LBJ's 2018 ECSF = GOAT series win (Toronto had 7.29 SRS, 57th all time best rating)

[ELITEpower23]

If you want to get technical the 2018 Toronto Raptors were an amazing team, with their near league leading SRS to show for. They were #2 in the entire league in 2018 and 57th all time. Yes, among all the teams to ever play, the deep, stacked 2018 Raptors were 57th best SRS ranking ever. Once you evaluate the facts it's clear as day to anyone with an ounce of intelligence. Best Conference Semi Finals series in basketball history w/ series Game Score 29.8 or more:

2017 LeBron = 29.8 (opponent SRS: 3.65)
2018 LeBron = 30.7 (opponent SRS: 7.29)
1989 Jordan = 31.8 (opponent SRS: 3.62)
1990 Jordan = 35.4 (opponent SRS: 4.23)

These four showings, held by only two players are clearly the best. If you can find another I say good luck. Basic criteria is:

• 29.8 Game Score (for the series)
• Opponent SRS 3.60 or higher

After you investigate further into the competition it gets really interesting though. LBJ faced the better teams. Much better, in fact.

2017 LeBron's win over a 3.65 SRS opponent narrowly beats out MJ's 1989 win over a 3.62 SRS team
2018 LeBron's win over a 7.29 SRS opponent destroys MJ's 1990 win over a 4.23 SRS team

The 2018 win over the Raptors with a 30.7 game score means he beat the 57th ranked SRS team in NBA history. This is goat level achievement. MJ never did come close to this in the ECSF. It's just the facts and they should be accepted.

Finals is also in favor of LeBron, beating the #8th best SRS of all time (2016 Warriors).

[3ball]

89' Cavs had a 7.95 SRS (#1)... so higher than the 18 Raptors

MJ beat them with a 6-seed and 15 on 40% from a first-time starter 2nd option

Lebron had a high seed and perennial all-star he reduced at 2nd option

Btw, Cavs had 3 perennial all-stars that year plus 20/5/5 Ron Harper

[ELITEpower23]

89' Cavs had a 7.95 SRS (#1)... so higher than the 18 Raptors

MJ beat them with a 6-seed and 15 on 40% from a first-time starter 2nd option

That was the 1st round..

SF = semi Finals = 2nd round

[Jordan96]

Agreed, as an MJ fan none of Jordan’s series hold up to LeBrons win over the Raptors, let alone LeBron beating a 73 win team in 2016

[ArbitraryWater]

probably.


Absurd dominance.

And you could say he was even better against Indy or Boston lol.

[Stephonit]

Curry more impressive.

[tpols]

derozan and lowry wouldve been an 8-10 seed team out west... we know that because derozan and aldridge on the damn spurs is only that.

if you put lowry and derozan on like... minnesota, theyd be a lottery team every year.

they are two of the worst playoff chokers in nba history.

[Monta Ellis MVP]

DeFrozen was their best player. Those Raptor teams were not very good.

[ELITEpower23]

Curry more impressive.

Please feel free to tell us which series in the Semi-Finals was more impressive? Or should I look for myself

[Stephonit]

Please feel free to tell us which series in the Semi-Finals was more impressive? Or should I look for myself

That you need a reminder tells everything. It happened during the last playoffs and it was the Western Conference Finals. But there are other notable occasions too so maybe it does require getting specific.

[ELITEpower23]

derozan and lowry wouldve been an 8-10 seed team out west... we know that because derozan and aldridge on the damn spurs is only that.

if you put lowry and derozan on like... minnesota, theyd be a lottery team every year.

they are two of the worst playoff chokers in nba history.

7.29 SRS is not from 2 players only

They also had Van Vleet, Siakam, Ibaka, Valencunias. They were an incredibly deep team. They didn't have a 7.29 SRS from thin air.

[ELITEpower23]

That you need a reminder tells everything. It happened during the last playoffs and it was the Western Conference Finals.

He had a 28.3 game score, very nice and very close to the coveted 30.0 mark. Close, but no cigar.
Next we move to opponent SRS and find that Portland was 4.43 SRS. So again, better opponents than what MJ faced in his best runs, but not better opponent than what LeBron faced.

In summation:

2018 LBJ = 30.7 Gm Sc
2019 Curry = 28.3 Gm Sc

Advantage: LBJ

2018 LBJ opponent = 7.29 SRS
2019 Curry opponent = 4.43 SRS

Advantage: LBJ

So LBJ did more against more. Nice find I guess though? Curry can rival MJ's runs since MJ also did more but against weaker teams.

