didaksrightfoot
Premiership Player
- Sep 12, 2013
- 4,902
- 5,555
- AFL Club
- Collingwood
- Other Teams
- SA Spurs, Juventus
First up - this is not a dig at Lebron. He is clearly the best player of his generation, is a top 6 player of all time (behind Jordan, and alongside Russell, Kareem, Bird and Magic in some order) and will likely end his career as the 2nd best player ever.
What this is - is a discussion on what his finals record, as an example of the eastern record post-Jordan, says about the Conference setup in the NBA.
Lebron is 2-4 in 6 finals appearances.
Since Jordan's 2nd retirement, the East is 5-12 in NBA Finals.
How many of those runner up teams should be considered the 2nd best team in the league that year?
Lebron's playoff record (by series victory):
<41 win teams: 5-0 (2-0 in lockout)
41-50 win teams: 14-1
51-60 win teams: 5-3
>60 win teams: 1-4
---
In Comparison:
Kobe Bryant (5-2 in Finals)
<41: 2-1 (lockout seasons only)
41-50: 7-1
51-60: 22-4
>60: 2-5
Tim Duncan (5-1 in Finals)
<41: 5-0 (lockout seasons only)
41-50: 11-2
51-60: 14-8
>60: 4-3
Kevin Durant (0-1 in Finals)
<41: 1-0 (lockout only)
41-50: 4-1
51-60: 3-3
>60: 0-1
-----
My point: Lebron has played an incredibly high proportion of sub-50 win teams in the playoffs when compared to the guys from the West... and that includes 3 series (in non-lockout years) against teams sub .500. No-one in the west gets that type of luxury.
And Lebron's record when facing >50win, and particularly >60win, teams is significantly worse than Kobe and Duncan, and on par with Durant. (And yet Durant and the Thunder have this reputation as chokers that won't ever win).
It is not Lebron's fault that his teams are 2-4 in finals. The problem is that, if there was east-west parity, at least 2 of those losing teams really would not have been in the finals. And in my opinion, the reason the Western teams have this record in the finals is that you have to go through a run of 50+win teams, so generally a team that makes it to the Finals is clearly in the top 2 in the league... the same doesn't apply for someone who makes it from the East.
Is it finally time for the NBA to do something about this?
---
(Footnote: before people start complaining that Lebron's teams werent as good as the others: (1) you need to balance his Cleveland teams with his 4 seasons at Miami on a team that had money thrown at it, who manipulated the free agency system and did everything it could to set up a dynasty, including predicting 7-rings, and still only went 2-2 in finals, and (2) you can't suggest that Durant's teams have been much better and he has a similar playoff record, except for the fact that he keeps coming up against a tougher run, and so is unlikely to even get another shot at the finals if his team keeps its current makeup... and unfortunately that isn't Durants fault, but it will clearly effect how his career gets viewed).
What this is - is a discussion on what his finals record, as an example of the eastern record post-Jordan, says about the Conference setup in the NBA.
Lebron is 2-4 in 6 finals appearances.
Since Jordan's 2nd retirement, the East is 5-12 in NBA Finals.
How many of those runner up teams should be considered the 2nd best team in the league that year?
Lebron's playoff record (by series victory):
<41 win teams: 5-0 (2-0 in lockout)
41-50 win teams: 14-1
51-60 win teams: 5-3
>60 win teams: 1-4
---
In Comparison:
Kobe Bryant (5-2 in Finals)
<41: 2-1 (lockout seasons only)
41-50: 7-1
51-60: 22-4
>60: 2-5
Tim Duncan (5-1 in Finals)
<41: 5-0 (lockout seasons only)
41-50: 11-2
51-60: 14-8
>60: 4-3
Kevin Durant (0-1 in Finals)
<41: 1-0 (lockout only)
41-50: 4-1
51-60: 3-3
>60: 0-1
-----
My point: Lebron has played an incredibly high proportion of sub-50 win teams in the playoffs when compared to the guys from the West... and that includes 3 series (in non-lockout years) against teams sub .500. No-one in the west gets that type of luxury.
And Lebron's record when facing >50win, and particularly >60win, teams is significantly worse than Kobe and Duncan, and on par with Durant. (And yet Durant and the Thunder have this reputation as chokers that won't ever win).
It is not Lebron's fault that his teams are 2-4 in finals. The problem is that, if there was east-west parity, at least 2 of those losing teams really would not have been in the finals. And in my opinion, the reason the Western teams have this record in the finals is that you have to go through a run of 50+win teams, so generally a team that makes it to the Finals is clearly in the top 2 in the league... the same doesn't apply for someone who makes it from the East.
Is it finally time for the NBA to do something about this?
---
(Footnote: before people start complaining that Lebron's teams werent as good as the others: (1) you need to balance his Cleveland teams with his 4 seasons at Miami on a team that had money thrown at it, who manipulated the free agency system and did everything it could to set up a dynasty, including predicting 7-rings, and still only went 2-2 in finals, and (2) you can't suggest that Durant's teams have been much better and he has a similar playoff record, except for the fact that he keeps coming up against a tougher run, and so is unlikely to even get another shot at the finals if his team keeps its current makeup... and unfortunately that isn't Durants fault, but it will clearly effect how his career gets viewed).
