The 2019-2020 Around the NBA thread

Ouchie-Z-Clown

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It’s just a different era.

having to fight through Patrick Ewing’s Knicks and Reggie Millers Pacers is just a bit harder than DeMarr Derozan’s Raptors. He’s 4-6 in the Finals.

and in like 3 on those losses he was thought to have the better team going in.

It’s like the Chris Rock joke you don’t get credit for things your supposed to do. If you stack the deck in your favor your expected to win the championship so when you do it people kind of shrug
He’s been in 10 finals. In the modern NBA. Let that sink in...
 

Raindog

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Pippen was a top notch player. But he played the vast majority (and best part) of his career next to Jordan. And Jordan didn't recruit him to play next to him so he could win a championship.

Lebron is the best of this generation, but (realistically) he likely wouldn't have won more than a single title without the benefit of other high profile stars choosing to play with him.
 

Cheesebeef

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In a horrible East

Magic Johnson went to 9 in a deep NBA and only played 13 years

Let that sink in

and in LeBron’s first full year in the West, he steamrolled everyone.
 

Cheesebeef

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Pippen was a top notch player. But he played the vast majority (and best part) of his career next to Jordan. And Jordan didn't recruit him to play next to him so he could win a championship.

Lebron is the best of this generation, but (realistically) he likely wouldn't have won more than a single title without the benefit of other high profile stars choosing to play with him.

Not sure I buy the argument that because LeBron is so good that he’s able to recruit players to come to him... is somehow a negative. That only speaks to how good he is.

and at the end of the day, how does it matter talent wise as far as what’s one the court? Either way, Jordan had one of the 50 best players of all time next to him when he won his titles and so did LeBron. How those players ended up next to each other doesn’t really matter once you start comparing the talent the guys played with. In fact, you’re actually making the argument that Jordan had not only a better coach but played for better organizations because they knew how to draft a superstar to go with Jordan in addition to drafting good role players up and down the block.

look... I still think Michael is the greatest but LeBron is easily number 2 with a bullet and his legacy has you to be completed.
 

Raindog

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Well, my original comment wasn't that Lebron was not a great player. Only that his legacy does not match up to Jordan's, let alone surpass it... which seems to mostly be his beef.

No one has ever argued that Lebron isn't the premier player of this era - only that he is not going to push Jordan out of the top spot. And that is primarily because Lebron has jumped teams and coordinated other superstars to help him win those titles.

Jordan didn't have the same option, and mostly didn't need it. The Bulls did draft and trade well to surround him with complementary talent. But aside from the star support, Lebron has even got talented supporting players to join his teams at below market value to try and win titles next to him. The cupboard has never really been bare around him except for the very early part of his career.
 

Finito

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Not sure I buy the argument that because LeBron is so good that he’s able to recruit players to come to him... is somehow a negative. That only speaks to how good he is.

and at the end of the day, how does it matter talent wise as far as what’s one the court? Either way, Jordan had one of the 50 best players of all time next to him when he won his titles and so did LeBron. How those players ended up next to each other doesn’t really matter once you start comparing the talent the guys played with. In fact, you’re actually making the argument that Jordan had not only a better coach but played for better organizations because they knew how to draft a superstar to go with Jordan in addition to drafting good role players up and down the block.

look... I still think Michael is the greatest but LeBron is easily number 2 with a bullet and his legacy has you to be completed.

no one is saying Lebron isn’t great he’s just not Jordan

Of course it matters. Micheal didn’t leave the Bulls to go “learn how to win” don’t forget he went to Dwayne Wade’s team.

Micheal and Scottie were drafted by the a Bulls and went through the fire and with an almost insane drive and work ethic and got better. Mike wasn’t just like na can’t do it ima leave and go play with other all stars on my boys team.

It changes the way people look at his championships. People look at a championship like you climbed the mountain top you did it, but when you stack the deck it’s like well yeah they won the championship there supposed to.
 

1Sun

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and in LeBron’s first full year in the West, he steamrolled everyone.

Actually, he missed the playoffs in his first full year in the West. It took teaming up with the best big man in the NBA to start the steamroll...
 

Carolinacacti

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The most impressive feat by Lebron this year might’ve been his leadership... Dwight, Rondo, Kuzma, Markieff, Javelle etc... It could’ve gone south like the clippers did.
And Lebron did it in a bubble which probably helped with those knuckleheads.
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

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Well, my original comment wasn't that Lebron was not a great player. Only that his legacy does not match up to Jordan's, let alone surpass it... which seems to mostly be his beef.

