If the Heat repeat, will this be a team for the ages? One of the best teams of all time?

2seaoat, go look at the last pass in that vid. That may be the greatest pass we have ever seen in this professional basketball league. If it isn't, show me one that even approaches rivaling that.


Hmmmm again....you keep making my arguments.....crunch time two years in a row in Cleveland.....score needed.....great pass.....lost game.....yep....no doubt looking at the video.....he can make some sweet passes......can he win championships..........we will see if he can even get through this weak field.....but the very thing you think is so grand.....was exactly his greatest weakness for at least two years at cleveland, and a legitimate criticisms of his first year with Miami.......could not close the deal.....a pretty pass took the pressure off, but never got the job done.

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400278729

2seaoat wrote:Jordan left the Bulls, they were still a viable team. LeBron left the Cavs, well...

I think you did it again.....prove my point......did you not just argue that James elevated everyone to a higher level........could it be that you have just answered your own question........Mr. Jordan did not have to cherry pick stars......he made players far better than they were.....the move to Miami was an admission of failure in my opinion.....the easy way out......and easy way out do not always result in what is expected.......we will see over the next two seasons if we can actually have a proper conversation on this comparison.....right now it is like comparing Hillary to Palin, and focusing on a sound bite or a speech.....not a career.

Agreed.

I'm saying that this current assembled Heat team is one for the ages

They are playing great basketball, but then I started thinking about this statement.......they have been together for three years. They do have one title which is always exceptional, and they have put together an amazing streak which will be a record which should stand for years, unless the other streaking team Denver catches up......not enough games, and it does tend to prove how watered down the league is now.........but when I looked at the first two years that these folks have played together.....well a bulls team who could not even come close to prior bull teams actually had more victories than the Heat over the first two year this team for the ages was assembled.......do not get me wrong.....this streak is amazing, and they are playing great ball, but this is really the first year they have played at this level, when some teams have gone 6 or 7 years at this level. Again, I think this comparison is premature.

James did a heroic job tonight in trying to extend the streak, but the truth is that Miami is weak on the bench. I am not really impressed with Bosh at all, and when Heinrich can snatch a ball from him at a critical point in the game, it becomes obvious that it is the James and Wade show.....you do not win multiple championships with the lack of depth they showed tonight. It was an amazing streak, but quite simply the Bulls bench is deep, and they played without Rose and Noah, and beat them from start to finish with tough defense. They also got into their heads as Miami, and James made some uncharacteristic mental errors.

I do not know if the bulls can stay healthy, but if they field their team, they were clearly better the first two years of this assembled cast, and healthy they will certainly give Miami a run for the money. Gibson is going to be a star in the NBA in a few years and the Bulls youthful bench knows how to rebound and play defense.....they certainly are not even close to prior bull teams....not even able to come near anyone of the championship games, but they beat Miami this year in games and did so without Rose and tonight Noah on top of Rose. Yes, James was stunning, but therein lies the problem.

This is what the experts are saying about the team for the ages.....
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/LeBron-James-Miami-Heat-still-hot-but-far-from-invincible-032713

I think this streak was amazing, and it certainly puts this team in the top 20 teams ever.....maybe 20th or 19th. Five years from now they may be able to work their way down to a top ten, but they will need four or five championships.

boards of FL wrote:

2seaoat wrote:Boston has won 36 games and they take the Heat to overtime......dominance....but I have to agree this winning streak is impressive and that they are playing well.......but my goodness this just screams Jeremy Linn hysteria.

Next up, "longest winning streak in NBA history". Plus another championship.

While I wait here, how do you all like your crow prepared? Grilled? Smoked? Deep fried? Oven roasted?

Looks as if they had to settle for 2nd longest winning streak in NBA history. Since it seems to be the Bulls and the Heat that are being discussed the most here, it is ironic that the streak comes to an end at the hands of the Bulls.

Can someone more experienced with basketball rules help me out here? When the game was getting down to the final seconds, the kid from the Bulls made a driving layup. Before the ball went through the net, James grabbed and held onto the rim. Would this goal not have counted even if it had not went through the goal? I though hanging on to the goal was illegal.

Would this goal not have counted even if it had not went through the goal?

yes, it was goal tending.

http://www.nba.com/analysis/rules_11.html

The Bulls have for three years been able to get into his head, and down the stretch he made uncharacteristic mistakes, and that hanging on the rim, and the near tackle going through Boozer's screen were out of frustration as the Bulls played tough and aggressive defense. The young kids on the Bulls bench made Wade and James look elderly.....not taking anything away from two of the best players in the NBA today, but the energy level of these younger people is quite extraordinary.

With Hienrich they win 2/3s if their games, so the Bulls are a point guard driven offense built around Rose, and this year has been very difficult because as good as Robinson has been, he does not bring Deng and Boozer up to another level like Kurt does. When Rose is healthy, and if the Bulls do not lose a couple of these young kids to free agency....they will be the dominate team in basketball over the next five years. Two out of the last three years they have had the most victories in the NBA.

2seaoat wrote:you do not win multiple championships with the lack of depth they showed tonight.

Let's slow down for a second here. No need to over react to last night's game. The Heat just posted the second longest winning streak in NBA history. The sky isn't falling. They are still the best in the NBA and they will still win the championship this year and perhaps the next and on and on.

They are still the best in the NBA

Agreed.......with the caveat that Rose is not going to return this year, or if he returns he will play at a diminished level. If Rose comes back strong with the point guard oriented offense of the Bulls which have suffered almost a 4 point a game lower offensive output this year, and if Hienrich gets healthy.....I do not believe Miami is the better of the two teams. They certainly do not play as good of defense which the stats clearly agree with my conclusion. I also, think you discount San Antonio.

Tonight the game between the Heat and the Spurs will be a preview of the likely playoff finals.

There you go.

There you go.


Impressive because my major criticism of the Heat is that they only have two players......those two players sat out the game, and still won. I think after the Bulls game they realize they have to give minutes to the bench, or they are not going to be ready for the playoffs......The Spurs were at full strength......