NBA thread

You do understand that for the first five years of Lebron's career that Kobe by any objective standard was better, and that arguably Duncan during the next four years was better, and that Lebron has had maybe five years in his career where he truly was the best in the NBA......it is kind of hard to blast through the glass ceiling when you cannot even do it with the team of the ages in your own era......or with Lebron driving the VW at the circus this year as all those clowns who cannot play pour out onto the basketball court......or so you say.  Nope, I will hand it to you on one issue.......If Lebron wins this year.....he definitely has made the top six players in NBA history.......if he does not, but picks up a title in the next five years he will definitely be top 10 closer to the seventh position.  So like I said last year.....he has a tough road.

2seaoat wrote:You do understand that for the first five years of Lebron's career that Kobe by any objective standard was better, and that arguably Duncan during the next four years was better, and that Lebron has had maybe five years in his career where he truly was the best in the NBA......

2seaoat, please, just start repeating "Jordan was clutch!" or "Jordan was killer!"

You're not doing yourself any favors here.

James is not in the same zip code as the top five.....Jordan, Russell, Magic, Kobe, Kareem, and Bird is comfortable in 6th while  Duncan, Shaq, Wilt, and Hakeem are turning around and paying attention to James........If he wins this year he goes to 7th behind bird, and if he makes no more rings, but piles the stats up like Kobe has done, he will pass Bird.  If he wins a total of four championships he still will not crack the top five......sorry, but wait five years before pronouncing the team of the ages, or silly declarations of the best ever....you are not doing yourself any favors.

I can't believe I am going to say that Lebron is and has to be mentioned in top 5 because of the cast he is playing with in the finals now. He has exactly NOBODY on his team right now and GS with curry has become the New York knicks errrrrrrr Bricks of the 90s.

Reality has finally been restored.  Golden State has not lost three in a row all season.

2seaoat wrote:Reality has finally been restored.  Golden State has not lost three in a row all season.

They are playing like they should. Del 4 syllables can't get his shots to fall.

The Cavs are simply worn out......the Warriors are clearly the superior team, but you have to give the Cavs an A+ for effort.  This series on paper should have been over in four, but some folks have given beyond their talent.

Fatigue has finally set in.  Many of these players on the Cavs roster simply aren't used to playing any more than 8-10 minutes and now are being asked to play 30+.  Dellavedova was a liability as early as the 2nd quarter and was repeatedly asking to come out.  The Cavs simply need more players out there to share minutes.  1 GOAT and 6 bench players simply isn't enough.

I will say this.  It is fairly clear that we'd either be looking at a 4-0 sweep or at least 4-1 Cavs ring if Love, Irving, and Varejao were available.  This would likely have been one of the more lopsided finals in recent memory.  If the bench players are able to hang 2-2 in this series, the real starting lineup would have ran this Warriors team out of the series fairly quickly.

Assuming no disastrous injuries next year for the Cavs, LeBron will return to winning perennial rings next year.  We won't see another team in the finals from the East for a very long time.

And lastly, win or lose, LeBron James should be the finals MVP.  I realize that the regular season MVP is turn based and is subject to voter fatigue.  Fair enough.  The finals MVP should at least be based in reality, and there is no question who the finals MVP is here.

I love it........Curry won because of voter fatigue!!!!!!!

Top Candidates

[th]Rk[/th][th]Player[/th][th]Tm[/th][th]W[/th][th]L[/th][th]W/L%[/th][th]G[/th][th]GS[/th][th]MP[/th][th]FG[/th][th]FGA[/th][th]FG%[/th][th]3P[/th][th]3PA[/th][th]3P%[/th][th]2P[/th][th]2PA[/th][th]2P%[/th][th]eFG%[/th][th]FT[/th][th]FTA[/th][th]FT%[/th][th]ORB[/th][th]DRB[/th][th]TRB[/th][th]AST[/th][th]STL[/th][th]BLK[/th][th]TOV[/th][th]PF[/th][th]PTS[/th][th][/th][th]Prob%[/th]

