How many free passes to the finals are Lebron's teams going to get?

[edrick]

The point is the guy I quoted was talking how magic had cakewalk to the finals just like lebron has.

And I pointed out that while that may be true magic won in the finals more often than not proving that despite the easy roads he was still able to lead his team to victory against tough finals opponents from the stronger conference most of the time. Lebron was not.


And it wouldn't have mattered if the Heat were built differently.. what kind of bull shit is that? You would've had slightly different role players lol.. you still would've been stomped out early in a bunch of years and been worn down over the course of multiple hard series instead of having free rounds every year.

I love when some people turn their opinions into factual evidence to back up their arguments. What kind of proof do you have that the Heat would have lost if they were in the West?

[poido123]

I have a bigger dick than you. I'll pm it to you later.

[Cocaine80s]

Lets be real Bulls wouldnt make the ECF even if Rose didnt get injured.

They are pretenders and always will be

They should tank and draft Jahlil Okafor whos another hometown guy.


He doesnt seem injury prone either for a big man

[J Shuttlesworth]

And it wouldn't have mattered if the Heat were built differently.. what kind of bull shit is that? You would've had slightly different role players lol.. you still would've been stomped out early in a bunch of years and been worn down over the course of multiple hard series instead of having free rounds every year.

Yet at the same time, you don't have to face overly physical teams like Indiana and Chicago. GSW, OKC, SAS, LAC... none of those teams have players that really beat you up inside the paint like Indiana or Chicago did. Memphis did, but that's the only team in the West. And if the Heat had San Antonio's playoff schedule in 2013, they'd be facing the Kobe-less lakers in the West which is about as easy of a first round as it gets.

And people forget how Riley built the team. It goes beyond roster, but the playstyle was vastly different than most teams in the West. The dude literally ignored the idea of offensive rebounds because getting back on defense was the most important thing. In the west, they would probably have to get a legit center since Howard, Gasol, Duncan, etc were all elite players you might have to play all playoffs long. Riley got away with playing Bosh at C and using fast breaks/steals to wear out teams like Indiana/Chicago.

I'm not trying to deny that the Heat wouldn't make the finals 4 straight times, but to say they wouldn't win it all in 2012 and 13 doesn't make any sense.

[RoundMoundOfReb]

Lets be real: Rose being hurt doesn't make Chicago that much worse...if at all

[JT123]

Bulls actually scare me more now. Mr. 6 percent would have made things too easy for Lebron, but now players who can actually shoot will be getting a lot more shots.

[aj1987]

Considering the FACT that LeBron play better against the WC teams, than the EC teams, he'd make it to the Finals pretty easily if he's on a good team (in the WC).

Oh, and it haven't been following the Heat since 2012, you might've missed the FACT that the better players on the team have been constantly injured.

[tpols]

I love when some people turn their opinions into factual evidence to back up their arguments. What kind of proof do you have that the Heat would have lost if they were in the West?

Because they were literally one shot away from losing in 2013 while not having to face a single team through three rounds capable of mustering 50 wins?

Dwayne wade got cort shots for the finals and was able to save himself for that tough series.. if the heat were out west they would've seen Memphis in the second round.. a roided up version of the pacers that they didn't see until the third round in the east. That would've been very hard to win without wade being healthy. Then they would've seen the spurs next round. 2012 would've been tougher as well especially with Bosh going down in a conference stacked with better frontlines and teams. Would've been much more difficult for them to win.

The west has had a 58% to 42% average over the east during Miami's four trips to the finals.. every round has been loaded with competitive teams while in the east you're playing anywhere from 25 to 50 percent of the playoffs against teams with losing records and or crippled lineups. It's not far fetched to assume they would win less.. it actually makes perfect sense.

[TheMan]

Lebron does seem to have some relatively good fortune. especially when you compare it to that of the rest of the NBA

I was thinking about that too, obviously it isn't Bran's fault but gotdamn he has a horse shoe the size of Wisconsin up his ass with all the injuries to East contending teams that have made his trips to the Finals a tad bit easier.

