Scottie Pippen says he was 'LeBron James before LeBron James'

[Cusefan0307]

I agree with you in the sense that overall he's been the best player on his team, looking at the season as a whole.

But in the 2011 Finals, Wade was absolutely better than him and it wasn't really close.

That was not a good series for Lebron's standards. He disappeared at times and let a 39 year old Jason Kidd hold him down. 24 turnovers in 6 games, and he had 8 points in game 4, in a three point loss when Dallas took control of the series.

 

[Cowtown]

connie hawkins would wipe the floor with Pippen

I'm not sure he'd "wipe the floor," with Pippen, for Pippen was a tremendous player. But he was hardly the first power forward. Hawkins, Baylor, Debusschere, McHale and Malone, and even Zelmo Beatty in his prime, made Pippen just another in a sequence of elite powerful forwards.

 

[cuseattle]

I will go with Malone from your list.

 

[cuseattle]

Who is this Zelmo of which you speak...

 

[alphaorange]

Dude averaged 18/7/5 for the Bulls, come on...

You'd think a guy like Melo that averaged 25.5/6.6/3.1 would more highly regarded...How many guys every had career averages like that?

 

[alphaorange]

Pippen is Alex English w/D

nothing alike

 

[alphaorange]

I'm not sure he'd "wipe the floor," with Pippen, for Pippen was a tremendous player. But he was hardly the first power forward. Hawkins, Baylor, Debusschere, McHale and Malone, and even Zelmo Beatty in his prime, made Pippen just another in a sequence of elite powerful forwards.

Pippen never was a power forward. He was a small forward. Sort of makes your your point a non starter.

 

[Cowtown]

Pippen never was a power forward. He was a small forward. Sort of makes your your point a non starter.

So, Pippen's comment in the OP, that he was who LBJ is, is bogus? Fine, that was pretty much where I was going.

 

[alphaorange]

So, Pippen's comment in the OP, that he was who LBJ is, is bogus? Fine, that was pretty much where I was going.

The list you compared him to is bogus.

 

[Shark58]

nothing alike

sure. AE played little to no D and was never able to build a rep by playing with a player far superior to he

 

[Knicks411]

The 2011 Finals was one of the most bizarre series you will ever see. In the east finals Lebron put on an incredible performance, put up 26/8/7 on a 57% true shooting, while also spending a lot of time hounding Derrick Rose ("MVP" Derrick Rose) into a 44% true shooting. Completely dominant. And then; the finals.

 

[Knicks411]

You'd think a guy like Melo that averaged 25.5/6.6/3.1 would more highly regarded...How many guys every had career averages like that?

Using basketball reference, if you set it at 25 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3 assists, there are 8 guys; Oscar, Wilt, Lebron, Melo, Bob Petit, Karl Malone, Elgin Baylor, and Kevin Durant. Of course, its kind of difficult to compare guys in the middle of their careers to guys who finished their career. (And Melo ranks 7th in points and assists, and 8th in boards, so he is very much at the end of the line). If you take it down to 23/5.5/2.5, you get 17 guys. (including getting MJ on the list)

 

[MCC]

Using basketball reference, if you set it at 25 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3 assists, there are 8 guys; Oscar, Wilt, Lebron, Melo, Bob Petit, Karl Malone, Elgin Baylor, and Kevin Durant. Of course, its kind of difficult to compare guys in the middle of their careers to guys who finished their career. (And Melo ranks 7th in points and assists, and 8th in boards, so he is very much at the end of the line). If you take it down to 23/5.5/2.5, you get 17 guys. (including getting MJ on the list)

Kareem deserves to be on the first list IMO: 24.6 / 11.2 / 3.6... over a 20-year career. Yikes.

 

[alphaorange]

sure. AE played little to no D and was never able to build a rep by playing with a player far superior to he

He played with some great players, but I was speaking stylistically. Nothing alike. Completely different games.

 

[Knicks411]

Kareem deserves to be on the first list IMO: 24.6 / 11.2 / 3.6... over a 20-year career. Yikes.

