₦airaland Forum

FirstbornWds:
Smiles. I wouldn't know cos Messi never played there. But then, none of those you mentioned are in Messi's class. Ronaldo is just the closest but Perez knew he was just there as a prolific goalscorer, compared to Leo that has played every attacking position (Cf, SF, FS, and AM) in the team and not allowing it to sink worse than it already was.

None of all these things you mentioned consign Florentino Perez sha. Nobody will get special treatment from him or Madrid, not even Messi.

FirstbornWds:
Ronaldo was just another player that Madrid saw as disposable. He was just there to complete the first 11, same way as Modric, Vinicus, Hazard and the likes now. Nothing special. Why won't he be sold at the right price? He's just another Grealish for Aston Villa, another Lukaku for Inter Milan, another Neymar for Barcelona... He was NOTHING compared to Messi. He just can wish, plus the backingz of peeps like you, he thinks he's close.

All hype but nothing special. Anybody would easily discard a team player compared to someone that has a family in his team. Not to talk about how much Laliga was ever trying to strike a bargain to keep him.

There is a level to greatness in football and Messi is the standard.

Lmao that speaks more to how Madrid is run than Ronaldo. Messi will get the same discarding treatment in Madrid colors. Don't kid yourself. They were not loyal to homegrown Raul who won them 3 CLs you think they will care for Messi?

France really could have won that game if they made their Free throws

Patty Mills dropped a 40 piece for Australia. Hope he brings this game to Brooklyn sha

Mes que un club but una elevate player above club. Lol smh

Roland17:
Son of man, PRRRRREEEEEEEAAAAACCCCCHHHHH!

The hypocrisy is always on brand

SmooshCHN:
Westbrook, AD and Lebron are not a team of superstars? No wahala. That one no weak me. It's LeBron acting like people already the expect worse from the Lakers because they became magically old, past their prime and then asking people to keep the energy narrative that weaks me. Alaye, it's your LeMinions saying your squad is not a superteam o. Saying you guys are old and aren't that good. You're not the underdog. Literally no one is even thinking that but the usual Lebron fashion, play the victim and then act like the underdog.

That Lakers team is top tier. I'm not buying the BS narrative. Barring injuries, anything lower than 2nd seed or Conference finals is a failure IMO.

It's par for the course. They told us Bosh, Wade was not a Superteam, they told us Kyrie and Love did not constitute a Superteam. Everyone wins with help except him and when he loses it's because he had no help

How you the GOAT and always trying to play underdog even with loaded teams

Android17:
Any team with Lebron, Westbrook and AD is a super team. A super team is essentially a core of 3 super star players and that is what that Los Angeles team is.

No nau they want a team with LeBron, Westbrook and AD to add the top 3 sixth men of the year candidates before they recognize them as a superteam. Mind you the last two assist leaders are inside that Big 3. This top 3 are averaging more than 20 pts per game but they are not a superteam because the role players are not all star candidates. Like I said I've seen Bronsexuals downplay Wade and Bosh and swear the Heatles were not a superteam so the fuckery no fit surprise me

Even the ones dissing Kyrie and asking what he's done outside Lebron swear now that the Nets are a Superteam

birdman:
Thats all you bro. I never ever use the term. You use it so much tho. Just saying

Typical Bronsexual logic. You have to be a thief to call someone a thief? Sha leave me out of your homoerotic fantasies. It's just a term for obnoxious LeNomad fans anyway, the sexx part is all in your head

birdman:
I dont know who these bronsexuals are, but boy, you LOVE typing their name. Yall should get a room. At parktonian or something

You can own your identity and still leave me out of your homoerotic fantasies

Khanben:
I apologize for mixing the years, but how did a guy who averaged 14pts a game win finals MVP If his defense did nothing?
You just mentioned Draymond and Rondo as part of other Superteams core. So my question of all of the players the had or even have now which one of them is as good as Draymond or Rondo was during their championship runs?
I repeat my stance again, which was were we had diverging opinions, if Gasol, Ariza, Bazemore and Howard are your 4th-7th man, you cannot in good conscience call that a Superteam. No matter how panel beat it that is a fact.

He actually averaged 17 pts per game on 61% shooting barely taking 10 shots per game that's how

If you are your team's primary facilitator then you are part of its core. Why are you struggling with such a simple concept. Which means you have no business calling them role players because they were not role players

Any team with Westbrook, AD and Lebron is a Superteam. You can argue till you're blue in the face, that is not my concern. Bronsexual dishonesty didn't start today. There are people who didn't believe the Miami Heatles were a Superteam so what else is new

Khanben:
PS: Kawhi players profile reads
"...Known early in his career primarily as an elite defender and floor spacer, Leonard began taking on a larger offensive responsibility from the..."
And he was 2nd team all defense in that championship year.

