Basketball/NBA

[CatalinR10]

Lakers - Miami final

 

[Richard.H]

Lakers - Miami final

Will be a good series. If Adebayo can put up the same numbers vs the Lakers big trio of Davis, Howard, and McGee, then massive respect. If Adebayo gets shut down they basically have to shoot like warriors 2015 from 3 in order to have a chance.


EDIT: As crazy as it sounds I honestly don't think the Heat are better than the Denver Nuggets. However, coaching/tactics could be very big in this series and I think Spoelstra is a slightly better coach than Malone. He is a lot more crafty and who knows what he has up his sleeve.

 

[Sailor Mars]

Shaq played for 5 teams packed full of talent, trying to leech off Nash & Amare in the West, then tried doing the same with LeBron in Cleveland and even signed for big 3 Celtics late on. First one through draft. Other 2 with clear intention of big team assembly. LeBron played for 3 teams too.
Big teams forming around him post Heat is clear goal of franchise in Cleveland who went all in on the project one more time and then Lakers where it was ?come, win 1-2 rings, ride off into sunset at age of 36 as the other max contract players take over?. Wouldn?t have put a player option on it next summer if that wasn?t the case.
Nothing to hold his feet to the fire over and certainly not ringchasing like most average all-stars are.

Shaq got traded to most of the teams he played for. He only ringchased with the Celtics at the end of his career when he wasn't even an all star level talent, and that was because of his rivalry with Kobe Bryant.

Lots of greats have ring chased like that. Barkley, Karl Malone, Gary Payton, Tracy Mcgrady.

But none of the past greats have switched teams multiple times through free agency and tried forming a big 3 each time.

I don't fault Lebron for wanting to put himself in the best position to win, but it does call into question his legacy and alltime ranking compared to other greats.

And even then, he barely squeaked out 2/3 titles, if not all 3.

 

[El Gato]

I mean it's quite obvious Shaq would have left in FA too each time, as would any other star who teams dont want to let go of. AD was also traded, albeit in offseason, like KG and several others. Hasn't happened with LeBron cuz it makes no sense to trade him away if you're in position of any of the sides he was on, and is also near impossible given salary considerations.

Teams aiming to build a strong side around him each time is not a solid argument against him. He's not the one making a decision to tank and clear cap space for 3 max contracts. I haven't heard him lobbying, and if players want to join him, why'd he say no? To fulfil some sketchy criterion of 'Jordan only had Pippen' that people use to hold against him?

 

[CatalinR10]

so how do transfers work in basketball ?


are they done every season ?


do teams pay fees like in football or ?

 

[khaled_a_d]

Doc Rivers gets fired.
This mean he is now the biggest name in coaching market, and Clippers are biggest destination.

so how do transfers work in basketball ?


are they done every season ?


do teams pay fees like in football or ?

Salary cap and contracts, players leave as free agents or traded for each other.

 

[Richard.H]

Fraud coach, will never forget him blowing that 3-1 series vs the Rockets in 2015. That was far more embarrassing considering they got punked by a player who a year later would play in China, Josh Smith.

And before people mention "he did win a title in 2008 huurr duuurrrr" he had an incredibly stacked team. The first big 3 in the NBA with an amazing Rondo and a bench composed of seasoned veterans. Not to mention his assistant coach was Thibodeau

 

[Sailor Mars]

Teams aiming to build a strong side around him each time is not a solid argument against him. He's not the one making a decision to tank and clear cap space for 3 max contracts. I haven't heard him lobbying, and if players want to join him, why'd he say no? To fulfil some sketchy criterion of 'Jordan only had Pippen' that people use to hold against him?

Of course teams are going to try and build around Lebron, but Lebron has changed teams 3x now where the team he joins has enough assets to build a new super team. That's precisely why he shouldn't even be mentioned in the same breath as Jordan.

Jordan stayed with the same team even though he was getting destroyed by the Celtics and Pistons earlier in his career. The addition of Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant gave Jordan enough to not only win titles, but dominate the playoffs with his team.

Lebron, while has put up gaudy individual stats, he has never had championship run with his team where they clearly dominated the competition (unless this year if the Lakers beats the Heat handedly).

Went down to 3-2 to the Celtics in 2012 ECF
Got Ray Allen to bail him out in 2013 Finals.
Had Draymond suspension and Bogut injury in 2016 finals.

Jordan has multiple title runs where there are no what-ifs at all and he did it with the same team.

