2016 NBA Off-Season Thread

[Shaqdaddy11]

well...their is a difference between the salary cap and the luxury tax line.

The salary cap is $94M this year. The luxury tax line will prob be around $120M- so- and we will have to see how things shake out- but its certainly possible the Cavs are under the lux. tax line with how much the cap exploded this year.

That should be interesting to see. Admittedly- i am no quite up on free agency and the tax specifics as i usually am for some reason...hmmm....why might that be....

*there

Dr Lawyer

 

[Shanemansj13]

I don't. Bird was the best SF ever. And that's coming from a big time Lakers fan.

What makes Bird better even at this point? Just looking Lebron at this point in his career he has ALREADY surpassed Bird.

 

[Shanemansj13]

I agree. I'd say LeBron compares more to Pippen than Magic just to keep it as a SF comparison.

Except a much better scorer lol

 

[WiggyRuss]

What makes Bird better even at this point? Just looking Lebron at this point in his career he has ALREADY surpassed Bird.

i think out of Bird/Magic/Kobe the easiest to put LeBron over at this point is probably Bird because of title total, same position, and such...of course i love Larry Bird - at this point you are splitting hairs this high up though...

 

[tlance]

I think at this point their is plenty of evidence to point to as LeBron being in the top 5 all time and passing Magic/Bird/Kobe- however- i think their are also arguments that are plausible against it- though i personally would not agree with them--- its not RIDICULOUS or CRAZY to think Bird/Magic/Kobe are ranked ahead of LeBron at this point in time- i think its a weaker case than the case for lebron- but i cant say its not a viable argument.

Before all is said and done though that viable argument will be tore up though i think. LeBron is 31 years old...he has - at least in my opinion- at least 2- and i think up to 5 more Finals appearances in him- and i think in each one its 50/50....if the over under on LeBron titles was 1.5 id PROBABLY have to take the over going forward.

Right now- i think the Kobe/Bird/Magic people still have legs to stand on- even if my personal opinion is those are weak legs. Before all is said and done i think LeBron will cut that argument off though in definitive fashion- unless he falls apart somehow or gets hit by a bus tomorrow.

I agree with every word of this except the future titles.

He might get more than 1 more, but if he does, some of them may be as a complimentary player and not the lead dog. If that were the case, they would not do as much for his legacy.

Still though, I think anybody who has LeBron ranked lower than #4 on the all time list at this point is probably biased against him. There is only 1 other player in the history of the league who reigned as its best player for as long as LeBron has, and that was Jordan.

 

[tlance]

I agree. I'd say LeBron compares more to Pippen than Magic just to keep it as a SF comparison.

Sorry, but this is nuts.

LeBron has been the best player in the NBA for somewhere between 6-8 years. Pippen was never even the best on his own team aside from the year MJ was playing baseball.

I love Pippen, but c'mon man!

 

[DJ Fieri]

Except a much better scorer lol

What year were you born?

Much better? LeBron might be better but not by much. When MJ retired.....Pippen was in the running for the MVP....

 

[DJ Fieri]

What makes Bird better even at this point? Just looking Lebron at this point in his career he has ALREADY surpassed Bird.

More titles, better outside shooter, and more clutch.

 

[tlance]

What year were you born?

Much better? LeBron might be better but not by much. When MJ retired.....Pippen was in the running for the MVP....

DJ....

Pippen was in the running for 1 MVP. LeBron has won 4 and it probably should have been 8. No comparison. And I think Pippen was great.

 

[DJ Fieri]

DJ....

Pippen was in the running for 1 MVP. LeBron has won 4 and it probably should have been 8. No comparison. And I think Pippen was great.

Pippen also played with 1 of the greatest players ever.

If LeBron had played with MJ (or even Shaq).....he would have been 2nd fiddle as well.

 

[gordontrue]

More titles

Larry Bird and LeBron James both have 3 titles.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

There is only 1 other player in the history of the league who reigned as its best player for as long as LeBron has, and that was Jordan.

You could argue Curry as the best player the last two years...

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Pippen also played with 1 of the greatest players ever.

If LeBron had played with MJ (or even Shaq).....he would have been 2nd fiddle as well.

 

[tlance]

More titles, better outside shooter, and more clutch.

Same number of championships, but only 2 finals MVPs. Sure, Bird was a better shooter but LeBron is superior in every other facet. Bird is easily in the top 10, but his legacy does not stack up to LeBron's anymore. They were neck and neck before this last title, not anymore.

 

[tlance]

You could argue Curry as the best player the last two years...

Some people have argued that, but they were empathically proven wrong.

 

[DJ Fieri]

Same number of championships, but only 2 finals MVPs. Sure, Bird was a better shooter but LeBron is superior in every other facet. Bird is easily in the top 10, but his legacy does not stack up to LeBron's anymore. They were neck and neck before this last title, not anymore.

Bird isn't 3-4 in the Finals.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Some people have argued that, but they were empathically proven wrong.

Why? Isn't he the reigning two-time MVP? Unanimous as well.

 

[Shanemansj13]

What year were you born?

Much better? LeBron might be better but not by much. When MJ retired.....Pippen was in the running for the MVP....

You must be joking LOL. Pippen averaged over 20 ppg only 4 times in his career and a career high of 22.0 ppg. Lebron's career low in scoring was 20.9 ppg, his ROOKIE season. It isn't even close. Lebron has averaged over 25.0 ppg for 12 STRAIGHT seasons, Pippen never hit 25 ppg in not one season. You must be taking a good stroll down memory lane bc Lebron is one of the best scorers of all-time, top 5 all positions.

 

[Shanemansj13]

You could argue Curry as the best player the last two years...

Not in the playoffs or Finals, when it counts most. Congrats on being great in the regular season lol

 

[gordontrue]

Titles: Larry 3, LeBron 3
Seasons: Larry 13, LeBron 13
All-Star Games: Larry 12, LeBron 12
MVP: Larry 3, LeBron 4
fMVP: Larry 2, LeBron 3
All-NBA 1st Team: Larry 9, LeBron 10
Defensive 1st Team: Larry 0, LeBron 5
Scoring Title: Larry 0, LeBron 1
ROY: Larry 1, LeBron 1

Larry: 24/10/6/2/1
LeBron: 27/7/7/2/1