So, is Champ's team so far off from IP's Finals squad last year, that a lot of misguided folks thought was invincible?
C: Nene > Haywood
PF: Boozer and Bosh are comparable talents. Boozer is a bit more sturdy in the post; Bosh has a bit more length.
SF: Pierce = Pierce (roughly)
SG: Wade = Wade (roughly)
PG: Holiday > Jameer, by a comfortable margin
IP had a better bench, certainly. However, I see the two starting lineups as very similar, with IP's team being only slightly better.
It's interesting how one team is a Finals loser, and the other is seen by many as an afterthought. Is it simply due to lack of marketing?
Except that was before everyone saw Pierce and Wade slowed considerably in this year's playoffs, nagging injuries and age seeming starting to take its toll. Projecting another year and long regular season ahead, I think it fair to expect them to possibly take another step back.
So I don't think Wade = Wade or Pierce = Pierce even roughly because the first Wade and Pierce were being evaluated on the 2011-12 season and 2012 playoffs and people didn't evaluate them correctly because in real life they were much less than that. Now the second Wade and Pierce are being evaluated and you have to now, because of past degeneration of game, extrapolate another loss of step, lack of jump, and loss of defensive ability and scoring efficiency. It makes the 2014 CBD playoff Wade and Pierce so much less than last year's, IMHO.
I also don't think IP had a mid level college program coach coaching his team, he had HOF coach Pat Riley.
And Thad Young, Tiago Splitter, Jarrett Jack, Chandler Parsons is a major major upgrade over this Atlanta team's bench. Major