2019-2020 NBA Season Thread

[Braff Zacklin 13409]

Fantastic post. Was that really @Vic Mackey? 2020 is the most bizarro year ever.

[aggie08 21424]

1 hour ago, Vic Mackey said:

Bosh never won anything at all. But they claimed it was because of them he won

 

1 hour ago, Vic Mackey said:

Lebron then goes back home to Cleveland and Kyrie is there who had his teams at the very bottom for years. K Love never even sniffed a playoff appearance as the guy. But the narrative is those guys propelled him and not the other way around.

 

1 hour ago, Vic Mackey said:

Then comes to LA and takes a guy in AD who never won shit as being the guy. Lebron stat wise outperforms him in the Finals. But now the narrative is AD carried him.

 

Quote

Yet Lebron is trashed for taking the shittiest roster to make a Finals outside of himself as a 22-23yr old player to the Finals. And taking the Warriors to 6 with a depleted roster.

 

Who? Who says these things?

Edited October 14, 2020 by aggie08

[ztejas 43262]

1 hour ago, Vic Mackey said:

You realize Jordan released a whole entire documentary about himself telling us how great he was? He signed off on it immediately after Lebron won the 2016 title against the 73 win Warriors team after being down 3-1. For one, that Warriors team over took his Bulls team for the best record ever. Then Lebron knocked them off. He knows Lebron is the closest guy to overtake his "Goat" title. KD could have won 5 more titles in a row with GSW but he knows he was never a threat. Lebron was and is. MJ probably cares about his legacy and perception more than anyone out there.

Lebron reads all this bullshit narrative and criteria people have for him but no one else. He has to be the only guy I have seen who gets criticized for winning 4 rings and going to the Finals 10 times. Some of it came on himself when he did the hour long special to tell us he is taking his talents to south beach. But he wins wherever he goes. All this talk of "he needs help". Well no shit. Jordan needed help. He never won shit before Pippen and Phil Jackson came on board and the great role players.

No one ever speaks on it the other way around, though. How many players have hooked up with Lebron's teams and won rings? Wade did not do jack shit after that 2006 title. Injured and they fell off. Bosh never won anything at all. But they claimed it was because of them he won and don't even flip the perspective that Lebron boosted and saved their careers.

Lebron then goes back home to Cleveland and Kyrie is there who had his teams at the very bottom for years. K Love never even sniffed a playoff appearance as the guy. But the narrative is those guys propelled him and not the other way around. Went to 4 straight Finals and really, was never even tested much. He took a team with Delladova as his second best player to push the Warriors to 6. Beats the 73 win team next year. Once KD came aboard, it was a wrap. No one was sniffing that team. Cavs had zero chance. The whole league had zero chance.

Then comes to LA and takes a guy in AD who never won shit as being the guy. Lebron stat wise outperforms him in the Finals. But now the narrative is AD carried him. That shit is lame. I'd get pissed off at it, too after awhile.

Jimmy Butler is being called some hero for taking the Heat to the Finals and taking the Lakers to 6. No one blames him at all. Yet Lebron is trashed for taking the shittiest roster to make a Finals outside of himself as a 22-23yr old player to the Finals. And taking the Warriors to 6 with a depleted roster. There are different rules for him.

Some minor disagreements or corrections I'd make but overall this is a good defense of LeBron's place in basketball history. 

I will say, I think MJ is just more likeable at the end of the day. I know you can't quantify that and I'm not sure it's even deserved but it's true. 

It's like if a golfer came along and started doing unprecedented things to where their only company was Tiger and Jack. You could make an argument they were a better golfer, but they would never be Tiger. They'd never have that same aura and fervent international following. 

No one is ever going to lead the league in scoting 10 times again. No one is ever going to threepeat as FMVP twice again. We will all be dead before we see that.

But, in the same vein, will we ever see someone go to the Finals as the best player on their team eight times in a row? Or score 7,000 points in the playoffs? Probably not. 

