Next off-season Draft/moves predictions for this season's playoff teams:

[Wamu]

At least those are players the the Bulls and Lakers drafted. MK and Magic elevated the talent around them. LBJ relies on it. How well did LBJ elevate the Lakers last season? AD LBJ had to run and jump in DWades pocket to get a Title. How did LBJ do with the Lakers last year?

Off topic, give me a winner in this series out of curiosity
Magic
Jordan
Bird
Timmy
Hakeem
Vs
Steph
Kobe
KD
LBJ
Shaq

It's solely LeBron's fault the injury bug hit the Lakers last year? You sound like a hater.

LeBron missed 23 games.
Lonzo Ball missed 35 games
Brandon Ingram missed 30 games.
Rajon Rondo missed 36 games.

"At least those are the players the the Bulls and Lakers drafted"

So where's your outrage over KD joining a team he couldn't beat? Oh I bet that's different right?

"LBJ had to run and jump in DWades pocket to get a title"

Time to mention KD again. While LeBron teamed up with 2 all stars KD joined a team with 3 all stars that were 2 time defending conference champs that had the 2 time League MVP.

 

[trojanfan12]

Off topic, give me a winner in this series out of curiosity
Magic
Jordan
Bird
Timmy
Hakeem
Vs
Steph
Kobe
KD
LBJ
Shaq

That's a tough one.

PG: Magic vs. Steph: Solid edge to Magic
SG: MJ vs. Kobe: basically real MJ vs. MJ lite. Edge to MJ
SF: KD vs. Bird: Big edge to KD
PF: Lebron vs. Timmy: Timmy was great, Lebron's better. Edge Lebron
C: Hakeem vs. Shaq: Hakeem outplayed Shaq in their head to head in the finals. Shaq calls him Mr. Olajuwon to this day because of it. Edge Hakeem

Team Magic/MJ in 7.

 

[msgkings322]

That's a tough one.

PG: Magic vs. Steph: Solid edge to Magic
SG: MJ vs. Kobe: basically real MJ vs. MJ lite. Edge to MJ
SF: KD vs. Bird: Big edge to KD
PF: Lebron vs. Timmy: Timmy was great, Lebron's better. Edge Lebron
C: Hakeem vs. Shaq: Hakeem outplayed Shaq in their head to head in the finals. Shaq calls him Mr. Olajuwon to this day because of it. Edge Hakeem

Team Magic/MJ in 7.

Shaq was just a baby when that happened. Not sure who's better, 1994 Hakeem or 2001 Shaq.

 

[trojanfan12]

At least those are players the the Bulls and Lakers drafted. MK and Magic elevated the talent around them. LBJ relies on it. How well did LBJ elevate the Lakers last season? AD LBJ had to run and jump in DWades pocket to get a Title. How did LBJ do with the Lakers last year?

lol

Magic and MJ relied on the talent around then every bit as much as Lebron.

When the Bulls had MJ and not a lot else, they couldn't get past the 2nd round. When they upgraded the talent around him and Pippen emerged as Robin to MJ's Batman, they started winning titles.

Magic was drafted to a team that already had future Hall of Famers in Kareem and Jamaal Wilkes. They later replaced Wilkes with another future Hall of Famer in James Worthy.

Lebron dragged a team where his best teammates were guys like Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Larry Hughes and Eric Snow to the finals.

 

[trojanfan12]

Shaq was just a baby when that happened. Not sure who's better, 1994 Hakeem or 2001 Shaq.

2001 Shaq was a monster. I'd still take Dream because he was a better overall player.

 

[Black Adam]

lol

Magic and MJ relied on the talent around then every bit as much as Lebron.

When the Bulls had MJ and not a lot else, they couldn't get past the 2nd round. When they upgraded the talent around him and Pippen emerged as Robin to MJ's Batman, they started winning titles.

Magic was drafted to a team that already had future Hall of Famers in Kareem and Jamaal Wilkes. They later replaced Wilkes with another future Hall of Famer in James Worthy.

Lebron dragged a team where his best teammates were guys like Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Larry Hughes and Eric Snow to the finals.

there's GOTTA be a Delonte West gag in here somewhere...

