Was it worth Lebron further hurting his rep to join Miami?

[droponov]

  I didn't argue that the Celts took 96 games to gel. Clearly that wasn't the case. It took them a couple of playoff series to figure things out which isn't amazing considering the fact that almost their entire playoff rotation had never played a playoff minute together prior to the Atlanta series. Again, that Cavs team didn't play any better during the season after the trade and took 6 games to beat a very mediocre Wizards team. Claiming that they'd beat the Lakers is quite a leap.

Yeah, that's just a gigantic double-standard. A team with a training camp and a 82 seasons game needed 14 playoff games to gel. The team which had half of the rotation arriving in late February doesn't get the benefit of the doubt. Losing 2 games against the Wizards proves they weren't really that good; but losing 3 against the more mediocre Hawks is "understanding how to play together in the playoffs".

[jdz101]

His rep is as a clueless spoiled overhyped loser. I don't think he's hurt that rep at all

I love it when my threads inspire answers like this 

[xmuscularghandix]

I honestly think the Cavaliers with Lebron would have been a better team than The Heat, esspecially if they could have brough in somebody like Amare or Boozer.

Williams, Gibson
Parker,
James, Moon
Amare, Jamison
Varejao, Big Z

Then all those FA's could have went to CLE. Like House, Miller...

I really think Lebron made a HUGE mistake.

[BballTim]

  I didn't argue that the Celts took 96 games to gel. Clearly that wasn't the case. It took them a couple of playoff series to figure things out which isn't amazing considering the fact that almost their entire playoff rotation had never played a playoff minute together prior to the Atlanta series. Again, that Cavs team didn't play any better during the season after the trade and took 6 games to beat a very mediocre Wizards team. Claiming that they'd beat the Lakers is quite a leap.

Yeah, that's just a gigantic double-standard. A team with a training camp and a 82 seasons game needed 14 playoff games to gel. The team which had half of the rotation arriving in late February doesn't get the benefit of the doubt. Losing 2 games against the Wizards proves they weren't really that good; but losing 3 against the more mediocre Hawks is "understanding how to play together in the playoffs".

  So where are we? I'm using a double standard and you're using pure speculation. I can point to the Celts playing better as the playoffs continued even though they were playing better teams. The Cavs weren't that great after the trade and they weren't that great for the early part of the playoffs. You're pointing to a 4-5 game stretch and are claiming that they'd maintain that level and win the next two rounds of the playoffs based solely on your opinion.

[greg683x]

among all this argueing about which Cavs teams were better, the recent ones or the 2007 nba finalists, I cant believe no on has pointed out how remarkably EASY of a road the Cavs had to the finals that year in 2007.

They played the Wizards in the first round and swept them.  However, the Wizards didnt have either Caron Butler or Gilbert Arenas throughout the whole series.  So Lebron essentially swept Jamison and a bunch of scrubs.

The next round they played the New Jersey Nets who were a 6th seed, the Nets had managed to knock out the 3 seed Raptors(lol) that featured Bosh, Ford, Bargaini, and Mo Pete, lol c'mon.  Cleveland eventually knocked out the 6th seed Nets in 6 games.

Then the Cavs faced the only opponent theyd face in the playoffs that you could consider a threat.  The Detroit Pistons.  This Pistons team however was in the first year of its downward spiral that would eventually lead them to rebuild.  They let Ben Wallace walk and sign with the Chicago Bulls before the season started and replaced him with the like of Nazr Mohammed and a one-legged Chris Webber.  All that aside this series was the Pistons to lose after they took a commanding lead after the first 3 games, and they did just that.  Give Lebron credit hes a great player and he lifted the Cavs iin this series with some amazing play in the last two games.

You really are fooling yourself though if you think this Cavs team is better than the ones put out there in the years after the 2006-2007 season.  Back in 2006 I really hadnt begun to despise Lebron yet, but i remember saying to myself throughout the playoffs that year that this was one to the weakest roads to the finals that I had ever seen

[OsirusCeltics]

I honestly think the Cavaliers with Lebron would have been a better team than The Heat, esspecially if they could have brough in somebody like Amare or Boozer.

Williams, Gibson
Parker,
James, Moon
Amare, Jamison
Varejao, Big Z

Then all those FA's could have went to CLE. Like House, Miller...

