NBA 2016-17 Season Thread - Knicks in 6

While I did in fact play both sides of the fence against the Spurs that year I'm not doing it now. I honestly believe the GSW will win.

zzeris said:

I can't wait until LBJ throws one of his teammates under the bus for the ass-whipping they are going to get. Just like Wade with the Heat. "You guys have to want it more!" Remember when MJ used to flop to get calls because he was a bitch? Me neither. Or when Dirk squished LBJ with an inferior team. Pepperidge Farms remembers.

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You may want to talk to therapist about your disdain for LBJ.

DickTrickle said:

KD really should get more hate than he does.

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He would if it had been as big a dick move as Lebron. KD didn't leave his HOMETOWN team, on which he had the best record in the league two years in a row before ditching them.

Merrith said:

He would if it had been as big a dick move as Lebron. KD didn't leave his HOMETOWN team, on which he had the best record in the league two years in a row before ditching them.

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But, again, KD went to the team he lost to -- and just barely. Lebron joined two other All-Stars. KD joined three. I realize it doesn't have The Decision stupidity but in terms of a superstar wanting to stack a team, KD put that stack way higher than Lebron ever did.

Merrith said:

He would if it had been as big a dick move as Lebron. KD didn't leave his HOMETOWN team, on which he had the best record in the league two years in a row before ditching them.

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Nah he just left a small market team that were perennial contenders AND were up 3-1 in the WCF and went to the team that beat them.

Even LeBron isn't that cheap. While the Cavs had good regular season records they were getting tossed early in the playoffs, unlike the Thunder.

Also as much as everyone including me hated the decision at least it was for a charity.

Gaige said:

Nah he just left a small market team that were perennial contenders AND were up 3-1 in the WCF and went to the team that beat them.

Even LeBron isn't that cheap. While the Cavs had good regular season records they were getting tossed early in the playoffs, unlike the Thunder.

Also as much as everyone including me hated the decision at least it was for a charity.

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Lebron did it twice, though, and refused to leave the ECF out of cowardice

DickTrickle said:

But, again, KD went to the team he lost to -- and just barely. Lebron joined two other All-Stars. KD joined three. I realize it doesn't have The Decision stupidity but in terms of a superstar wanting to stack a team, KD put that stack way higher than Lebron ever did.

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It doesn't come close to leaving your hometown team that lucked out to draft you #1 and bring them back to relevance. Despite Gaige claiming they were getting tossed early in the playoffs they made the Finals and got swept, then lost a tight 7 game series to the Celtics, after which they finished with the best record in the league two years running. Lebron couldn't get it done, so The Decision happened where he eviscerated his hometown. I still can't believe they welcomed him back, but I guess it's Cleveland...desperation will do that.

KD joining the Warriors happens because Lebron laid the groundwork for making an all star team to chase rings. If KD had been drafted by the Wizards and ditched them, then it might have the significance of what Lebron did. But Lebron always will be the first, and never has an entire city have to sit through a however long special to hear they were getting stabbed in the back by the hometown hero.

Ambiturner said:

Lebron did it twice, though, and refused to leave the ECF out of cowardice

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Twice? He simply went home the second time to win Cleveland a title.

Refuse to leave the East lol. What?

Better question is why didn't KD come to the east? Wiz/Cavs would've been like GSW/Spurs.

Everyone knows the 07 run was all LeBron and a lot of luck. The Cavs at the time surrounded him with scrubs and players past their prime.

The framework was laid by the Celtics who formed a big 3 and won a title. Not LeBron. The Heat happened because of the Celtics and the Cavs refusal to spend money on talent to surround LeBron with to be competitive.

Had LeBron stayed his talent alone would've got them top 3 seeds but in the playoffs the lack of talent would've resulted in more playoff early exits.

