NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread

[pwaldo]

Well I really opened a can of worms with my LeBron comment ... lol

Sounds like we need to start a GOAT basketball debate thread again.

Also I'd throw it out there that MJ left for baseball mysteriously after the death of his father and basically retired prematurely with the Bulls only to come back as a Wizard. If you gave him those missed seasons I'm pretty sure he would have better "numbers" than most.

[Jameis1of1]

Sounds like we need to start a GOAT basketball debate thread again.

Also I'd throw it out there that MJ left for baseball mysteriously after the death of his father and basically retired prematurely with the Bulls only to come back as a Wizard. If you gave him those missed seasons I'm pretty sure he would have better "numbers" than most.

Even had he been able to play those "missing years" I doubt his numbers would have come close to the numbers LeBron will end up with when he finally retires ... there is also the possibility that had Jordan not taken those two extended breaks he would have got injured and had an even shorter career ... regardless, what Jordan actually did is all the matters and when all is said and done LeBron's numbers will DWARF Jordan's numbers ...

[WilyWestbrook0]

If gaudy stats taken out of context are the measure of who is the best, then Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain would dwarf everyone, including LeBron.

Anyway, probably best to put this one to rest and discuss the playoffs again. Raptors tied up the series with the Bucks in what has continued to be a defensive battle of a series. Meanwhile, the Hawks finally got in a game against the Wizards. Grizzlies, to my surprise, are putting up a fight against the Spurs...that one is close right now. I might tune in. Warriors and Blazers come on later tonight; Durant will play, but Kerr is reportedly out with an illness, and will be replaced by Mike Brown as coach.

[imi26dude]

Durant, Barnes, Livingston are out
Nurkic is IN (limited minutes though)

[WilyWestbrook0]

That Spurs and Grizzlies game was CRAZY! Kawhi single-handedly forced it into OT, but Grizzlies prevailed on Gasol buzzer beater. What a contest!

[Jameis1of1]

If gaudy stats taken out of context are the measure of who is the best, then Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain would dwarf everyone, including LeBron.

By the time LeBron is done his regular season and post-season stats will dwarf both Kareem's and Wilt's as well as every other player who has ever played imho

Anyway, probably best to put this one to rest and discuss the playoffs again. Raptors tied up the series with the Bucks in what has continued to be a defensive battle of a series. Meanwhile, the Hawks finally got in a game against the Wizards. Grizzlies, to my surprise, are putting up a fight against the Spurs...that one is close right now.

Wiz in 5, Raps in 7 and Spurs in 7 imo ... Spurs have looked pretty rough for a couple weeks now and the Grizzlies will fight anyone to the death but their lack of athleticism and depth hurts them against good teams.

[WilyWestbrook0]

Pacers look done and defeated. They have the body language of youngsters who just got reprimanded by their elders. Big 3rd quarter for Kyrie.

[pwaldo]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/1...injury-big-toe

Blake Griffin to miss rest of postseason with injury to big toe

[jmintz]

And ... longevity matters! There is a reason no one ranks Terell Davis ahead of Emmitt Smith on a GOAT RB list despite TD averaging way more yards per game as well as having a higher yards per carry average.

Correct.

That longevity, however, is the same reason that I won't rank Emmitt (a Gator) ahead of Barry Sanders, who played far fewer seasons. Plus put him behind that OLine and with Irvin and Aikman and he DESTROYS Emmitt's numbers.

I'm sorry, but stats alone are just not a good barometer for GOAT, especially considering the context of rule changes. What would Jordan have done with the hand check rule in effect like it is today? He'd average 60 points per game. You breath on a dude today and a ref blows the whistle. I think Lebron is probably close to as effective as he is today in the NBA of the 90s, but Jordan would have been unstoppable under today's rules.

Wilt, by all accounts, cared more about stats than maybe anyone that ever played in the league. This is a dude who led the league in assists one year just because he wanted to prove he could do it. He won two rings.

Give me the consumate teammate - Bill Russell - all day, every day. He was a dude who mastered blocking a shot TO his teammate rather than throwing it into the front row a la Dwight Howard, because blocking a shot into the stands gives the other team possession. And, he's got 11 titles to show for it. No one will come CLOSE to sniffing 11 rings ever again. And, he won his last two as player coach.

Karl Malone is second all time in scoring and top ten in rebounding, and does anyone consider him in the top ten players ever? Top 20? You just can't use stats as a way to decide who's the best ever. If Lebron doesn't win another ring - and really, two more - then I don't think you can anoint him GOAT.

Go Grizzlies.

[WilyWestbrook0]

Celtics tied it up today. Thunder lost a close and basically must-win game for them.

Got the Jazz-Clips on. With Blake out, Clips should be toast.