Does Lebron James have to......

[gametime]

No, it really isn't. Regardless of what the Finals' record reflects, the fact is, since the early 2000s, teams in the west need to be around the upper 40s to 50 wins to make the playoffs, in the east multiple teams make it below .500. Let's not overthink this. That doesn't mean the top 1-2 teams can't annually compete in the west, but it is a much rougher road to win in the west than the east.

 

And winning the East in the Jordan era was a walk in the park most every year in the 6 of 8 he got a title. It was a lot tougher in the 6 before the title. How'd MJ do then?

 

Jordan is the 2nd best basketball player of all time. Good on him... :banana:

[LIPTON BASH]

Did the Spurs and Lakers have to play all of those teams on the way to an easy title? And if it was easy, why doesn't the West have a huge advantage in rings since LeBron entered the league?

 

Who gives a crap how good team 8 and 10 is? This is about the top, and the top has been better in this era. It really isn't close...

 

I have no clue what this means ?

 

In the the West most years 1 thru 8 habe all been pretty good for the last decade. With very evenly matched teams. The bottom of the East in the playoffs have been a bye.

 

Heck since 2000 a terrible Nets team won the east twice and a terrible sixers team.

 

LeBron is great . I'm not a LeBron hater . I save my hate for Kobe. But to act like questioning his compeition in the east is a crazy question seems silly.

 

They played a Celtics team who's best player was Isaiah Thomas this year in the first round. Come on.

[LIPTON BASH]

And winning the East in the Jordan era was a walk in the park most every year in the 6 of 8 he got a title. It was a lot tougher in the 6 before the title. How'd MJ do then?

 

Jordan is the 2nd best basketball player of all time. Good on him... :banana:

 

How did your best player fair when he was the best player on his team ? I'm assuming your meaning the Big O

[gametime]

How did your best player fair when he was the best player on his team ? I'm assuming your meaning the Big O

 

I just stated clearly LeBron is a better basketball player then Jordan. I followed that up with stating MJ is the 2nd best player of all time. Try to keep up... :thumb:

[LIPTON BASH]

I just stated clearly LeBron is a better basketball player then Jordan. I followed that up with stating MJ is the 2nd best player of all time. Try to keep up... :thumb:

 

Question still stands. Losing record in the finals I belive.

[gametime]

I have no clue what this means ?

 

In the the West most years 1 thru 8 habe all been pretty good for the last decade. With very evenly matched teams. The bottom of the East in the playoffs have been a bye.

 

Heck since 2000 a terrible Nets team won the east twice and a terrible sixers team.

 

LeBron is great . I'm not a LeBron hater . I save my hate for Kobe. But to act like questioning his compeition in the east is a crazy question seems silly.

 

They played a Celtics team who's best player was Isaiah Thomas this year in the first round. Come on.

 

Here is what we know as FACT. Without Bron the Cavs are an absolute joke of a franchise. With him they play in the NBA Finals. On that, there is NO debate.

 

If the East is as putrid as you claim, why didn't the Cavs win at all before he was drafted or came back? I'll be waiting...

[gametime]

And that is hard core reality. The Cavs have been a team positioning for the #1 pick every year Bron hasn't been in uniform. With him they play for Eastern Conference and NBA titles. This isn't hard to see if you can look at it with any objectivity. The Bulls were still really good without Jordan. The Cavs are the 76ers without Bron...

[LIPTON BASH]

Here is what we know as FACT. Without Bron the Cavs are an absolute joke of a franchise. With him they play in the NBA Finals. On that, there is NO debate.

 

If the East is as putrid as you claim, why didn't the Cavs win at all before he was drafted or came back? I'll be waiting...

 

LeBron is great never disputed that fact. I just don't think he is better than Jordan. I don't think that is crazy. I just made a point on one blemish he couldn't control.

 

But what is also a fact this LeBron team was .500 until they made the two trades. So it wasn't all LeBron.

[gametime]

LeBron is great never disputed that fact. I just don't think he is better than Jordan. I don't think that is crazy. I just made a point on one blemish he couldn't control.

 

But what is also a fact this LeBron team was .500 until they made the two trades. So it wasn't all LeBron.

 

:lol2:

 

Mega trades for Mosgov and JR Smith/Iman Shumpert. Just stop. This is silly...

[PurplePride92]

My guy '92 is on fire in this thread. It's a thing of beauty.

 

I love you too, lil homey!

[LIPTON BASH]

:lol2:

 

Mega trades for Mosgov and JR Smith/Iman Shumpert. Just stop. This is silly...

 

If your disputing they weren't major trades for the turnaround of the season then I'm not the one being silly in this discussion.

[PurplePride92]

I honestly don't think you believe the two situations are remotely the same. You're smarter than that. I'm not saying he had to win, but to be punked and have a multiple time MVP throw in the towel out of fear is not normal from the all time great.

 

And for for the record, I think LeBron can get to the top, but that was as embarrassing and pathetic display of hoops you will ever find and it weighs heavily in this debate.

 

How are they not similar? That's why I don't understand why MJ gets a pass on his early failures. People call it Lebron punking out in those 2011 NBA Finals. I call it the moment DWade realized that the Heat no longer belong to him. Wade was still the "leader" of the Heat at that time. That was LBJ's first year with the Heat and he submitted to Wade. After that season he no longer submitted to Wade and those are the years Lebron grew as a player and as a leader.

 

I guess we all forget that MJ shot the ball a lot like Kobe did when he was younger and before he learned how to defeat old superstars who no longer had the bodies to keep up with MJ.

[PurplePride92]

The West has been much deeper and it's really not even a debate is it ?

 

Nope but it proves that the East being weak isn't that much of a factor on anything if the East still produces World Champions.

[LIPTON BASH]

The only challenge the Bulls got in the Eastern Conference Playoffs in their championship years was in 1998 against the Pacers. In 91,92, 93, 96 and 97 they never played a game 7 in the Eastern Conference Finals.

 

And those Knicks teams were better than any other Eastern conference team during the LeBron era not counting teams LeBron was on.

 

Let's be honest the year LeBron cavs got swept by the Spurs that Cavs team would of been lucky to make it out of the first round of the West. The East was bad.

[LIPTON BASH]

Nope but it proves that the East being weak isn't that much of a factor on anything if the East still produces World Champions.

 

So we don't think the fact teams from the West face stiffer competition and more competive series leading to the finals factors in at all to the final results ?