Post by Heynong Man on Jun 4, 2014 22:27:40 GMT -6
This is a combination Round Table with some regulars in the NBA Thread on TMB where the 1st half of questions are Sim League questions and the 2nd half are questions about the NBA.
Participating in this Round Table is 2Poor, Ankly, Kn88 or Juan Wall, and Duc15.
Sim Questions
1. Who is your pick to win each conference? Who is your pick to win the title?
I think we are going to see a rematch of last year's finals. I don't think there's any doubt heel is going to be there. I think Minnesota, Portland, Dallas, and if they rally hard enough, the revamped Clippers, all could unseat me from the Western Crown. Whoever wins the west will win the title.
Leastern Conference
Cavaliers in the East obviously. West is much closer, but I'll throw a vote for the Blazers. I think the Cavs win the whole thing though with that frontcourt.
Minnesota and Cleveland. I think Cleveland wins the title this year.
Much like the actual NBA this league as a dominate team in the East while a handful of contenders in west battle it out for their shot at the title. In the East the Cavs are the favorites in my eyes to advance on to the Finals. In the west the Jazz, Timberwolves, Mavs, and Trailblazers all appear to be gear up for the playoffs. I'm going to stick with the champs though and thing much like the NBA we will be seeing a rematch in the finals with the Jazz repeating as champions.
2. Who has made the best moves in the last sim year and who has made the most head scratching moves?
I'm a really big fan of what ward and dirt have both done. the Frazier deal gave ward imo the best offensive perimeter trio in the league at the time, and the Dawkins deal was a good price on a player whose ceiling is probably around the level of current Bill Walton or 2.0 Andrew Bynum. Why his team isn't much higher in the standings is a total mystery to me, although I never really look at the injured list so maybe Drew has depression or something. As to dirt, what he did yesterday was amazing to watch. I was checking in on my phone every 15 minutes or so, and he assembled a potential juggernaut in like an hour, and I don't think he overpaid for any of the pieces he landed. That SOB has done it again.
As for the head scratchiest moves, while I think the dumptime got really good prices on the pieces he landed yesterday, I really question the timing of it. I don't think the roster he has assembled is one that is going to compete for the title and he may have been better off tanking hard for one more season, drafting high once more and seeing who became available next season.
That's a tough question. We're only on pace to have 3 new playoff teams this year, so things have mostly stayed the same from year 1 to year 2.
Truth be told, I have no idea. Dirt moving Magic to center, risking his handling stat, was pretty head scratching.
Dallas made a really good move getting Kenon from New Orleans. Phoenix got the steal of the creation draft in the 3rd round (Williamson).
Washington trading 1.8 to Dallas (Eaton) for next year's pick is looking like a pretty bad move. That dummy should've asked for Memphis's pick.
Dirt moves at first were confusing but once he finished and completed what he was doing I really like what he has done. The same goes for Soup he has made a few moves that have put him in a very nice position from here into the foreseeable sim future. Both of those teams along with the other top teams in the West will make for a very competitive playoffs for seasons to come. The most head scratching move at this point is Dumps trade for Alvin Adams, giving up so much to for a guy with an expiring deal. I hope for the sake of both the Board and Shout that Adams resigns with the Celtics.
3. Which player in the league would you pick if you could start your franchise with any one player?
I think you would have to be insane to pick anyone other than Bill Walton.
Magic Johnson without a doubt. Dirt got a superstar on the cheap for 4 years.
Walton. 24 years old DPOY putting up 27/14/4. He's even averaging 5 assists per. That's crazy.
Bill Walton would be might choice although Magic Johnson is a very logical choice. Walton is one of, if not the most, complete player in the league. His scoring, rebounding, defense, and passing ability are unmatched at this point in the league. The only concern at this point with Walton is that his contract is expiring this season and the Blazers are very worried about his upcoming FA with the fear he will leave.
4. With just over a season under our belt, How have you felt about getting TMBSL back together?
I'm glad we are back, and I am even more glad that I decided to come back. This is a great league so far with a very good group of GMs and an excellent commish. And while I have quickly learned to have a lot of contempt for Ian, he isn't nearly as loathsome as 2.0 villain RW was. I don't wish real life misfortune on Ian the way I did with RW in my nightly prayers to the red god.
The player pool is definitely different in 3.0 too. I thought I had a really good handle on judging prospects/players by the end of 2.0, but at the moment it's a bit confusing. I wonder if we'll move a little closer to how things were in 2.0 as we progress.
