Eastern Conference Finals (Playoff): Chicago Bulls(1) Vs Miami Heats(2)

Respectfully disagree. Dallas was a 60-win team who swept the Grizz and beat a very good Suns team in 6 games. The Spurs series went 7, but the Spurs had the best record in the league at the time- I think 62 or 63 wins. Dirk had a 50-point game, Howard was solid, Terry was actually better back then (his one record-setting game these playoffs notwithstanding, he was still overall better in 2006- go look up the numbers). They were clearly the favorites going into the Finals, with home-court advantage, a 2-0 lead, and a 9-point lead with a few minutes left in game 3.

Now, no home court. Dirk is playing about the same, maybe somewhat better, but he was great in the 2006 playoffs up until game 3-6 in the finals. Terry is streaky, so is Peja. Chandler does give them a solid defensive presence that they didn't have back then, but Miami's game is not predicated on post play, so his presence is not going to be as important- mark my words- it's going to be tough, but Miami will ultimately prevail.

 

why would ppl still consider lebron great? from now on he has 2 superstars to bail him out when he has bad games. he will never be double/triple teamed again. like some of the true great players had to deal with. he rarely made clutch shots in cleveland and even when he "dominates" in the fourth quarter now in miami.. its because he gets plenty of rest the first 3 quarters. even when hes in the game, he can just pass the ball to wade or bosh to do their own isolation plays.

as good of a player he is, he should not ever be compared to the likes or jordan, magic, bird, and maybe kobe post shaq.. they werent just contributing to their teams wins.. they were often the reasons their teams won.

 

btw. i was never a fan with lebron his whole career, but i always admitted he was one of the best to play the game back in cleveland. but now, even if he gets his 40+ points or triple doubles.. i cant say ill be as impressed because in the word of the man himself when they had that whole miami parade "its going to be easy".. and yes its true. its always going to be easy for him to play now. not impressed

 

Yeah 90s was a really tough era (probably the toughest), any other era (including today) and Pippen is up there. I think that it is comparable since MJ/Pip probably were the two best at their position (SF and SG) like LBJ/Wade are.

 

a lot of salty posters in this thread

 

Pippen wouldn't would be a top 5 player in this era. The test of a real superstar is do you think you could make it to the finals with him as your best player and i don't think you can with Pippen. In any era except for the really early ones you would never want to build a team around Pippen.

 

The one team which Scottie Pippen was the leader of went 55-27 and lost in 7 games to a really tough Knicks team (which boasted one of the greatest defenses ever).

I do not think you know how good Scottie Pippen was. World class defender, above average playmaker, solid scorer inside/outside. Watch some Bull games from the 90s.

 

I'm fully aware of how good Pippen was. I know he pushed the Knicks we beat in 7 games to a 7th game in the east semis. I know the Bulls only lost two fewer games when Pippen left but I still don't think he brought enough scoring to the table to carry a team to a ring. I think Pippen and another really good player like Drexler could have won rings together too but I think Drexler would have been the best player on that team.

 

Salty and Mad..
Heat win, people talk about Scottie Pippen, Heat lose, 20 page thread. lol..

 

The point of my post was not to name teams with two top 3 players and another star player on the same team, but rather to name great players who played with great teammates and how that has occurred throughout the history of the NBA. The idea that, that somehow cheats fans out of "quality basketball' is simply insane IMO. But for fun, lets run down how Wade, Lebron and Bosh stacks up against my list.

First of all, its debatable that James and Wade are both top 3, personally I have James, Howard, Dirk, Rose clearly over Wade this season, with Durant and CP3 as similar to Wade.

Parish was drafted in 75, Bird in 79, Mchale in 80, all three teamed up to win titles from 81 to 87, so Im confused how you have Mchale and Parish over the hill when they joined Bird. Likewise Kareem was still the best center in the league as well AND the MVP when Magic joined the Lakers title runs from 80-88. He was also the finals MVP in 85 as well as nba 1st or 2nd team up to 1986. I'd rank Worthy/Parish over Bosh, but that's just me.

Though i was never a Laker's or Kobe fan, I'd take prime Shaq and Kobe with Glenn Rice over Lebron/Wade and Bosh any day and twice on Sundays. I'm not even going to bother mention Jordan/Pippen and Rodman or Wilt, West and Baylor.

 

I think I agree the heat is killing conventional basketball fun. (until Kobe/Howard team emerges)
But I find no reason to hate Lebron. Yeah if I was the given the oppoturnity I'd do the same. Life is easier, not stressed out and I still win everything, that's cool.

 

Flawless victory

 

derrick rose just admitted that lebron can easily guard him. here's his exact quote:

"It's extremely hard where a 6-8 guy can easily defend you."

 

Lebron is a freak.

You don't have to like his off the court stuff but you have to respect his game. He is by far the best player in the game when you account for defense and rebounding.

 

this will be the playoff run where lebron erases all doubts about who is the best player in the game.

he's been the best player for at least 3 years now but it's not unanimous b/c he hasn't gone far in the playoffs.

 

Blinded by hatred. Riding the coattails?? Complete Nonsense.


Enough with the Lebron hate people. Give the man credit for being clutch and for being an amazing player.

 

In a way, I'm glad OKC wont make it to the final, cuz as a Durant fan, I wouldnt want to see Lebron totally destroying him. It had potential to make what Ron Artest did to him seem mild.

While I'm sure Lebron can do a good job on Dirk, I dont think he will "stop" him ala T-Mac in 05 or the Stephen Jackson in 07. That version of Dirk had trouble in the post, had trouble with hard doubles and had yet to perfect his one legged turnaround from any position inside the 3 point area.

 

nicolas batum guarded him a little in he first round, and the blazers had athletic wing guys on him for stretches and he shot 45%.

these past 2 series, dirk has been guarded by legit power forwards or centers and you know those are clear mismatches. he is shooting 57% and currently 56% in this series.

no one believed me when i said lebron can guard rose straight up. lebron has the strength to push dirk, the speed to beat him to his position, and the length to contest his shots.

 

L.A. Lakers 2000 regular season stats:

Shaq 28.7pts and 12.7rbs
Kobe 28.5 and 5.9
Fisher 11.5 and 3
Rick Fox 9.6 and 4
Horace Grant 8.5 and 7.1

Miami Heat 2011 regular season stats:

Lebron James 26.7 and 7.5
Wade 25.6 and 6.4
Bosh 18.7 and 8.3
Chalmers 6.4 and 2.1
Big Z 5 and 4

Advantage:Lakers

 

I asked you to name that because that pretty much doesn't happen unless it is a manufactured team. Manufacturing a team made up of the best players is a completely different thing than drafting and trading for a team that turns out well. The Heat just threw 3 of the best players in basketball together. In any generation you can do that and end up with a great team. If Jordan, Barkley and Hakeem had decided to do that with their draft class they would have run the league and we would have missed out on classic battles. The point of my posts are to say that the fans are cheated when the best players are stacked on one team not when it just so happens that a team makes a good signing here or a few good trades here and ends up with a great team.