 

[UK Cowboy]

That's a tough one.

PG: Magic vs. Steph: Solid edge to Magic
SG: MJ vs. Kobe: basically real MJ vs. MJ lite. Edge to MJ
SF: KD vs. Bird: Big edge to KD
PF: Lebron vs. Timmy: Timmy was great, Lebron's better. Edge Lebron
C: Hakeem vs. Shaq: Hakeem outplayed Shaq in their head to head in the finals. Shaq calls him Mr. Olajuwon to this day because of it. Edge Hakeem

Team Magic/MJ in 7.

It is a tough one. I disagree on KD/Bird being a huge mismatch, KD is more unstoppable but Larry was an unbelievable passer as well. MJ gets a huge nod over Steph without a doubt, but Steph and KD would create spacing for LBJ and Kobe that would make them tough. I think MJ team in 6 but fun to watch

 

[CitySushi]

It is a tough one. I disagree on KD/Bird being a huge mismatch, KD is more unstoppable but Larry was an unbelievable passer as well. MJ gets a huge nod over Steph without a doubt, but Steph and KD would create spacing for LBJ and Kobe that would make them tough. I think MJ team in 6 but fun to watch

Steph couldn't guard Magic that's for sure. But there's no way Magic is guarding Steph either.

To me, the team that wins would be the one that could impose their style of play on the other team. If Team 1 was able to slow it up and play more of a half court game, I think they win going away. However if team 2 was able to get up and down the court and create chaos with their pace, I think they win going away too.

Magic, Bird and Duncan wouldn't be able to keep up with Steph, KD and Lebron in the open court. They just can't. In the half court, Steph and Lebron wouldn't be able to handle Magic and Timmy in the post.

Ultimately, I think the biggest mismatch is Lebron vs. Timmy. Lebron is at least strong enough to make it a challenge for Timmy in the post where he couldn't just assume every bucket was going in. But at the same time there's no way Duncan could stay in front of Lebron at all. They'd have to collapse on his drives leaving either Shaq for the Lob, or Steph/KD with an open kick 3. That's going to happen all day.

 

[tlance]

Steph couldn't guard Magic that's for sure. But there's no way Magic is guarding Steph either.

To me, the team that wins would be the one that could impose their style of play on the other team. If Team 1 was able to slow it up and play more of a half court game, I think they win going away. However if team 2 was able to get up and down the court and create chaos with their pace, I think they win going away too.

Magic, Bird and Duncan wouldn't be able to keep up with Steph, KD and Lebron in the open court. They just can't. In the half court, Steph and Lebron wouldn't be able to handle Magic and Timmy in the post.

Ultimately, I think the biggest mismatch is Lebron vs. Timmy. Lebron is at least strong enough to make it a challenge for Timmy in the post where he couldn't just assume every bucket was going in. But at the same time there's no way Duncan could stay in front of Lebron at all. They'd have to collapse on his drives leaving either Shaq for the Lob, or Steph/KD with an open kick 3. That's going to happen all day.

Rules make a big difference too. And I am not talking about handchecking, which is so overrated in terms of its impact.

Without the old school illegal defense, not sure the MJ team would have much of chance. Under the current rules, It is easier to crowd the paint and defend size with smaller players than it is to try and defend guards with bigs in open space. 4 dynamic guards who can shoot around Shaq is a big problem for that bigger, slower lineup.

With illegal defense, MJ team would be too difficult to slow inside.

 

[dtgold88]

lol

Magic and MJ relied on the talent around then every bit as much as Lebron.

When the Bulls had MJ and not a lot else, they couldn't get past the 2nd round. When they upgraded the talent around him and Pippen emerged as Robin to MJ's Batman, they started winning titles.

Magic was drafted to a team that already had future Hall of Famers in Kareem and Jamaal Wilkes. They later replaced Wilkes with another future Hall of Famer in James Worthy.

Lebron dragged a team where his best teammates were guys like Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Larry Hughes and Eric Snow to the finals.

Yep...pretty sure with Hughes often hurt, the starters were Snow, Pavlovic, Lebron, Gooden and Z.