gift titles. please. he quite literally carried those Heat teams. Wade was often hobbling and inconsistent and don't even get me started on Bosh.

 

5) Jordan almost single-handedly destroyed the Cavaliers, Celtics and Pistons...for decades

 

The Cavs? Yes. The Celtics? They swept him twice rather easily in '86 and '87. The Pistons? The same Pistons that knocked him out three straight years?

 

 

Time will judge the level of competition....many will argue the 1980's and 1990's as the NBA's peak, others will say it has never been better or more athletic. You had players like Malone/Stockton and Barkley struggling their entire careers to win just one championship.

 

Competition is subjective. Personally, as everybody knows, I think it's better today. But nobody can question the fact that modern offensive and defensive schemes are better than they were during Jordan's time. Scouting is better. Technology is better. Analytics are more detailed and advanced, etc.

[chw42]

Did the warriors s*** the bed or did the cavs finally wake up?

 

The Warriors s*** the bed. There's no reason for you to lose a 3-1 lead in the finals with home field advantage. Cleveland deserves a lot of credit for pulling through, but Steph Curry let his own team down in the last 3 games.

[chw42]

Not going back to read the entire thread but good god, why did Kerr put Ezeli into the game in the final 6 minutes of the season? The guy offered nothing at all to start each half and the Warriors went from 4 up to 2 down in the blink of an eye because of him. You put your 5 best and most effective players in to close out the game. That decision felt like Carroll calling for a pass play on the 1 yard line to the 5th WR on the team.

 

Edit: Ezeli finished the night with no points and one rebound in 10 minutes.

 

I was screaming to take him out after he jumped on LeBron's first pump fake. But Kerr had the audacity to keep him in there for 2 more possessions. Seriously man? That alone was a huge momentum swing. The Warriors went from being up 4 after a huge Curry 3 to being down 2 after LeBron got 6 easy points by having a center on him. Harrison Barnes was awful again in game 7, but he at least allows you to defend LeBron effectively on the pick switch that Cleveland kept going to.

[zenryan]

Why must everything turn into MJ vs Kobe vs Lebron? Why can't people just watch and enjoy the greatness of each of those three during their era of playing in this league.

 

Why is there so much hate towards Lebron? Is it bc of an ill advised 60 minute show on ESPN? Is it bc he joined up with Wade and Bosh after years of playing with a bunch of stiffs? If those are the two worst things you can pin on Lebron in this era of athletes screwing up, then Lebron did pretty well in the spotlight. I can't stand Colin Cowherd but he saying, "it's a YOU problem, not a xxxxx problem." really fits here.

[Kyyle23]

I cant wait until Gar gives Barnes the max because IOWA

[bmags]

I enjoy hating on Lebron playing basketball. Some people hate on Tom Brady. Others hate Jose Bautista. Sports are more fun that way.

[bmags]

lol@gift titles. please. he quite literally carried those Heat teams. Wade was often hobbling and inconsistent and don't even get me started on Bosh.

 

Wade was very good in 2011 (didn't win) and 2012 (did). Wade was best player on court in 2011, Lebron was better in 2012. But Wade put up a 23/6/5 line with 1.5 steals per game and 1 block per game.

 

His latter 2 years his knees were bummed but his first two he was still great.

[T R U]

I enjoy hating on Lebron playing basketball. Some people hate on Tom Brady. Others hate Jose Bautista. Sports are more fun that way.

 

Yup, couldn't agree more. I hate Tom Brady and think Dan Marino is the greatest QB of all time. I think were just spinning the tires trying to argue LeBron is better than Jordan on a Chicago sports board. Not gonna happen.

[Chisoxfn]

Draft will be here shortly...will be curious to see what the Bulls do and who (if anyone) they move these next couple of days. Always thought it was kind of interesting how the NBA has the draft so quickly after the season ends.

[whitesoxfan99]

Top 5 players of the last 25 years:

 

1. Jordan

2. Lebron

3. Shaq

4. Duncan

5. Olajuwon (I'd accept arguments for Kobe here as well)

[Quin]

Golden State was the epitome of team basketball. Hero Ball is such a stupid description of modern NBA. This isn't 2002 anymore. You don't like basketball, move along. What is the purpose of fans that pipe in to a major sports championships just to say the sport is stupid?

 

[insert argument about how college players care more]

[bmags]

Will take Dirk over Olajuwon all day every day. Especially since 25 years ago cuts a lot of Hakeems career out.

[Quin]

Will take Dirk over Olajuwon all day every day. Especially since 25 years ago cuts a lot of Hakeems career out.

 

Ok, if we're doing the 25 years.

 

But defensively it's not even close.