Damaikis
Fairway Finder
Cavaliers 2.0. Lol.
Official 2012-2013 NBA Season Thread
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Cavaliers 2.0. Lol.
mikedean441
6X HOF
Havent watched at all but based on box score d wade looks to be on fire again
StanTheCaddy
Who wants 2 have some fun
Nice all around 2nd half from the Heat. Take a 3-2 lead in the series. Pacers tried to make a run at the start of the 4th but Spo put LeBron back in and Indiana never got any closer.
Game 3 Haslem showed up and that was the difference. Great to see a local guy (Miami H.S.) step up after struggling all season.
Otis32
Active member
Game kind highlights the differences between these two teams pretty well.
The Heat can win if Lebron shows up and a couple of guys can step-up and play off of the mayhem he creates for a defense. Scary part is Lebron is so good right now it doesn't even have to be Wade or Bosh that shows up.
Pacers need all five guys (looking at you Hill & Stephenson) contributing at a high level in some way. They wasted a pretty good road performence from Paul George by not coming ready to play. They also failed to capitolize (to many missed bunnies) on some very good post offense in the first half that might have given them enough cushion to weather the 3rd quarter storm.
The Heat can win if Lebron shows up and a couple of guys can step-up and play off of the mayhem he creates for a defense. Scary part is Lebron is so good right now it doesn't even have to be Wade or Bosh that shows up.
Pacers need all five guys (looking at you Hill & Stephenson) contributing at a high level in some way. They wasted a pretty good road performence from Paul George by not coming ready to play. They also failed to capitolize (to many missed bunnies) on some very good post offense in the first half that might have given them enough cushion to weather the 3rd quarter storm.
mikedean441
6X HOF
GO Pacers
or
Go Spurs
Dwade sucks
or
Go Spurs
Dwade sucks
Sanzabar
Oh So Colt!
I swear, Lebron is a once in a lifetime player. I understand that you may hate him for different reasons (the decision, leaving Cleveland, flopping, etc.) but I think we all need to sit back and realize what a privelage it is to watch a guy like him play basketball. His basketball IQ is unlike anything I have ever witnessed. The way he see's the floor is just unfair. His size, strength, agility, quickness, etc. is just one of a kind. He seems to be getting that killer instinct.
I absolutely love watching players excel in a game (Peyton, Tiger, Federer, Kobe, etc..) as to where they are that much better than everyone else, so I can honestly say... as a Lebron James fanatic, thank god for blessing my lifetime with Lebron James the basketball player.
If the Heat stay halfway healthy and together, they have a chance to win the next few championships.
I absolutely love watching players excel in a game (Peyton, Tiger, Federer, Kobe, etc..) as to where they are that much better than everyone else, so I can honestly say... as a Lebron James fanatic, thank god for blessing my lifetime with Lebron James the basketball player.
If the Heat stay halfway healthy and together, they have a chance to win the next few championships.
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- #1,858
No question he is a great player. But I am willing to bet a good amount that you are under the age of 30. Am I right? I mean no disrespect from the question at all, genuinely.
Calling someone a once in a lifetime player does a disservice to quite a bit of guys that were unstoppable just a few decades ago under different (some would say harder) rules for offensive players.
EDIT: I want to add that the reason the age thing came to me (and maybe I am wrong) is that we (meaning all of us) always assume and believe that what we are watching is the greatest ever. History in todays day and age is a forgotten thing as it pertains to sports (among other things) is completely forgotten.
From what I saw, he played absolutely horrible last night. Don't know if it is injuries or what, but he looked slow, old, and ineffective.
Sanzabar
Oh So Colt!
I am 28 to be exact. I wasnt fortunate enough to see Russell, Wilt, Magic in his prime, Bird, etc... etc... play.
He is not the great basketball player I have ever witnessed, but the point I was getting at, lets not just hate the guy... lets appreciate what he does for the game of basketball.
- Admin
- #1,862
Im probably right there with you. In fact I think I can safely say that I enjoy watching a lot of his play more than any other for the last decade. But the constant overstatement of current sports in relation to the past is so over the top in todays day and age. I mean how often do we hear about the greatest hitters ever in baseball, and how little Ted Williams is even mentioned. Yet he played in an era with a larger strike zone, and missed years for the war.
In the NBA (I know we have students of the game here), people are quick to forget about what defense was like a few decades ago. Hand checking made isolation ten times harder. Team D was so much better at the elite level. In todays league, because of the constant whistle and star power, a team like the Pistons would be completely ejected for the way they played. Then add the flopping, the palming of the ball, and the complete abuse of traveling and of course stars are going to look outrageous compared to the rest of the league.
I love basketball, but once in a lifetime? Not a chance. The best player in the league? No question about it.
