Unpopular Basketball Opinions

[jod23]

I'm waiting for the Jod post about LeBron still not being a clutch player. With all the games being blow outs he never needed to show how horrible he was in the clutch.

Only close game was Game 7 and Irving was the clutch guy. LeBron missed his last 4 shots and only made 1 of 2 free throws in the last 5 minutes.

Maybe he isn't a Top 150 player...

He's top 150 but you're right, he's not clutch.

 

[jod23]

I was watching a "the herd" video on youtube and the host brought up a great point about thr lebron v jordan debate. He didnt say that lebron was better than jordan but rather jordan wasnt as perfect as everyone likes to remember. One point was that jordan had the best rebounder in the league in rodman, the best shooter in kerr and the best defender in pippen....lebron has never had a teammate regarded the best at anything.

People attack lebron for getting help at miami, look at the crap he played with in his first stint with the cavs. How can you blame him

Jordan was right there with Pippen as the best defender. Rodman was the best rebounder but he came with a whole host of problems and was a real risk when we signed him. On offence, it's like playing 4 on 5. So he had his drawbacks too. Kerr % wise was the best shooter in the league, but he wasnt Steph Curry. He wasnt a volume shooter where he can go off and score 40 points and hit 10 threes.

Pull the other one.

Not to mention Kerr was just a role player. Rodman was a risky signing and Pippen was drafted.

LeBron left to chase championship by joining up with other superstars etc. Jordan never did that, he wanted to beat the best, not join them. Something now Durant is doing. A shame.

 

[calyam]

LeBron left to chase championship by joining up with other superstars etc. Jordan never did that, he wanted to beat the best, not join them. Something now Durant is doing. A shame.

Drawing comparisons with Durant is easy but misleading. LeBron joined a 47-win Heat team that also signed the best player from a lottery team. Durant joined a 73-win team. LeBron set about improving his chances of winning a title, since the Cleveland front office couldn't surround him with sufficient talent, a problem that other superstars such as Jordan, Bird and Magic never had to face.

As it was LeBron came back to Cleveland and did the impossible: beat what many were saying were the best team in history. He may not have "wanted to beat the best" but unlike every other superstar in history he actually did.

 

[Magpie Monopoly]

Drawing comparisons with Durant is easy but misleading. LeBron joined a 47-win Heat team that also signed the best player from a lottery team. Durant joined a 73-win team. LeBron set about improving his chances of winning a title, since the Cleveland front office couldn't surround him with sufficient talent, a problem that other superstars such as Jordan, Bird and Magic never had to face.

As it was LeBron came back to Cleveland and did the impossible: beat what many were saying were the best team in history. He may not have "wanted to beat the best" but unlike every other superstar in history he actually did.

Agreed about the comparison between LBJ and KD. KD's move is significantly worse. The equivalent move for lebron would of been the join the 2010 Boston Celtics (except it's actually considerably worse than that)

 

[didaksrightfoot]

Unpopular opinion (maybe):

The Warriors will (initially) struggle to fit Durant into the offence, and will have trouble (except Dray) of dealing with the hatred thats coming there way this year. I dont think they win it all this season.

 

[calyam]

Unpopular opinion (maybe):

The Warriors will (initially) struggle to fit Durant into the offence, and will have trouble (except Dray) of dealing with the hatred thats coming there way this year. I dont think they win it all this season.

Sounds more like wishful thinking to me.

 

[didaksrightfoot]

Sounds more like wishful thinking to me.

yeah, probably

 

[Drama]

Andrew Wiggins will be nothing more than an above average/good starter (think Mike Conley) and the success of that team will ride on KAT being the Tim Duncan of his generation.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

Andrew Wiggins will be nothing more than an above average/good starter (think Mike Conley) and the success of that team will ride on KAT being the Tim Duncan of his generation.

Think that's harsh on Conley but for the most part I agree.

 

[nahnah]

COLA is to blame for the Warriors having the cap space to sign 4 all stars

 

[Drama]

Think that's harsh on Conley but for the most part I agree.

Hey, he'll still get paid like Conley!

