Okay, so on the one hand, I kind of want to see these two teams run it back. They’re clearly the two best teams, and without Ibaka at 100%, I think the Thunder would have been fodder. On the other hand, isn’t it bad for a sport when the same teams are in the playoffs and finals every year?
I used to love the NBA. It was a simpler time, when defense was legal, and superstars couldn’t take 4 steps without being called for a travel. Palming was called with some regularity, except on Jordan, on who I only saw it called once. When was the last time you saw a palming call in the NBA? I think I was in college.
By the way, I don’t want to get into a whole thing here, but people who say LeBron is better than Jordan literally don’t know sh*t. Jordan did what he did when defense was allowed and you couldn’t palm or travel. The second best player on his team was Pippen, the third best was Rodman, who couldn’t shoot or score a lick. LeBron plays with Wade and Bosh and, when he didn’t, he didn’t win anything. Jordan played in a stacked East; Lebron plays in the worst East in my lifetime. Hell, the Pacers were a one seed and made the finals, and they were a hot mess.
But back to my main point. Do we want to see another Heat/Spurs final? Are how these two teams got here good for the sport?
San Antonio may be smarter than everybody else, but they only got Tim Duncan because David Robinson got hurt. If David Robinson doesn’t get hurt, there is absolutely NO way the Spurs get Tim Duncan, and they don’t win all those games regardless of how smart they are. The Heat win because three of the leagues best players made a collusive agreement to win a bunch of championships together. Injuries and collusive nonsense swing an entire decade of the NBA? Is that good?
Pick 3 NFL players who, if they made a collusive agreement to all play on the same team, could swing the entire league.
Pick 3 MLB players who, if they made a collusive agreement to all play on the same team together, could swing the entire league.
Football and Baseball have more guys on the field at more time, and they require more coordination. I submit that NO three players in either sport could swing the entire league.
The rules in baseball have been the same forever. The rules in football have changed slightly over time to favor more offense, but it is still POSSIBLE to assemble a dominating defense. Teams try, with varying success, every year. Seattle won it all with a dominating defense, in particular, their secondary. In the NBA, defense is now all but illegal. Case in point — name a team in the NBA with a dominating defense. Maybe, kinda, on the right nights, the pacers or bulls assuming that they’re getting the benefit of some calls. The idea of a defense dominating their way to a championship like the seahawks did in the nfl this year? Laughable.
So, I guess what I’m saying is, I don’t really like how either of these teams got here, and I don’t particularly like that we’re watching them in the finals AGAIN. Don’t get me wrong, they deserve to be here, because I think these are clearly the two best teams. I just don’t like HOW they became the two best teams, or what that means for the league.
It is funny – maybe because we both have such strong opinions, but when we agree on something, it’s as if there is no other possible argument, and when we disagree, it is as if we couldn’t possibly be further away in opinions. This one is an example of the latter. I think I agree on one thing in here – that the East stinks right now. But, as for everything else, I’m on the exact other side. Well, about the Lebron versus Michael debate – I’m not on the “other side” in thinking that Lebron is better……..yet.
A couple quick counterpoints in that argument:
1). “Legalized Travelling” was invented by Michael Jordan.
2). “Legalized Palming” was perfected by Michael Jordan.
3). The defense in today’s NBA is BETTER than it was back then. I agree that the foul calls are much different (i.e. the Bad Boy Pistons would all foul out in a quarter in today’s game), but the athletes are just flat-out bigger, faster, and stronger, and within the past couple of years, there has been an incredible commitment made to the defensive end of the floor. In 1992, there were only two teams that didn’t average 100 points per game (Dallas at 99.3 and Minnesota at 98.7). This year 13 teams averaged fewer than 100 points per game, including the Bulls, who averaged 93.7.