It's been a lot of fun. I caught the tail end of 2.0 and was really getting into it (shout out to CanesFan for helping me out early on), so I was happy to start back up again.
It is great to be back in the Sim world. The break was long overdue and very necessary but the league right now is almost chalked full of active gms. In all my sim time this to be one of the peaks of a fully engaged league. I could be wrong but it feels that way and obviously it has to due with it being brand new but it is making the league very enjoyable. Plus Odin is doing a great job as commish.
5. If you had to bet all your sim money on who the best team in 5 season from now who would you put your money on? Which team in the league is currently in the worst position moving forward as a sim franchise?
Dallas juuuuust edges out the Clippers for me. Soup just straight up doesn't lose people in FA, and the 4 headed monster he is growing of Skywalker, Paxson, Kenan and Eaton is only going to improve as he does Soup-type things and magically lands a god-tier SF and solid bench pieces.
no team at this point really stands out to me as screwed. We all gave tyler a mountain of shit when he pulled the Douglas deal and went full win-now mode like 4 hours after creation draft was done, but he has a very competitive roster, and he will have Bird rights on all of his major pieces when they hit FA. Having said that, the franchise that could be in super-fuckedville after Day 1 of FA this offseason is Boston. the dumptime gave out a mountain of 1st round draft picks, and 4 of his 5 best players are all FAs this offseason. I would be terrified of this offseason if I were the dumptime.
Dallas Mavericks maybe? David Thompson and Larry Kenon is a strong combo of young stars, and the team is already pretty good. They've got that Grizz pick too.
Memphis Grizzlies have got to be the worst at the moment. Comfortably in the lotto, but the Mavs have their pick.
Dallas. If Eaton and Paxson develop, they're gonna be a problem for the next decade. Portland will be right there with them, unless of course Walton decides to team up with Grant Hill in the nation's capital this summer.
I think it's too early to say who's in the worst position moving forward because no one is dealing with too bad a cap situation/overpaying unproductive players yet.
Clippers would be my choice with the Mavericks being a 1b more than a 2. Both teams have created rosters that are set with a steady number very good players that still have opportunities to improve. I'm jealous of the roster that those 2 have created and their outlooks. The worst position would be Druce simply because of not having his 1st rounder while being in the lottery. This is a tough way to start off the league but it is hopefully just a quick rough period as he can move forward with his picks.
NBA Questions
1. Who is the best player to play in the league during the last 15 years?
so MJ only retired 11 years ago, but because none of us like to remember the Wizards years (maybe kn88?), I'm going to exclude him from argument. To me, LeBron is the best player of the past 15 years, with apologies to Kobe, Duncan, and the suddenly furious Buster. LeBron willing that 2007 Cavs team to the Finals is insane. Do you realize Drew Gooden was the 3rd leading scorer on that team? That team had a championship caliber player at one position, and one position only. Add in the dominance he has shown in Miami, especially with the aging shitpile they have around him this season, and I think it's abundantly clear.
LeBron James. Easily.
Lebron. 28/7/7 for his career with four MVPs and playing in his fifth finals in seven years. He's still getting better, which is scary. Duncan, Kobe, Dirk, and Wade round out the top 5.
With just a shout out to Tim Duncan and what he has done his entire career and ending up as the best PF ever, the answer is Lebron James. He is an all-time great that will be one of the best players ever.
2. Who is the best center of all time?
StinkyPinky can suck my dick on this one, because imo it is clearly Bill Russell. I don't care about Wilt's stats. 50 years from now people will probably say Iverson was the most dominant guard of this era, just because he put up such astronomical scoring numbers. I refuse to believe that the most dominating, best center in league history could only only beat Russell in the playoffs once in 11 years of them competing against each other. Russell won 11 titles in 13 years in the NBA, one of them as a player-coach, and he steamrolled Wilt to get most of them. Russell is also hurt by the fact they didn't track blocks while he played. If they had, he would probably have block numbers that would look as ludicrous as Wilt's scoring numbers.
Kareem Abdul Jabbar. 6-time MVP. 6-time champion. Great production. No other center can match that. Also the era he played in is more legitimate than when Russell/Wilt laced them up.