 

[jod23]

Drawing comparisons with Durant is easy but misleading. LeBron joined a 47-win Heat team that also signed the best player from a lottery team. Durant joined a 73-win team. LeBron set about improving his chances of winning a title, since the Cleveland front office couldn't surround him with sufficient talent, a problem that other superstars such as Jordan, Bird and Magic never had to face.

As it was LeBron came back to Cleveland and did the impossible: beat what many were saying were the best team in history. He may not have "wanted to beat the best" but unlike every other superstar in history he actually did.

LeBron joined a worse team but was bringing Bosh with him. Nobody was under any illusions as to what was going on in that whole debacle. Lebron had engineered a super team so he could win championships.

GSW are already kind of a super team. Durant is doing the same thing but on an even higher level.

I think this is worse from KD for sure, but at least he is doing it as quiet as possible and not acting like a total ******* dickhead about it. I mean ... The Interview. Jesus he handled that whole thing so, so wrong.

On a basketball level though, what KD is doing is even worse.

 

[stewie griffen]

Rajon Rondo is terrible

Oh u said unpopular

 

[PVF]

If KD wins a title next season will anyone outside GSW care?

 

[PP34]

If KD wins a title next season will anyone outside GSW care?

Not as many as LeBron in Miami. Durant in my mind only really had a year where his popularity was on LeBron like levels which was 2014 when he won MVP. He's always been behind LeBron and Kobe, and now Steph seems to be just as popular if not more popular.

I doubt the Warriors get near the level of hate Miami did either, despite what people are saying right now.

 

[Superstar swan]

Not as many as LeBron in Miami. Durant in my mind only really had a year where his popularity was on LeBron like levels which was 2014 when he won MVP. He's always been behind LeBron and Kobe, and now Steph seems to be just as popular if not more popular.

I doubt the Warriors get near the level of hate Miami did either, despite what people are saying right now.

Kd is a strange phenomenon. Supremely talented and before steph exploded in the past 2 seasons, kd was largely considered the best scorer in the league, however he has never come under criticism for not winning a ring like lebron has in the past, despite playing in very,very talented teams

 

[PP34]

Kd is a strange phenomenon. Supremely talented and before steph exploded in the past 2 seasons, kd was largely considered the best scorer in the league, however he has never come under criticism for not winning a ring like lebron has in the past, despite playing in very,very talented teams

Because other than this year I highly doubt any kind of criticism about him not winning the title has been warranted. From 2010-2012 they were a very raw team and in the 2012 Finals they were outmatched by a Heat team that had experience the year before with losing and was ready to win a title. Durant was good and Harden went missing.

2013 Westbrook went down when they were primed for another finals tilt, and in 2014 the team almost made the finals despite Westbrook missing time and Ibaka got hurt right as they were getting it together to take down the Spurs. 2015 Durant wasn't even on the court come April.

They've been pretty damn unlucky, just shows that players need to grab chances to win championships when they're there.

 

[Superstar swan]

Because other than this year I highly doubt any kind of criticism about him not winning the title has been warranted. From 2010-2012 they were a very raw team and in the 2012 Finals they were outmatched by a Heat team that had experience the year before with losing and was ready to win a title. Durant was good and Harden went missing.

2013 Westbrook went down when they were primed for another finals tilt, and in 2014 the team almost made the finals despite Westbrook missing time and Ibaka got hurt right as they were getting it together to take down the Spurs. 2015 Durant wasn't even on the court come April.

They've been pretty damn unlucky, just shows that players need to grab chances to win championships when they're there.

yet lebron copped criticism even though he was playing with barely nba level players

 

[PP34]

yet lebron copped criticism even though he was playing with barely nba level players

Nobody really had a crack at LeBron until 2009 and 2010 when his teams that dominated all year fell apart in the playoffs. Rightly or wrongly he was criticised. In 2009 his team got beaten by a Dwight Howard led Magic team that really wasn't that great.

In 2010 he got done by a Celtics team that had trouble with the Cavs all year. He was flat out garbage in a huge game 5 and looked largely disinterested after that.

