NBA: Is this finals Good vs. Evil?

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

so he should have went to a team that had less chance of winning? what sense does that make???

Lebron's got every right to that to do what he did. He has no obligation to act in the best interest of the league or the fans or anyone else for that matter. But I agree with TW - from my perspective as a fan it hurt the parity of the EC and the league as a whole.

[Phillip]

Doesn't matter where LeBron would have gone. He still would be crucified for not staying in Cleveland.

this. and if he stayed in cleveland, pretty much for the rest of his career he would be stuck with a bunch of old, washed up stars coming to play for cheap, which is never going to be enough to win consistently. generally, when some kind of megastar begins a career somewhere, the team they land on has one of three benefits. 1) they have sucked for a while, and have had several nice draft picks to all grow to s om together, 2) they already had a star on the team, or 3) they have good management to trade the good pieces they had at the time, for better. The Bulls got MJ and Pippen through the draft. The Spurs added Timmy to D-Rob and drafted well. The Lakers added Kobe to Shaq. The Rockets consistently made moves to keep Olajuwon surrounded. The Mavericks consistently made moves to keep talent around Dirk. Even in KDs case, he was drafted with Westbrook and Harden.

Lebron didn't really have any of those benefits. Boozer was pretty much their only hope, but he ended up screwing the Cavs over and bolting, and from then on, Lebron was pretty much surrounded by crap. The best two players they managed to have around him were Larry Hughes and Mo Williams . He stayed for 7 years, made it clear he needed some help yet didn't publicly whine and the way guys like Kobe did, never asked for a trade or anything. He signed an extension, lived his contract out, and left when it was clear that ownership was content with merely being a hot ticket across the NBA, as opposed to doing everything in their power to help win a championship. Even took his time in FA to see if they were going to make any serious attempts to make a big signing or a deal to bring in some talent. When the best they did was fire Mike Brown and hire Byron Scott, I think he finally had enough.

He didn't have to leave the way he did by creating such a spectacle (which he admitted himself he was wrong for that and would do it differently if he had another chance), but its not like he didn't give the Cavaliers more than enough chances to provide him with what he needed.

[Phillip]

Lebron's got every right to that to do what he did. He has no obligation to act in the best interest of the league or the fans or anyone else for that matter. But I agree with TW - from my perspective as a fan it hurt the parity of the EC and the league as a whole.

If the parity is hurt so much, then why did they get beaten in the Finals, and have gotten taken to 7 games in the ECF in each of the last two years? Obviously the parity isn't that bad.

Perhaps spurfans should complain about SA tanking a season away to do what they could to get a #1 pick to draft Timmy, and hurt the "parity" of the league, since they went on to win 4 championships with him.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

If the parity is hurt so much, then why did they get beaten in the Finals, and have gotten taken to 7 games in the ECF in each of the last two years? Obviously the parity isn't that bad.

Perhaps spurfans should complain about SA tanking a season away to do what they could to get a #1 pick to draft Timmy, and hurt the "parity" of the league, since they went on to win 4 championships with him.

Parity isn't just the gap between the best and 2nd best teams in a conference or a league.

[DMC]

SFIE with the genuine article par per etc...

[DMC]

If the parity is hurt so much, then why did they get beaten in the Finals, and have gotten taken to 7 games in the ECF in each of the last two years? Obviously the parity isn't that bad.

Perhaps spurfans should complain about SA tanking a season away to do what they could to get a #1 pick to draft Timmy, and hurt the "parity" of the league, since they went on to win 4 championships with him.

What you're overlooking is that the Heat made the Finals on their first year as a stacked team. They won it in their second year. That's the definition of non-parity. They've been to the Finals 3 years in a row (including this one), every year since they stacked. Last team to do that was the Lakers after Pau arrived.

[Bobby Peru]

good vs. evil?

oh dear lord these spursfans are emo mother ers

"we are the good guys"

holy ing you just can't make this up

I don't know which thread is worse, this one or the one where the stupid pathetic posts pictures of young ugly ass Popovich

[Phillip]

Parity isn't just the gap between the best and 2nd best teams in a conference or a league.