He didn't sniff the award his first two years so don't tell me he was a top 5 wing defender without any proof

birdman:
Kendrick Nunn and Wayne Ellington are the only impact pieces I see here. The rest are 36 year old journeymen, 1year rentals atbest, even Melo and Ariza. Anyone trying to say this is a stacked team is dishonest, and just wants to take shots at Lebron. Same cats have nothing to say about Nets or warriors.

When I say Bronsexualism and dishonesty is 5 and 6 it's not an exaggeration. Imagine arguing that a team with Lebron, Westbrook and AD is not a superteam, only Bronsexuals will shamelessly propagate such claims. Only Bronsexuals will boldly claim a team with 5 First Ballot HOFers is not a Superteam

No one disputed Brooklyn and Warriors to be a Superteam so I don't know what part of you this lie is coming from. So a Carmelo that was averaging 13 pts per game off the bench and shot 40 from 3 is who you people are trying to portray like some bum because of his age. Even Malik Monk who was doing 11ppg and 40% from 3. You people have no scruples

Khanben:
Una don start to dey change goal post. This discussion is about the talent surrounding a big 3. Draymond for all is ability was not part of the warriors big3. Same with Rondo for the 2010 Celtics. That is why I repeated said that what the Lakers signed were players who were only capable of being contributors if they were used as the 8th man or above. But you kept insisting that these guys only will be the ones to catapult them.into Superteam status. I don't care how great your 3 best players are if this is basketball not tennis, if the drop-off in talent with what they had on Monday was way too much.
As for them taking all the shots, the Bucks just had a series where their own big 3 took all the shots, but you know what in game 6 of the finals they still needed a Bobby to make shots just to keep them in the game.

Is this guy serious at all?? Draymond Green is part of the Warriors core. He was the primary facilitator and their best defender pre KD and it can be argued after KD. He was in no way a role player

2010 Rondo was definitely not a role player so I have to ask when you started watching basketball. The argument is that the Lakers big 3 is so Supernova you don't necessarily need elite role players to be labeled a Superteam. If you have 3 All NBA level players and you're still expecting 6th men of the year candidates then you clearly don't want to compete

Lmaoo this man mentioned Bobby Portis. When I say you're dishonest don't take it personal, its an informed observation. Going into the playoffs lie that you expected Bobby Portis to be a key role player for the Bucks let me see. This was someone that averaged 14mins and 3ppg in the Brooklyn series then improved vs Atlanta and had a couple of good games in the Finals. Don't pretend like Bobby Portis was some elite level 6th man

Khanben:
I still think you are more into stats rather than just watching basketball to be honest, if you can name 5 more wing defenders better that kawhi in 2012 please do so. Show me a metric that says Tybulle is a top 5 wing defender now, but any one with eyes who watches him knows he is one.
Kawhi basically won his finals MVP based solely on guarding Lebron 1v1 in the finals, if that is not enough proof of his defensive capabilities I don't know what else I can say.

You're just yarning dust at this point. So you know more than the people who make a living following basketball that didn't deem it fit to vote Kawhi among even the top 20 defenders both in 2012 and 2013

FYI Matisse Thybulle was All Defense 2nd team this year. Further proof that you don't know what the fuq you're talking about

That was in 2014 Mr Opaks yarner. And Kawhi's 'defense' was debatable. LeNomad still averaged 28 pts on 57% shooting. Granted LeNomad did some statpadding as his buckets mostly came when the Heat were down 15 points or more but don't come here and overhype his defense on LeNomad

Khanben:
Javale for all his faults does his job, there is a reason for close to 8 years straight now, he has always been acquired by a contender. He might not be the greatest center, but he does his job and was a plus player for the warriors. If you are saying the Javale that played for the warriors is not better than what Gasol is now then you are the one who is not ready to admit bias in your arguments.
Iggy that played for warriors won final MVP, so don't even try that tact. I see you did not mention Draymond.

What job does McGee do? So you're telling me he is better than Dwight abi what's your actual argument? He has always been acquired by a contender? He dey play? What does he do significantly better than Gasol

Draymond is part of their core. Why should I mention him?

