Fair approach? Its a competition. You don't change the rules just because you're not the one benefitting. Would you be saying this if the Rockets had the big three and were making it to the finals every year? No, of course not. What happens next year if we secure another free agent player like Carmelo/Love? The name of the game is dynasties and Morey is working his ass off to assemble one.
3 years? That seems unfair to base everything on the last 3 years. Hell, if you just look at the past 5 years. You have the Lakers, Sun, Mavs, Grizz, and OKC/Spurs making the WCF. 6 teams for 10 potential appearances. It seems like you're upset that there may be a repeat NBA finals match-up. If it happens, it will be the first time since 97/98 with the Bulls/Jazz.
Bulls won every year then the lakers won every year and now Miami. It happens. Let's hope we are next
Free agency allows superstars to team up. That didn't help the Rockets, though, but Harden is not LeBron. And be prepared to see it happen again next year, and the year after that, and pretty much forever until fans demand free agency be modified, so teams can keep their superstars. Until then, let's all look forward to Durant and Love signing with the Lakers.
Conference Finals: 2014: Spurs | Thunder | Heat | Pacers 2013: Spurs | Grizzlies | Heat | Pacers 2012: Spurs | Thunder | Heat | Celtics 2011: Mavs | Thunder | Heat | Bulls 2010: Suns | Lakers | Magic | Celtics 2009: Nuggets | Lakers | Magic | Cavs 2008: Spurs | Lakers | Pistons | Celtics 2007: Spurs | Jazz | Pistons | Cavs 2006: Mavs | Suns | Heat | Pistons 2005: Spurs | Suns | Heat | Pistons 2004: T'Wolves | Lakers | Pistons | Pacers 2003: Spurs | Mavs | Nets | Pistons 2002: Kings | Lakers | Nets | Celtics 2001: Spurs | Lakers | Sixers | Bucks 2000: Blazers | Lakers | Knicks | Pacers 1999: Spurs | Blazers | Knicks | Pacers 1998: Jazz | Lakers | Bulls | Pacers 1997: Rockets | Jazz | Heat | Bulls 1996: Jazz Thunder | Magic | Bulls 1995: Spurs | Rockets | Magic | Pacers 1994: Rockets | Jazz | Knicks | Pacers 1993: Suns | Thunder | Knicks | Bulls 1992: Jazz | Blazers | Cavs | Bulls 1991: Blazers | Lakers | Pistons | Bulls 1990: Suns | Blazers | Pistons | Bulls NBA Finals: 2014: ???-Heat 2013: Spurs-Heat 2012: Thunder-Heat 2011: Mavs-Heat 2010: Lakers-Celtics 2009: Lakers-Magic 2008: Lakers-Celtics 2007: Spurs-Cavs 2006: Mavs-Heat 2005: Spurs-Pistons 2004: Lakers-Pistons 2003: Spurs-Nets 2002: Lakers-Nets 2001: Lakers-Sixers 2000: Lakers-Pacers 1999: Spurs-Knicks 1998: Jazz-Bulls 1997: Jazz-Bulls 1996: Thunder-Bulls 1995: Rockets-Magic 1994: Rockets-Knicks 1993: Suns-Bulls 1992: Blazers-Bulls 1991: Lakers-Bulls 1990: Blazers-Pistons
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Superstar NBA. MT <a href="https://twitter.com/JosephCasciaro">@JosephCasciaro</a>: This will be 20th consecutive Finals featuring at least one of Shaq, Jordan, Duncan, Kobe or LeBron.</p>— RealGM (@RealGM) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealGM/statuses/472573546926186496">May 31, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Kobe or LeBron will have been in every Finals since 2007 but never played each other. History's loss.</p>— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) <a href="https://twitter.com/WindhorstESPN/statuses/472573891777273856">May 31, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
-72 game season -Single elimination tourney for the 8th seed -5 game series first round -King's Cup at the All-Star break (single elimination tourney with the best teams) Problem solved.
1st round was amazing. Heck, the Western conference has been awesome the whole way. It's the freaking East. I'm sorry, but the Heat reaching the Finals a 4th straight time is NOT impressive to me at all. All four times. Meanwhile, whoever comes out of the West is guaranteed to have gone through some grueling series. I honestly do not care that the Heat won last year. I found the Spurs to be so much more impressive for getting back to the finals.
Y'know... what I would like the NBA Finals to be a single elimination game and at a neutral site, like the Super Bowl.
While this hasnt quite happened yet...Yes it is really remarkable how the Spurs just keep finding ways to win with a YMCA old dudes bunch...The Spurs will be gunning hard to win in 6 at the Thunder setting up for an epic finals rematch...
Exactly, I was thinking really hard about this the other day. If you claim you only care for winning (at any cost) then you must also care for reputation, no? Do the big 3 not care that it's weaker to join arms and be unstoppable then to win yet maintain respect and pride. Maybe I worded some things wrong but the point is you can't tell me lbj winning in Cleveland is not more meaningful then with the heat. Whoever makes it out of the west, is absolutely with no skepticism the best team out of that conference, with the heat it's like by default because of how they planned it.
the spurs played 2 terrible teams to get to the wcf and won the first 2 gamesof the wcf with out the other teams best defensive player but nobody ats to take about that because they're so jealous of the heat.