First Round Playoff Thread

[Newz]

TT dominances Presti.

TT would have drafted Odom, Odom would have got hurt and TT would have drafted like 3 guys better than Durant in the second round... and signed one guy better than Harden that went undrafted.

[tonyreyes123]

Thunder and Packers are pretty much carbon copy franchises at this point.

We didn't hijack our franchise.

[Wise1]

I wouldn't say great teams, until he got to the heat, he has been on average teams that he made better

I'd disagree with you Mike. I see the old "Cleveland went from 60 game winners to 19 game winners after Lebron left" misleading argument. Here's the truth. The season before their first 60 win season, the Cavs won 45 games. The Chosen One was a member of that 45 win team. The next season, the Cavs acquire Mo Williams...THEN they win 60 plus games. After Cleveland won 60 games for the last time, they not only lost Lebron...BUT ALSO Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Shaquille Oneal and Delonte West. So it wasn't just Lebron leaving that caused Cleveland to slip to 19 wins. Add to that the fact that during that 19 win tanking campaign, Anderson Very Joe and Mo Williams only played 31 and 36 games respectively. So let's be a little more honest here when talking about how Cleveland fell off without Lebron.

[trwi7]

Thunder and Packers are pretty much carbon copy franchises at this point.

We didn't hijack our franchise.

Not really sure what that has to do with how the franchises were built.

[El Duderino]

Harden and Ibaka essentially have one year left, assuming they don't take the QO.

That's right, my bad. Gonna be very interesting to see what Presti does.

What a great problem to have, an overabundance of fabulously talented young players.

[europa]

Thunder's defense is better than the Packers.

[jerrod]

TT dominances Presti.

TT would have drafted Odom, Odom would have got hurt and TT would have drafted like 3 guys better than Durant in the second round... and signed one guy better than Harden that went undrafted.

is there some type of time machine involved in this?

[El Duderino]

I wouldn't say great teams, until he got to the heat, he has been on average teams that he made better

I'd disagree with you Mike. I see the old "Cleveland went from 65 game winners to 19 game winners after Lebron left" misleading argument. Here's the truth. The season before their first 60 win season, the Cavs won 47 games. The Chosen One was a member of that 47 win team. The next season, the Cavs acquire Mo Williams...THEN they win 60 plus games. After Cleveland won 60 games for the last time, they not only lost Lebron...BUT ALSO Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Shaquille Oneal and Delonte West. So it wasn't just Lebron leaving that caused Cleveland to slip to 19 wins. Add to that the fact that during that 19 win tanking campaign, Anderson Very Joe and Mo Williams only played 31 and 36 games respectively. So let's be a little more honest here when talking about how Cleveland fell off without Lebron.

I don't think it can be denied that anyone else in the NBA could say cause the Hornets to jump up in wins next year like adding just LeBron James could, even more so than Durant.

That said, i do think it's a fair argument to say that James pretty consistent inability to come up bigger late in close playoff games does lessen his greatness to some degree given how often playoff series end up being decided by which teams won more of those close games, especially in the later rounds and Finals where teams are usually more evenly matched.

[Nebula1]

That was awesome. Fun game. Congrats to Durant and the Thunder.

I'll be rooting for Lebron to get it done so they can battle in the Finals.

Kevin Durant, best player in the world. Step yo game up Lebron, you've got a date.

[Wise1]

That was awesome. Fun game. Congrats to Durant and the Thunder.

I'll be rooting for Lebron to get it done so they can battle in the Finals.

Kevin Durant, best player in the world. Step yo game up Lebron, you've got a date.

Yeah, everytime someone has been waiting for him (younger Kobe) he hasn't shown up.

Honestly though, I've started to give Lebron more credit during these playoffs because he's come out from behind Wade and has at least shown the courage to "take" the big shot. Making it wasn't necessarily my issue with him. I couldn't even let him in the discussion amongst the greats until he showed me at least the willingness to put himself in a position to fail. In the past, he was more about maintaining his image than actually taking the big shots.