 

[Sailor Mars]

Fraud coach, will never forget him blowing that 3-1 series vs the Rockets in 2015. That was far more embarrassing considering they got punked by a player who a year later would play in China, Josh Smith.

And before people mention "he did win a title in 2008 huurr duuurrrr" he had an incredibly stacked team. The first big 3 in the NBA with an amazing Rondo and a bench composed of seasoned veterans. Not to mention his assistant coach was Thibodeau

Definitely the 2008 Celtics won in spite of Doc Rivers. They went 7 games in the 1st round against an 8th seed. Went 7 games in the 2nd rd again. But since they won the title that year and emphatically thumped the Lakers in the title clinching game, Doc Rivers legacy has grown into something it really isn't.

 

[khaled_a_d]

Definitely the 2008 Celtics won in spite of Doc Rivers. They went 7 games in the 1st round against an 8th seed. Went 7 games in the 2nd rd again. But since they won the title that year and emphatically thumped the Lakers in the title clinching game, Doc Rivers legacy has grown into something it really isn't.

I was always surprised why he is highly rated, until the Steve Nash fiasco.
There are only 6 African American coaches who won NBA titles, Russell (Celtics 1968-69), Attles (Warriors, 1975), Jones (Celtics, 1984, 1986), Lenny Wilkens (Seattle SuperSonics, 1979), Doc Rivers (Boston, 2008) and Lue (Cavaliers, 2016).
Doc was the first black coach to win after 22 year draught. He is also a high character guy that is so beloved in the league.
The only other active coach is Tyronn Lue who is a bum that was carried by Lebron more than anything, doesn't seem to be highly rated and wants a big fat 5 years contract which was big no for teams like Lakers for example who wanted him over Vogel.

People like Stephen A Smith or Marc. Spears have been trying to blackmail NBA teams to hire their friends and get more black coaches in the league. Nash was literally one of the greatest basketball minds in history of the game, worked as sort of assistant with GSW, wanted by Kevin Durant. But suddenly hiring him over a bum like Vaughn was white privilege.
If Doc was white, he would have been treated like Spoelstra during his days with Lebron

 

[El Gato]

Of course teams are going to try and build around Lebron, but Lebron has changed teams 3x now where the team he joins has enough assets to build a new super team. That's precisely why he shouldn't even be mentioned in the same breath as Jordan.

Jordan stayed with the same team even though he was getting destroyed by the Celtics and Pistons earlier in his career. The addition of Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant gave Jordan enough to not only win titles, but dominate the playoffs with his team.

Lebron, while has put up gaudy individual stats, he has never had championship run with his team where they clearly dominated the competition (unless this year if the Lakers beats the Heat handedly).

Went down to 3-2 to the Celtics in 2012 ECF
Got Ray Allen to bail him out in 2013 Finals.
Had Draymond suspension and Bogut injury in 2016 finals.

Jordan has multiple title runs where there are no what-ifs at all and he did it with the same team.

I never did mention him in the same breath as Jordan. It's either people who unequivocally want to see LeBron in top2 or someone to topple the 'Jordan GOAT' statement, or people who categorically refuse anyone will ever contend against Jordan, especially LeBron, that do. The point I was making is that people will refuse to acknowledge LeBron as a great player up there with Jordans, Kobes etc precisely because he happens to enter teams with big cap space. Which is nonsense. He's not in control of that and does his part very well.

Who cares if someone bailed him out?
Jordan got bailed out by Kerr in an analogous scenario. Tim Duncan, the greatest PF of all time, got bailed out by a bunch of his teammates and is arguably a top5 basketball player. It's a team game.

 

[El Gato]

Lakers shooting like mad, Miami couldn’t muster much other than first 10 mins of the half. Unless they really overperform, I don’t see them beating this kind of depth long term. But I wouldn’t be surprised if fortunes turn around.

Not missing shots takes you a long way.
Game to forget for Miami.

 

[Richard.H]

plantar tear on Dragic's left foot, he is out for the series unless he wants to play with a limp. Adebayo also 50/50 for game 2 with a shoulder injury. If both of them are out, this is as good as over with Lebron playing <32 mins a game.

 

[Mitchell1978]

If the Heat are this hobbled all ready (Butler also lightly twisted his ankle) they don't stand much of a chance unless they seriously overperform.

 

[CatalinR10]

Was watching first period and Miami was something like 15 point lead , was thinking to myself , damn they'll win this game.


Lakers came back and erased the deficit , winning first period and then being themselves ahead 15 poins in the 2nd period.


Really thought Miami was going to win this game seeing how they started the game


SMH.