What are your hot historical NBA takes

[Wally450]

Something that not many would agree with you on.

The Warriors only having 1-2 rings (if that) if not for injuries seems to be a more popular one. Not really a hot take.

The 08 Celtics beat the Lakers even with Bynum.

The Celtics 3 peat if KG doesn't get hurt in 09.

Honestly, I'm blanking right now on some hot takes. But want to know what you think ISH.

[Norcaliblunt]

If the Suns win the coin toss and draft Kareem the Lakers never win a championship in LA ever.

[AussieSteve]

The Suns go back to back in 94 and 95 if Barkley doesn't hurt his back in early 1994.

They three peat if he also doesn't hurt his elbow in the 93 finals.

[guy]

Jordan may have led the Wizards to the Finals in 02 if he somehow manages not to have injuries. The Wizards started off pretty bad, then had a great stretch of games and was gradually getting better as the season went on leading up to the all-star break. Jordan's individual play was also following that same trajectory.

This also has less to do with Jordan and more to do with just how all-time bad the East was. It may have been its worse year ever in terms of how far off they were from the West. They would've obviously gotten totally destroyed by the Lakers just like the Nets were.

I'm not going to argue with anyone who disagrees. I did say "may have" and I admit I could be totally wrong.

[meat]

Rockets would have won at least one of their championships even if Jordan didn't retire.

[SouBeachTalents]

Rockets would have won at least one of their championships even if Jordan didn't retire.
I don't know how anyone would dispute '95. Even if you want to use the rust excuse for Jordan, the Rockets swept the same Magic team, without HCA, that the Bulls lost too

[Norcaliblunt]

The Suns go back to back in 94 and 95 if Barkley doesn't hurt his back in early 1994.

They three peat if he also doesn't hurt his elbow in the 93 finals.

Suns win in 95 if Danny Manning doesn’t blow his knee out either.

[Norcaliblunt]

I don't know how anyone would dispute '95. Even if you want to use the rust excuse for Jordan, the Rockets swept the same Magic team, without HCA, that the Bulls lost too

95 Rockets faced and were beneficiaries of some of the greatest choke jobs of all time. I have a hard time believing the Bulls choke at that level if it was a normal year for them.

[meat]

95 Rockets faced and were beneficiaries of some of the greatest choke jobs of all time. I have a hard time believing the Bulls choke at that level if it was a normal year for them.

Dream was absolutely peaking at that time. Who was going to stop him on the Bulls?
Their centers were Will Perdue, Luc Longley and Bill Wennington. :facepalm

[FireDavidKahn]

The Rockets get passed the Warriors from a few years ago if Chris Paul doesn't get injured.

[guy]

I don't know how anyone would dispute '95. Even if you want to use the rust excuse for Jordan, the Rockets swept the same Magic team, without HCA, that the Bulls lost too

Its one thing to believe the Rockets would've won, but you don't think its even disputable???? Thats a bit much.

[guy]

The Rockets get passed the Warriors from a few years ago if Chris Paul doesn't get injured.

That's a hot take? I feel most people have this same opinion. My hot take would be that the Warriors were winning that series no matter what.

[Norcaliblunt]

Dream was absolutely peaking at that time. Who was going to stop him on the Bulls?
Their centers were Will Perdue, Luc Longley and Bill Wennington. :facepalm

Houston barely got by Phoenix that year. Hakeem was a beast no doubt but it took 4 massive choke jobs from the Rocket’s opponents for them to win it all. And like I said I have a hard time seeing the battle tested 3 time champion Bulls choking the way the Jazz, the Suns, the Spurs, and Magic did. Lol.

[red1]

celtics would 3-peat without KG's knee injury

warriors wouldnt win shit without durant. that goes for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018. those rings would've all belonged to lebron otherwise.



not too unconventional pretty obvious in both cases tbh

[iamgine]

Eva Longoria was/is a 5

[Turbo Slayer]

Aaron Gordon deserved to win the dunk contest.

[red1]

Eva Longoria was/is a 5

:oldlol:

[Round Mound]

The Suns go back to back in 94 and 95 if Barkley doesn't hurt his back in early 1994.

They three peat if he also doesn't hurt his elbow in the 93 finals.

I don't think they win it in 93 despite Barkley getting elbow injured. But yeah...it would have gone to 7 games had Barkley played healthy or he probably would have shot more accurately. Agree in the 94 and 95 view points. Barkley just couldn´t stay healthy past 1993 :cry:.

[Round Mound]

Suns win in 95 if Danny Manning doesn’t blow his knee out either.

Yup!

[Smoke117]

Those aren’t hot takes. The 2009 Celtics were better than the 2008 Celtics and clearly would have won again in 2009 and probably three peated if KG never got hurt. Kobrick basically lucked out as he was always prone to.

