This topic contains 10 replies, has 6 voices, and was last updated by AvatarAvatar PulseGlazer 10 years, 7 months ago.

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  • Posted on: Tue, 12/01/2015 - 11:39am #62041
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    NBAjunkie81
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    2006 was the last NBA Finals that did Not involve either Kobe or Lebron….. 

    Since then (2007 – 2015) either Kobe or Lebron have particpated in Every NBA Finals…. but Never together…. Lebron recently tweeted that he dropped the ball in 2009 when Dwight Howard’s Orlando Magic knocked off Lebron’s Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals…

    Just to jog some memories…. Boston’s "Big 3" of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen & Kevin Garnette were the 2008 NBA Champions attempting to defend their Title w/o the Injured Kevin Garnette….

    Boston beat Chicago in the Epic 7 game 1st round series that featured 4 OT games w/ Chicago staving off elimination w/ an Insane 3 OT win in game 6…. Orlando had beaten Phila in round One & then knocked off the Defending Champion Celtics (minus Garnette) in round 2 setting up the Dwight Howard vs Lebron James Eastern Conference Finals….

    The Lakers hungry from their defeat in the 2008 Finals rolled through Utah & Houston & then dispacthed Carmelo’s Denver Nuggets in 6 games & awaited the winner of Orlando / Cleveland…..

    Orlando was a much better team than people realize & Lebron was basically alone… put it this way Mo Williams was the Cavs #2 scoring threat & the Cavs #3 scoring option was Lebron’s step dad Delonte West…. so even though Lebron averaged 38.5 ppg, 8.3 rpg & 8.0 apg….

    Sorry about the long post – I really got nostalgic there w/ Kobe, Carmelo, Lebron & Dwight Howard in the Final Four….

     Anyway, who wins a Lakers / Cavs 2009 NBA Finals & how many games does it go???

     

     

     

     

     

     

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  • Posted on: Tue, 12/01/2015 - 12:37pm #1028200
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    circumlocution75
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     …. but it wasn’t meant to be…. It’s so crazy that Melo had Denver in the Western Conference Finals… I completely forgot that once Denver traded Iverson for Billups that team took off….

    As far as the question at hand – I think you already answered it…. Kobe’s Lakers were a Very strong team w/ Two Monsters in the middle w/ Gasol & Bynum….  The 2008 Finals defeat toughened & battle tested that Lakers team b/c Boston just out-physicaled them…. 

    Kobe was absolutely in his Prime during those years – he was as lethal a scorer as ANY player in NBA History…. And w/ Gasol / Bynum in the paint that Lakers team was SOOOO good….

    I have to say Lakers in 5  – No disrespect to Lebron but he left Cleveland b/c they just were not strong enough   –   And they would have had No chance to beat that Lakers team if both were 100% healthy……

     

     

     

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  • Posted on: Tue, 12/01/2015 - 12:37pm #1028335
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    circumlocution75
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     …. but it wasn’t meant to be…. It’s so crazy that Melo had Denver in the Western Conference Finals… I completely forgot that once Denver traded Iverson for Billups that team took off….

    As far as the question at hand – I think you already answered it…. Kobe’s Lakers were a Very strong team w/ Two Monsters in the middle w/ Gasol & Bynum….  The 2008 Finals defeat toughened & battle tested that Lakers team b/c Boston just out-physicaled them…. 

    Kobe was absolutely in his Prime during those years – he was as lethal a scorer as ANY player in NBA History…. And w/ Gasol / Bynum in the paint that Lakers team was SOOOO good….

    I have to say Lakers in 5  – No disrespect to Lebron but he left Cleveland b/c they just were not strong enough   –   And they would have had No chance to beat that Lakers team if both were 100% healthy……

     

     

     

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  • Posted on: Tue, 12/01/2015 - 1:18pm #1028212
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    alex23
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     As great as LeBron carried that team, it didn’t have nearly the depth or talent that Kobe’s Lakers had.

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  • Posted on: Tue, 12/01/2015 - 1:18pm #1028347
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    alex23
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     As great as LeBron carried that team, it didn’t have nearly the depth or talent that Kobe’s Lakers had.

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  • Posted on: Wed, 12/02/2015 - 9:51am #1028388
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    Dazzling Dunks and Basketball Bloopers
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     It’s kind of amazing that Cleveland won 66 games that year when you look at their overall roster. They had a bunch of excellent role players on that team but no real star power outside of lebron. I was never a huge fan of mike brown but it would be hard to say he underachieved with those Cleveland teams.

     Still, their lack of scoring punch always seemed to show up in the playoffs and it would  basically always just turn into "lebron do everything" It would be hard to see them being able to hang with that Lakers squad for more than six games.

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  • Posted on: Wed, 12/02/2015 - 9:51am #1028523
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    Dazzling Dunks and Basketball Bloopers
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     It’s kind of amazing that Cleveland won 66 games that year when you look at their overall roster. They had a bunch of excellent role players on that team but no real star power outside of lebron. I was never a huge fan of mike brown but it would be hard to say he underachieved with those Cleveland teams.

     Still, their lack of scoring punch always seemed to show up in the playoffs and it would  basically always just turn into "lebron do everything" It would be hard to see them being able to hang with that Lakers squad for more than six games.

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  • Posted on: Wed, 12/02/2015 - 12:24pm #1028408
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    BeastMode716
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     That is classic! I totally forgot about that guy…. That was a deep Lakers team w/ a HUGE front court so Cleveland would have almost no chance bu I still wish we could have seen it play out…. Lakers in 4 – would have been just like the 2007 Spurs / Cavs Finals….. 

    Man when people remind me of who Lebron had as teammates on those Cleveland rosters it’s no wonder he left for Miami…. I’ve been thinking how nice a pick up Mo Williams was for Cleveland b/c he is much better back up PG…. & on the 2009 Cavs team Mo was the 2nd leading scorer… That is a Crazy lack of Talent & really speaks to just how Amazing Lebron really was & is….

     

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  • Posted on: Wed, 12/02/2015 - 12:24pm #1028543
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    BeastMode716
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     That is classic! I totally forgot about that guy…. That was a deep Lakers team w/ a HUGE front court so Cleveland would have almost no chance bu I still wish we could have seen it play out…. Lakers in 4 – would have been just like the 2007 Spurs / Cavs Finals….. 

    Man when people remind me of who Lebron had as teammates on those Cleveland rosters it’s no wonder he left for Miami…. I’ve been thinking how nice a pick up Mo Williams was for Cleveland b/c he is much better back up PG…. & on the 2009 Cavs team Mo was the 2nd leading scorer… That is a Crazy lack of Talent & really speaks to just how Amazing Lebron really was & is….

     

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  • Posted on: Wed, 12/02/2015 - 3:00pm #1028442
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    PulseGlazer
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     We would have gotten Kobe vs Lebron, a match up Lebron would have likely won, but the lack of answers on Cle for Pau, Bynum and Odom, plus Meta making Lebron work… Lakers would have crushed.

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  • Posted on: Wed, 12/02/2015 - 3:00pm #1028577
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    PulseGlazer
    Participant

     We would have gotten Kobe vs Lebron, a match up Lebron would have likely won, but the lack of answers on Cle for Pau, Bynum and Odom, plus Meta making Lebron work… Lakers would have crushed.

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