MexSoxFan#1

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Jun 4, 2013 -> 03:52 PM) That would be terrible. Here's a more interesting argument: how much higher in the list of greats would Duncan rise if he manages to win another title? Or if he wins another title AND wins finals MVP (unlikely, but possible)? Of course it would be terrible but this is ESPN we're talking about, Hyperbole Central. It's the network that kept shoving a garbage QB like Tebow down our throats FFS. About Duncan, if you're scenario plays out, of course he should move up the GOAT list, that would be 4 FMVPs and undefeated in 5 Finals series, he would even crack the top 6 IMO (MJ, Magic, KAJ, Wilt, Bird and Russell...in no particular order).

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jun 4, 2013 -> 02:32 PM) It's over guys. Miami beat Indiana. The better team won. Stop re-hashing it. I don't see how the Heat could ever hope to have a chance against a team with the depth of the Spurs. Splitter is the type who is just going to dominate them them off the bench, and the Spurs have weapons all the way down the bench. Spurs in 6. God I hope you're right. I'll go the "team that has the best player wins" route. Heat in 7. Bosh has a "good" series (can't be worse unless he's hurt?), Wade continues to be garbage and LeBron wins his second FMVP in a row and ESPN starts touting him as GOAT.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Jun 4, 2013 -> 08:56 AM) They were an inbounds play away from not making the Finals this year. Let's not go overboard. I totally disagree. If Indy wins gm 1, it doesn't necessarily mean Indy would've won gm 2 like it played out. Miami always had control of the series, either one game up or tied and Indy's best chance at taking control, gm3 going home tied 1-1, they got destroyed. I never had the impression Indy could win this series, TBH.

Well that sucked but it's not like I really believed the Pacers would pull it off, a few thoughts... 1. Every time I see Pat Riley's mug I want to punch my TV, it stills irks me that he and Wade have gotten away with breaking the rules the way they landed LeBron. 2. I can't see the Spurs beating LeBron this time around. They punked him in his first Finals but this LeBron > 07 LeBron. Plus, the Spurs are a veteran team which is a nice way to call them old. 3. Get used to seeing LeBron in the Finals over and over again. Wade and Bosh played like garbage most of this series but it didn't matter, LBJ willed them to victory. Nobody is beating this LeBron until he declines and who knows when that'll happen. I know a lot of people here give J4L a hard time for his predictions but he nailed it on the head when he was telling us back when the Big 3 got together that nobody was beating Miami in the near future. I was a skeptic so I gotta give him props. LBJ gonna destroy the NBA like Shaq and MJ before him.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Jun 3, 2013 -> 05:32 PM) Not if it's Pacers/Spurs. I'd watch it, but yeah, a Heat/Spurs Finals is way more appealing.

QUOTE (balfanman @ Jun 3, 2013 -> 01:06 PM) This is precisely why I don't give much thought to the NBA anymore. The last time I cared at all about the NBA was during the Jordan years, as entertaining as they were (it was a pleasure to root for a team that you knew were going to destroy an opponent before the game even started) the NBA playoffs were always fixed. The NBA made sure that most every series went 7 games, or at most 6, just to stretch out revenue. Most of the teams that the Bulls played had no business taking them that far. The Bulls - Nicks series ticked me off the most. The Nicks had no business winning 1 game against the Bulls, let alone taking a series to 6 or 7 games. I can garuantee you the Heat will win the series because that's what the NBA wants. I know it's nitpicking but it's Knicks (Knickerbockers) not Nicks.

QUOTE (ZoomSlowik @ Jun 3, 2013 -> 01:07 PM) He was awful the second half of the year. He's been running on fumes for a few years now, but coming back for the remaining two years on his contract would have been hilarious. It's pretty amazing how much he accomplished for a guy with marginal scoring ability. Not the greatest athlete either but he could see the floor like few before him.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 3, 2013 -> 12:47 PM) I fully expect a Heat victory by about 20 points. It will start off as a close one, a couple of bad calls will go against the Pacers, Miami will take advantage, and the blow out will be on. That's what the NBA wants. Last thing they want is a close game going down to the wire where the ref's calls could be scrutinized. With both Wade and Bosh playing terrible, the role players and the refs will need to step up. LeBron will do his thing but he can't do it alone. The pressure is fully on Miami, not many people thought the Pacers could beat the Heat 4 times. It would be funny if Bron has a stinker though.

You would think Stern/NBA would be more conscious about their legitimacy concerns but they don't give a f***, they know a Heat/Spurs Finals will bring in $ while Indy/SA will be a ratings loser.

QUOTE (lord chas @ Jun 2, 2013 -> 04:32 PM) I really hope the refs let the players decide Game 7 and we don't have a repeat of the infamous Lakers/Kings series I fully expect Hibbert to get in foul trouble early on. No way the NBA wants an Indy/SA Finals.

yawn, the Heat still got this.

When the scrubs (Chalmers, Haslem) contribute, the Heat are impossible to beat.

QUOTE (ZoomSlowik @ May 28, 2013 -> 10:24 PM) Debateable. We heard the same thing in the playoffs last year and early in the season when Wade started slow. He's on the wrong side of 30, depends too much on his fading athleticism and still hasn't developed a reliable jumper.