I never saw Wilt and Russell. I'll go with Kareem (never saw him, either) because he played at an elite level longer than anyone else. Six rings, six MVPs, 19 all star games in 20 seasons, 11x all-defense, and he's the all time leading scorer in league history. As far as guys I've seen, I'll go with Hakeem. I only caught the end of his prime/decline, but he gets the nod for being the most dominant two-way big in the strongest big man era (Dream, Ewing, Robinson, Shaq, Zo, Mutombo). As silly as it sounds, I think Shaq underachieved.
Bill Russell, his dominance is just unparalleled. He did it in both titles and his defensive ability. Russell was also playing at a time where he was dominating a shallow league in terms of talent but he was playing and beating another all time great in Wilt Chamberlain. If we want to make the question best Center since I have been watching the NBA I would pick Shaq. His size and athleticism made him one of the most dominating players in the history of the league. In his prime he was unstoppable and the fact he didn't win more MVPs is a shame.
3. Who is the most overrated player currently in the league and why? Who is the most under appreciated player currently in the league?
He's still capable of greatness at times, but Dwyane Wade is now the most overrated player in the league. He is clearly no longer a star, and the national media still treats him like one. Spoelstra has spent all year bending over backwards to keep that team intact with Wade playing every other game, and threw way too much responsibility on LeBron because of it. That team was supposed to be coasting this season, but LeBron had to bring the A game every single night because that team wasn't going to win without him doing so. Mr. Glass, and the lack of day-to-day help he gave, is a big reason why. Add in the fact that he has basically the same game now that he had in 2006, and it's appalling to me Wade is held in the regard he generally is. Search your feelings canes, you know I'm right.
I was going to say Goran Dragic, but he was just named to 3rd team all-NBA so we have to go deeper now. I wish Wilson Chandler could stay healthy, because I think he is a really good and really underappreciated player. He had a down year (probably due to nagging injuries), but last year when he actually played, he was a dynamic force on that bizarro Nuggets squad. He has a versatile inside-outside game on offense, he grabs boards at a pretty decent rate, and is a willing and competent defender. He isn't a hidden superstar or anything, but when healthy, I think he could definitely be a #3 on a championship contender.
Deron Williams was the most overrated player for a while, but I think people have realized that now. Luol Deng is very overrated, he's an offensive trainwreck. He is a dismal perimeter shooter, and nowadays that can be a huge problem. The Bulls improved after giving his minutes to Mike Dunleavy.
I think Chris Bosh is very under appreciated. I've argued before that he is more important to the Heat than Dwyane Wade. Wade seems a bit rejuvenated, so I don't know about that, but I still think Bosh is huge in making that offense tick by stretching the floor. He has a rep as a pussy but he's performed valiantly as an undersized center for the Heat. He's actually very good defensively most of the time.
Up until this year the answer was Blake Griffin, but I'll go with Melo. He hasn't had much team success (advanced past the first round twice in eleven years), he's difficult to build around, and he doesn't defend. On top of that, the "best pure scorer in the league" title is bogus, unless you don't consider efficiency all that important. Oh, and he's up for a $130m extension.
Also, PAUL GEORGE IS NOT A SUPERSTAR DAMMIT. Just thought I'd throw that in there.
Goran Dragic is my pick for most underrated. He should've been an all-star this year. Horford and Conley come to mind, too.
I think Rajon Rando is the most overrated player in the league, even though he has been hurt i'm also talking about the last few years. While he is a very good defender his offensive game is one that doesn't make teams better and he is an extremely selfish player. While that may be confusing with his assist numbers, he is a very selfish passer. He is a guy that isn't passing to people in order to move the ball or for them to then swing it to 1 more guy for an open 3. What he does is skip the necessary middle man to move the defense in order to get the assist and it makes his teammate shoot more difficult shots then needed and something that is avoidable if he weren't so selfish.
The most under appreciated player not only currently but I think is going to be a guy that will get under appreciated historically is Dirk. He is still awesome and great and historically going to be a top 20 player all time and I don't think in general the average fan understands just how awesome Dirk was during his career. I used to hate him when I was younger but now he is one of my favorite players ever.
4. Who are your 3 favorite players of all time? And currently in the NBA?
The all-time and current lists are the same for me.
1. Kevin Durant. I think he is the only player in the world I can not be reasonable or objective about. NBA thread people have seen the awful things I do to that thread when people try to blame KD for anything bad that happens in Thunder games. He was the first star of the first basketball squad that I actually felt like belonged to me. When that team showed up in OKC, it changed errything about the state. The state is known for more than terrorist attacks and tornadoes now, and the world's second greatest player is a huge part of why.
