Series Thread: NBA Finals. Cleveland vs. Golden State...

[WiggyRuss]

So basically you are saying this series will be judge and jury if he can ever catch or surpass MJ?

I would probably agree with that.

If he falls to 3-6, regardless of being the underdog, he’ll always be judged by it.

what i am saying is that if he does not win another title he could pass MJ- or if he wins 3 more titles he could not pass MJ

it depends on how he does it.

 

[WiggyRuss]

So basically you are saying this series will be judge and jury if he can ever catch or surpass MJ?

I would probably agree with that.

If he falls to 3-6, regardless of being the underdog, he’ll always be judged by it.

say Durant wins another title this year and has 2

whats more impressive to you?

Wade's title against the Mavs where he single handedly willed his team to win and won the MVP and people STILL remember that performance--- or Durants 2 rings as a cog on a team that won 73 before he joined it where his team was a huge favorite in both series? Dirk somehow beating the Heat and bringing a title to Dallas--- or Durant riding coattails?

its an easy answer for me

 

[WiggyRuss]

could you ever even imagine LeBron shitting the bed like Kobe did in that Game 7 going 6 of 24 and generally playing like dog shit and coming out a winner and being celebrated for it like that? please....

 

[WiggyRuss]

its why Durant- no matter how talented he is will NEVER crack the top 10 of all time if he continues on the road he is currently on.

 

[Black Adam]

could you ever even imagine LeBron shitting the bed like Kobe did in that Game 7 going 6 of 24 and generally playing like dog shit and coming out a winner and being celebrated for it like that? please....

darn, guess he'll have to give one of his rings back...

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

i dont either--- but thats what gives him a chance to best michael

if he won the next 3 switching places with durant and had 6 titles absolutely no one would say he is michael- they would say he was a cog on a super team rather than THE REASON.

Dirk is THE REASON

Duncan is THE REASON

Wade is THE REASON

Pierce is THE REASON

Kobe is THE REASON

Shaq is THE REASON

Olajawon is THE REASON

Durant is a fraud.

If Durant is a fraud, then IMO James is a fraud.
I dont feel either is.
Innovator is better word.
James originally took a slight discount.
Durant also did.
James did everything he could to stack every team hes been on.
Durant currently is just in a better spot.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

could you ever even imagine LeBron shitting the bed like Kobe did in that Game 7 going 6 of 24 and generally playing like dog shit and coming out a winner and being celebrated for it like that? please....

Apparently you missed Heat/Mavs series?
James was pretty bad, unfortunatley.

 

[gohusk]

could you ever even imagine LeBron shitting the bed like Kobe did in that Game 7 going 6 of 24 and generally playing like dog shit and coming out a winner and being celebrated for it like that? please....

As opposed to James shameful performance in his last game at Cleveland the first time around when he knew he was out the door for Miami?

Whatever. He's a guy who's going to bail when he thinks he doesn't have the roster even though he won't play for a franchise that doesn't bend over for him each offseason to put a roster together of his liking. The reason James gets criticism is because he deserves it.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Apparently you missed Heat/Mavs series?
James was pretty bad, unfortunatley.

LeBron didnt win that series

and LeBron deserves fair criticism for that series. That is without adoubt a black mark against him

honest to God i think DAn G. was in his head a little bit. lol

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

say Durant wins another title this year and has 2

whats more impressive to you?

Wade's title against the Mavs where he single handedly willed his team to win and won the MVP and people STILL remember that performance--- or Durants 2 rings as a cog on a team that won 73 before he joined it where his team was a huge favorite in both series? Dirk somehow beating the Heat and bringing a title to Dallas--- or Durant riding coattails?

its an easy answer for me

Wade had one of the best Finals of all time.
Regardless, Durant was Finals MVP.
Thats not riding coattails.

 

[WiggyRuss]

If Durant is a fraud, then IMO James is a fraud.
I dont feel either is.
Innovator is better word.
James originally took a slight discount.
Durant also did.
James did everything he could to stack every team hes been on.
Durant currently is just in a better spot.

i think you are crazy comparing the two

LeBron James went to a team that had been to the lotto 4 straight years and teamed up with a 22 year old and a 26 year old that had never made the playoffs

Durant teamed up with 3 all stars in their prime that had been to and won the Finals in the last two years.

If LeBron wanted to simply stack the deck in his favor as much as he could he would have never came back to Cleveland.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

LeBron didnt win that series

and LeBron deserves fair criticism for that series. That is without adoubt a black mark against him

honest to God i think DAn G. was in his head a little bit. lol

He didnt win, but he pretty much shit the bed.
Isnt it better to shit the bed and still win vs lose?

 

[WiggyRuss]

He didnt win, but he pretty much shit the bed.
Isnt it better to shit the bed and still win vs lose?

genreally yes- but if you are trying to become the best of all time no---

like i said- pure ring count wont get leBron passed Michael.

If LeBron wins 3 rings in the twilight of his career that is not going to mean nearly as much as winning one over the next 2 weeks....no one is going to care---- no one says Robert Horry is better than Barkley or Malone.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

i think you are crazy comparing the two

LeBron James went to a team that had been to the lotto 4 straight years and teamed up with a 22 year old and a 26 year old that had never made the playoffs

Durant teamed up with 3 all stars in their prime that had been to and won the Finals in the last two years.

If LeBron wanted to simply stack the deck in his favor as much as he could he would have never came back to Cleveland.

Nonsense.
Cavs had Kyrie on the improve and most people were over rating Love.
He wasnt leaving the East.
He thought he was sitting pretty for years.

If you recall, the Warriors were not predicted to be very good not too many years back.
They developed draft picks and then got lucky with the Curry contract that Durant could be added.

 

[Heatles84]

you could easily make arguments for or against

what is a "super team"?

what is your definition?

A team consisting of multiple all stars (minimum 3), one of which is a top 5 NBA player.

 

[Heatles84]

Since when did you believe anything Wiggy has to say?

It was more of a subtle jab.

 

[tlance]

I agree he wont be blamed.

Still doesnt change the fact its a wasted season. Hes playing for ring count.

It is defintely not a wasted season.

His odds at winning a ring were minuscule as soon as the trade deadline passed and Cleveland failed to get another star. He has been spectacular in the playoffs and has done nothing but ascend GOAT lists because of his performance.

He won't win a ring, but he was never going to this year with this team.

 

[tlance]

A team consisting of multiple all stars (minimum 3), one of which is a top 5 NBA player.

Your definition is too light.

That is what you need to be a championship contender. An all star is roughly a top 30 player. Nothing special about fringe allstars.

Super teams are special. It requires the combination of 2 superstars + at least 1 all star caliber player. There have not been that many in the history of the league, because it is difficult to do. By your definition there have been 2-3 superteams a year since 2008. That is crazy.

Here are teams from this season that may have qualified as super teams under your definition:

Golden State
OKC
Cleveland (Love + IT)
San Antonio (Leonard, Aldridge, Gasol)
houston (2 elite players + 2 more top 50 players)

Sorry, but only GS is a super team on this list.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

It is defintely not a wasted season.

His odds at winning a ring were minuscule as soon as the trade deadline passed and Cleveland failed to get another star. He has been spectacular in the playoffs and has done nothing but ascend GOAT lists because of his performance.

He won't win a ring, but he was never going to this year with this team.

Assuming he loses, my opinion is people will view him exactly the same after this season as they did before it.

So, that being said, and watching him have to kill himself playing every game and a TON of minutes = wasted season.

 

[WiggyRuss]

While some have raised concerns that the lack of parity -- the Warriors and Cavaliers are the first teams in any of the four major North American sports to meet in four consecutive championship games or series -- has hurt the NBA, the numbers tell a different story. The league's average attendance of 17,987 per game in 2017-18 was an all-time high, and the recently completed conference finals were the league's most watched in six years and second-most watched in the past 16 years, according to Nielsen data shared by the NBA on Wednesday.

When James was asked specifically if it was good for the NBA to have the same two teams in the Finals four years in a row, he said, "You've got to ask Adam Silver."



This is probably the only time in our lifetimes we see 2 teams face eachother 4 straight times. This is what rivarly is all about. There are still some rivalries in the NBA based on tradition but that have gotten weak over time---- but this is a true We dont like them- they dont like us- we keep facing eachother rivalry BUILT on actually playing eachother.

People can point to like for instance the Celtics/Lakerse rivalry which was revived there for a while with Kobe/KG etc--- that has kinda died now that the Lakers have sucked and the Celtics have kind of ascended.

Cavs/Warriors is easily the best rivalry going in the NBA today. King James vs. The Super Team.

whether James has 4-7 games left as a Cav or 400-700 games left as a Cav- what a freaking ride this has been. Truly unbelievable.