Hibbert has played well this series. He should, Miami has no C.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ May 28, 2013 -> 10:18 PM) He's either legitimately hurt or he really is slowing down. He plays well in spurts now. That's about it. Yeah, I think it's the combination of age and his history of being injury prone. DWade's best days are definitely behind him.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ May 28, 2013 -> 10:10 PM) LeBron must feel like he's in Cleveland again. Wade is terrible. He's been wack all playoffs. I highly doubt that, Cleveland never played like Miami did in Game 3. Wade has been horrible but the Heat have other weapons.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ May 28, 2013 -> 09:53 PM) The fix is on. LeBron fouls out.

QUOTE (ZoomSlowik @ May 28, 2013 -> 09:29 AM) That's not really saying much, there are quite a few drooling morons floating around RealGM. I could say the Bobcats are going to win the title next year and probably find a few people that would agree with me. There are quite a few good posters as well, but man, some of those threads are a mess (especially on the general board). There's also this thing called "Lakers homers", they're far more ridiculous than anyone I've seen on this board (with the exception of RZZZA). On InsideHoops, they call them Kobe stans, (as in Stan, the obsessive fan in the Eminem song of the same name). They are the only ones who insist that Kobe is close to MJ but they generally get ridiculed by the rest of the forum members.

QUOTE (BigEdWalsh @ May 6, 2013 -> 10:41 AM) Sorry to hear about this Tex. In the early 70's my uncle and cousin were killed in a head-on accident with a drunk. My uncle (my dad's only sibling) had just retired and took his son on a fishing trip to Arkansas. They were killed there. Shortly after this happened my dad and I were driving home from work one night and were behind a guy swerving all over the road. I could sense my dad's rage. After a stop-light my dad cut the guy off and forced him to pull over. My dad got out of the car and walked to the drunk's car. He took the guy's keys and we drove to the Elmhurst police station where my dad went in and handed over they keys and told them where the guy's car was. I remember being quite surprised that my dad didn't get in trouble. Your dad is a BOSS!

I've been to those websites and a couple of other basketball forums as well and the consensus in all of those is that MJ was the best ever and generally his GOAT competition consists of KAJ, Wilt and to a lesser extant, Bird, Magic and Russell. Sorry J4L but Kobe isn't regarded that high up. LeBron will enter that class by the time he is done. Kobe won't. SMH at the notion that it's mostly only Bulls homers put MJ on top of GOAT discussions...

I think J4L needs to go back and refresh his memory about just how dominating MJ was. Kobe IS NOT on MJ's level and never was and never will be. And to clarify when I called Kobe a chucker, I didn't mean it so much as a volume shooter (though he does shoot a lot), I meant it in the sense that he forces a lot of shots instead of playing within the offense. He's famous for making tough jumpers but most don't go in, in the end, they weren't good shots and PJax alluded to such recently. Instead of chucker I should of said "bad shot selector":p

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ May 27, 2013 -> 10:45 PM) I'm excited to watch Pop coach circles around Spoelstra. Teams being equal, Pop destroys Spo but Spo has LBJ...even I can coach the Heat to victory, I'll just say to Bron, "do your thang" and get out of the way.

QUOTE (ZoomSlowik @ May 27, 2013 -> 08:12 PM) Sure there is: let him take it and laugh the 70% of the time it doesn't go in.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ May 26, 2013 -> 06:33 PM) Kobe passed Magic/Bird after his 4th and 5th rings. Magic/Bird were liabilities defensively. Kobe (not now) but at his best was an all-league defender who could drop 55 on you whenever he felt like it. I brought up Horry because you are using ring count as a reason why Kobe>Magic/Bird. It is flawed logic IMO, Kobe got his first 3 rings because of Shaq. Bird would've had more chips if it weren't for the fact that he was going up against some of the greatest teams in NBA history like Magic's Lakers, early 80s 76ers and Bad Boys Pistons. Kobe's Lakers beat one of the worst Finalists in Dwight's Magic, lol. Kobe has it over Bird in longetivity but peak vs peak, Bird easily. I totally disagree with you on your opinion of Kobe > MJ offensively. The only thing Kobe has on MJ is long range and not by much, MJ was the better offensive and defensive player. And before you call me an old timer that thinks his generation >, I'll say this, If LeBron keeps playing at this level for a few more years and leads his team to more titles and FMVPs, he will definitely be in the GOAT convo and deservedly so. Kobe? That train left the station...

QUOTE (Brian @ May 26, 2013 -> 09:10 PM) I must be I'll, because I'm with J4L on Kobe. Not his reasoning but Kobe in his prime was definitely better then Bird in his prime. Bird made other players better when I don't think Kobe ever did, but as comparing them, it's Kobe easily. No, let's not get carried away. Bird won 3 straight MVPs. Bird's peak > Kobe's and it ain't close. Bird's 3 year MVP run is as good as any in NBA history. How many MVPs does Kobe have again? Kobe is suppossed to be this unstoppable offensive machine yet has exactly two scoring titles in more than a decade and a half years career I'll say it, Kobe is a chucker, (FG% was never his friend) takes too many bad shots, his "clutchness" is overrated (check for yourselves) and LeBron is already better than Bryant ever was. I don't use the "ring count" when judging players or else Robert Horry would be top 3 GOAT... My top 5 1. MJ 2. KAJ 3. Wilt 4. Magic 5. Bird