2013-14 NBA Thread part 1

The new commish lives in the same alternate universe as the old commish, one in which tanking doesn't exist. It's "rebuilding."

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/10597248/nba-commissioner-adam-silver-says-tanking-exist

 

What no one is talking about:

After 62 games the Raptors are 35-27 and in 1st place by 3 games.

 

Nets-Heat was a thriller. Nets by 1 in Miami.

3-0 v. Heat this season. Nice team.

 

If LeBron doesn't 3-peat, does he forever lose his argument that he's better than Jordan and Kobe?

Is Dwayne Wade better than Scottie Pippen?

 

Don't know that he has to 3-peat if he finishes with 5-6-7 titles.

Second question is tougher. At their peaks, Wade and Pippen were equally devastating. There was a stretch of 2-3 years when Wade was the best guard I ever saw who wasn't named Jordan or Magic.

 

Is the first one a serious question?

Dwyane Wade is a shadow of what he used to be and was last year as well.

 

I would say the Heat are the favorite to win this year, still. If Indiana doesn't make it to the conference championship, the Heat could have the easiest road to the finals since 8 teams per conference went to the playoffs. At the beginning of the year I would have taken the Heat vs. The Field. I'll take The Field right now. I've seen Wade put together 3 maybe 4 really good games in a row a few time this year, then he'll drop. He might not be able to be a quality player for 2 six game series in a row.
No one is as physically tough as LeBron but he's not Jordan or Kobe in maxing out, which is no real indictment. I don't think Magic had the drive that Jordan and Kobe developed, either.
But if the Heat don't win this year, LeBron can't be happy looking at a old-man Wade and Free Agent Bosh and no one else. He might play it out 1 more year and negotiate an opt out after next season. But he might start chasing rings and then he becomes an NBA oddity. Top 10 player of all time on his 3rd team in less than 10 years.
He becomes the George Castanza of the NBA, it's not me, it's you

 

LeBron won't be considered better than Jordan until he improves his steals-per-game average.

 

Phil to the Knicks and no one has a comment? NBA must be a marginalized niche sport

 

Isn't that a reason to stay, not move?

 

I'd like to see Jackson give college coaching a try and go to Long Beach State or USC.

He seems like he's at peace and having the most fun during the thick of game time.

 

He would detest the grind that comes with that, Xan.