NBA Thread

[GM Franchise]

Heat are 20-8 against the Western Conference.

So much for that moot point.

LeBron is and always will be in the MVP talk as long as he continues to post ridiculous video game numbers.

So? He's still going to lose to Kevin Durant in the MVP race this year. Durant's been the best player in the league in my opinion and it's not even close especially considering the Westbrook injury which had more of an impact on the Thunder than Wade's injury had on the Heat since.

[Jon]

So? He's still going to lose to Kevin Durant in the MVP race this year. Durant's been the best player in the league in my opinion and it's not even close especially considering the Westbrook injury which had more of an impact on the Thunder than Wade's injury had on the Heat since.

I think the MVP votes will be VERY close. Both players have put together very dominant seasons.

[¿PapaPancho?]

People will vote Durant because theyve gotten bored of Lebron winning. Its how Malone and Barkley got theirs.

[GM Franchise]

I think the MVP votes will be VERY close. Both players have put together very dominant seasons.

I agree but I think overall Durant has had the better year of the two.

[Justin]

I agree but I think overall Durant has had the better year of the two.

He had the better scoring year and always will.  Lebron rebounds, assists, and defends.  He is the best overall player in the game and will be until he gets 35.

[GM Franchise]

He had the better scoring year and always will.  Lebron rebounds, assists, and defends.  He is the best overall player in the game and will be until he gets 35.

Until he gets 35? I think that's highly doubtful considering there's a lot of time between now and then.

[Gravedigger]

I'm as big a fan of LeBron's game as anyone, but he won't be the top player in the league until he's 35. Durant is young enough comparably that in 2 or 3 years his overall game will be better than LBJ. That's not to say that LeBron won't go down as the better player when they're both done, but he won't be better in a few years.

[Justin]

Durant will NEVER be the player that Lebron is.  Lets be honest here, Lebron could score 35 points a game if he wanted to, but he doesn't have to.  Durant will never be able to play defense the way Lebron does because he's not quick enough or strong enough.  Durant will never be the passer that Lebron is because few people see the court like Lebron does...Paul, Rondo and Rubio come to mind (though Rubio is careless at times with the ball, but that doesn't affect his vision).  And Durant will never be the rebounder that Lebron is.  Sure he will get boards because of his height, but he won't be able to bang down low with other bigs on a consistent basis.

[GM Franchise]

Okay since Lebron is on some "otherwordly planet" compared to Durant let's look at their stats...

Lebron James stats:
GP   GS   MIN   FGM-A   FG%   3PM-A   3P%   FTM-A   FT%   OR   DR   REB   AST   BLK   STL   PF   TO   PTS
'13-'14   
MIA
71   71   37.5   9.8-17.3   .569   1.5-3.9   .373   5.5-7.3   .747   1.0   5.9   6.9   6.5   0.3   1.6   1.6   3.5   26.6

Kevin Durant stats:
GP   GS   MIN   FGM-A   FG%   3PM-A   3P%   FTM-A   FT%   OR   DR   REB   AST   BLK   STL   PF   TO   PTS
13-'14   
OKC
73   73   38.4   10.5-20.6   .510   2.4-5.9   .408   8.7-10.0   .873   0.7   6.8   7.5   5.6   0.8   1.3   2.2   3.5   32.1

Looking at the stats they are VERY similar. So I think saying the comment that Durant will never be the player Lebron is is a bit far fetched considering how close their stat lines are for this season. Also let me point out that Durant plays SF like Lebron, not PF so banging down low with the other bigs is a bit of a stretch considering PF and C are the down low players.

[The TeeJ of Philly]

Okay since Lebron is on some "otherwordly planet" compared to Durant let's look at their stats...

Lebron James stats:
GP   GS   MIN   FGM-A   FG%   3PM-A   3P%   FTM-A   FT%   OR   DR   REB   AST   BLK   STL   PF   TO   PTS
'13-'14   
MIA
71   71   37.5   9.8-17.3   .569   1.5-3.9   .373   5.5-7.3   .747   1.0   5.9   6.9   6.5   0.3   1.6   1.6   3.5   26.6

Kevin Durant stats:
GP   GS   MIN   FGM-A   FG%   3PM-A   3P%   FTM-A   FT%   OR   DR   REB   AST   BLK   STL   PF   TO   PTS
13-'14   
OKC
73   73   38.4   10.5-20.6   .510   2.4-5.9   .408   8.7-10.0   .873   0.7   6.8   7.5   5.6   0.8   1.3   2.2   3.5   32.1

Looking at the stats they are VERY similar. So I think saying the comment that Durant will never be the player Lebron is is a bit far fetched considering how close their stat lines are for this season. Also let me point out that Durant plays SF like Lebron, not PF so banging down low with the other bigs is a bit of a stretch considering PF and C are the down low players.