[Horatio33]

Wilt Chamberlain was overrated. A ball hog and a stat padder.

Shaq should have had an even better career. He got sidetracked by off the court stuff.

Kobe Bryant deserved the 2006 MVP, but not the 2008 MVP.

[AussieSteve]

I don't think they win it in 93 despite Barkley getting elbow injured. But yeah...it would have gone to 7 games had Barkley played healthy or he probably would have shot more accurately. Agree in the 94 and 95 view points. Barkley just couldn´t stay healthy past 1993 :cry:.

You don't think the Suns win game 7 at home with fully fit Barkley? Game 7 against the Sonics a fortnight earlier he went 44/24.

[Stanley Kobrick]

Wilt Chamberlain actually died from AIDS related disease, they tried to make it PR friendly saying heart complications. same with Prince and other celebs. HIV had a weird stigma back then

[Phoenix]

I don't know how anyone would dispute '95. Even if you want to use the rust excuse for Jordan, the Rockets swept the same Magic team, without HCA, that the Bulls lost too

Typically I'm not into the A>B and B>C so A> C logical loop, but I will say the Bulls achilles was their paper frontline post-Horace and pre-Rodman, and would have been their likely undoing against the Rockets for the same reason it was against Orlando.

Though I do think as far as the sweep goes, the Magic got mentally fukked by Nick Anderson's choke. I think they were the best team Houston faced that playoffs, and Shaq was the best player Hakeem faced ( put up a much better fight than Admiral did). i really don't think in general the Rockets were *that* much superior to the Magic that Orlando couldn't have won a few games if not, as Skip Bayless likes to say, getting shot in the heart at the end of game one.

[Phoenix]

Aaron Gordon deserved to win the dunk contest.

I thought hot-takes were intended to be controversial? Aaron Gordon deserving both the 2016 and 2020 contests is a widely held opinion. He's like a top 3 contest dunker with what he's shown and doesn't have a thing to show for it. Dude was so deflated after the last one that he said he may enter the 3 point contest, since you can't get screwed in that.

[guy]

Other hot takes:

Steph was completely screwed out of the 2015 Finals MVP and still suffers to this day for it.

Lebron shouldn’t really be considered the best player in the league until 2012 since he clearly didn’t have the mental fortitude to deal with the highest pressure moments until then.

The MVP should just go to the best player in the league and be based on both the regular season and playoffs. So Jordan should have 9, Shaq should have 3, Kobe should have 5, Lebron should have 6-7 and a bunch of guys that have any should have zero.

But given the way the award is voted on, Jordan should have 1 more, Kobe and Shaq rightfully only have 1 each, and Lebron has the right amount as well.

[SouBeachTalents]

Other hot takes:

Steph was completely screwed out of the 2015 Finals MVP and still suffers to this day for it.

Lebron shouldn’t really be considered the best player in the league until 2012 since he clearly didn’t have the mental fortitude to deal with the highest pressure moments until then.

The MVP should just go to the best player in the league and be based on both the regular season and playoffs. So Jordan should have 9, Shaq should have 3, Kobe should have 5, Lebron should have 6-7 and a bunch of guys that have any should have zero.

But given the way the award is voted on, Jordan should have 1 more, Kobe and Shaq rightfully only have 1 each, and Lebron has the right amount as well.
Kobe 5 MVP's :biggums:

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Lakers beat Boston in 08 with Bynum and Ariza. Or even if they had Ron that year.

Iverson is underrated. Very underrated. Didn't used to think that, but seeing more of his games of late had me thinking what he'd be now. Prime AI is better than Westbrook and would be a top 3 player today.

Curry would be badly compromised under the old rules. Or with a consistent "FIBA" employment.

Give Lebron a legit #2 pre Miami, and he would have just as many titles he does now. Without the hoopla though.

[PeroAntic]

I maintain Knicks make the East finals in 2017 if

1. Noah stays on the court, or
2. Porzingis got moved to C and Melo to 4 with an additional wing 3&D guy next to Rose and Lee, or
3. a different coach.

Any other coach besides Hornacek would have made it work with that kind of talent. Proof is that they lost like 20 games to buzzer beaters, late meltdowns and just weird shit like bad refereeing decisions or (un)lucky bounces. Thats a 20 game swing. and it could have been more with a proper coach.

no Im not gonna let it go

[Doranku]

Lakers make the finals in '06 if Tim Thomas doesn't hit that 3 in game 6
Lakers 4-peat if Kobe doesn't tear his labrum in the first round in 2003
Lakers beat the Spurs in 2013 if Kobe doesn't tear his Achilles

[ImKobe]

Those aren’t hot takes. The 2009 Celtics were better than the 2008 Celtics and clearly would have won again in 2009 and probably three peated if KG never got hurt. Kobrick basically lucked out as he was always prone to.

