- Jun 10, 2014
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My goodness. Brush up on history, son.
Cavs win - Lebron haters crying
- Thread starter GatorJ
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- Jun 13, 2014
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Who was a bona fide very top player at their position besides that center? Horry always seemed to play decent and end up on good teams but he wasn't a very top player then from what I remember. I remember everyone being really surprised when they beat Phoenix.
- Jun 11, 2014
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LeBron is a top 10 player. He has two championships and has been to almost 10 finals. But he will never be top-five. The west has been vastly superior to the east the entire time that he has played which has led to the plethora of Finals appearances.
He's an all-time great. Regardless of the state of competition, to lead his team to that many finals is remarkable.
However: Magic, Jordan, Russell, Bird, Wilt, Kobe, and Kareem would never have let their teams crumble in the Finals.
There is no doubt that, in general, he performs at a very high-level in the finals. Not all the time. But more often than not. But his teammates wither in these situations. The mark of a great leader is the ability to make those around you excel when the pressure is on.
He's an all-time great. Regardless of the state of competition, to lead his team to that many finals is remarkable.
However: Magic, Jordan, Russell, Bird, Wilt, Kobe, and Kareem would never have let their teams crumble in the Finals.
There is no doubt that, in general, he performs at a very high-level in the finals. Not all the time. But more often than not. But his teammates wither in these situations. The mark of a great leader is the ability to make those around you excel when the pressure is on.
- Jun 19, 2014
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Clyde the Glide? Kenny Smith, a very underrated PG at that time? Vernon was still on that team as well.
They were a 6 seed when they won their title. At the time, the first team to beat 4 50+ win teams on their way to the title.
They were a 6 seed when they won their title. At the time, the first team to beat 4 50+ win teams on their way to the title.
- Jun 11, 2014
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Drexel was one of the best two guards in the league. Kenny Smith, Horry, and Mario Ellie were deadly from three point before three pointers were ubiquitous.
They also had a young Sam Cassell and Robert Horry. And they were pretty deep with veteran leadership. That's one reason why Barkley joined them. Because he was hoping to win a title.
- Jun 13, 2014
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True but some were up in age and not big all star players at that point. Horry was real young. You see other times when past their prime guys load up teams and they never win a title. I just think they were a good team playing together at that point much like Detroit was.
Hakeem was the only all star or even reserve all star those years that Houston had on their team I think.
- Jun 24, 2014
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Houston should thank MJ for his gambling problem. No way on God's green earth does Houston win dick had MJ not retired.
- Jun 24, 2014
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Drexler was on the 95 team not the 94 team. Clyde and Hakeem are both HOF'ers
- Jun 13, 2014
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That might be an interesting thing to see. How many teams in the modern era (maybe starting in the 80's) have won a championship with only 1 player on the all star team the season they won it. I would think the number is very low.
Edit: A few more than I thought but most of the multiple winners in a multi year time span had more than 1. Detroit only had Thomas their first year but 3 were on it for their second year.
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- Jun 24, 2014
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It's probably a very low number. Obviously you need more than one star to win. Look at Utah with Malone and Stockton. Not a one. Two of the best all-time. You probably need three scorers to win it all these days. GS is pretty stacked up and down the roster. Bron Bron is getting crushed though...again. Not sure how anyone puts him above MJ, ever.
- Jun 11, 2014
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Lebron has no help once again so they are doomed.
LighthouseGator
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- Sep 29, 2015
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...And that's on LeBron. He wanted to replicate what he had in Miami. As de facto GM, he chose a co-star who could slash and score (Wade:Irving); a stretch 4 who could shoot/rebound/defend (Bosh:Love); a rim-protecting rebounder-enforcer (Haslem/Bird:Thompson); and a 3 and D guard (Chalmers/Allen: Shumpert/Smith). He thought he was building a younger replica of what he had in Miami. He undervalued what he had in Miami.
Irving is no Wade. He's not a leader. He never developed the rapport that Wade and James established over years. And most importantly he's not a shade of the defender Wade is. Love can shoot better than Bosh, but he is an atrocious defender, whereas Bosh defends from the rim to the arc exceedingly well and can score when called upon. Similarly, Shumpert and Smith don't hold a candle to Chalmers and Allen, respectively.
On top of it all he's not same player. Still amazing, but he's lost his jumper and has played a ton of basketball - 6 straight finals appearances with an Olympic Gold thrown in for good measure.
He built a good team, no doubt. Just not a championship team, and they're being exposed by a much deeper and more talented team (Thunder, Spurs probably would have yielded similar results, too).
- Jun 13, 2014
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This sums it up
- Jun 12, 2014
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The Cavs have the highest payroll in the league. He has help.
When Love was trying to figure out where to go, the talking heads thought that golden state needed him more than Cleveland. When Love signed with Cleveland they were instantly the favorites in Vegas to win the championship.
Lebron just isn't MJ no matter how much people want to try to compare them.
When Love was trying to figure out where to go, the talking heads thought that golden state needed him more than Cleveland. When Love signed with Cleveland they were instantly the favorites in Vegas to win the championship.
Lebron just isn't MJ no matter how much people want to try to compare them.
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- Jun 12, 2014
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Yep. Throw in the fact that he got the coach fired and replaced with someone with no experience late in the season, he isn't the best player in the league and he never really had a great jump shot.
LighthouseGator
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All true. GS management really knew what they had with Thompson, as they refused to trade him for Love, which was somewhat controversial at the time since Love had been a stat monster for the T'Wolves the two previous years.
Love's game has been diminished by James' insistence on pigeonholing him as a 3 point shooter (James doesn't want the lane clogged). Love was always a better inside-out player and should be much more effective elsewhere reprising that role.
James was always more Magic than MJ in style and substance. That said, he was able to summon a killer instinct a la MJ for a few years/playoff series in Miami.
LighthouseGator
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Incidentally, Love may have played his last game as a Cav. Out for tonight.
https://nba.nbcsports.com/2016/06/0...rs-shootaround-still-questionable-for-game-3/
https://nba.nbcsports.com/2016/06/0...rs-shootaround-still-questionable-for-game-3/
- Jun 12, 2014
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Imagine if Love had gone to the Lakers... He might have averaged 20 rebounds with all of the terrible shots Kobe has jacked up this year.
LighthouseGator
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He may have set an all-time single game record for rebounds in Kobe's final game.
