LeBron’s faced much better teams in the Finals than Michael Jordan...

[James Worthy]

Of the last 62 teams that have reached the NBA Finals, the supporting casts Lebron has had rank as three of the eight worst. This is in stark contrast to Michael Jordan, whose supporting casts were three of the top six best to reach the Finals dating back to 1985.

You could probably go through a slew of metrics and come to the same conclusions – the 2007 Cavs supporting cast that LeBron carried to the Finals was the 2nd worst to play for the Title since 1985. Cleveland was swept by the San Antonio Spurs.

This year’s Cavs? The 3rd worst supporting cast. Stephen Curry has an impressive supporting cast of Warriors: they rank 14th best. Vegas knows this is a mismatch. Only morons are picking the Cavs.

Guess which supporting cast was ranked 55th out of 62? The Heat’s 2014 supporting cast, which LeBron dragged to the Finals, only to get drubbed by the Spurs.

(The worst supporting cast to get to the Finals? The 1999 New York Knicks, where Larry Johnson – ? – was deemed the best player over Allan Houston, 36-year old Patrick Ewing, and Latrell Sprewell.)

|The supporting cast ranks for LeBron’s vs Jordan’s:



LeBron :

2011 (10th vs Mavs, 58th)
2012 (21st vs Thunder, 25th)
2013 (39th vs Spurs, 2nd)
2014 (55th vs Spurs, 7th)
2015 (60th vs Warriors, 14th)
2007 (61st vs Spurs, 11th)



Michael Jordan:

1996 (1st vs Sonics, 3rd)
1998 (5th vs Jazz, 52nd)
1997 (6th vs Jazz, 29th)
1992 (24th vs Blazers, 27th)
1993 (49th vs Suns, 26th)
1991 (53rd vs Lakers, 31st)

Summary: LeBron has had one very good supporting cast, two OK supporting casts, and three really, really bad ones. Jordan had three great supporting casts, two OK supporting casts, and one really bad one.



http://thebiglead.com/2015/06/02/lebron-michael-jordan-nba-finals-supporting-cast/

 

[ghostwriterx]

Of the last 62 teams that have reached the NBA Finals, the supporting casts Lebron has had rank as three of the eight worst. This is in stark contrast to Michael Jordan, whose supporting casts were three of the top six best to reach the Finals dating back to 1985.

You could probably go through a slew of metrics and come to the same conclusions – the 2007 Cavs supporting cast that LeBron carried to the Finals was the 2nd worst to play for the Title since 1985. Cleveland was swept by the San Antonio Spurs.

This year’s Cavs? The 3rd worst supporting cast. Stephen Curry has an impressive supporting cast of Warriors: they rank 14th best. Vegas knows this is a mismatch. Only morons are picking the Cavs.

Guess which supporting cast was ranked 55th out of 62? The Heat’s 2014 supporting cast, which LeBron dragged to the Finals, only to get drubbed by the Spurs.

(The worst supporting cast to get to the Finals? The 1999 New York Knicks, where Larry Johnson – ? – was deemed the best player over Allan Houston, 36-year old Patrick Ewing, and Latrell Sprewell.



http://thebiglead.com/2015/06/02/lebron-michael-jordan-nba-finals-supporting-cast/

This calls the entire methodology into question.

 

[HoopLife]

2012 OKC and 2013 Spurs are better than every team Jordan faced

 

[G-Zeus]

Of the last 62 teams that have reached the NBA Finals, the supporting casts Lebron has had rank as three of the eight worst. This is in stark contrast to Michael Jordan, whose supporting casts were three of the top six best to reach the Finals dating back to 1985.

You could probably go through a slew of metrics and come to the same conclusions – the 2007 Cavs supporting cast that LeBron carried to the Finals was the 2nd worst to play for the Title since 1985. Cleveland was swept by the San Antonio Spurs.

This year’s Cavs? The 3rd worst supporting cast. Stephen Curry has an impressive supporting cast of Warriors: they rank 14th best. Vegas knows this is a mismatch. Only morons are picking the Cavs.

Guess which supporting cast was ranked 55th out of 62? The Heat’s 2014 supporting cast, which LeBron dragged to the Finals, only to get drubbed by the Spurs.

