⭐ OFFICIAL 2020-2021 NBA Off-Season Thread: Olympics begin 7/23; NBA Draft 7/29⭐

[N41D]

Here for Russ and Dame shouting this nonsense down this week. Everyone wants to win titles. Not everyone wants to do it the way most of these guys are winning them today.

People gotta chill with the DIDNT WIN A TITLE or HASNT DONE IT DEEP IN THE PLAYOFFS SO THEY'RE NOT GREAT nonsense.

Greatness is greatness. Russ got his flaws, but that dude is great.

 

[lamekilla]

Here for Russ and Dame shouting this nonsense down this week. Everyone wants to win titles. Not everyone wants to do it the way most of these guys are winning them today.

People gotta chill with the DIDNT WIN A TITLE or HASNT DONE IT DEEP IN THE PLAYOFFS SO THEY'RE NOT GREAT nonsense.

Greatness is greatness. Russ got his flaws, but that dude is great.

You can be great without winning a title. Who doesn’t love Allen Iverson? But....their will always be a “but”.

 

[storm2006]

I mean Bron did take Myrie and Bosh to new levels ( them playing in their ideal role)

Just saying lol

My bad, my post might have been unclear but I was saying, or at least trying to say, that Bron did take them to new levels. Same with Wade considering where he was at that point in his career.

I saw Wade reach heights as the focal player on a championship winning team before Lebron did it to where Lebron needed to come to his team to learn how to win on a high level. I saw Mitch Kupchak do everything within the “rules” of the NBA to bring Kobe suitable pieces to win a championship on his own merits as opposed to being Robin to Shaq’s Batman...and make no mistake about it, Shaq was Batman. And even after all that I’ve still saw them lose on the biggest stage with everything given to them after the fact. Mike never did any of the aforementioned including lose on the biggest stage. You can say Reinsdorf and Co. were competent in the front office or what have you but again the fact still remains, Michael is the standard for a reason.

What “rules”? They did everything within the parameters of the CBA and both legal as well as ethical bounds. Folks such as yourself just don’t like that they did it.

Why do you keep bringing up Jordan and speaking to me as if I am attempting to discredit Jordan’s impact? Yes, he is the reason the Bulls 3-peated twice but he had the perfect pieces around him like Bron and KD in 6 out of the last 9 championships. The teams were just assembled in different ways. It’s a new era. The game has changed and while people may not like it, it’s just the way things are now.

 

[Cashflow]

LeBron James took Dwyane Wade to new levels?

 

[lamekilla]

My bad, my post might have been unclear but I was saying, or at least trying to say, that Bron did take them to new levels. Same with Wade considering where he was at that point in his career.



What “rules”? They did everything within the parameters of the CBA and both legal as well as ethical bounds. Folks such as yourself just don’t like that they did it.

Why do you keep bringing up Jordan and speaking to me as if I am attempting to discredit Jordan’s impact? Yes, he is the reason the Bulls 3-peated twice but he had the perfect pieces around him like Bron and KD in 6 out of the last 9 championships. The teams were just assembled in different ways. It’s a new era. The game has changed and while people may not like it, it’s just the way things are now.

At the time I was a fan of the Lakers and the move at the time. Still think the Chris Paul veto was ridiculous but theirs no denying it helped with parity in the NBA and no don’t give me the Big 3 celtics because all 3 were out their prime. I keep bringing up Jordan because you are discrediting what he’s done to become the standard. Perfect pieces? Was that the case or did Mike MAKE them the perfect pieces? Lebron and Kobe were playing second to Finals MVP teammates in the biggest games Has that ever been the case for Michael? So, perfect teammates??

 

[amitt5504]

Yea my man Stormy wildin on that one. 2011 Wade was not a product of Bron. 2012 and on he started going down the washed cycle but Bron didn’t elevate him one bit

 

[wavycrocket]

Here for Russ and Dame shouting this nonsense down this week. Everyone wants to win titles. Not everyone wants to do it the way most of these guys are winning them today.

People gotta chill with the DIDNT WIN A TITLE or HASNT DONE IT DEEP IN THE PLAYOFFS SO THEY'RE NOT GREAT nonsense.

Greatness is greatness. Russ got his flaws, but that dude is great.

Stephen A literally said Russ is great, a hall of famer, a family man, a community man etc . All of that good stuff.

All he said was the triple doubles don’t impress him anymore, and brought up Russ’ playoff flameouts since 2016.

That’s fair criticism. Never did he say he was not great or anything.

 

[Peep Game]

LeBron James took Dwyane Wade to new levels?

The constant re-writing of history for him

 

[trynafeelmink]

I get the Looking at playoff runs & Titles when your putting players on a certain Plateau, but Russ hasn't been Looked at in that light in 3-4 seasons. He's showed he's not gonna lead you to a championship & he's treated as such. Hell there's people in here who claimed they would rather have John Wall over him

But somehow he still gets Judged by top 5 Criteria, there's another guy who be tricking ya'll but we'll speak on that come may

 

[MVP]

SAS had some decent points until he tried to draw an analogy between his career and Russ. They are paying him at ESPN as Russ' team(s) are paying him to perform as well. That doesn't mean First Take is outchea racking up Emmys just cause he's doing his part to bring in ratings. Just as a championship isn't guaranteed. Russ has his share of flaws but you can't really ever say he's shorted the game from an effort perspective.

 

[QU!K]

If we’re keeping it 100. Judging from past precedence, Russell Westbrook never should have won MVP. He tricked y’all. Winning MVP on a 6 seed is ridiculous.

