SSC, what conspiracy is going on that LeBron James is secretly planning not to play as hard? The NBA fixed by a gambling alliance to the mob?

 

He's injured, and he uses that as a crutch. I didn't want to see it, but it's obvious. He's already counting his money for this off-season as well. He doesn't want to injure the 200 million dollar elbow. And he seems to want the glory without taking any of the responsibility for the losses.

 

LeBron James is good enough to compete for a championship with this roster. It's not as good as the Lakers, or Boston or probably even Orlando, but he has pieces that fit him, scrappy hustlers hitting the boards, Shaq to draw fouls on big men, and shooters. The Cavs were the 2nd best 3pt. shooting team this season. As a matter of fact they were top 5-10 in just about every category.

 

He doesn't need money. He isn't worried about the elbow or he could have sat. I think he's partially trying to figure out if it's worth it to come back. Kobe did the same thing. They think they can win a title on their talent alone. Then they get bounced from the playoffs a few times and they figure out they need super talented players or at least one super talented player with them. If they win this series and I'd say they still could. They have nowhere near enough talent to beat the Magic then the Lakers.

Thanks man :thumb:.

 

I don't know why but I think the Cavs have become just as important to me as UK basketball and Miami football. But, that doesn't mean that I can't be realistic about what's happened. I have always took LBJ's side, but eventually enough is enough. He's still my guy in the NBA, the Cavs are still my team, but I can't defend him/them anymore. At some point you just have to be honest.

 

Look you were defending Durant against LBJ for MVP and now you bailed on him here. Truthfulness is fine if that's what you say it is. All I know is Kobe supporters stuck with him through a lot more than ONE bad game. All of that doesn't matter though. The honest truth is the Cavs don't have the talent of the Magic or Lakers.

Edited May 12, 201016 yr by SSC

 

Clyde Drexler at that stage of his career was far better than anyone LBJ has ever played with. Also, the best player of that era (or any era) was out of the game from a gambling suspension or they would never have won one either. But you kind of helped my argument and that was 15 years ago. Hakeem or Drexler never win one alone. LBJ can't either. Kobe certainly never did and he's a top 5 all timer IMO.

 

Of course it helped your argument. My first sentence was No Team has. Nor will they ever. I wasn't trying to argue. Now, having said all that...I don't think this year's Cavs roster is that much worse than the Rockets. Clyde gives them the edge obviously. I had to look up his stats from that year. I would have guessed he averaged about 16 ppg that year. And I totally agree that they only won those two because Jordan was swinging and missing in Bham, but you can't compare the NBA as a whole from the 90's to now either IMO. I think it was much better overall back then.

 

Hakeem and the Rockets win that year without Jordan even without Drexler IMO. You put this years Jamison on that team and they still walk to the title easily.

Look you were defending Durant against LBJ for MVP and now you bailed on him here. Truthfulness is fine if that's what you say it is. All I know is Kobe supporters stuck with him through a lot more than ONE bad game. All of that doesn't maater though. The honest truth is the Cavs don't have the talent of the Magic or Lakers.

 

That was much more than one bad game. He quit. Plain and simple. If I were a Cavs fan I would be disgusted with him today as well. I was NEVER the best player on the court or field I played on...but I never quit on my team. That to me is inexcusable from a fan perspective.

That was much more than one bad game. He quit. Plain and simple. If I were a Cavs fan I would be disgusted with him today as well. I was NEVER the best player on the court or field I played on...but I never quit on my team. That to me is inexcusable from a fan perspective.

 

He didn't let Rondo score in the first half at all. To start the 2nd half he shut down Pierce. Then Rondo got going and he switched back to him. He didn't bring it on offense. Only he knows why.

It's hard to do...and I couldn't do it when I was younger (probably about your age based on reading your posts I have a pretty good feel for your age). It is funny how different watching certain players/teams are when you aren't emotionally engaged. I love watching the Kobe/LeBron debate play out. I'm not emotional at all about either. I enjoy parts of both of their games though. I was really amazed watching last night though, and then his 3 bad games comment was ... WOW. Anyway, as I said...love the passion.

 

:thumb: I think that's how I view the NFL. I don't really have a team, so I enjoy different things about the NFL than most people do that I talk with. I wanted to be a sports writer, but I realized that I couldn't be neutral enough to do a good job.

