Of course, anything's better than tanking, teams that tank only validate LeBron's claim of "not 1, not 2...." and why the free agents worth a damn are only signing to the select few destinations. No one's guaranteed to get Wiggins or Parker or whomever, and it only happens so often that lottery picks turn into more than role players/fringe all-stars.
Do you think Playoff experience is overrated?
- Thread starter Street Knowledge
- Start date
The term is only ever used for young teams though
Playoff experience is different than regular season. Mentally, you need to change your state of mind. Zero tolerance for sloppy performance.
Kill Dat Noize
Banned
its way overrated, these nikkas been hooping for 20+ years....since they were kids
all of a sudden the game changes because its the playoffs???
Of course the game changes. The pressure is amplified by like x1000 and every team you face is comin at you with their absolute hardest for 48 minutes.
If you're not used to playin on the big stage then yea you gotta allow time for adjustment.
ill
Superstar
Yes, it matters. How many years of playoff experience did LeBron need before he won?
Captain Crunch
Veteran
If you have a legit core in place, yes, otherwise it's better to be in the lottery.
Reminds me of when I worked at mcdonald's.
They kept tellin me "youre AWESOME on the grill, Jeffrey!!!! But I must warn you, Saturdays are a different animal around here." I was like
Then, Saturday came, and I was like
. shyt was so fast paced. I was fukkin up big time. I was makin big macs using qtr pounder patties
They kept tellin me "youre AWESOME on the grill, Jeffrey!!!! But I must warn you, Saturdays are a different animal around here." I was like
Then, Saturday came, and I was like
. shyt was so fast paced. I was fukkin up big time. I was makin big macs using qtr pounder patties
It matters. Most teams have to lose before they learn how to win. And you learn that in the playoffs.
havoc
Superstar
ill
Superstar
Magic got a ring in his first season along with the NBA Final MVP award. Duncan won a ring in his second season with the Spurs with an NBA Final MVP as well. Talent is everything in the league. Without it a team can't win it all.
LeBron said himself that to become the champion he is today, he had to finally beat Boston in the playoffs. He lost a bunch of times before he won and not just to Boston. Every time he lost it was a learning experience and it helped shape who he is today. Next...
Oh, and Magic joined an All-Star Lakers squad and Duncan teamed up with the Admiral in a shortened season. FOH
But those teams had vets that already went thru playoff wars. Magic and Tim were the keys to their success, but they weren't young, untried teams either.
havoc
Superstar
Oh, You failed to mention that Lebron didn't had a great team player like Wade in Cleveland to win it all. We have witnessed the result of his greatest career DECISION to move to Miami and team up with Wade--three straight finals appearance and two championship rings.
Talent trumps everything. Also, the Lakers were a lottery team at the time when they drafted Magic so were the Spurs when they picked up Duncan. 
Let us not forget that Larry Bird placed the Celtics back into its reign as a rookie and closed out his career with three championships. My argument stands because without talent no team can win, no matter how well experience team is, it cant defeat its opponent that has a deeper pool of talent.
havoc
Superstar
Both the Spurs and Lakers were led by young men who were destined to dominate the game. Magic and Tim didn't have any NBA PLAYOFF experience when they first step on the professional league floor, and look what their dominated talent brought to the table --multiple MVPs and championship rings. Experience doesn't mean shyt if a team lacks talent and a good coach.
Still the point being is their team had experience. i don't think they win right off the back if everyone on their squads were rookies.
Of course you need the talent to win. But what if you go up against another talented squad with a lot of playoff experience? you most likely lose. No one is saying all you need is experience to win, but most teams take their bruises before they dominate. i.e the bulls, the lakers, the rockets and a slew of other teams. Magic and duncan could be outliers, but most teams build first rather than just jumping in and dominating.
ill
Superstar
Oh, You failed to mention that Lebron didn't had a great team player like Wade in Cleveland to win it all. We have witnessed the result of his greatest career DECISION to move to Miami and team up with Wade--three straight finals appearance and two championship rings.
I'm not disagreeing that you need talent. No shyt. I'm also not saying that EVERY team/player needs playoff experience to win it all. The point is that playoff experience can greatly help to increase the chances of learning something about yourself or your team that will help you succeed later on, if you failed the first time around. When you lose something thats important, you try to analyze every angle of what went wrong, and that in itself makes you a better player/team. Let's not forget the Heat lost their first year with the big 3. They learned from their losing experience and turned it around the next year. Same talent just one more year of shared playoff experience.