NBA Basketball

I simply agree with the coach of Memphis. It is obvious to the fans. It is obvious to the players and managers. If being a crybaby was a problem, there would be no fines involved. When people eschew the very integrity of the league, it becomes a problem. I am sorry. I am beginning to have a strong conviction that there may be gambling influence in the NBA. The fouls were obvious in the Memphis game and in this game. The NBA has a huge consistency and integrity problem. James fouled out in the third quarter. He pushed a player to the ground with his forearm which he has gotten away with more now that he has lost a step, and there is no call. The Korver call was a classic. I watched every second of the game, and the Cavs were beat until the refs allowed the rules to be skirted.

We keep being told about how many games Joey Crawford has been a ref at playoff time. The ability to get to ten officials through league control to maximize NBA profits is incentive, but if some of the top league folks are sharing information with a multi billion dollar gambling empire, one would have to be absolutely naive not to see a growing problem. I signed up for the NBA package, and cancelled after they were trying to cheat people for the almighty buck. Sorry, I am not a fan of Silver. I think it would be fair to say the entire game is at risk if people start making utubes on the inconsistent calls which always go to a select few which feeds the NBA agenda.

The Pacers are terrible. They were humiliating a team that the NBA banks on......then the whistles stopped being blown, and the game changed. Nobody is talking about James making some great shots, we are talking about somebody who had fouled out.

2seaoat wrote:This guy is not in the same zip code with some of the young players now playing who will pass him on the list, but the NBA had record numbers and they are not about to harm the money machine.  

Can you name one of these young players you're talking about?

Here's what happened. And we've seen it happen again and again so I don't know why 2seaoat doesn't know the script yet. It's early on in the playoffs. LeBron is trying to get the rest of the team fired up and locked in. He let that happen for roughly 2 1/2 quarters. Once he realized it just wasn't going to work, LeBron flips a switch, takes over the game, and starts raining threes, dunks, and assists all over the place. Watch him smiling at the crowd after he hits that third consecutive three. It's like "What did you think was going to happen?"

Also, I just checked the full play-by-play. Korver wasn't called for a foul in the third like 2seaoat's narrative would have us believe.

LeBron was called for two in third though.

Sometimes I feel like LeBron in these threads.

Please. As the folks on ESPN said this morning, we are talking about the Pacers. The Pacers were one of the greatest ABA teams and some think the greatest, yet during the first half of that game they made James look like a fool. Over and over again. The Pacers. As to flipping a switch.....you mean like James standing flat footed as George went right by him and dunked the ball.....and then James did flip the switch trying once again to blame somebody or cry about it.

In regard to current players who will pass James in their career. Durant, Curry, Westbrook, Hardin, the Greek freak, Anthony Davis, and more talented young players who are just finding their way. Nobody has gotten away with his offensive fouls other than the mailman, who is second in scoring in the NBA, so folks can throw up numbers when you can commit an offensive foul and you get no whistle. He has been the filler for incredible weak play in the east for a decade where he ran up his stats and the NBA needed him to fill the empty talent division. That is changing. The younger players coming into the league are long and fast. The Mailman and James are special, but both will simply slide down the list. I love football, but knocking someone over with your forearm is an offensive foul.....unless you are all that is left to keep a zero talent division alive with some kind of fan interest. James is a great player, but anybody who watched the pacer game knows the truth.

I said he should have fouled out in the third. Where did I say the Korver foul happened in the third. It happened in the fourth, which was the point I was trying to make.....he should have fouled out in the third when he was getting offensive foul after offensive foul. He was hammering George on his shots after George was beating him to the basket all game, and no calls. When was the last time James fouled out?

2seaoat wrote:In regard to current players who will pass James in their career.  Durant, Curry, Westbrook, Hardin, the Greek freak, Anthony Davis, and more talented young players who are just finding their way.

Hahahahah.  Only two of these guys were one and dones, and neither of those is yet the player that LeBron is.  The rest played several years in college and still struggled during their first few years in the NBA.  Harden played two years in college and didn't even start in the NBA until year four.   Meanwhile, LeBron was dominate immediately, right out of high school.  Hell, LeBron took a team of aging scrubs to an NBA Final in his fourth year in the NBA.  And you're comparing that to a guy like Harden, who was just earning his first starting role after playing two years in college?

Hahahahahaha.  Nothing better than a hard roaring laugh on a Friday.  My co-workers had to come down and ask me what was so funny.

He who laughs last usually laughs the best. More to come.....so that switch is on.....right?

Rondo's broken thumb is going to keep the Bulls in full dysfunction.

