Skip Bayless is foaming at the mouth
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2...-changes-ideas
Looks like no more automatic finals appearances.
Skip Bayless is foaming at the mouth
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2...eding-playoffs
Today’s mentally weak superstars
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The irony:
"It just changes the landscape of the history of the game," James said. "If you start messing with seedings and playoffs and then you start talking about, 'Well, if this team would have played this Western Conference team, what [if] ...'"
LeBron's right about conferences changing over time. It's funny how there was never any talk of changing the playoff system when the Showtime Lakers were cakewalking through the joke that was the '80s Western Conference (far worse than the East has ever been). It was fine when Magic played .500 and under .500 opponents in the conference finals, but it's an outrage when LeGOAT plays the 60-win Hawks, the 56-win Pacers, the Big Three Celtics, the Goin' to Work Pistons, etc.
lies 80s west was top heavy but some of those teams would destry 80% or more of the EC the past 10 years
The Seattle squad with x chambers and Ellis probably a top 3 seed in east easily ...
And would definitely out execute this Wall less Wizards team that is beating Bron and the new look Cavs tonight.
No way they could beat Bron in a 7 game series ...but I take that Seattle squad over Toronto and maybe even Boston.
West was definitely weaker in the 80's but Mavs, blazers, sonics and nuggs had teams I would choose over most of the East the last 7-8 years.
That is not a knock on Bron when you are the best player in a weak field you should dominate in the playoffs and he has.
Even Magic never made 8 straight finals Bron is special Mt rushmore level player dominating a weak East.
The "landscape of the history of the game" is already changed in many ways. How would things be different if video review existed? How would the 60s Celtics have fared with a 3-point line?
Obviously changes. Change is good. Make things as good as they can be right now.
The 80s Western Conference was outside the Lakers. The 39 win Sonics from a weak conference being a three seed.
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The 1986-87 Lakers played the 37-45 Nuggets in the first round, the 42-40 Warriors in the second round, and the 39-43 Sonics in the WCF.
The 1983-84 Lakers played the 38-44 Kings, the 43-39 Mavs, and the 41-41 Suns.
Imagine the outrage if LeGOAT ever had a path to the Finals anywhere near as easy as those. Yet there was never any talk of changing the playoff system to make things tougher for Magic.
Last edited by Clipper Nation; 02-23-2018 at 09:28 AM.
The league killed people and banned players to make the road easier, actually.
Bum, you genius 87-88 Sonics won 44 games and had:
Xavier McDaniel, Ellis and Chambers all averaging over 20 with solid defenders like young Nate McMillian Derrick McKey and Sedale (the thief) Threatt
yes that team is probably 3rd best in the esst right now with current rules ellis is a better version of Bradley Beal. Chambers and x would thrive as taller guys with range ...you youngsters dont know .
the next year they won 47 games btw but i liked this team above more but it lacked vets at PG/SG
So let me get this straight. The Sonics weren't even good in their own era. They were built around a white American player and two one-time-only All-Stars. But somehow, they'd be better than the Cavs in today's league. I think we've got a leading contender here for the tiest take of 2018.
Last edited by Clipper Nation; 02-23-2018 at 01:07 PM.
Wow that core peaked a whole three games over .500 while playing in a conference. You really sold me man.
didnt say better than Cavs because cavs have LeBron ...
and tbh both Stevens and Casey are better coaches than Bickerstaff...how ever ..
1 lol ASG selections dont mean ...but if yiu gonna go there Chambers was mvp of the game while most players in the current east never won it and legit all stars like Butler and George went west further diluting the talent in ECF.
2 . Winning 47 ganes in a pre expansion nba with hand checking, legit 3pt lines and real fouls more impressive than winnibg 52 games in Ecf now tbh
3. What does Chambers being white have to dobwith anything? Kevin Love is white and made the all star team this year, Bird is white so is Dirk ...Chambers not only can shoot and play but had one of the best in game dunks by a player of any color over MJax (mama here comes that man, and he white and he aint stopping!!!l)
4. Again to stress two counter points to CN's dumb asd hyperbole...i said 3rd best in East. Never said which teams would be ahead. you assumed to much ...I would definitely say cavs are better because LeBron is that damn good they probably sweep Sonics and it wouldnt be close, I get that ...but without Lebron? led by love? Shiit, could be a sweep the other way but games would be close (again talking old school rules cuz without hand checking mcmillian loses effectiveness as a defender... but i watched plenty of Jordan clarkson with hand checking he aint penetrating on young Nate I promise you)
BOSTON without hayward could have trouble with those sonics but at least they plauly defense like those teams ...same for Raptors do probably 4th seed is more likely but ill stand by it ...those Sonic teams could really play.
but i concede their PG play was just mediocre that year so tough to beat Cavs Toronto Celts but I stand by the rest.
Stop. Nobody needs your revisionist Lakers history.
If you don't think handchecking still happens all the time in today's league, you're naive. The refs and league really cracked down on it for a while in order to help make it easier for DK to win and Kobe to pad stats, but since then, they've backed off. Players with defensive reputations are allowed to get away with it now, especially in the playoffs.
And what do you mean by legit three-point lines? It was the same line as today. Always has been, except for when the league temporarily shortened it for a few years in the '90s to inflate DK's career three-point shooting percentage.
If Tom Chambers is your best player, you're a pretender at best in any era, including today's league. Let's be real now.What does Chambers being white have to dobwith anything? Kevin Love is white and made the all star team this year, Bird is white so is Dirk ...Chambers not only can shoot and play but had one of the best in game dunks by a player of any color over MJax (mama here comes that man, and he white and he aint stopping!!!l)
the line was changed at one point just saying they didnt benefit from.a short one ...
and you mean a pretender like Toronto Washington Atlanta etc or pretty much any Eastern Conference team that doesnt have Lebron the last 10 years?!
Man nobody was scared of Seattle until Kemp and Payton started hitting their primes. Xavier McDaniel, Nate McMillan, Dale Ellis, Tom Chambers, a bunch of decent but not great players. The whole western conference was coked out and Killa wants to act like it was some golden age.![]()
The Warriors is the only team I can see that gets away with hand checking. Draymond is the player that gets away with it the most in the league followed by his teammates. Outside of the Warriors list me some players or teams that get away with it.
Those Seattle teams weren't even Toronto/Washington/Atlanta-level good.
no not golden age but a better team than the pretenders in the current East like the Bucks, Miami, Washington etc.
Meh they were pretenders in a conference.
No, they weren't. It's okay to admit that the Showtime Lakers played cupcakes since, you know, that's what actually happened.
same as the teams I compared them too ...
are you saying the recent east is appreciably better than the 80s West?!
If so, I say horse only difference is LeBron is a better player than anyone in either conference of either era.Take Lebron out of the East and that 80s West conference is much better with HoF players like Hakeem, Drexler, Mullin, stockton, Iceman Malone English etc
outside of Lebron Wade pierce and maybe Melo?! not a lot of Hof players played majority of their careers in East...KG and Ray started in West.
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