2. Steve Nash. Probably my favorite player to watch ever. He was a magician when he was at his peak. The shooting, the ball-handling, the passing, the defense, he was just a perfect offensive PG. I loved how he involved everyone, and could punish the defense no matter what they decided to do to him. Those 6 seconds or less Suns teams were unbelievable viewing. I'm bummed he's never going to get a ring.
3. Kevin Garnett. As the last remaining member of the KG apologists club, let me say that Miami fans, like Charlie Villanueva, are a cancer to the league. I loved KGs intensity, his shit-talking, his basically perfect defense, and his peerless midrange game. And also his loyalty to Minnesota. He wanted so badly to make it work there, in a really out-of-the-way place where you can barely walk outside without freezing to death for most of basketball season. How much endorsement money did he lose out on by staying in Minnesota before youtube and the internet had pervaded our daily lives? I think KG is awesome.
All Time: 1. Iverson 2. Nash 3. Jordan H.M. Arenas, Nique
Current: 1. Westbrook 2. Lillard 3. Curry H.M. Crawford (If healthy, Kobe and Rose are probably on there)
Iverson, Arenas, and Kobe. Wall, KD, and Rose.
All Time
1. Arvydas Saboins 2. Brandon Roy 3. Clyde Drexler
Current
1. Damian Lillard 2. Anthony Davis 3. Demarcus Cousins
5. At this very moment where would you rank Lebron on the list of all time greats?
He is already the greatest SF of all time. For him to bump Larry like that, I guess that would have to mean he's like borderline top 5. The only ones I know for a fact are still ahead of LeBron are MJ, Russell, Magic and Kareem. That's it.
Just up to this point, I think he's probably around 4th behind Jordan, Kareem, and Magic.
I think he ends up being the 2nd greatest of all time, although the greatest is not out of the question.
He's top 10 for sure, where depends on whom you ask and what criteria they use to judge players. I'll put him at 6 for now behind Jordan, Magic, Kareem, Wilt, and Russell. I think he'll get to 5 or 6 rings and blow past everyone but MJ.
Top 6, not quite sure on the specific number but he is there with Jordan, Magic, Russell, Wilt, and Bird. He will end up passing Bird as the best SF ever and probably already has and I think he ends up being in the Top 3 with Jordan and Magic.
Participating in this Round Table is 2Poor, Ankly, Kn88 or Juan Wall, and Duc15.
Sim Questions
1. Who is your pick to win each conference? Who is your pick to win the title?
I think we are going to see a rematch of last year's finals. I don't think there's any doubt heel is going to be there. I think Minnesota, Portland, Dallas, and if they rally hard enough, the revamped Clippers, all could unseat me from the Western Crown. Whoever wins the west will win the title.
Leastern ConferenceCavaliers in the East obviously. West is much closer, but I'll throw a vote for the Blazers. I think the Cavs win the whole thing though with that frontcourt.
Minnesota and Cleveland. I think Cleveland wins the title this year.
Much like the actual NBA this league as a dominate team in the East while a handful of contenders in west battle it out for their shot at the title. In the East the Cavs are the favorites in my eyes to advance on to the Finals. In the west the Jazz, Timberwolves, Mavs, and Trailblazers all appear to be gear up for the playoffs. I'm going to stick with the champs though and thing much like the NBA we will be seeing a rematch in the finals with the Jazz repeating as champions.
2. Who has made the best moves in the last sim year and who has made the most head scratching moves?
I'm a really big fan of what ward and dirt have both done. the Frazier deal gave ward imo the best offensive perimeter trio in the league at the time, and the Dawkins deal was a good price on a player whose ceiling is probably around the level of current Bill Walton or 2.0 Andrew Bynum. Why his team isn't much higher in the standings is a total mystery to me, although I never really look at the injured list so maybe Drew has depression or something. As to dirt, what he did yesterday was amazing to watch. I was checking in on my phone every 15 minutes or so, and he assembled a potential juggernaut in like an hour, and I don't think he overpaid for any of the pieces he landed. That SOB has done it again.
As for the head scratchiest moves, while I think the dumptime got really good prices on the pieces he landed yesterday, I really question the timing of it. I don't think the roster he has assembled is one that is going to compete for the title and he may have been better off tanking hard for one more season, drafting high once more and seeing who became available next season.
That's a tough question. We're only on pace to have 3 new playoff teams this year, so things have mostly stayed the same from year 1 to year 2.
