Thought experiment: Clone the best player on every Finals winner...

[Shogon]

And put them up against themselves on said Finals loser in place of the Finals loser's best player.

Disclaimer: Although this can be greatly beneficial, sometimes it won't be, but bear with me... and most of us SHOULD know that the truth is team dynamics are complicated and can't be accounted for on paper.


But with that being said... let's look at the past few years,

2021... clone 2021 Giannis and put him on the Suns in place of Devin Booker. Which team wins the Finals? The Suns or the Bucks?

2020... clone 2020 LeBron and put him on the Heat in place of Jimmy Butler. Which team wins the Finals? The Heat or the Lakers?

2019... don't count this one.

2018... clone 2018 Kevin Durant and put him on the Cavaliers in place of LeBron James. Which team wins the Finals? The Warriors or the Cavaliers?

2017... clone 2017 Kevin Durant and put him on the Cavaliers in place of LeBron James. Which team wins the Finals? The Warriors or the Cavaliers?

2016... etc, etc, etc...

This should help you guys be a little more objective going forward with your bullshit takes about how people are losers or winners and their level of greatness, in theory... but I know I'm just wasting my energy. Oh well. Btw I think Curry is better than Durant but most of you disagree strongly so I put his name in there. Anyways...

Hopefully you guys see the point and are able to understand that typically(not always: there are exceptions) the best team, not the best individual, wins any given series and the best player has little to nothing to do with that(in regards to comparing the best players of each team to determine who is better, that is). But I as I said, I'm pretty sure it will be lost on most of you.

[SaintzFury13]

And put them up against themselves on said Finals loser in place of the Finals loser's best player.

Disclaimer: Although this can be greatly beneficial, sometimes it won't be, but bear with me... and most of us SHOULD know that the truth is team dynamics are complicated and can't be accounted for on paper.


But with that being said... let's look at the past few years,

2021... clone 2021 Giannis and put him on the Suns in place of Devin Booker. Which team wins the Finals? The Suns or the Bucks?

2020... clone 2020 LeBron and put him on the Heat in place of Jimmy Butler. Which team wins the Finals? The Heat or the Lakers?

2019... don't count this one.

2018... clone 2018 Kevin Durant and put him on the Cavaliers in place of LeBron James. Which team wins the Finals? The Warriors or the Cavaliers?

2017... clone 2017 Kevin Durant and put him on the Cavaliers in place of LeBron James. Which team wins the Finals? The Warriors or the Cavaliers?

2016... etc, etc, etc...

This should help you guys be a little more objective going forward with your bullshit takes about how people are losers or winners and their level of greatness, in theory... but I know I'm just wasting my energy. Oh well. Btw I think Curry is better than Durant but most of you disagree strongly so I put his name in there. Anyways...

I don't really see how this changes anything because there's more to it than just swapping out the best player.

Let me use 2016 as an example. This is a case where obviously the Warriors would win pretty easily if you swapped out the best players, but for more reasons than you think. You aren't just taking LeBron and putting him on the Warriors, you're taking Curry out and putting him on the same team as Kyrie Irving. You're already taking an inferior Cavaliers team just from a defensive standpoint and taking away their best defensive player, let alone best overall player, and replacing him with a defensive liability. Granted, they're going to score in bunches, but the Warriors wouldn't have much trouble exploiting that.

Maybe if you said something like swap out the three best players, then it'd be a different story. So taking LeBron, Irving and Love and putting them on Golden State while Curry, Thompson and Green go to Cleveland. That would be a much more interesting scenario.

[Shogon]

I don't really see how this changes anything because there's more to it than just swapping out the best player.

Let me use 2016 as an example. This is a case where obviously the Warriors would win pretty easily if you swapped out the best players, but for more reasons than you think. You aren't just taking LeBron and putting him on the Warriors, you're taking Curry out and putting him on the same team as Kyrie Irving. You're already taking an inferior Cavaliers team just from a defensive standpoint and taking away their best defensive player, let alone best overall player, and replacing him with a defensive liability. Granted, they're going to score in bunches, but the Warriors wouldn't have much trouble exploiting that.

Maybe if you said something like swap out the three best players, then it'd be a different story. So taking LeBron, Irving and Love and putting them on Golden State while Curry, Thompson and Green go to Cleveland. That would be a much more interesting scenario.

It's almost as if you didn't read my disclaimer that was literally on the second line of the OP. Team dynamics are complicated and it's not that easy necessarily, but sometimes it is.

Like I said, lost on most of you. Unfortunate. That's my life though.

And I didn't say swap the best players. I said clone the best player on the winner and put him on the Finals losing team also in place of their best player.

So in the year that you chose, there would be no Steph Curry at all playing in that series. It would be the 2016 Warriors minus Steph plus LeBron, and the 2016 Cavs exactly as they were.

Irving
JR Smith
LeBron
Love
Thompson

vs

LeBron
Klay
Iguodala
Barnes
Bogut

The matchup would look something like that.

And it's pretty easy to see that the Cavs would still win. This is a harder comparison to make because of team dynamics and the massively different play styles between LeBron and Curry, but the overall point remains.

[SaintzFury13]

It's almost as if you didn't read my disclaimer that was literally on the second line of the OP. Team dynamics are complicated and it's not that easy necessarily, but sometimes it is.