(The worst supporting cast to get to the Finals? The 1999 New York Knicks, where Larry Johnson – ? – was deemed the best player over Allan Houston, 36-year old Patrick Ewing, and Latrell Sprewell.)

|The supporting cast ranks for LeBron’s vs Jordan’s:



LeBron
2011 (10th vs Mavs, 58th)
2012 (21st vs Thunder, 25th)
2013 (39th vs Spurs, 2nd)
2014 (55th vs Spurs, 7th)
2015 (60th vs Warriors, 14th)
2007 (61st vs Spurs, 11th)



Michael Jordan:

1996 (1st vs Sonics, 3rd)
1998 (5th vs Jazz, 52nd)
1997 (6th vs Jazz, 29th)
1992 (24th vs Blazers, 27th)
1993 (49th vs Suns, 26th)
1991 (53rd vs Lakers, 31st)





Summary: LeBron has had one very good supporting cast, two OK supporting casts, and three really, really bad ones. Jordan had three great supporting casts, two OK supporting casts, and one really bad one.



http://thebiglead.com/2015/06/02/lebron-michael-jordan-nba-finals-supporting-cast/

well.. yeah it was easy to tell to some of us who understands basket beyond the point of view of skip bayless..

but this will never fly around here.. too many "haters" who want him to fail...

 

[Black White Sox Hat]

Ewing,Gary Payton,Clyde Drexler,Barkley,Reggie Miller,Magic,Shaq,Stockton and Malone..I can go on..

I see you said finals but deal with it.

 

[Jplaya2023]

If you ranked the 11 finals teams they faced (before heading into the finals) i would rank them like this

1. 96 Sonics
2. 07 Spurs
3. 97 Jazz
4. 93 Suns
5. 92 Blazers
6. 14 Spurs
7. 13 Spurs
8. 98 Jazz
9. 2011 Mavs
10. 2012 OKC
11. 91 Lakers (a miracle magic got them to the finals)

 

[Osmar]

Already preparing the he needs more help excuses.

Also the 2012-2013 Heat team with Ray Allen is a worst supporting cast than 2011-2012? Those two teams are almost identical with the exception of Allen and some bench players

 

[Tony D'Amato]

Those knicks, heat and pacers teams are better than any squad bron had to face in the east.

Those shaq/penny Orlando teams. Those CWebb Bullets teams.


Then the finals teams. That Jazz, Suns, Sonics, and Blazers squad would be better than every finals team Bron faced. Especially that Mavs team. Last yrs Spurs team might have been better than those teams, but so what.

 

[Jerz-2]

Already preparing the he needs more help excuses.

...or the "he's already better than MJ" false narrative.

 

[Primetime21]

I only recall the 97 and 98 finals, older heads fill me in. Did Jordan ever have the 3rd highest scoring average on any of his teams in the Finals?

 

[Illin Degenerate]

so the first heat team was actually the most talented heat team? wade was at his best, but everyone else? seriously? and this is the metric that we're going by?

 

[Tony D'Amato]

I tell u what, if he can actually beat GS, Id be ready to put him over Kobe. But looks like he bout to lose another Finals

 

[gho3st]

“Based on leverage- and minute-weighted statistical plus/minus talent for the best player’s teammates, through the conference finals.”

like I said. analytics can be used validate any bullsht opinions. There's a reason why plus/minus is what they used

You could probably go through a slew of metrics and come to the same conclusions – the 2007 Cavs supporting cast that LeBron carried to the Finals was the 2nd worst to play for the Title since 1985. Cleveland was swept by the San Antonio Spurs.

why didn't' they?

 

[Th3G3ntleman]

Nostalgia is one of the greatest enemies in sports discussion.

 

[Dr. Narcisse]

The Dallas series still looks bad though

Also it does highlight that Jordan needed every bit of that 41/9/6 average to beat the Suns in 93.

31/11/7 against the Lakers

Other than that OKC series, 29/10/7 we havent seen all time great finals from LeBron.
He should have shot the ball more against San Antonio last year. He was shooting 57% from the floor.

I think he needs to put up 31/9/8 to beat the Warriors..