Do some people really think Larry Bird couldn't dominate like he did, in this era?

[QUOTE=97 bulls]Now this isn't true. The defensive side of the ball just make James over Bird a no brainer.[/QUOTE]

Not at all. Bird had tremendous defensive impact, his team's success (college, NBA) wasn't just because of his amazing offense.
What give LeBron the edge defensively if his athleticism, Bird was one of the GOAT team defenders, good post defender could hold his own m2m on the perimeter but his lateral quickness was average, he couldn't shut guys down on the perimeter.
While I do agree LeBron's better overall defensively, the gap is not big, at all.

[QUOTE=SHAQisGOAT]Not at all. Bird had tremendous defensive impact, his team's success (college, NBA) wasn't just because of his amazing offense.
What give LeBron the edge defensively if his athleticism, Bird was one of the GOAT team defenders, good post defender could hold his own m2m on the perimeter but his lateral quickness was average, he couldn't shut guys down on the perimeter.
While I do agree LeBron's better overall defensively, the gap is not big, at all.[/QUOTE]
If he's such a great defender, why did Mchale have to guard the better scoring forward regardless of position? That's because the coach feels he's a bad defender.

[QUOTE=97 bulls]If he's such a great defender, why did Mchale have to guard the better scoring forward regardless of position? [B]That's because the coach feels he's a bad defender.[/B][/QUOTE]

Or they feel McHale is the better defender?

He would be the third best SF right now .

Wow, this thread has gotten real bad.

[QUOTE=97 bulls]If he's such a great defender, why did Mchale have to guard the better scoring forward regardless of position? That's because the coach feels he's a bad defender.[/QUOTE]

Bet you've never saw a Celtics game from back then and you're just talking out your a**.

First of all McHale guarded the better scoring forward since 1986 when he got into the starting lineup, and this was not all the time. Reason?


First of all they wanted to spare their main offensive weapon. Harper guarded the best scoring guard many times, does that make Jordan a bad defender? Or when Pip was switched off to Magic, does that make Jordan a bad defender? Or when Battier was guarding Durant instead of LeBron? Does that make LeBron a bad defender?

Bird already had back issues.

And did you read my post
[QUOTE]Not at all. Bird had tremendous defensive impact, his team's success (college, NBA) wasn't just because of his amazing offense.
What give LeBron the edge defensively if his athleticism, Bird was one of the GOAT team defenders, good post defender could hold his own m2m on the perimeter [B]but his lateral quickness was average, he couldn't shut guys down on the perimeter.[/B]
[/QUOTE]

Defense is not always about shutting guys down on the perimeter though. McHale was put on some guys because he had great length to bother them and such.
Plus it was better for the Celtics to have Bird roaming around playing great team D.

[QUOTE=RaininTwos]He would be the third best SF right now .[/QUOTE]

:lol great joke

[QUOTE=SHAQisGOAT]:lol great joke[/QUOTE]
I am not joking in the slightest. I'm sure some people feel differently and would rank him above Durant which I can understand but that's where I draw the line.

[QUOTE=RaininTwos]I am not joking in the slightest. I'm sure some people feel differently and would rank him above Durant which I can understand but that's where I draw the line.[/QUOTE]
And you said you don't have a bias against older players.

:oldlol:

It leaks through in every one of your posts. Larry Bird is better than Durant, easily.

Shut your young, dumb ass up.

[QUOTE=Money 23]And you said you don't have a bias against older players.

:oldlol:

It leaks through in every one of your posts. Larry Bird is better than Durant, easily.

Shut your young, dumb ass up.[/QUOTE]
Why is it when people have a difference in opinion, they must have a bias? And even if he does have a bias so what?!!

As fans, we all have a bias. I guarantee you are gonna maake multiple posts in a thread asking who's better between Iguodal and Johnson. And that's not bad. You just probably don't really care.

[QUOTE=SHAQisGOAT]Bet you've never saw a Celtics game from back then and you're just talking out your a**.

First of all McHale guarded the better scoring forward since 1986 when he got into the starting lineup, and this was not all the time. Reason?


First of all they wanted to spare their main offensive weapon. Harper guarded the best scoring guard many times, does that make Jordan a bad defender? Or when Pip was switched off to Magic, does that make Jordan a bad defender? Or when Battier was guarding Durant instead of LeBron? Does that make LeBron a bad defender?

Bird already had back issues.

And did you read my post


Defense is not always about shutting guys down on the perimeter though. McHale was put on some guys because he had great length to bother them and such.
Plus it was better for the Celtics to have Bird roaming around playing great team D.[/QUOTE]
Bird was a terrible man defender. Deal with it.

[QUOTE=97 bulls]Bird was a terrible man defender. Deal with it.[/QUOTE]


LOL terrible..

You know nothing about basketball and still think you know, plus you're a major hater, deal with.

Plus Bird overall sh*ts all over your beloved Pippen (and Pip's one of my favorite players all time)

[QUOTE=RaininTwos]I am not joking in the slightest. I'm sure some people feel differently and would rank him above Durant which I can understand but that's where I draw the line.[/QUOTE]

Please... If you really think that you must be delusional, many great scoring SF's in the 80's and Bird was always clearly head n shoulders above all of them

Bird would be #1 right now. Strong case for LeBron right there with him, for Durant not in a million years.

[QUOTE=SHAQisGOAT]So in great scoring centers era, center defense was weak, in great scoring guards era (today), guard defense is weak? Please don't give me that. Just because you had great scoring SF's with great skill in the 80's that doesn't mean defense was weak against SF's lol.[/QUOTE]
:applause:
[QUOTE=SHAQisGOAT]I know they have, all I was saying is that a guy like English had more because of the style of the Nuggets play[/QUOTE]
This myth really pisses me off. There is NO superstar, in the history of the league, that took as much beating on the floor as English did. In many cases the only way to make the guy miss a jumper was the slam him right across the arm, which many defenders did and often times got away with. Trying to throw him off the pace by hitting him hard early in the game was a commonly employed defensive tactic against him. Against mild defense he was an almost certain 30-40 ppg. He was just that good.

[QUOTE=97 bulls]If he's such a great defender, why did Mchale have to guard the better scoring forward regardless of position? That's because the coach feels he's a bad defender.[/QUOTE]

Oh no.

You watch the NBA now. LeBron James don't always guard Kobe or Durant. They send Battier on him. Sometimes Wade. They switch it up. Same with Kobe.

With Bird, they:

1. To save Bird's energy for the offense.

2. Mchale was the better defender. And his length made a difference as well.

3. They switch it up sometimes.

Bird was a underrated defender. He was a good post defender, good help defender, and he was an ok man to man defender. He wasn't terrible or bad. That's a myth. But he wasn't the best defender in the game and he wasn't the best defender on team imo.