Event 2018 NBA Finals, Warriors vs Cavaliers.

[Chris Craig]

Well, if there's ever a time to give a guy "a chance", it's definitely game 3 of the finals...

Tell the Warriors your gameplan why don't you jeez

 

[KingSpeed]

Tell the Warriors your gameplan why don't you jeez

I wonder how GS will change their schemes.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

I wonder how GS will change their schemes.

They probably won’t, I think outside of Lebron they don’t really care who Cleveland rolls out...

 

[Boob-No-More]

I think it's a good move. No one's making shots. Give him a chance.

What you call a good move, I call a desperation move.

At least we agree that it's a move.

BNM

 

[dviss1]

("but LeBron is most directly responsible for the ruining of the modern NBA with players forming super teams")

Anyone accused LeBron of this is just dead wrong and doesn't know their NBA history.

 

[dviss1]

Tell the Warriors your gameplan why don't you jeez

Lol. That's not a gameplan.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

Anyone accused LeBron of this is just dead wrong and doesn't know their NBA history.

Why doesn’t Bosh and Wade take heat for joining forces too? Super teams have basically always been a part of the NBA.
Lebron, has places where he can be critiqued because he’s human, like the rest of us, but he didn’t really start that trend. Shaq post LAL traveled to Miami and Cleveland hoping to team up with younger guys to help get championships, when Lebron, Bosh and Wade came together it was to try to beat Boston, who
Had beat them down for a while.
While I can understand, people who didn’t like the “the Decision”, especially if you’re a cabs fan, he wasn’t the 1st or last team up with great players in free agency...

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

Lol. That's not a gameplan.

Maybe it’s harsh, but I sometimes question if Lue even has a game plan other than please Lebron have 40 points and a triple double...

 

[dviss1]

Why doesn’t Bosh and Wade take heat for joining forces too? Super teams have basically always been a part of the NBA.
Lebron, has places where he can be critiqued because he’s human, like the rest of us, but he didn’t really start that trend. Shaq post LAL traveled to Miami and Cleveland hoping to team up with younger guys to help get championships, when Lebron, Bosh and Wade came together it was to try to beat Boston, who
Had beat them down for a while.
While I can understand, people who didn’t like the “the Decision”, especially if you’re a cabs fan, he wasn’t the 1st or last team up with great players in free agency...

I didn't like The Decision either.

But it's like people forgot we live in a capitalist society.

When I found out he made 6 million (3 of which went to TB&GC) I didn't care anymore.

"An estimated 10 million people watched the show, which elicited all sorts of reaction the minute he infamously said that he would "take my talents to South Beach" and join the Heat.

James has said many times that he regrets certain aspects of the hastily arranged program, but adds that the money it raised made it more than worth doing.

"Very few people, with one hour of their day, one hour of their life -- that's all that show was -- can impact this many people," said Boys & Girls Clubs Vice President Frank Sanchez."

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

I didn't like The Decision either.

But it's like people forgot we live in a capitalist society.

When I found out he made 6 million (3 of which went to TB&GC) I didn't care anymore.

Nah I know it went to the boys and girls club, and honestly it didn’t matter that much to me, he played out his contract dudes free to do what he wants. I feel the same about KD and LMA, though with KD I think it looked kind of like a “weak” move to go to a 73 win team that he had just lost too, but still his decision, his life.
Athletes don’t owe fans anything we gotta stop acting like they do, sure we can criticize them it comes with the job they do, but ultimately they have to make their own decisions.
If I had one critique of Lebron it would be the whole “Lebron the GM”, stuff and I will completely admit I don’t know how much power he has had over Cleveland , or ofhow much pressure his “camp” put on them to pay guys like JR Smith, love, Thomspon, etc. the roster around him isn’t very good, but how much of that was on him? Don’t know obviously he has all the leverage over there but who knows how much he’s used it.
Anyways the guys an awesome basketball player, yeah it sucks the Blazers aren’t in the Final, but watching Lebron be great is still fun to me.

 

[Pinwheel1]

I don't recall the media pushing him out of Cleveland. At that point, it felt like it was all about LeBron seeking the limelight and a stronger supporting cast. Remember the jokes back then about him not playing well in the 4th quarter..."LeBron and 50 Cent are forming a group. They're calling it $1.25!" He needed a closer like Wade. It's weird to think back, now that LeBron is a virtually unstoppable force throughout games. Other than his anti-Kobe lack of killer instinct, there wasn't much to be critical of him for.

