Years with only 1 contender?..

[HarlemHeat37]

Miami is obviously the only real contender in the NBA this season, only injuries can defeat them..

What other years did the NBA only have 1 true contender that was much better than the field?..

2009 Lakers after KG's injury comes to mind..the West was weak, while Orlando and Lebron + scrubs were the top teams in the East

2001 Lakers peaked going into the playoffs, they weren't a dominant regular season team, so there was a little hype for other teams..in hindsight, they were the only real contender..the other contenders were a Spurs team that relied on Duncan + 36-year old Robinson + Antonio Daniels/hobbled Derek Anderson as the supporting cast:lol..

East was at a low-point, Sacto didn't have Bibby yet, etc..

Shaq was at his peak, Kobe was at his athletic peak, etc..

What other years had a clear-cut favourite without any legit challengers?..

Any year of Jordan's Bulls?..

[Latarian Milton]

spurs had always been a contender throughout the entire 2000s tbh

[DeadlyDynasty]

1996

[DMC]

The teams are as good as they were then, only Miami is better. Imagine Jordan, Isiah and Worthy on the same team, then throw in Chris Mullin and Dennis Rodman.

[mercos]

1996-98. No one was given a chance against the Bulls back then. After they crushed Orlando in the 1996 Eastern Conference Finals, it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that they were going to win it all the next couple of years.

[midnightpulp]

00 Lakers after Duncan got injured
09 Lakers after KG got injured, as you mentioned
10 Lakers after Lebron tanked against the older-than-dirt Celtics to teach Dan Gilbert a lesson

[Clipper Nation]

00 Lakers after Duncan got injured

The Blazers were also contenders that year though.... second-best record in the league, took the Lakers to 7 in the playoffs but got fucked by the refs...

[whitemamba]

10 Lakers after Lebron quit against the older-than-dirt Celtics to teach Dan Gilbert a lesson
fify

[KaiRMD1]

2001 Lakers peaked going into the playoffs, they weren't a dominant regular season team, so there was a little hype for other teams..in hindsight, they were the only real contender..the other contenders were a Spurs team that relied on Duncan + 36-year old Robinson + Antonio Daniels/hobbled Derek Anderson as the supporting cast:lol..


Once they beat the Spurs in game 2, they were the only contenders

[baseline bum]

I don't think either of your examples are comparable to this season, Harlem. That Spurs team was definitely a contender in 01, but they gave up starting game 3. The series was unwinnable by then, after they ran out to a big lead in game 2 and then couldn't hold on despite one of Duncan's greatest playoff games ever to that point (that shit was lost when David Robinson committed two idiotic fouls in a 10 second span against Horace Grant and had to sit out the whole third quarter as a result). It's the same line of reasoning I hear now that tries to claim the 2004 Finals weren't a huge upset. As far as 2009, Boston was probably even better than 08 before Garnett got hurt, so it wasn't a runaway Lakers title until then. By contrast at no point this season did it ever look like there was anyone who had a decent shot at Miami. I think it's a pretty unique situation. I guess you could say people figured on LA having a chance, but that was quickly gone 10 days into the season and I'm not counting it. Meanwhile seasons like 96 you still had a ridiculous Sonics team that would have won the title most seasons.

[Thread]

Christ, they ain't won it yet.

You guys have learned nothing.

[baseline bum]

Christ, they ain't won it yet.

You guys have learned nothing.

We have learned $100 million doesn't go as far as it used to.

[Thread]

We have learned $100 million doesn't go as far as it used to.

It got this far:::

Kobe: 5

the tired old shit bag Duncan: 4

[Arnold Toht]

Spurs 99

[benstanfield]

It got this far:::

Kobe: 5

the tired old shit bag Duncan: 4

Only pussies & assholes use ring count as an argument.

[spurraider21]

Christ, they ain't won it yet.

You guys have learned nothing.

:tu

[Samuel Eto'o]

Christ, they ain't won it yet.

You guys have learned nothing.

Its unbelievable. People getting in line before their gd name is even called.

[baseline bum]

I don't know why it's such a stretch to say no one's beating Miami this year, considering they're better than they were last year. Every other good team is a lot weaker than last year. OKC lost their #2 player, the Spurs offense has fallen off bigtime this year, the Lakers could miss the playoffs, Gasol's injury is killing Memphis, the Bulls lost Asik and Rose doesn't appear to want to come back, Boston is a year older and Garnett isn't playing as well as last year. The only teams that somewhat matter that haven't regressed are the Clippers and the Pacers. Short of LeBron suffering a serious injury, who is beating them?

[ElNono]

OP said contender, didn't say guaranteed champs... some old dogs need to put their glasses on...

[TrainOfThought5]

We have learned $100 million doesn't go as far as it used to.

