LeBroom vs. Manu 2007 finals game 4

[phxspurfan]

Don't even remember this battle...pre HGH LeBron vs. just-past-his-prime Manu. LeBron had some nice moves when he had more lateral quickness, but the Spurs D really did turn him into a jump shooting Nick Young that series. And Manu with a block in the final seconds very similar to the one he had 10 years later on Harden, wow

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[gambit1990]

least memorable finals because of how easy it was.

[BackHome]

Manu with the clutch free throws at the end to seal the win.

[cd98]

least memorable finals because of how easy it was.

The real finals was Suns Spurs.

[Dejounte]

Would rookie LeBron still be drafted #1 today? His shooting was bad.

[Nivek_ogre]

Would rookie LeBron still be drafted #1 today? His shooting was bad.

Of course he would be. Look at how over hyped Ben Simmons is and he's not the player rookie LeBron was..

[Dejounte]

Of course he would be. Look at how over hyped Ben Simmons is and he's not the player rookie LeBron was..

Well, to be fair, Ben was drafted #1 in 2016-- still before small ball era. I think GMs started adjusting priorities in 2018.

[Play Boban]

Manu wasn’t past his prime in 2007 imho. 2008 was arguably his best season tbh fwiw.

[R. DeMurre]

That Cleveland team was so weak. Their second best player Larry Hughes was injured and missed games 3 & 4 after limping through the first two, and guys like Sasha Pavlovic and Daniel Gibson started, which neither would do very often in their careers after that series. Gibson was out of the league by age 27, and Pavlovic was a 3rd string player for the rest of his NBA career, which ended before age 30. It's kind of a miracle they even made it to the finals, after beating a still pretty good Pistons team.

[phxspurfan]

Manu wasn’t past his prime in 2007 imho. 2008 was arguably his best season tbh fwiw.

05 was clearly his prime. Not saying he wasn't good after but his peak was clearly then. Just bc he only gained national media notariety in 08 (and bc the team was relatively shitty those years), doesn't mean he was a better player.

For instance now, I argue 2016-2017 Kawhi (when he had the play to hit the 3 and block Harden) was Kawhi's best year as a player. He was single handedly destroying the Warriors in the playoffs that year too. He was great in Toronto but Load Managing like crazy. When with the Spurs before his uncle got involved, he was playing much more freely and letting it all hang out.

[phxspurfan]

That Cleveland team was so weak. Their second best player Larry Hughes was injured and missed games 3 & 4 after limping through the first two, and guys like Sasha Pavlovic and Daniel Gibson started, which neither would do very often in their careers after that series. Gibson was out of the league by age 27, and Pavlovic was a 3rd string player for the rest of his NBA career, which ended before age 30. It's kind of a miracle they even made it to the finals, after beating a still pretty good Pistons team.

IIRC LeBron basically won that Pistons series by himself. And Big Ben/Sheed/Rip were all TOSB by then

[R. DeMurre]

IIRC LeBron basically won that Pistons series by himself. And Big Ben/Sheed/Rip were all TOSB by then

Ben Wallace wasn't on Detroit that year-- he was with the Bulls. Sheed was 32 that year, Billups 30, Rip 28, and Prince 26... so they were still not an overly old team.

[Capt Bringdown]

That Cleveland team was so weak.

It was down year for the league. Spurs won it all with a bunch of turds. Oberto, WTF? Unfortunately "Stand-pat" Pop thought the team didn't need upgrading.

[R. DeMurre]

It was down year for the league. Spurs won it all with a bunch of turds. Oberto, WTF? Unfortunately "Stand-pat" Pop thought the team didn't need upgrading.

Should've been Dirk's year-- they won 67 games but flamed out against the 8th seed Warriors.

[Capt Bringdown]

Should've been Dirk's year-- they won 67 games but flamed out against the 8th seed Warriors.

Love the Spurs, but 2007 was without doubt the lamest NBA squad I've ever seen win a title.

[daslicer]

Should've been Dirk's year-- they won 67 games but flamed out against the 8th seed Warriors.

Mavs should have won it all in '07 but I felt the Spurs should have won it all in '06. So that was some karmic justice.

[R. DeMurre]

Mavs should have won it all in '07 but I felt the Spurs should have won it all in '06. So that was some karmic justice.

I really thought Nesterovic was a good signing at the time, but it's like his growth as a player just stopped in its tracks in San Antonio.

[daslicer]

I really thought Nesterovic was a good signing at the time, but it's like his growth as a player just stopped in its tracks in San Antonio.

I never liked Rasho. I just remembered when he was with the Wolves and watching Shaq pummel him in the '03 playoffs. When the Spurs signed him I remember thinking this guy is not going to be useful if the Spurs play the Lakers again in the playoffs. Which I was right about.

Rasho never really complimented Duncan well. Whenever Duncan got hurt he would average double doubles but when Duncan came back he would go back to being mediocre.

[DAF86]

Love the Spurs, but 2007 was without doubt the lamest NBA squad I've ever seen win a title.

The fuck? :rolleyes

How can a team with 3 future Hall of famers, all pretty much in their primes, be "the lamest NBA squad to ever win a tittle"? Even if the rest of the roster was literal dog shit, those 3 players alone would still make that a formidable squad. Without going any further, last years' Raptors was a much less talented team than the 2007 Spurs, same with the 2006 Heat, 2011 Mavs, and a bunch of others I don't care to keep listing. Heck, even the one-man team of 2003 was less talented than the 3-headed monster of 2007. Fucking Spurs fans underrating their own dynastic core, smh.

[LaMarcus Bryant]

Love the Spurs, but 2007 was without doubt the lamest NBA squad I've ever seen win a title.

2006 Heat take that honor imo but I get ya.

[DAF86]

Off the top of my head, less talented champions than the 2007 Spurs:

-2019 Raptors
-2016 Cavs
-2011 Mavs
-2006 Heat
-2004 Pistons
-2003 Spurs
-1999 Spurs
-1995 Rockets
-1994 Rockets

And I don't feel like going further back.

[phxspurfan]

2006 Heat take that honor imo but I get ya.

04 Pistons had 0 hall of famers.

[LaMarcus Bryant]

04 Pistons had 0 hall of famers.

With the NBA rules at the time the 2004 Pistons team was legit as fuck imo.
2006 Heat had the most overreated shooting guard of his era, a fat as fuck washed up shaq, and a pissed off NBA who wanted to stop Marc Cuban at all costs (lol)