Khanben:
As for Kawhi, once again you are either lying to try to buttress your point, or you weren't watching nba basketball in those days. Kawhi came into the league and from his first year was a top 5 wing defender, by his second year he had progressed
and even added some small offensive elements to his game. A good example of who kawhi was in that time is Tybulle of the sixers take what he is doing on defense and add in the ability of averaging 14pts in the finals. Are you telling me anyone who knows basketball will not pick Tybulle as he his right now over any of Ariza and Co, not to talk of if he can average 14pts per game. So stop with all this trying to change history.
I reiterate my position if Ariza, Howard, Bazemore are your 4th, 5th and 6th man, then the drop off in talent for that team is just too much and they will not achieve much. If they are your 8th, 9th and 10th option then that is okay.

You are a very dishonest fellow. Who anointed Kawhi a top 5 wing defender when he entered the league? By what metrics? You awarded it to him from your bedroom or what.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/awards_2012.html
Come and show me where Kawhi is on this list

Lebron, AD, Westbrook offset anything Kawhi would bring to the table as a role player. This is the fundamental flaw in your argument, in a team with those 3 where will 2nd or 3rd year Kawhi see enough shots to average 14pts

Are you comparing San Antonio that ran equal opportunity offense with old man Tim Duncan, Ginobili and Tony Parker to a squad with Lebron, AD and Westbrook?

Khanben:
PS: With the recent deals the Lakers just made it seems even they agreed with my position that is why they've just added Nunn, Monk and Melo. If they can pull off the deal for THT that will even make them better. With these recent deals, then by all account they are a Superteam.

Why would any half decent basketball pundit assume they will not add more players to a 9 man roster

Khanben:
As at the time we were discussing THT does not have a contract with the Lakers, I am making my stance based on who they have under contract not what they might do.

Story. So you thought they weren't going to make any further additions to the squad? Abi what would be the point of arguing solely based on an incomplete roster as if na wetin dem go use start season

So Melo and Kendrick Nunn are also 9th man type. The dishonesty dey smell

Hood and Ojeleye to the Bucks. Hood is a serviceable replacement for Forbes problem is he's always injured

Mills to the Nets they bring back Blake and Brown but let go of Bruce Brown

Andre Drummond to the Sixers.

So nobody will pick up Schroeder? Shocking. Don't see why the Pelicans don't take a gamble on him. He's definitely better than Devonte Graham

Khanben:
It seems you don't even remember the role players for most of these teams
Warriors had Prime Iggy and DPY Draymond, Livingston, Javale and looney as a solid 8 player rotation with Zaza, West and being seasoned fillers
The Spurs reign was so long,but they always had quality guys, Kwahi, Mills, Splitter, Boris Diaw, Danny Green all in their prime not old men on their last legs and for the older chips Steven Jackson, Bowen, Scola, Finley, Barry, Bris Diaw, Bonner, Horry.
2010 Celtics had Rondo, Rasheed Wallace, Perk, big Baby.
Let's not even get to the Miami big 3 at all.

Lmaoo did you just say Prime Iggy McGee? Same Shaqtin a fool MVP McGee abi which one? Looney

Kawhi was a baby, Splitter. Lewl!! What were the primes of Boris Diaw and Patty Mills and what numbers were they putting up?

So you're telling me a Perk and Big Baby are better than Bazemore, Ariza and Dwight Howard? This is dishonesty at its peak

I can concede for Miami because that team was deep as fuq

Khanben:
PS: like I said before if you're judging them based on their big 3, then that's more than fair, but saying Gasol, Ariza, Bazemore, Wellington and Howard are quality enough to fill spots 4 through 8 is disingenuous. Unless you are judging them on their names rather than what they are right now. There guys are in their career are where Matt Barnes was for the warriors old guys who should be the 8th, 9th man type.
Finally I did not ignore the strength of their big 3, which is just as strong as what the warriors had with the warriors team being younger. The main issue with the Lakers is the level of drop-off after their big 3 is just too steep and that is what you are refusing to admit

I'm saying considering the caliber of the top 3 players they have it's unrealistic and makes a mockery of the competition to assume the role players need to be significantly better. They have THT, Gasol, Ariza, Bazemore and Howard. Where is the drop-off? Even when he had the top two 6th men in the league y'all said it was not enough so what gives?