LeBron is in the convo with MJ but he's there for different reasons. No one will ever enter that argument the way MJ did, and it's pretty fucking likely no one will ever do it the way LeBron did. Someone will probably get there somehow - but they won't be MJ, and they won't be LeBron. Just like some guy may come along and win 7 British Opens and 16 majors but they'll never be Tiger.

[Don Johnson 4745]

9 minutes ago, aggie08 said:

Who? Who says these things?

Some guy on twitter.  And the day after winning a title, LBJ is worried about that guy.

Edited October 14, 2020 by Don Johnson

[ztejas 43262]

9 hours ago, MNLonghornFUKM said:

At least KD went east...but who knows how much spring he lost after his injury

Doesn't look like much so far. But KD's concern will be durability and staying healthy - not returning to form.

[aggie08 21424]

16 minutes ago, Don Johnson said:

Some guy on twitter.  And the day after winning a title, LBJ is worried about that guy.

On Monday morning, these were ESPN.com's top 3 headlines on the homepage:

"Are LeBron James' four NBA titles better than Michael Jordan's six?" - A statistical analysis of their Finals' resumes leaning towards LeBron's by Kevin Pelton

"Why the GOAT debate is different now" - Zach Lowe

"It’s time to end the LeBron James-Michael Jordan debate" - The Undefeated's William Rhoden. The first sentence of which reads: "By winning his fourth NBA title, LeBron James has not only just leaped into history, he’s also leaped over Michael Jordan in the heated, ongoing debate over which player is greatest."

Those are 3 big names, not just in the inner basketball circle, but sports' media in general. Yes, you can easily scroll down and find Stephen A videos saying he'll never pass MJ no matter what he does. But that's really LeBron's and his sycophants' faults for latching onto those very, very obvious paid trolls. Also, for every Stephen A and Skip Bayless, there are a half dozen Nick Wright's, Dave Mcmenamin's, Brian Windhorst's and Shannon Sharpe's broadcast careers who owe much of their success to waxing poetic about LeBron at every opportunity.  

It's 2020, and he's the most popular athlete alive at the moment; no shit you can find extreme, polarizing opinions if you look hard enough. Remember when Steph overtook him in popularity briefly, and there were real, legitimate stories about players despising him because he grew up too rich and not black enough (literally and figuratively)? It (sadly) comes with the territory in today's world. But no one with any real platform is still legitimately denying LeBron's greatness.

[Vic Mackey 46932]

1 hour ago, aggie08 said:

 

 

 

 

Who? Who says these things?

Plenty of people. Do you ever venture off this site to read people's opinions of Lebron? If not, that is not my fault. Go do it and get back with me. It is literally in every single post I see on social media about Lebron. And before you say "but but but social media....its sucks". It is a microcosm of how people feel about Lebron. I frequent 5 other message boards dealing with  sports and see these sentiments. Why do you think Lebron made that post and in the post game interview said he wants his respect? Because exactly what I posted. He sees it. His people see it. 

[BradInATX 9208]

3 hours ago, Vic Mackey said:

You realize Jordan released a whole entire documentary about himself telling us how great he was? He signed off on it immediately after Lebron won the 2016 title against the 73 win Warriors team after being down 3-1. For one, that Warriors team over took his Bulls team for the best record ever. Then Lebron knocked them off. He knows Lebron is the closest guy to overtake his "Goat" title. KD could have won 5 more titles in a row with GSW but he knows he was never a threat. Lebron was and is. MJ probably cares about his legacy and perception more than anyone out there.

Lebron reads all this bullshit narrative and criteria people have for him but no one else. He has to be the only guy I have seen who gets criticized for winning 4 rings and going to the Finals 10 times. Some of it came on himself when he did the hour long special to tell us he is taking his talents to south beach. But he wins wherever he goes. All this talk of "he needs help". Well no shit. Jordan needed help. He never won shit before Pippen and Phil Jackson came on board and the great role players.

