Horace Grant says LeBron James Miami Heat no match for Michael Jordan's Bulls

[HuskerCradle2Grave]

Yep, because they were the only game in town. No Lakers, no Celtics and no Bad Boyz. The NBA was a cakewalk for Michael. That team wasn't very good at all.

 

[Jims_Doors]

With four more wins, the Miami Heat will match one of Michael Jordan's greatest feats -- three straight NBA championships -- but former Bull Horace Grant says that doesn't mean LeBron James' team could have beaten those Chicago teams.

"The Heat wouldn't have had a chance," Grant said Tuesday on WSCR-AM in Chicago. "We would have locked them up. We would have locked them up. Especially with the rules today, Michael would have had a field day."

The Heat are in their fourth straight NBA Finals and will face the San Antonio Spurs for the second year in a row. Game 1 is Thursday night in San Antonio (9 ET, ABC).

Jordan led the Bulls to three straight NBA championships from 1991 to '93 and then did it again upon coming back from retirement with three titles from 1996 to '98. The Los Angeles Lakers were the last team to win three championships in a row (2000-02).

Source: ESPN Chicago

and those Chicago teams couldn't beat the Lakers-n-Celtics of the 80's and those teams couldn't beat the Celtics of the 60's blah...blah...blah..

Same shit, different former player, different year......

 

[bksballer89]

And the Lakers didn't have to play against Western Conference teams that had 50-60 wins each season?

You put the 2014 Heat in the West during the early 2000s and they don't even make the conference finals!

The only team who could've prevented the heat being in the WCF against the Lakers during those years were the spurs. The kings are the 2012-2014 Indiana pacers. The teams were good but they wouldn't beat the heat 4 of 7.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

The only team who could've prevented the heat being in the WCF against the Lakers during those years were the spurs. The kings are the 2012-2014 Indiana pacers. The teams were good but they wouldn't beat the heat 4 of 7.

The 1999/2000 Blazers would have wiped the floor with this Heat team.

Heck the 1999/2000 Utah Jazz would have knocked them out the first round!

 

[bksballer89]

Sure they would....

 

[Jims_Doors]

Trivia question: Which GOAT player was just came back from a two year absence in 1995?

Was it the guy who scored 55 on the Knicks his 5th game back? The same guy who shot 48% from the field while avg. 31ppg in the series they lost to Orlando?

That guy???

 

[rjshull]

I think Horace has a point here, If MJ and Pippen were still in their prime then LeBron would have signed with the Bulls, and they would have destroyed Wade and Bosh.

 

[HuskerCradle2Grave]

I think Horace has a point here, If MJ and Pippen were still in their prime then LeBron would have signed with the Bulls, and they would have destroyed Wade and Bosh.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Sure they would....

Before your time. Wouldn't have expected you to know.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

Not that any of it means shit, but whatifsports.com or some other simulator ( I heard on radio) picked the Heat over the old Bulls team in 7.


Person talking said Heat had easier road to Finals because East is now weaker, but Final series is harder because West is much tougher now.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

That's bullshit. Those Lakers teams were more athletic than these lazy Heat clowns.

Take 5 min to watch this and tell me I'm wrong.

Showtime passing - YouTube

If I set up cones I would look pretty athletic in comparison as well. I know that is a high lights of a game but what I am seeing is really poor D and Worthy can jump and Kareem ran the floor more than I have ever seen (high lights).

They were a great team, but to say that exact team wouldn't lose out a game even in a 7 game series is romanticizing the past.

I would assume that these scenarios are done "all things being equal". So you would either allow the sports science advancements for the team from the past, or disallow them for the present day team.

If those players receive the same science benefits than this comes down to a monopoly on talent which I admit the 80s Lakers had.

 

[Triplexxx23]

Wait a min... Did i just walk in the the heat haters thread??

 

[Hornsstampede2.0]

The 2000-2002 LAKERS would ANNIHILATE this Heat team.
It would not even be close. Every game would be a lopsided blowout.

Miami has one major weakness. They tend to be vulnerable to dominant physical post players. At times they make a mediocre center like Roy Hibbert look like Chamberlain. They perform a little better versus jumpshooting bigs, but are seemingly helpless versus a power big man.

In their title run, Miami never really face a great big man low post game. Dallas/OKC have offensively limited bigs. Duncan was 37 years old and a bit past his prime.

SHAQ in his prime would go for 45/25 every night and shoot about 70%.
It might be the worst possible matchup ever for Miami.

I do think Miami could beat some of those 1990s Bulls teams for the same reason.
Chicago never had a dominant low post big man to exploit Miami like the 2000-2002 Lakers.

 

[bksballer89]

Before your time. Wouldn't have expected you to know.

You hate the heat so talking to you is useless. The 2001 & 2002 Portland trail blazers and utah jazz teams who were both eliminated in round 1 in those 2 years would beat the heat in a series.....and ppl wonder why nobody on here like lakers fans. Point blank you guys do not know what the fuck you're talking about

 

[bksballer89]

The 2000-2002 LAKERS would ANNIHILATE this Heat team.
It would not even be close. Every game would be a lopsided blowout.