4). “Stacked East?” Yes, the Eastern Conference in Jordan’s Era was better than the Western Conference. Right now, the Western Conference is a lot better than the East. HOWEVER…it is really hard to make the argument that the overall level of play in the NBA isn’t CONSIDERABLY better right now simply because of the international influx of players. The best basketball players used to come from a select number of American cities and Midwestern countrysides. Now, they come from all over the world. It is like the difference in the caliber of play from pre-integration to post-integration and then to the Latin American boom that dominates today’s MLB. There is just a much wider talentbase from which to cultivate the best players. So, I would argue that Jordan actually had LESS competition than Lebron does.
5). Which leads me perfectly into my final point before I get shot down from the heavens for even suggesting that anyone (let alone Lebron James) might actually rival the untouchably great Michael Jordan. Lebron is doing this in the “Twitter Era.” I don’t really think this can be overstated. Everything he does is under a microscope – and a microscope that has been calibrated to exaggerate the bad and filter out the good ever since he made a poor decision to air “The Decision.” I will leave alone the other side – the one that tries to assess how MJ’s career might have been altered with the Twitterverse following his every move – on and off the court.
It’s funny. In 1950, if anyone were to say that Babe Ruth was better than Ty Cobb, they would be laughed out of the bar. Cobb was known as the greatest player of all-time – period. Ruth – even decades after his career ended – was still just the “next” guy trying to live up to Cobb. Well, I am not YET saying that Lebron is better than Michael Jordan. But, the only reason I am not saying it is because the Lebron story is still being written. As it seems to be trending currently, three generations from now, MJ will be the Ty Cobb (without the racist murdering, of course) to Lebron’s Babe Ruth.
Oh, since I know you well enough to know that you were an athlete at one point, I am sure that you refrained from jumping on the bandwagon of Lebron being “soft” because of leg cramps. Everyone that has ever been an athlete in their life knows that even getting back on the floor with leg cramps was the EXACT OPPOSITE of “soft.” That is not a Lebron Apologist speaking, that is a (wannabe) former athlete speaking.
Oh, and one final disagreement – I freaking LOVE this Finals matchup. It is EXACTLY what I wanted. The Spurs are an absolute joy to watch play, and this matchup is enthralling, even for this fly-by-night NBA fan.
Greg Popovich just called me and asked me to remind you that “you don’t know shit from shinola.”
Oh bry, bry, bry. My horribly misguided friend.
1 & 2. I agree with you 100% — except back then even MJ couldn’t get away with half the traveling and palming that goes on now. Back when MJ invented “legalized traveling,” that constituted 2 and a half or, once and a while, 3 steps (if the first one was in stride while catching the ball). Now, I see guys taking 4 steps with the ball and not getting called. The other night, I saw Wade pick up the ball a step over the 3 point line and nearly dunk it. Go back and watch one of those old school games now and you can’t help but see the difference.
3. From 1999 to the present, here are the number of teams that averaged over 101 or more points per game in chronological order starting with 99-00: 5, 1, 3, 3, 2, 5, 4, 8, 9, 11, 15, 10, 3, 10, 15 (this year). This year saw more teams average 101+ (15) than 1999-2003 COMBINED. Something changed in 2006/2007….and it was the way the game is called. Plus, you have to look at the EFFORT players put into defense. The athletes are bigger, stronger, faster…and except for the playoffs, they play defense like every day is the nba all star game.
Now, it is true that the scoring numbers were pretty high when Jordan played, but I think that was largely due to the frequency of fast breaks. Which, I’ll grant you, is an indictment of one kind of defense back then (fast break defense). In the half court though, there is no comparison.
4. The international players thing is actually a good point — but the East still blows. It’s just a fact.
5. I see that point for sure. But I watched them both, and I firmly believe that Jordan was better. Even if I may be prejudiced against Lebron because of the decision, because he chose to play with wade and bosh, and because he does a lot of it with sheer athleticism.
I can’t take a shot at Lebron because of the cramps. I hear that’s a tough time of the month for any little girl.
Also, pop can kiss my @. Having to root for him or the heat is killing this finals for me.