No one ever speaks on it the other way around, though. How many players have hooked up with Lebron's teams and won rings? Wade did not do jack shit after that 2006 title. Injured and they fell off. Bosh never won anything at all. But they claimed it was because of them he won and don't even flip the perspective that Lebron boosted and saved their careers.

Lebron then goes back home to Cleveland and Kyrie is there who had his teams at the very bottom for years. K Love never even sniffed a playoff appearance as the guy. But the narrative is those guys propelled him and not the other way around. Went to 4 straight Finals and really, was never even tested much. He took a team with Delladova as his second best player to push the Warriors to 6. Beats the 73 win team next year. Once KD came aboard, it was a wrap. No one was sniffing that team. Cavs had zero chance. The whole league had zero chance.

Then comes to LA and takes a guy in AD who never won shit as being the guy. Lebron stat wise outperforms him in the Finals. But now the narrative is AD carried him. That shit is lame. I'd get pissed off at it, too after awhile.

Jimmy Butler is being called some hero for taking the Heat to the Finals and taking the Lakers to 6. No one blames him at all. Yet Lebron is trashed for taking the shittiest roster to make a Finals outside of himself as a 22-23yr old player to the Finals. And taking the Warriors to 6 with a depleted roster. There are different rules for him.

 

Good post. I think part of the problem is that people can't separate the way the Heat and Lakers teams were formed from whether or not winning titles on those teams is impressive. I don't think the Heat were any more of a "super team" than the Bulls at their peak. Both had a top 1 player, a top 10 player (Pip/Wade), and a top 25-ish player (Grant or Rodman, Bosh). 

This title is easily his second most impressive. AD was a very good player who never figured it out and never did anything in the playoffs prior to teaming up with LeBron. The Lakers team around him is much worse than the Heat team, LeBron is older, and LA's roster is constructed awkwardly. 

LeBron may not deserve all of his criticism, but he earned a lot of it. The decision was stupid. Tampering with Anthony Davis and having him pull the bitch-Kawhi move was lame as hell. Doesn't take anything away from the titles in my mind, but for some it does.

Both LeBron and Jordan are insecure as hell. With LeBron it manifests into whining for respect, with Jordan it manifests into being an absolutely terrible human being. So give me Bron in that regard.

Butler isn't being criticized because he isn't being compared to Jordan and LeBron. Everyone already knows he's better than both of them.

[Thatguy 8492]

1 minute ago, BradInATX said:

 

Good post. I think part of the problem is that people can't separate the way the Heat and Lakers teams were formed from whether or not winning titles on those teams is impressive. I don't think the Heat were any more of a "super team" than the Bulls at their peak. Both had a top 1 player, a top 10 player (Pip/Wade), and a top 25-ish player (Grant or Rodman, Bosh). 

This title is easily his second most impressive. AD was a very good player who never figured it out and never did anything in the playoffs prior to teaming up with LeBron. The Lakers team around him is much worse than the Heat team, LeBron is older, and LA's roster is constructed awkwardly. 

LeBron may not deserve all of his criticism, but he earned a lot of it. The decision was stupid. Tampering with Anthony Davis and having him pull the bitch-Kawhi move was lame as hell. Doesn't take anything away from the titles in my mind, but for some it does.

Both LeBron and Jordan are insecure as hell. With LeBron it manifests into whining for respect, with Jordan it manifests into being an absolutely terrible human being. So give me Bron in that regard.

Butler isn't being criticized because he isn't being compared to Jordan and LeBron. Everyone already knows he's better than both of them.

  I think it's simpler than that. People just don't wanna let go of their hero. When I was young the olds wouldn't let go of Wilt or Big O when the topic of Jordan came up. Now we are "the olds" and we don't want our guy knocked off the mountain top.