 

[dman14]

gonna get some real beef inside

 

[storm2006]

LeBron James took Dwyane Wade to new levels?

Yea my man Stormy wildin on that one. 2011 Wade was not a product of Bron. 2012 and on he started going down the washed cycle but Bron didn’t elevate him one bit

I was making a sweeping generalization for Bron’s tenure in Miami but Wade doesn’t win two rings beyond 2010 if Bron doesn’t join the team so when I said “new levels”, I wasn’t accurate but was just using the poster’s terminology for consistency. I was referencing 2012 and beyond, when Wade entered the wash cycle but still got two more rings to add to his resume because of Bron. If you think that he wins two more without Bron then that’s a different discussion.

 

[wavycrocket]

I get the Looking at playoff runs & Titles when your putting players on a certain Plateau, but Russ hasn't been Looked at in that light in 3-4 seasons. He's showed he's not gonna lead you to a championship & he's treated as such. Hell there's people in here who claimed they would rather have John Wall over him

But somehow he still gets Judged by top 5 Criteria, there's another guy who be tricking ya'll but we'll speak on that come may

No he doesn’t . He won mvp in 2017. 4 years ago. In the 2017 season, he flamed out terribly. Same thing in 2018, after huge expectations. And then in 2019...put out by a guy viewed at the same level as him, and some had Dame being better. AndThen last year...still viewed as a top 10-15 player, and a part of the best backcourt in the league, he flamed out too.

He’s currently averaging a triple double...yet again. Playing with the leading scorer in the league....and his team has about the same record as the Cleveland cavaliers. That’s fair to bring up in the convo about him right now.

It does not take away from the fact that he’s an all time great pg or hall of famer. Idk why ppl can’t get that.

 

[amitt5504]

That’s a fair assessment. Wade and stretch Bosh probably could’ve tho

 

[pmatic]

It would've been interesting if it was just Wade and Bosh in Miami without LeBron. Riley "wasted" two prime Wade seasons prepping for the 2010 free agency.

 

[Rootin4EverybodyBlack]

Get a bunch of stars on one team = Ring chaser

Great player who made it to the finals, but didn’t get a ring = Couldn’t lead a team

Great player who wins a ring, but isn’t the finals MVP = Got carried by other players

Guys like Stephen A. And Skip are idiots man. Just hot takes to get views. Apparently the only way to have a legit legacy is to carry a team of G-Leaguers while averaging 50 ppg and beating a team with 2 HOF players that has no injuries. Otherwise your legacy is tarnished.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

Cousy? Come on, man. Prime Bob Cousy would walk of the floor and go be a department store manager if he came up against someone like Russ. And I don’t even like Russ.

Im always gunna defend 1950's basketball players

Couz was def overrated as first white NBA star guard, and early dribble and passing innovator.
and he got way too much credit when it realistically 90% of the credit should go to Bill Russell.


but in his prime the early 50's celtics we're usually at the top of the league in terms of offense.
I think the creativity translates to any era.

 

[storm2006]

That’s a fair assessment. Wade and stretch Bosh probably could’ve tho

That’s a possibility. I’m not COMPLETELY wildin. I know Wade won before Bron and was a beast in that 09 season so he was stamped before Bron took his talents to South Beach. I was just saying that Bron helped keep him because of where he was at that point in his career beginning in 2012.

It would've been interesting if it was just Wade and Bosh in Miami without LeBron. Riley "wasted" two prime Wade seasons prepping for the 2010 free agency.

True. I wonder how they would/could have filled out the roster.

 

[N41D]

Stephen A literally said Russ is great, a hall of famer, a family man, a community man etc . All of that good stuff.

All he said was the triple doubles don’t impress him anymore, and brought up Russ’ playoff flameouts since 2016.

That’s fair criticism. Never did he say he was not great or anything.

Setting aside the team that blew a 3-1 lead over Golden State... And you can look at that series and make a case Russ outplayed Durant.

How many times has a Russ team flamed out with a better roster in the playoffs?

The "Show me the titles" argument is, was and will be stupid.

 

[QU!K]

 

[pums]

SAS tricked Westbrook into the NBA content cycle.

They both tricked NT to talk about the PG of a team 12 games below .500

 

[picasso swerve]

Russ always gonna be my dawg. Literally I named my dog after him too.

SAS makes a decent point but thats weighing the whole championship thing tenfold more than anything else.

 

[pmatic]

Setting aside the team that blew a 3-1 lead over Golden State... And you can look at that series and make a case Russ outplayed Durant.

How many times has a Russ team flamed out with a better roster in the playoffs?

The "Show me the titles" argument is, was and will be stupid.

I think the expectation in 2018 and 2019 was the Thunder were favored respectively vs the Jazz and Blazers.

 

[storm2006]

Get a bunch of stars on one team = Ring chaser

Great player who made it to the finals, but didn’t get a ring = Couldn’t lead a team

Great player who wins a ring, but isn’t the finals MVP = Got carried by other players

Guys like Stephen A. And Skip are idiots man. Just hot takes to get views. Apparently the only way to have a legit legacy is to carry a team of G-Leaguers while averaging 50 ppg and beating a team with 2 HOF players that has no injuries. Otherwise your legacy is tarnished.

I don’t fully agree with your post because more often than not, throughout the history of the NBA championship teams have HAD multiple HOFers and all stars. The backlash you’re seeing now is due to the perception of HOW multiple HOFers/All Stars end up on one team in 2021 as opposed to 1981.