₦airaland Forum

lolawilliams:
Hahahaha. NFL don enter?? My lovely NY Giants are out already

Steelers can't stop Patriots. One more win for Patriots, super bowl straight up

Yeah Superbowl 52 maybe.
This babe. Why you dey do like so nau? Why Giants fan go want make Patriots win? You are still my Tomato Jos sha

Anyway you are in for a shocker. I trust my boys LT, Bud Dupree, Ryan Shazier to rattle Brady and on offense Ben, Brown and most importantly Leveon Bell The Juice to get it done. We are due a win vs those ball deflaters

Steelers vs Falcons for Superbowl 51. Go and bookmark it

Donlittle:
Bruh, how Dallas defense that weak way beyond me.

Really shat the bed there. Always felt the defense would be problem. I'm surprised Prescott didn't test that Packers secondary more often

The Falcons vs Packers game would be a shootout

Anyway my own interest na in the AFC where the mighty Steelers are going to end that Patriots jinx and rip Brady and Belichick's heart out their chest one Leveon Bell run at a time

Chelseafan1:
Of cos, I'll gladly allow him bring up ridiculous excuses for his Lord and Saviour, very soon Mourinho will catch up with him and overtake his team, we would see the next excuse he'll bring on for his Idol.

Who helped Pep spend 180m that those players are now deemed useless and inferior, maybe A40 can help him answer this simple question.
The same shameless Man that said Chelsea needs almost 11 new players....he sharply went for Man city hoping it was gonna be a sweet ride, what if he had gone for Arsenal?

Was rooting for Pep to succeed tbh but when Barca people started yabbin Ancelotti telling us how we missed Pep despite him selling us to slavery vs La Liga sides. That was hard to stomach.

raumdeuter:
If the City project crash well enough can we get DeBruyne from City

Thank God they won't say we weakened the Bundesliga. Don't get the Rudy signing and it makes the Weiser sale even more bizarre but thrilled we got Süle

lolawilliams:
Busy? Not on Xmas day, not on the day Warriors blew their lead again. lol

Lmao she was here when the Warriors blew 3-1 nau. She musta been very busy methinks.

Naija is hot atm. Everybody dey para

lolawilliams:
lool. I know for sure you wont agree with me.

On a Mr and Mrs Smith P.

That's true. Where's Mizzbeee? Must be very busy sha, it happens

Wow. Tyreke balling like his rookie year.

Wade still got moves

lolawilliams:
Ver good. KD's decision will always be worse than LeBron's decision. more reasons.

6- The 2015 Thunder are overwhelmingly better than 2010 Cavaliers and everyone knows this, he gave his heart and soul to the Cavs night in and night out from 2003 to 2010. Carried them on his back with memorable performances in the post-season. All the while being defeated time and time again because he didn't have enough help around him in Finals. OKc is a fully stackd team

7- LeBron had an aging Shaq and Antwan Jamison to fall back on along with Mo Williams. Compare that with the 2015-16 Thunder who had Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, Steven Adams and Enes Kanter to help Durant. The diff is just too much

8- He once tweeted this " Now everybody wanna play for the heat and the Lakers? Let's go back to being competitive and going at these peoples!"... Lol WTF, when did he bevome a politician, lol he should have sticked to what he said.

But i can understand he needs a ring

Lmaoo. They both sold out. If we analyse it critically na your guy own worse pass.

6) OKC no stacked anything. Ibaka a non-factor, Kanter was a sieve, No point being better when your competition are the San Antonio Spurs and the Warriors. E no sure for any team in the West. K.D gave his all from 2007 to 2016. Longer than Lebron. First he had to beat the two time champ Lakers then he faced the Mavs, then the Spurs, then the Warriors. 4 Champions!! You wan kill am? What was Lebron's competiton? An arugbo Celtics and Pistons team. Couldn't beat them ran to team up with 2 of the top 5 picks of his draft. Jeeeez! That is like M.J in 1989 joining Olajuwon and Barkley. Which kind ojoro be that?

7) Abeg if Dirk could stay in Dallas battling the Spurs and Lakers with Jason Terry as his 2nd best player at 32 then Lebron no get any excuse. His competition was an arugbo Celtics and Orlando Magic with just 1 title between them. Even if Durant stayed at OKC he would still have had to beat a well-rested Cavs with 3 all stars and a bunch of other battle tested vets.

That was naivete talking. Even San Antonio Spurs went for Lamarcus Aldridge. That should tell you that water don pass garri. Everybody is building a superteam. The ones that aren't are hamstrung by cap space or players not wanting to go there

The so-called King shouldn't leave his Kingdom to join 2 of the top 5 picks in his draft. That's like Olajuwon, Barkley and Jordan forming a team.

