NBA/ Basketball thread

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SerenityNigh said:
It's also hard for me not to compare players by style or role. For some there are few comparisons: Wilt, Shaq, Kareem, and Hakeem were unique and elite big men. But Russell (who I've admittedly not seen) and Duncan seem to play a similar style. Jordan and Kobe are quite similar. I rate Magic and LeBron as very similar players, although the positional comparison between LeBron and Bird is interesting. (Likewise, may be interesting to compare Bird and Curry, although Bird played decent defense).
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Hi mate how are you today
 
wm02 said:
I gotcha. I might overrate players like Bird, Magic and LeBron. Just feel that, unlike MJ and Kobe, their superior passing makes all of their teammates better
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I love Magic and Bird but I think LeBron has gone past them. He has the passing vision that they have but also the physical ability to do whatever he wants on the court. To lead the series in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals is pretty incredible and at the same time he is also the best one on one defender out there as well.
 
SerenityNigh said:
Agreed, I just think the list is very big and the top is very narrow. Difference between #1 and #5 is far more than the difference between #5 and #15. I argue this all the time with a Kobe-loving friend (mostly to enjoy the arguing; but also, Kobe's great but is he that great?).

#1 Jordan--hard to argue this very much; nobody beat him and if he had not retired mid-career, he would most likely have won 8 consecutive titles.

#2-5 Wilt, Russell, Kareem, Magic and Bird are the traditional arguments for these spots. Kobe and LeBron are the new entrants to that conversation. I think Duncan gets much less fanfare than he deserves, but maybe he doesn't make the cut. But you've still got guys like Oscar Robertson, Hakeem, Shaq (not my favorite), and probably a few others, who aren't far off and should be in the conversation. Plus, maybe Curry continues to be great and should be in this list someday?

That's 13, and I don't see much between the top and bottom, outside of Jordan.
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I think LeBron is a level up from Kobe. Don't know how many people will agree with this though.
 
bobbydigital said:
I think LeBron is a level up from Kobe. Don't know how many people will agree with this though.
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On Kobe and Duncan, from 1999 to 2014, one of these two guys was in the NBA Finals 13 out of 16 years. Each has 5 rings, and between them are 10 Championships and 3 Finals losses*. LeBron has 7 Finals appearances, and an impressive 6 consecutive appearances (albeit from the East, which has been a much weaker Conference for some time), but his Finals record is 3-4 and his head to head vs Duncan is 1-2 (never faced Kobe in the Finals).

Obviously, that's not all that matters in rating a player, but let's not sell Kobe (and Duncan) short on what they've achieved.

*Stating the obvious, but both playing their entire careers with teams in the West, they could not face each other in the Finals.
 
*While I'm waxing poetic, we've witnessed the ushering in of a new era and we are fully in the LeBron era, now that Kobe and Duncan have passed. I'm hoping for a sustained LeBron-Curry duel, which is what the NBA needs.

The eras in my living memory:

1) Magic vs Bird. It was Lakers (5) vs Celtics (3), with some early and late battles by the 76ers (1) and Pistons (2)
2) Jordan. He got 6 and Hakeem and Clyde got 2 during his absence. Karl Malone and John Stockton may be all-time greats, but they missed their chances to get rings.
3) Kobe (and Duncan). Won 10 titles together in 16 years and saw the emergence of LeBron.
4) LeBron (vs Curry?). Let's see what the lad can do. 3 rings is a decent start.
 
SerenityNigh said:
On Kobe and Duncan, from 1999 to 2014, one of these two guys was in the NBA Finals 13 out of 16 years. Each has 5 rings, and between them are 10 Championships and 3 Finals losses*. LeBron has 7 Finals appearances, and an impressive 6 consecutive appearances (albeit from the East, which has been a much weaker Conference for some time), but his Finals record is 3-4 and his head to head vs Duncan is 1-2 (never faced Kobe in the Finals).

Obviously, that's not all that matters in rating a player, but let's not sell Kobe (and Duncan) short on what they've achieved.

*Stating the obvious, but both playing their entire careers with teams in the West, they could not face each other in the Finals.
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Not trying to sell them short. Both Duncan and Kobe have had impressive careers and I rate them highly.

I find it quite hard to compare different positions but put it this way though, if you are having a hypothetical draft of those 3 players at any stage of their careers, I am going LeBron with no hesitation.
 
bobbydigital said:
I love Magic and Bird but I think LeBron has gone past them. He has the passing vision that they have but also the physical ability to do whatever he wants on the court. To lead the series in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals is pretty incredible and at the same time he is also the best one on one defender out there as well.
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Magic wasn't a great shooter when he was young, but he was like LeBron in that he could do it all (plus, his passing was superb). Sometimes it's hard to separate fact from myth, but Magic was the one who "could play all 5 positions."

 
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