BR1986FB;766416 wrote:And it was this indecision that fucked the Cavs. Lebron signed that 3 year deal (shockingly, so did Bosh & Wade) which left the Cavs chasing their tails. Instead of building for the future they had to wheel & deal to try to create a championship so he doesn't bolt. FA's won't commit because he won't hint to what he's doing and then he basically says "you guys, that I hand picked/approved aren't good enough" and bolts leaving the front office to take the fall.

They signed the 3 year deal because at the end of that 3 years the league max salary went up--that's why they all did it, because they all expected to get max deals. That CREATED the 2010 FA party, the salary change. Idiot.

The Boss;766651 wrote:. Idiot.

Like you have any room to call someone an idiot. Right up there with crynasty trying to call someone a pussy.

Commander of Awesome;766659 wrote:Like you have any room to call someone an idiot. Right up there with crynasty trying to call someone a pussy.

No shit. His reputation precedes him. For him to imply anyone is stupid is throwing stones in glass houses.

If this is what the Heat just getting to the ECF produces...I cant wait to see this place if they make it to the finals or win lol

Even though id much rather see the Thunder or Mavs take the title

BR1986FB;766612 wrote:I agree that every player (Larry Hughes, who Lebron wanted) wasn't a fit but with his "status" and the fact the front office had to pamper him/walk on eggshells around him, he was at fault for a lot of the choices that were made.

Sorry, he's paid to play. The fact that the front office feels like they have to pamper or walk on eggshells to the point of letting one player make all of their personnel decisions is a reflection of the front office's incompetence. If they felt that way or allowed LeBron to have some status beyond going out on the court to earn his check, that is on them. And, it might have been your first clue that he wasn't the hero you wanted him to be. Why aren't you pissed that the front office made so many bad decisions, then re-signed the guy leading them to those decisions, then waited around on the guy who was stringing them along? Obviously one of two things was going to happen - he was going to re-sign and lead them to more bad decisions or he was going to leave. Either way, LeBron had been dicking the franchise for years but the office wouldn't let go of him? Could they not have sent him packing and gotten another star? Or....does no one really want to play in Cleveland (making LeBron no different than anyone else)?

enigmaax;766672 wrote:Sorry, he's paid to play. The fact that the front office feels like they have to pamper or walk on eggshells to the point of letting one player make all of their personnel decisions is a reflection of the front office's incompetence. If they felt that way or allowed LeBron to have some status beyond going out on the court to earn his check, that is on them. And, it might have been your first clue that he wasn't the hero you wanted him to be. Why aren't you pissed that the front office made so many bad decisions, then re-signed the guy leading them to those decisions, then waited around on the guy who was stringing them along? Obviously one of two things was going to happen - he was going to re-sign and lead them to more bad decisions or he was going to leave. Either way, LeBron had been dicking the franchise for years but the office wouldn't let go of him? Could they not have sent him packing and gotten another star? Or....does no one really want to play in Cleveland (making LeBron no different than anyone else)?

When I heard about how much they kissed his ass, after the fact, I WAS pissed. To let the star player "rule the roost" so to speak IS bullshit....from his tantrums to his undermining Mike Brown's authority, etc, etc. These are a lot of things that didn't come out until AFTER the fact. I think if more people (fans) knew what was going on there wouldn't have been as many Lebron apologists/defenders.

enigmaax;766672 wrote:Sorry, he's paid to play. The fact that the front office feels like they have to pamper or walk on eggshells to the point of letting one player make all of their personnel decisions is a reflection of the front office's incompetence. If they felt that way or allowed LeBron to have some status beyond going out on the court to earn his check, that is on them. And, it might have been your first clue that he wasn't the hero you wanted him to be. Why aren't you pissed that the front office made so many bad decisions, then re-signed the guy leading them to those decisions, then waited around on the guy who was stringing them along? Obviously one of two things was going to happen - he was going to re-sign and lead them to more bad decisions or he was going to leave. Either way, LeBron had been dicking the franchise for years but the office wouldn't let go of him? Could they not have sent him packing and gotten another star? Or....does no one really want to play in Cleveland (making LeBron no different than anyone else)?

Kind of a Catch-22 for the Cavs...I agree that they shouldn't have put up with all that they did with LeBron and his posse but when the guy is the face of your franchise you tend to do what it takes to keep him happy. That's true in any professional sport on any team. One of the reasons he didn't go to the Bulls was because they weren't going to let him and his boys run the show. I really don't see any reason to believe that LeBron seriously intended on staying in Cleveland, and it's a shame the Cavs weren't able to pull of a Carmelo-like deal with him to try to make the rebuilding process go a lot smoother (but hinsight is of course, 20/20). They believed that they had a legitimate chance to re-sign him when they should of seen the writing that was on the wall.

Does no one want to play in Cleveland? Well, I have a bit of a hard time believing that as a general statement. It depends how you prioritize things in your life. If weather, city nightlife, etc... are high on your list, then no Cleveland is probably not an ideal destination.