1	Stephen Curry (1)	GSW	67	15	.817	80	80	32.7	8.2	16.8	.487	3.6	8.1	.443	4.6	8.7	.528	.594	3.9	4.2	.914	0.7	3.6	4.3	7.7	2.0	0.2	3.1	2.0	23.8		36.6%
2	James Harden (2)	HOU	56	26	.683	81	81	36.8	8.0	18.1	.440	2.6	6.9	.375	5.4	11.3	.480	.511	8.8	10.2	.868	0.9	4.7	5.7	7.0	1.9	0.7	4.0	2.6	27.4		24.3%
3	Chris Paul (6)	LAC	56	26	.683	82	82	34.8	6.9	14.3	.485	1.7	4.3	.398	5.2	10.0	.523	.545	3.5	3.9	.900	0.6	4.0	4.6	10.2	1.9	0.2	2.3	2.5	19.1		16.1%
4	Russell Westbrook (4)	OKC	45	37	.549	67	67	34.4	9.4	22.0	.426	1.3	4.3	.299	8.1	17.7	.457	.455	8.1	9.8	.835	1.9	5.4	7.3	8.6	2.1	0.2	4.4	2.7	28.1		5.9%
5	Anthony Davis (5)	NOP	45	37	.549	68	68	36.1	9.4	17.6	.535	0.0	0.2	.083	9.4	17.5	.540	.536	5.5	6.8	.805	2.5	7.7	10.2	2.2	1.5	2.9	1.4	2.1	24.4		5.4%
6	LeBron James (3)	CLE	53	29	.646	69	69	36.1	9.0	18.5	.488	1.7	4.9	.354	7.3	13.6	.536	.535	5.4	7.7	.710	0.7	5.3	6.0	7.4	1.6	0.7	3.9	2.0	25.3		4.7%
7	Blake Griffin (9)	LAC	56	26	.683	67	67	35.2	8.6	17.1	.502	0.1	0.4	.400	8.4	16.7	.504	.506	4.6	6.4	.728	1.9	5.7	7.6	5.3	0.9	0.5	2.3	2.9	21.9		2.4%
8	Jimmy Butler	CHI	50	32	.610	65	65	38.7	6.5	14.0	.462	1.1	3.0	.378	5.4	11.1	.484	.502	5.9	7.1	.834	1.8	4.1	5.8	3.3	1.8	0.6	1.4	1.7	20.0		1.5%
9	Klay Thompson (12)	GSW	67	15	.817	77	77	31.9	7.8	16.9	.463	3.1	7.1	.439	4.7	9.8	.481	.555	2.9	3.3	.879	0.4	2.9	3.2	2.9	1.1	0.8	1.9	1.6	21.7		1.2%
10	Pau Gasol	CHI	50	32	.610	78	78	34.4	7.3	14.8	.494	0.2	0.3	.462	7.2	14.4	.495	.500	3.8	4.7	.803	2.8	9.0	11.8	2.7	0.3	1.9	2.0	1.9	18.5		1.1%

Mr. James left the team of the ages only to be fifth on the MVP voting.....those are some tired voters, or maybe with only a couple rings what I have been saying for the last five years is true. He is a very good player who will be top 10 on all time greats when he retires, but he just had an excuse every year but two.......but there is always next year......Lebron and Cub fans share that thing about next year.

If I had five players today I would want on my team, it would start with Curry, then Anthony Davis, then Hardin, then James, then westbrook. It is not that I am a James hater, but he steps all over the people he plays with, and he may have found a formula.....play with people who are used to being stepped on.....

I don't think Curry will be durable enough to be my first pick.

I don't think Curry will be durable enough to be my first pick.

I have to agree that he looks frail compared to the freakish big and strong, but time will only tell how he holds up.   The thing which is always true about shooters......they can have cold nights.  He had two in a row which otherwise the series would be over.

PkrBum wrote:I don't think Curry will be durable enough to be my first pick.

Welcome back pkr . . . .

knothead wrote:

PkrBum wrote:I don't think Curry will be durable enough to be my first pick.

Welcome back pkr . . . .

Thanks..!!