Miami has one major weakness. They tend to be vulnerable to dominant physical post players. At times they make a mediocre center like Roy Hibbert look like Chamberlain. They perform a little better versus jumpshooting bigs, but are seemingly helpless versus a power big man.

In their title run, Miami never really face a great big man low post game. Dallas/OKC have offensively limited bigs. Duncan was 37 years old and a bit past his prime.

SHAQ in his prime would go for 45/25 every night and shoot about 70%.
It might be the worst possible matchup ever for Miami.

I do think Miami could beat some of those 1990s Bulls teams for the same reason.
Chicago never had a dominant low post big man to exploit Miami like the 2000-2002 Lakers.

This is why comparing the 2 is retarded. You think if the heat played in a era where shaq, hakeem, ewing, david robinson, and other talented inside bigs were still around that bosh would be the center? It's stupid to compare miami to teams from 10 & 20 years for the simple fact that rosters would look differently if they played then

 

[BOTSLAYER]

Wait a min... Did i just walk in the the heat haters thread??

This time of year every thread is the Heat Haters thread.

The 2000-2002 LAKERS would ANNIHILATE this Heat team.

This for the same reasons. I would love to see what a true inside power would do to them, it would be fun.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

This is why comparing the 2 is retarded. You think if the heat played in a era where shaq, hakeem, ewing, david robinson, and other talented inside bigs were still around that bosh would be the center? It's stupid to compare miami to teams from 10 & 20 years for the simple fact that rosters would look differently if they played then

This is a really good point.

 

[HuskerCradle2Grave]

The 2000-2002 LAKERS would ANNIHILATE this Heat team.
It would not even be close. Every game would be a lopsided blowout.

Miami has one major weakness. They tend to be vulnerable to dominant physical post players. At times they make a mediocre center like Roy Hibbert look like Chamberlain. They perform a little better versus jumpshooting bigs, but are seemingly helpless versus a power big man.

In their title run, Miami never really face a great big man low post game. Dallas/OKC have offensively limited bigs. Duncan was 37 years old and a bit past his prime.

SHAQ in his prime would go for 45/25 every night and shoot about 70%.
It might be the worst possible matchup ever for Miami.

I do think Miami could beat some of those 1990s Bulls teams for the same reason.
Chicago never had a dominant low post big man to exploit Miami like the 2000-2002 Lakers.

Maybe 1994.

Other than that?

 

[Triplexxx23]

Its true the 2000-2002 lakers would have kill the heat.. The ref were always on their side... Ask the better team sacramento kings.. They'll tell you

 

[trojanfan12]

If I set up cones I would look pretty athletic in comparison as well. I know that is a high lights of a game but what I am seeing is really poor D and Worthy can jump and Kareem ran the floor more than I have ever seen (high lights).

They were a great team, but to say that exact team wouldn't lose out a game even in a 7 game series is romanticizing the past.



If those players receive the same science benefits than this comes down to a monopoly on talent which I admit the 80s Lakers had.

I think that's really the only fair way to do it. Otherwise, it assumes that the teams from the past wouldn't have taken advantage of the advances in sports medicine and science.

Also, while I think that ultimately the Showtime Lakers would win, I'm not certain that it would be quite curbstomping that some imply at least not looking at it from a matchup perspective.

PG: Magic vs. Chalmers - We are talking top 5 all-time player, Hall of Famer and the best PG ever vs. a solid, role playing PG with a knack for hitting the occasional big shot when ignored. Advantage: Lakers (big)

SG: Scott vs. D-Wade - Byron Scott was a very good, all-star caliber SG. D-Wade is a Hall of Famer. Advantage: Heat (solid, but not huge)

SF: Worthy vs. Lebron - This would be the most exciting matchup of all, imo. 2 Hall of Famers. Worthy has quickness and post moves that Lebron has never seen, Lebron is bigger and stronger than Worthy and just as athletic. Advantage: Heat

PF: Green vs. Haslem - This matchup might set an NBA record for most combined bruises. Advantage: Even

C: Kareem vs. Bosh - Arguably the best center (and certainly the best scoring center) in NBA history and Hall of Famer vs. an all-star caliber center. Advantage: Lakers (by a lot)

Coaching: Riley vs. Spoelstra - Spoelstra is a good, up and coming young coach, but Riley is the one who taught him and is a Hall of Fame coach. Advantage: Lakers.

Bench: With guys like Michael Cooper and Mychal Thompson, the Lakers had players who could have started for just about any other team in the league at the time. With guys like Birdman, Ray-Ray and Lewis, the Heat have guys that used to be able start for other teams. Advantage: Lakers (but not huge).

Because of Lebron's ability to essentially guard all 5 positions and his overall game (even among this group, he's probably the best player on the floor), Miami is able to win a couple of games. However, Lebron can't guard everybody all at once.

Lakers in 6.