Hb31187;766666 wrote:If this is what the Heat just getting to the ECF produces...I cant wait to see this place if they make it to the finals or win lol

Even though id much rather see the Thunder or Mavs take the title

I'm pretty excited as a basketball fan for this (highly probable) Heat-Bulls series as it should be a great one. It'll certainly be the Heat's toughest test so far given all the elements (going against the MVP, going against one of the best defensive coaches in the NBA who has a track record of shutting down both Wade and LBJ in the playoffs, not having home court advantage, etc....) Should be quite entertaining.

Y-Town Steelhound;766684 wrote:I'm pretty excited as a basketball fan for this (highly probable) Heat-Bulls series as it should be a great one. It'll certainly be the Heat's toughest test so far given all the elements (going against the MVP, going against one of the best defensive coaches in the NBA who has a track record of shutting down both Wade and LBJ in the playoffs, not having home court advantage, etc....) Should be quite entertaining.

I'd be surprised if the Bulls weren't the underdogs in this series, if they get past Atlanta.

The Bulls will definitely be the underdog if they make the conference finals. But a #1 seed with zero pressure will be a dangerous thing.

and home court advantage

Y-Town Steelhound;766684 wrote:I'm pretty excited as a basketball fan for this (highly probable) Heat-Bulls series as it should be a great one. It'll certainly be the Heat's toughest test so far given all the elements (going against the MVP, going against one of the best defensive coaches in the NBA who has a track record of shutting down both Wade and LBJ in the playoffs, not having home court advantage, etc....) Should be quite entertaining.

And this is why LeBron's move was actually "good for basketball" despite what some will try to tell you. The fact that neither LA or Boston is in the finals (and that there's no Chicago/Jordan-type dynasty going on) may offset it by the time the Finals roll around, but for now ratings have spiked and the EC Finals are still going to draw a lot of casual fans, which are the key.

SportsAndLady;766710 wrote:and home court advantage

Yeah but Miami was tied for the best road record in the NBA. Hell they probably like pl aying on the road more than at home with their pathetic fans

Haha, true.

I would love to see the Bulls beat them, but I cannot see it happening. OKC or the Mavs will give them a run for their money...although I am still having trouble believing the Mavs wont choke somehow.

I don't understand the uproar created (not just on here, but nationwide) when 2 superstars and an all star decided to team up in Miami. I mean yeah it's players forming a superteam, but is it different than what happened 4 years ago when KG and Ray Allen got themselves traded to Boston? The complicated answer is yes, but the simple answer is no, it's not. In both instances players essentially got themselves moved to a team that already had in place a franchise player in the hopes of winning a championship.

I don't think that anybody will disagree that what made basketball in the 80s exciting was the amount of superteams. LA, Boston, and then Detroit and Chicago towards the end of the decade/early 90s.

You're seeing that now. LA if they can get Howard (I'm pretty sure Orlando would accept a Bynum for Howard swap or something if they feel Dwight's leaving) even though they're already a superteam, Boston, Miami, OKC, and it's looking like New York. Does that suck for fans of every other team? Absolutely. But I think part of the fun of the Cavs rebuilding process is finding a team that can beat the superteams, and it's why I'm very excited to see how Dallas plays.

karen lotz;766550 wrote:Not only that, but he took 2 reasonable shots and made them both in the early portion of game 3's 4th quarter, then became a spectator until the last :30 when he started launching 3s. This wasn't a blowout loss either, the Lakers were leading by 6 entering the 4th and held the lead for a good part of the quarter. Very odd for the supposed best closer in the game.

Early part of the 4th quarter? Did you even watch the game? Bryant didn't enter the 4th quarter until there was 7:35 left.

Skyhook79;766743 wrote:Early part of the 4th quarter? Did you even watch the game? Bryant didn't enter the 4th quarter until there was 7:35 left.

Was he on the court before the last 15 seconds in the biggest game of the Lakers season? Why didn't he turn it on and close the game?

God this sucks. I was enjoying reading this thread and the discussion etc. Then shit hit the fan a few days ago, and its impossible to now get on here and talk/read about the NBA. Fuck this.

karen lotz;766751 wrote:Was he on the court before the last 15 seconds in the biggest game of the Lakers season? Why didn't he turn it on and close the game?

Why doesn't your Aunt have balls? Thats just the way it is. Kobe doesn't have anything to prove. He has done it on the biggest stage 5 times, 2 Finals MVP's.
Your boywonder Lebron hasn't done it on the biggest stage ever.

Skyhook79;766768 wrote:Why doesn't your Aunt have balls? Thats just the way it is. Kobe doesn't have anything to prove. He has done it on the biggest stage 5 times, 2 Finals MVP's.
Your boywonder Lebron hasn't done it on the biggest stage ever.

Its not about proving anything, simp. He quit on his team. You cool with that?

Laley23;766752 wrote:God this sucks. I was enjoying reading this thread and the discussion etc. Then shit hit the fan a few days ago, and its impossible to now get on here and talk/read about the NBA. Fuck this.

This times a fucking million.

Get back to talking about the playoffs and not this pissing contest about LeBron.

karen lotz;766785 wrote:Its not about proving anything, simp. He quit on his team. You cool with that?

Nobody in the NBA realm is saying that...well except you and that doesn't count.

Kobe quit against the Suns a few years back just to prove a point, and EVERYONE in the NBA realm says that.

Kobe laid down and accepted defeat. Jordan would of never went out like that