When he returned to Cleveland, the ultra slick PR spin he put on it was Miami was his 4 years to go away to college and grow, having never experienced that "away from home" opportunity. No media angle there.

I did not say anyone pushed him out. But yeah I do think the constant criticism of him not being able to win championships at that time did take a toll on him. It does for most players. It will for Dame at some point.....the media is already implying Dame is wasting his time in Portland. Will the constant chatter eventually take a toll? Did Clyde become a better player just by winning in Houston at the tail end of his career? Has Durant changed his legacy because he joined a championship team in GS? Not in my mind. I can tell who was great and who was not regardless of their jewelry.

 

[handiman]

Why doesn’t Bosh and Wade take heat for joining forces too? Super teams have basically always been a part of the NBA.

They had been formed organically prior to the Heatles. Drafts, trades, free agents...but not a group of established stars realizing they could leverage things in their favor. As soon as the players became more important to team shaping than the GMs, the league quickly devolved into the non-competitive mess we see today.

Wade takes no heat because he was already there. Bosh was the third wheel and is easily overlooked. LeBron was the driving force.

 

[handiman]

I did not say anyone pushed him out.

You just shifted the blame to the media is all...

But yeah I do think the constant criticism of him not being able to win championships at that time did take a toll on him.

Articles supporting that view? I don't recall that ever being the discussion. It was still very early in his career and he had been to the Finals. That sounds like a strawman argument you're presenting.

 

[Pinwheel1]

You just shifted the blame to the media is all...



Articles supporting that view? I don't recall that ever being the discussion. It was still very early in his career and he had been to the Finals. That sounds like a strawman argument you're presenting.

Yes I did shift it to the media, but I was very careful to use the word IF. Not saying they were to blame I said if anyone was to blame start there.... not Lebron.

Strawman argument? Did you not have satellite radio during that time?

 

[KingSpeed]

Why doesn’t Bosh and Wade take heat for joining forces too? Super teams have basically always been a part of the NBA.
Lebron, has places where he can be critiqued because he’s human, like the rest of us, but he didn’t really start that trend. Shaq post LAL traveled to Miami and Cleveland hoping to team up with younger guys to help get championships, when Lebron, Bosh and Wade came together it was to try to beat Boston, who
Had beat them down for a while.
While I can understand, people who didn’t like the “the Decision”, especially if you’re a cabs fan, he wasn’t the 1st or last team up with great players in free agency...

LeBron, Wade, and Bosh were three of the 4 best players in PER in the league in 2009-10. Then all 3, as free agents, decided to sign with the same team. When has this happened before or since? The GS situation was Durant merely joining a team that was a champion without him. This doesn't mean that teams haven't had multiple great players in the past. The 1980s Celtics and Lakers were loaded. But it's not like Magic, Jordan, and Bird didn't all decide to sign with the Bucks one year.

 

[KingSpeed]

I did not say anyone pushed him out. But yeah I do think the constant criticism of him not being able to win championships at that time did take a toll on him. It does for most players. It will for Dame at some point.....the media is already implying Dame is wasting his time in Portland. Will the constant chatter eventually take a toll? Did Clyde become a better player just by winning in Houston at the tail end of his career? Has Durant changed his legacy because he joined a championship team in GS? Not in my mind. I can tell who was great and who was not regardless of their jewelry.

Durant showed he had no competitive spirit. A recent MVP who decided to just go relax on a team that didn't need him. Durant, despite the MVP award, will never be considered one of the greats for this reason. Jordan didn't join the Pistons. He beat them.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

LeBron, Wade, and Bosh were three of the 4 best players in PER in the league in 2009-10. Then all 3, as free agents, decided to sign with the same team. When has this happened before or since? The GS situation was Durant merely joining a team that was a champion without him. This doesn't mean that teams haven't had multiple great players in the past. The 1980s Celtics and Lakers were loaded. But it's not like Magic, Jordan, and Bird didn't all decide to sign with the Bucks one year.

Well in Lebrons case if he wants to go play with Bosh and Wade that’s fine, why is it only ok if the a GM goes out and gets Ray Allen and Garnett, but when a couple players want to play together it’s a problem?
I agree with KD, obviously his choice, it’s worked out for him he’s about to get a 2nd ring, but I will always have an issue seeing him as one of those in the “GOAT” convo’s. Ultimately when it comes down to it these guys have every right to go play where they want to and with who they want.

 

[KingSpeed]

Well in Lebrons case if he wants to go play with Bosh and Wade that’s fine, why is it only ok if the a GM goes out and gets Ray Allen and Garnett, but when a couple players want to play together it’s a problem?
I agree with KD, obviously his choice, it’s worked out for him he’s about to get a 2nd ring, but I will always have an issue seeing him as one of those in the “GOAT” convo’s. Ultimately when it comes down to it these guys have every right to go play where they want to and with who they want.

Yes, but some of that kills the experience for the fans. Ultimately, we pay their salaries.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Yes, but some of that kills the experience for the fans. Ultimately, we pay their salaries.

Ultimately, the networks and corporate sponsors pay their salaries to a far greater degree than the fans do.

 

[handiman]

Strawman argument? Did you not have satellite radio during that time?

No, and I still don't. Are we using the talking heads as resources now? That would actually be ironic, because all these LeBron as GOAT threads sound an awful lot like haters-turned-apologists, being too easily influenced by the prevailing direction the hot air is blowing from the talking heads' mouths.

 

[dviss1]

Cleveland's gonna win tonight.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

Ultimately, the networks and corporate sponsors pay their salaries to a far greater degree than the fans do.

Networks and corporations need common folk to buy or watch their products. The economy is built around us normies working for 100k a year, and buying what they’re selling.

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

Cleveland's gonna win tonight.

I hope so, but I doubt it. Iggy is back.

 

[Dom McBlazer]

Warriors want to win the trophy at home

It's definitely possible, but I'm sure they want that sweep badly.

Cleveland's gonna win tonight.

In blowout fashion I think. Game 3 hasn't been kind to the Warriors in these recent NBA Finals.

 

[calvin natt]

Durant showed he had no competitive spirit. A recent MVP who decided to just go relax on a team that didn't need him. Durant, despite the MVP award, will never be considered one of the greats for this reason. Jordan didn't join the Pistons. He beat them.

He’s competitive and he isn’t relaxing. So all wrong. If Durant left OKC and came to Portland you would love him. So this is not about leaving a team or joining a great team. It’s about you and your team.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

He’s competitive and he isn’t relaxing. So all wrong. If Durant left OKC and came to Portland you would love him. So this is not about leaving a team or joining a great team. It’s about you and your team.

There’s some truth to that but it’s a lot more than just about one team. KD a MVP winner, joined a team that was already being discussed as one of the best ever, it literally took all but 2-3 teams out of even being competitive. It’s about the fact that now 27ish teams basically have 0 shot of being competitive unless there are injuries. Sure the NBA has always had super teams but what KD did is liked after Utah lost the first time Karl Malone joined the Bulls. It hasn’t just hurt Portland, but it’s basically made 1/3rd of the league go into shut down mode and hope in 6-7 years they’ll have lucked out in the draft. It has made even good teams look at themselves and say we aren’t even close.
So yeah, there’s truth in there that it sucks for the Blazers, but KD’s move to the warriors has really sucked for NBA fans in general. My dad stopped watching because of it, and every time we talk about basketball he says, “if you don’t cheer for Lebron or the Warriors, you’re cheering for injury because that’s your only real shot.”
I hate Houston but I’ll give them props for at least putting a roster together that made it hard on em.
So sure if KD went to the Blazers yeah that’s be great, but even so that wouldn’t have been close to the same as joining a team already in the conversation as one of the best ever.

 

[Chris Craig]

Networks and corporations need common folk to buy or watch their products. The economy is built around us normies working for 100k a year, and buying what they’re selling.

I wish I was making 8 grand a month

 

[handiman]

He’s competitive and he isn’t relaxing. So all wrong. If Durant left OKC and came to Portland you would love him. So this is not about leaving a team or joining a great team. It’s about you and your team.

Yeah, not buying that. Many people thought, early in the process at least, Durant was going home to Washington. No one would have given him grief over that. The only team aside from Golden State that would have resulted in the mass "coattail" criticism is Cleveland.

Peyton Manning said it best: "The US Women's Gymnastics team was so dominant, Kevin Durant told me backstage he wants to join that team next year."

 

[Chris Craig]

Game 3

 

[Orion Bailey]

Oh shit. This is still going on?