NBA Offseason Thread.

[Popeye_Card]

To me, Miami was the lamest choice. In Chicago, there's the challenge of trying to match MJ's legacy. In NYC, the Knicks ooze basketball history, and you're trying to take a franchise that's been adrift at sea in the biggest market in American sports to a championship. In Cleveland, the challenge is obvious.

Miami is just...lame. Who willingly joins a team whose logo is a flaming basketball?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

LeBron comes off awful in this whole deal(not returning a single message to Cleveland and having the front office find out the decision on air? Really?). But the whole bit about him being selfish or a coward is some of the most ridiculous stuff out there. The same people who would've laughed in his face for going to New York for going to a terrible team are now ripping him for deciding to go to a good one. Because apparently he has to go to a good team, but not too good a team, then he's a selfish coward. And yes, of course it's about HIM. It's his free agent contract. It was an overwrought circus that made a lot of people want to poke sharp things in their eyes and ears, but of course he's going to do what's best for him, just like every other player in the history of sport. "It's about HIM"...I mean, honestly. Read that aloud or something.

[stlouie_lipp]

By the way, how spectacularly bad was that "show"?

[The Third Man]

Because apparently he has to go to a good team, but not too good a team, then he's a selfish coward.

This reminds me of the BBWAA MVP voting mentality. Your team has to make the playoffs - but they can't run away with the division, because then you're not that valuable because your team would've made it anyway. So you have to win the division by a small amount. Also you have to hit lots of dingers in September.

[vinsanity]

By the way, don't give me this crap about him being so "unselfish" because he didn't take the max contract. It's not like he sacrificed tens of millions of dollars for his charity. He simply chose to buy a championship, rather than work his tail off for one. It's something HE wants, so he's willing to pay for it. It's still about HIM.

Would you have said this if he'd gone to the Bulls (who have an excellent roster which with the addition of LeBron would've been a juggernaut)? Or NY? Basically, what could LeBron have done to make this not "about him"? Stuck with Cleveland and their roster that will be lucky to make higher than a 7th seed (and that might be generous) without him next year?

Well I thought the Bulls were a pretty solid second as far as 'ease', coupled with insufferable fair-weather Chicago fans around here (people that had never heard of hockey two years ago were all of the sudden all about the Blackhawks) and I was hoping against that.

I'd have the most 'respect' for him going to the Pacers so I could watch him play. Then staying in Cleveland, then a little less for any of Clippers, NY, NJ.

Now I feel bad for ever defending him.

[stlouie_lipp]

But you know what? In Miami, anything short of a title will be a failure. Nobody outside of Miami will root for this team, and nobody in Miami roots for anybody. They're too busy enjoying the weather.

I guess that's all LeBron is: A complementary player with superstar talent. We should have figured this out before: He got that giant CHOSEN 1 tattoo on his back and calls himself King James because he is desperate for reassurance.

This is the passage I really like:

"We don't have the pressure of going out and scoring 30 every night or shooting a high percentage."

Whoa. Hold on there. Scoring 30 a night is too much pressure for one of the five most talented players ever?

Find me another all-time NBA great who would utter those words. Jordan would rather do an adidas commercial than say that. Bryant must have laughed as he heard the so-called "King" say that.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/w ... z0t9goR600

[vinsanity]

One thing I had just thought of.

Jordan has 6 rings.
Kobe has 5 rings.

Even if LeBenedict catches Jordan...Wade will have one more.

[Socnorb11]

By the way, don't give me this crap about him being so "unselfish" because he didn't take the max contract. It's not like he sacrificed tens of millions of dollars for his charity. He simply chose to buy a championship, rather than work his tail off for one. It's something HE wants, so he's willing to pay for it. It's still about HIM.

Would you have said this if he'd gone to the Bulls (who have an excellent roster which with the addition of LeBron would've been a juggernaut)? Or NY? Basically, what could LeBron have done to make this not "about him"? Stuck with Cleveland and their roster that will be lucky to make higher than a 7th seed (and that might be generous) without him next year?

I've said the exact same thing previously, when people were talking aobut him going to the Bulls. The guy is young, and the current Cleveland roster isn't going to ALWAYS be the Cleveland roster.

[The Third Man]

So he should just put his faith in the organization and sweat it out? That's silly. 7 years isn't a drop in the bucket.

[Socnorb11]

Pippen a top 50 player all time? You really buy that? Ya' think maybe Jordan had something to do with his success? Take a look at Pippen's last year playing with Jordan, and his first year without Jordan. He wasn't the same guy.

Uh, what? Pippen is easily a top fifty player of all time. Anybody that disagrees really needs to take another look. Hell, if I remember right Bill Simmons has him in his top 25. He was on the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996 - only halfway through his career!

And, you're right, Pippen wasn't the same guy in his two years without Jordan as he was in his last year with him. He was demonstrably better across the board. His FG% (and eFG% and TS%) actually went up despite increased usage, his turnover percentage didn't suffer, he grabbed a higher percentage of rebounds, he dished out as many assists, he had the two highest defensive ratings of his career. So, he had more points, more assists, more rebounds, more steals, and was more efficient in doing all of those things, all while turning the ball over at the same rate. He finished 4th and 7th in the NBA in PER in his two years without Jordan, the only two appearances in the top ten for him. Oh, and he was one of the best, most versatile defenders in NBA history. Did you think it was the contributions of BJ Armstrong and Horance Grant that let the Bulls lose only two more games the next season after losing the best player in the NBA?

In conclusion, wut.

I think you're talking about when Jordan "took a break", not when he left the Bulls for good. I was talking about the late-90's.

His FG% went from 45% in his last year with Jordan, to 43% (easily the lowest of his career) the year after Jordan. Turnovers per game went up. Blocks per game went down. Points per game dropped by about 25%, despite playing more minutes.