Originally posted by: magreen
What are you talking about? Jordan & the Bulls won 5 championships. Out of 5 NBA Finals teams they beat, not one of them was a complete team? :roll:Originally posted by: Treyshadow
It is one of those fantasy questions. Could a 1 man team beat a complete team? I mean Jordan never went against a complete team in the finals that he won (don't get me started there). So it is interesting to see a Jordan-esk player who can elevate his game when necessary go against a complete team (maybe not as complete as when they had robinson also) that has its share of mini-stars.
Plus that's ridiculous to call the Bulls a 1-man team when they were winning championships. They were a 1-man team in the 80's when they lost to the Pistons again and again in the East semi/finals, much like Cleveland is a 1-man team now. But when the Bulls started winning big, they had a complete team -- Pippen, Grant, Paxson for the 3-peat... then with Pippen, Rodman, Harper, Kerr for the repeat. By that time out of their starting 5, 4 were All-Stars or former All-Stars. That's a complete team of All-Stars plus a complete superstar. That's why they won 72 games that year. And you say that's not a complete team??!
My prediction for the finals: DA BULLS 144, the Spurs -12.
Originally posted by: OneOfTheseDays
If you watched any of the Cavs-Pistons series, especially the last game, and then consequently watched any game of the Suns-Spurs series you would know why the Spurs will obliterate the Cavs. The level of competition just isn't quite there in the East. And regular season don't mean sh!t, both teams are playing far better now than they were in the regular season.
Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad
so wait, is it bowen thats dirty or is it the whole spurs team? i'm trying to understand where these whiners are coming from.
Damn, they were even better than I thought.Originally posted by: ric1287
bulls won 6 titles. 2- 3 peats
Bruce Bowen guards LeBron James almost all the time, except for a couple of Manu Ginobili cameos. Against a lot of players, Bowen is omnipresent and annoying. Against James, Bowen is a barely noticeable gnat. James can use his mighty frame to put Bowen into any and every pick, and then he's often wide open. When isolated against James, Bowen can't do much to bother James' fallaway jump shot, which is sometimes a high percentage shot.
With the help of a pick, and sometimes without, James can get to the rim against the Spurs with shocking ease. Now, those of you who watched San Antonio play against Phoenix can tell you that "at the rim" is a nearly impossible place to score against the Spurs. The story is you're better off pulling up in the mid-range [against the Spurs] (which is the Achilles heel of LeBron James). I am here to tell you, sports fans, that those rules do not apply to LeBron James, who finishes at the rim against San Antonio with regularity -- at least in these two games. One reason is because often Tim Duncan is coming over to help far from the rim, and is not entrenched in the lane. But that only accounts for some possessions. On others? James is that rarest of players who just can score over and around Duncan. The genius of Duncan's defense is that he does not jump. He stays on the ground and saves his jumps for after the shot has been released. But James comes to the hoop so hard, he is so long, he is so strong, he is so fast, and he has a point of release so high, that he can score over or around a stationary Duncan -- forcing the big man into some non-routine habits.
You can see James posterizing Duncan. That play was not entirely typical of the James/Duncan relationship. But note how easily James left Bowen behind when he had a pick and a mind to get to the rim. That happened a lot.
The kryptonite of the Spurs is getting Tim Duncan in foul trouble. LeBron James could get Tim Duncan in foul trouble. I'm sure this series will be hyped in some fashion as LeBron James vs. Tim Duncan. Of course, they play totally different positions, and that would seem to be all hype. But, in fact, LeBron James vs. Tim Duncan may prove to be the key matchup for the various reasons outlined here. I should also mention that James does not look remotely scared of Duncan. You know how a lot players go away from Merlin? Not LeBron James.
James posts Bowen a fair amount. This is not the easiest way for James to score, but it's a very effective way to get Tim Duncan coming over to help -- and when he gets there, James likes to spin to the baseline and lead everyone on a race to the hoop. It's clear, as that race unfolds, who is younger. More than once, in the half-court, James had layups with Duncan entirely behind him.