What you're overlooking is that the Heat made the Finals on their first year as a stacked team. They won it in their second year. That's the definition of non-parity. They've been to the Finals 3 years in a row (including this one), every year since they stacked. Last team to do that was the Lakers after Pau arrived.

Oh okay, so basically 95% of the champions in NBA history have ruined the parity of the league because they were stacked.

Gotcha. Glad to know it's not just Miami.

[Trainwreck2100]

good vs. evil?

oh dear lord these spursfans are emo mother ers

"we are the good guys"

holy ing you just can't make this up

I don't know which thread is worse, this one or the one where the stupid pathetic posts pictures of young ugly ass Popovich

You actually are because nowhere did I say the Spurs were the good guys

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Oh okay, so basically 95% of the champions in NBA history have ruined the parity of the league because they were stacked.

Gotcha. Glad to know it's not just Miami.

Never said it was ruined. And 95% of the NBA champions weren't constructed the way the Heat were. They came about because one of the best draft classes of all time gave way to one of the best free agent crops of all time and the crown jewels of that group ended up on a single team. I'm not saying that Lebron and Bosh should have stayed put and toiled away the rest of their careers with franchises that weren't getting it done. I'm saying that free agent class could have been a tipping point that brought the EC back to something resembling what's made the West worth watching these years - a few legit contenders, a few dark horses with some talent, half a dozen tomato cans. Their decision to go separate ways wouldn't have been a guarantee of that. They'd have to land in places that had quality coaching and competent management, stay healthy, etc. But the decision they did make all but ensured that the whole of the EC was playing for second place from day one.

And I don't speak for every fan. , if anything has been made glaringly clear over the last five years it's that I'm not the guy the NBA is trying to reach out to. But I didn't watch a single Heat game this year and it's not about being a hater or anything along those lines. If I'm going to watch someone other than my Spurs it's because I think it's going to be a good game and every time I saw the Heat on the TV schedule it pretty much meant they were going to stomp the crap out of some team that couldn't match up with them or it would be a compe ive game because the Heat would be coasting. Neither held a lot of appeal.

[Phillip]

Never said it was ruined. And 95% of the NBA champions weren't constructed the way the Heat were. They came about because one of the best draft classes of all time gave way to one of the best free agent crops of all time and the crown jewels of that group ended up on a single team. I'm not saying that Lebron and Bosh should have stayed put and toiled away the rest of their careers with franchises that weren't getting it done. I'm saying that free agent class could have been a tipping point that brought the EC back to something resembling what's made the West worth watching these years - a few legit contenders, a few dark horses with some talent, half a dozen tomato cans. Their decision to go separate ways wouldn't have been a guarantee of that. They'd have to land in places that had quality coaching and competent management, stay healthy, etc. But the decision they did make all but ensured that the whole of the EC was playing for second place from day one.

And I don't speak for every fan. , if anything has been made glaringly clear over the last five years it's that I'm not the guy the NBA is trying to reach out to. But I didn't watch a single Heat game this year and it's not about being a hater or anything along those lines. If I'm going to watch someone other than my Spurs it's because I think it's going to be a good game and every time I saw the Heat on the TV schedule it pretty much meant they were going to stomp the crap out of some team that couldn't match up with them or it would be a compe ive game because the Heat would be coasting. Neither held a lot of appeal.

Who cares how a team of all-stars come together? Whether its by sign or by trade, it is going to happen sooner or later. Every few years, a team makes some blockbuster splashes, either through FA signings (as Miami did, and the 3-peat Lakers did by adding Shaq) or through some trades (like Miami did when they got Shaq, or like the Lakers did just before by getting Gasol to group up with with Kobe, Odom and Bynum, or Boston did by getting KG and Allen), and end up stocked with talent.

The only difference this time around was that one of the all-stars included, happens to be a guy who by the end of his career may be considered the best basketball player to ever play.

