Just because a guy didn't play all-star caliber in a particular series doesn't mean he wasn't an all-star in general.
If Harden was still with the Thunder and disappeared again in these Finals that doesn't mean the Thunder weren't playing with 3 all-stars against whoever
Especially considering the scouting done against Shaq even playing at a limited level...you still couldn't single team him.
Everyone in a finals series win plays a part in some way in a team winning, especially when some of the games are close like the ones in this series were. With that said, I guess saying Shaq was "irrelevant" was going a little too far, but he most certainly was not a major factor in the Heat winning. Wade was pretty much the only major factor in the Heat winning the finals that year. The man averaged 34 points per game that series for crying out loud.
And I wasn't saying that Wade didn't play with an all star that series, I'm saying that Shaq himself didn't play like an all star. It takes more than attracting a double team on numerous occasions just for someone to play at an all star level.
Just a reminder: Pau's failure to respond to tbat physicality was the knock on him ('Gasoft') until he came back the next couple seasons and held his own against Howard and then Garnett
Exactly. Had the refs protected Gasol in 2008 like they protected Wade in 2006 he would have shot 15 free throws a night, Garnett would have spent the entire series on the bench in foul trouble, and Gasol would have averaged a 30-12 against Leon Powe and rookie Glen Davis. Instead, 2008 and 2010 were boxing matches that the refs let the players decide.
you're not wrong but I think you're missing the point which is (at least apppears to me to be) that if 2008 had been called like 2006 the outcome would have been different
Oh...well in that case I agree, although I don't necessarily think the result of who would have won the series would have been different (those kinds of calls could have easily went the Celtic's way as well.)
One of the biggest foot in the mouth moments occured when zags, responding to people saying Love wasn't good enough to be a second option on a contender, says "you realize McHale was a second option right?"
He apparently was unaware that McHale was much better than Love.
If you were to take the 1986 Celtics and replace McHale with a prime Kevin Love, I think those Celtics still would have been a very good team. Replacing your most versatile defender with a below average defender would have been tough for them, but the spacing Love/Bird would have provided would have been absurd. Still, I doubt they beat the Twin Towers Rockets with Love.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Professional and College Basketball Forums
8M posts
37.4K members
Since 2002
A forum community dedicated to Competitive Basketball players and enthusiasts. Talk about everything from the NBA to college basketball to even everything but basketball. It's all here!