[BradInATX 9208]

Just now, Thatguy said:

  I think it's simpler than that. People just don't wanna let go of their hero. When I was young the olds wouldn't let go of Wilt or Big O when the topic of Jordan came up. Now we are "the olds" and we don't want our guy knocked off the mountain top.

Maybe so. That's not it for me at all, as Jordan is on my Mount Rushmore of athletes I dislike, and might be #1. He's a piece of shit. And I like LeBron despite acknowledging some of his shortcomings. But you're probably right. There's some "back in my day" going on. 

[Thatguy 8492]

16 minutes ago, BradInATX said:

Maybe so. That's not it for me at all, as Jordan is on my Mount Rushmore of athletes I dislike, and might be #1. He's a piece of shit. And I like LeBron despite acknowledging some of his shortcomings. But you're probably right. There's some "back in my day" going on. 

  Me or you no, but look around. The difference is social media. Had we had that plus all the talking heads back in the day, it would've been the same thing for MJ. Worse considering his bitchassedness would've been on full display for everyone to see.

[aggie08 21424]

52 minutes ago, Thatguy said:

  Me or you no, but look around. The difference is social media. Had we had that plus all the talking heads back in the day, it would've been the same thing for MJ. Worse considering his bitchassedness would've been on full display for everyone to see.

That's basically what I was getting at. I'd guess the average "LeBron hater" on Twitter or message boards either, 1) Barely watches basketball, and just wants in on popular topics, 2) Doesn't like his politics, or 3) Would have an opinion closer to, "LeBron is awesome, but his antics and style of play don't do it for me, and MJ is still my guy, partially due to nostalgia, partially due to him being a bad ass" if you removed them from their online personalities and need for likes and virtual high fives.

But nuanced, "fence-sitting", mostly positive opinions don't move the needle. You have to pick a side on social media and completely trash the opposition.

The media* though--and other credible sources actually worth listening to--you'd be hard pressed to convince me that they are unfairly anti-LeBron.

*Excluding talking head shows, who take radically opposing viewpoints for no other reason than ratings, obviously, and generally balance themselves out.

Edited October 15, 2020 by aggie08

[d2o 1602]

3 hours ago, Braff Zacklin said:

Fantastic post. Was that really @Vic Mackey? 2020 is the most bizarro year ever.

My thoughts exactly.

[d2o 1602]

1 hour ago, Thatguy said:

  I think it's simpler than that. People just don't wanna let go of their hero. When I was young the olds wouldn't let go of Wilt or Big O when the topic of Jordan came up. Now we are "the olds" and we don't want our guy knocked off the mountain top.

BINGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In 15-20 yrs our kids will be the same way about LBJ vs whoever it is that is knocking on the GOAT door.

[PRONG HORN 3108]

On 10/13/2020 at 6:58 PM, Harrison Stafford said:

Muhammad Ali challenged oppression >wherever< he saw it.  

 

[aggie08 21424]

3 minutes ago, d2o said:

BINGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In 15-20 yrs our kids will be the same way about LBJ vs whoever it is that is knocking on the GOAT door.

But why do you guys--and LeBron--care about what the dweebs on Vic Mackey's 5 message board say? Everyone who matters and has an opinion that our kids might actually see or read in 20 years is plenty appreciative of LeBron in the moment.

...except for ex-players who would, to a man, all average 74 points a game in this soft ass league.

[TommyGufano 6021]

19 minutes ago, PRONG HORN said:

 

He's worth $450 million; there's a lot more guys in the players union who get a season or 2 at the league minimum than there are LeBrons. If LeBron speaks out and it's received poorly he's costing his union billions in future salaries. I guess Ali cost his cut man a payday or two while he wasn't fighting. Should human rights be more important that what the size of the pie that gets allocated to NBPA salaries? Yes. But acting like this is some sort of apples-to-apples comparison is fucking stupid.