2seaoat wrote:If I had five players today I would want on my team, it would start with Curry, then Anthony Davis, then Hardin, then James, then westbrook.  It is not that I am a James hater, but he steps all over the people he plays with, and he may have found a formula.....play with people who are used to being stepped on.....

I do not nor have I ever hated James. I think he is a awesome player but it's a team sport.

He and Dell 4 syllables wore themselves out. I don't know who was in charge of playing times, James, the coach, Dell-4 (for himself) general manager, or the owner. Whoever made the decision did not consider the player, their assest.

I'd feel a lot more confidant if seagoat wasn't predicting the warriors to win.

The analytics of NBA basketball have clearly shown that the three point shooting is required to win in the NBA.  You need two high percentage three shooters and it changes the spacing on the floor and creates winners.  Every team in the NBA will be in transition getting that second three shooter, and the Cavs simply did not have it with everybody healthy, and they sure do not have it now as Smith is a hot and cold shooter and is now running two and a half games cold.  There has never been a better shooter in NBA history than Curry.....never......now throw in Thompson and you have the best team in the NBA lead by the best Player in the NBA currently......Curry......this is not rocket science.  James has a history of not getting it done at crunch time, and there always is an excuse......however, totally healthy the cavs were not going to beat the best team in the NBA.

PkrBum wrote:I'd feel a lot more confidant if seagoat wasn't predicting the warriors to win.

I am pulling for the Cavs . . . . Lebron has an uphill battle facing him by playing absent two their best players but, nevertheless, I hope the best NBA player is up to the challenge . . . . he did look tired last outing but I will enjoy the next game and savor it because my sport is almost spent till next season.
Go Cavs!!!

I hope the best NBA player is up to the challenge


The best player in the NBA had two uncharacteristic cold shooting games and the series should already be over, but Curry will glide through the remainder of the championship series and easily meet the challenge.   It hurts when the youngsters beat the old farts and I get the emotion of thinking James is still on top of the hill even if it was only for two years........but winners occupy the top of the hill.....plain and simple.....winners.....and only winners....not could of...should of excuses, and after hearing those excuses for twelve years, I can guarantee you that Curry will need no excuses over the next ten years of his career.  Unless some rule change impacts three point shooting and the changing NBA analytics....we are Watching the MVP for the next five or six years....nobody has ever came before him who can do what he does.  James is just the Mailman....a great player with only two top of the hill years in 12.

The best player in the NBA had two uncharacteristic cold shooting games

I understand your devotion to Curry and he is the certainly the best shooter on the planet but falls short on the other metrics . . . . . Lebron will remain known as the best player on the planet regardless of the outcome!
Go Cavs!!

Curry isn't even a solid defensive player... he's great at doubling a player forcing turnovers.

But he's gets blown by way too much... he lacks toughness... even driving to the hoop.

If I could take only one player from that team right now to build a team... it'd be green.

Lebron will remain known as the best player on the planet regardless of the outcome!
Go Cavs!!


Lebron was not even the most valuable player this year and it takes rings and stats to get that crown......he is not even top six right now, so if he wins this year he will move ahead of Bird, but he still will be sixth.  Anybody who thinks James is going to win this series has to count on Curry being cold in four of the seven games if it even goes that long, and that is basketball insanity....getting caught up in the hype is one things......rings and winning is another.

Basketball is a team sport, and when you have one player that coaches himself and cannot get the rings repeatedly and negatively impacting team development you have the old Abe Lincoln quote that a lawyer who defends himself has a fool for a client.  It is like Bulls fans saying how amazing the team effort was when Rose went down with the rag tag collection, but in the end the excuses get old and the atta boys for stats and good effort simply do not replace winning. 

Curry will win......I have been smiling because like cheese on a trap....the mice have been sticking their head in the trap yapping about how they got that cheese.

Where the hell did the term......"best player on the planet" come from. I suppose media hype and everyone latched on.


Played pool basketball with all my grandkids today.....everytime one of us hit a long shot the kids would yell "Curry hits another one".


Curry is a great shooter and he led his team to a winning season. Did he do it alone? No, he and his team and the best rookie coach did it.