Series Thread: NBA Finals: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat

[Kold]

Don't know what the debate is with Giannis and AD, but give me AD over Giannis currently. It's close, but Giannis being a complete liability as a jump shooter, complete with AD being better defensively, and more complete than Giannis on offense gives it to AD imo

 

[tlance]

Also, let’s not forget that the Lakers did not play the team that beat Milwaukee and Boston.

They played a significantly beat up and diminished version.

Dragic was their best offensive player in the first 3 rounds and Bam was a shell of himself after getting hurt.

 

[Heatles84]

You know what's odd about injuries lately? They have played a factor in 4 of the last 6 Finals. I agree injuries aren't an excuse. But sometimes they're legit factors.

They are. and I'm aware of 2015, 2019, and this year's Finals. Which is the other?

 

[Heatles84]

Also, let’s not forget that the Lakers did not play the team that beat Milwaukee and Boston.

They played a significantly beat up and diminished version.

Dragic was their best offensive player in the first 3 rounds and Bam was a shell of himself after getting hurt.

What could've been.....Oh well, hope we get back next year and healthy.

 

[DJ]

Pretty easy to see Giannis only averaging 5 when he's supposedly been a distributor.

AD averaged 3 this year with most of his minutes being with at least one and often 2 other distributors on the floor.

So no, I'm not "way off on this".

Yeah, his job wasn't to pass the ball with James on the team. And then Rondo......

 

[bksballer89]

And he's failed Every. Single. Time. in a weaker conference.

He was favored to win the East this year and got beat by a 5th seed.

That's not fair. You're acting like it is 10 years where he's been failing. Most greats don't win in their first 2 seasons as legit contender. Lebron and Jordan is a great example of this. Bubble basketball was just different and I don't think Miami beat Milwaukee best of 7 without HCA under normal circumstance

 

[bksballer89]

Does AD come across as a great passer? There's 3 bigs who without a doubt come across as much better passers than him and I'm sure there's more

 

[bksballer89]

You all do this shit every year. It is called recency bias.

3 months ago, Giannis was in the conversation for best player in the entire league.

He has 1 bad playoff series against a team literally built to defeat Milwaukee and then people want to act like he isn’t one of the very best in the league.

On the flip side, AD wins a ring playing alongside a guy who is arguably the damn GOAT and everyone acts like his entire history in NO never happened.

Both AD and Giannis have their flaws as players. But if I am taking 1 of them to build a roster around, it is Giannis every damn time.

If I want to pair somebody with another elite superstar? Then I want AD for that. He was in the ideal situation this year.

The disrespect towards Giannis is ridiculous.

AD not winning 60 games with that Milwaukee team the last 2 years. Take Lebron off that Lakers team and they're a 7 or 8 seed.

 

[Kold]

Does AD come across as a great passer? There's 3 bigs who without a doubt come across as much better passers than him and I'm sure there's more

A GREAT passer? No, I'd say Jokic is a Great passing big man, and I'd put AD as a good passing big

The disrespect towards Giannis is ridiculous.

AD not winning 60 games with that Milwaukee team the last 2 years. Take Lebron off that Lakers team and they're a 7 or 8 seed.

But the team is built around Lebron being the PG, that's why AD wouldnt have as much success. Build a legitimate team around AD, and who knows what happens

 

[trojanfan12]

That's not fair. You're acting like it is 10 years where he's been failing.

And comparing AD who's spent his entire career with a subpar franchise is fair.

AD not winning 60 games with that Milwaukee team the last 2 years.

lol

In the East? If he had the same roster as Giannis, I think he would.

The disrespect towards Giannis is ridiculous.

But of course there's no disrespect going AD's way.

 

[DJ]

And comparing AD who's spent his entire career with a subpar franchise is fair.


lol

In the East? If he had the same roster as Giannis, I think he would.


But of course there's no disrespect going AD's way.

BOOM.

 

[trojanfan12]

Does AD come across as a great passer?

He comes across as a very good passing big. Joker is easily the best passing big in the game.

 

[trojanfan12]

Bubble basketball was just different and I don't think Miami beat Milwaukee best of 7 without HCA under normal circumstance

I disagree. The Heat used exactly the right defense on Giannis and they took the Bucks out 4-1 and only 1 of the Heat's wins was particularly close. In short, the Heat dominated them. I really doubt the bubble made 3 games worth of difference.

The Heat had the right mix of vets, young guys, coaching and Jimmy. If the series had gone 7 games, maybe even 6, then maybe you could blame the bubble. The Heat went up 3-0 before closing it out 4-1. That's not the bubble. That's the better team doing what better teams do.