[conVINCEd 21468]

I’ve never understood how calling somene the second or third best player to ever play his sport is some sort of insult.

Edited October 15, 2020 by conVINCEd
Fat fingers

[aggie08 21424]

28 minutes ago, PRONG HORN said:

 

 

54 minutes ago, aggie08 said:

That's basically what I was getting at. I'd guess the average "LeBron hater" on Twitter or message boards either, 1) Barely watches basketball, and just wants in on popular topics, 2) Doesn't like his politics, or 3) Would have an opinion closer to, "LeBron is awesome, but his antics and style of play don't do it for me, and MJ is still my guy, partially due to nostalgia, partially due to him being a bad ass" if you removed them from their online personalities and need for likes and virtual high fives.

I guess that makes you Guy #2. Probably a decent smattering of Guy #1 too.

[52-80 19081]

15 hours ago, Vic Mackey said:

You realize Jordan released a whole entire documentary about himself telling us how great he was? He signed off on it immediately after Lebron won the 2016 title against the 73 win Warriors team after being down 3-1. For one, that Warriors team over took his Bulls team for the best record ever. Then Lebron knocked them off. He knows Lebron is the closest guy to overtake his "Goat" title. KD could have won 5 more titles in a row with GSW but he knows he was never a threat. Lebron was and is. MJ probably cares about his legacy and perception more than anyone out there.

People who "follow" basketball wont argue that MJ has the moral high ground over Lebron.  He just had the luxury of playing pre-social media.

 

The A vs B comparison doesn't excuse Lebron from his own bouts of insecurity though.  "Heavy is the head that wears the crown"?  That's the lamest shit a #1/#2-of-all-time has to proclaim, especially right after winning a championship.  It's that soft pettiness that's a major turn off for me. 

 

Mayweather calls himself TBE all the time, but it's with a different attitude.

[Pam Cummings 9567]

18 hours ago, aggie08 said:

That's basically what I was getting at. I'd guess the average "LeBron hater" on Twitter or message boards either, 1) Barely watches basketball, and just wants in on popular topics, 2) Doesn't like his politics, or 3) Would have an opinion closer to, "LeBron is awesome, but his antics and style of play don't do it for me, and MJ is still my guy, partially due to nostalgia, partially due to him being a bad ass" if you removed them from their online personalities and need for likes and virtual high fives.

But nuanced, "fence-sitting", mostly positive opinions don't move the needle. You have to pick a side on social media and completely trash the opposition.

The media* though--and other credible sources actually worth listening to--you'd be hard pressed to convince me that they are unfairly anti-LeBron.

*Excluding talking head shows, who take radically opposing viewpoints for no other reason than ratings, obviously, and generally balance themselves out.

I think you're mostly correct. Skip Bayless opinions seem more prevalent and get more airtime because of how dumb and "controversial" they are. Media just loves sensationalism. 

[ChiTownDoc 21098]

On 10/14/2020 at 2:33 PM, Vic Mackey said:

You realize Jordan released a whole entire documentary about himself telling us how great he was? He signed off on it immediately after Lebron won the 2016 title against the 73 win Warriors team after being down 3-1. For one, that Warriors team over took his Bulls team for the best record ever. Then Lebron knocked them off. He knows Lebron is the closest guy to overtake his "Goat" title. KD could have won 5 more titles in a row with GSW but he knows he was never a threat. Lebron was and is. MJ probably cares about his legacy and perception more than anyone out there.

Lebron reads all this bullshit narrative and criteria people have for him but no one else. He has to be the only guy I have seen who gets criticized for winning 4 rings and going to the Finals 10 times. Some of it came on himself when he did the hour long special to tell us he is taking his talents to south beach. But he wins wherever he goes. All this talk of "he needs help". Well no shit. Jordan needed help. He never won shit before Pippen and Phil Jackson came on board and the great role players.

