****Official 2017 NBA Playoffs Thread****

[KC_Connection]

The real season begins.

Round 1:

EAST:

#8 Bulls @ #1 Celtics
#7 Pacers @ #2 Cavs
#6 Bucks @ #3 Raptors
#5 Hawks @ #4 Wizards

WEST:
#8 Blazers @ #1 Warriors
#7 Grizzlies @ #2 Spurs
#6 Thunder @ #3 Rockets
#5 Jazz @ #4 Clippers

[PAChiefsGuy]

Originally Posted by RealSNR

Exactly. Lebron James has always played in the modern NBA. Had he entered the NBA in the time when handchecking and supposed "rough" basketball was played, he would have adapted his skillset to fit that league. Magic Johnson had a pretty damn good career playing in that era, so why wouldn't Lebron do equally well or better? It's just ridiculous to go, "Lebron plays in an age of basketball where guys don't get roughed up. Back in the day, he would have gotten roughed up playing the way he does."

Using that logic, there's not a single player in the modern NBA who would have survived or done very well back then, which is just completely ridiculous.

Also, you're totally blowing the physicality of those days of basketball way out of proportion. It's still the same sport. Basketball wasn't hockey. Players still drove to the rim in those days.

Lebron would have done just fine in the 90s if that's the basketball game he knew. He didn't. He developed his career in the modern NBA.

LeBron would have done fine but he wouldn't have been able to score as easily. His ppg would go down because it was a lot harder to score back then. MJs scoring would go up if he played in todays era because it is easier to score now. This isn't rocket science. All you have to do is look at the stats.

In 1998 the last year MJ played a full season before he retired the top scoring team was the Lakers with 105.5 ppg today they'd be 14th ranked scoring team with that ppg number. Barely breaking the top half of the league when it comes to ppg. So there is a huge difference in MJs and LeBrons eras just like Bradys and Montanas. So you have to keep that in mind when comparing their scoring stats and even with LeBrons advantage of playing in todays NBA he still can't score like MJ. The guy averaged 17ppg in the finals in an era where it is easier to score and you want me to believe he is better than MJ? Sorry. Not buying it.

[dj56dt58]

Originally Posted by PAChiefsGuy

You can't downplay the no handchecking and how much more physical it was. Zone-defense is nice but clearly offenses have adjusted. I mean look at how many pts the Warriors are scoring and how skinny their star players are. You'd never see that in the 90s.

Kevin Durant would get destroyed if he went to the hole in the 90s and so would Curry. Because of how little it takes to foul they can get away with it and not getting hurt in today's NBA. Back in the 90s it'd be totally different.

I'm not sure how it would affect LeBron because LeBron is fairly well-built but I am guessing players would handcheck him a hell of a lot more than they do now because as well-built as LeBron is he is still is somewhat skinny. Let's be honest here Anthony Mason is a lot stronger than LeBron is.

Allen Iverson?

[PAChiefsGuy]

Originally Posted by dj56dt58

Allen Iverson?

He's an exception to the rule but you also have to remember pound-for-pound Iverson was probably the toughest guy in the league. He gave it his all every night and got knocked around almost every game.. Credit to him for his heart and willness to drive to the hole and get banged around and not complain about it.

Good point made by you though. It can be done.

[okcchief]

Lebron is built like a ****ing tank, and hasn't had a long term injury ever. He would have been fine in any era. Curry may not have survived the first couple of years.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Prison Bitch]

Flipping channels I saw Steven Smith screaming about how Draymon Green was going to get jnto Kevin Love's head, and my ears started wringing and it hasn't stopped an hour later

[PAChiefsGuy]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Flipping channels I saw Steven Smith screaming about how Draymon Green was going to get jnto Kevin Love's head, and my ears started wringing and it hasn't stopped an hour later

I love your username

[KChiefs1]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Hammock Parties]

Smith completed 12.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by PAChiefsGuy

LeBron would have done fine but he wouldn't have been able to score as easily. His ppg would go down because it was a lot harder to score back then. MJs scoring would go up if he played in todays era because it is easier to score now. This isn't rocket science. All you have to do is look at the stats.

In 1998 the last year MJ played a full season before he retired the top scoring team was the Lakers with 105.5 ppg today they'd be 14th ranked scoring team with that ppg number. Barely breaking the top half of the league when it comes to ppg. So there is a huge difference in MJs and LeBrons eras just like Bradys and Montanas. So you have to keep that in mind when comparing their scoring stats and even with LeBrons advantage of playing in todays NBA he still can't score like MJ. The guy averaged 17ppg in the finals in an era where it is easier to score and you want me to believe he is better than MJ? Sorry. Not buying it.