You look at the stats like their gospel sometimes. KD will never be the ball-handling, work everyone in, 3/small ball 4 that Lebron is. LeBron has more points generated by assists than KD by almost 200, as a power forward, where he has played 81% of his time on the court this season, on par with last season where he played there for 82% of his time on the court.

He's not the lockdown defender that Lebron is and his frame will never allow him to bulk up like Lebron where he can go in the low post and bang with big guys. KD has added the one leg fade that Dirk has used to kill people in the high post, that's about the extent of his post play.

What Justin meant was if KD wasn't close to 7 foot, his rebound numbers would not be what they are. You know when Lebron is about to take over, when he takes his man in the low post, backs them down and goes to work. Ever since the 2011 playoffs where he finally realized "I am one of the fastest and strongest players in the game, I'm just gonna murder these fools in the low post" which is something everyone ever born said he needed to do because he'd be unstoppable.

[J-Reb]

It's pretty evident that Durant won't ever be the LeBron defensively but I'm not sure LeBron will ever be Durant offensively.  What do you value more?  Durant, who gives you volume scoring and plays average defense or LeBron, who gives you a more rounded game. 

Either way, it's splitting hairs, IMO.

[Justin]

It's pretty evident that Durant won't ever be the LeBron defensively but I'm not sure LeBron will ever be Durant offensively.  What do you value more?  Durant, who gives you volume scoring and plays average defense or LeBron, who gives you a more rounded game. 

Either way, it's splitting hairs, IMO.

Lebron is the better offensive player too.  Durant is the better shooter by far but Lebrons jumper has improved and nobody can stop him driving to the basket. Like I said he can score 35 if he wanted to but his team doesnt need to. Durant has to shoot in loads cause his team needs him to.  Bit nobody can take over a game like Lebron can.

[GM Franchise]

KD tied Jordan's 25 points record last night by scoring that amount in 40 straight games. I just think you guys are overhyping Lebron especially considering how Durant is playing at the moment.

Lebron is the better offensive player too.  Durant is the better shooter by far but Lebrons jumper has improved and nobody can stop him driving to the basket. Like I said he can score 35 if he wanted to but his team doesnt need to. Durant has to shoot in loads cause his team needs him to.  Bit nobody can take over a game like Lebron can.

Nobody can take ever a game like Lebron can? Kobe, when healthy, can do just that. Carmelo should be in that conversation too especially considering how shitty the Knicks overall roster is. The fact they might actually make the playoffs says a lot especially after how badly they were playing at times during the season.

[The TeeJ of Philly]

KD tied Jordan's 25 points record last night by scoring that amount in 40 straight games. I just think you guys are overhyping Lebron especially considering how Durant is playing at the moment.

Nobody can take ever a game like Lebron can? Kobe, when healthy, can do just that. Carmelo should be in that conversation too especially considering how shitty the Knicks overall roster is. The fact they might actually make the playoffs says a lot especially after how badly they were playing at times during the season.

Yes it says a lot about the NBA, not the Knicks or Melo. You know what even says more, the fact that a 50 win team probably won't make the playoffs in the West, but a 35 win team will in the east.''

And no, the closest person who could take over like Lebron s Chris Paul and it's not even close. We're not overhyping Lebron, we just recognize that LeBron is a team that is good enough in a conference that is shitty enough that he doesn't have to play like he use to in the regular season. Like I said, you're looking at stats like they're the gospel and the end-all, be-all of how good Lebron and KD are. His numbers are "down" because he is on a better team. KD's stats are MVP-winning because he HAD to put up those numbers with Russel out. He's the MVP

[GM Franchise]

Lebron is playing in a WEAK NBA era. His numbers are overhyped because the NBA now is nowhere along the lines of where it used to be. He is gifted but if he was playing in the Superstar Era back in the day with Malone, Barkley, etc. and with the style of play from back then I don't think his numbers would be like they are currently.

Lebron is on a better team? LOL look at how shitty his conference is compared to the West where Durant is playing at. In my opinion the Thunder are the better team because they are winning in the harder conference. Add to it the Thunder have a better conference record than the Heat which says a lot in my opinion.