The Spurs were not "going easy" on James in the footage that I saw. They tried a zone in which three players cheated way over to James. They briefly experimented with a high-energy trapping defense (James one-dribbled away from his man, and pulled up for a made jumper). They sent help early and often. And whenever James beat his man baseline -- where the passing angles are tougher -- as many as four Spurs met the young star.
Originally posted by: jjsole
A good analysis of the two Spurs/Cavs regular season games this year.
Bruce Bowen guards LeBron James almost all the time, except for a couple of Manu Ginobili cameos. Against a lot of players, Bowen is omnipresent and annoying. Against James, Bowen is a barely noticeable gnat. James can use his mighty frame to put Bowen into any and every pick, and then he's often wide open. When isolated against James, Bowen can't do much to bother James' fallaway jump shot, which is sometimes a high percentage shot.
With the help of a pick, and sometimes without, James can get to the rim against the Spurs with shocking ease. Now, those of you who watched San Antonio play against Phoenix can tell you that "at the rim" is a nearly impossible place to score against the Spurs. The story is you're better off pulling up in the mid-range [against the Spurs] (which is the Achilles heel of LeBron James). I am here to tell you, sports fans, that those rules do not apply to LeBron James, who finishes at the rim against San Antonio with regularity -- at least in these two games. One reason is because often Tim Duncan is coming over to help far from the rim, and is not entrenched in the lane. But that only accounts for some possessions. On others? James is that rarest of players who just can score over and around Duncan. The genius of Duncan's defense is that he does not jump. He stays on the ground and saves his jumps for after the shot has been released. But James comes to the hoop so hard, he is so long, he is so strong, he is so fast, and he has a point of release so high, that he can score over or around a stationary Duncan -- forcing the big man into some non-routine habits.
You can see James posterizing Duncan. That play was not entirely typical of the James/Duncan relationship. But note how easily James left Bowen behind when he had a pick and a mind to get to the rim. That happened a lot.
The kryptonite of the Spurs is getting Tim Duncan in foul trouble. LeBron James could get Tim Duncan in foul trouble. I'm sure this series will be hyped in some fashion as LeBron James vs. Tim Duncan. Of course, they play totally different positions, and that would seem to be all hype. But, in fact, LeBron James vs. Tim Duncan may prove to be the key matchup for the various reasons outlined here. I should also mention that James does not look remotely scared of Duncan. You know how a lot players go away from Merlin? Not LeBron James.
James posts Bowen a fair amount. This is not the easiest way for James to score, but it's a very effective way to get Tim Duncan coming over to help -- and when he gets there, James likes to spin to the baseline and lead everyone on a race to the hoop. It's clear, as that race unfolds, who is younger. More than once, in the half-court, James had layups with Duncan entirely behind him.
The Spurs were not "going easy" on James in the footage that I saw. They tried a zone in which three players cheated way over to James. They briefly experimented with a high-energy trapping defense (James one-dribbled away from his man, and pulled up for a made jumper). They sent help early and often. And whenever James beat his man baseline -- where the passing angles are tougher -- as many as four Spurs met the young star.
Air? :laugh:Originally posted by: Corporate Thug
i want to say spurs in 5, but i'll air on the side of caution and call it 6.
Originally posted by: Allen Iverson
spurs will win, hope LBJ wins though (notice how i said LBJ not cavs )
mavericks were the best tho
Originally posted by: supesman
Originally posted by: Allen Iverson
spurs will win, hope LBJ wins though (notice how i said LBJ not cavs )
mavericks were the best tho
If mavs were the best how come they lost in the first round
Originally posted by: Allen Iverson
spurs will win, hope LBJ wins though (notice how i said LBJ not cavs )
mavericks were the best tho
Originally posted by: Darkstar757
FOR ALL YOU CLEVELAND CAVS HATERS!
Un to you I read the following scripture for the non believers.
And the prophecy read that
One day like the pheonix rose from the ashes
That a boy will be born unto a family in the slums
This boy will go on and use the knowledge that he gains
While fighting for survival in the streets
To become a BASKETBALL leader
And in time that boy will grow to become King!!!!!!
GO CAVS
BOW BEFORE YOUR KING!!!!
:shocked: