Game Thread The NBA 2020 Finals! Heat vs Lakers

[KSF-ERIC]

Well @KSF-ERIC I was wrong the Lakers did lose more than one game in a series but I still think they are very much the best team in this league this year.

We’ll see.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

Not that Jimmy Butler had a bad reputation after some not-so-great stints in Minnesota and Philly, but he's going to be look at a lot differently after this playoff run. What a warrior.

Not so great stunts?? He got the Wolves to only playoffs in like 16 years. And he got Sixers to game 7 of second round against champs. How’d those teams do this year? He has always been a warrior.

 

[Tince]

Not so great stunts?? He got the Wolves to only playoffs in like 16 years. And he got Sixers to game 7 of second round against champs. How’d those teams do this year? He has always been a warrior.

Minnesota traded him for Covington & Saric. Philly traded him for Josh Richardson. Not what I would expect to get back for the guy we've been watching these playoffs.

 

[BigGameDamian]

 

[THE HCP]

lebron was damn near perfect

But he is so "old"!

 

[THE HCP]

Man, I'd love to see a Game 7!

 

[THE HCP]

Do you guys think the lakers would have closed it out tonight if LeBron wasn't so "OLD"?

 

[Chris Craig]

I'm wondering about that injury to Davis? That did not look like a simple bump or bruise and it did hamper him the rest of the way.
I wonder of that lingers around for a day or two?

Reinjured his heel. He had a bruised heel earlier in the playoffs. At least that us what LA is saying.

Commentators used that as an excuse as the buzzer sounded.

 

[THE HCP]

Just finishing up watching this game...... first off, hats off to Jimmy Butler and how he has stepped his game up. Second off, if you STILL don't respect LeBron's game fuck you and your opinion on the game of basketball. You are truly watching the best player to ever play.
I hated Larry Bird when I was growing up, and didn't start to respect his game until after he retired, but I was also a dumb ass kid.
A grown man should be able to acknowledge this man's greatness. #GOAT

 

[PHXBlazer1]

Do you guys think the lakers would have closed it out tonight if LeBron wasn't so "OLD"?

Alright dude we get it..only one guy said he was “OLD”..and he is by NBA standards, but he’s still the best player in the game.

 

[kjironman1]

Alright dude we get it..only one guy said he was “OLD”..and he is by NBA standards, but he’s still the best player in the game.

Personally i'm thinking that if the Lakers actually do win this Championship this year that he might be right though. Not sure how many more years this man can play at this level. We have all just watched what a small injury to Davis can do. LeBron is at risk as much as any other player. Just a groin pull or hamstring could change everything. Does LeBron have enough left to push this team through another season and then a real Playoffs? He would need to be a number 1 seed to get the same draws. Think if they were a 4 or 5 seed? Their path is much tougher. If the Heat somehow pull off a victory Sunday how much more does James have in the tank will be asked by more than just one poster.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Even though I predicted a 4-1 Lakers win, I would be happy for them to lose tonight just because they're wearing the stupid Mamba jerseys, so it's like emotional manipulation.

 

[Road Ratt]

Just finishing up watching this game...... first off, hats off to Jimmy Butler and how he has stepped his game up. Second off, if you STILL don't respect LeBron's game fuck you and your opinion on the game of basketball. You are truly watching the best player to ever play.
I hated Larry Bird when I was growing up, and didn't start to respect his game until after he retired, but I was also a dumb ass kid.
A grown man should be able to acknowledge this man's greatness. #GOAT

A grown up man who has watched the NBA for decades should be able to acknowledge that the rules have changed to make the game easier on scorers like LeBron. Today's NBA rules are more offense friendly, and today's NBA players exploit the hell out of that fact... every single game. The game has changed so much since Jordan's days that it isn't even the same animal. To compare today's era to any other era in the NBA is simply a joke.

It's time to bury GOAT in every sport, as there is literally no way to ever settle an argument when the rules of the game have changed so much from one era to the next. Instead it's time to build a Mount Rushmore of GOAT's from every era rather than just one overall GOAT.

 

[kjironman1]

A grown up man who has watched the NBA for decades should be able to acknowledge that the rules have changes to make the game easier on scorers like LeBron. Today's NBA rules are more offense friendly, and today's NBA players exploit the hell out of that fact... every single game. The game has changed so much since Jordan's days that it isn't even the same animal. To compare today's era to any other era in the NBA is simply a joke.

It's time to bury GOAT in every sport, as there is literally no way to ever settle an argument when the rules of the game have changed so much from one era to the next. Instead it's time to build a Mount Rushmore of GOAT's from every era rather than just one overall GOAT.

Yeah this is starting to be the case in every sport for sure. Basketball maybe the most but Football is really close. You cannot compare the way Bradshaw and Montana had to play with Tom Brady. Think Ronnie Lott hitting a receiver and how flags would be thrown in today's game.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Personally i'm thinking that if the Lakers actually do win this Championship this year that he might be right though. Not sure how many more years this man can play at this level. We have all just watched what a small injury to Davis can do. LeBron is at risk as much as any other player. Just a groin pull or hamstring could change everything. Does LeBron have enough left to push this team through another season and then a real Playoffs? He would need to be a number 1 seed to get the same draws. Think if they were a 4 or 5 seed? Their path is much tougher. If the Heat somehow pull off a victory Sunday how much more does James have in the tank will be asked by more than just one poster.

So much of "greatness" is having an indestructible body. Jordan's only injury was when he broke his leg. Did Kobe ever have a serious injury? Wilt Chamberlain was basically Superman. Whereas poor old Bill Walton, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, et. al.

 

[illmatic99]

I still can't get over how good Jimmy has been. The only guy who really got to Lebron's level individually in any finals series against him has been KD. Jimmy has played James evenly. Just unbelievable-- we need to rethink our current NBA tiers.

 

[tlongII]

So much of "greatness" is having an indestructible body. Jordan's only injury was when he broke his leg. Did Kobe ever have a serious injury? Wilt Chamberlain was basically Superman. Whereas poor old Bill Walton, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, et. al.

Jordan broke his foot, not his leg.

 

[tlongII]

So much of "greatness" is having an indestructible body. Jordan's only injury was when he broke his leg. Did Kobe ever have a serious injury? Wilt Chamberlain was basically Superman. Whereas poor old Bill Walton, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, et. al.

Kobe tore his achilles.

 

[blazerkor]

Personally i'm thinking that if the Lakers actually do win this Championship this year that he might be right though. Not sure how many more years this man can play at this level. We have all just watched what a small injury to Davis can do. LeBron is at risk as much as any other player. Just a groin pull or hamstring could change everything. Does LeBron have enough left to push this team through another season and then a real Playoffs? He would need to be a number 1 seed to get the same draws. Think if they were a 4 or 5 seed? Their path is much tougher. If the Heat somehow pull off a victory Sunday how much more does James have in the tank will be asked by more than just one poster.

I don't know why it would be asked. The guy still blows by everyone in both the half court and fast breaks. Not one part of his game has fallen off. The other thing I posted about the other day is that even when he does start to slow down which might not be for another few years, his body and skills are built to stay effective as long as he doesn't have a catastrophic injury. Once he loses speed he can start playing as a post up offensive scorer/facilitator and a low post defender (the guy has great old man game). I think it would be very LeBron like to try and be the oldest player ever to lace them up and that would be 12 years from now. I think he'll at least play 7 more seasons so he can have most games played and most seasons in the league. I think he'll go after Kareem's all time scoring record and probably end up second to John Stockton in assists. This is LeBron James we're talking about I knew he was a different kind of athlete than we'd ever seen when he was sixteen, the guy is a freak and he's going to keep doing unimaginable freakish things going forward. I think the question of how much he has left in the tank is kind of absurd to be honest.

The other part of your post that I find funny is the idea that he won't be able to get the Lakers to another championship after this season. Regardless of if they win this one which I'm pretty sure they will next season they will be better not worse. AD will re-sign and be better, Kuzma will be better, it would be so typically Lakers to trade Danny Green for an upgrade, they'll likely have Avery Bradley in the playoffs, they will get a really good player with the MLE and they will get some other ring chasers for the min. Also knowing just how lucky this franchise has always gotten in the past or maybe it's how good they've been, they will probably get someone late in the first round who can make an impact starting next season. This was actually the season they were most vulnerable for the next several seasons. Next season Bradley, KCP, Kuzma, LeBron and AD would be the best starting lineup in the league but like I said maybe they get somebody better than Bradley, KCP and/or Kuzma with the MLE, getting someone really good for next to nothing or by trading Green. Any way you cut it they will be the favorites going into next season even over a healthy Golden State squad.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Kyle Kuzma honoring Kobe in his own way:

 

[wizenheimer]

Yeah this is starting to be the case in every sport for sure. Basketball maybe the most but Football is really close. You cannot compare the way Bradshaw and Montana had to play with Tom Brady. Think Ronnie Lott hitting a receiver and how flags would be thrown in today's game.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Kobe tore his achilles.

a) He was done by then
b) Why do you think he's not in the GOAT conversation (outside of Laker groupie)?

Forgot Magic's HIV diagnosis. That's almost certainly why it's not a three-way conversation with Jordan and James every time about GOAT.

 

[tlongII]

a) He was done by that

FIFY

 

[Rastapopoulos]

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Jordan broke his foot, not his leg.

Important detail noted.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Huh. Kobe strangely absent.



Must be #s 9 and 10, which I can't see because of the new fucking paywall:

 

[KSF-ERIC]

Just finishing up watching this game...... first off, hats off to Jimmy Butler and how he has stepped his game up. Second off, if you STILL don't respect LeBron's game fuck you and your opinion on the game of basketball. You are truly watching the best player to ever play.
I hated Larry Bird when I was growing up, and didn't start to respect his game until after he retired, but I was also a dumb ass kid.
A grown man should be able to acknowledge this man's greatness. #GOAT

Jordan is still the GOAT. LeBron has the chance to surpass him but he certainly didn’t last night.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

Btw- can we all agree that LeBron’s candidacy for GOAT is over if he blows this?

 

[kjironman1]

I find funny is the idea that he won't be able to get the Lakers to another championship after this season.

The point was more if he has any lingering injury type issue. I am very certain if all remain healthy they can repeat. But We are seeing just how precarious that can be. If he plays another season or 2 or even 5 or 6 will depend on his body not his mind. Injuries do not heal the same after 35. Never have and never will even if your name is LeBron James.

 

[kjironman1]

Btw- can we all agree that LeBron’s candidacy for GOAT is over if he blows this?

Are you gonna agree it isn't if they win tomorrow? I doubt you will get an agreement either way?