NBA Playoffs

[ihatepants]

Game 2:

 

[ihatepants]

Game 3:

 

[ihatepants]

Game 3:

 

[ihatepants]

Game 4:

 

[Mr. French]

Game 4:

I love pants!

 

[champs99and04]

I appreciate the looks, but I don't think we really need to give this story the Bernstein and Woodward treatment. I don't really care how badly his hand was hurt. The Warriors weren't losing and LeBron didn't have anything more to prove in that series. I find the fact that we're still arguing about petty things like this when it comes to LeBron to be absurd.

Maybe he didn't have to reveal the injury, but then again that goes to show how ridiculous our culture is if the guy can't say he played with a broken damn hand.

 

[A10 fan]

Nobody has claimed Jordan was a nice guy. He was a complete dick. He wanted to eat your soul, even if you were on his own team.

And as we've mentioned before, he was also going against other GOAT-conversation teams in his early years.

This article doesn't prove anything, but there's a few good quotes. Michael Jordan's Former Teammates on How MJ Would've Handled the Modern-Day NBA

But James is unfairly criticized, Perdue says, even when he makes the correct basketball play, because there are people unwilling to acknowledge him for fear of slighting Jordan.​

I think this is probably true. Therein lies one of the important differences between the two guys. Jordan's teammates actually feared him (as did his peers); he drove them to be great simply for fear of pissing him off. Keeping them on the edge focus-wise. I'm not saying it's a healthy leadership quality, but it is an effective one.

I don't get the same sense out of LeBron and his teammates. They respect his game, but I'm not so sure as a leader. See even little things like Kyrie and Curry making fun of his workout videos. jmo

The back of the plane was the fiercely competitive high rollers' room. That's where you'd most often find Jordan, of course—until he learned of the role players' $1 blackjack games up front.

Jordan wanted in. Will Perdue, the Bulls' 1988 first-rounder, swears by his memory of the following exchange between the Hall of Famer and John Paxson:

Paxson: Why are you even bothering to play with us?

Jordan: So I can say I have your money in my pocket.

Jordan's infamous competitive drive made him the GOAT then—and would do the same in today's LeBron James- and Steph Curry-dominated NBA.

"He would somehow find a way to beat you—somehow," Perdue says. "I'm not sure how. He's not sure how, but he would stay up weeks to figure it out."​

Jordan needed to beat you at every aspect of you life like he needed to breathe. Probably would steal your wife if you weren't careful.

The stories about MJ aren't fake. Honestly, he was pathological.

I believe Jordan would have dunked on his mother if the game was on the line. If Wilt Chamberlain had had the personality of Jordan, Bill Russell's ring total would be cut in half.

 

[intlzncster]

I don't know why you guys are so insistent at claiming that his hand can't possibly be broken, but the photos show that his right hand was swelling in every game after the first. Windhorst also said in his report about his hand that LeBron wore a cast every day after game 1, just not with the media. If the contusion/fracture occurred close to or at the head of his metacarpals, it also would be completely possible to do pushups without much pain. Most of the pressure on pushups are going to be either on the lunate or hypothenar areas of the palm, with almost no pressure at the heads of the metacarpals, especially on the 5th metacarpal side (the most common location of a boxer's fracture).

Game 1:

(bah, I really can't put more than one image in a post?)

I just think it's not even a story. He's got a swollen hand, fine. Doesn't seem to cause him much pain though does it?

There's zero reason to show up to the press conference with a cast. He didn't need it during games, and was more than capable of using it. I'm sure he used it to keep swelling down. Just seems to be a classic LeBron prop at the press conference.

 

[tzznandrew]

I know people hate Dray, but I actually like him. The type of player you hate on opposing teams, but wish you had. I'd love him on the Cs (Horford is sort of like him on the court without the shenanigans). Thought this article is interesting, particularly how he reached out to non-Warriors to help them out and offer suggestions.