Muna15:
In Sum, You recognize LeBron's greatness. You only have issues with those who see him as a team player

And Please, You need to stop comparing Bron's Decision with that of Durant.
1. LeBron took a pay-cut to join the Miami heat (You can call that teamspirit- eagerness to sacrifice your personal interest for the success of the team)
2. The last time the Heat made it to the conference semi-final was three years before he arrived (which means Wade alone was not enough).
3. He won the MVP twice with the Heat which shows that he ran the show among your so-called superstars.
4. He won the finals MVP on three different occasions which means he was the star of the team in the finals.
5. He built a good camaraderie with his teammates and that contributed to their success on the court.

Now, kindly compare his decision to that of Durant.

P.S LeBron won his two championship with the Heat because he had Dwade and Ray Allen. He won the last championship because he had Kyrie. So, I will never say that LeBron alone can win championships.

No hoops disciple would say they don't recognize his greatness. Maybe the magnitude is what we are disputing

1) Lmao at he took a pay cut. Who didn't? Ojebi. He for no take am na. He needed a ring to validate his career and legacy. He didn't sacrifice zilch. Wade did. That was his team

2) Lebron also lost in the 2nd round twice in 3 years prior to joining the Heat.

3) He also won it with the Cavs. Difference is he didn't even get to the Finals (in his MVP seasons) which means those so-called superstars pushed him over the line

4) He was the star of the team with two other guys averaging 18-20 pts. The firepower plenty. He should have been 4/4 in Finals with the Heat

5) There's a Yoruba saying 'Ona kan o wo oja' One road no enter market. Some want to build camaraderie others are all about winning

Wade put his ego aside and gave Lebron the keys. He didn't have to

Lastly Durant's decision is no worse than Lebron's its the height of double standards to argue otherwise. Joining two of the top 5 draft picks in your year? And you are the best? the King? Come on bruhh

Awoof dey run belle. When una dey enjoy China millions on duds like Oscar una no complain

chic2pimp:
Looool ... My G as a Lebron stan fan, I have to look after one of my own nah abi? . Go on soun jare. Nothing do you jor. Omo ele to sure.

Yh but You did not think He will get anywhere close to the MVP calibre Player He actually became. Also Rose failing to live up to His hype has more to do with injuries than actual talent.

She's in safe hands. No dey cockblock your fellow Delta guy. Cockblockers will not make heaven.

Even Bawo did not predict that. Just like Steph Curry no one saw him winning 1 MVP never mind b2b awards. As for Rose never said he would be a dud. Just not as good as hyped and injuries or not I've been right

lolawilliams:
What if LeBron lost again in his last finals,that would put James at 2-5 in the NBA Finals and that’s a record that would still establish James with more rings than the combined group of Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Allen Iverson, Karl Malone and some other all time greatests.

But his haters won't look at that, that would just be an opportunity to blast him more and more. Haters ehn

I dont even think Howard is after any ring, he's okay with his $$$ and broads in Atlanta

Lmaoo. AI's 2nd best player was Mutombo and at times Eric Snow. The Hate on Lebron largely comes from the fact that to who much is given much is expected. Maybe unjustified expectations but when you have Bosh, Wade, Allen, Irving as teammates

Lmao Dwight is a poosieboi. No two ways about it. Even the Beard ran him out of town. Maybe Kobe retires with another ring if Dwight did not insist on being a court jester

Muna15:
Basketball is a team sport and no man,I mean NO MAN, can do it all alone. Kobe won 5 championships but he was the finals MVP on two out of the five finals appearances which shows he was not the best player on three different occasions. He didn't average 100points which means he had some help from his teammates (Shaq, Gasol and others ).

More so, I don't think it's ideal to compare kobe's championship hustle with that of LeBron because during Kobe's time, the Bad Gs were scattered all across the league unlike now, where we have them in fewer teams and you would agree with me that the more star-studded the teams are, the more competitive the playoff/finals.

Nearly everyone in the league wants to win but I know some Gs want it more than others. So, I don't think Kobe's mentality was the only factor that contributed to his successes ( Both for US and Lakers) and I bet you wouldn't say Lebron lost the finals two years ago because he didn't give his all to win. To me, He lost because his team was short of talents.

Kobe was a great player and he is the best SG, behind Jordan, to ever play the game. But at the same time, we need to all acknowledge the fact that we are really experiencing history right now watching LeBron and it might take a very long time to see someone like him again.

But you Lebron fans make it sound like one man can do it all ALONE despite the fact that he ran to join 2 of the top 5 players in his draft class. Chei and to think it is still una wey go gather dey criticize Durant dey always turn my belle.

