THE OFFICIAL NBA FINALS THREAD.

[Preludepunk27]

The Lakers without Kobe are a 40 something win team, likely around 48 wins.

The Cavs without Lebron are a 20 something win team, likely about 29.

The Lakers with Lebron are a 70 something win team, likely beating the Bulls for the record.

I'm not knocking you here, because technically the theory in this argument is true, I'm just saying personally I ABSOLUTELY HATE when people use this argument. So many teams will be wretched without their best player. If we wanted to measure the best player in the league in this fashion, Dwayne Wade would HANDS DOWN be the best player in the NBA. Miami would have won 15 games or less if Wade wasn't on the team.

Still, in the end you're technically right, but I hate pretending like a player doesn't exist anymore. I think it's more fun honestly for debate to say "what if Cleveland took Darko" and or "what if Detroit took Melo" because there is more thought on how things would have played out up to this point. Maybe I'm just too much of a dork because I eat up those types of hypothetical questions more, it's just so much easier to assume how a team is when you take one player away.

Again, I'm rambling, but I just think dumb to think like that, because if the Cavs didn't have Lebron, they wouldn't just have their current roster. It's deeper than that. If it wasn't...Danny Ferry would be lying face down in a pool of blood thanks to my roommate.

[vincecarter4pres]

The Lakers without Kobe are a 40 something win team, likely around 48 wins.

The Cavs without Lebron are a 20 something win team, likely about 29.

The Lakers with Lebron are a 70 something win team, likely beating the Bulls for the record.

I'm not knocking you here, because technically the theory in this argument is true, I'm just saying personally I ABSOLUTELY HATE when people use this argument. So many teams will be wretched without their best player. If we wanted to measure the best player in the league in this fashion, Dwayne Wade would HANDS DOWN be the best player in the NBA. Miami would have won 15 games or less if Wade wasn't on the team.

Still, in the end you're technically right, but I hate pretending like a player doesn't exist anymore. I think it's more fun honestly for debate to say "what if Cleveland took Darko" and or "what if Detroit took Melo" because there is more thought on how things would have played out up to this point. Maybe I'm just too much of a dork because I eat up those types of hypothetical questions more, it's just so much easier to assume how a team is when you take one player away.

Again, I'm rambling, but I just think dumb to think like that, because if the Cavs didn't have Lebron, they wouldn't just have their current roster. It's deeper than that. If it wasn't...Danny Ferry would be lying face down in a pool of blood thanks to my roommate.

I like to look at in a sense as in, what would have happened if Lebron or Kobe was injured for the season, right before the season started? Or in the last one, what if Kobe was traded for Lebron?
The Cavs WOULD NOT HAVE won 60 something games with Kobe in place of Lebron, they would have won maybe around 50 at most. Meanwhile, the Lakers would have won even more games with Lebron in place of Kobe with no other changes.
Granted all this is my opinion and not some kind of friggin' fact, but I truly believe it.

[NetsForce]

The Cavs would have also beat the Magic had they had Kobe instead of Lebron... So there's some food for though... =D

[vincecarter4pres]

The Cavs would have also beat the Magic had they had Kobe instead of Lebron... So there's some food for though... =D

Lulz.

[SteveNets15]

lol^^^^

@prelude/ i'll take back what i said about Z, he doesn't suck but i just don't think he's a good fit there period.The CAVS need a younger athletic front court that can run the floor with LBJ.Big Z is good for certain matchups off the bench but in my opinion the Cavs should be more of a run n gun team with a player like Lebron and there tiny backcourt.I agree with you about the horrible coaching in that series.If your gonna slow the game down and play halfcourt basketball then you have to pass the ball around a few times and not play 1 on 5 with LBJ.

LAKERS in 6. KOBE > LEBRON

Kobe's gonna show Lebron how to beat the Magic and win a championship all at once.lol

[Preludepunk27]

lol^^^^

@prelude/ i'll take back what i said about Z, he doesn't suck but i just don't think he's a good fit there period.The CAVS need a younger athletic front court that can run the floor with LBJ.Big Z is good for certain matchups off the bench but in my opinion the Cavs should be more of a run n gun team with a player like Lebron and there tiny backcourt.I agree with you about the horrible coaching in that series.If your gonna slow the game down and play halfcourt basketball then you have to pass the ball around a few times and not play 1 on 5 with LBJ.

