Serious Question: Would the 2014 Spurs still have won if we replace Lebron with MJ?

[Dragic4Life]

Are the Spurs and Pop really THAT good?

[atljonesbro]

Yes

[Dragic4Life]

Yes
Ok.

But I think the question can really spur some intelligent discussion among NBA fans.:cheers:

[riseagainst]

the series would have been taken to 7 games.

[juju151111]

At least 7 games.

[Roundball_Rock]

Did people watch how the games were blowouts after the first 2 games? Is Mike over LeBron going to erase 20 point deficits?

[Dragic4Life]

Notable factor: MJ does NOT have the triangle offense.

It's just Coach Spo and those scrubs on the Heat.

[Sarcastic]

Jordan has never lost in the Finals, so I will say no, the Spurs would not have won.

[FKAri]

Yes. Anyone saying no is a mythologist and/or overly nostalgic.

[riseagainst]

Did people watch how the games were blowouts after the first 2 games? Is Mike over LeBron going to erase 20 point deficits?

Mike is the greatest scorer of all time, and the greatest playoff performer/scorer of all time. So yes. Or the worst case scenario, come very close to winning those games.

[juju151111]

Did people watch how the games were blowouts after the first 2 games? Is Mike over LeBron going to erase 20 point deficits?
Some of those games were bust open in the 4th Q. Not to mention the ****** cramp he had in game 1 where the game was close. This is the reason I said 7. The Bulls shouldn't of won in 93 and 97. That was all Will to win and coming up clutch. Put LJ in the 93 finals and 97 and he gets his shit wrecked.

[Dragic4Life]

What offense is Spo gonna run with MJ?

The triangle?

And you realise the next best player on the squad is Wade right?:lol :oldlol:

[Roundball_Rock]

The Spurs won by an average of 14. In order to believe that the Heat would win, or even get to a Game 7, with MJ you have to believe MJ>>>LeBron and would massively outproduce a 28/8/4 on 57% player to offset the difference. If MJ was that good he would have won the championship every year. You basically are saying MJ=LJ and then adds the value of a Chris Bosh on top.

[SouBeachTalents]

Jordan has never lost in the Finals, so I will say no, the Spurs would not have won.

:facepalm

[Dragic4Life]

The Spurs won by an average of 14. In order to believe that the Heat would win, or even get to a Game 7, with MJ you have to believe MJ>>>LeBron and would massively outproduce a 28/8/4 on 57% player to offset the difference. If MJ was that good he would have won the championship every year. You basically are saying MJ=LJ and then adds the value of a Chris Bosh on top.
Sensible Bulls fan.

Am I dreamin'?:biggums:

[nightprowler10]

Spurs would have been forced to defend MJ a lot more than they had to defend LeBron giving much more breathing room to the other Heat players. It would've changed the series. It's tough to say that the Heat would've won but Miami would've fought a lot harder. I can see the series going 7.

[Sarcastic]

The Spurs won by an average of 14. In order to believe that the Heat would win, or even get to a Game 7, with MJ you have to believe MJ>>>LeBron and would massively outproduce a 28/8/4 on 57% player to offset the difference. If MJ was that good he would have won the championship every year. You basically are saying MJ=LJ and then adds the value of a Chris Bosh on top.


Jordan DID win the championship every year that he played a full season after 1991, so predicting him to win is not that tough a stretch.

[Dragic4Life]

Jordan DID win every year that he played a full season after 1991, so predicting him to win is not that tough a stretch.
So you're going with the odds, statistics?

[Lebronxrings]

yes. Theres no way jordan could have taken a bunch of scrubs and a garbage coach, beating a stacked spurs team. The spurs guarded lebron very well, something mgay hasn't been exposed to.

[aj1987]

Yes. As good as MJ was, he won't be able to shut down every Spurs player. Miami defense cost them the title. Also, who would play at the SF spot? Pippen? In that case, I'm assuming that Miami doesn't have Wade as well. That would be a very close 7 game series. Could go either way. I'm gonna give the edge to MJ and Pip though.

[Roundball_Rock]

Jordan DID win the championship every year that he played a full season after 1991, so predicting him to win is not that tough a stretch.

1985-1990? 1995? 2002? 2003? The guy had several losing seasons yet he supposedly can outperform the best player in the league circa 2014 to the point that a historic defeat becomes a win?

The MJ mythology has reached new heights in 2014. The next thing we will hear is he would have taken the Sixers to the Finals while going 78-4.

[riseagainst]

team performance wise, the 2014 finals are pretty comparable to the 1991 finals.

You see a very similar pattern for both the winning teams and the losing teams.
Very similar in points, pace, rebounds, FG%. 3 pointers are way off, 1991 neither teams were reliable on the 3, while both teams in 2014 shot very well and on much higher volumes.

What stood out the most are the huge difference in assists between the teams. I think that's what really made the difference in those wins. Ball movement.

[Milbuck]

I'd say he takes it to 7, but they still lose.

Lebron played very well, but there were times where he should've compromised efficiency for aggressiveness. He would have quarters where he would just absolutely torch the Spurs..then he would be complacent the next one. If he made a concentrated effort to chuck, I seriously believe he could've taken another game or two. The Spurs were too good to lose, but Lebron could've taken it to 6-7.

Jordan would've chucked nonstop..at age 29 (Lebron's age in the finals), MJ averaged 41ppg on 56% TS in the finals..he took around 32 shots a game in those finals, Lebron took 18 shots a game against SA. The Heat supporting players were going to get shut down by SA either way. MJ would've caught on immediately and pushed as hard as possible to gain control. He'd lose in the end, but he'd average something like 35-36ppg in the process and take them to 7 games. I just cannot see prime MJ losing in 5 and getting blown out 3 straight games.

[r0drig0lac]

maybe, it is impossible to bet against Jordan in a final

[Sarcastic]

1985-1990? 1995? 2002? 2003? The guy had several losing seasons yet he supposedly can outperform the best player in the league circa 2014 to the point that a historic defeat becomes a win?

The MJ mythology has reached new heights in 2014. The next thing we will hear is he would have taken the Sixers to the Finals while going 78-4.


1985-1990: not after 1991. I made that explicitly clear.
1995: did not play a full season. I made that explicitly clear.

Ok. 2002, and 2003 Jordan wouldn't beat the Spurs. I concede.

[Roundball_Rock]

1985-1990: not after 1991. I made that explicitly clear.
1995: did not play a full season. I made that explicitly clear.

It doesn't add up. So he is so good that he essentially equals LeBron + Bosh but he couldn't win in many seasons? Again, if he actually was good enough to close the gap between the Heat and the Spurs he would have won every year because a player like that would be too dominant. He also would never be on a losing team since he was that great. In reality he had several losing seasons to kick off his career and the Bulls were mid-pack until 89'. The jumps in Bulls' performances coincided with non-MJ things.

The MJ mythology has reached epic proportions. It is as if MJ never existed in real life.

[Mrofir]

MJs teams were always remarkably well in sync in the playoffs, and especially in the finals. I just can't see Miami playing with the same limp wristed apathy if MJ was on the team. I'd pick the Spurs in 7 if MJ replaces Lebron -- would be the best finals of all time.

[sportjames23]

Since it's a law of the universe that MJ cannot lose in the Finals, the Spurs would have lost.

Yes, it is a law--GOAT's Law. Look it up.

[Dragic4Life]

Yes, it is a law--GOAT's Law. Look it up.
Sorry but GOAT's law is reserved for when Lebron gets his 7th ring.