:lol

[Killakobe81]

Cully is right they have not won it yet ...
But I think it is pretty clear that they are the best team and barring injury to Lebron I cant see them losing. I told you guys BEFore this season started they were the only legit title contender, heck I told you guys before the Heatles were formed...once Lebron started winning it was gonna be hard to stop him. They will win this year but Im willing to bet aginst a 3peat ...

4 straight Finals winning 3 of 4 has rarely been done in league history ...

[Thread]

Only pussies & assholes

lmemulatedao!!!

[Thread]

OP said contender, didn't say guaranteed champs... some old dogs need to put their glasses on...

El, gettin' his obtuse on.

[AaronY]

1996
The 1996 Sonics were one of the best teams to not win a title though

[OKC]

There's more than 1 contender this season. I'm not here saying it's OKC, but what I'm saying is people always want to draw conclusions long before they should be drawing them. Yeah Miami won 27 straight or whatever. Yeah they have to be the favorite, but it seems as though people have forgotten that a 7 game playoff series is a completely different animal. If you think Miami is going to roll through the playoffs, I think you're really pretty wrong. In the NBA and in any other sport, it's always "what have you done for me lately?". People jump on and off bandwagons all season long in terms of who they think is a legit contender. The fact is, with a handful of teams, you won't know who is a legit contender or not until it comes down to that 7 game series. You sometimes won't find what a team is made of until you get them against the ropes and the playoffs is the only true way to do that.

[da_suns_fan]

1996-98. No one was given a chance against the Bulls back then. After they crushed Orlando in the 1996 Eastern Conference Finals, it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that they were going to win it all the next couple of years.

#Clueless

The pacers took the 98 Bulls to seven games.

[mercos]

The Pacers series was a surprise. No one thought they were going to beat the Bulls during the season. The Bulls were overwhelming favorites to win it all throughout the year.

[baseline bum]

The Pacers series was a surprise. No one thought they were going to beat the Bulls during the season. The Bulls were overwhelming favorites to win it all throughout the year.

I don't remember it that way at all. Chicago had tons of injury problems with Pippen and Rodman that season and everyone was wondering the Bulls could pull one more title out or if they were getting ready to break down. They were still favorites, but pretty far from certain. Then there was all the drama with that team. Everyone knew it was the last year you ever see Jackson on the sidelines and the last year you'd see Pippen and Jordan in Bulls uniforms, since they all hated Krause and Reinsdorf.

[mercos]

I don't remember it that way at all. Chicago had tons of injury problems with Pippen and Rodman that season and everyone was wondering the Bulls could pull one more title out or if they were getting ready to break down. They were still favorites, but pretty far from certain. Then there was all the drama with that team. Everyone knew it was the last year you ever see Jackson on the sidelines and the last year you'd see Pippen and Jordan in Bulls uniforms, since they all hated Krause and Reinsdorf.

I remember the Bulls having some injury problems, but I recall no doubt that they would win it all. I know I had none personally, and saw none in the media. That 98 team was probably the weakest they fielded, but there were no other strong contenders. When you add that to the fact that they had the NBA's own personal messiah, it was pretty much a lock.

[Latarian Milton]

There's more than 1 contender this season. I'm not here saying it's OKC, but what I'm saying is people always want to draw conclusions long before they should be drawing them. Yeah Miami won 27 straight or whatever. Yeah they have to be the favorite, but it seems as though people have forgotten that a 7 game playoff series is a completely different animal. If you think Miami is going to roll through the playoffs, I think you're really pretty wrong. In the NBA and in any other sport, it's always "what have you done for me lately?". People jump on and off bandwagons all season long in terms of who they think is a legit contender. The fact is, with a handful of teams, you won't know who is a legit contender or not until it comes down to that 7 game series. You sometimes won't find what a team is made of until you get them against the ropes and the playoffs is the only true way to do that.
fact is there has never been any single year where you only had one contender. the game is full of uncertainty and before the playoff whistle is blown, you have 3-4 or even more teams every year who could possibly end up winning the championship. miami were also the favorite to win in 11 and you didn't know which team would come out as the blackhorse. there's only one team favorite to win the championship but there's no guarantee it'll actually win it tbh

[Splits]

We have learned $100 million doesn't go as far as it used to.

$129 million (http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-metta-world-peace-contract-opt-out-20130326,0,3319094.story)


If the Lakers (http://www.latimes.com/topic/sports/basketball/los-angeles-lakers-ORSPT000104.topic) re-sign Dwight Howard (http://www.latimes.com/topic/sports/basketball/dwight-howard-PESPT008416.topic) this summer, the franchise is looking at a significant luxury tax payment for next season.

Luxury taxes stand to be a significant issue next season as the rates go up progressively as part of the new collective bargaining agreement. If the team's payroll hovers around $100 million to $110 million, the Lakers could be paying $70 million to $119 million in taxes.

The bill for this season is $129 million, including tax (for a team struggling to make the playoffs). It's far-fetched to expect the Lakers to shell out $170 million to $229 million on essentially the same roster next season.