NBA Finals prediction?

[LFO]

Congrats to Boston.

As much as it sucks to say, it is an amazing sports town.

Winning everything these days it seems...

[cheveliar]

Only one person in this thread predicted the Celtics to win before the series started, and in the correct amount of games to boot.

So was this a huge upset, or were people, as usual, overrating the Lakers?

So what you trying to say dawg? What, my prediction don't count cuz I was a game late?  I been pimping the Celts all year...

[ufojoe]

I think the main difference is when Jordan played it was illegal to double team a player without the ball.  This allowed Jordan to run freely, only have to beat 1 man to get open, then get the ball where it was good night. 

Kobe (and others) plays in the days where illegal defense is no longer, well, illegal.  You can now double or even triple a guy without the ball, so it is much easier to take a guy out of the game or out of his element than when Jordan played. 

In his early years Jordan and his teams fared worse in part because they ran much of the offense through Jordan.  It was only when Phil came along and implemented the triangle that Jordan and the Bulls truly took off.  This took the ball out of Jordan's hands, where he could work one on one to get open, which was like a Pro on a pee wee for him.  Then he was able to get the ball without having 2 and 3 guys draped all over him, as again the illegal defense rules prevented doubling or tripling a player without the ball.  The so called "Jordan Rules" did not work when Phil came around because of this.  When the Pistons were using the Jordan rules they were effective because Jordan had the ball in his hands most times.  This allowed them to hack him, beat him, throw 2 and 3 guys on him.  Phil got around this (and with much success I must say) by removing the ball from Jordan primarily, only getting it to him after he beat his man without the ball, maximizing his elite Skill by allowing him to have the best chance of success.

It's a good point.

[BucsGuru]

With all the winning in Boston, it sure sucks to be a Patriot doesn't it?!  Biggest choke in sports history.  By the way, they suck and are a bunch of cheaters too...

[LFO]

Only one person in this thread predicted the Celtics to win before the series started, and in the correct amount of games to boot.

So was this a huge upset, or were people, as usual, overrating the Lakers?

So what you trying to say dawg? What, my prediction don't count cuz I was a game late?  I been pimping the Celts all year...

Nah, I just playin man!

[LFO]

I think the main difference is when Jordan played it was illegal to double team a player without the ball.  This allowed Jordan to run freely, only have to beat 1 man to get open, then get the ball where it was good night. 

Kobe (and others) plays in the days where illegal defense is no longer, well, illegal.  You can now double or even triple a guy without the ball, so it is much easier to take a guy out of the game or out of his element than when Jordan played. 

In his early years Jordan and his teams fared worse in part because they ran much of the offense through Jordan.  It was only when Phil came along and implemented the triangle that Jordan and the Bulls truly took off.  This took the ball out of Jordan's hands, where he could work one on one to get open, which was like a Pro on a pee wee for him.  Then he was able to get the ball without having 2 and 3 guys draped all over him, as again the illegal defense rules prevented doubling or tripling a player without the ball.  The so called "Jordan Rules" did not work when Phil came around because of this.  When the Pistons were using the Jordan rules they were effective because Jordan had the ball in his hands most times.  This allowed them to hack him, beat him, throw 2 and 3 guys on him.  Phil got around this (and with much success I must say) by removing the ball from Jordan primarily, only getting it to him after he beat his man without the ball, maximizing his elite Skill by allowing him to have the best chance of success.

It's a good point.

Well, I think there is a lot of truth in that.

And, to keep people from being idiots like a certain someone and thinking I am saying Jordan sucks, or was overrated, or would suck now....no, that is not what I said or am saying.

I do think Jordan is one of the best ever....but best ever is relative and hard to quantify, so I'll never say that whole heartedly.

I am also no Kobe lover, I really can't stand the guy....but like Jordan, he is a great player. 

Just comparing the 2 is dumb, because they were in different eras under different rules.....as were a lot of guys before 3 point era, etc. 

Nobody knows how Kobe would have fared then and Jordan now...but my guess is both would still be great.