Truth be told, I have no idea. Dirt moving Magic to center, risking his handling stat, was pretty head scratching.
Dallas made a really good move getting Kenon from New Orleans. Phoenix got the steal of the creation draft in the 3rd round (Williamson).
Washington trading 1.8 to Dallas (Eaton) for next year's pick is looking like a pretty bad move. That dummy should've asked for Memphis's pick.
Dirt moves at first were confusing but once he finished and completed what he was doing I really like what he has done. The same goes for Soup he has made a few moves that have put him in a very nice position from here into the foreseeable sim future. Both of those teams along with the other top teams in the West will make for a very competitive playoffs for seasons to come. The most head scratching move at this point is Dumps trade for Alvin Adams, giving up so much to for a guy with an expiring deal. I hope for the sake of both the Board and Shout that Adams resigns with the Celtics.
3. Which player in the league would you pick if you could start your franchise with any one player?
I think you would have to be insane to pick anyone other than Bill Walton.
Magic Johnson without a doubt. Dirt got a superstar on the cheap for 4 years.
Walton. 24 years old DPOY putting up 27/14/4. He's even averaging 5 assists per. That's crazy.
Bill Walton would be might choice although Magic Johnson is a very logical choice. Walton is one of, if not the most, complete player in the league. His scoring, rebounding, defense, and passing ability are unmatched at this point in the league. The only concern at this point with Walton is that his contract is expiring this season and the Blazers are very worried about his upcoming FA with the fear he will leave.
4. With just over a season under our belt, How have you felt about getting TMBSL back together?
I'm glad we are back, and I am even more glad that I decided to come back. This is a great league so far with a very good group of GMs and an excellent commish. And while I have quickly learned to have a lot of contempt for Ian, he isn't nearly as loathsome as 2.0 villain RW was. I don't wish real life misfortune on Ian the way I did with RW in my nightly prayers to the red god.
The player pool is definitely different in 3.0 too. I thought I had a really good handle on judging prospects/players by the end of 2.0, but at the moment it's a bit confusing. I wonder if we'll move a little closer to how things were in 2.0 as we progress.
It's been a lot of fun. I caught the tail end of 2.0 and was really getting into it (shout out to CanesFan for helping me out early on), so I was happy to start back up again.
It is great to be back in the Sim world. The break was long overdue and very necessary but the league right now is almost chalked full of active gms. In all my sim time this to be one of the peaks of a fully engaged league. I could be wrong but it feels that way and obviously it has to due with it being brand new but it is making the league very enjoyable. Plus Odin is doing a great job as commish.
5. If you had to bet all your sim money on who the best team in 5 season from now who would you put your money on? Which team in the league is currently in the worst position moving forward as a sim franchise?
Dallas juuuuust edges out the Clippers for me. Soup just straight up doesn't lose people in FA, and the 4 headed monster he is growing of Skywalker, Paxson, Kenan and Eaton is only going to improve as he does Soup-type things and magically lands a god-tier SF and solid bench pieces.
no team at this point really stands out to me as screwed. We all gave tyler a mountain of shit when he pulled the Douglas deal and went full win-now mode like 4 hours after creation draft was done, but he has a very competitive roster, and he will have Bird rights on all of his major pieces when they hit FA. Having said that, the franchise that could be in super-fuckedville after Day 1 of FA this offseason is Boston. the dumptime gave out a mountain of 1st round draft picks, and 4 of his 5 best players are all FAs this offseason. I would be terrified of this offseason if I were the dumptime.
Dallas Mavericks maybe? David Thompson and Larry Kenon is a strong combo of young stars, and the team is already pretty good. They've got that Grizz pick too.
Memphis Grizzlies have got to be the worst at the moment. Comfortably in the lotto, but the Mavs have their pick.
Dallas. If Eaton and Paxson develop, they're gonna be a problem for the next decade. Portland will be right there with them, unless of course Walton decides to team up with Grant Hill in the nation's capital this summer.
I think it's too early to say who's in the worst position moving forward because no one is dealing with too bad a cap situation/overpaying unproductive players yet.
Clippers would be my choice with the Mavericks being a 1b more than a 2. Both teams have created rosters that are set with a steady number very good players that still have opportunities to improve. I'm jealous of the roster that those 2 have created and their outlooks. The worst position would be Druce simply because of not having his 1st rounder while being in the lottery. This is a tough way to start off the league but it is hopefully just a quick rough period as he can move forward with his picks.
