2017-18 NBA Thread

[thrill]

The most consistently overrated thing in sports is coaching. The media needs a narrative. Fans need an avatar.

[MAGA]

Yeah, LeBron on the Rockets probably takes them over the top...

[BottenFieldofDreams]

Paul, Harden, and Gordon shot 17/55. I guess they're trying to shut me up on the whole parity thing, but do the Warriors really have any business losing to the Rockets? I assumed Houston would win one, maybe two games where they made a zillion threes, but Floppy Beard was 0/11 tonight.

And Mbah a Moute doesn't even play? That guy is a great defender.

I only read the box scores, because I can't handle watching the Warriors act like they've proven anything, but that's a weird box score.

Kevin Durant's alias social media accounts are probably going to go nuts (that's a shot at Draymond) tonight.

[Tim]

Why complicate this? Houston is arguably on-par with Golden State right now.

No they aren't.

Nice one chief

[33anda3rd]

Everything I would gain from adding LeBron on offense, and especially in leadership and intelligence, I'd lose on defense and everywhere else from not having any other player to add from that team.

It baffles me that people can still think this.

How so? I mean, if you're talking about combining two teams, would you rather have:
1. LeBron and maybe Love but almost certainly no other Cavs.
2. All those awesome Celtics two-way guys + Stevens.
3. Kawhi + a few other Spurs.

If it's "add one player", sure, I'll take LeBron. But I wouldn't take LeBron alone over Smart + Rozier + Kyrie + Hayward + Horford + Tatum + Marcus Morris. Or Kawhi + LMA + Danny Green + Gay + a couple other Spurs rotation guys. LeBron can't do it all alone. He tries, bless him, and he's the greatest, but he's only won three rings in eight trips to the Finals, and has fallen to teams like the Spurs and Dubs and Mavs.

The answer is 1 and it is not particularly close. The answer to the question of 'which 2 teams do you combine to beat the Warriors' is asking the question 'which team do you add LeBron to in order to beat the Warriors', although LeBron's supporting cast does get a bit of a bum rap at times. The idea that guys like Smart, Marcus Morris, and Rudy Gay are so much better than the Korvers, Thompsons, and Smiths to make up for LeBron v. other team's star is silly.

Then why is it that collections of very good players have bested LeBron in the Finals more often than LeBron and a band of role players have bested collections of very good players? If the answer is "LeBron plus whatever is the best you can do" then why doesn't LeBron have 12 rings? His Miami team lost a Finals to Dallas. Not the Dubs with KD, but the Mavericks. With Wade and Bosh. And LeBron in his physical prime. LeBron plus whatever isn't the right answer, especially at 33 and declining on defense.

[Socnorb11]

He did't say "Lebron plus whatever". The idea is that you can combine ANY 2 teams. You're not adding Lebron and a bunch of scrubs to the NJ Nets. You're adding Lebron and Love and Korver and JR Smith to an already elite team.

[MAGA]

LeBron puts up Harden numbers in the playoffs, when it actually counts. The real MVP.

[InvincibleCakeEater]

LeBron puts up Harden numbers in the playoffs, when it actually counts. The real MVP.

46-11-9

GOAT

[MAGA]

LeBron puts up Harden numbers in the playoffs, when it actually counts. The real MVP.

46-11-9

GOAT

I think he’s clearly GOAT if you take level of competition into consideration and disregard the dumb “ringzz erneh!” argument. 15th season doing this.

[InvincibleCakeEater]

LeBron puts up Harden numbers in the playoffs, when it actually counts. The real MVP.

46-11-9

GOAT

I think he’s clearly GOAT if you take level of competition into consideration and disregard the dumb “ringzz erneh!” argument. 15th season doing this.

Yep