2018 NBA Finals

[KMayUSA6060]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

Smith played a few seasons with the Knicks, so I got to see him play regularly. He never impressed me, and often did stupid things. Occasionally he had a hot streak and piled up some points, but he never did anything to make the Knicks a better team. And they tired of him quickly.

And Lebron may not be likable, I have no insight into his personal life, but the guy is a monster basketball player, and has carried the team for the past two months. He has taken a mediocre team to the Finals when there were seemingly better ones in the East, such as Toronto and Boston. I know he can rub fans the wrong way, but I can't find fault with the way he plays.

A mediocre team he built. He was the one that fought for Tristan Thompson to get a massive contract a few years ago, which has handicapped the team greatly financially. He was the one that got Blatt fired and replaced him with Lue, who is an absolute joke and is only there because LeBron can easily control him. He is the one behind the scenes approving/making the moves for players. He's the player version of Jerry Jones, and it's horrible.

I have a theory that he keeps a relatively mediocre team around him as a crutch and to build his brand. If he fails, everyone blames the mediocre team around him. If he succeeds, he looks like the GOAT. Like I said previously, I think he's a better businessman than basketball player.

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

In addition to his otherworldly talents and ability to play pretty much any position, he is as intelligent a player as I have ever seen. No player in history has singlehandedly carried a team, it's not the nature of the sport, but LeBron is as close as anyone. And remind me, when was the last finals in which he was not playing?

Is he really that intelligent basketball wise? He hardly plays defense, aside from the one or two SportsCenter-worthy plays. He settles for longer jump shots where a layup/closer shot would be way better, especially with his physical superiority. He's never been a good free throw shooter, which is embarrassing. He loves playing isolation/hero ball, instead of promoting ball movement which is the backbone of a strong offense.

2009? That's a lot of participation trophies, considering he's only won, what, 3 of them?

People have fallen in love with LeBron because he is a once-in-a-generation talent, no doubt, but more so because he has changed the entire landscape of the NBA to hide his flaws.

[Peter_Spaeth]

He averaged over 9 assists per game this year. His career average is over 7. Are you watching the same player as I am? Jordan's average was just over 5, was he a ball hog too?

[barrysloate]

Kyle- since you live in Ohio and the Cavaliers are your home team, you obviously know more about what goes on than I do. I'm just a fan watching Lebron having monster games and taking a team that should have been knocked out by the second round into the Finals. And it's hard for me to find anything wrong with the way he is playing. I realize there is other stuff going on.

Look, I have to watch the Knicks and Nets every night. You've got the Cavs. You win!

[KMayUSA6060]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

He averaged over 9 assists per game this year. His career average is over 7. Are you watching the same player as I am? Jordan's average was just over 5, was he a ball hog too?

Have I said that LeBron is a bad player? He's always been a great passer. However, assists can be deceiving and not produce or be a product of ball movement per se. The iso/hero ball I was talking about is something that's wrong with the NBA in general, but LeBron has made a living, literally living and dying by iso/hero ball in crunch time or at important moments throughout a game. I would also venture to say that assists are easier to come by nowadays with the lazy defense exhibited in today's NBA.

Originally Posted by barrysloate

Kyle- since you live in Ohio and the Cavaliers are your home team, you obviously know more about what goes on than I do. I'm just a fan watching Lebron having monster games and taking a team that should have been knocked out by the second round into the Finals. And it's hard for me to find anything wrong with the way he is playing. I realize there is other stuff going on.

Look, I have to watch the Knicks and Nets every night. You've got the Cavs. You win!

I didn't mean to come off as if I was directing anything at you personally. I was just pointing out factors that surround LeBron that people don't pay attention to.

I've got the Browns, too, which automatically cancels out one of the two good teams in Cleveland. Haha.

[Peter_Spaeth]

I am sure there were people who found fault with Jordan, and Magic, and Kareem. LeBron is one of the very few best players of all time, if not the best, and I think you are in a small minority criticizing him.

And your analysis that he wants a mediocre team around him strikes me as borderline insane. Recall LeBron went to Miami with the Big Three. He wants to win. That has always defined him.

[barrysloate]

Didn't take it personally Kyle...and I forgot about the Browns, that's brutal. Not that the Jets and Giants are world-beaters. Except for the Yankees, we have a lot of crappy teams in New York.

[KMayUSA6060]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I am sure there were people who found fault with Jordan, and Magic, and Kareem. LeBron is one of the very few best players of all time, if not the best, and I think you are in a small minority criticizing him.

And your analysis that he wants a mediocre team around him strikes me as borderline insane. Recall LeBron went to Miami with the Big Three. He wants to win. That has always defined him.

Never said he wasn't one of the best, but he has the talent to be the best yet lacks the mental toughness and/or intelligence to achieve that honor.

Yes, I remember very vividly when LeBron went to Miami to create the Big Three. He did it because he wanted the easy road, yet still lost, what, 2 titles down there?

LeBron is not above criticism.

