The Bigfooty 2018 Western Conference Semi Finals Thread (Houston vs Utah, G.S.W vs N.O.P)

[kingkingston]

So what was George Hill doing with it to start an offensive set then?

George Hill is a combo guard that can play either position but LeBron is the point guard on that team. The offence runs through him

 

[kingkingston]

It's not just "He played for longer". It's his peak was longer.

LeBron James has been the best player in the league for the last 11 seasons. 11 years of being the best player in the league. And he's not done yet. Let that sink in. It's ******* crazy.

ffs, just appreciate that for a minute.

No one is taking away from what MJ (or Karl Malone did).

But LeBron is a machine of like we've never seen before.

LeBron is a great athlete no doubt, it has allowed him to become the best driver of the ball we might have ever seen.

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

George Hill is a combo guard that can play either position but LeBron is the point guard on that team. The offence runs through him

You just said every offensive possession starts with him which again is incorrect. At this point, per board procedure, I must ask if LeBron beat you up and took your lunch money at some stage.

 

[kingkingston]

You just said every offensive possession starts with him which again is incorrect. At this point, per board procedure, I must ask if LeBron beat you up and took your lunch money at some stage.

he took my money when i backed him 5 times in the Finals....

 

[kingkingston]

We haven’t even factored in LeBron’s playoff load to his longevity. Likely to make it 7 straight trips to the NBA finals whilst being the best player on the team each time. Karl Malone can’t even get it done on Sundays.

ahhhh the Leastern Conference

 

[Son of Skeletor]

longevity is peerless hahahaha, plays just one season of 82 games in his career. Leading the comp in minutes at an average of 36.9 isn't that high you know, not a big achievement. At the same age, Jordan was playing 37.9mpg. When he gets to 38mpg at 38 years of age come and see me. Karl Malone was in his 17th season and averaging that. A lot easier to do it these days without all the contact that Malone use to get in his day

Jordan played 13 and a bit seasons excluding his Washington swansong, and including a mid-career sabbatical.

LeBron has fifteen seasons on end and counting, all balls to the wall.

Larry Bird just about scraped together 13 seasons. Tracy McGrady maybe 11 if we're generous. Grant Hill missed the better part of seven years of his prime. Clyde Drexler was ready to retire after 15 seasons. Reggie Miller was making the transition to role player after 15 years. Iverson lasted for about 12. Paul Pierce got fifteen years in Boston before he became a role player in his late autumn days. You could say Kobe put together 17 years before his Achilles, but the first three years of that he was a supporting cast member.

Tim Duncan and Malone got into the late teens, but during their latter years despite still being excellent players they weren't exactly MVP candidates. Add to this that it's easier for a) big men like Duncan, and b) pure shooters like Miller to age gracefully. Perimeter players who rely on athleticism - see Iverson, McGrady, etc - as a rule of thumb have a shorter shelf life.

So yes, LeBron playing at MVP level for what... 13, 14 seasons consecutively - is approaching unchartered waters. There have been a few who have matched it, but none who went beyond. LeBron has showed no signs of slowing down whatsoever, perhaps with the exception of his defence. If he keeps doing this another two or three years, it'll be unprecedented.

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

he took my money when i backed him 5 times in the Finals....

Well it wouldn’t have been with winnings off Karl Malone

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

ahhhh the Leastern Conference

Compelling argument. Gold star for you.

 

[kingkingston]

Jordan played 13 and a bit seasons excluding his Washington swansong, and including a mid-career sabbatical.

LeBron has fifteen seasons on end and counting, all balls to the wall.

Larry Bird just about scraped together 13 seasons. Tracy McGrady maybe 11 if we're generous. Grant Hill missed the better part of seven years of his prime. Clyde Drexler was ready to retire after 15 seasons. Reggie Miller was making the transition to role player after 15 years. Iverson lasted for about 12. Paul Pierce got fifteen years in Boston before he became a role player in his late autumn days. You could say Kobe put together 17 years before his Achilles, but the first three years of that he was a supporting cast member.

Tim Duncan and Malone got into the late teens, but during their latter years despite still being excellent players they weren't exactly MVP candidates. Add to this that it's easier for a) big men like Duncan, and b) pure shooters like Miller to age gracefully. Perimeter players who rely on athleticism - see Iverson, McGrady, etc - as a rule of thumb have a shorter shelf life.

