Deciding who the best player ever is

[GatorAZ]

Jordan had relatively easy roads to the Finals most of the years he made it (the West was far stronger than the East in the 90s):

1991: he went up against the 16th, 15th, and 9th best teams (equivalent this year would be Miami, Memphis, and Dallas: first round sweep, loss in 5, loss in 7)

1992: 21st, 7th, and 5th

1993 (an anomaly): 16th, 2nd, 5th

1996: 13th, 10th, 5th

1997: 13th, 5th, 4th

1998: 14th, 11th, 4th


If the Suns take down Utah next round, they will have gone through the 8th, 6th, and 1st best teams in the league: a tougher row than Jordan ever had to hoe to make a Finals.

The 2nd three peat yes but the early 90’s were no joke. Expansion in 94’ really watered down the league along with the 3pt line gimmick to improve offense. I think they moved it in 2ft.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

The 2nd three peat yes but the early 90’s were no joke. Expansion in 94’ really watered down the league along with the 3pt line gimmick to improve offense. I think they moved it in 2ft.

His 91 and 92 ECF titles were his easiest ones. They were far easier than any run during Nash’s 3 WCF trips.

 

[GatorAZ]

His 91 and 92 ECF titles were his easiest ones. They were far easier than any run during Nash’s 3 WCF trips.

I suppose, if you consider getting physically assaulted by the Knicks easy. Regardless the Lakers and Blazers were top-3 in SRS and Chicago dispatched of them.

 

[AzStevenCal]

And Kevin Johnson routinely lit up both of them. Especially Stockton.

Yeah, if only KJ had stayed healthy, or to put it another way, if only he'd never tried to lift Oliver Miller. KJ only played 25,061 regular season minutes, Stockton almost doubled that (47,764 minutes).

 

[Finito]

His 91 and 92 ECF titles were his easiest ones. They were far easier than any run during Nash’s 3 WCF trips.

how old are you?

 

[TRW]

The G.O.A.T. discussions are always interesting. The most dominating player I ever watched play was Wilt, followed closely by Shaq when he was young and in shape. No one could handle those 2.

For my 2 cents it is Wilt. He was a beast and, in my opinion, would dominate today as well.

But, I can also see making the case for Jordan, Lebron, Russell, Magic, Kareem, etc., etc.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

how old are you?

what does that have to do with anything? Look at the SRS I just posted old man

 

[JCSunsfan]

what does that have to do with anything? Look at the SRS I just posted old man

Because The tree point era started 10 years before Shaq was drafted from LSU. Putting Shaq in the pre3 era means you really have no idea what you are talking about.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Absolutely, pre-3pt era the most important component of winning was control of the rim area: Shaq was arguably the most dominant rim force in league history. Kareem and Wilt are the only two bigs that compare. This isn’t rocket science.

This argument might make a LITTLE sense if Shaq actually played in the pre 3pt era.

 

[Finito]

what does that have to do with anything? Look at the SRS I just posted old man

because you honestly talk like you’ve never watched any of the guys your talking about play and what the game was like back then

you talk like your just reading off computer stats.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

Because The tree point era started 10 years before Shaq was drafted from LSU. Putting Shaq in the pre3 era means you really have no idea what you are talking about.

dude, I was literally describing which players would be optimal in certain eras lmao

not what eras they played in jfc

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

This argument might make a LITTLE sense if Shaq actually played in the pre 3pt era.

How are you struggling so much with this hypo? It is not about WHEN players played, but what STYLES are most conducive to success in particular eras.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

because you honestly talk like you’ve never watched any of the guys your talking about play and what the game was like back then

you talk like your just reading off computer stats.

I watched Jordan play, and lose consistently in the playoffs, before he got Scottie, Horace (then Rodman), and Phil. You talk like you’re just reading Skip Bayless’ Twitter feed.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

“what the game was like back then” ?

lol at this romanticized nostalgic faux toughness because the BAD BOYZ committed a hard foul in the playoffs and Dr. J choked Bird once. The 90s era of basketball, which followed the aforementioned “tough” era, was the one Jordan actually had any success in, and it was soft as a baby’s ass. The Knicks “played ugly” because they sucked at offense.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I watched Jordan play, and lose consistently in the playoffs, before he got Scottie, Horace (then Rodman), and Phil. You talk like you’re just reading Skip Bayless’ Twitter feed.

You watched Jordan play pre-Pippen? I didn’t much. I was in grad school on the east coast. I only had time to watch the Suns and was rarely able to do that because all we had was network TV back then.

 

[Finito]

I watched Jordan play, and lose consistently in the playoffs, before he got Scottie, Horace (then Rodman), and Phil. You talk like you’re just reading Skip Bayless’ Twitter feed.

no you didn’t. There’s no way your that old and you say stuff like that.

Jordan played 13 years(no we aren’t going to count the comeback with washington)

out of those 13 years he had two short seasons in 85 he got hurt and only played 18 games and in 94 when he came back he played 17 games

so that’s 11 years really. In those 11 years he won championships in 6 of them lol. 3 of those 11 without Scottie to start. But apparently he’s a loser

He was drafted by a team that won 27 games the year before he got there. It’s called growing and getting better lol. Sorry he didn’t take a 27 win team and win a championship in his next season.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

Your GOAT couldn’t even win a playoff series without another top50 all time player. Lol Jordan.

 

[GatorAZ]

Your GOAT couldn’t even win a playoff series without another top50 all time player. Lol Jordan.

Even though you’re probably trolling Pippen wasn’t their 2nd best player until his third year. By then MJ had won 3 series including making the ECF’s in 89’.

 

[Proximo]

Absolutely, pre-3pt era the most important component of winning was control of the rim area: Shaq was arguably the most dominant rim force in league history. Kareem and Wilt are the only two bigs that compare. This isn’t rocket science.

I agree Shaq was so dominant I find it real hard to believe he could not do exactly what wilt did in his era.

 

[Proximo]

His 91 and 92 ECF titles were his easiest ones. They were far easier than any run during Nash’s 3 WCF trips.

thats BS.

nothing about early 90’s basketball was easy. They would call a flagrant on every possession with today’s refs.

 

[Proximo]

Your GOAT couldn’t even win a playoff series without another top50 all time player. Lol Jordan.

you are just making yourself look stupid with comments like this.

Larry bird said he played like a god in his first playoff series.

 

[Finito]

Your GOAT couldn’t even win a playoff series without another top50 all time player. Lol Jordan.

just curious how old are you?

 

[JCSunsfan]

just curious how old are you?

He said before he is 34. Which makes his watching Jordan pre-pippen kinda of an interesting idea.

I am out of this convo. Opinions are fine, but not this.

 

[Finito]

He said before he is 34. Which makes his watching Jordan pre-pippen kinda of an interesting idea.

I am out of this convo. Opinions are fine, but not this.

i kinda figured it doesn’t really add up.

Yeah opinions are fine but to say you saw something you didn’t is a bit much

 

[Hoop Head]

i kinda figured it doesn’t really add up.

Yeah opinions are fine but to say you saw something you didn’t is a bit much

His story changed a few times when everyone was comparing Amere and Ayton recently. He said he was a season ticket holder from 04-08 but later on the discussion talked about watching Amare on YouTube because he was just a kid in his early years.