Offical 2009-10 NBA Season Thread

[CP1708]

Damn it KLJ, you say Posey sucks all year but everytime he plays us he tears us a new one. 

Relax Allen, I didn't mean to talk bad about your team, I'm sorry.  Cavs rule. 
(and when they don't win yet again this year, and the clown streak continues, and they have 3rd scorers, and 2nd scorers, and the best player in the world in Varejao, and a bunch of centers, and the deepest bench and Mo star, and the great trade, and whatever else they been annointed, what will your excuse be then?)  But the clown streak won't count right? 

  I wanted to see the Nets get the record.  They worked so hard for it. 

I was stunned that's only Dirk's second triple double. 

  I thought he woulda had more then that. 

 

[bhzmafia14]

Keep on losing Denver. Improve that pick for us

 

[moiety]

 at that D-Will crossover.. but did that score really say 44-30 at the end of the FIRST?

 

[hazat50]

LeBron closing in on Jordan
PER Diem: March 30, 2010

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Hollinger By John Hollinger
ESPN.com
Archive

LeBron JamesNoah Graham/Getty ImagesWhen it comes to regular-season dominance since 1973-74, only Michael Jordan can top King James.

Normally at this time of year, we would be writing breathless articles about the MVP race, rallying our support behind one candidate or another and sifting through torrents of angry e-mails supporting that player's rivals.

Not this year.

The MVP race has been over since about mid-January. LeBron James has run so far away from the pack that he could shoot 0-for-100 from the field over his final eight games and still win the award going away. (For fun, I fact-checked this: Even with 100 straight misses, no assists and no rebounds in his next 200 minutes, he'd still lead the league in PER.)

Only two items of interest remain. First, will some sycophant homer screw up what should be a unanimous decision with a completely indefensible vote for his local guy? And second, is this the best individual season a player has ever had?

As you might suspect, today's topic deals with the second of those questions. Some of this may sound familiar, as this time a year ago I mentioned that James was en route to one of the best statistical seasons in history.

Here's the thing: This season, he's been better.

Once again, a hallowed record (at least in my world) is in play for James as we enter the final eight games: He could surpass Michael Jordan's 1987-88 campaign for the greatest single-season PER in the modern era. I have to add the "modern" qualifier because the league didn't keep track of things like blocks and individual turnovers before 1973-74, rendering the PER exercise a guessing game for players from previous eras.

James' current PER of 31.81 is second best in "modern" history, and with eight games left (of which he'll probably play only five or six), he retains an outside shot at breaking Jordan's all-time mark of 31.89. At the very least, he's going to be within hailing distance.

Top All-time PER Seasons
Player Year PPG RPG APG MPG PER
Michael Jordan 1987-88 35.0 5.5 5.9 40.4 31.89
LeBron James 2009-10 29.8 7.2 8.6 39.0 31.81
Michael Jordan 1990-91 31.5 6.0 5.5 37.0 31.79
LeBron James 2008-09 28.4 7.6 7.2 38.6 31.76
Michael Jordan 1989-90 33.6 6.9 6.3 39.0 31.31
Michael Jordan 1988-89 32.5 8.0 8.0 40.2 31.29

Regardless, James will almost certainly set another record: The best two-year PER stretch of any player in history. James was no slouch last season, finishing at 31.76 for the third-best PER ever (well, until he bumped it down to fourth this season); combined, that gives him a two-year average of 31.78. The best Jordan mustered was 31.55.

Obviously, the larger James versus Jordan argument won't be much of a debate until LeBron picks up some hardware in the postseason. Nonetheless, I can't emphasize enough what an extraordinary accomplishment James' past two seasons represent. We've flinched at comparing current players to Jordan after several previous "next Jordans" were found wanting. But that has put up a mental barrier to a declaration that the numbers see as obvious: In terms of regular-season performance, we're watching the next Jordan.

I'd argue that we can extend that comparison further. When Jordan was at the same stage of his career as LeBron, the press treated him almost exactly the same. Like James, he was a wondrous regular-season performer who had never won anything important and thus couldn't be compared with the likes of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

Looking back, that whole notion seems laughable, if not downright quaint … yet we're falling in the exact same trap. Jordan, remember, didn't win a title until his seventh season. As luck would have it, James is in his seventh season, and his odds of winning a crown have never looked better. With the Lakers faltering down the stretch and the Celtics succumbing to age, only James' nemesis from a year ago -- Orlando -- would rate as an even-money proposition to stop him from winning the trophy.

That part of the James-Jordan comparison won't be settled for another two months, his regular-season one in a little more than two weeks.

