I wonder if Lebron promised the big fella a Finals MVP. It seems like they are force feeding him pretty persistently.
I think it’s more LeBron is so focused on winning at this point that he recognizes that the Heat don’t have an actual answer for AD, so he’s more than willing to take a backseat to him.
3DS: 2981-5304-3227
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Raijin QuickfootI'm your Huckleberry YOU'RE NO DAISYRegistered User, ClubPAregular
Lebron wants to win. He doesn’t care about his personal stats.
I don’t know if the Lakers 3 point shooting is that sustainable, but these have all been open looks so far, and if the Heat are forced to play out to the line further it will just open them up to get attacked on the inside.
The Bucks are honestly the only team realistically. They can stick Giannis on AD and have the extra size to stay with the Lakers. Lakers also has a ton of issues with the Grizzlies for similar reasons, so that would have been an interesting series.
But really, this is more the Lakers zagging while the rest of the league zigged. Everyone became enamored with small ball lineups that the Lakers essentially said “what if we were just bigger than everyone else?” I would be fascinated to see this Lakers team against a fully-healthy Golden State, just to see if the Warriors could win that by just out-shooting LA.
Was size really intentional you think? Or is it just that you have Lebron and AD, and AD doesn't want to play center most of the time, so you're just gonna be big whether you like it or not?
Was size really intentional you think? Or is it just that you have Lebron and AD, and AD doesn't want to play center most of the time, so you're just gonna be big whether you like it or not?
Size was a big thing with Pelinka since he became GM, and I think there’s a level of intentionality to it, especially considering how AD doesn’t like to play the 5.
Was size really intentional you think? Or is it just that you have Lebron and AD, and AD doesn't want to play center most of the time, so you're just gonna be big whether you like it or not?
Size was a big thing with Pelinka since he became GM, and I think there’s a level of intentionality to it, especially considering how AD doesn’t like to play the 5.
Well, intentional or not, its sure as hell working.
I actually half-expect the Lakers to lose the next game, just because they get way too complacent everything that happened in this one (Dragic done, Bam hurt, Butler prob not 100%). But I don't think the series will be competitive at this point.
Was size really intentional you think? Or is it just that you have Lebron and AD, and AD doesn't want to play center most of the time, so you're just gonna be big whether you like it or not?
Size was a big thing with Pelinka since he became GM, and I think there’s a level of intentionality to it, especially considering how AD doesn’t like to play the 5.
The key was making Lebron the actual point guard instead of having a short dude out there just because, even though Lebron did that dude’s job
It's always easy to project a sweep from a game 1 blowout, but i feel like game 1s are often least representative of the series (see Laker g1 losses to Blazers and Rockets, blowout of Nugs who ended up playing them reasonably close). Obviously Heat health problems are concerning, but I'm not willing to get out any brooms yet.
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ButtersA glass of some milksRegistered Userregular
If Bam and Dragic are out, this series is super over.
People complaining about Dray's suspension has always bugged me (not that you were necessarily complaining). He wasn't suspended for punching Lebron in the balls. He was suspended because he had been punching or kicking people in the balls all playoffs, and he hit a limit of techs/flagrants. Like, it's not arguable that punching Lebron in the nuts should have earned him a tech. It was only a suspension because he had been doing it all playoffs.
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ButtersA glass of some milksRegistered Userregular
Also, in the process of GS losing games 5-7 Dray was present for 2 of them. He played in 6 games and they lost half of them.
Bogut was legit knocked out of the series and I've argued for years that was an underrated event. It shifted the rebounding advantage decidedly in Cleveland's favor.
If AD wins Finals MVP, do you think that will hurt Lebron's legacy?
In my mind, it doesn't hurt, of course, because that will mean Lebron gets another title while playing at an MVP level. I think for the MJ partisans, it will though. I think that for those people, Jordan's career has defined what greatness is for so long that any other player's greatness is that measured by how "MJ-like" it is. MJ always got Finals MVP, so any subsequent player must as well. It's not enough to dominate your opponent, you also have to dominate your teammates.
Its similar to how people look at Lebron's 3-6 in the Finals as a negative, because Jordan was 6-6, so they think 3-3 is somehow better than 3-6. As though it is better to lose in the first or second round than to lose in the finals (or to not even play basketball during your prime. You can't lose in the finals if you are off playing baseball!). I think for those MJ types, the only way to beat Jordan is to go 7-7, or 8-8, with all Finals MVPs or whatever in the finals. Anything else doesn't fit their definition of what greatness should look like.
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Raijin QuickfootI'm your Huckleberry YOU'RE NO DAISYRegistered User, ClubPAregular
Lebron’s legacy is fine.
The Jordan fans aren’t going to ever admit Lebron is better no matter what he does.