Leaving did two things. It surrounded LeBron with the talent needed to make four straight Finals. It taught him what it takes to win in the playoffs. It also put the Cavs in the lottery 4 straight years enabling them to get the talent and the assets needed to be competitive in the playoffs and reminded them if they don't spend money they don't get LeBron.

So he was able to come back to a team they would have never been able to build had he stayed there.

Also this East bullshit is stupid. If the East is so easy why don't West superstars like KD come to thrle East and form power teams to coast their way to the Finals? It's because they want to avoid LeBron as much as possible. Period. Otherwise KD would be in Washington.

Let's be real a little bit. Those records were good but the East was at its lowest point then, imo. Who was the second best player on those 66 and 61 win teams? Aging Ilgauskas? Aging Antawn Jamison? Mo Williams? They were a lot farther away from being able to beat the West than their records indicated. They were putting up turds around Lebron for the most part and Mike Brown and the GM failed to adapt to the changing NBA (though maybe he's finally on the trolley now that he's with the Warriors).

I didn't grow up near a basketball city, really, so maybe I just can't understand the depth of "betrayal" but I can understand why Lebron would want to leave more than I can KD.

Ambiturner said:

GSW situation doesn't bother me as much since it's not a typical super team like the Heat or the earlier Lakers. They acquired Curry, Thompson, and Green through the draft. None were lottery picks and Green was even a second rounder. You then had Curry go from good to video game character while on a bargain contract which gave them the ability to sign KD while only making minimal sacrifices. It took a shitload of incompetence by other teams (lol Twolves), incredible drafting, and a lot of luck to be able to build what will likely be just a 1 year thing.

That being said, I already admitted the NBA's FA system is completely fucked due to how max contracts give certain teams unfair advantages over others which leads to the disadvantaged teams having to overpay lesser players which just exacerbates the problem.

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All fair points.

I just get sick of this stupid shit after a while. Why the fuck is Green Bay Wisconsin allowed to win a Super Bowl but my team has a decreasing chance of ever being allowed to win a championship every year? I'm glad San Francisco drafted well. We draft well too, and we're a nice place to live too. It's a stupid fucking league, I hate it, even though I love the sport.

Merrith said:

It doesn't come close to leaving your hometown team that lucked out to draft you #1 and bring them back to relevance. Despite Gaige claiming they were getting tossed early in the playoffs they made the Finals and got swept, then lost a tight 7 game series to the Celtics, after which they finished with the best record in the league two years running. Lebron couldn't get it done, so The Decision happened where he eviscerated his hometown. I still can't believe they welcomed him back, but I guess it's Cleveland...desperation will do that.

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I have a love hate thing with Lebron I've mentioned that a couple times here. If you ask any real Cleveland sports fan they will say the same thing. The man can bring us 3 more rings and it still won't erase what he did with "The Decision".

But don't play some fucking holier than thou card like you wouldn't welcome him back if you were in the same position. A title is a title.

I would welcome Ben Roethlisberger and Mike Mitchell to the Bengals if it meant winning a Super Bowl.

I feel gross for typing that.

Can anyone tell me what happened when Lebron left Cleveland?

What about when KD left OKC?

And when Jordan retired for those 2 years?

I'll wait.

Pigbenis said:

But don't play some fucking holier than thou card like you wouldn't welcome him back if you were in the same position. A title is a title.

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Personally, I wouldn't if one of our stars was a home town kid that was drafted by the team and basically saved the franchise (DC fan here, though as I noted I don't follow NBA as much) left and tried to come back. But it's easy to play the "well you would do it to" card to people who aren't in the same spot.

Itlan said:

Can anyone tell me what happened when Lebron left Cleveland?

What about when KD left OKC?

And when Jordan retired for those 2 years?

I'll wait.

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Sebudai 's head exploded

KD was a game away from the Finals last year. What you mean not getting one with Westbrook? Stfu.

Again I and most any rational fan doesn't care if he goes 3-10 in thr finals now because of how magnificent the one he won last year was.