[Stephonit]

He had a 28.3 game score, very nice and very close to the coveted 30.0 mark. Close, but no cigar.
Next we move to opponent SRS and find that Portland was 4.43 SRS. So again, better opponents than what MJ faced in his best runs, but not better opponent than what LeBron faced.

In summation:

2018 LBJ = 30.7 Gm Sc
2019 Curry = 28.3 Gm Sc

Advantage: LBJ

2018 LBJ opponent = 7.29 SRS
2019 Curry opponent = 4.43 SRS

Advantage: LBJ

So LBJ did more against more. Nice find I guess though? Curry can rival MJ's runs since MJ also did more but against weaker teams.

Conference Finals in the West. LeBron's series against Toronto was sandwiched between two series that went to 7 against the Oladipo Pacers and the Celtics without their biggest star. Suggests the Raptors were pretty weak.

[ELITEpower23]

Conference Finals in the West. LeBron's series against Toronto was sandwiched between two series that went to 7 against the Oladipo Pacers and the Celtics without their biggest star. Suggests the Raptors were pretty weak.

Okay lets not brag too much about a win over Damian Lillard. We know this was Curry's big 'moment' for you, but let's get real here. Portland was good that year, not great, but good.

The Warriors 2018 win over the Rockets was huge (2018 Rockets were the #1 SRS team, Raptors were secondly only to them) but the problem is KD did all the heavy lifting and was luckily paired up with the 2x MVP in Steph Curry.

[tpols]

7.29 SRS is not from 2 players only

They also had Van Vleet, Siakam, Ibaka, Valencunias. They were an incredibly deep team. They didn't have a 7.29 SRS from thin air.

siakam and vleet were like 7 ppg role players that year.

you reallly need to stop mate.

[ELITEpower23]

siakam and vleet were like 7 ppg role players that year.

you reallly need to stop mate.

Are you reducing Siakam's output to his ppg? Don't be that guy, we already have someone else running around here trying to do that enough with another 90s player. Anyhoo, the 2018 Raptors were a very solid team. Any team with a 7.0 SRS is a good team. It's hard to achieve that.

[tpols]

siakam wasnt shit until he broke out in 2019.

he was literally just a bench role player. His transformation was so shocking he won the MIP award, in years after oladipo and giannis won it.

[ELITEpower23]

Conference Finals in the West. LeBron's series against Toronto was sandwiched between two series that went to 7 against the Oladipo Pacers and the Celtics without their biggest star. Suggests the Raptors were pretty weak.

What about LeBron's 2015 ECF win over the 4 all-star Hawks with J.R. Smith as his second option due to Kyrie injury? Hawks had a 4.75 SRS (Higher than 2019 Blazers) and LeBron had similar Game Score to Steph, with J.R. Smith as his #2. That's probably a better comparison to make it more equal/fair for Steph. 2018 LeBron is completely unfair to Steph. Or even LeBron from 2016 against Raptors works.

Conference Finals
2016 LBJ = 25.0 Gm Sc (opponent SRS 4.08)
2019 Curry = 28.3 Gm Sc (opponent SRS 4.43)

[ELITEpower23]

siakam wasnt shit until he broke out in 2019.

he was literally just a bench role player. His transformation was so shocking he won the MIP award, in years after oladipo and giannis won it.

Okay so if he wasn't 'shit' then how did they accumulate such a high SRS? Clearly the team chemistry was there, right?

Lowry, DeRozan, Ibaka, Valencunias, Van Vleet, Siakam

Not a bad core by any stretch. Quit focusing on one player to prove a point that doesn't exist to begin with. 2018 Siakam was still improving, yes, but he was still there on the team. His ppg leaps from

2018: 7
2019: 17
2020: 24

Tells us that he was a great player in 2018. No player jumps nearly 4x times in scoring (7 to 24) in only 2 years and was a "bench" player.

Other players that made a similar jump that come to mind are Thomas, Barnes, Pippen and Harden. Give them the chance and they will do their thing.

Pascal from 2018 to 2020
7 to 24

Harden from 2010 to 2013
10 to 26

Pippen from 1988 to 1992
8 to 21

Isiah from 2012 to 2014
11 to 20

Kawhi from 2012 to 2017
8 to 25

and so on and so forth. Players make leaps. Doesn't mean they were "bad bench players" before they broke out. It means that teams had superstars coming of the bench = DEPTH