The Indy Talks To Himself (NBA) Thread.

Some people don't like to watch a teammate pout or loaf and watch his teammates defend 4 on 5. It kinda sticks in the heads of people when discussing the goat. Goats don't pout, loaf and flop

 

I mean, if you tell me LeBron James should have been MVP in pretty much any season, I probably wouldn’t argue with you. If the award was based on how the team would be without you, LeBron would win most every year.

But from an argument perspective, he’s got a better case for 2006 and 2011. And that was kinda my point about bias. In 2006, the bias was not wanting to make him the youngest mvp ever. In 2011, it was because of the decision. For the Steph years, you could make the case that it was more about voters being able to “see themselves” in Steph because he wasn’t a 6’9 260 freak. But I’d lean more on the first two than the latter.

 

Don’t lie to the man. You don’t watch all the playoff games.

 

Dirk definitely has a case, but LeBron’s was a bit better, imo. Plus he finished 2nd, which makes it easier to say he should have been first.

 

Klay comes back tomorrow. Warriors might be scary soon.

 

Everyone does those things some of the time, MJ included. I’m not saying LeBron doesn’t do it more but disqualifying someone from being the GOAT over individual occurrences like that isn’t the best standard.

I mean hell, Jordan was begging the league not to change the illegal defense rules (which they did anyway) because he was worried it’d be harder for people like him to score. Do GOATs do that?

 

Jordan like all offensive players didn't want zone in the NBA to mess up the game. Nobody, including Lebron, would have the same stats with teams parking defensive players in the paint not guarding anybody. He probably also wishes he played his peak years after handchecking was banned.

 

LeBron’s stats have been fine. The lack of illegal defense rules has a much bigger impact than handchecking, so Jordan probably considers himself lucky that everyone had to guard him one-on-one

 

Of course but let's not act like there is a bunch of zone played in the nba

 

There are a lot of defenders staying 10 feet away from non-shooters in the playoffs so the offense is playing 4-on-5

 

He’s still not going to have sex with you, Indy

 

And the Thibs defense that everyone copied (and LeBron faced over and over in the playoffs) is among other things a weakside zone.

In MJ’s era he could send the other 4 guys to the other side of the floor and just be alone with one defender in an island. When LeBron does that, he now has 4 defenders just stay on his side and clog the passing lanes/recover if he passes elsewhere.

I agree, that should in theory put LeBron at a disadvantage, but his numbers look pretty good to me.

 

When did you watch the Bulls and see them iso Jordan on one side of the court? They ran triangle offense for much of his career.

 

The Matthew Stafford of basketball

 

Triangle teams still do that, and there’s plenty of video of Jordan doing it. More broadly, that defense also made Kobe and his triangle offense struggle more than just about anyone else did.

 

@NashVol11

LeBron is 9-13 (69%) and 3-3 (100%) from 3 with 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists at halftime.

The rest of the starting 5 is 5-26 (19%) from the field, and 2-8 (25%) from three.

They’re down 13 points. Do you see my concern with using stats largely impacted by team performance, in this case?

 

Bron was awesome last night, he's just a terrible GM.

YOUR MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES however, are [uck fay]ing awesome. The peak grit and grind teams were fun as hell, but this is something different man.

 

He was on a different planet last night. That stat line is insane, and it doesn't even account for the fact that he didn't play for the entire final 8 minutes of the game. Solid chance at a 40 point, uber-efficient triple double, if they leave him in. Just crazy.

The bizarre thing for me about the Grizzlies is their record with and without Ja. Thought I read somewhere that they are 11-2 this season when he doesn't play. I hear people talking about him as an MVP candidate, but I'm not sure how you explain that record away.

 

Does the night when he was a team-worst -30 make me think he bears no responsibility for their losses and that any weaknesses in his advanced stats are his teammates' fault? Nah

 

I'd explain it as a mix of injury luck, shooting luck (opponents started missing open 3s), and other players hitting their groove (like Bane and JJJ).

Idk about the MVP talk, but All-NBA is certainly a conversation.

Also LeBron definitely stopped trying in that game last night and stayed in the game until he passed Oscar Robertson on the assist leaderboard.