NBA Questions
1. Who is the best player to play in the league during the last 15 years?
so MJ only retired 11 years ago, but because none of us like to remember the Wizards years (maybe kn88?), I'm going to exclude him from argument. To me, LeBron is the best player of the past 15 years, with apologies to Kobe, Duncan, and the suddenly furious Buster. LeBron willing that 2007 Cavs team to the Finals is insane. Do you realize Drew Gooden was the 3rd leading scorer on that team? That team had a championship caliber player at one position, and one position only. Add in the dominance he has shown in Miami, especially with the aging shitpile they have around him this season, and I think it's abundantly clear.
LeBron James. Easily.
Lebron. 28/7/7 for his career with four MVPs and playing in his fifth finals in seven years. He's still getting better, which is scary. Duncan, Kobe, Dirk, and Wade round out the top 5.
With just a shout out to Tim Duncan and what he has done his entire career and ending up as the best PF ever, the answer is Lebron James. He is an all-time great that will be one of the best players ever.
2. Who is the best center of all time?
StinkyPinky can suck my dick on this one, because imo it is clearly Bill Russell. I don't care about Wilt's stats. 50 years from now people will probably say Iverson was the most dominant guard of this era, just because he put up such astronomical scoring numbers. I refuse to believe that the most dominating, best center in league history could only only beat Russell in the playoffs once in 11 years of them competing against each other. Russell won 11 titles in 13 years in the NBA, one of them as a player-coach, and he steamrolled Wilt to get most of them. Russell is also hurt by the fact they didn't track blocks while he played. If they had, he would probably have block numbers that would look as ludicrous as Wilt's scoring numbers.
Kareem Abdul Jabbar. 6-time MVP. 6-time champion. Great production. No other center can match that. Also the era he played in is more legitimate than when Russell/Wilt laced them up.
I never saw Wilt and Russell. I'll go with Kareem (never saw him, either) because he played at an elite level longer than anyone else. Six rings, six MVPs, 19 all star games in 20 seasons, 11x all-defense, and he's the all time leading scorer in league history. As far as guys I've seen, I'll go with Hakeem. I only caught the end of his prime/decline, but he gets the nod for being the most dominant two-way big in the strongest big man era (Dream, Ewing, Robinson, Shaq, Zo, Mutombo). As silly as it sounds, I think Shaq underachieved.
Bill Russell, his dominance is just unparalleled. He did it in both titles and his defensive ability. Russell was also playing at a time where he was dominating a shallow league in terms of talent but he was playing and beating another all time great in Wilt Chamberlain. If we want to make the question best Center since I have been watching the NBA I would pick Shaq. His size and athleticism made him one of the most dominating players in the history of the league. In his prime he was unstoppable and the fact he didn't win more MVPs is a shame.
3. Who is the most overrated player currently in the league and why? Who is the most under appreciated player currently in the league?
He's still capable of greatness at times, but Dwyane Wade is now the most overrated player in the league. He is clearly no longer a star, and the national media still treats him like one. Spoelstra has spent all year bending over backwards to keep that team intact with Wade playing every other game, and threw way too much responsibility on LeBron because of it. That team was supposed to be coasting this season, but LeBron had to bring the A game every single night because that team wasn't going to win without him doing so. Mr. Glass, and the lack of day-to-day help he gave, is a big reason why. Add in the fact that he has basically the same game now that he had in 2006, and it's appalling to me Wade is held in the regard he generally is. Search your feelings canes, you know I'm right.
I was going to say Goran Dragic, but he was just named to 3rd team all-NBA so we have to go deeper now. I wish Wilson Chandler could stay healthy, because I think he is a really good and really underappreciated player. He had a down year (probably due to nagging injuries), but last year when he actually played, he was a dynamic force on that bizarro Nuggets squad. He has a versatile inside-outside game on offense, he grabs boards at a pretty decent rate, and is a willing and competent defender. He isn't a hidden superstar or anything, but when healthy, I think he could definitely be a #3 on a championship contender.
Deron Williams was the most overrated player for a while, but I think people have realized that now. Luol Deng is very overrated, he's an offensive trainwreck. He is a dismal perimeter shooter, and nowadays that can be a huge problem. The Bulls improved after giving his minutes to Mike Dunleavy.