Originally Posted by barrysloate

Didn't take it personally Kyle...and I forgot about the Browns, that's brutal. Not that the Jets and Giants are world-beaters. Except for the Yankees, we have a lot of crappy teams in New York.

You're telling me.

Speaking of the Yankees, are y'all ready to move Betances?

[samosa4u]

GSW are a bunch of b*tches. In the 2016 Finals, they were up 3-1 in the series, and look at the stupid things they were doing to LeBron: Draymond hit him in the nuts, while Curry and Klay Thompson were doing so much trash talking - it was pathetic. Then what ended up happening? Cavs won their first ever title. This was probably the biggest choke I have ever seen in the NBA. After that, the GSW began courting Durant. lol What a bunch of losers. I don't care how many titles they win now, but nothing will ever erase that. Oh, and I hope next time the NBA sends Durant to India, a Bengal tiger eats him.

Originally Posted by KMayUSA6060

A mediocre team he built. He was the one that fought for Tristan Thompson to get a massive contract a few years ago, which has handicapped the team greatly financially. He was the one that got Blatt fired and replaced him with Lue, who is an absolute joke and is only there because LeBron can easily control him. He is the one behind the scenes approving/making the moves for players. He's the player version of Jerry Jones, and it's horrible.

What's so horrible about it, dude? He took a garbage team to the Finals four times in a row! You shouldn't be complaining about him having too much power in the Cavs organization because he definitely knows what he is doing.

Originally Posted by KMayUSA6060

He settles for longer jump shots where a layup/closer shot would be way better, especially with his physical superiority.

He has been shooting a lot from behind the arc during this series, but he has to! When you have Curry, Thompson and Durant making 3 pointers non-stop, then you gotta' try and match that. And it's not as if LeBron has been doing a bad job at it. Furthermore, if he keeps driving to the basket all the time, then he is going to risk getting hurt. Look what GSW did to the poor man's eye.

And I agree with Peter, he is a top 5 player.

[Peter_Spaeth]

I have no doubt that Curry is a fine young man, but his on court demeanor is unbelievably obnoxious IMO.

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I have no doubt that Curry is a fine young man, but his on court demeanor is unbelievably obnoxious IMO.

Curry is pretty great. I'd do the shimmy every once in awhile to, if I could hit falling down 35 footers with regularity.

Lebron is great to. The best individual player in basketball, and I disagree with almost everything Kevin says about him...........but is there a bigger whiner in the game? Nearly every single play he doesn't convert on something, he's running down the court (or walking) whining to the referees.

I still respect him because he at least initiates contact to try and draw fouls, unlike Harden over in Houston who falls down a dozen times in every game without anybody touching him, turning the ball over at least half a dozen times every game, just trying to bait the refs.

At least Lebron attempts to FINISH every play, before he puts on his boy who cried wolf act.

[KMayUSA6060]

Originally Posted by samosa4u

What's so horrible about it, dude? He took a garbage team to the Finals four times in a row! You shouldn't be complaining about him having too much power in the Cavs organization because he definitely knows what he is doing.

He has been shooting a lot from behind the arc during this series, but he has to! When you have Curry, Thompson and Durant making 3 pointers non-stop, then you gotta' try and match that. And it's not as if LeBron has been doing a bad job at it. Furthermore, if he keeps driving to the basket all the time, then he is going to risk getting hurt. Look what GSW did to the poor man's eye.

Calling the Cavs a garbage team while saying LeBron has a lot of power in the Cavs organization and knows what he's doing is quite contradictory.

Trying to match the Warriors 3-for-3 isn't how you beat them. The Rockets nearly knocked them out in Game 7 by chipping away 2-by-2 with a high-intensity effort. Had they not gone stone cold (missed, what, 26 or so 3s in a row?), they would have won. Nobody can match the Warriors when they're even semi-on, let alone locked & loaded. It takes effort from all other aspects to beat them. And he might get hurt? Boo hoo. Don't play basketball then. He is physically superior to everyone in the NBA. Not driving out of fear of getting hurt is ridiculous.

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I have no doubt that Curry is a fine young man, but his on court demeanor is unbelievably obnoxious IMO.

100000000% agree about his on-court demeanor. What a putz.

Originally Posted by D. Bergin

.....but is there a bigger whiner in the game? Nearly every single play he doesn't convert on something, he's running down the court (or walking) whining to the referees.

No, and it adds to the list of reasons I'm not a fan of LeBron.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Working the officials is part of the game.

[KMayUSA6060]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Working the officials is part of the game.

Bull. What goes on in today's NBA is a complete lack of respect for the officials and zero accountability. It's also complete arrogance.

[samosa4u]

Originally Posted by KMayUSA6060

Calling the Cavs a garbage team while saying LeBron has a lot of power in the Cavs organization and knows what he's doing is quite contradictory.

There is nothing contradictory about my statement. LeBron has been sailing a broken ship in the right direction for years. He has learned to make the most out of his crappy players. If you don't like him, then please send him to Toronto.