So yes, LeBron playing at MVP level for what... 13, 14 seasons consecutively - is approaching unchartered waters. There have been a few who have matched it, but none who went beyond. LeBron has showed no signs of slowing down whatsoever, perhaps with the exception of his defence. If he keeps doing this another two or three years, it'll be unprecedented.

i'd only compare it with Kobe and McGrady because both came out of High School like LeBron did and were younger than the rest you named. Like i said, it is lucky LeBron has managed his body well and hasn't had any major injuries that have effected his body's athleticism like McGrady and Kobe got. LeBron is still the best driver of a basketball at 33, when that skill dies away in age, i will be interested to see how he goes turning in to mostly a jump shooter

 

[kingkingston]

Well it wouldn’t have been with winnings off Karl Malone

no i backed Jordan in those days....easy money

 

[Son of Skeletor]

i'd only compare it with Kobe and McGrady because both came out of High School like LeBron did and were younger than the rest you named. Like i said, it is lucky LeBron has managed his body well and hasn't had any major injuries that have effected his body's athleticism like McGrady and Kobe got. LeBron is still the best driver of a basketball at 33, when that skill dies away in age, i will be interested to see how he goes turning in to mostly a jump shooter

The college thing is overrated.

Tim Duncan played four years in college and racked up about 4.5k minutes, which is heavy by college standards. That's just over 1,000 minutes per year. Meanwhile in his NBA rookie year alone he played 3,600 minutes.

Taking into consideration age and mins, you can maybe factor/equate one NBA season for every two years a player played at college. Even that is generous, because there are barely 30 games in a college season, seldom high minutes and no crazy scheduling with back to backs or 4-in-5.

 

[Klyntonius]

LeBron is in the East, this is the West.

AD to carry the Pels to a game six tomorrow. Hopefully Jingles can do the same for the Jazz.

 

[Son of Skeletor]

LeBron is in the East, this is the West.

AD to carry the Pels to a game six tomorrow. Hopefully Jingles can do the same for the Jazz.

Just brushing up on our LeBron knowledge before the Pels meet the Cavs in the Finals

 

[bourbons]

seen players play for longer

Sure but any who consistently carry their teams like LeBron does? If he wasn't on the cavs they'd be about 3rd last in the east I reckon.

 

[kingkingston]

Sure but any who consistently carry their teams like LeBron does? If he wasn't on the cavs they'd be about 3rd last in the east I reckon.

i never said he wasn't a great player. The Cavs would be different without him(that is if he never went back)

 

[kingkingston]

The college thing is overrated.

Tim Duncan played four years in college and racked up about 4.5k minutes, which is heavy by college standards. That's just over 1,000 minutes per year. Meanwhile in his NBA rookie year alone he played 3,600 minutes.

Taking into consideration age and mins, you can maybe factor/equate one NBA season for every two years a player played at college. Even that is generous, because there are barely 30 games in a college season, seldom high minutes and no crazy scheduling with back to backs or 4-in-5.

it's not because the percentage of players who make it to the NBA after a college career is very low. Unfortunately the college standard has dropped away a bit over the years. So many kids thought they could go to the NBA straight from High School and never got picked or just didn't have the skill to make it once picked.

 

[SayerTheCreator]

The last day of this thread

 

[bourbons]

i never said he wasn't a great player. The Cavs would be different without him(that is if he never went back)

I just meant that the unprecedented role he plays probably should be taken into consideration with the longevity discussion too, surely there's an extra toll that comes with being THE guy to the degree that he obviously is for so long. Not just getting out on the court every night but mentally - knowing you carry the team, doing interviews, pretty much coaching the team (depending who you ask ) etc.

 

[peternorth]

The Utah JAzz are trying to stave off elimination in todays game against the Houston Rockets.

 

[Brad Goodman]

Kobe Mitchell shooting 31% so far in this series. Doubt you'll hear much criticism though.

 

[djrossie16]

Utah gonna be tough to put away. Close game now.

 

[djrossie16]

Wow Mitchell putting on a 3rd quarter show

 

[kaiserchief13]

Mitchell gone into beast mode last 5 minutes. Opposite of Simmons

 

[SilentHunter_]

Will it be enough though? Surely can't keep this up.

 

[Warsaw]

Picking and choosing the spots where I stop working and look up at the game, but man whenever I get the bat signal for Mitchell, I gotta look man.

What a stretch for him.