No one ever speaks on it the other way around, though. How many players have hooked up with Lebron's teams and won rings? Wade did not do jack shit after that 2006 title. Injured and they fell off. Bosh never won anything at all. But they claimed it was because of them he won and don't even flip the perspective that Lebron boosted and saved their careers.

Lebron then goes back home to Cleveland and Kyrie is there who had his teams at the very bottom for years. K Love never even sniffed a playoff appearance as the guy. But the narrative is those guys propelled him and not the other way around. Went to 4 straight Finals and really, was never even tested much. He took a team with Delladova as his second best player to push the Warriors to 6. Beats the 73 win team next year. Once KD came aboard, it was a wrap. No one was sniffing that team. Cavs had zero chance. The whole league had zero chance.

Then comes to LA and takes a guy in AD who never won shit as being the guy. Lebron stat wise outperforms him in the Finals. But now the narrative is AD carried him. That shit is lame. I'd get pissed off at it, too after awhile.

Jimmy Butler is being called some hero for taking the Heat to the Finals and taking the Lakers to 6. No one blames him at all. Yet Lebron is trashed for taking the shittiest roster to make a Finals outside of himself as a 22-23yr old player to the Finals. And taking the Warriors to 6 with a depleted roster. There are different rules for him.

Spot on.  And that's coming from an MJ homer.  Lebron takes way too much shit.  Just a lot of Lebron fatigue around the league.  There's so much access to players today and add in the in your face marketing, plus politics and he's more polarizing than MJ ever could have been.  I have no issue with him using his platform to push what he thinks is important as far as social justice etc...it's just going to hurt him in these discussions.  I don't ever see him showing he cares but anyone that competitive has to care.  

[ChiTownDoc 21098]

23 hours ago, Braff Zacklin said:

Fantastic post. Was that really @Vic Mackey? 2020 is the most bizarro year ever.

Others mentioned it but I have to chime in too.  I did a triple take.  I guess pounding chunky women has some interesting side effects.  VicMackey, NBA savant...we'll take it. 

[d2o 1602]

@Sbbruin here ya go.  Pretty sweet pic

 

[Sbbruin 21708]

4 minutes ago, d2o said:

@Sbbruin here ya go.  Pretty sweet pic

 

There is no way on earth anyone could ever argue that a Lakers all-time starting five wouldn't mop the floor with ANY other teams all-time starting five.  In fact, I am quite certain the second five would crush any other teams all-time five.  Something like Wilt, Worthy, Goodrich, AD, Baylor.  You could mix and match a few others I'm sure.  These just came to me first.  In fact realizing there are 6 in the pic, one of them would have to be moved down to 2nd team.

Edited October 15, 2020 by Sbbruin

[TommyGufano 6021]

Think I'd take the Warriors over 2nd-team Lakers

Superior Wilt - KD - Rick Barry - Klay - Steph

Klay spot could probably go a few ways, but he might actually be ideal 5th man in this sort of silly exercise

[MNLonghornFUKM 8799]

[mention=1357]Sbbruin[/mention] here ya go.  Pretty sweet pic
 

Probably needs big shot bob

[PRONG HORN 3108]

[aggie08 21424]

Ya know, I think I preferred your weird models in masks fetish stage.

[PRONG HORN 3108]

good idea

[ztejas 43262]

3 hours ago, Sbbruin said:

In fact, I am quite certain the second five would crush any other teams all-time five.

Simmer down, chief. 

[Sbbruin 21708]

8 hours ago, ztejas said:

Simmer down, chief. 

OK, name a team’s all time 5 that would

[Hate 20103]

Boston or San Antonio.

[d2o 1602]

6 minutes ago, Hate said:

Boston or San Antonio.

Sixers too

[aggie08 21424]

34 minutes ago, Sbbruin said:

OK, name a team’s all time 5 that would

Golden State, San Antonio, Boston, Philly, Milwaukee, Chicago, probably Miami.

