OT NBA Draft Lottery

[SHOWTIME15]

I don't think they have a shot at beating Cleveland...

Well, hopefully the celts can at least stretch the series and wear the cavs out so that they choke to GS.

 

[rochrist]

Well, hopefully the celts can at least stretch the series and wear the cavs out so that they choke to GS.

It wouldn't be a choke. Really, they ought to be underdogs in that series.

 

[deroc5050]

I heard these same arguments about Pippen being a better SF than Bird. Clearly, Bird was not as athletic as Pippen or Lebron. However, Bird was the greatest shooter I've ever seen and I've never seen a SF better at passing.

It's just a "recency" bias against him (and the NBA marketing/hype machine) that even puts Lebron in the discussion. We seem to have forgotten just how good Bird was. Here's a reminder:

"James has won three NBA championships, four NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, three NBA Finals MVP Awards, two Olympic gold medals, an NBA scoring title, and the NBA Rookie of the Year Award"

And counting.. Sorry its not about athletic ability, its about the whole package. Lebron has been to the finals 10 times.

I know its not a popular thing to do for people who live in and around Boston but Jordan and Lebron are better players than Bird. I love Bird my favorite player of all time, he was my idle growing up but I can't ignore what I have seen from Lebron.


Pippen lol.. I have never heard Pippen ever compared to Larry Bird.

 

[realtime]

"James has won three NBA championships, four NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, three NBA Finals MVP Awards, two Olympic gold medals, an NBA scoring title, and the NBA Rookie of the Year Award"

And counting.. Sorry its not about athletic ability, its about the whole package. Lebron has been to the finals 10 times.

I know its not a popular thing to do for people who live in and around Boston but Jordan and Lebron are better players than Bird.

Not sure there are any non-Boston homers who can seriously rate Bird ahead of James these days. The only area where Bird is significantly better than James is rebounding. Bird is a slightly better outside shooter as well (check out their career 3 PT shooting numbers if you think Bird is substantially better). James is better than Bird in every other respect, including defense where he is in a totally different stratosphere than Bird.

 

[realtime]

Okafor seems to be a Bortles type player. The stats don't look that bad but you have to watch them play to understand how much they suck.

Love the Bortles comparison -- that is spot on. They were both #3 picks as well.

 

[rochrist]

"James has won three NBA championships, four NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, three NBA Finals MVP Awards, two Olympic gold medals, an NBA scoring title, and the NBA Rookie of the Year Award"

And counting.. Sorry its not about athletic ability, its about the whole package. Lebron has been to the finals 10 times.

I know its not a popular thing to do for people who live in and around Boston but Jordan and Lebron are better players than Bird. I love Bird my favorite player of all time, he was my idle growing up but I can't ignore what I have seen from Lebron.


Pippen lol.. I have never heard Pippen ever compared to Larry Bird.

You'd have to have...you know, watched the games back then. Bird won 3 titles too. 3 MVPs in a league that had some very real alternatives. 2 NBA Finals MVP, but then he played on a much more balanced team. He was also rookie of the year 12 time All Star and won a scoring title and an Olympic Gold medal (only able to go once).

Really, you aren't going to prove anything based off awards. And if you think LeBron is a better shooter, passer or rebounder, then you didn't watch Bird play or you were too young to appreciate it. LeBron is better at driving to the basket, because he's physically a freak.

 

[YOUGOTMOSSED]

And counting.. Sorry its not about athletic ability, its about the whole package. Lebron has been to the finals 10 times.

In Lebron, I see a physically gifted player who comes up small in big moments/games. I don't take arguments of this kind of "greatness" seriously. NBA history is replete with physically gifted athletes who were great at dunking the ball.

 

[realtime]

In Lebron, I see a physically gifted player who comes up small in big moments/games. I don't take arguments of this kind of "greatness" seriously. NBA history is replete with physically gifted athletes who were great at dunking the ball.

A triple double and a critical block for the ages in a Game 7 NBA finals win against the defending champs is coming up small in big moments in big games? You are tough to please.