James leads the league in scoring, at least for the moment (Kevin Durant is only 0.2 behind, and if James rests the final couple of games, Durant will have a number to shoot for, David Robinson-style, in the season finale). But LeBron is not just scoring. He's getting his 29.8 points per game with incredibly high-percentage shots. James' true shooting percentage of 60.4 ranks in the league's top 25, and most of the players ahead of him are snipers with much smaller offensive roles.

Yet for me, his passing is the most amazing part. In fact, for a wing player, it's eye-popping: James has cracked the league's top 15 in pure point rating even though he plays small forward. (Except for James and San Antonio's Manu Ginobili, every player in the top 40 plays the point).

Or try this one on for size: No forward in league history has ever averaged more than eight assists per game until this season; Larry Bird's 7.6 assists per game in 1986-87 came the closest. James is averaging 8.6, even though he's playing in one of the slow-paced eras in league annals and averages a relatively modest 39.0 minutes per game. Put him at Bird's pace in 1986-87, and he'd be averaging a whopping 9.3.

The same applies to most of James' numbers. On a per possession basis, his triple-crown stats of 29.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 8.6 assists crush Oscar Robertson's triple-double season in 1961-62 … or Jordan's 32.5-8.0-8.0 season in 1988-89 … or just about any statistical season in history.

All except one, that is. James' output still trails Jordan's peak campaign in 1987-88 by a whisker. He has a chance to glide past him in the final two weeks but, with Cleveland throttling down to coast into the postseason, probably won't.

Nonetheless, it's a season for the ages -- and his second of the like in a row. We've held off on comparing James to Jordan for some good reasons, especially since he hasn't won a title yet. But at this point, there's nobody else left to whom we can compare him.

 

[al3xis]

and whatever else they been annointed, what will your excuse be then?
did I anoint them anything? Don't group me with the idiots who run around in here.

Think I want to see the Cavs win this year?


It just amazes me that you can judge how the Cavs approach games through your TV screen. Seriously what do you base this on? I'm really interested to know.

When Michael Jordan went and gambled into the morning in Atlantic City before a playoff game, that was okay? That was focus?

It's all irrelevant. Winning and losing matters and what goes on when they're not on the court does not factor into it. You win and people dismiss it, you lose and it's suddenly a hindrance. Ie..you'll tell me what Jordan did didn't matter because he won, you'll tell me that Cedric Maxwell and bill walton could booze and smoke weed, but it didn't matter, cause they won. Or is dancing and handshakes that much more detrimental to a team?

 

[CP1708]

Certainly if they do the kid and play before games for 4 hours it doesn't change what they do on the court.  I'm not saying it does. 

My whole point was very simple, you can't change it/keep doing it when adversity strikes. 

Look at those lovable Queens.  Everyone loved their free flowing loosey goosey style and once the pressure really built up, they wilted like no other.  The Cavs did the exact same last year. 
You can go out and behind the back pass and dance and jump up and down like a monkey in January and nobody cares, win or lose that game. 

But come late May or June, and it's the 4th quarter in a 2-2 series, and you're down a bucket or two, that behind the back pass don't work now does it?  And jumping up and giving 75 handshakes isn't a good look now is it?  And if you take that away, and your team's whole style/image/mentality is based on how free and easy you all play, the noose gets even tighter, does it not?  See what I'm gettin at?  Athletes are routine based, break that routine, and they have a problem. 

You can't dance for 6 months, then turn that switch off and be all business on the court.  MJ could go gamble at all hours of the day and night, but that wasn't 12 men deep.  The whole team wasn't at the casino with him.  And MJ was a killer anyways.  He don't count. 

And agreed on how everything is percieved.  I'm well aware of that.  But if the past 30 years tell me no knucklehead clowns win, then I'm gonna stick with those 30 years.  Just like I did last year and who was right then?  Those who said the Cavs were a bunch of clowns.  Reason being means nothing to me.  They didn't win, period.  Pick a reason, I don't care.  Until a team full of jokesters go out there and win, I'll continue to stand by my clowns don't win stance.  That simple. 

Cavs are the Oregon Ducks to me.  A bunch of lame gimmicks, snuggies and 83 uni combo's, and desperate fan bases starving for attention, thinkin they matter, 80's retro nights, dumb slogans, all of it, they're both the same.  Add all of it up, and then tell me how many trophies they got stored in their joints.  Zero.  0regon.  0hio.  0.  Same/same. 

 

(Boy this is going to go over well) 

 

[jpzx]

Originally Posted by CP1708

Cavs are the Oregon Ducks to me.  A bunch of lame gimmicks, snuggies and 83 uni combo's, and desperate fan bases starving for attention, thinkin they matter, 80's retro nights, dumb slogans, all of it, they're both the same.  Add all of it up, and then tell me how many trophies they got stored in their joints.  Zero.  0regon.  0hio.  0.  Same/same. 

