Your post brought up some questions that I’ve had lately:
Do you see Cleveland (with LaBron) winning some championships?
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I think it’s entirely possible. LeBron is the real deal. He has the best chance of becoming the next Michael Jordan. The things he’s doing on the court for only his second year in the league straight out of high school is nothing short of phenomenal. Cleveland just has to be smart with the type of role players they acquire to surround him.
I wouldn’t write Kevin off yet. It was just last year that he had the right cast to win a championship, they just didn’t. This year Spree and Cassell were too worried about contracts and now they’re showing their age.
Garnett is still one of the premier forces in the league. He may not win one this year but I wouldn’t count him out yet. Obviously the front office has to continue to look for the right mix of players to compete.
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3) In this day and time of “selfish” play…will they be able to build “role players” around LaBron? Or will Cleveland suffer the fate of the Timberwolves and KG?
Mufasa[/quote]
It’s hard too tell at this point because I think it is in the front office’s hands not LeBron’s. He’s already proven he’s a team player.
Hell, he’s on track to match Oscar Robertson’s phenomenal season averages of 25 pts, 7 assists, and 7 rebounds. Not even Michael Jordan did this (I think he came close one season). So will the front office obtain the right mix of role players? I think this is the question.
[quote]randman wrote:
Hell, he’s on track to match Oscar Robertson’s phenomenal season averages of 25 pts, 7 assists, and 7 rebounds. Not even Michael Jordan did this (I think he came close one season). So will the front office obtain the right mix of role players? I think this is the question.[/quote]
Jordan average 32.5 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists per game in his 4th season and in just 20 games experimenting as a true point guard had 14 triple doubles. He also shot 54% that year.
If All Defense First teamers are average. The Kobe is average all year long. I don’t see how you can make that statement given his achievements on defense.
Jordan being on teams composed of entirely role players. If I’m not mistaken he started really turning things around with Pippen on the squad. Who was named to the 50 greatest players of all-time list and is a Hall of Famer. With role players like that… Geez… Not to mention Dennis Rodman who managed to throw up 30 pts in a game with the bad boy pistons. And was arguably the greatest defender/rebounder ever. Jesus, even Ron Harper went on with win another ring on a Shaq/Kobe team.
[quote]mertdawg wrote:
randman wrote:
Hell, he’s on track to match Oscar Robertson’s phenomenal season averages of 25 pts, 7 assists, and 7 rebounds. Not even Michael Jordan did this (I think he came close one season). So will the front office obtain the right mix of role players? I think this is the question.
Jordan average 32.5 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists per game in his 4th season and in just 20 games experimenting as a true point guard had 14 triple doubles. He also shot 54% that year.[/quote]
My bad. I thought he did it one year but wasn’t sure. I should have looked it up first. You brought up another facet of Jordan’s game that was just awesome. His field goal % for a guard was phenomenal. To average almost 50% fg % for his career as a guard. That is an almost untouchable statistic.
On one of the ESPN shows once, they were talking about Jordan and Tiger Woods…
In the discussion, it was was brought up that we all know that they were/are both great…but you don’t realize just how great until you begin to analyze some of these guys phenomenal numbers…
[quote]randman wrote:
Shaq went to a team with a much better supporting cast.[/quote]
I believe Shaq went to a team with 2 or 3 players under contract at the time? They built the team around him. Wade is a better fit than Kobe because he’s not selfish and trying to out do MJ’s legacy every trip down the court.
[quote]Garrett W. wrote:
There is some straight idiocy on this thread.
If All Defense First teamers are average. The Kobe is average all year long. I don’t see how you can make that statement given his achievements on defense.
Jordan being on teams composed of entirely role players. If I’m not mistaken he started really turning things around with Pippen on the squad. Who was named to the 50 greatest players of all-time list and is a Hall of Famer. With role players like that… Geez… Not to mention Dennis Rodman who managed to throw up 30 pts in a game with the bad boy pistons. And was arguably the greatest defender/rebounder ever. Jesus, even Ron Harper went on with win another ring on a Shaq/Kobe team.
How can you make these obvious errors?[/quote]
Rodman was the ultimate role player. Pippen was rated by the coaches in the NBA at one point as both the most overrated and the most underrated player in the league in seperate polls. The bulls never had a center aven average 24 minutes a game. Armstrong had clear weaknesses that would have made it impossible for him to be a reliable starter on most teams-he wasn’t a true point or off guard. The Bulls went from mid to upper 40 wins the two years Jordan was out to 72 and 67 in the next two. And he wasn’t nearly as good all around that time.
I have a hard time rating Pippen. I think that defensively he was a big asset. I think that offensively, like Armstrong, he would have had a hard time fitting into another team because without Jordan playing a truly unique position (ie post up point guard) Pippen wouldn’t have fit in anywhere. He wasn’t a pure shooter, rebounder or ball handler.
If Kobe was all league defense, that would increase his potential value with me.
The Bulls went from mid to upper 40 wins the two years Jordan was out to 72 and 67 in the next two. And he wasn’t nearly as good all around that time.
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The Bulls went 55-27 in 93-94 season, the first year after Jordan “retired.” This was only 2 games worse than the year before. Not much of a drop off. And not in the “mid to upper 40”.
I can see why the Bulls lost games. Take away the best player from a team and see how it does. Take away the best player that ever set foot on the court and they do exactly how the Bulls did.
Rodman was an amazing roleplayer if that is what defense/rebounding is. He could also score. But why shoot when you’ve got guys that great around you?
The Glove plays post-up guard as well. Well in his prime he did. Now he turns it over and whines.
Scottie Pippen averaged about 20 pts/7 rebs/ 5 assists/2 steals a game in his older Chicago Days. Not a bad stat line for the second best player on a team. Here’s a few quick stats from his career 40th in total points (18,940), fourth in steals (2,307), tied for 16th in steals per game (1.96), 23rd in assists (6,135), 13th in minutes (41,069), 16th in minutes per game (34.9), 32nd in three-point field goals made (978).
The Lakers need to fill holes to make the playoffs. Caron Butler and Lamar Odom are the only decent players on the roster with Devean George injured. Kobe needs to mature and trust his teammates more, but at the same time he needs teammates he can trust. He needs another All-Star to make win a Championship. Like with the Lakers before.
[quote]malonetd wrote:
mertdawg wrote:
The Bulls went 55-27 in 93-94 season, the first year after Jordan “retired.” This was only 2 games worse than the year before. Not much of a drop off. And not in the “mid to upper 40”.[/quote]
Lets not forget they were one horrible Hugh Hollins call away from possible winning it all that year.