No one has ever argued that Lebron isn't the premier player of this era - only that he is not going to push Jordan out of the top spot. And that is primarily because Lebron has jumped teams and coordinated other superstars to help him win those titles.

Jordan didn't have the same option, and mostly didn't need it. The Bulls did draft and trade well to surround him with complementary talent. But aside from the star support, Lebron has even got talented supporting players to join his teams at below market value to try and win titles next to him. The cupboard has never really been bare around him except for the very early part of his career.
And last year. He didn’t have squat on last years team. And Kobe and Shaq had players like Payton and Malone and Horry and Dwight Howard and evening Nash come play with them (more Kobe later years). It’s more a sign of the nba now than anything else. Look at the clippers.
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

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no one is saying Lebron isn’t great he’s just not Jordan

Of course it matters. Micheal didn’t leave the Bulls to go “learn how to win” don’t forget he went to Dwayne Wade’s team.

Micheal and Scottie were drafted by the a Bulls and went through the fire and with an almost insane drive and work ethic and got better. Mike wasn’t just like na can’t do it ima leave and go play with other all stars on my boys team.

It changes the way people look at his championships. People look at a championship like you climbed the mountain top you did it, but when you stack the deck it’s like well yeah they won the championship there supposed to.
In my heart I agree. In my head I realize (a) Jordan didn’t have that option the way players do today; and (b) he didn’t have to because he played for a team that did a great job of getting him the right coach and the right players around him.

none of what we are saying argues against Jordan’s greatness or that he’s #1 in our eyes too. Just trivial to try to denigrate Lebron greatness.
 

Finito

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In my heart I agree. In my head I realize (a) Jordan didn’t have that option the way players do today; and (b) he didn’t have to because he played for a team that did a great job of getting him the right coach and the right players around him.

none of what we are saying argues against Jordan’s greatness or that he’s #1 in our eyes too. Just trivial to try to denigrate Lebron greatness.

Again Phil was a kid to. It was his first head coaching job. These guys all grew into it.

people look at that and admire it more. they look at Lebron and say oh you took the easy way out. Now 20 years from now when we have gotten further away from Jordan nobody will even mention Jordan anymore it will just be of course Lebron is the greatest
 
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Mainstreet

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Again Phil was a kid to. It was his first head coaching job. These guys all grew into it.

people look at that and admire it more. they look at Lebron and say oh you took the easy way out. Now 20 years from now when we have gotten further away from Jordan nobody will even mention Jordan anymore it will just be of course Lebron is the greatest

That's the way it goes. No one is currently talking much about Kareem, Magic, Tim Duncan, Shaq and Wilt Chamberlain any more.

Most younger fans admire the players they know best.
 
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Cheesebeef

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The most impressive feat by Lebron this year might’ve been his leadership... Dwight, Rondo, Kuzma, Markieff, Javelle etc... It could’ve gone south like the clippers did.

VERY easily.
 

elindholm

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Is Lue one of the guys who briefly sucked as coach of the Suns? I can't keep track of them all anymore. There are like a dozen in the past seven or eight years.
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

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Again Phil was a kid to. It was his first head coaching job. These guys all grew into it.

people look at that and admire it more. they look at Lebron and say oh you took the easy way out. Now 20 years from now when we have gotten further away from Jordan nobody will even mention Jordan anymore it will just be of course Lebron is the greatest
It’s a generation thing. If you’re 20 something right now you don’t say Lebron did it the easy way. Frankly everyone arguing against Lebron sounds like the old geezer yelling at the kids to get off his damn lawn. And I’m no fan of Lebron.
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

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Is Lue one of the guys who briefly sucked as coach of the Suns? I can't keep track of them all anymore. There are like a dozen in the past seven or eight years.
No. You’re thinking either Lindsey or watson I think.
 

Finito

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It’s a generation thing. If you’re 20 something right now you don’t say Lebron did it the easy way. Frankly everyone arguing against Lebron sounds like the old geezer yelling at the kids to get off his damn lawn. And I’m no fan of Lebron.

Right this is just the NBA that this generation knows. They don’t know any different to them stars jumping teams is normal and that’s just how you win a championship.

in about another 10 years Jordan will be an after thought.
 

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Is Lue one of the guys who briefly sucked as coach of the Suns? I can't keep track of them all anymore. There are like a dozen in the past seven or eight years.

I think you're thinking of Terry Porter...
 
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Mainstreet

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Stan Van Gundy is meeting with Pelicans today. Ty Lue also has an appointment this week.

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