Remainder of NBA season at Disney World?

  • After Iowa State won the Big 12, a Cyclone made a wonderful offer to We Will that now increases our match. Now all gifts up to $400,000 between now and the Final 4 will be matched. Please consider giving at We Will Collective.
    This notice can be dismissed using the upper right corner X button.

HFCS

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2010
67,178
54,239
113
LA LA Land
According to MGM, the outcome likelihood, from most likely to least likely:

Lakers in 5
Lakers in 6
Lakers in 4
Lakers in 7
Heat in 7
Heat in 6
Heat in 5
Heat in 4

Lakers 5 and 6 do seem most likely to me. Denver series didn't at all suggest a Lakers sweep given they were a desperation 3 from 2-2. Lakers sweep is the one that is out of place. Drop that down below Heat in 7.

Davis is going to have to work a lot harder on offense against Miami. I honestly don't feel LeBron even needed his top gear against Denver so I expect him to actually have an equal or better series now that he has to play 100% with Butler in his grill.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: cyclonespiker33

CychiatricWard

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Sep 27, 2017
2,558
2,753
113
34
Des Moines
For the record, it's not "hating" LeBron to acknowledge he and his teams get beneficial whistles that every superstar has almost always gotten.

A lot of simple reality being mislabeled as "hate".

I'm actually making some money in my career right now based on LeBron's success/celebrity, so obviously I don't have a major problem with the guy. Just don't ask me to bend the fabric of reality to not see what everyone can see.

I'd argue his comeback against GSW a few years ago is likely the greatest single performance in the history of American post season team sports. But I'm a "hater".

A lot of people take the approach, cyinthenorth for example, that it doesn't matter what he does they will find a way to "hate" on him. A lot of goalpost moving with him instead of just relishing watching one of the greatest to ever do it. I never understand that logic. I have players that I certainly don't like as much but all the good talent I love watching.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: cyclonespiker33

HFCS

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2010
67,178
54,239
113
LA LA Land
A lot of people take the approach, cyinthenorth for example, that it doesn't matter what he does they will find a way to "hate" on him. A lot of goalpost moving with him instead of just relishing watching one of the greatest to ever do it. I never understand that logic. I have players that I certainly don't like as much but all the good talent I love watching.

There are the Cleveland/Miami/Cleveland/Laker fans that are just ride or die with him. I get it. MJ played for my closest NBA team as a kid but I'd have been an MJ fan no matter what as a kid of 80s/90s. If I lived in NYC or LA I'd have still been a Bulls fan as a kid.

I think a majority of casual fans or even fans of other teams started out as big LeBron fanboys (I certainly was) but the "decision" antics turned off a great many, that championship rally two years before they won anything was ridiculous. You had people calling him the greatest player of all time before he had ever won a title (or after he got one or two). He had a pretty disastrous finals in that first Miami year compared to his typical regular season stats. At that point I wasn't a "hater" but simply pointing out those C/M/C/L type of fans that he was nowhere near being in the discussion of GOAT at that time.

The minute he came back against that GSW team he is in that discussion with really only one other guy. LBJ already had every stat imaginable, now he also had perhaps the greatest comeback win of all time against maybe the best team ever that didn't win a title in GSW.

For me at this point I'd say if I was a GM and I could hypothetically have one historical player for an 18 year career my choice would be LeBron. If I could have one player for just one peak level season or one Finals series or Finals game it wouldn't be LeBron. That definitely means I think he could be GOAT. He'd be my first pick if I got one player to lock up for a career.

I've gone from loving the guy, to appreciating him but also doubting him a little, to really respecting him, back to kind of being a fan. I did pull for Denver but I've listened to a ton of Denver games on my commute since they got Monte and I'd pull for them over anybody. I really don't care who wins in the Finals this year as far as personal fan interest, Herro's insane game got my interest peaked a little, otherwise Miami's style isn't really my cup of tea.
 

Cyinthenorth

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Mar 29, 2013
14,331
10,283
113
35
Dubuque
A lot of people take the approach, cyinthenorth for example, that it doesn't matter what he does they will find a way to "hate" on him. A lot of goalpost moving with him instead of just relishing watching one of the greatest to ever do it. I never understand that logic. I have players that I certainly don't like as much but all the good talent I love watching.
Not true at all, and I actually agree with what you are saying here. LeBron simply existing makes the NBA 10x more fun to watch. Every league needs a villain. If not for him, I'm not even sure who it'd be. KD?

I expect the series to play out like this: AD is going to give Bam fits. On paper it looks like a good matchup. The refs are going to be whistling Bam for a ton of cheap fouls and neutralize him. AD will continue to be AD. Lakers in 5 or 6, but ultimately I think 5. The Heat do have better role players, but again much as in the Nuggets series, it boils down to which team has the better top 2. Butler/Bam < LeBron/AD
 

simply1

Rec Center HOF
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Jun 10, 2009
36,372
24,332
113
Pdx
Not true at all, and I actually agree with what you are saying here. LeBron simply existing makes the NBA 10x more fun to watch. Every league needs a villain. If not for him, I'm not even sure who it'd be. KD?