LAKERS in 6. KOBE > LEBRON

Kobe's gonna show Lebron how to beat the Magic and win a championship all at once.lol

I agree totally. I think if they had a solid athletic starting PF, it would help out Z exponentially though. Anderson is good, but he's a career "1st big man off the bench" (not a bad thing) in my eyes. JJ Hickson is solid but he's undersized for the 4 in the NBA. They need to look at getting younger and more athletic in the frontcourt this offseason.

p.s. Anyone see the slideshow of Cleveland misery through the years that they played with about 2 minutes left in Game 6? I thought it was uncalled for. Hilarious, but uncalled for. The city of Cleveland is in shambles basically and they don't need to be kicked when they're down. I live with a kid from Cleveland, as soon as I saw that slideshow start I sprinted to the bar to get him a shot.

[NetsForce]

Cleveland's problems run deeper than the mismanagement / tragic failures of their sports franchises. People get on Jersey for being dirty, but damn have you seen Cleveland? It's like impossible to breathe down there.

[Preludepunk27]

^^^ Yeah I've been there a few times. It's a step up from Detroit. Granted, like parts of Jersey, there are some pretty cool parts of Cleveland I enjoyed, but that city was dying before the recession hit. That city needs a championship (and maybe some corporate infrastruction) more than life itself. Balloons can only keep that city afloat for so long.

[Da big3]

i have to watch game 1, first, gun to my head a close series lakers will win but i want the Magic winning, i can see Dwight tearing up the soft bigs of LA, and magic making 3's...

[NetsForce]

The Cavs would have also beat the Magic had they had Kobe instead of Lebron... So there's some food for though... =D

Lulz.

I cannnn feeeellllll itttt commmmingggg in the airrrr tonightttt.... Ohhhh Lorrrd

[SteveNets15]

After watching this boring game 1 that i fell asleep on twice in the 2nd half.......I'm starting to think the Magic might be lucky to win 1 game.The Magic had to ruin it for everyone, I'd rather watch the Cavs get swept then them.At least we could've seen the 2 best players in the league go at it.Kobe's getting his 4th ring i have no doubt in my mind about that.The only team that could've beat them was the Celtics if they were healthy.

[Preludepunk27]

I don't think Game 1 is of any major importance in the NBA Finals. The most important game honestly is Game 2 and then the 2nd most is an elimination game. Because of the 2-3-2 format in the finals, Game 2 is an absolute MUST WIN for the Lakers. In the event they get swept in Orlando (won't happen but we'll play this out), if they win Game 2, they know they'll get another at home, where at that point they'll be confident they can win the next 2. If they lose, they got to hope they "show up" at least for one of the games on the road. For Orlando it's a MUST WIN because they've been playing so damn well at home that if they can steal a game in LA, they have to have all the confidence in the world that they can close it out at home. Even if they don't win all their games at home, if they win Game 2, they will have the confidence in knowing they can beat the Lakers in LA so they'd still have a decent chance on the road in Game 6 or 7.

Bottom line, in the NBA Finals, the game to watch in the series is always game 2. I expect this game to get chippy. Let's hope the refs let them play instead of handcuffing them like they did last night and a lot in the playoffs.

[NetsForce]

I don't think Game 1 is of any major importance in the NBA Finals. The most important game honestly is Game 2 and then the 2nd most is an elimination game. Because of the 2-3-2 format in the finals, Game 2 is an absolute MUST WIN for the Lakers. In the event they get swept in Orlando (won't happen but we'll play this out), if they win Game 2, they know they'll get another at home, where at that point they'll be confident they can win the next 2. If they lose, they got to hope they "show up" at least for one of the games on the road. For Orlando it's a MUST WIN because they've been playing so damn well at home that if they can steal a game in LA, they have to have all the confidence in the world that they can close it out at home. Even if they don't win all their games at home, if they win Game 2, they will have the confidence in knowing they can beat the Lakers in LA so they'd still have a decent chance on the road in Game 6 or 7.

Bottom line, in the NBA Finals, the game to watch in the series is always game 2. I expect this game to get chippy. Let's hope the refs let them play instead of handcuffing them like they did last night and a lot in the playoffs.

But if the Magic had won Game 1 by 25 points the Lakers would be doomed and in danger of being swept

[Preludepunk27]

That's true as well. Historically, not many road teams win game 1 in the NBA Finals though. Yes they all play hard and try to win every game, but mainly you get a feel for the other team game 1 and then you make your adjustments. The sense of real urgency still doesn't arise for either team until game 2. If the Lakers lost last night, game 2 would become of even greater importance, but you're right the pressure would back off Orlando if they had won game 1.

[NetsForce]

*Sigh* Lakers should have swept this series... Oh well they'll close it out in 5 and then I can give 110% attention to the draft.