The 2023-2024 NBA Season

[thunderc]

Saw both of their entire careers, They were superstars. Particularly McHale. The Celtics weren't a glamour team, so they don't get talked about as much.

Put it this way, if Bird, McHale and Parish weren't superstars, then neither were Magic, Kareem and Worthy. That Celtics "Big 3 was right there with the Lakers "Big 3".

That team also got the last bit of greatness that Bill Walton had left.

Worthy wasn’t a superstar either

 

[wildturkey]

@wildturkey thoughts on Darvin putting Rui on Nikola all game?

Lakers don't have anyone for Jokic. Rui does about as well as anyone they have. AD is a DPOY type of guy and you'd love for him to be able to handle it, but Jokic absolutely cooks him. They should maybe share the load a bit more, but I don't mind Rui there.

The bigger criminal move from Ham was basically benching D'lo the entire 4th for fucking Cam Reddish. He is ass. Stop playing him. He makes no difference guarding Murray. D'lo can't guard him either, but you know what D'lo can do? Score and distribute the ball. It's more horrible game management from Ham. Lakers actually made it a game, led a good chunk of it with Dlo/Reaves/Lebron/Rui/AD, yet in the 4th, 90% of it is played with D'lo and Rui on the bench in favor of Reddish and Dinwiddie.

 

[wildturkey]

Booker fucked his ankle up tonight. Any kind of bad sprain will keep him out awhile and that could really shake the standings in the west up

 

[tlance]

Saw both of their entire careers, They were superstars. Particularly McHale. The Celtics weren't a glamour team, so they don't get talked about as much.

Put it this way, if Bird, McHale and Parish weren't superstars, then neither were Magic, Kareem and Worthy. That Celtics "Big 3 was right there with the Lakers "Big 3".

That team also got the last bit of greatness that Bill Walton had left.

No.

They were not superstars man. They were stars. Superstars are the headliners for the entire league.

Bird and Magic were superstars. Kareem was a superstar.

Calling McHale and Parish superstars is like calling Klay Thompson a superstar.

He isn’t one.

That isn’t a knock either. There are a very small number of superstars in the league at a time. Most HOF level players were not superstars.

That is precisely what made the formation of the Heat so news worthy when it happened. It was 2 prime superstars, arguably the best 2 players in the league, joining up with a 3rd prime all star.

THAT was a superteam. That was when the term really started being used in mainstream NBA speak.

The Bird Celtics were a great team. In fact, they were a better team than any of those Heat squads.

But that does not mean they fit the mold of a superteam. Because as great as Kevin McHale was, he had nowhere near the star power of Dwayne Wade.

And you know this.

 

[DJ Fieri]

 

[Stakesarehigh]

View attachment 356027

any interest any team has in him is because of his dad.

he's basically a poor man's Mattise Thybulle right now.

Nay...a homeless man's Mattisse Thybulle...holding up a sign by the highway

 

[tlance]

any interest any team has in him is because of his dad.

he's basically a poor man's Mattise Thybulle right now.

Nay...a homeless man's Mattisse Thybulle...holding up a sign by the highway

Better comp would be Thanasis Antetokounpo right now.

Because that is what he would be. Occupying a roster spot to appease his superstar family member.

Honestly though?

At this point I am not sure staying in school is best for Bronny. Allowing himself to be used by a team to lure his father could command him a guaranteed NBA contract that he might not ever see standing on his own.

 

[Batman]

How many superstars are in the league right now?

Your answer to that kinda reveals how you define 'superstar'.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

Better comp would be Thanasis Antetokounpo right now.

Because that is what he would be. Occupying a roster spot to appease his superstar family member.

Honestly though?

At this point I am not sure staying in school is best for Bronny. Allowing himself to be used by a team to lure his father could command him a guaranteed NBA contract that he might not ever see standing on his own.

fair points

I can't think of a single guard who had sub 30 percent 3s and 60 percent from the line in college that ended up a serviceable player.

You have some bigs who developed a shot later.

Heart issue or not shooting free throws should be like riding a bike.

a guy like Isaac okoro was a poor 3 pt shooter in college but gives you 2 more

inches (Likely 3) and was much more of an interior presence obviously...

but I say all that to say Okoro came very close to being unplayable in the playoffs.

I get that's a stretch between 15th man and playoff PT but I digress. Dude just ain't it.

 

[tlance]

How many superstars are in the league right now?

Your answer to that kinda reveals how you define 'superstar'.

More today than ever before, IMO.

But I think it is these guys:

Giannis
Embiid
Jokic
Curry
Tatum
Luka
SGA
LeBron
Durant

Can make a case for 1 or 2 more, but these are the guys driving the league today.

 

[Batman]

More today than ever before, IMO.

But I think it is these guys:

Giannis
Embiid
Jokic
Curry
Tatum
Luka
SGA
LeBron
Durant

Can make a case for 1 or 2 more, but these are the guys driving the league today.