If Giannis had the ballhandling and passing skills that some of you are claiming, why couldn't he use them to keep the Heat from flattening him out and rendering him nearly useless at times? Hell, he wasn't even really able to use his size against the Heat.

And look at you hatin' on your own team.

 

[Retroram52]

Well maybe all of the folks who think Giannis is better than Lebron or AD or vice versa should ask his Giannis' brother who is on the Lakers roster right now. lol.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

All this arguing about who is the GOAT and sech. I get a kick out of reading the comments and the criteria used to critique guys in the professional ranks. Things like athleticism and shooting ability versus ball handling and then much of this becomes a moot point when you throw in just the number of championship rings as the primary criteria for greatness. In that case the top guy in the modern era would have to be...

,,,Robert Horry with 7 rings: 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2007. Then there is Bill Russell and et cetera, in the back-in-the-days group. LOL!

Not quite the way the selection process works. first the best players in the top 10 are determined by their skills, shooting, passing, defense and etc. In the selection using those criteria and subsequently Robert Horry is eliminated

Then Other talents are compared to determine the top five and in determining who sits in the #1 of all time, down to #5, the number of championships is always going to be consider the home run that breaks the tie

 

[Wamu]

They are. and I'm aware of 2015, 2019, and this year's Finals. Which is the other?

2016- Iggy/Bogut were banged up and Steph wasn't 100%

 

[Shanemansj13]

Well maybe all of the folks who think Giannis is better than Lebron or AD or vice versa should ask his Giannis' brother who is on the Lakers roster right now. lol.

To be clear I was talking about only Giannis vs AD and leading a team. Giannis is more likely to lead a team being a #1 bc he handles the ball more and is a better facilitator. This doesn't mean AD lacks in those departments he just isn't asked to do those things as often and that isn't the best part of his game. I said if Giannis wants to take the next step he needs a jumpshot like AD does. Still being a #1 is more about being a facilitator, Giannis hasn't gotten much further than AD as far as the playoffs...but that is really beyond the point. There aren't too many PF's that are true #1's on their team and can lead their team to a championship...so it isn't a slight on AD. He is a top 5 player without a doubt.

 

[Shanemansj13]

The disrespect towards Giannis is ridiculous.

AD not winning 60 games with that Milwaukee team the last 2 years. Take Lebron off that Lakers team and they're a 7 or 8 seed.

Yep and it has nothing to do with the roster, how far they got their teams in the playoffs or even who was on the roster imo...I don't know how people are not understanding this. As great as AD is...he isn't handling the ball on almost every possession and setting up the offense when he was in New Orleans, he is a good facilitator for a big but not to Giannis' level. It doesn't mean that Giannis is necessary a much better player bc there are certain things Giannis does great and a weakness and certain things AD does great but things that hold him back from being a true #1 on a contending team at this point...the verdict is still out on that and even Giannis but you need to be a facilitator and a great one imo. Like I said, I'm not saying Giannis is a much better player, it really is close imo. I would say AD is the better scorer actually.

Was AD a leader in N.O.? I really don't think he was. Rondo was. I think he can become a leader now since Lebron took him under his wing and he is going to learn a lot about being a leader.
Giannis has to improve on being a leader too...both are perfect but for the reasons I stated Giannis is more capable of being that #1

 

[trojanfan12]

Yep and it has nothing to do with the roster, how far they got their teams in the playoffs or even who was on the roster imo...I don't know how people are not understanding this.

It is about all of those things and more. You're literally just removing factors that matter until your narrative fits.

Rosters determine what a player is asked to do. The competition they face also determines how they are going to perform with those rosters and how they perform in both the regular season and playoffs. Giannis has had better rosters in a weaker conference and hasn't been able to get to the finals including the past 2 years when he was favored to get there.

If his ballhandling is so great, why were the Heat able to make him disappear enough to get a gentlemen's sweep against him. It seems that if he was that good, he'd be able to use them to get at least 1 more win.

 

[tlance]

It is about all of those things and more. You're literally just removing factors that matter until your narrative fits.

Rosters determine what a player is asked to do. The competition they face also determines how they are going to perform with those rosters and how they perform in both the regular season and playoffs. Giannis has had better rosters in a weaker conference and hasn't been able to get to the finals including the past 2 years when he was favored to get there.

If his ballhandling is so great, why were the Heat able to make him disappear enough to get a gentlemen's sweep against him. It seems that if he was that good, he'd be able to use them to get at least 1 more win.

Then why wasn’t AD asked to facilitate more in NO?

He only played with Rondo for 1 year. Jrue Holliday has publicly stated he is not a point guard.

Who on that roster was stopping AD from taking that role if he is so capable of being that guy?