Reply With Quote
Pistons were deep, no question.
However, the Lakers swept everybody in the West playoffs, they were possessed. The momentum and confidence could have been an advantage.
Anyway, we'll never know.
I don't think they would have taken Detroit again. The Pistons had LA on the ropes twice in the 88 Finals, and their depth wasn't going to be denied again in 89. I've always thought the Bad Boys were a highly underrated team. Their frontcourt depth was unreal (Rodman, Aguirre, Laimbeer, Mahorn, Edwards, Sally), they had two HOF guards, and a Stephen Jackson-esque clutch shooter off the bench in Vinnie Johnson.For me, Magic and Jordan share the # 1 spot.
You can't forget the performance Magic had as a rookie in game 6 vs Philly; okay, he didn't really play center (overhyped), but still, as a rook, and without Kareem, it's an amazing performance.
Also, Magic had to face the Cletics on a regular basis.
He won 5 les
Apperead in 9 Finals
He could have won 6 les and threepeated if he didn't get injured vs Detroit in that 1st game in 1989.
Pistons were deep, no question.
However, the Lakers swept everybody in the West playoffs, they were possessed. The momentum and confidence could have been an advantage.
Anyway, we'll never know.
Magic and Byron were injured. If not it would have been a 3peat for the Lakeshow.
As I said, we'll never know.
Thanks for the unbiased opinion
Didn't Jordan average something like 27 ppg when he came back a 3rd time with the Wizards at the age of 40 or whatever he was???
Your welcome.
Ohhh I didn't see you covered the injury. Props to you.
ThanksYour welcome.
Ohhh I didn't see you covered the injury. Props to you.
And Isiah Thomas was injured in 88 and it still came down to a final possession.
Laimbeer didn't foul Kareem in 1988. If called correctly, the Pistons would have three-peated.
Magic Johnson is so under-rated it's sickening.
He was better than Jordan.
1. How many star players have won an NBA le with more than one head coach?
It's a short list.
2. How many star players have won an NBA le after undergoing a headcoaching change during the season?
Also a short list.
3. How many star rookies have done that?
Even shorter list.
4. How many star players have won an NBA le with a rookie head coach?
Getting shorter all the time.
5. As a rookie themselves?
And shorter...
6. How many star players have won an NBA le with two rookie head coaches?
How many have done all 6?
Only 1.
You don't do that with mirrors...you do that with Magic.
Magic's career was for all intents and purpose over at the age of 31 when he was diagnosed with HIV...Jordan won 3 les after that age. Magic had 5...
Last edited by whottt; 01-28-2008 at 05:32 AM.
How many people ever came close to stopping Jordan? ZERO
You can't compare Jordan's situation with Magic's. Magic stepped in a team that already had Kareem. The Bulls were terrible when MJ came in the league. They slowly built a team around him. Once Jordan got going, there was no one stopping him. Magic was not going to win anymore les with the Lakers, aids or no aids.
And I agree that the Pistons are the ones who should look with regret to the 80s. They probably left not one, but two les waiting for them. Experience does matter I guess.
Good point
Yeah...Mike was so damn good his team went to the ECSF, without him...and took the eventual conference champion to 7 games, who themselves then went and took the eventual NBA champions to 7 games.....
To quote Michael Jordan when told he didn't make his teamates better, "then get me better teamates"...
Whereas Magic? He'd turn Kurt freaking Rambis into a scoring threat.
The Lakers didn't even come close to winning an NBA le the year before Magic got there...and they had at least one last place finish with Kareem on the team before Magic got there.
No...Magic Johnson directly made other players better more than any player in NBA history.
And per the initial post in this thread...he was no slouch at the triple double either. Couldn't score like Jordan? He could score pretty damn good when he wanted to do so...but he liked passing better.
It took Jordan 6 years to figure out what Magic knew the day he entered the NBA and lead his team to a championship with not one, but two rookie headcoaches, that sometimes you gotta give up the rock.
Magic >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Jordan.
And saying Magic wouldn't have won anymore les is pure speculation...he took his team to the finals the year before he was diagnosed with HIV...Vlade got a of a lot better.
Jordan had dog for teammates early in his career. You're telling me Charles Oakley = Kareem Abdul Jabbar, John Paxson = Norm Nixon/Byron Scott, Orlando Woolridge = Jamaal Wilkes/James Worthy, Dave Corzine = Kurt Rambis/A.C. Green,...
Don't get me wrong. I watched Magic most of his prime, and at worst he's the third best player ever (him vs. Bird is a toss-us). Magic was the most versatile player I've ever seen: he was unquestionably the greatest ever leading the break, he could score on the block, he could shoot the three, he could put the ball on the floor and attack, he rebounded, and so on.
Jordan was the greatest ever at attacking the basket by the same margin that Magic was the best at leading the break. Jordan rebounded. Jordan had an unguardable jumper on the baseline. He played the passing lanes well. Moved his feet well on D. Was a sick shotblocker for his position. Was pretty solid playing the point. He never took games off, never got injured, and he was arguably the baddest man in NBA history when the shot clock was off at the end of a game (although Bird would have something to say about that too). He was unquestionably the greatest scorer in NBA history (don't tell me that Wilt turning around and dropping in layups over 6'7" guys is more impressive).
Jordan never dropped a playoff series against a weaker team either. Showing up was never a question with the Bulls. In contrast, Magic and the Lakers got lazy a couple of times, and blew a series to a horrible Rockets team in 81, and to an average Rockets team in 86.
You can say the level of compe ion was better in Magic's era, and overall, for the league, you'd be right. All that compe ion outside LA was in the east though. You can't really compare the Gervin/Gilmore Spurs to the Sixers, the Walter Davis / Alvan Adams Suns to the Pistons, the Olajuwon /? or Malone/Murphy Rockets to the Celtics, and so on. LA basically had a free pass to the Finals every year, while their EC opponent had at least one major battle with an all-time great team every year.
yeah the magic had real talent in the lakers teams. Jordan had ing Will Perdue, Perdue would get his ass kicked by Elson in one on one
The second round isn't very far at all. the Sonics took yall to 6 games a couple years ago... but they were a total team compared to the Spurs, and everyone knows it. They just had some breaks go their way. The Bulls were very fortunate to have gotten as far as they did.
Much like Jordan turned John Paxson and Steve Kerr to "Finals Heroes" for hitting big/game winning shots after drawing triple teams just to get them open for those shots.
Wrong. They had a last place finish the year BEFORE Kareem came. In his second year there, they lost in the WCF to Portland, who were the eventual NBA champions.
Not going to argue that too much, but Jordan was pretty good at making crappy players look good as well. , he basically earned John Paxson a job as a GM, and Will Perdue a job as an analyst.
Not questioning that he liked to pass better... but he never averaged more than 22 ppg. He had scoring ability... but not on the level of Jordan's, who averaged as much as 37 ppg. Anyone who argues that is simply re ed.
It was also probably nice have Kareem (who was a seasoned veteran that had championship experience and is widely considered the best C ever) to throw passes to, as opposed to a young forward who fakes migranes because he can't handle playoff pressure.
Maybe if he was more focused on winning les like Jordan, as opposed to having three-ways, then he would have never had to get diagnosed with HIV, would he? So in essence, we could say that his selfish desires, potentially cost his team future championships... of course, that would be pure speculation though...
He missed 64 games during the 1985-1986 season
Well, that was about the only significant injury he ever dealt with. Broken ankle, right? And he still came back and got his team to the playoffs.
Yeah, he came back strong.
Jordan was the the most compe ive player I've ever seen
I agree.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions