Reid: The start of the LeBron era?

Now is not the time for Twitter-driven debates about LeBron James 's eventual legacy compared to that of Michael Jordan.

[Go Blue]

Imagine if they win the title, then next year, how many free agents will be willing to play for less, just to get their ring with D-Wade and Lebron........

[MarkL5]

The number of good free-agents, willing to play for less for the bigger picture of winning championships, will be great for the next several years. As long as Wade, Bosh and James are together in Miami, they will be favorites to win the championship.

Six titles is totally possible.

[Sam]

MarkL5 wrote:

The number of good free-agents, willing to play for less for the bigger picture of winning championships, will be great for the next several years. As long as Wade, Bosh and James are together in Miami, they will be favorites to win the championship.
Six titles is totally possible.

put down the flask and pipe.

[Go Blue]

...totally?????...Ahhhh to be young again...lol...

[Ginobili]

LJ is way better than MJ ever was.

[Go Blue]

you're not worth it.....totally...lol...

[MarkL5]

Sam wrote:

<quoted text>put down the flask and pipe.

I'm totally sober.

People are still in denial about how good this trio is. And they are getting BETTER! They lost the season series to Boston and Chicago and went 8 and 2 against them in the Playoffs. Now, against a team they did not beat in the regular season as well, they seek to go 2 up in the Finals.

James said before the playoffs started that the basic difference between the Heat and Celtics was the championship experience they had together as teammates. Well, that is something that the Heat may have after this season.

There are other guys who could make the Heat a better franchise next year and for years to come, and the rest of the league knows this. If other franchises cannot pull off the same kind of free-agent aquisions, the Miami Heat are the next great NBA dynasty.

[Heat fan in Miami]

I am like totally sure the Heat are gonna win tonight

Heat in 4, bitches

Peace

[Water Boy]

MarkL5 wrote:

<quoted text>
I'm totally sober.
People are still in denial about how good this trio is. And they are getting BETTER! They lost the season series to Boston and Chicago and went 8 and 2 against them in the Playoffs. Now, against a team they did not beat in the regular season as well, they seek to go 2 up in the Finals.
James said before the playoffs started that the basic difference between the Heat and Celtics was the championship experience they had together as teammates. Well, that is something that the Heat may have after this season.
There are other guys who could make the Heat a better franchise next year and for years to come, and the rest of the league knows this. If other franchises cannot pull off the same kind of free-agent aquisions, the Miami Heat are the next great NBA dynasty.

Possible but, Dynasty talk is a little premature there bud.

Hard for me to imagine the larger market teams staying down for too long.

Only the elite win it back 2 back, in ANY sport, it aint an easy task let alone a Dynasty.

[Heat fan in Miami]

Water Boy wrote:

<quoted text>
Possible but, Dynasty talk is a little premature there bud.
Hard for me to imagine the larger market teams staying down for too long.
Only the elite win it back 2 back, in ANY sport, it aint an easy task let alone a Dynasty.

Chicago needs people that can score. Can't score, can't beat the elite teams in crunch time.

Boston is a smaller market than Miami, plus they're old and used up.

[MarkL5]

Water Boy wrote:

<quoted text>
Possible but, Dynasty talk is a little premature there bud.
Hard for me to imagine the larger market teams staying down for too long.
Only the elite win it back 2 back, in ANY sport, it aint an easy task let alone a Dynasty.

Look...
You have in these three players (IN THEIR PRIME) three of the top 15 players in the league at the same time. Dynasties have been made with LESS. In James, you have a two-time MVP, a guy who many consider the best player in the game. In Wade you have a former Finals MVP, a perenial MVP candidate and first team NBA player. In Bosh you have a third team All-NBA forward and perenial All-Star.

Oh, you also have Pat Riley pulling the strings.

I don't know what you or anybody else needs to see to convince you, so what I'll do is make you a deal to meet up with me five years from now (when the Heat have at least four titles) and tell me I was wrong.

[MarkL5]

Ginobili wrote:

LJ is way better than MJ ever was.

"Way Better"
No.

You can't start this arguement until James wins six championships, six Finals MVP's and has the cultural impact of Jordan. Jordan was bigger than the game itself for more than a decade.

Slow your roll.

[Water Boy]

MarkL5 wrote:

<quoted text>
Look...
You have in these three players (IN THEIR PRIME) three of the top 15 players in the league at the same time. Dynasties have been made with LESS. In James, you have a two-time MVP, a guy who many consider the best player in the game. In Wade you have a former Finals MVP, a perenial MVP candidate and first team NBA player. In Bosh you have a third team All-NBA forward and perenial All-Star.
Oh, you also have Pat Riley pulling the strings.
I don't know what you or anybody else needs to see to convince you, so what I'll do is make you a deal to meet up with me five years from now (when the Heat have at least four titles) and tell me I was wrong.

Im not disputing the talent,(James and Wade) just that other teams will make the necessary adjustments, they wont stand around idly watching Miami bring home the hardware season after season.

The same was said after Wade and Shaq won in 06' where many called out dynasty...$hit happens.

Bosh is really nothing special alongside these 2 to be honest and Wade although a great player, is 29 years old and extremely injury prone. How long do you think his body can sustain punishment the way he recieves today?

Im not trying to hate here but, 6 titles, is infact highly improbable.

If Im wrong, hey, kudos Miami.

[MarkL5]

Water Boy wrote:

<quoted text>
Im not disputing the talent,(James and Wade) just that other teams will make the necessary adjustments, they wont stand around idly watching Miami bring home the hardware season after season.
The same was said after Wade and Shaq won in 06' where many called out dynasty...$hit happens.
Bosh is really nothing special alongside these 2 to be honest and Wade although a great player, is 29 years old and extremely injury prone. How long do you think his body can sustain punishment the way he recieves today?
Im not trying to hate here but, 6 titles, is infact highly improbable.
If Im wrong, hey, kudos Miami.

You ignore Chris Bosh at your own peril. Ask the Chicago Bulls.

In the next few seasons, players with tons of playoff experience will go to their agents and demand that they talk to Heat management. No the Heat will not be able to sign names like Howard or Paul, but they will be able to get players who were once star players at the end of their careers. Guys like Ron Harper who at the downside of his career played for the Bulls, or a Rick Fox who took less money to play for the Lakers and win championships.

The magic of having a Pat Riley as a chief exec, and having Micky Arisson as an owner is that they WANT more star talent and will do everything they can to obtain it. This is not about James, Bosh and Wade alone. That is the nucleus, but you need a supporting cast and there are some very good players who have made a lot of money in the NBA with no title to show for it. They will go to the Heat on the cheap to get the ring they want.

That is how dynasties in the NBA get done.

[Water Boy]

MarkL5 wrote:

<quoted text>
You ignore Chris Bosh at your own peril. Ask the Chicago Bulls.
In the next few seasons, players with tons of playoff experience will go to their agents and demand that they talk to Heat management. No the Heat will not be able to sign names like Howard or Paul, but they will be able to get players who were once star players at the end of their careers. Guys like Ron Harper who at the downside of his career played for the Bulls, or a Rick Fox who took less money to play for the Lakers and win championships.
The magic of having a Pat Riley as a chief exec, and having Micky Arisson as an owner is that they WANT more star talent and will do everything they can to obtain it. This is not about James, Bosh and Wade alone. That is the nucleus, but you need a supporting cast and there are some very good players who have made a lot of money in the NBA with no title to show for it. They will go to the Heat on the cheap to get the ring they want.
That is how dynasties in the NBA get done.

Right that's exactly my point. See, the main talent is within the "3" but, the "nucleus", the supporting cast is what ultimately gets it done. So, it stands to reason that you cant change the nucleus if proven to be a winning formula right?

No question many will try and ride the train...

But, we're well ahead of ourselves here, there is still a trophy to be won this season.:)

[MarkL5]

Let me say this...

In two years, after another injury and nobody else wanting to take a chance on him, Greg Oden could be in a Heat Uniform. Now, the pressure of being Greg Oden goes away if he's playing with Wade, Bosh and James! After all of his injuries and fustration, Bill Walton became a productive backup center in Boston.

Great franchises win championships, not just great teams. The Heat with Riley calling the shots are as competent an organization as we've seen in years. The have an owner who is not concerned with money, they have a great facility, they have a recruiting tool that is now second to none when it comes to their personnel.

If I was an NBA free-agent in the next five years, I'd be looking for a house in Coconut Grove!