The increase in scoring is directly tied to an increase in pace. In the 90's, teams with inferior talent (like Riley's Knicks compared to the Bulls) realized that they could muck the game up and stall in the half court to shorten the game by limiting possessions and milking the 24 second clock. It's no different than what Thibodeau's Bulls teams did. The defense was not superior then to now, and it certainly wasn't better in the 80's where the pace was just as quick as now and 3pt percentages were terrible.

Offenses evolved to stretch the entire floor, spreading out defenders with bigs who can shoot, which also opens up lanes for a drive and finish or kick to a corner three. Golden State's offense would carve up defenses in the 80's and 90's even more than now because the defenders couldn't sink below the FT line to prevent driving lanes (illegal defense), and the bigs were not agile enough to chase the ball around the perimeter.

American basketball players learned from the international style of play, which opened up the court beyond dumping it in the post, isolation, and pick-and-roll, and that has greatly improved the quality of offense. Complaining solely about hand-checking or how physical the defenses were in the past is a lazy, reductive explanation.

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

The increase in scoring is directly tied to an increase in pace. In the 90's, teams with inferior talent (like Riley's Knicks compared to the Bulls) realized that they could muck the game up and stall in the half court to shorten the game by limiting possessions and milking the 24 second clock. It's no different than what Thibodeau's Bulls teams did. The defense was not superior then to now, and it certainly wasn't better in the 80's where the pace was just as quick as now and 3pt percentages were terrible.

Offenses evolved to stretch the entire floor, spreading out defenders with bigs who can shoot, which also opens up lanes for a drive and finish or kick to a corner three. Golden State's offense would carve up defenses in the 80's and 90's even more than now because the defenders couldn't sink below the FT line to prevent driving lanes (illegal defense), and the bigs were not agile enough to chase the ball around the perimeter.

American basketball players learned from the international style of play, which opened up the court beyond dumping it in the post, isolation, and pick-and-roll, and that has greatly improved the quality of offense. Complaining solely about hand-checking or how physical the defenses were in the past is a lazy, reductive explanation.

How old were you in 1980?

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

The increase in scoring is directly tied to an increase in pace. In the 90's, teams with inferior talent (like Riley's Knicks compared to the Bulls) realized that they could muck the game up and stall in the half court to shorten the game by limiting possessions and milking the 24 second clock. It's no different than what Thibodeau's Bulls teams did. The defense was not superior then to now, and it certainly wasn't better in the 80's where the pace was just as quick as now and 3pt percentages were terrible.

Offenses evolved to stretch the entire floor, spreading out defenders with bigs who can shoot, which also opens up lanes for a drive and finish or kick to a corner three. Golden State's offense would carve up defenses in the 80's and 90's even more than now because the defenders couldn't sink below the FT line to prevent driving lanes (illegal defense), and the bigs were not agile enough to chase the ball around the perimeter.

American basketball players learned from the international style of play, which opened up the court beyond dumping it in the post, isolation, and pick-and-roll, and that has greatly improved the quality of offense. Complaining solely about hand-checking or how physical the defenses were in the past is a lazy, reductive explanation.

I don't think it is a lazy explanation when on the NBA's own website state the rule changes were made to open up the game.

http://www.nba.com/analysis/rules_history.html

2004-05
• New rules were introduced to curtail hand-checking, clarify blocking fouls and call defensive three seconds to open up the game.

[Prison Bitch]

Excited like hell to see LeBron do that thing where he throws all that chalk up in the air before he takes the court. It's must see tv

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Excited like hell to see LeBron do that thing where he throws all that chalk up in the air before he takes the court. It's must see tv

You should be. Starting tonight you are going to witness some of the greatest basketball you have ever seen. It definitely beats the shitty college brick shooting game.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Excited like hell to see LeBron do that thing where he throws all that chalk up in the air before he takes the court. It's must see tv

You should be grateful to watch the greatest basketball player of all time do even that much.

[KC_Connection]

I said Warriors in 5 before the playoffs began and I haven't seen anything that would change my mind yet. Statistically, they've had three of the best four teams in the history of basketball (with the other being the 95-96 Bulls) over the last three seasons but this team is the best one of all of them. LeBron could play like he did last year (which is pretty unlikely, he was ridiculous) and it still probably wouldn't be enough against a team with Durant on it.

Would love to see them choke again, though.