We can go the other way and say "Kobrick" would have 3-Peated had Bynum & Ariza been healthy in 08. Imagine if Andrew Bynum had a healthy set of knees from 08-13 & Ariza never left. And then there's Kobe's health of course, he was playing on one leg and with a broken index finger on his shooting hand when he won the 2 titles, he had to get his knee drained mid-2010 Playoffs and injured his ankle in the first round against the Hornets in 2011. Kobe went through more injuries than almost any ATG, yet he still had one of the longest primes.


Lakers make the finals in '06 if Tim Thomas doesn't hit that 3 in game 6
Lakers 4-peat if Kobe doesn't tear his labrum in the first round in 2003
Lakers beat the Spurs in 2013 if Kobe doesn't tear his Achilles


Agree with '06. We're beating the Clippers and I think Kobe could have done enough to beat the Spurs.
2003 I think is more on Shaq not rehabbing in the off-season and taking all those games off as a result & letting his body go, also the GM did a terrible job putting the team together, no depth whatsoever, obviously Kobe's shoulder played a part as well, he re-injured his labrum in the 2004 WCF.
2013 is a tough one. Kobe would have made it interesting by winning at least 1 game but they really had no depth on that roster.

[Lakers Legend#32]

'71-'72 Lakers greatest team of all time.

[Lakers Legend#32]

Eva Longoria was/is a 5

Certainly when she does not have her makeup on.

[RRR3]

I maintain Knicks make the East finals in 2017 if

1. Noah stays on the court, or
2. Porzingis got moved to C and Melo to 4 with an additional wing 3&D guy next to Rose and Lee, or
3. a different coach.

Any other coach besides Hornacek would have made it work with that kind of talent. Proof is that they lost like 20 games to buzzer beaters, late meltdowns and just weird shit like bad refereeing decisions or (un)lucky bounces. Thats a 20 game swing. and it could have been more with a proper coach.

no Im not gonna let it go
:roll:

Most delusional take in this thread BY FAR

[Indian guy]

:roll:

Most delusional take in this thread BY FAR

They are all pretty horrific, actually :oldlol:

Everybody in here is ****ing deluded.

[ArbitraryWater]

Kobe 5 MVP's :biggums:

That whole post is biggums worthy. Don't need to bold anything.

There are far more clowns on this site than we'd like to believe.

[RRR3]

They are all pretty horrific, actually :oldlol:

Everybody in here is ****ing deluded.
Nothing tops thinking the 17 Knicks make the finals with a different coach.

[guy]

Kobe 5 MVP's :biggums:

06-10. Given my criteria not sure what’s controversial about it. He was largely considered the best player in the league during that time. Of course others had arguments, but it was mostly considered him.

[G0ATbe]

If MJ/Pippen never team up, pippen would’ve retired with more championships

[Horatio33]

You don't think the Suns win game 7 at home with fully fit Barkley? Game 7 against the Sonics a fortnight earlier he went 44/24.

He was going up against Prime Michael Jordan. No chance Barkley is beating him.

[guy]

If MJ/Pippen never team up, pippen would’ve retired with more championships

And you think this based on what?

[G0ATbe]

And you think this based on what?
The fact Pippen took the Bulls farther than MJ ever could in his 1st season as the man. And was a few lucky bounces away from the finals. (Bulls would’ve easily won the ECF). Pippen was a winner, while Jordan was a stat getter soaking up the glory.

[sdot_thadon]

And you think this based on what?

it's not too impossible considering the previous takes in this thread....including your own. Let's give it a shot.

Scottie is never traded to the Bulls so he ends up on a Sonics team that includes himself, Payton and Kemp. Somewhere between 94 and 96 that teams chips. Why? Because the Sonics trajectory doesn't change much because "pippen is a bum", they still get all the same players drafted and he doesn't leave because "tough 90s guys never leave teams, right?" That Sonics team gave us (Rockets) hell for a few years, I'd imagine adding Scottie would put them head and shoulders above us. Mj on the other hand? He never gets as high a draft pick as that again and enters Lebron slightly above treadmill territory aka playoff middle class. That is unless you guys think the goat pays more visits to the lotto if he doesn't get Scottie.... I like Scottie's chances in this scenario. And yes this was a completely dreamt up scenario thats not too ridiculous considering i just saw a post say Wizards Mj to the finals......

[AussieSteve]

He was going up against Prime Michael Jordan. No chance Barkley is beating him.

Barkley couldn't buy a bucket outside the paint for most of that series because he had an injured shooting elbow. And it was still a clutch John Paxton 3 away from a game 7 in Phoenix.

Suns win if Barkley was 100%