Around the League: Week 19 (2/21 to 2/27)

[Indy]

6 MVP’s, but 4 won before the merger. Again it may not be fair, but it feels like the league was watered down. It feels like Julius Irving was probably the only one who could compete with Kareem as best player on the planet, at the time, and he was playing in a different league.

To me it’s this, if you split his career into 2:

Before Magic(10 years):
5 MVP’s, 1 Title, 1 FMVP, 6 1st Team All-NBA

With Magic(10 years):
1 MVP, 5 Titles, 1 FMVP, 4 1st Team All-NBA

Stats before Magic:
28.6 pts, 14.8 reb, 4.5 ast, 3.5 blk, 1.3 stl .583 TS .266 WS/48 8.3 BPM

Stats with Magic:
20.6 pts, 7.6 reb, 2.8 ast, 2.0 blk, .7 stl, .606 TS .182 WS/48
4.0 BPM

It’s just hard for me to not think he hugely benefited by being Scottie Pippen the last half of his career. If Magic never comes, Kareem might’ve finished with 1 title.

So to me, best years pre merger in a watered down league combined with winning almost all his titles as the 2nd best player on his team keeps him out of the top tier.

For the record, I do have him 3rd, but I think he’s closer to Magic/Bird than to Jordan/LeBron.

I thought only 4 teams came into the league with merger. And zero NBA teams folded at that time, right? Not sure how that makes it watered down.

[Split T]

NBA talent was playing in the ABA

[The Bobster]

The ABA started the 1975-76 season with 9 teams which is around 100 players.

That final season included 12 players who would go on to be NBA All-stars - Don Buse, Julius Erving, George Gervin, Artis Gilmore, Dan Issel, Bobby Jones, Larry Kenon, Billy Knight, Maurice Lucas, Moses Malone, Dan Roundfield and David Thompson

Beginning in 1971 the ABA really closed the talent gap with the NBA when they started signing players like Erving, Gilmore and George McGinnis. The two leagues had planned to merge in 1970, but the NBA players blocked it with an antitrust suit. By the end the NBA just wanted to get their hands on players like Erving, Thompson and Gilmore. As it turned out the influx of talent really improved the quality of play. 10 of the 26 1977 All-Stars had played in the ABA and 10 of the 24 NBA All-Stars had.

[bajanguy008]

[bajanguy008]

I had to laugh

[LazarusLong]

The ABA started the 1975-76 season with 9 teams which is around 100 players.

That final season included 12 players who would go on to be NBA All-stars - Don Buse, Julius Erving, George Gervin, Artis Gilmore, Dan Issel, Bobby Jones, Larry Kenon, Billy Knight, Maurice Lucas, Moses Malone, Dan Roundfield and David Thompson

Beginning in 1971 the ABA really closed the talent gap with the NBA when they started signing players like Erving, Gilmore and George McGinnis. The two leagues had planned to merge in 1970, but the NBA players blocked it with an antitrust suit. By the end the NBA just wanted to get their hands on players like Erving, Thompson and Gilmore. As it turned out the influx of talent really improved the quality of play. 10 of the 26 1977 All-Stars had played in the ABA and 10 of the 24 NBA All-Stars had.

Rick Barry made quite a stir when he jumped from the Warriors to the Oakland Oaks in '68-69 (technically a year earlier, but legal wrangling kept him out a season). Zelmo Beaty, a stalwart with the Hawks, jumped to the Utah Stars in '70-71.

[Shabazz]

The East playoffs are going to be nuts. Not a lot of separation between the top 8 teams.

[Indy]

The East playoffs are going to be nuts. Not a lot of separation between the top 8 teams.

Yeah, more games separate us from the Warriors, than #1 to #7 in the East. First round seeding is going to be really fun.

[Shabazz]

The East playoffs are going to be nuts. Not a lot of separation between the top 8 teams.

Yeah, more games separate us from the Warriors, than #1 to #7 in the East. First round seeding is going to be really fun.

And that doesn't even include the Nets!

I think any team in that top 8 could win the East, with the exception of the Raptors and Cavs. I'm happy they're going to beat the crap out of each other before the finals.

[Split T]

And the hawks are 9th and went to the conference finals last year

[Flagrant Fowl]

I just know the Suns will have to play at least one LA team in the playoffs.

[Split T]

I think we’d beat both, but I’d rather not play the LA teams in round 1…here’s to the Clippers getting the 7 seed and the Wolves getting the 8 seed. Especially with CP3 maybe not being available or just coming back, let’s give him an easier 1st rd matchup…of course Minny has Pat Bev…Maybe like the Kings can sneak in haha

[Mori Chu]

I think we’d beat both, but I’d rather not play the LA teams in round 1…here’s to the Clippers getting the 7 seed and the Wolves getting the 8 seed. Especially with CP3 maybe not being available or just coming back, let’s give him an easier 1st rd matchup…of course Minny has Pat Bev…Maybe like the Kings can sneak in haha

Yeah I think the perfect luck for us would be the Warriors getting stuck playing the Clips in round 1 and someone frisky like the Nugs (with Murray) in round 2. Then we beat up on say the Wolves in round 1 and the Jazz or Mavs (both teams I am 0% scared of) in round 2.

[bajanguy008]

RJ Barrett has 30 at HT against the Heat ?!?

[LazarusLong]

RJ Barrett has 30 at HT against the Heat ?!?

He'll get 60, and the Knicks will still lose by 10 ...

[LazarusLong]

Heat won by 15. Knicks have no bench ...

[ShelC]

[The Bobster]

Satoransky was a pretty decent player before this season. Maybe going back to a place where he had some success (Washington) will straighten him out some.

[Vladimir_Taltos]

The 76ers should be in the top 3 for winning the East...and a couple more games like last night, they move to #1...they're DANGEROUS with Harden...

[bajanguy008]