Like I said, lost on most of you. Unfortunate. That's my life though.

I did read your disclaimer. It's irrelevant to my point. My point is that there's a lot more to it than just swapping ONE player and I used 2016 as an example. Otherwise nothing really changes.


And I didn't say swap the best players. I said clone the best player and REPLACE HIM on the Finals loser.

So in your example, there would be no Steph Curry at all playing in that series. It would be the 2016 Warriors minus Steph plus LeBron, and the 2016 Cavs exactly as they were.

Ah I see. That's where the confusion lies here. I misinterpreted what you meant.

[Gohan]

Shaq instead of mutumbo on 2001 sixers . Sixers tear lakers to shreds

[j3lademaster]

Shaq instead of mutumbo on 2001 sixers . Sixers tear lakers to shredsThat would be Shaq clone replacing Iverson since AI was the 6ers best player. Terrible fit.

[j3lademaster]

2021- Suns win. Suns had no interior presence when Ayton sat. Having a Giannis clone would have been huge over booker.
2020- Lakers win. AD was too much and Jimmy butler quietly had a monster finals performance, so replacing him doesn't really help mia
2019- Raptors win. GS was too injured
2015-2018 -GS every year by a huge margin. 2015 GS would sweep.
2014- Lebron clone in place of Kawhi? Mia def was horrible. Spurs Lebron clone would have a field day.
2013- Spurs win
2012- This is a tough one. going to lean towards Mia because Thunder are too young.
2011- Dirk clone in place of Wade? That's a perfect teammate for Lebron. And Dirk can close the games. Miami!
2010 - Lakers are too big
2009- Lakers win easy. Orlando with Kobe instead of Dwight has no interior presence. It's moreso about Orlando being built around Dwight rather than who's better between Kobe and Dwight.
2008- Boston

[Gohan]

That would be Shaq clone replacing Iverson since AI was the 6ers best player. Terrible fit.

Oh nvm, they get that ass clapped

[GrayGoat]

LeBron on the warriors beats LeBron on the cavs. Prime Klay and younger AI? Come on that’s unfair

[Ryoka Narusawa]

Would it be easier to swap the top players from each team and see how it goes?

For Example 2016 Finals

LeBron Klay Draymond Iggy

vs

Curry Kyrie Love JR Smith

[MrFonzworth]

OP is autistic

[Gohan]

LeBron on the warriors beats LeBron on the cavs. Prime Klay and younger AI? Come on that’s unfair

Dont call iggy ai again theres only one. The disrespect on this board sheesh

[Norcaliblunt]

Imagining a player playing against his clone is dumb and not worth discussing. Lol.

Now swapping best players would be an interesting conversation.

[Overdrive]

2021- Suns win. Suns had no interior presence when Ayton sat. Having a Giannis clone would have been huge over booker.
2020- Lakers win. AD was too much and Jimmy butler quietly had a monster finals performance, so replacing him doesn't really help mia
2019- Raptors win. GS was too injured
2015-2018 -GS every year by a huge margin. 2015 GS would sweep.
2014- Lebron clone in place of Kawhi? Mia def was horrible. Spurs Lebron clone would have a field day.
2013- Spurs win
2012- This is a tough one. going to lean towards Mia because Thunder are too young.
2011- Dirk clone in place of Wade? That's a perfect teammate for Lebron. And Dirk can close the games. Miami!
2010 - Lakers are too big
2009- Lakers win easy. Orlando with Kobe instead of Dwight has no interior presence. It's moreso about Orlando being built around Dwight rather than who's better between Kobe and Dwight.
2008- Boston

2014 would be Kawhi or Duncan on the Heat instead of Lebron.

[SATAN]

And put them up against themselves on said Finals loser in place of the Finals loser's best player.

Disclaimer: Although this can be greatly beneficial, sometimes it won't be, but bear with me... and most of us SHOULD know that the truth is team dynamics are complicated and can't be accounted for on paper.


But with that being said... let's look at the past few years,

2021... clone 2021 Giannis and put him on the Suns in place of Devin Booker. Which team wins the Finals? The Suns or the Bucks?

2020... clone 2020 LeBron and put him on the Heat in place of Jimmy Butler. Which team wins the Finals? The Heat or the Lakers?

2019... don't count this one.

2018... clone 2018 Kevin Durant and put him on the Cavaliers in place of LeBron James. Which team wins the Finals? The Warriors or the Cavaliers?

2017... clone 2017 Kevin Durant and put him on the Cavaliers in place of LeBron James. Which team wins the Finals? The Warriors or the Cavaliers?

2016... etc, etc, etc...

This should help you guys be a little more objective going forward with your bullshit takes about how people are losers or winners and their level of greatness, in theory... but I know I'm just wasting my energy. Oh well. Btw I think Curry is better than Durant but most of you disagree strongly so I put his name in there. Anyways...

Hopefully you guys see the point and are able to understand that typically(not always: there are exceptions) the best team, not the best individual, wins any given series and the best player has little to nothing to do with that(in regards to comparing the best players of each team to determine who is better, that is). But I as I said, I'm pretty sure it will be lost on most of you.

Cardano

[j3lademaster]

2014 would be Kawhi or Duncan on the Heat instead of Lebron.oh yeah. sorry brain fart