There is no evidence to suggest that Lebron wouldn't have been just as dominant under other rules. He can only be dominant under the current generation and he is doing just that. Its the equivalent to the question "Tiger couldn't be as good if he used the equipment of yesteryear".
Couldn't we make the opposite statement too? The guys from the "rough era" wouldn't be that good in todays game because they'd be on the bench in foul trouble within 5 mins. You can only play the game in front of you.
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- #1,864
Just as there is no evidence to say that any of the previous wouldnt be just as dominant or more so now. I NEVER said that he was not as good, what I said was that calling him once in a life time does a disservice to those that did it under what many consider harder rules against offensive players.
I don't think that many would argue that he is the best player currently on planet Earth. Most analysts, who know a lot more than you or me, are on one side of the fence or the other with whether he's as good or better than the best of all-time, MJ. Even Scottie said LBJ would beat MJ. Would he? I don't know but the comparison is good enough to safely say he is a once in a generation player. I'm not sure you bringing up the different rules for different generations is really fair.
Also, the new rules, flopping, and star entitlement didn't pop up overnight. It was slowly built year after year so yes the others that came before him did lay the foundation. This is just where we're currently at.
- Admin
- #1,866
Again, I never said star entitlement was overnight or flopping (although flopping is far worse now). The hand check rule changed the way the game is played.
If you want to believe he is the best ever, have at it. And FWIW, the Scottie Pippin thing is pretty funny based on a whole lot of factors.
As I said current generations always believe what they are witnessing is the best ever. Nothing will ever change that. Not once did I say that James was NOT the best ever. Just that calling any player a once in a life time player (knowing all too well that the person saying it did not witness the past) does a disservice to those prior.
And furthermore, the same could be said about Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan said Bill Russell was the greatest to ever play. So did Shaq. Larry Bird said it was Magic. Magic said it was MJ.
If you want to believe he is the best ever, have at it. And FWIW, the Scottie Pippin thing is pretty funny based on a whole lot of factors.
As I said current generations always believe what they are witnessing is the best ever. Nothing will ever change that. Not once did I say that James was NOT the best ever. Just that calling any player a once in a life time player (knowing all too well that the person saying it did not witness the past) does a disservice to those prior.
And furthermore, the same could be said about Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan said Bill Russell was the greatest to ever play. So did Shaq. Larry Bird said it was Magic. Magic said it was MJ.
Sanzabar
Oh So Colt!
I have a question...
What is worse, flopping or superstars getting BS calls?
What is worse, flopping or superstars getting BS calls?
Sanzabar
Oh So Colt!
With that said, if a person has been able to witness who he has witnessed, then its simple to say he is a once in a lifetime player from that person's point of view. It is not doing any disservice to anyone that I personally did not witness.
My grandfather witnessed Bill Russell and Wilt play and will you that you are midly basketball retarded if you think Michael Jordan was better than them two. Its all an opinion and who you saw at the time you followed a sport.
Sanzabar
Oh So Colt!
All in all, the greatest at any sport can be argued in a million different ways. There is no right answer and there is no wrong answer.
But it is pretty dang cool to say that my generation has got to witness one of the all time greats in LBJ.
But it is pretty dang cool to say that my generation has got to witness one of the all time greats in LBJ.
I think whoever said he's one in a lifetime maybe should've said one in a generation because its true. Defining generation as decade or whatever is appropriate, you get the point
Lebron (current)---Kobe (late 90's to mid 2000's)---Jordan (late 80's to mid 90's)---etc...
Federer---Sampras---etc..
Tiger---Jack---etc..
Lebron (current)---Kobe (late 90's to mid 2000's)---Jordan (late 80's to mid 90's)---etc...
Federer---Sampras---etc..
Tiger---Jack---etc..
Sanzabar
Oh So Colt!
I said he was once in a lifetime player, and you probably are correct. Once in a generation is more on par.
I think flopping is worse because ANYONE can do it and get away with it whereas superstars kind of earned their right of passage. Getting calls is superstars being rewarded BY REFS for being great. Flopping is intentional deceit.
- Admin
- #1,873
Without a doubt. He is amazing to watch play and is doing some great things right now. I did not get to see much of Bill Russell, but it can be argued that no man did more during a generation and to the game than him.
11 titles in 13 years (and would have won the 12th)
Created big man defense.
Ran the floor like few centers have ever done.
All while also being the coach on the floor (and on the bench later on).
The blocked shot was nothing until he was there (and most say rebounding wasn't either)
For that generation, he was without question the best. Each one has something special.
Damaikis
Fairway Finder
You weren't necessarily wrong. He's once in a lifetime from my perspective. He's the best I've ever seen play in my lifetime (so far). Though Shaq is up there too. I love watching Shaq play.
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