 

[calyam]

Nobody really had a crack at LeBron until 2009 and 2010 when his teams that dominated all year fell apart in the playoffs. Rightly or wrongly he was criticised. In 2009 his team got beaten by a Dwight Howard led Magic team that really wasn't that great.

In 2010 he got done by a Celtics team that had trouble with the Cavs all year. He was flat out garbage in a huge game 5 and looked largely disinterested after that.

LeBron deserved a great deal of criticism for that 2010 series; he deserves no blame for the 2009 loss to the Magic. LeBron was huge in that series but his teammates were ordinary and Brown was severely outcoached. I still can't work out how that Cavs team won 66 games.

 

[JohnW]

Andrew Wiggins will be nothing more than an above average/good starter (think Mike Conley) and the success of that team will ride on KAT being the Tim Duncan of his generation.

No chance Thibs turns him into a Jimmy B mark 2? He has better tools to work with than Jimmy.

 

[djrossie16]

Andrew Wiggins will be nothing more than an above average/good starter (think Mike Conley) and the success of that team will ride on KAT being the Tim Duncan of his generation.

lol it pays to be above average then

 

[Drama]

No chance Thibs turns him into a Jimmy B mark 2? He has better tools to work with than Jimmy.

What makes the physical work is the mental, Wiggins seems to lack the mental whereas Butler seems to have it in spades.

 

[JohnW]

What makes the physical work is the mental, Wiggins seems to lack the mental whereas Butler seems to have it in spades.

Always had it? Or developed it? From memory he was significantly worse than Wiggins during his first couple of years, while being 2 years older.

age 21, Year 2 - 20.7 pts, 45.9% FG, 0.7 3pm, 3.6Reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 0.6 blk, 2.2 tov
age 20, Year 1 - 16.9 pts, 43.7% FG, 0.5 3pm, 4.6 reb, 2.1 ast, 1 stl, 0.6 blk, 2.2 tov

age 25, Year 4 - 20.0 pts, 46.2% fg, 1.1 3pm, 5.8 reb, 3.3 ast, 1.8 stl, 0.6 blk, 1.7 tov
age 24, Year 3 - 13.1 pts, 39.7% fg, 1 3pm, 4.9 reb, 2.6 ast, 1.9 stl, 0.5 blk, 1.6 tov
age 23, Year 2 - 8.6 pts, 46.7% fg, 1.3 3pm, 4 reb, 1.4 ast, 1 stl, 0.4 blk, 1.2 tov
age 22, Year 1 - 2.6 pts, 40.5% FG, 0.3 3pm, 1.3 reb, 0.3 ast, 0.3 stl, 0.1 blk, 0.3 tov

Now I will be stoked if Wiggins develops in to Butlers current form, but with Wiggin's foundation I think that should be the least he should aim for.

 

[Drama]

Always had it? Or developed it? From memory he was significantly worse than Wiggins during his first couple of years, while being 2 years older.

age 21, Year 2 - 20.7 pts, 45.9% FG, 0.7 3pm, 3.6Reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 0.6 blk, 2.2 tov
age 20, Year 1 - 16.9 pts, 43.7% FG, 0.5 3pm, 4.6 reb, 2.1 ast, 1 stl, 0.6 blk, 2.2 tov

age 25, Year 4 - 20.0 pts, 46.2% fg, 1.1 3pm, 5.8 reb, 3.3 ast, 1.8 stl, 0.6 blk, 1.7 tov
age 24, Year 3 - 13.1 pts, 39.7% fg, 1 3pm, 4.9 reb, 2.6 ast, 1.9 stl, 0.5 blk, 1.6 tov
age 23, Year 2 - 8.6 pts, 46.7% fg, 1.3 3pm, 4 reb, 1.4 ast, 1 stl, 0.4 blk, 1.2 tov
age 22, Year 1 - 2.6 pts, 40.5% FG, 0.3 3pm, 1.3 reb, 0.3 ast, 0.3 stl, 0.1 blk, 0.3 tov

Now I will be stoked if Wiggins develops in to Butlers current form, but with Wiggin's foundation I think that should be the least he should aim for.

My rebuttal would be that Wiggins was the primary scorer from day dot, Butler was probably the 3rd or 4th option to begin with!