Yeah, like I said, that is part of the issue with comparing guys who played their whole career to a guy still going. Kareem's first 12 years (that's where Melo is now) were: 28/14/4.4

 

[MCC]

Yeah, like I said, that is part of the issue with comparing guys who played their whole career to a guy still going. Kareem's first 12 years (that's where Melo is now) were: 28/14/4.4

http://reactiongif.org/wp-content/uploads/GIF/2014/08/GIF-incredulous-my-god-oh-my-god-OMG-shocked-Steve-Buscemi-What-GIF.gif

 

[tbonezone]

he was simply a mccoy to MJ's captain kirk. important yes. crucial no.did he save a few missions ? yes. would you spend one minute watching the bones mccoy show ? no. dude really needs to tune up his second fiddle.

 

[RF2044]

Which they won two titles out of three chances.

He went 2-4 in Miami, and was a miracle offensive rebound / three from going 1-4 and losing that series in 6 games.

 

[RF2044]

Using basketball reference, if you set it at 25 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3 assists, there are 8 guys; Oscar, Wilt, Lebron, Melo, Bob Petit, Karl Malone, Elgin Baylor, and Kevin Durant. Of course, its kind of difficult to compare guys in the middle of their careers to guys who finished their career. (And Melo ranks 7th in points and assists, and 8th in boards, so he is very much at the end of the line). If you take it down to 23/5.5/2.5, you get 17 guys. (including getting MJ on the list)

I also think it is important to factor in that comparing eras is difficult. Stats alone do NOT tell the story when evaluating players from the 60s to players today. So these benchmarks don't really tell a compelling story.

 

[retro44]

Too bad they don't drug test before speaking to the media

 

[two3zone]

He went 2-4 in Miami, and was a miracle offensive rebound / three from going 1-4 and losing that series in 6 games.

And we were a miracle shot away from having 2 titles here. Just because it happened doesn't change the end result of the series. They still had to win the last game, they still won that game in overtime (if memory serves me right). I get it, it was kind of a freak play, but that is what's great about sports and they still won 4 games out of the series, no matter how they were won.

 

[RF2044]

And we were a miracle shot away from having 2 titles here. Just because it happened doesn't change the end result of the series. They still had to win the last game, they still won that game in overtime (if memory serves me right). I get it, it was kind of a freak play, but that is what's great about sports and they still won 4 games out of the series, no matter how they were won.

I get that the transitive property doesn't apply in sports, so point taken, but let's not white wash that Lebron is a miracle rebound / three away from being 1-6 in his finals career.

And for the record, the Heat shot the lights out--at home--in game 7, in a game that still went down to the wire. Duncan missed a point blank shot with less than 10 seconds. Kudos to the heat, but the discourse certainly changes on Lebron's era down there if that miracle rebound doesn't happen.

 

[two3zone]

I get that the transitive property doesn't apply in sports, so point taken, but let's not white wash that Lebron is a miracle rebound / three away from being 1-6 in his finals career.

And for the record, the Heat shot the lights out--at home--in game 7, in a game that still went down to the wire. Duncan missed a point blank shot with less than 10 seconds. Kudos to the heat, but the discourse certainly changes on Lebron's era down there if that miracle rebound doesn't happen.

The Spurs shot lights out almost the ENTIRE series, including Danny Green who shot over 60% from three. You can call the Heat lucky to win that series but San Antonio played almost a perfect series and still lost, that alone should show how great Lebron and that Heat team was.

 

[RF2044]

The Spurs shot lights out almost the ENTIRE series, including Danny Green who shot over 60% from three. You can call the Heat lucky to win that series but San Antonio played almost a perfect series and still lost, that alone should show how great Lebron and that Heat team was.

That's one spin. They got anhillated the following year, so how "great" were they?

It sickens me that the Spurs didn't repeat, because they werre the better team. But to the victors go the spoils.

But such is how fickle winning versus losing is. If the Spurs get a hand on a ball, they win in 6 games and Lebron's accomplishments are diminished significantly. They didn't, so it isn't. Oh well.

 

[two3zone]

That's one spin. They got anhillated the following year, so how "great" were they?

It sickens me that the Spurs didn't repeat, because they werre the better team. But to the victors go the spoils.

But such is how fickle winning versus losing is. If the Spurs get a hand on a ball, they win in 6 games and Lebron's accomplishments are diminished significantly. They didn't, so it isn't. Oh well.

It just works both ways man.