[Rogue]

It's more like a series between two evils to me, and im only choosing the lesser one (Heat) between these two. It's kinda like the commies and allies for a German, I ain't cheering for either side but i would feel less pain if the Heat win than if the Spurs win

[JingleJangleJingle]

No. Good vs Evil was the first Patriots vs Giants super bowl. Good won.

[Trainwreck2100]

It's more like a series between two evils to me, and im only choosing the lesser one (Heat) between these two. It's kinda like the commies and allies for a German, I ain't cheering for either side but i would feel less pain if the Heat win than if the Spurs win

How are the spurs the more evil

[JingleJangleJingle]

but seriously lol at the stupid reasons people find to irrationally hate on LeBron.

[Johnsyounger]

Yes. Spurs-Heat= Rocky Balboa vs Ivan Drago, David vs Goliath, Saint Michael vs Satan etc...

spurs are the classiest organization in the history of professional sports tbh. They also have the most classiest players you'll ever come across. While the heat are filled with bags, steroid cheats, coattail riders, pedophiles and ray allen.

This. ROTFL.

[DMC]

Who cares how a team of all-stars come together? Whether its by sign or by trade, it is going to happen sooner or later. Every few years, a team makes some blockbuster splashes, either through FA signings (as Miami did, and the 3-peat Lakers did by adding Shaq) or through some trades (like Miami did when they got Shaq, or like the Lakers did just before by getting Gasol to group up with with Kobe, Odom and Bynum, or Boston did by getting KG and Allen), and end up stocked with talent.

The only difference this time around was that one of the all-stars included, happens to be a guy who by the end of his career may be considered the best basketball player to ever play.

Indifference doesn't negate the fact that non-parity now exists in the EC more than even when Boston stacked.

[DMC]

It's more like a series between two evils to me, and im only choosing the lesser one (Heat) between these two. It's kinda like the commies and allies for a German, I ain't cheering for either side but i would feel less pain if the Heat win than if the Spurs win

This is as true as anything here but for different reasons.

You have people who pretty much either didn't even attend college or people who did attend and took liberal arts classes just to say "I'm the smartest guy in the league, see I graduated". Then they make tens of millions for dribbling a basketball and acting like every other porch monkey in any inner city anywhere in the US. It's not good. It's not something you want your kids to do other than get that kind of money. Famous doctors who've discovered cures to diseases that have plagued the planet and taken millions of lives haven't gotten anything close to that kind of a payout. Then again, the last doctor who could dunk was Dr J and he weren't no real doctor.

[Phillip]

Indifference doesn't negate the fact that non-parity now exists in the EC more than even when Boston stacked.

The reason?

LeBron James. He is just too damn good.

[Trainwreck2100]

The reason?

LeBron James. He is just too damn good.

not good enough to win it with scrubs

[dbestpro]

I would say its more like loyalty versus selfishness. In todays world, loyalty is not much respected. Of course there isn't a whole lot to be loyal to, anymore.

[tlongII]

I think it's more like Boring vs Evil.

[Trainwreck2100]

I think it's more like Boring vs Evil.

I'm okay with that

[200 miles]

Although I do agree with the Rocky vs Drago analogy, but no, this is not about good vs. evil.

This is mainly about substance vs. style and as dbestpro said, loyalty vs. selfishness.

Also I agree with someone who said this will be a grand battle between the embodiment of fundamental team basketball and the manufactured team led by acquired superstars who are given help from refs. So basically it's a battle for the soul of the casual basketball fan.

[Trainwreck2100]

Although I do agree with the Rocky vs Drago analogy, but no, this is not about good vs. evil.

This is mainly about substance vs. style and as dbestpro said, loyalty vs. selfishness.

Also I agree with someone who said this will be a grand battle between the embodiment of fundamental team basketball and the manufactured team led by acquired superstars who are given help from refs. So basically it's a battle for the soul of the casual basketball fan.

Casual basketball fan sold their soul to ESPN a long time ago. This is more a battle for the soul of basketball