Zlinedavid

There are legends being born and legacies being cemented before our eyes this year. Curry and Kawhi moving further away from superstar and more towards legend. The rise of the Greek Freak. And Lillard knocking on the door, showing that he should be in the conversation about the best of this era too.

While this might sound like hyperbole, keep in mind, Jordan averaged 37 a game in 1986-87 (and yes, it was 82 games). 45 isn't as much of a stretch as you might think.

I think DeAndre Jordan would have done just as well in earlier eras. A guy to bring forward (aside from the obvious Jordan)? Bird. He could sink an off balance three with one guy in his face and another punching him in the junk. Leave him alone and don't touch him? Almost not fair.

I didn't say good, I said not terrible...lol

Vogel coaching LeBron AND Lance.

I think guys like Nash and Kidd would have adapted. They were athletic enough to handle the tempo today, and weren't horrible shooters. What I wonder is how guys like Iverson would have done. Athletic as all hell, but his game was based on getting past his man and driving, which goes against the trends of today. Jump shooting wasn't his forte.

Stockton was a better defender, because he had to be. That Era of the game demanded it. Today, that level of D isn't being asked of players. It doesn't hurt, but it's not as high up on the list of priorities. It's not whether one is better than the other. It's not about if its the way it "should be". It just is.

You could be the most brilliant tactician in the world, but you're going nowhere if your troops aren't behind you. And you're likely going to get beat by some good but not great tacticians who has a group solidly behind him. Some groups need a kick in the ass, some need a pat on the back. Good leaders can and know when to apply both.

At one point in the evolution of football, I'm sure people uttered the phrase "Yeah, he can run the ball, but where can you put him on defense?" Point is not to diminish defense, but to say that greatness always has the element of time brought into it. Games and they way they are played evolve.

Best I can come up with is he has the shooting ability of Bird with the quickness of Iverson.

He's also unique in the sense that there's nobody to really compare him to stylistically. Jordan-Kobe, Magic-LeBron, etc. There have been dead-eye shooters, there have been lightning quick point guards, but being off the charts at both hasn't (IMO) happened.

I don't use this word lightly, but Curry's 2nd half was Jordanesque.

Depends on who your Batman is.

Bucknugget sounds like a Shakespearean insult. "Thou art a daft bucknugget!"

LeBatard himself grates on me, but the show isn't without its hilarious moments:

Text message received by Draymond Green from his mother: "Just go out there and play the game. Shut up." Draymond Green's mom is ok in my book.

I think a realistic possibility is going back to the best of 5 opening round. It's not very often that 1st round series go the full 7 (this year, one went 6 and one went 7). In terms of revenue, there's only 3 total games that could have aired on TV. Cuts down on travel, cuts down on the cushion needed when scheduling the 2nd round, and allows the 2nd round to start that much earlier. Edit: And by "realistic", I mean worth discussing, not that anyone is actively talking about it.

Bucks are making Bahston look less than good. And is it me, or is this team Harry Carey's nightmare? Antetomounmpo. Ilyasova. Mirotic. Connaughton. There aren't that many consonants in a can of alphabet soup.

And a very dumb firing by Atlanta.

And just overall approach and attitude. Nothing flashy, nothing superfluous. Giannis has a little more natural sizzle than Duncan, but part of that is just personality. He could play as a hell of a lot bigger showboat than he does. Only thing missing is Pop's occasional sarcastic but valid barbs at the media...lol.

Budenholzer spent nearly 2 decades under Popovich. It shows. In more than one way.

Haha...no, totally made up, but I have a feeling he wouldn't disagree. He'd have Curry's shooting numbers.

"Guys can barely touch me and I'll see a zone half the time? Sign me the hell up." - Reggie Miller

Just because I haven't heard his name mentioned all that much this postseason, but all due credit to Budenholzer. Yeah, he's got a well stocked toolbox to work with, but he's pushing most of the right buttons both tactically and personnel-wise.