POLL If prime Jordan played in today's NBA - would he be the best?

[Wamu]

I'm familiar with his work on the cfb forum. Apparently, he doesn't know any more about basketball and the NBA.

He's a very special ann arbor homer.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

Yes.

So tell me about the max contract superstars the Lakers signed after Lebron?!?

The answer is..........no one.

They had two max spots open last year — they signed Lebron and.......??

They had the same max spot open this year and they signed........??

The guy who wouldn’t give the Lakers even a FA meeting after saying his dream was to play for the Lakers, then requests to be traded to........the Clippers.

 

[trojanfan12]

So tell me about the max contract superstars the Lakers signed after Lebron?!?

The answer is..........no one.

They had two max spots open last year — they signed Lebron and.......??

They had the same max spot open this year and they signed........??

The guy who wouldn’t give the Lakers even a FA meeting after saying his dream was to play for the Lakers, then requests to be traded to........the Clippers.

Already explained why you're wrong. Your inability to understand is a you problem.

 

[Wamu]

Already explained why you're wrong. Your inability to understand is a you problem.

Let me see if I got this right. The Lakers have LeBron, one of the 5 bestest players on the planet.

They trade for AD. One of the 5 bestest players on the planet.

Don't they still have loot left over to possibly get a top tier FA next off season? If the injury bug doesn't get the Lakers this year LeBron & AD will carry them to the playoffs. And depending on seeding probably a series win.

So you miss Papa Ball at all?

 

[trojanfan12]

Let me see if I got this right. The Lakers have LeBron, one of the 5 bestest players on the planet.

They trade for AD. One of the 5 bestest players on the planet.

Don't they still have loot left over to possibly get a top tier FA next off season? If the injury bug doesn't get the Lakers this year LeBron & AD will carry them to the playoffs. And depending on seeding probably a series win.

So you miss Papa Ball at all?

Not sure about cap space for next season. They'll be looking to re-sign AD and I think Kuzma may be due a new contract as well.

No, don't miss Papa Ball, even a little.

 

[Wamu]

Not sure about cap space for next season. They'll be looking to re-sign AD and I think Kuzma may be due a new contract as well.

No, don't miss Papa Ball, even a little.

Okay wasn't sure what their money situation is. Thanks for the info.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

Already explained why you're wrong. Your inability to understand is a you problem.

I think your inability to grasp reality is the problem. But keep thinking everyone wanted to join forces with Lebron in LA, but they..........just didn’t.

I’m sure the Lakers set themselves up with multiple max contract openings so they team Lebron up with:
2018 — Pope, Rondo, McGee, Stephenson and Beasley — definitely not Paul George.

Then in 2019 — they said — we have multiple max contracts to offer to team up with Lebron, but instead, let’s trade Hart, Bell, Ingram and 3 first round picks to get AD. Then give away 3 players to the Wizards for a max spot so they could sign:
Jared Dudley
Danny Green
Demarcus Cousins
Dwight Howard

The fact you don’t see that every FA shunned the Lakers is hilarious.

Two years running they’ve signed off the scrap heap to fill the roster with a max contract going to waste. Don’t feel bad. The same happened to the Knicks.

 

[Davis_Mike]

This is thread is just what I needed to kill time before some football.

I'm only ten pages in and this thread is already one of the funniest I've seen in the hoop in a long time.

 

[dtgold88]

Did it matter? There’s an argument for each side so yes and no.

If you thought the Raptors were title contenders before free agency a 40/1 shot sounds a lot better than 7/1. In which case yes it did matter.

How many people thought the Raptors legitimately would win it all even AFTER trading for Kawhi though?

I’m still waiting for you to find someone that would have picked them to win the Championship.

There was only ONE title contender last year and they were based in Oakland.

Very doubtful many had anyone other than GS winning it. However, if you think a team has a good shot to get out of the East they are a title contender.

This isn't as hard as you are making it out to be.

 

[dtgold88]

Yeah I’m not sure I can agree with you there.

didn't they win the title the previous season and were a heavy favorite to come out of the East again?

 

[dtgold88]

MJ isn't leading that team past the Pistons. I don't know who could have.

I wouldn't even say MJ couldn't, but he didn't. No Finals without his Pippen.

 

[dtgold88]

"The East was loaded"? During MJ championship runs? LOL...Please

I'd say they were......but he played weaker teams IN the Finals.