You just insulted Chester in the most effective way possible

 

[banks2pierce]

Originally Posted by CP1708

Cavs are the Oregon Ducks to me.  A bunch of lame gimmicks, snuggies and 83 uni combo's, and desperate fan bases starving for attention, thinkin they matter, 80's retro nights, dumb slogans, all of it, they're both the same.  Add all of it up, and then tell me how many trophies they got stored in their joints.  Zero.  0regon.  0hio.  0.  Same/same. 

 

[proshares]

CP you're talking 30 years no jokers have one just in basketball right?

 

[CP1708]

Me?  Naw.  Completely random. 

Coincedence. 

Not my intent.

Make fun of Chester? 

Naw.

Not me. 

Innocent. 

 

[CP1708]

^
Yessir.  I know the Red Sox and other clowns in other sports in what not.  But in Basketball, it's been teams full of mostly vets, elite coaches, best players, combo's etc etc. 

Lakers
Celtics
Spurs
Heat
Pistons
Lakers
Bulls
Rockets
Pistons
Lakers
Celtics
76ers
etc etc etc all the way back to 79 and beyond......

 

[banks2pierce]

Originally Posted by CP1708

^
Yessir.  I know the Red Sox and other clowns in other sports in what not.  But in Basketball, it's been teams full of mostly vets, elite coaches, best players, combo's etc etc. 

Makes some sense. You'd almost rather your team hate each other and be mostly serious if you want a championship. I'm guilty of thinking the Lakers were done last year because Kobe and Pau didn't really get along, but that worked out. Also pretty sure Jordan and his teammates weren't always on the same page when it comes to the locker room. And the Celtics had a fractured locker room last year between vets/young guys and I thought they maxed out their talent by taking the Magic to 7 even without KG.

 

[chester the cheetah]

Well, it looks like I'll be getting banned once I get home tonight.

 

[Animal Thug]

Got damn pathetic S&T NTers. Never cease to amaze me..

 

[CP1708]

Originally Posted by Animal Thug1539


Got damn pathetic S&T NTers. Never cease to amaze me..

Ironic you would say something like that. 
  

 

[ex carrabba fan]

Originally Posted by Animal Thug1539


Got damn pathetic S&T NTers. Never cease to amaze me..

take a look in the mirror

 

[Animal Thug]

Originally Posted by CP1708

Originally Posted by Animal Thug1539


Got damn pathetic S&T NTers. Never cease to amaze me..

Ironic you would say something like that. 
  

  

 

[CP1708]

I can post cool pics too champ. 

 

[mytoasterspeak]

Yall cats in here are really mad cause the Cavs have fun? Man come on, and oh they lost to the Magic cause of it right. It didn't matter that the Magic presented matchup problems, nor did it matter that the Magic shot threes like they were layups, even with a hand in their face, oh, and it didn't matter that Mo felt a bit overwhelmed playing in games that big, because he never had. Clowns don't win Ships?

. People on here just come up with anything. Telling everybody in S&T right now, yall better PRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY we don't win, cause if we do, you think the Cavs are clowns, \Joker Voice\ "Wait til they get a load of me" \Joker Voice\ And it's gonna last allllllllllll summer

 

[duba169]

ok champ

 

[CP1708]

Ya'll gotta quit worryin about what jokes I tell or what I make fun of.   Read the main point, and then try to dispute that. 

CP1708 wrote:
You can go out and behind the back pass and dance and jump up and down like a monkey in January and nobody cares, win or lose that game. 

But come late May or June, and it's the 4th quarter in a 2-2 series, and you're down a bucket or two, that behind the back pass don't work now does it?  And jumping up and giving 75 handshakes isn't a good look now is it?  And if you take that away, and your team's whole style/image/mentality is based on how free and easy you all play, the noose gets even tighter, does it not?  See what I'm gettin at?  Athletes are routine based, break that routine, and they have a problem. 

You guys focus on the jokes we make about the Cavs but lose sight of what's actually being said.  Quit takin stuff so damn serious.  Buncha Marsha Marsha Marsha's.  

  

 

[billy hoyle]

Originally Posted by CP1708


I can post cool pics too champ. 

where can i find the cavs wheaties box? im really interested...

 

[i nasmatic i]

 

[bigmike23]

Enough with the same crap

 

[westcoastsfinest]

Originally Posted by Animal Thug1539

Originally Posted by CP1708

Originally Posted by Animal Thug1539


Got damn pathetic S&T NTers. Never cease to amaze me..

Ironic you would say something like that. 
  

  

and that year resulted in....

something you cleveland fans dont know much about and im talking about the whole city of cleveland

i cant for Lebron to leave so you cavs fans can go back to irrelevant