How Draymond Green sacrificed to build the Warriors' dynasty

 

[Walker11]

I know people hate Dray, but I actually like him. The type of player you hate on opposing teams, but wish you had. I'd love him on the Cs (Horford is sort of like him on the court without the shenanigans). Thought this article is interesting, particularly how he reached out to non-Warriors to help them out and offer suggestions.

How Draymond Green sacrificed to build the Warriors' dynasty

He has sacrificed exposing himself by being drafted by the Warriors. I don't think anyone really knows how good he would be on his own but he should not be showing up on top 10 NBA lists. Take with a grain of salt as I feel towards him as mad dog feels towards KD. I hope he gets that super max he is looking for with another team and destroys their cap for a decade.

I will say he is a good heel and makes it more fun to root against the Warriors.

 

[champs99and04]

He has sacrificed exposing himself by being drafted by the Warriors. I don't think anyone really knows how good he would be on his own but he should not be showing up on top 10 NBA lists. Take with a grain of salt as I feel towards him as mad dog feels towards KD. I hope he gets that super max he is looking for with another team and destroys their cap for a decade.

I will say he is a good heel and makes it more fun to root against the Warriors.

Really tricky guy to qualify, especially in relation to someone like Horford. It's hard to figure how he's regressed so much in the last two years as a shooter. Before that he was a legit all-NBA first team type player. Such a difference between 30% and 35% if he was on a normal team.

As an aside, can we please stop with the "(Insert Warriors player) here is an unsung hero" stories? I'm not blaming @tzznandrew for posting it because it's a good read, but the headline policeman in me has had about enough. They get plenty of respect. All of them.

 

[tzznandrew]

Really tricky guy to qualify, especially in relation to someone like Horford. It's hard to figure how he's regressed so much in the last two years as a shooter. Before that he was a legit all-NBA first team type player. Such a difference between 30% and 35% if he was on a normal team.

As an aside, can we please stop with the "(Insert Warriors player) here is an unsung hero" stories? I'm not blaming @tzznandrew for posting it because it's a good read, but the headline policeman in me has had about enough. They get plenty of respect. All of them.

Title of the article is dumb, article itself is good.

 

[Mr. French]

I would love Dray on my team...but I’d still admit he’s a jerk.

 

[MadDogRevival]

Meh. Draymond Green is a winner. The guy is clutch, he plays super hard, doesn't make boneheaded mistakes, he's fiery and injects energy into his teammates, and he's a a perfect big for a high octane offense. Guy's shot isn't what it was a few years ago, but that's not necessarily permanent. He was the guy who kept the Warriors in the game several times by hitting a string of huge 3s when everybody else was tanking.
Not an exaggeration when I say this guy is more important to the Ws than Durant. Durant is redundant, and only added a marginal amount to an already loaded team. Green is critical.
Don't like his cheap shots, but the rest of his game should be used as an example to young players.

 

[the Q]

I just think it's not even a story. He's got a swollen hand, fine. Doesn't seem to cause him much pain though does it?

There's zero reason to show up to the press conference with a cast. He didn't need it during games, and was more than capable of using it. I'm sure he used it to keep swelling down. Just seems to be a classic LeBron prop at the press conference.

I get your point, but you might wanna review what Washington State football was doing with their QB for most of his senior season.

 

[auror]

There's 0% chance Warriors supermax him. He has to qualify next year as is, but the tax ramifications are INSANE. They'd likely end up with a payroll near 165 million on a 120 million cap (or even less) and with the luxury tax line around 135 million they'd pay $30 million x 5.5 repeater multiplier and owe $165 million in luxury tax every year. Basically would double their (hypothetical already league leading) payroll. And that's assuming Klay takes a modest extension.

If instead of giving Draymond $45 million a year, they make Jordan Bell a starter (and re-sign him for FMV between $8 and $12 million). They could theoretically get under the luxury tax line and not pay any tax at all plus have a lower salary. It would legitimately save them $198 million dollars every year (so basically a billion dollars over the life of the contract). I'm not sure anyone, no matter how rich the owner, would say that having these 4 stars instead of any 3 of them is worth an additional billion dollars.