So 8 superstars out of about 150 NBA starters, or about the 5.3% of starters.

In Bird's peak, say 1986/87, there were less teams... about 115 starters.
Top 5% in that era would be 6 guys.

Here's the MVP voting in 86/87...
1) Magic
2) Jordan
3) Bird
4) McHale
5) Dominique
6) Barkley

But some might think we have more superstars to add to today's list... Donovan, Kyrie, Butler, Kawhi, Sabonas, AD, Haliburton.
That gets us to over 10% of NBA starters.
Those folks woud have a broader defininion of 'superstar' for the past too.
Its pretty subjective.

 

[tlance]

So 8 superstars out of about 150 NBA starters, or about the 5.3% of starters.

In Bird's peak, say 1986/87, there were less teams... about 115 starters.
Top 5% in that era would be 6 guys.

Here's the MVP voting in 86/87...
1) Magic
2) Jordan
3) Bird
4) McHale
5) Dominique
6) Barkley

But some might think we have more superstars to add to today's list... Donovan, Kyrie, Butler, Kawhi, Sabonas, AD, Haliburton.
That gets us to over 10% of NBA starters.
Those folks woud have a broader defininion of 'superstar' for the past too.
Its pretty subjective.

No, it isn’t a math problem.

There have been times were there were only 3 or 4 superstars.

These are special players that transcend the game.

Lots of great players that don’t transcend. Superstar status is a highly exclusive club.

And McHale had 1 year. That was the year you mentioned. No other season was anywhere close to that for him.

So no, I can’t call a guy a superstar because he produced like 1 for 1 season.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

So 8 superstars out of about 150 NBA starters, or about the 5.3% of starters.

In Bird's peak, say 1986/87, there were less teams... about 115 starters.
Top 5% in that era would be 6 guys.

Here's the MVP voting in 86/87...
1) Magic
2) Jordan
3) Bird
4) McHale
5) Dominique
6) Barkley

But some might think we have more superstars to add to today's list... Donovan, Kyrie, Butler, Kawhi, Sabonas, AD, Haliburton.
That gets us to over 10% of NBA starters.
Those folks woud have a broader defininion of 'superstar' for the past too.
Its pretty subjective.

McHale was definitely a superstar imo

26 and 10 that year fwiw

But this whole what's a super team convo is kinda silly to me lol

I just keep trying to refocus this dialogue to Not a single player in NBA history could've taken the 07 Cavs and beat the Spurs. It took a superhuman effort from Lebron to beat Detroit that year. Which is where this whole convo started back in the Jordan Lebron thread.

 

[tlance]

McHale was definitely a superstar imo

26 and 10 that year fwiw

But this whole what's a super team convo is kinda silly to me lol

I just keep trying to refocus this dialogue to Not a single player in NBA history could've taken the 07 Cavs and beat the Spurs. It took a superhuman effort from Lebron to beat Detroit that year. Which is where this whole convo started back in the Jordan Lebron thread.

If we are calling McHale a superstar based on his ONLY All NBA season, then there are probably 20 superstars today.

And I can’t get behind that.

 

[Batman]

So 8 superstars out of about 150 NBA starters, or about the 5.3% of starters.

I should have said 9, which brings the percent up to 6%.

 

[fightinfunbags]

any interest any team has in him is because of his dad.

he's basically a poor man's Mattise Thybulle right now.

Nay...a homeless man's Mattisse Thybulle...holding up a sign by the highway

Sounds like Delonte West right now.

 

[DJ Fieri]

Lakers don't have anyone for Jokic. Rui does about as well as anyone they have. AD is a DPOY type of guy and you'd love for him to be able to handle it, but Jokic absolutely cooks him. They should maybe share the load a bit more, but I don't mind Rui there.

The bigger criminal move from Ham was basically benching D'lo the entire 4th for fucking Cam Reddish. He is ass. Stop playing him. He makes no difference guarding Murray. D'lo can't guard him either, but you know what D'lo can do? Score and distribute the ball. It's more horrible game management from Ham. Lakers actually made it a game, led a good chunk of it with Dlo/Reaves/Lebron/Rui/AD, yet in the 4th, 90% of it is played with D'lo and Rui on the bench in favor of Reddish and Dinwiddie.

Nailed it as usual.

#FireDarvinHam

 

[DJ Fieri]

Sounds like Delonte West right now.

That guy is off his meds.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

Sounds like Delonte West right now.

Have we ruled out Delonte being his dad?

He banged his mom after all...why not the wife also

 

[Stakesarehigh]

If we are calling McHale a superstar based on his ONLY All NBA season, then there are probably 20 superstars today.

And I can’t get behind that.

he wasn't called on to be that. Just like Pippen wasn't.

let's put it this way

Given McHales defensive profess is he a better 2 than Pierce or Allen? An argument can absolutely be made as to yes.

I'd say the same thing about Dumars. He's not an alpha but as a supporting player he could actually be a better cog in some instances.