[tpols]

Yet at the same time, you don't have to face overly physical teams like Indiana and Chicago. GSW, OKC, SAS, LAC... none of those teams have players that really beat you up inside the paint like Indiana or Chicago did. Memphis did, but that's the only team in the West. And if the Heat had San Antonio's playoff schedule in 2013, they'd be facing the Kobe-less lakers in the West which is about as easy of a first round as it gets.

And people forget how Riley built the team. It goes beyond roster, but the playstyle was vastly different than most teams in the West. The dude literally ignored the idea of offensive rebounds because getting back on defense was the most important thing. In the west, they would probably have to get a legit center since Howard, Gasol, Duncan, etc were all elite players you might have to play all playoffs long. Riley got away with playing Bosh at C and using fast breaks/steals to wear out teams like Indiana/Chicago.

I'm not trying to deny that the Heat wouldn't make the finals 4 straight times, but to say they wouldn't win it all in 2012 and 13 doesn't make any sense.

Ever since you had Joel Anthony the number one need always talked about was getting a center. You guys tried for years and actually came up with one who played amazing in 2013.. Birdman was talked as being the second best heat player out east. But There's not much Riley could've gotten to combat the west centers.. He tried desperately to get one to combat hibbert Noah west and Boozer but centers were in extremely short supply back then.. and he couldn't find one.

[FPJ]

How many free passes to the finals are Lebron's teammates going to get?

You made a typo.

[J Shuttlesworth]

Ever since you had Joel Anthony the number one need always talked about was getting a center. You guys tried for years and actually came up with one who played amazing in 2013.. Birdman was talked as being the second best heat player out east. But There's not much Riley could've gotten to combat the west centers.. He tried desperately to get one to combat hibbert Noah west and Boozer but centers were in extremely short supply back then.. and he couldn't find one.

Come on dude you can't compare Birdman to the elite centers. Birdman was a roleplayer on the Heat, not a starter. And come on, nobody credible thinks Birdman was better than Wade or Bosh. Riley didn't have as big of a desperation to get a center as you make it out because he was in the East. If they played in the West, he probably would have pushed harder to get a center. Even a guy like Mozgov or Koufos would have done the trick. Riley didn't lobby as hard as you claim he did for a center, even though ESPN constantly talked about the Heat needing a center. Riley stuck to his guns with small ball because he could afford to in the east

[LongLiveTheKing]

Derrick Rose wasn't playing that well this season and is a choker in the playoffs so it doesn't really matter

[BigTicket]

After the Drose injury there is no other serious competition in the east.

Lets be real, Wizards, Hawks and Raps are all pretender

He's at 5 in a row now, he may get to 10 of the culture of the east doesnt change.

So the 3rd best player on the 4th best team in the conference gets hurt, and you think this means Lebron gets a free pass to the finals ?

[pauk]

Many... he is Lebron afterall... no matter what team you put him on thats an instant "free pass" to going deep in playoffs againts anybody....

Nice try with the east/west agenda there, but see... that the West is better is only factual in the regular season in the form of West having 15 teams who are overall better than the 15 in the East (but that doesnt matter, they still have to play against eachother)....

But in the playoffs the 8 playoff teams in the East will be as competitive as anything in the West, only 2 playoff teams in the West will have a better record and who knows who will rise up... Playoffs is a different beast....

I think the deeper it goes the tougher the East matchups will get (tougher than West).... Cavs vs Atlanta in ECF for example i think will be a tougher matchup than any WCF matchup...

The only difference Lebron playing in the West would make is perhaps a better 1st round competition, but nowhere close to be tough enough to risk him/his team any loss..... then it is the same great teams in east/west deep in the playoffs....

Even IF Lebron got a "free pass" to the Finals.... he still has to beat the Western team that killed everybody else to get there...... IF he wins against them, then rest assured he would have killed those other teams aswell considering they were worse than that Finals team.... When you win the championship then you have truly literally beaten anybody....