2010 CB Draft: Central Division Press Conferences

[indeedproceed]

and also....lebron has been in the league 7 years. the last 4, he's finished 2nd, 4th, 1st, 1st.

and, lebron is what, 26? are you really going tp pretend like lebron @ 26 is equivalent to lebron @ 20? lebron is the best player in basketball, he won't come in second in his own division, not when hee has been taking the conference the last 2 years.

[indeedproceed]

roy would you say the hand kobe was dealt was equal to the hand lebron had in cleveland?

[Roy H.]

roy would you say the hand kobe was dealt was equal to the hand lebron had in cleveland?

I just think an individual player's history of division finishes is pretty much irrelevant, now that we're playing in a completely different NBA.

Also, Kobe has had a better supporting cast due to Gasol, but he's also been playing in a much stronger conference.

I guess the "Lebron is God" argument is the only one you have, but after watching him falter in this year's playoffs, I think a lot of us are doubting his infallibility, and need more of an argument than "Come on, guys, it's the King we're talking about.  The Chosen One."

Also, for whatever it's worth, the years Lebron finished first in the division, he was largely a disappointment in the playoffs.  On the other hand, when the Cavs had a more pedestrian regular season, his team seemed to overachieve in the playoffs.  Just saying, but maybe finishing 2nd in the division wouldn't be such a bad thing.

[indeedproceed]

well, im going to need the numbers from the playoffs, but going on recent memory...lebron individually was not the problem in the playoffs. his second best player was varejao. once lebron got discouraged the team had no heart.

also, he lost in 6 games to aa team that came within 4 points of being champions.

year before, he lost to the magic in the conference finals

year before that he lost to the celtics, eventual champs in what....7 games, right?

lebron isn't 'the chosen one'. he's simply far and away the best player in basketball.

[indeedproceed]

also saying that kobe had artest, gasol, bynum, and odor on his team last year then saying it is the same as lebron having a broken shaq and antawn jamison, varejao, and mo williams just because the pacific, heck the west as a whole, isn't really fair.

[Roy H.]

I'm a little surprised by the simplicity of your arguments, IP.  I'm going to chalk it up to you posting from your phone.  If all you needed to win your conference was to draft Lebron, why do we even do the voting?

One player doesn't make a team.  I can pretty much guarantee you that you're not winning any votes with this current tact.  In fact, quite honestly, I'm reevaluating how high I had your team, because I'm worried that *you* don't believe in any argument other than "Lebron is King James, and that's really good and stuff".

I was much more convinced when you were talking about the strengths of your top seven.  Give us historical examples of why Jennings won't hit the "rookie wall" in his second year, for instance, if you want to quiet your doubters.  I think people would be much more convinced if Lebron's running mate was the November Jennings, who averaged 22 points and 6 assists, rather than the post-all-star break one (13 and 5).

[indeedproceed]

well that's the thing, what I want to do is break down position-wise my team and other cavs teams, but I can't right now. also, talking about the regular season is a bit more abstract than talking about actual matchups.

but that's kind of moot in my mind. because of the superiority of my best player. to look at it from another direction, take any actual team from last season in the nba, and picture lebron on it.

how many of those squads are worse than last years' cavs?

the nets? I don't think so. the knicks? I disagree.

maybe the wizards, without arenas.

lebron is simply put the best player since jordan. because of the parity in the league from the draft, there simply are no superpowers anymore. pair lebron with a supporting cast built around his strengths (defense, shooters to give him space, and another player capable of getting in the paint), and I think that's enough for the regular season.

[Roy H.]

well that's the thing, what I want to do is break down position-wise my team and other cavs teams, but I can't right now. also, talking about the regular season is a bit more abstract than talking about actual matchups.

but that's kind of moot in my mind. because of the superiority of my best player. to look at it from another direction, take any actual team from last season in the nba, and picture lebron on it.

how many of those squads are worse than last years' cavs?

the nets? I don't think so. the knicks? I disagree.

maybe the wizards, without arenas.

lebron is simply put the best player since jordan. because of the parity in the league from the draft, there simply are no superpowers anymore. pair lebron with a supporting cast built around his strengths (defense, shooters to give him space, and another player capable of getting in the paint), and I think that's enough for the regular season.

In terms of "best player since Jordan", I'd go with Duncan and Kobe over Lebron at this stage.

[indeedproceed]

well instead of "best" would you rather "most talented"?

kobe is a better winner right now, based on rings, duncan is a little harder to compare because he's a big, but name the last player than can do all the things lebron can, and better.

magic?

[Roy H.]

well instead of "best" would you rather "most talented"?

kobe is a better winner right now, based on rings, duncan is a little harder to compare because he's a big, but name the last player than can do all the things lebron can, and better.

magic?

Larry, Magic, and Michael all put up big numbers in terms of points, rebounds, and assists.

The difference, though, is that they won titles.  I really do believe that Lebron wanted to play with an alpha dog, because there's something in his own personality that can't get over the hump.  I honestly think he had more of a competitive spirit when he was a young guy; his current ego and "Chosen One / King" persona has actually hurt his game.  He's amazingly talented, but I think his personality will hold him back.  That's fine in the real NBA, where he has Wade to do the heavy lifting.  In this contest, though, you've got Lebron going at it basically on his own, and I don't know that that will hack it.

(I forgot Shaq on my original list of "best players since Michael", too.)

[indeedproceed]

the personality thing definitely occurred to me. I don't think it is a difference maker in the regular season though, can we agree on that? looking at lebrons trend the last 4 years, I think it is obvious that his own play, as well as the opportunities he creates for his teammates coupled with the defensive squads I've put around him ought to be enough.

[Roy H.]

the personality thing definitely occurred to me. I don't think it is a difference maker in the regular season though, can we agree on that? looking at lebrons trend the last 4 years, I think it is obvious that his own play, as well as the opportunities he creates for his teammates coupled with the defensive squads I've put around him ought to be enough.

It's not going to hold back Lebron's team as much in the regular season.  However, I don't think his mere presence alone on a team guarantees a regular season division championship, either.

[indeedproceed]

don't get me wrong, lebron is not alone. nba players are the best in the world, and I've surrounded him with jennings and noah as anchors, two bright, young, confident, talented players that play to his strong points. then, I've put mike miller as his sidekick on the wing, miller being capable of scoring an efficient 15 ppg among other contributions (passing, rebounding most prominent), and ilyasova a 4 who will defend on a above average level and can spread the floor.

the bench is thin but between tony aliens defense, wafer's scoring, and amundson's hustle/rebounding/defense, it is serviceable for my needs.

lebron isn't alone, but the main point is that he's the one who takes my team to an elite level.

[indeedproceed]

on a side note, t9 word has slipped some funny words into my posts. kobe, gasol, bynum and odor? tony allen?

[indeedproceed]

ha, now I get tony allen. above its tony alien