The owners have said that winning costs money, but according to cursory Google searches, successful teams only make $300-$400 million in revenue a year. They just can't pay $330 million in salary and tax alone each year.

Much more likely he signs for around a regular max deal which would cost them like $90 million a year in tax on top of the ~$150 million payroll.

 

[Adios]

I just think it's not even a story. He's got a swollen hand, fine. Doesn't seem to cause him much pain though does it?

There's zero reason to show up to the press conference with a cast. He didn't need it during games, and was more than capable of using it. I'm sure he used it to keep swelling down. Just seems to be a classic LeBron prop at the press conference.

A broken hand is no joke. Been there, done that. I had to get a cast.

Punching a blackboard is where he screwed up. He says he doesn't care about his finals record? That incident proved him wrong. He doesn't even have many options. He should join the T-Wolves.

 

[intlzncster]

A broken hand is no joke. Been there, done that. I had to get a cast.

Punching a blackboard is where he screwed up. He says he doesn't care about his finals record? That incident proved him wrong. He doesn't even have many options. He should join the T-Wolves.

A broken hand can mean many many things. It obviously didn't hinder him from doing pushups or slapping hands and doing handshakes with it.

I don't really care about the argument much, I just find it mildly amusing.

 

[intlzncster]

Finally. Finally, Stephen Jackson sets the record straight for us. We done here... haha

 

[MadDogRevival]

Kawhi wants to be in LA.
LeBron and Kawhi on the same team would be sick, and would be the best 1-2 combo in my lifetime.
Throw in Ball and a couple of role players and I'll start watching the Lakers next year for the 1st time since Magic had to quit.

 

[champs99and04]

I get the Lakers appeal for Kawhi and George, I don't for LeBron.

 

[Rocktheworld]

I get the Lakers appeal for Kawhi and George, I don't for LeBron.

From a non-basketball perspective I do. LA is great, his wife wants there or Ohio for the kids, he has several business ventures in LA... Bron clearly has a lot planned business-wise for post-NBA work, and LA is the place. Not to mention getting in super tight with Magic and the doors he opens...

But from a pure basketball perspective I don’t see it at all either

 

[Walker11]

Kawhi wants to be in LA.
LeBron and Kawhi on the same team would be sick, and would be the best 1-2 combo in my lifetime.
Throw in Ball and a couple of role players and I'll start watching the Lakers next year for the 1st time since Magic had to quit.

I would be intrigued by that combo, for sure, but the rumor that gets to me is the Celtics having interest. I always grew up hating the Celtics but I like Stevens and they have the most assets to make a realistic trade. Brown, plus a good pick would be better than anything the Lakers could offer and they could even throw in a guy like Rozier. That Kawhi, Tatum, Hayward wing rotation would be awesome to watch. I don't see the Lakers trade that beats that unless they are going to decimate their young collection of talent, that I am not even incredibly high on to begin with.

 

[MadDogRevival]

That Kawhi, Tatum, Hayward wing rotation would be awesome to watch. I don't see the Lakers trade that beats that unless they are going to decimate their young collection of talent, that I am not even incredibly high on to begin with.

Agree with everything you wrote.
Kawhi might push for LA for the simple reason that he wants to play with LBJ. Who knows. And, of course, if the Spurs don't agree, then I'm sure Leonard's quad can flare up again to help them see the light. Lol. He was already gone last year.
Would love to see Spurs agree to KL to the 76ers and KL, LBJ, and Embiid end up on the same team. That's a championship team right there.

 

[champs99and04]

I apologize if this is stating the obvious, but I would think any possible deal hinges on Kawhi's willingness to sign an immediate extension. Do we have any indication he's willing to do that anywhere other than LA?

Boston can certainly make a deal, but shipping away Brown and future picks for a player who might not re-sign, when you're already putting your chips in the middle with Kyrie, is a big risk. I don't know if Philly has enough unless they include Simmons (which I would consider, assuming everything else falls into place behind that).