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The NBA is better now than it was in the mid-00s when Detrout was the only East contender for half the decade. And there was the revolving door of Spurs/Lakers/Mavs/Suns in the West, but only two of those teams won a championship:
In the 2000s, 8 different East teams qualified for The Finals. The only teams to win a chip was the Pistons, Heat and Celtics, and they only won one apiece. The Pistons were the only East team to go to The Finals twice...the West produced exactly three championship contenders the entire decade. The Spurs and Lakers played in 9/10 Finals and won 7 of them...
In the 2010s, only three teams from the East have made the Finals, two of them being Lebron James' teams. They've won 3, which is the same the East did a decade ago. The West has had 5 teams play in a Finals this decade. The Heat, Cavs, Spurs, and Warriors have played in 75% (12/16) Finals this decade, winning 5, soon to be 6. That means that at minimum, 6 of the championships this decade came from only four teams. In the 2000s, 7 of the championships came from two teams, the Spurs and Lakers...
While the Warriors are probably the most dominant team ever, it can be argued that there is more parity in The League than there was a decade ago, though maybe still not enough. And personally, I think the basketball is better...
This league has always been a Top 3 or 4 league. No team that isn't a Top 4 seed in conference has a chance, and honestly if you aren't a Top 2 seed, your chances are maybe 10%. We all know this. The NBA has always been disproportionately top heavy. Always. And that's the maddening part that makes it tough to watch, for me. They haven't figured out how to build in parity, and it sucks...
In the NFL, if you make the tournament, you have a chance. You can be a 6-seed and be better than the 3-seed you play and it is certainly within realm the 6-seed can win it all (both the Giants and Steelers have done it in the last decade, and other teams have done it as well). There is far, far more, I mean exponentially more, competitive balance in the NFL. One reason, but a major one, why it's a better sport...
I wasn't around in the 90s but NBA basketball today is better than it was last decade...
Here is another problem I see w/ the apparent overwhelming dominance of Golden State for at least the next two years: teams are now incentivized to go into extreme rebuilding mode. Anyone other than Cleveland and possibly San Antonio has to know that it is highly unlikely that they will contend for the next 2 years.
I was thinking of this as a Bulls fan, and what they might do in the off-season. Even if they were to sign, say, Gordon Hayward (moving Butler back to guard), they would not be in a position to even think about contention until 2019, when both Butler and Hayward would be turning 30.
If I'm the Bulls GM, I have to at least consider a total gut-and-rebuild of the team, and try to be in a position to start climbing around 2019 or 2020. And other than the teams like Milwaukee and Minnesota who are already have amassed a good group of young talent, other NBA teams have to be at least considering the same path.
If so, we're looking at having 2 or 3 great teams, and most of the rest in a gut-and-rebuild program. Not a pretty picture....
I think when the Cavs won game 4 people thought it might go to game 7, which I know I was definitely hoping for. Game 5 was so good for a while then they choked again at the end of it. If it could have made it to game 7 it probably would have been one of the most watched games of all time.
Next season isn't looking good the Cavs have some issues and weaknesses that they really need to address. Their bench sucks, plain and simple.
It's doubtful anyone in the West will stop the Warriors so honestly..I'm putting basketball on the shelf until the 2nd round of next years playoffs.
Can we really blame Kevin Durant for doing what Lebron started in 2011 ?
Lebron keeps complaining about the Warriors having so much firepower but what about the move to Miami ?
I didn't hear Derrick Rose,Carmelo or Paul George saying that it's unfair Lebron,Wade,Bosh and Allen teamed up.
Lebron steamrolled the east for the past 7 years without a real battle in sight.Its not his fault the east is weak but why weaken the competition even more by assembling 3 to 4 Hall of fame players ?
Durant just followed the blueprint.
It's so bad that Vegas already have the Warriors and Cavs as favorites to match up in 2018.Terrible
Well, the Warriors have several key free agents in the offseason: Durant, Curry, Iguodala, Livingston, along with the one-year players like West, McGee, Pachulia, etc. They were well under the cap this year, but Curry will get at least a $20m/year raise over his current salary, and Durant and Iguodala getting a similar salary to what they earn now will put the Warriors at the cap (if not over). Livingston and the bench free agents will get better contracts elsewhere. They will have to rely even more on players signing one-year deals in hope of a ring than they did this past year. In 2-3 years when Green and Thompson are up for new deals again, it gets even dicier.
The Spurs have wiggle room this offseason, and would have even more if they didn't sign Gasol for so much money (he'll be gone in 2018). The Celtics have the #1 pick this year. The T-Wolves, Lakers and Jazz all have talented young cores. The Blazers would be looking better if they hadn't signed so many stupid contracts. The rest of the East, well...much of that comes from management and executive issues. The Knicks, Nets, Bulls, etc have all made some really stupid decisions to be in the place they are now.
[quote=murksiderock;48405285]The NBA is better now than it was in the mid-00s when Detrout was the only East contender for half the decade. And there was the revolving door of Spurs/Lakers/Mavs/Suns in the West, but only two of those teams won a championship:
In the 2000s, 8 different East teams qualified for The Finals. The only teams to win a chip was the Pistons, Heat and Celtics, and they only won one apiece. The Pistons were the only East team to go to The Finals twice...the West produced exactly three championship contenders the entire decade. The Spurs and Lakers played in 9/10 Finals and won 7 of them...
You make strong points but at least in the mid 00's it was a tossup to what team could break out the East.
Miami and Detroit we're the clear favorites but the Nets and Boston had some great All stars on their teams.
Today era is like the Cavs and nobody else.No other team out East is even favored to challenge the Cavs.
Than from 07 - 10 it was like a 4 team battle royal in the East.
Lebron is the only top 5 player in the east so teams built around him have went to the finals 7 straight years. The Warriors have went 3 straight years.
If they meet again next year that's 8 straight for team Lebron and 4 straight for the Warriors.
When is the last time the NBA had the same team playing in so many consecutive finals (8 and 4)?
At least Jordan realized how dominant he was and took a few years off so we could see others play.
I agree completely. I watched less NBA playoffs than ever this year- boring. No need for a 2017-2017 season. Just have Cleveland and the Warriors play a 7 game series in November, and spare us the rest,
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