I really think Lebron made a HUGE mistake.

It seems like anyone with a Paul Pierce picture has great insight lol

[guava_wrench]

Lebron's career is far from over, so I don't think we can judge his move just based on this season.

[jambr380]

I always forget how much people hate Lebron...Many many people said that this year would be the transition year for the Heat and they wouldn't win the championship - even with low expectations, they managed to stay within about a game of [an established] Celtics team until their recent skid.

Lebron can certainly be annoying, and frankly, I think he has learned to enjoy being a pompous jerk; however, he is still supremely talented and now he is on an even more talented team. There are no guarantees for a championship, but he is way better off now than if he stayed with the Cavs - just give it time...hopefully this doesn't happen, though.

[greg683x]

I always forget how much people hate Lebron...Many many people said that this year would be the transition year for the Heat and they wouldn't win the championship - even with low expectations, they managed to stay within about a game of [an established] Celtics team until their recent skid.

Lebron can certainly be annoying, and frankly, I think he has learned to enjoy being a pompous jerk; however, he is still supremely talented and now he is on an even more talented team. There are no guarantees for a championship, but he is way better off now than if he stayed with the Cavs - just give it time...hopefully this doesn't happen, though.

you gotta be kidding me?  they were crowned champs on July 1st

[Moranis]

I always forget how much people hate Lebron...Many many people said that this year would be the transition year for the Heat and they wouldn't win the championship - even with low expectations, they managed to stay within about a game of [an established] Celtics team until their recent skid.

Lebron can certainly be annoying, and frankly, I think he has learned to enjoy being a pompous jerk; however, he is still supremely talented and now he is on an even more talented team. There are no guarantees for a championship, but he is way better off now than if he stayed with the Cavs - just give it time...hopefully this doesn't happen, though.

you gotta be kidding me?  they were crowned champs on July 1st

not even the ESPN guys crowned them champions.  One or two may have favored them, but the vast majority picked the Lakers.  Quite a few had the Celtics or Magic coming out of the east and not the Heat.  Sure the Heat had a ton of coverage, but when it came down to it very few of the NBA writers picked them to win the title.

[jambr380]

I always forget how much people hate Lebron...Many many people said that this year would be the transition year for the Heat and they wouldn't win the championship - even with low expectations, they managed to stay within about a game of [an established] Celtics team until their recent skid.

Lebron can certainly be annoying, and frankly, I think he has learned to enjoy being a pompous jerk; however, he is still supremely talented and now he is on an even more talented team. There are no guarantees for a championship, but he is way better off now than if he stayed with the Cavs - just give it time...hopefully this doesn't happen, though.

you gotta be kidding me?  they were crowned champs on July 1st

not even the ESPN guys crowned them champions.  One or two may have favored them, but the vast majority picked the Lakers.  Quite a few had the Celtics or Magic coming out of the east and not the Heat.  Sure the Heat had a ton of coverage, but when it came down to it very few of the NBA writers picked them to win the title.

Thanks for backing me up Moranis...tp

To be fair, though, the 2007-08 season was a supposed transition year for the Celtics, too, and they ended the season with best record in the league, and of course, a championship. There is still lots of time left for these guys to figure it out...but all of us are really enjoying this 4 game skid (and counting...)

[guava_wrench]

I always forget how much people hate Lebron...Many many people said that this year would be the transition year for the Heat and they wouldn't win the championship - even with low expectations, they managed to stay within about a game of [an established] Celtics team until their recent skid.

Lebron can certainly be annoying, and frankly, I think he has learned to enjoy being a pompous jerk; however, he is still supremely talented and now he is on an even more talented team. There are no guarantees for a championship, but he is way better off now than if he stayed with the Cavs - just give it time...hopefully this doesn't happen, though.

you gotta be kidding me?  they were crowned champs on July 1st

not even the ESPN guys crowned them champions.  One or two may have favored them, but the vast majority picked the Lakers.  Quite a few had the Celtics or Magic coming out of the east and not the Heat.  Sure the Heat had a ton of coverage, but when it came down to it very few of the NBA writers picked them to win the title.

Yet at the same time they had a page on ESPN.com comparing their pace to the Bulls record win pace.

I think some people are confusing hype and attention with expectations. The Heat were clearly #1 for hype, but were not clear favorites among ESPN guys or journalists elsewhere.