MJ, Kobe & LeBron's competition in the 1st Round

[Drygon]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EkfIowwUcAEhzJu?format=png&name=large

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EkfIpOSVMAAg-9i?format=png&name=medium

[Roundball_Rock]

Yeah, when you are in the playoffs with 50+ win teams instead of the 8 seed you tend to draw easier 1st round comp. That's the reward for regular season success. LeBron's floor raising ability is one of the strongest arguments for him. Thanks for pointing that out!

Interesting, BTW, how MJ stans refer to teams "Jordan" beat. The Chicago Jordans, right? This is where 1-9 comes from. The question is where was the one man team before Pippen, Jackson, Rodman, Grant, and co. (same concept with "Kobe", where was "Kobe" when Shaq/Gasol weren't there?)? You guys set yourselves up. Be better.

[Shooter]

Almost as if there are rewards for getting higher seeds.

Interesting. Almost as if winning more has it rewards as does losing has its consequences.

Stick around OP, you're new to ball but we'll teach you. Gotta forgive the beginners these days.

[Roundball_Rock]

Almost as if there are rewards for getting higher seeds.


:lol

I wonder what the records of Tom Brady's team's first round opponents were in years they didn't get a bye and were in the first round as a #3/#4 seed? I am guessing a lot of 9-7 teams. In the NBA most of the league makes it, especially in the 80's, so bubble playoff teams aren't 9-7 (equivalent to 46 wins in the NBA) but 38-42 win teams.

[8Ball]

That's what happens when you don't win enough games and get the 8 seed :lol

30 wins = playoffs for Jordan. LOL

[Shooter]

That's what happens when you don't win enough games and get the 8 seed :lol

30 wins = playoffs for Jordan. LOL

OP just learned playoff seeding today :lol :lol

[Kiddlovesnets]

Lets try not involving Kobe in the discussion, hes not even top 10 player of all time and his realistic comparisons are Hakeem and Oscar.

[Doranku]

tHeRe aRe ReWaRdS foR GeTtiNg HiGhEr SeEds

'08 Lakers - 1 seed, 50 win team in 1st round
'09 Lakers - 1 seed, 48 win team in 1st round
'10 Lakers - 1 seed, 50 win team in 1st round

'08 Cavs - 4 seed, 43 win team in 1st round
'09 Cavs - 1 seed, 39 win team in 1st round
'10 Cavs - 1 seed, 41 win team in 1st round

[G0ATbe]

Good to see MJ stans know better than to compare finals comp:applause:. Imagine if LeBron was facing off against a team lead by a guy dying from AIDS. You'd never hear the end of it.:oldlol:

[Doranku]

The worst team Kobe played in the playoffs was the 44-38 CWebb Kings.

Bran has faced over 10 teams in the playoffs that won 42 games or less. :lol How is that even possible? I don't think the West has even had 10 teams total with that poor of a record make the playoffs in the last 25 years. :roll:

[TheCorporation]

OP just learned playoff seeding today :lol :lol

:roll::roll:

[Hey Yo]

Why is OP using Kobe's 1st rounds that involved Shaq??

The first 5 teams on the Kobe list should be removed and start with Denver in the 2008 season.

[Roundball_Rock]

tHeRe aRe ReWaRdS foR GeTtiNg HiGhEr SeEds

'08 Lakers - 1 seed, 50 win team in 1st round
'09 Lakers - 1 seed, 48 win team in 1st round
'10 Lakers - 1 seed, 50 win team in 1st round

'08 Cavs - 4 seed, 43 win team in 1st round
'09 Cavs - 1 seed, 39 win team in 1st round
'10 Cavs - 1 seed, 41 win team in 1st round

That was an anomalous time frame where the West was extremely deep. Phoenix won 55 games and was the 6 seed one year, Dallas 54 and was the 7 seed. Those are exceptions to the rule.

Let's take Jordan. As "his" teams went from being the 7/8 seed to being mid-seeds and then eventually the 1/2 seeds, his first round comp get notably weaker. That is what normally happens. If Jordan didn't want to play the 87' Celtics in the first round, "will your team" to more than 40-42. He supposedly won 6 chips by himself so where was that in 87' (when he was 2nd in MVP to Bird)?

Why do people act like LeBron didn't play in the West? What was Portland's record this year?

[TheGoatest]

That's what happens when you don't win enough games and get the 8 seed :lol

30 wins = playoffs for Jordan. LOL

LeBron missed the playoffs in his 2nd year with a 42-40 record at the age of 19-20 and the haters still made fun of him. Meanwhile Jordan's pre-Pippen years were all sub-.500 and yet he comfortably made the playoffs every time. Yet despite having this luxury, he is still way behind LeBron in all-time playoff points. :oldlol:

[999Guy]

Did you really make a LeBron and Kobe comparison thread...in 2020?

[BigtimeNBAFan]

Wait what? Weren't you Lebron haters picking Portland to beat LA? We were literally told the Blazers were the best 8 seed ever.

After Lebron dispatched them easily, now they are of course garbage. Funny how that works.

[Roundball_Rock]

Wait what? Weren't you Lebron haters picking Portland to beat LA? We were literally told the Blazers were the best 8 seed ever.

After Lebron dispatched them easily, now they are of course garbage. Funny how that works.

They want people to forget that. When it looked like the Lakers would not come out the West, they were running around saying "Wild Wild West!" to set up the argument that "See! LeBron can't make the finals in the West!" Now that is swept under the rug. :lol

[tpols]

The sad thing is he's an incredible athlete and player.