If AD wins Finals MVP, do you think that will hurt Lebron's legacy?
In my mind, it doesn't hurt, of course, because that will mean Lebron gets another title while playing at an MVP level. I think for the MJ partisans, it will though. I think that for those people, Jordan's career has defined what greatness is for so long that any other player's greatness is that measured by how "MJ-like" it is. MJ always got Finals MVP, so any subsequent player must as well. It's not enough to dominate your opponent, you also have to dominate your teammates.
Its similar to how people look at Lebron's 3-6 in the Finals as a negative, because Jordan was 6-6, so they think 3-3 is somehow better than 3-6. As though it is better to lose in the first or second round than to lose in the finals (or to not even play basketball during your prime. You can't lose in the finals if you are off playing baseball!). I think for those MJ types, the only way to beat Jordan is to go 7-7, or 8-8, with all Finals MVPs or whatever in the finals. Anything else doesn't fit their definition of what greatness should look like.
Lebron will have been 2-2 with the Heat, likely 1-0 with the Lakers, and 1-4 with the Cavs. He only had Kyrie for 2 of those Cavs finals.
Lebron will have dragged those sorry Cavs rosters to 5 finals (2 different Cavs teams, too) and gone up against the Warriors dynasty 4 times. He’s been the best player in 7 or 8 of the previous finals and we’ll see what happens this year.
He’s actually probably the most iconic post season player in NBA history.
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I wonder if Lebron promised the big fella a Finals MVP. It seems like they are force feeding him pretty persistently.
I think it’s more LeBron is so focused on winning at this point that he recognizes that the Heat don’t have an actual answer for AD, so he’s more than willing to take a backseat to him.
3DS: 2981-5304-3227
3DS: 2981-5304-3227
Who does though
The Bucks are honestly the only team realistically. They can stick Giannis on AD and have the extra size to stay with the Lakers. Lakers also has a ton of issues with the Grizzlies for similar reasons, so that would have been an interesting series.
But really, this is more the Lakers zagging while the rest of the league zigged. Everyone became enamored with small ball lineups that the Lakers essentially said “what if we were just bigger than everyone else?” I would be fascinated to see this Lakers team against a fully-healthy Golden State, just to see if the Warriors could win that by just out-shooting LA.
3DS: 2981-5304-3227
Size was a big thing with Pelinka since he became GM, and I think there’s a level of intentionality to it, especially considering how AD doesn’t like to play the 5.
3DS: 2981-5304-3227
3DS: 2981-5304-3227
Well, intentional or not, its sure as hell working.
"Washed old man " - me, 2 rounds ago
3DS: 2981-5304-3227
I’m changing my pick
Lakers in 4
3DS: 2981-5304-3227
The key was making Lebron the actual point guard instead of having a short dude out there just because, even though Lebron did that dude’s job
AD and/or Lebron could get hurt
Unfortunately, injuries to star players have been likely-deciding factors in 40% of the last 5 finals
Shit throw in Dray’s suspension in 2016 too
Bogut was legit knocked out of the series and I've argued for years that was an underrated event. It shifted the rebounding advantage decidedly in Cleveland's favor.
In my mind, it doesn't hurt, of course, because that will mean Lebron gets another title while playing at an MVP level. I think for the MJ partisans, it will though. I think that for those people, Jordan's career has defined what greatness is for so long that any other player's greatness is that measured by how "MJ-like" it is. MJ always got Finals MVP, so any subsequent player must as well. It's not enough to dominate your opponent, you also have to dominate your teammates.
Its similar to how people look at Lebron's 3-6 in the Finals as a negative, because Jordan was 6-6, so they think 3-3 is somehow better than 3-6. As though it is better to lose in the first or second round than to lose in the finals (or to not even play basketball during your prime. You can't lose in the finals if you are off playing baseball!). I think for those MJ types, the only way to beat Jordan is to go 7-7, or 8-8, with all Finals MVPs or whatever in the finals. Anything else doesn't fit their definition of what greatness should look like.
The Jordan fans aren’t going to ever admit Lebron is better no matter what he does.
Other teams were interested I believe. The rush was probably on the part of the 76ers
what does this mean
Lebron will have been 2-2 with the Heat, likely 1-0 with the Lakers, and 1-4 with the Cavs. He only had Kyrie for 2 of those Cavs finals.
Lebron will have dragged those sorry Cavs rosters to 5 finals (2 different Cavs teams, too) and gone up against the Warriors dynasty 4 times. He’s been the best player in 7 or 8 of the previous finals and we’ll see what happens this year.
He’s actually probably the most iconic post season player in NBA history.
https://katu.com/news/local/mcminnville-celebrates-damian-lillard-day-after-trail-blazers-star-buys-dealership