 

[pdangle]

Not sure there are any non-Boston homers who can seriously rate Bird ahead of James these days. The only area where Bird is significantly better than James is rebounding. Bird is a slightly better outside shooter as well (check out their career 3 PT shooting numbers if you think Bird is substantially better). James is better than Bird in every other respect, including defense where he is in a totally different stratosphere than Bird.

Wasn't the 3-point shot 1 to 2 feet further back in the days of Bird? If so, you gotta give him a few extra % points on shooting there if making a direct comparison.

 

[woolster22]

A triple double and a critical block for the ages in a Game 7 NBA finals win against the defending champs is coming up small in big moments in big games? You are tough to please.

Early in his career it could be said he choked in big games. Lately i don't see it, and i dont really see how someone who has watched any of the games could still say it.

 

[realtime]

You'd have to have...you know, watched the games back then. Bird won 3 titles too. 3 MVPs in a league that had some very real alternatives. 2 NBA Finals MVP, but then he played on a much more balanced team. He was also rookie of the year 12 time All Star and won a scoring title and an Olympic Gold medal (only able to go once).

Really, you aren't going to prove anything based off awards. And if you think LeBron is a better shooter, passer or rebounder, then you didn't watch Bird play or you were too young to appreciate it. LeBron is better at driving to the basket, because he's physically a freak.

It's OK. I came around. Bob Ryan came around and even Bill Simmons came around. It's just taking you a little longer than the rest of us.

 

[realtime]

Wasn't the 3-point shot 1 to 2 feet further back in the days of Bird? If so, you gotta give him a few extra % points on shooting there if making a direct comparison.

I don't believe so. I think it was moved closer for a few years between Bird and LeBron's respective careers but it was the same distance during each of their careers.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

And counting.. Sorry its not about athletic ability, its about the whole package. Lebron has been to the finals 10 times.

Actually it's 7 ( 8 soon) ......

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

I don't believe so. I think it was moved closer for a few years between Bird and LeBron's respective careers but it was the same distance during each of their careers.

It was put in Bird's rookie year (79-80) at 23 feet, 9 inches and moved in in the mid 90s to 22 feet, so Bird had the longer 3 point his entire career while Lebron had the shorter one...

 

[realtime]

It was put in Bird's rookie year (79-80) at 23 feet, 9 inches and moved in in the mid 90s to 22 feet, so Bird had the longer 3 point his entire career while Lebron had the shorter one...

Link for the bolded language? I don't think that is correct. I agree with everything else you said. I believe that LeBron and Bird had the same 3 pt lines during their careers as the moving of the line in the mid 90's was a brief -- and failed -- experiment.

 

[borisman]

Wow! Bird was the better player. Different eras but Bird was a rare one even back then. Teams were more stacked pre-expansion as well. There would be 6 or 7 teams that had a shot, not 1 or 2 like now. I bet Bird could smoke James in a shooting contest right now.

 

[borisman]

And look at how much more physical the game was back then. It was practically football when football was still football. They could easily have had a weekly "he got JACKED-UP" segment back then in the NBA.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Not sure there are any non-Boston homers who can seriously rate Bird ahead of James these days. The only area where Bird is significantly better than James is rebounding. Bird is a slightly better outside shooter as well (check out their career 3 PT shooting numbers if you think Bird is substantially better). James is better than Bird in every other respect, including defense where he is in a totally different stratosphere than Bird.

Bird is a better outside shooter

Bird is a better mid-range shooter

Bird is a better post-up player

Bird is a better rebounder

Bird is a better passer

LJ is a better defensive player

LJ is better in transition

Bird is a better playoff competitor

Bird is more clutch

 

[RobertWeathers]

And look at how much more physical the game was back then. It was practically football when football was still football. They could easily have had a weekly "he got JACKED-UP" segment back then in the NBA.

The 80s Pistons teams would have carved up Lebron.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Wow! Bird was the better player. Different eras but Bird was a rare one even back then. Teams were more stacked pre-expansion as well. There would be 6 or 7 teams that had a shot, not 1 or 2 like now. I bet Bird could smoke James in a shooting contest right now.

Bird would beat anyone in a shooting contest. Especially if money, beer or a steak dinner was on the line.