Look you were defending Durant against LBJ for MVP and now you bailed on him here. Truthfulness is fine if that's what you say it is. All I know is Kobe supporters stuck with him through a lot more than ONE bad game. All of that doesn't maater though. The honest truth is the Cavs don't have the talent of the Magic or Lakers.

 

I have never supported anyone other than LeBron for MVP. I said that I could understand if someone wanted to vote for Durant, but I never said that I would. Stop putting words in my mouth. Go back and find me a post where I said that....Oh wait you can't.

 

One bad game is nothing. Quitting on your team is. Not trying to do everything in your power to win is. Making excuses is.

 

How is it that everyone else gets it and you don't? :idunno: And you say that I act like I know it all......

I have never supported anyone other than LeBron for MVP. I said that I could understand if someone wanted to vote for Durant, but I never said that I would. Stop putting words in my mouth. Go back and find me a post where I said that....Oh wait you can't.

 

One bad game is nothing. Quitting on your team is. Not trying to do everything in your power to win is. Making excuses is.

 

How is it that everyone else gets it and you don't? :idunno: And you say that I act like I know it all......

 

Where did I say that?

 

Clyde Drexler at that stage of his career was far better than anyone LBJ has ever played with. Also, the best player of that era (or any era) was out of the game from a gambling suspension or they would never have won one either. But you kind of helped my argument and that was 15 years ago. Hakeem or Drexler never win one alone. LBJ can't either. Kobe certainly never did and he's a top 5 all timer IMO.

 

History lesson....

 

Clyde Drexler was only on the 2nd Rockets championship team. Olajuwon won the '94 Title pretty much by himself.

Where did I say that?

 

Quite some time ago. It's cool though. I'm used to a double standard. I give my opinion and I'm a know it all. Others give theirs and it's simply their opinion. :idunno:

Quite some time ago. It's cool though. I'm used to a double standard. I give my opinion and I'm a know it all. Others give theirs and it's simply their opinion. :idunno:

 

I have a hard time believing I've ever said anyone was a know it all.

History lesson....

 

Clyde Drexler was only on the 2nd Rockets championship team. Olajuwon won the '94 Title pretty much by himself.

 

Ok then it's been 16 years and the best player in the league was on a suspension. I'd still probably take the Dream's supporting cast that year over LBJ's, but we're acknowledging it's only happened once in the last how many years?

Ok then it's been 16 years and the best player in the league was on a suspension. I'd still probably take the Dream's supporting cast that year over LBJ's, but we're acknowledging it's only happened once in the last how many years?

 

The Spurs first and 2nd championship they didn't really have that much going for them outside of Duncan as far as super stars go. Robinson was way over the hill by the 2nd championship, and the rest of the roster wasn't great. For the 1999 squad Mario Ellie, Avery Johnson, and Sean Elliott were role players nothing more nothing less. So they were about like the Cavs this year. The 2003 team had a very young Tony Parker, a green Manu Ginobili, Duncan and a geezer like David Robinson. Not really the kind of roster you're acting like teams have had.

 

Detroit won with no major Super Stars defeating a two-headed monster of Kobe and Shaq. Miami won with Basically DWade. Shaq's numbers were a little better than what they are now, but he wasn't the Diesel of old. Payton was old, Walker was fat and old, White chocolate got minutes.

Ok then it's been 16 years and the best player in the league was on a suspension. I'd still probably take the Dream's supporting cast that year over LBJ's, but we're acknowledging it's only happened once in the last how many years?

The only other close to that would be the Spurs in '03. Manu was just a rookie and didn't really play much. Parker was in his second year and starting to come around. I guess it depends on how much you value Parker's play at that time. And while Shaq was on the team, I think you could also argue the Heat team that won the title was strictly on the heels of Wade's play. They won that title in spite of O'Neal and he definitely was not in prime form.

 

If anything, I believe the Cavs are similar to last decades Piston teams. While they had a solid starting 5 all around, no dominating type presence but could play defense. Cavs do not have as strong a starting five, but they have a player twice as good as anyone on those teams.

 

I am not saying they could not be more talented, but they have been the favorites going in to the tournament the past two seasons winning more games in the regular season these past two years by a long shot. They can't be as horrible as many portray.

I was typing mine as you posted, Cats. You copied.