But his whole career is manufactured by weak competition and team hopping with other superstars.

LeWWE.

[tpols]

That was an anomalous time frame

It's been a 20 year anomaly, mate. :lol

link (https://basketballjoe.com/articles/conference-imbalance-best-west)

Classic.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Pretty good research here. Bron was beating up tomato cans :lol

That being said, he's also faced tougher finals comp ie. GSW in 2017 and 2018. And no matter what people say, he also proved his worth out West. Had a lot of help with Davis, no doubt, but the argument we always heard was that Bron would succumb to that conference.

[Bankaii]

tHeRe aRe ReWaRdS foR GeTtiNg HiGhEr SeEds

'08 Lakers - 1 seed, 50 win team in 1st round
'09 Lakers - 1 seed, 48 win team in 1st round
'10 Lakers - 1 seed, 50 win team in 1st round

'08 Cavs - 4 seed, 43 win team in 1st round
'09 Cavs - 1 seed, 39 win team in 1st round
'10 Cavs - 1 seed, 41 win team in 1st round
If you’re going to apply context, apply 100% context, not just 50%.
Lebron faced worse teams, but also had worse help. Kobe faced better teams, but also had better help.
If you throw 2008 lebron on a 7th/8th seeded west team (Mavs/Nuggets), he’s winning rings and still getting top seeds.

[Shooter]

The sad thing is he's an incredible athlete and player.

But his whole career is manufactured by weak competition and team hopping with other superstars.

WWE.

Damn why you roasting MJ like that I thought you were a fan of him?

[Roundball_Rock]

If you throw 2008 lebron on a 7th/8th seeded west team (Mavs/Nuggets), he’s winning rings and still getting top seeds.

That was always an amusing contradiction in the "LeBron Out West!" argument. If he was in the West, he would be on a Western conference team. By their own argument, half the WC then was a title contender and then there were several more above average teams. If prime LeBron is put on any of those 55+ win West teams they automatically become title favorites. If he goes on a 45 or so win team, he elevates them to being a legit contender.

LeBron would have to go to a 20 win bottom feeder to not be a legit contender in the West--and even then those teams wouldn't stand pat permanently. The Cavs were a 33 win team, Lakers a 35 win team when he got there. Even if LeBron went to a team like the Wolves they would make moves to compete like the Cavs and Lakers did.


But his whole career is manufactured by weak competition

MJ's comp was terrible, per your own logic. If AD>Robinson, that is a bad look as to MJ's era. You are saying a top 1-2 player at his peak in the 90's would be borderline top 5 today (with KD, Curry healthy), a sidekick, etc. You also have said many times MJ's era was so weak Iggy would be a MVP candidate, perennial 1st team all-NBA forward (over Barkley and outpolling prime Malone), etc. in that weaker era. Your own logic as a 1-9ball disciple. :lol

[Bankaii]

That was always an amusing contradiction in the "LeBron Out West!" argument. If he was in the West, he would be on a Western conference team. By their own argument, half the WC then was a title contender and then there were several more above average teams. If prime LeBron is put on any of those 55+ win West teams they automatically become title favorites. If he goes on a 45 or so win team, he elevates them to being a legit contender.

LeBron would have to go to a 20 win bottom feeder to not be a legit contender in the West--and even then those teams wouldn't stand pat permanently. The Cavs were a 33 win team, Lakers a 35 win team when he got there. Even if LeBron went to a team like the Wolves they would make moves to compete like the Cavs and Lakers did.
This exactly. Lebron could go to the worst team in the West (Timeberwolves since GSW were injured) and be a top 3-4 team in the league.

Then we’d hear how how stacked they are... “KAT was always the best big in the league” “D Russ was a franchise player before lebron” “Hernangomez was the GOAT shooter before Bron”...:oldlol:

[Roundball_Rock]

This exactly. Lebron could go to the worst team in the West (Timeberwolves since GSW were injured) and be a top 3-4 team in the league.

Then we’d hear how how stacked they are... “KAT was always the best big in the league” “D Russ was a franchise player before lebron” “Hernangomez was the GOAT shooter before Bron”...:oldlol:

Yup. :lol

[Shooter]

This exactly. Lebron could go to the worst team in the West (Timeberwolves since GSW were injured) and be a top 3-4 team in the league.

Then we’d hear how how stacked they are... “KAT was always the best big in the league” “D Russ was a franchise player before lebron” “Hernangomez was the GOAT shooter before Bron”...:oldlol:

Big fax :lol

[Doranku]

That was an anomalous time frame where the West was extremely deep. Phoenix won 55 games and was the 6 seed one year, Dallas 54 and was the 7 seed. Those are exceptions to the rule.

Let's take Jordan. As "his" teams went from being the 7/8 seed to being mid-seeds and then eventually the 1/2 seeds, his first round comp get notably weaker. That is what normally happens. If Jordan didn't want to play the 87' Celtics in the first round, "will your team" to more than 40-42. He supposedly won 6 chips by himself so where was that in 87' (when he was 2nd in MVP to Bird)?

Why do people act like LeBron didn't play in the West? What was Portland's record this year?

You talk about an anomaly and then bring up the Blazers from this year who were the first team since '97 to make the playoffs in the West with a losing record. :oldlol:

[talkingconch]

this is pretty much well known. Leastern Conference