2seaoat wrote:Rondo's broken thumb is going to keep the Bulls in full dysfunction.

I hate that.

Westbrook pulled it out! Harden had 44 and missed the last one.

The Bulls gave away Gibson......with each game, OK becomes better by incorporating Gibson. He knows how to play thibs Defense.

2seaoat wrote:The Bulls gave away Gibson......with each game, OK becomes better by incorporating Gibson.  He knows how to play thibs Defense.

Warriors tonight.

Leaving in a few minutes for a ball tournament. Really staying busy with the little ones.

I will be traveling and not watching much of the games or posting.

2seaoat wrote:I will be traveling and not watching much of the games or posting.

Take care Seaoat.

Leave for Florida around 3 am and need to do some driveway work with the bobcat and then load it and bring it home Thursday morning. Not sure I am going to be back down for a month or so because my wife works in the summer in one of our business interests, and getting time off for her to come down is becoming more difficult since I really cannot drive the trip like I used to. I was hoping to watch the Bulls game at a sports bar on the way down as the game starts at 5pm, but we will be south of Birmingham and I doubt on a Sunday I am going to have much luck.

Leonard is spectacular. A real star who can play both defense and offense. Team player, and in my opinion a MVP year based on his defense.

2seaoat wrote:Leonard is spectacular.  A real star who can play both defense and offense.  Team player, and in my opinion a MVP year based on his defense.

Only saw the 4th quarter and OT. Wish they had won.

Kawhi Leonard has turned out to be a great player.  After playing two years of college and spending four years learning the NBA, he has now emerged as an elite player.  LeBron was that to a greater degree at 19 straight out of high school of course, but not everyone can be the GOAT.

Oh, and it looks like the Cavs are going to get a week of rest.

Sorry, James is the mailman in NBA basketball....too many times the bridesmaid. That would be an honor for most, but most are not silly enough to mention GOAT, and the very fact that some think longevity and stats are the measure. In baseball James is Jim Thome. An exceptional baseball player with unbelievable stats, who never really could win, and only a fool would call him a goat. Yep James = Thome.

Right now Leonard is clearly better than James. Just like Duncan and Kobe for most of James's early career were better, as were so many often five deep better than James, but like Thome........he keeps padding his stats......keeps grinding like the mailman, but Russell, Jordan, Magic, Bird, Kobe, oscar, Hakeem, shaq, Kareem,......I think with his excellent performance in last years championship he finally broke into the top 10 on the list, but Duncan, and the Mailman in my mind are still above him. Take away the offensive fouls which the league has redefined in his regard, and I would take the mailman over him, but being like James the Mailman could not win rings......James gets the advantage.

I have watched James live. I watched Jordan live. There is no comparison. It is laughable.

Jordan couldn't beat the Celtics until they were old. He couldn't beat the Lakers until they were old. He couldn't even reach the 2nd round of the playoffs until he had a hall of fame coach and wing man. The rest of his rings were against scrubs who themselves never won a championship (Portland, Phoenix, Seattle, Utah).

You're right. They're not even close. Even Scottie Pippen agrees, and Pippen not only saw Jordan live, but he had a front row seat.

Jordan could have gotten 8 straight championships, but chose to play baseball. James has been playing since graduating from high school and he has three rings in the weakest East in NBA history, where two of the rings were riding the back of Wade who was still in his prime. James is fourth or fifth in the MVP discussion this year. Not out of boredom of Jordan winning every year, but because like Kobe and Duncan early in his career, there simply are much better players than James right now. As I said five years ago, he has always had a path to GOAT, but if he does not get a ring this year, the discussion is over. Folks will move off James as GOAT faster than they did Kobe as goat, and the James farewell tour begins next year and will meander around five years as Thome gets his stats. James is the mailman, with worse defense, and points which depend on a forearm and offensive charge. Just the facts.

2seaoat wrote:Right now Leonard is clearly better than James.  Just like Duncan and Kobe for most of James's early career were better, as were so many often five deep better than James, but like Thome........he keeps padding his stats......keeps grinding like the mailman, but Russell, Jordan, Magic, Bird, Kobe, oscar, Hakeem, shaq, Kareem,......I think with his excellent performance in last years championship he finally broke into the top 10 on the list, but Duncan, and the Mailman in my mind are still above him.  Take away the offensive fouls which the league has redefined in his regard, and I would take the mailman over him, but being like James the Mailman could not win rings......James gets the advantage.

I have watched James live.  I watched Jordan live.   There is no comparison.  It is laughable.

Wilt, Moses... etc. LeBron has scratched the top ten... imo.