I expect the series to play out like this: AD is going to give Bam fits. On paper it looks like a good matchup. The refs are going to be whistling Bam for a ton of cheap fouls and neutralize him. AD will continue to be AD. Lakers in 5 or 6, but ultimately I think 5. The Heat do have better role players, but again much as in the Nuggets series, it boils down to which team has the better top 2. Butler/Bam < LeBron/AD
I think it could have been Leonard at some point but he flopped pretty hard this year.
 

CychiatricWard

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Sep 27, 2017
2,558
2,753
113
34
Des Moines
There are the Cleveland/Miami/Cleveland/Laker fans that are just ride or die with him. I get it. MJ played for my closest NBA team as a kid but I'd have been an MJ fan no matter what as a kid of 80s/90s. If I lived in NYC or LA I'd have still been a Bulls fan as a kid.

I think a majority of casual fans or even fans of other teams started out as big LeBron fanboys (I certainly was) but the "decision" antics turned off a great many, that championship rally two years before they won anything was ridiculous. You had people calling him the greatest player of all time before he had ever won a title (or after he got one or two). He had a pretty disastrous finals in that first Miami year compared to his typical regular season stats. At that point I wasn't a "hater" but simply pointing out those C/M/C/L type of fans that he was nowhere near being in the discussion of GOAT at that time.

The minute he came back against that GSW team he is in that discussion with really only one other guy. LBJ already had every stat imaginable, now he also had perhaps the greatest comeback win of all time against maybe the best team ever that didn't win a title in GSW.

For me at this point I'd say if I was a GM and I could hypothetically have one historical player for an 18 year career my choice would be LeBron. If I could have one player for just one peak level season or one Finals series or Finals game it wouldn't be LeBron. That definitely means I think he could be GOAT. He'd be my first pick if I got one player to lock up for a career.

I've gone from loving the guy, to appreciating him but also doubting him a little, to really respecting him, back to kind of being a fan. I did pull for Denver but I've listened to a ton of Denver games on my commute since they got Monte and I'd pull for them over anybody. I really don't care who wins in the Finals this year as far as personal fan interest, Herro's insane game got my interest peaked a little, otherwise Miami's style isn't really my cup of tea.

This is well thought-out and completely understandable. The decision, while certainly not great, did raise a ton of money. It was definitely bad optics for sure. The parade is what it is, a Heat party to rile everyone up. Was it over the top, sure, but that shouldn't make you hate the guy.

The GOAT is such a funny thing to me as people will always have certain beliefs about one person no matter what. There is a really great series this guy is doing on YouTube, Clayton Crowley, making a case for certain NBA players as the GOAT. Certainly a fun series regardless. Does guys like Bird, Magic, Wilt, Russell, Lebron, Jordan, etc.

I've always been intrigued by the guy and love how he plays the game of basketball. I don't have a team so I like to just watch all the good ones, regardless of their antics, for the most part. Do I like Kyrie, not really, but he is amazing. Same with KD. I think people need to not get so up in arms of little things and be that "hater" type and just enjoy good players while they are here. That is really all I am saying. There are far to many Skip Bayless's when it comes to Lebron than any other player, and that **** just gets annoying.
 

HFCS

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2010
67,178
54,239
113
LA LA Land
This is well thought-out and completely understandable. The decision, while certainly not great, did raise a ton of money. It was definitely bad optics for sure. The parade is what it is, a Heat party to rile everyone up. Was it over the top, sure, but that shouldn't make you hate the guy.

The GOAT is such a funny thing to me as people will always have certain beliefs about one person no matter what. There is a really great series this guy is doing on YouTube, Clayton Crowley, making a case for certain NBA players as the GOAT. Certainly a fun series regardless. Does guys like Bird, Magic, Wilt, Russell, Lebron, Jordan, etc.

I've always been intrigued by the guy and love how he plays the game of basketball. I don't have a team so I like to just watch all the good ones, regardless of their antics, for the most part. Do I like Kyrie, not really, but he is amazing. Same with KD. I think people need to not get so up in arms of little things and be that "hater" type and just enjoy good players while they are here. That is really all I am saying. There are far to many Skip Bayless's when it comes to Lebron than any other player, and that **** just gets annoying.

There are as many people in the NBA discussions here who label anybody who points out a bad call as a "hater" as there are actual haters. Maybe more.

I didn't really care about the "decision" tv special, the two years premature championship rally was really begging the entire universe to view the trio as supervillains. 2-3 years into Miami where he had one Finals loss where he played pretty bad and 1-2 championships, most of his fans were already saying he was goat. That was just laughably wrong at that time. I was not a "hater" for pointing that was premature, yet I'd get that label.

I think it's probably almost an afterthought that he has his fourth title. There are a ton of stars around the league, lots of teams with 1-2 superstars, but not a lot of teams with a ton of depth like those GSW/SA teams had. LBJ and AD are the strongest duo pretty clearly right now.
 

cyclonespiker33

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
Jan 19, 2011
14,677
7,845
113
Well this is a nightmare scenario for Miami. Hopefully the injuries are minor.
I think Butler will be fine for game 2. No idea what even happened to Dragic. It was hard to see much. I think Bam will be fine too.
 

cyclonespiker33

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
Jan 19, 2011
14,677
7,845
113
Putting Butler back in seems like a dumb move here. It's one thing to stay in, but don't let him go out and rest it for 15+ minutes before getting back on it.

This game is over anyway.