 

[Peter Gozintite]

I just want to say, that I can see both sides of the discussion, and appreciate everyone input. Have a great day debating with consideration for each other's feelings. Ta!

 

[dtgold88]

I agree with that to an extent. MJ won more finals, because his team was the best team in the NBA and he carried them to championships and beat the top teams in the East (which was the dominant conference) and the top team from the West.

Lebron isn’t dumb — he handpicked his teammates and made sure to stay in the East. I just lost a lot of respect for him once he started doing that and not just him, but the NBA, as a whole, as players show no loyalty and instead try to stack teams to chase a ring.

And that's fine, but we don't know that players from MJ's era would not have done the same under the same CBA.

The idea there's no way MJ would not have tried to stick it to crumbs if someone could offer similar money is absurd. He hated him.

Of course....no need for Bird, Magic or MJ to go anywhere as they were winning titles. You don't think Barkley would have joined the Bulls if he could?

 

[dtgold88]

I'm inclined to agree re: handpicking teammates, etc. But that's what free agency allows.

Us old guys like to talk about "loyalty" and how the greats of the past would never "stack" teams like that. We've even heard them comment themselves about how they wanted to beat each other, not team up.

But the fact is that free agency has changed and players didn't have the same options back then that they do now. We don't really know what those players would have done if they had the options today's players do.

As for loyalty...How much loyalty are teams showing players when they want to trade them or release them because they got too old or too injured?

Just mentioned this.....totally different CBA back then. No max deals.

 

[dtgold88]

lol

There's spin...

And then there's whatever the hell this is.

while I agree he's wrong that no one would go there because, as you mention, AD did. However, much of the rest he said has some merit IMO.

 

[dtgold88]

Well, there's that whole, PG announced his decision before Lebron came to the Lakers thing.

In fact, when PG decided to stay in OKC, most figured that ended the Lakers shot at Lebron. So it seems pretty clear that PG's decision wasn't about Lebron.

And again, AD basically forced his way to the Lakers knowing Lebron was here and even signed with Lebron's agency. In order to get AD this season, the Lakers had no choice but to trade for him because he wasn't a free agent yet.

You should probably just quit while you're behind.

You don't think Lebron told PG his plans?

 

[dtgold88]

Lebron had to do this because other teams started it before him. Boston originated the big 3 with Pierce, Ray allen and KG...And a bunch of good role players in Rondo, big baby etc

Lebron sort of is dumb tho...Say he went to Philly or Tor or Mill he would almost certainly have another ring right now (4) and be the hands down favorite for this year...He rolled the dice on LA and it turned out to be craps for now

He is a great player but he still cant figure out how to build a great team. He is not a good GM. Even his heat pick wasn't the right pick. This is why he has less championships...He isn't the greatest judge of talent, he's just okay. He was always creating an entire new team often with players who didn't fit together, when all he needed to do was join an established team that needed 1 more player to put them over the top....Sorta like what Durant did with GS...and kawhi did in Tor

However, this is why i give lebron more credit. He didn't just join a team that was already great like KD did. He build something from scratch and with players that may or may not fit together....It was less of a bitch ass move if you will on the bitch scale lol

Mostly agree, but I think Lebron was going to LA no matter what. winning was not #1 for him anymore.

 

[dtgold88]

Did you know that @TrustMeIamRight thinks Harbaugh's a better CFB coach than Nick Saban because he had more success in the NFL as a coach?

Oh yeah Jimmy Jam was also a 1st team All American in '86. Making Heisman winner Vinny Testaverde the only winner of that award not to be named to the 1st team.

Ain't that right @TrustMeIamRight?

This might be true, but doesn't mean what he mentioned in his last comment was not factual. Or at least highly likely. You think PG did not know where Lebron was going before he signed with OKC? That Lebron never tried to recruit him to LA?

 

[Bart]

I'd say they were......but he played weaker teams IN the Finals.

IDK, the Knicks were overachievers, Ewing with no other stars and marginal role players. Indiana was Reggie Miller and scrubs. Cleveland was decent but no real superstar. Pistons were on their last legs. Heat with Mourning were also overachievers due to Riley, I don't think Mourning was a first tier center. Orlando Magic, were too young. They had some decent teams but nothing like going through the West with Spurs, Suns, Portland, Houston, Utah, Sonics, Warriors, etc.