You can bring the numbers of some of these role players you listed and I bring the numbers of these guys let's see if the difference between this supporting cast and the ones you listed are as large as you claim

Khanben:
The Heat got swept with Ariza, Bazemore could not help the warriors get into the playoffs and Howard got beaten by the Hawks of all teams. Does the Lakers have a big 3 YES, but to call these players they've added as anything but bottom rung role players is disingenuous.
If you place all the role players of big 3s in recent history from the 2020 Nets, the KD warriors with Steph and Klay, 2010 Celtics, the Spurs and the Miami big 3s on any ranking. These motley crew assembled by the Lakers will come last.
So if we're talking about this Lakers competing for the championship and you are using their big 3 as justifiable evidence that is more than fair (personally, I will not even accept their fit as an excuse, because as far as I am concerned, they're 2 MVPs and an all nba talent on there). but to use a bunch of has been, role players as evidence of them being a super team is just playing a very very weak hand.

This is a dishonest argument on your part still. First off nobody expected the Heat to get swept going into that series so it showed a level of underperformance not mediocrity, Lol Bazemore and the Warriors ran into deeper teams. I can't believe you're using that Warriors team as an indictment on Bazemore. As for Howard lol. Ben Simmons was a bigger problem than he was, suggesting Dwight Howard is a bottom rung role player is Dishonest!!

Who were the good role players on the KD Warriors apart from Iggy? and maybe Livingston Is it Looney? McCaw, Pachulia? Abeggi

The Spurs were aged so it doesn't matter who their role players were but if you insist, Tiago Splitter, Boris Diaw, Danny Green

The 2010 Celtics role players were Kendrick Perkins and crew

The critical part you are insisting on ignoring is that the Lakers big 3 is better than any combination of big 3 you listed above and that alone makes them a Superteam. If they added you and I to the roster they are still a Superteam never mind Dwight Howard and Trevor Ariza

D

Khanben:
Let me make it simple, which one of these players the Lakers got would have been more than the 8th or 9th man in a fully healthy Bucks team?
If you don't know their team list when fullyhealthy Let me help you out
Giannis
Lopez
Jrue
Khris
Dante
[bench]
6th Pj Tucker
7th Pat
8th Bobby
J Teague

D for Dishonesty

Even when he had Schroeder and Harrell literally the top 2 6th men in the league y'all argued he lacked help and they still went out to add a top 2 rebounder in the league in Drummond

I listed playoff teams that the Lakers acquisitions were good enough to start for or be one of the first options of the bench you're mentioning Milwaukee. Smh

AD or Middleton who is better?
Westbrook or Holiday. Even if you argue Holiday is better (highly debatable) there is no arguing who is more accomplished
Some people still argue LeNomad is the best player in the league so that makes him better than Giannis by default

If you have AD, Westbrook and Bron. What caliber of bench players are you hoping to add to that 3 again? Bronsexuals were crying wolf for KD last season but somehow are asking for more help for a roster with 3 top 20 players in the league

Roland17:
Come on Khris! Consecutive misses..

63-69 USA

Giannis might never get his due credit for winning this chip with a player so inconsistent. He has one or two hot games but reverts back to his last name MIDdleton and serves brickfests on a steady

Khanben:
All the guys you just names are at best 8th or 9th man upwards on a roster. So let's not start with this loading up narrative again

Lmaoo Ariza was a starter on the Heat last season started all their games vs Milwaukee in the sweep, Bazemore was one of their top 3 guys off the bench for Golden State and played a lot of minutes. So no come here dey drop this opata yarns. Dwight was Embiid's primary backup at Philly

A team with 3 All NBA level players and a former #1 draft pick and 3 time DPOY making it 3 #1 draft picks on a roster is definitely loading up. Abi what did you expect? You wanted to add Bradley Beal and DeRozan too?

Anyway you people are so predictably dishonest. The same people that comfortably called Ray Allen, KG and Paul Pierce a superteam despite their average ages being 34 in 2010 are swearing this team is old meanwhile AD and Westbrook 2 of the best 3 players on the team are 33 years or younger. Smh

Of which why aren't the Warriors trying to get a guy like Siakam? I think he will be a better fit than say a Bradley Beal. Gives them size and defense and wouldn't need the ball as much as a Beal neither would he need to be the best player on the squad. Send a rookie and Wiggins the other way, it will take them much less to get him I assume as Masai may need to blow up that team with Lowry gone

Khanben:
Bobby back at 2yr 9mil the steal of FA so far. Comes with a 1yr player option which he will certainly decline especially if he plays as well as he did the past season.