I think Chris Bosh is very under appreciated. I've argued before that he is more important to the Heat than Dwyane Wade. Wade seems a bit rejuvenated, so I don't know about that, but I still think Bosh is huge in making that offense tick by stretching the floor. He has a rep as a pussy but he's performed valiantly as an undersized center for the Heat. He's actually very good defensively most of the time.
Up until this year the answer was Blake Griffin, but I'll go with Melo. He hasn't had much team success (advanced past the first round twice in eleven years), he's difficult to build around, and he doesn't defend. On top of that, the "best pure scorer in the league" title is bogus, unless you don't consider efficiency all that important. Oh, and he's up for a $130m extension.
Also, PAUL GEORGE IS NOT A SUPERSTAR DAMMIT. Just thought I'd throw that in there.
Goran Dragic is my pick for most underrated. He should've been an all-star this year. Horford and Conley come to mind, too.
I think Rajon Rando is the most overrated player in the league, even though he has been hurt i'm also talking about the last few years. While he is a very good defender his offensive game is one that doesn't make teams better and he is an extremely selfish player. While that may be confusing with his assist numbers, he is a very selfish passer. He is a guy that isn't passing to people in order to move the ball or for them to then swing it to 1 more guy for an open 3. What he does is skip the necessary middle man to move the defense in order to get the assist and it makes his teammate shoot more difficult shots then needed and something that is avoidable if he weren't so selfish.
The most under appreciated player not only currently but I think is going to be a guy that will get under appreciated historically is Dirk. He is still awesome and great and historically going to be a top 20 player all time and I don't think in general the average fan understands just how awesome Dirk was during his career. I used to hate him when I was younger but now he is one of my favorite players ever.
4. Who are your 3 favorite players of all time? And currently in the NBA?
The all-time and current lists are the same for me.
1. Kevin Durant. I think he is the only player in the world I can not be reasonable or objective about. NBA thread people have seen the awful things I do to that thread when people try to blame KD for anything bad that happens in Thunder games. He was the first star of the first basketball squad that I actually felt like belonged to me. When that team showed up in OKC, it changed errything about the state. The state is known for more than terrorist attacks and tornadoes now, and the world's second greatest player is a huge part of why.
2. Steve Nash. Probably my favorite player to watch ever. He was a magician when he was at his peak. The shooting, the ball-handling, the passing, the defense, he was just a perfect offensive PG. I loved how he involved everyone, and could punish the defense no matter what they decided to do to him. Those 6 seconds or less Suns teams were unbelievable viewing. I'm bummed he's never going to get a ring.
3. Kevin Garnett. As the last remaining member of the KG apologists club, let me say that Miami fans, like Charlie Villanueva, are a cancer to the league. I loved KGs intensity, his shit-talking, his basically perfect defense, and his peerless midrange game. And also his loyalty to Minnesota. He wanted so badly to make it work there, in a really out-of-the-way place where you can barely walk outside without freezing to death for most of basketball season. How much endorsement money did he lose out on by staying in Minnesota before youtube and the internet had pervaded our daily lives? I think KG is awesome.
All Time: 1. Iverson 2. Nash 3. Jordan H.M. Arenas, Nique
Current: 1. Westbrook 2. Lillard 3. Curry H.M. Crawford (If healthy, Kobe and Rose are probably on there)
Iverson, Arenas, and Kobe. Wall, KD, and Rose.
All Time
1. Arvydas Saboins 2. Brandon Roy 3. Clyde Drexler
Current
1. Damian Lillard 2. Anthony Davis 3. Demarcus Cousins
5. At this very moment where would you rank Lebron on the list of all time greats?
He is already the greatest SF of all time. For him to bump Larry like that, I guess that would have to mean he's like borderline top 5. The only ones I know for a fact are still ahead of LeBron are MJ, Russell, Magic and Kareem. That's it.
Just up to this point, I think he's probably around 4th behind Jordan, Kareem, and Magic.
I think he ends up being the 2nd greatest of all time, although the greatest is not out of the question.
He's top 10 for sure, where depends on whom you ask and what criteria they use to judge players. I'll put him at 6 for now behind Jordan, Magic, Kareem, Wilt, and Russell. I think he'll get to 5 or 6 rings and blow past everyone but MJ.
Top 6, not quite sure on the specific number but he is there with Jordan, Magic, Russell, Wilt, and Bird. He will end up passing Bird as the best SF ever and probably already has and I think he ends up being in the Top 3 with Jordan and Magic.