But he still has to win to catch up to what now is only hype imo.

[Nebula1]

I think Lebron overall has been better this year and it started from representing the game over summer. But he's about to come up short yet again, which is disappointing to the game.

But you can tell how much fantasy sports has influenced people. Fantasy tells people Lebron is the best player because his numbers are nice, but anybody who knows the League knows Lebron has to compete for a ring to be the best. Especially after claiming to be king and attempting to stack the deck.

If Boston gets it done, so be it. I expect Lebron to watch KD get in tonight and drop a 50 in Boston tomorrow.

[Wise1]

I don't think it can be denied that anyone else in the NBA could say cause the Hornets to jump up in wins next year like adding just LeBron James could, even more so than Durant.

That said, i do think it's a fair argument to say that James pretty consistent inability to come up bigger late in close playoff games does lessen his greatness to some degree given how often playoff series end up being decided by which teams won more of those close games, especially in the later rounds and Finals where teams are usually more evenly matched.

Because Lebron is essentially a giant point guard, I might agree that he could lead the Hornets to more wins than Durant. However, I'd still favor Durant with that same team in a playoff scenario. I'll concede the regular season to Lebron.

[El Duderino]

That was awesome. Fun game. Congrats to Durant and the Thunder.

I'll be rooting for Lebron to get it done so they can battle in the Finals.

Kevin Durant, best player in the world. Step yo game up Lebron, you've got a date.

Yeah, everytime someone has been waiting for him (younger Kobe) he hasn't shown up.

Honestly though, I've started to give Lebron more credit during these playoffs because he's come out from behind Wade and has at least shown the courage to "take" the big shot. Making it wasn't necessarily my issue with him. I couldn't even let him in the discussion amongst the greats until he showed me at least the willingness to put himself in a position to fail. In the past, he was more about maintaining his image than actually taking the big shots.

But he still has to win to catch up to what now is only hype imo.

I don't want to see LeBron try to become a Kobe late in close games like where Kobe for a long time now pretty much refuses to pass the ball because he's such a glory hound. Kobe can have four defenders surrounding him, but if it's a last shot situation, he's gonna shoot the ball regardless if it's a low percentage shot and hurts the Lakers chance to win. He wants that personal glory that comes from making it, the countless misses by Kobe in those situations be damned.

What bothers me with James isn't just the late misses, it's more that overall he to often seems to lose some to a lot his aggressiveness. Can be almost invisible sometimes late in these close playoff games. To quick to give up the ball instead of attacking the paint and creating, even if he dishes instead of shooting off penetration. He's simply to good to come up small late in playoffs games as he has on a number of occasions.

[Nebula1]

[Wise1]

But you can tell how much fantasy sports has influenced people. Fantasy tells people Lebron is the best player because his numbers are nice, but anybody who knows the League knows Lebron has to compete for a ring to be the best. Especially after claiming to be king and attempting to stack the deck.

Exactly. Jordan was probably the greatest statistical player in the league from day 1. However, even he knew that he had to eclipse the accomplishments of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird to be regarded as the best in the game. Jordan, Magic, Bird...those guys EARNED the accolades by giving the world breathtaking championship performances. The Lebron hype machine seems to make an attempt to buck the process involved in becoming great...becoming legendary.

[tonyreyes123]

smh, the LeBron hate is sickening.

[mattg]

Or, more likely, things aren't as simple as everyone tries to make them and it's very possible that the best player in the league doesn't win every year.

[Kerb Hohl]

Herb Kohl now sees a new small market way to the finals --


-- a mid-season Derek Fisher pickup.

[trwi7]

Herb Kohl now sees a new small market way to the finals --


-- a mid-season Derek Fisher pickup.

[AussieBuck]

That was back when I wanted to trade Bogut for Harden/Ibaka... and no one wanted to do it.

There were a whole bunch of us that wanted that deal.