I'm absolutely shocked he did not get a better deal elsewhere. Retaining him was absolutely huge, their best bench player for me and if he plays as well as last season then he would be worth a new and bigger deal. They need one more shooting guard off the bench to replace Forbes or perhaps our Naija boy Nwora shows improvement to fill that role next season

PJ Tucker to the Heat hmm. They do get DiVincenzo back though.

Roland17:
Lowry to the Heat and CP3 extends with the Suns

The Suns don handicap themselves with the length of this deal. No guarantee they will get this far next year

Will be interesting to see what they do when it's time to pay Booker and Ayton

So Bazemore, Ellington, Ariza, Howard confirmed to be coming to the Lakers. This team is more than enough to win it all. No excuses

As for LeNomad what can we say? I see our guy has formed another Superteam Abi this one no be Superteam

Anyway suggesting a team with Bron, AD and Westbrook won't be a top 2 contender would be asinine. As far as the West unless Kawhi returns healthy and even at that they will still need some help stopping them

The ultimate wildcard is AD's health. Lebron is not enough even with Westbrook to threaten anybody. Also they are going to need shooters or role players that don't need the ball to be effective. It's easy to forget that despite Milwaukee's size it was their shooting vs the Heat that blew that series open and made it uncompetitive. I want to see the final form of this roster before chuckling in mischevious glee at another Superteam mishap or groaning in despair at the prospect of a 5th ring for LeNomad

As for D.Tigers and D'Tigress what can I say? Typical Nigerian teams always flattering to deceive

For D'tigers their lack of size I always thought would ultimately do them in but I didn't expect the FT shooting to also be such a problem. Our turnovers especially in the Italy game was absurd

As for the women they were in my eyes an even bigger disappointment, played well vs the best team then completely crumbled against the two weaker teams. Facing a Japan team that was on fire from the 3 pt line they did nothing to defend it and worse they didn't attempt any 3's of their own, trying to fight 3's with 2's it was so comical to watch

Anyway our basketball is merely a reflection of the sorry state of our sports as a whole. We just went to the Olympics to do excursion which explains why a nation of almost 200 million cannot boast of one medal. In any sane environment heads would roll and people would resign in shame but since the fish is rotten from the head

birdman:
Simmons for Lowry, Van Vleet, Anunoby and first round pick? Ah, are you mad? na craze, abi na village tinz. The person who even suggested this is very unfortunate. Oh wait, its Morey you think everyone else is a yam head?

I thought Lowry was an UFA. Masai should be sacked on the spot if he agrees to this trade. Although I would be tempted to do this trade on the back of how poorly FVV played this year, he was by far the worst volume 3pt shooter in the league. Would probably give him another year to prove himself before considering shipping him

The reason you don't give up a farm for Ben Simmons is simple, he cannot be the best or even second best player on a Championship winning team,

birdman:
Dikembe Mutombo
Lifetime NBA earnings: $140 million
After Tax Estimate: $70 million
Major philantropy: Donated $15 million to build hospital in Congo

That is just one project. There are many others, obviously you cant do this with salary money. You need a long term game plan.

Some other interesting ones to lookup
- Tmac (outstanding work in Darfur)
- Olajuwon (cautionary tale, almost gave to al qaeda charities without knowing, managing money is hard!)
- Lebron

For anyone interested, you can see the type of federal taxes Lebron, Mayweather, Tiger Woods pay here: https://www.propublica.org/article/the-billionaire-playbook-how-sports-owners-use-their-teams-to-avoid-millions-in-taxes

That is federal o, we have not counted state taxes. Its hard getting wealthy. Its even harder staying wealthy. Even harder still if you plan on philantropy. I would go further, but this is not the forum for such. Guys, everything is not about hating or liking players.

That dude will have earned over $300m before his 30th birthday. It will take a crack and drug addiction far worse than Lamar Odom's to blow through that money in these modern times bruh. Philanthropy or no philanthropy

Roland17:
They run plays for him when he plays for Australia in comparison to Spurs.

Yes but he also looks like a completely different animal on the court. They are not missing Ben Simmons at all

I've never understood how Patty Mills always turns to prime Steph Curry anytime he suits up for Australia

joshboo:
Simple question. Swap AD and giannis in this playoffs run/win, would the bucks have won the Championship?

I recall Rich Paul chatting megedefegede that AD would have beaten the Raptors if he was on the Bucks that year and gotten to a chip. Make him do am without Lebron if e easy. Because you can't tell me he has done anything Giannis wouldn't have done if Lebron was a teammate