None of those teams would get "crushed" by a team of Wilt, Worthy, West, Baylor, and AD.

But I don't know who I'd put money on to definitely beat them, so I get your point. 

Boston would be the obvious choice as they have lots of experience beating West and Wilt.

Edited October 16, 2020 by aggie08

[Don Johnson 4745]

25 minutes ago, aggie08 said:

Golden State, San Antonio, Boston, Philly, Milwaukee, Chicago, probably Miami.

None of those teams would get "crushed" by a team of Wilt, Worthy, West, Baylor, and AD.

But I don't know who I'd put money on to definitely beat them, so I get your point. 

Boston would be the obvious choice as they have lots of experience beating West and Wilt.

Boston:

Cousy, Havlicek, McHale, Bird, Russell w/Pierce being a possibility

Milwaukee:

Robertson, Moncrief, Allen, Giannis, Kareem

Miami:

Wade, Hardaway, LBJ, Zo, Shaq

Philly:

AI, Dr. J, Barkley, Moses, Wilt

 

Don't see Chicago being able to hang

[Hate 20103]

But other than those teams, nobody could hang with the Lakers second team.

[Sbbruin 21708]

14 minutes ago, Don Johnson said:

Boston:

Cousy, Havlicek, McHale, Bird, Russell w/Pierce being a possibility

Milwaukee:

Robertson, Moncrief, Allen, Giannis, Kareem

Miami:

Wade, Hardaway, LBJ, Zo, Shaq

Philly:

AI, Dr. J, Barkley, Moses, Wilt

 

Don't see Chicago being able to hang

None of those teams beat aWilt, Shaq, AD, Baylor, Goodrich team.  

[ztejas 43262]

29 minutes ago, Sbbruin said:

None of those teams beat aWilt, Shaq, AD, Baylor, Goodrich team.  

You're running Wilt, Shaq and AD on the floor together? 

Here are some others not listed yet:

Spurs

Give me Ginobili running point with Kawhi, Gervin, Duncan and DRob. 

Rockets

Chris Paul, Harden, TMac, who gives a fuck, Hakeem

Magic

Penny, Nick Anderson, TMac, Dwight, Shaq

Raptors

Lowry, Carter/DeRozan, Kawhi, Bosh, Jo Val

 

And the one that everyone has chosen to ignore that would be one of the greatest is the SEA/OKC team:

Westbrook, Payton, Durant, Kemp, Haywood

That squad would fuck shit up.

 

[Eskimohorn 5613]

Boston:
Cousy, Havlicek, McHale, Bird, Russell w/Pierce being a possibility
Milwaukee:
Robertson, Moncrief, Allen, Giannis, Kareem
Miami:
Wade, Hardaway, LBJ, Zo, Shaq
Philly:
AI, Dr. J, Barkley, Moses, Wilt
 
Don't see Chicago being able to hang

Prime Derrick Rose
Michael Jordan
Scottie Pippen
Dennis Rodman/Bob Love
Artis Gilmore/Joakim Noah

[aggie08 21424]

43 minutes ago, Sbbruin said:

None of those teams beat aWilt, Shaq, AD, Baylor, Goodrich team.  

That's the squad you want??? Just going to have 6'1" Gail Goodrich stop and endless supply of 3-1 fast breaks. There's a reason why no one ever puts 3 big guys on the court at the same time, no matter how good they are.

[d2o 1602]

18 minutes ago, ztejas said:

You're running Wilt, Shaq and AD on the floor together? 

Here are some others not listed yet:

Spurs

Give me Ginobili running point with Kawhi, Gervin, Duncan and DRob. 

Rockets

Chris Paul, Harden, TMac, who gives a fuck, Hakeem

Magic

Penny, Nick Anderson, TMac, Dwight, Shaq

Raptors

Lowry, Carter/DeRozan, Kawhi, Bosh, Jo Val

 

And the one that everyone has chosen to ignore that would be one of the greatest is the SEA/OKC team:

Westbrook, Payton, Durant, Kemp, Haywood

That squad would fuck shit up.

