NBA: Saturday Games Thread

**Clipper Nation** · 01-21-2018

In all honesty, the Bulls would have lost to that Sonics team if George Karl didn't wait until they were down 3-0 to put Payton on DK. Refs saved them against the Jazz in '98, too. And DK's gambling suspension lined up perfectly with the years that Hakeem would have otherwise beaten the Bulls in the Finals.

**lefty** · 01-21-2018

The Rockets would have beaten Chicago, no doubt

**lefty** · 01-21-2018

Magic was great but the West was tbh.
And didn't Magic benefit from ref protection too?

**ambchang** · 01-21-2018

Originally Posted by Clipper Nation

In all honesty, the Bulls would have lost to that Sonics team if George Karl didn't wait until they were down 3-0 to put Payton on DK. Refs saved them against the Jazz in '98, too. And DK's gambling suspension lined up perfectly with the years that Hakeem would have otherwise beaten the Bulls in the Finals.

Jazz would’ve lost regardless of refs because they have the only true choking “superstar” in nba history.

**ambchang** · 01-21-2018

Originally Posted by lefty

Magic was great but the West was tbh.
And didn't Magic benefit from ref protection too?

True on both counts but Jordan protection was just embarrassing.

I think the 80s west was worse than the 90s east and still the magic still needed the Sterns to destroy the lives of some talented rockets players to make the finals 3 more times.

The result is that magic thought he could walk on water and go out and have unprotected sexual and heterosexual sex, leading to the premature ending to his caree. But more importantly caused a number of undeserving victims to contact HIV in the process. Stern didn’t just cheat for the lakers, he killed people for it.

**Killakobe81** · 01-21-2018

Originally Posted by lefty

Magic was great but the West was tbh.
And didn't Magic benefit from ref protection too?

and Bird did not?!
West was weaker than East yet Lakers beat every East powerhouse at least once of that era; Celts, Sixers pistons

**Clipper Nation** · 01-21-2018

The '80s West was by far the tiest excuse for a conference in NBA history. Seriously, anyone who thinks the East sucks should go take a look at some of the Showtime Lakers' roads to the Finals.

**lefty** · 01-21-2018

Originally Posted by Killakobe81

and Bird did not?!
West was weaker than East yet Lakers beat every East powerhouse at least once of that era; Celts, Sixers pistons

Bird?

Nah he owned all those black dudes.
Well CN will tell you Stern told black players to go easy on him.

**djohn2oo8** · 01-21-2018

Originally Posted by lefty

Bird?

Nah he owned all those black dudes.
Well CN will tell you Stern told black players to go easy on him.

**Killakobe81** · 01-21-2018

Originally Posted by Clipper Nation

The '80s West was by far the tiest excuse for a conference in NBA history. Seriously, anyone who thinks the East sucks should go take a look at some of the Showtime Lakers' roads to the Finals.

Tarpley Aguirre Ro Blackmon and dHarper Mavs are better than every team in the East outside of cavs, celts and maybe Raptors...but im leaning mavs over Raptors.
i also would take drexler porter 80s Blazers team over most of the east too

**lefty** · 01-21-2018

Originally Posted by Killakobe81

Tarpley Aguirre Ro Blackmon and dHarper Mavs are better than every team in the East outside of cavs, celts and maybe Raptors...but im leaning mavs over Raptors.
i also would take drexler porter 80s Blazers team over most of the east too

He was probably referring to the 80s pre-88.

This is the year when other teams in the West started to get better.

(I know, 86 Rockets but ww know what happened the following season).

Some of the WC finalist had a .500 FFS

**illmatic** · 01-21-2018

Originally Posted by ambchang

Not agreeing with CN but the east was clearly the weaker conference during Jordan’s reign. The bulls usually struggle with teams with dominant bigs (see Knicks with Ewing and even pacers with Smits). That’s why I always doubt the bulls would have 8peated if Jordan didn’t get suspended for killing his own dad as both fatigue and Hakeem would’ve stopped him. The west teams were spent by the time they got to the finals, after the bulls dispatch the likes of the Bucks, nets and “formidable” teams like the Knicks and pacers.

Besides, the bulls never had a crazy dominant run, even that 72-10 season didn’t end in a 15-1 or 15-0 run. The bulls were not able to dominate the sonics due to kemp (which makes all the talk about how great a defender bulls rodman laughable, he was not where close to pistons rodman and was generally an annoying brat to pull mind games and stat pad for rebounds at that point).

Jordan was great, but not the clear cut greatest. He’s along Kareem, bird, magic, wilt and Russell as candidates.

At this point, comparing lebron to Jordan is a little of a stretch. Lebron won 3 les on absolutely loaded teams. Jordan won 6 on perimeter loaded teams but below average front court.

The only players who can claim winning les in the modern era with average support are Hakeem, Duncan and dirk. And really that doesn’t mean much.

I was speaking more to the intimation that Pippen carried Jordan. Give me a break.

**ambchang** · 01-22-2018

Originally Posted by illmatic

I was speaking more to the intimation that Pippen carried Jordan. Give me a break.

Yeah. Jordan was clearly the alpha. Pippen was underrated though. Great great player.

**LkrFan** · 01-22-2018

Originally Posted by UZER

Durant on the Warriors. Still can't believe it.

You have no room. Y'all tanked for Duncan with a top 50 player on your roster.

**LkrFan** · 01-22-2018

Originally Posted by Clipper Nation

at Media already trying to talk themselves into the Rockets come playoff time based on this fluky regular-season win. Last I checked, they are still built around two of the biggest chokers in NBA history.

Pringles is a regular season Mount Rushmore coach. Playoffs? Not so much