re: One thing the OKC series has taught us

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but he simply does not have the ability to elevate every other teammate on the floor like Lebron does.

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i think this is shown statistically in the vast difference in their pure point rating (which durant improved on a bit this year)

KD turns the ball over more and i don't think he creates as much as lebron (as a general rule). i believe this is the biggest statistical gap offensively between the 2

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This is showing how Westbrook is the leader of OKC.

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while i agree, even if we get away from intangible issues, OKC now has 1 guy who can create his own shot with martin committing suicide on the court every night. this is a big issue going forward, b/c martin is a FA

2 years ago what killed OKC in the playoffs was when the bench was on the court and harden was the only guy who could score. then in crunch time brooks really hated playing their 3 scorers together. this led to offensive woes

presti is going to have to work some magic

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quote: Shannon Brown Daniel Gibson Drew Gooden Larry Hughes Žydrunas Ilgauskas* LeBron James Damon Jones Dwayne Jones Donyell Marshall Ira Newble Sasha Pavlovic* Scot Pollard Eric Snow Anderson Varejão David Wesley

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The fact you can recognize some good players on that list shows your NBA ignorance.

The East SUCKED back then. The #1 seed basically played teams with borderline losing records until the conference finals.

The year Lebron left, the Cavs lost their coach and 70% of the roster due to trades, free agency, injuries, and retirement. That's why they sucked so bad. It went from the list above to d-leaguers.

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The fact you can recognize some good players on that list shows your NBA ignorance.

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What?

While in Cleveland Hughes never averaged more than 15 points game and averaged under 40% shooting. There are literally hundreds of shooting guards who can get between 12-15 points, 2-3 rebounds/assists on 40% shooting.

BigZ was an all-star in 2005, and then his stats dropped off to a pedestrian 13/7 with under 50% shooting, again not hard for even a competent big man to get.

Varajaeo was little better than a role player on those Cleveland teams, getting a 7/7 with excellent defense. And all of those guys dipped in the playoffs, like everyone on that team did except lebron

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Name me one player who won it all by himself.

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Dirk is the best example I can think of.

Maybe Duncan in 03? Dirk in 2011 is the best example, but he Carlisle coached the playoffs of his life and every supporting player pretty much played the best they possibly could. Jason Terry and JJ barea averaged like 3 contested 3's over players 6 inches taller than them a game

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Only 1 player won it all by himself and it happened at the College level. Melo

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This is the only answer.

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I don't know how many people really watched the bucks-heat series but every single game the heat made their 14-0 run at the end of the third to put the game away it was always lebron and three point shooters. No one, repeat no one, in today's NBA is remotely close to James in terms of making his teammates better

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When Lebron first got to Miami, I thought he was a stronger version of Scotty Pippen to D Wade's weaker version of Jordan. Now I think he is more of a Scotty Pippen Magic Johnson hybrid. It is getting really hard to look at what Lebron brings to the table as a player and think of another player that can match it throughout the history of basketball. Getting to where only a few guys in that argument.