 

Ralph Sampson or maybe some that Otis Thorpe.   You could even go small and put Clyde at 3 moving TMac to a stretch 4?

[ztejas 43262]

1 minute ago, d2o said:

Ralph Sampson or maybe some that Otis Thorpe.   You could even go small and put Clyde at 3 moving TMac to a stretch 4?

Yeah, depends on who you're playing. Harden and Hakeem together would just be so disgusting. Rockets might actually be my favorite outside of the Lakers and the OKC/Warriors teams.

Obviously the Bulls are nasty:

Prime Rose, MJ, Pippen, Rodman, prime Noah

The Suns are great too, but they get thin at center. I'd probably go:

Nash, KJ, Marion, Barkley, Stat

You also have Larry Nance and Majerle to play with

[ztejas 43262]

20 minutes ago, aggie08 said:

That's the squad you want??? Just going to have 6'1" Gail Goodrich stop and endless supply of 3-1 fast breaks. There's a reason why no one ever puts 3 big guys on the court at the same time, no matter how good they are.

He can't even list his 2nd team correctly. Did Jerry West never play?

[Hate 20103]

Now let’s do the draft only version of all time greats. The Lakers would still do pretty good, but it’s pretty easy to build that kind of depth of all timers when you are the premier FA destination in the league.

[aggie08 21424]

1 minute ago, ztejas said:

He can't even list his 2nd team correctly. Did Jerry West never play?

I assume he put West on his first team to bump down Shaq.

But West, Worthy, Baylor, AD, Wilt (or Shaq) is the obvious best version of their 2nd team. 

[Don Johnson 4745]

7 minutes ago, Hate said:

Now let’s do the draft only version of all time greats. The Lakers would still do pretty good, but it’s pretty easy to build that kind of depth of all timers when you are the premier FA destination in the league.

Ground rules.  Draft day trades count, i.e. we all agree the Lakers drafted Kobe, not Charlotte?

[Underdog 28445]

West looks like a serial killer in that photo/painting whatever the fuck it is.  

Bias but give me the early 70s Knicks vs. the Field.  Pop's Spurs are about the closest most cohesive Team comparable to those Knick teams in my time of watching the NBA. 

[TommyGufano 6021]

20 minutes ago, Hate said:

Now let’s do the draft only version of all time greats. The Lakers would still do pretty good, but it’s pretty easy to build that kind of depth of all timers when you are the premier FA destination in the league.

Also easier to draft all-time great when you aren't the premier FA destination in the league, imo

[ztejas 43262]

19 minutes ago, aggie08 said:

I assume he put West on his first team to bump down Shaq.

But West, Worthy, Baylor, AD, Wilt (or Shaq) is the obvious best version of their 2nd team. 

I'm not sure what teams we're talking about, if they were already listed I missed it, so I'll just list what I think would be the consensus version of each:

1. Magic, Kobe, LeBron, AD, Shaq

2. West, Baylor, Worthy, Kareem, Wilt

I would not take that 2nd team over the Warriors, Spurs or SEA/OKC and I don't think it would be that close (maybe the Seattle team). Any version of KD would give them fucking nightmares. The size down low would be interesting against Kemp and Haywood from the Seattle team but I think the backcourt and SF makes up for it. 

You could argue the Spurs are better at 3/5, maybe 4/5 positions outside of West at point. Kawhi > Baylor (that might upset some olds but it's true), Gervin > Worthy, peak Duncan > Lakers Kareem, peak DRob probably = to Lakers Wilt or better.

Warriors would run them off the court. Their only minus is at the 4 spot where you have to settle with Draymond against Kareem. They get prime Steph/Klay/KD or Steph/Barry/KD and a better version of Wilt. Lakers 1st team would be a more interesting matchup for the Ws 1st team.