These were some of Shaq's numbers in the Finals. 38/16.7/3.8blks another Final 36/12/4

That was Kobe's Finals MVP competition who played at Center and closer to the basket.

No competition between Kobe's West and the weak East we are seeing now. Since Lebron entered the league the East has won fewer titles. Even more than half of the titles the East won were as a result of at least 3 superstars aligning. Compared to Kobe who competed with the Mavs, Spurs, Suns and Kings (one of the best teams to never get to a Final)

What of in 2011 did he give his all? 2014 nko when his counterpart was shooting over 60% from the perimeter what did he do about it?

Lebron is a great player but when he wins he did it alone, when he loses its cos he didn't have help. This is my argument with his fans

Muna15:
Yeah! Kobe didn't care about what people had to say and that really made him so successful. He would race down the court just to pad his stats.

He was very hardworking and he expected that same commitment from others but he never trusted his teammates and he always wanted to take the clutch shot.

Kobe was a great player but I believe LeBron would be considered ahead of him when he retires.

I don't know about padding stats. Kobe always did the needful to win

You had to earn Kobe's trust. It was all business with him. And it wasn't all talk. He always brought it every night and never quite understood why others didn't do the same. Wanting to take the clutch shot is just Kobe's DNA. He was ready to take the blame when things went south. As it should be when you are the best player on the team.

For me Lebron has played in a weaker conference with 5 all-stars for half his career. He would have to match Kobe's ring total at least before I consider him better. My opinion

chic2pimp:
She no need talk nah the subtle hint She don already dey give. Hahahaha no play with fire o

I know I know. You were right with regards to Cutler but wrong in Rose's case. Tbh none of us saw that coming apart from the groupie himself

No be only Hint na Better Lover. Bros. Which way nau? You be her P.R.O ni? Abeg no pour sand sand for my garri. Fi emi ati omo ele yen le ko ma lo bay.

I didn't predict Rose to be a mega bust like Cutler. And even at that Rose hasn't quite lived up to potential. So I still wasn't wrong

chic2pimp:
Loool at least no be only me see am. Eruditor sef see am.

Hahahaha spice wetin. The chic talk say she no do. Na only Lebron Stans she likes. Oya fall back once again.



Yup can definitely back you up on that. Chiogo I think is in Med abi nah pharmaceutical school now. Jesoul simply just went awol. Doyin comes in once in a blue moon. I was still teasing Bawo a few days before He died about His love for all thing Derrick Rose (My Signature says it all)and oh yh Jay Cutler too. Shame He wasn't alive to see Rose hoist the MVP trophy aloft

What part of her post suggested that? She talk say she be savage emi gaan Beastmode

Braaah. All man just vanish but its all good. I told Bawo waay back that Jay Cutler would never come good. Lmao I can spot a dud a mile away

Eruditor:
1.Una dey follow unaselves.
2. You kept telling her your height and build even your predilection for sayo and faaji
3. I know at some point both of y'all where in Obodo oyibo
4. At another point I felt y'all entered naija but it appears y'all have returned to the USofA
5. She is now telling you she is a savage who does not do romantic things

Lmaoo. These your assumptions na die. I been dey following spree one time like that. I never been get time really pree the pengness. Even the height and shayo na random bants, we talked about rap albums too. Nothing mega

That your timeline get as e be oh. Not flew over that pond in a few years now sha. Na all of us dey this Buhari struggle together

lolawilliams:
Wow. Praise God I came here late, the hate is so much that when you google his name, you'd see different stories , his propensity for flopping, his inability to win the big one by himself, even his receding hairline and many more. Right now, I think ppl hate KD than they hate leBron.

I can bet you'd end up liking LeBron, Kobe was one of americans most hated athlete too, the rape allegations levied against him during the 2003-2004 NBA season, was also a leagu diva and I read a time that he threw shots at Shaq and Phil Jackson in a book he wrote, I don't know how true it is. But we all ended up loving him at the end.


In your next life. You'd be as tall as Yao ming. Center is the best

I think Lebron has never been hated or derided like Kobe. Kobe was the ultimate pantomime villain. Lebron did not get real hate till The Decision.

Kobe is many things but not a diva. Maybe a ballhog. (I don't know how ballhogs average over 5asts over a career. Kobe was never fake humble or fake nice like Lebron. Kobe was a real nigga who didn't send you or need your love. His beef with Shaq was over Shaq's work ethic. All Kobe cared about was winning and if you were not on that page you couldn't co-exist with Kobe. Just look at Howard he's probably going to retire without a ring, now compare him to Gasol who put his head down and pushed him to help the Lakers to two rings

lolawilliams:
. Look at 21savage's first line in the track Drake featured him. Title is "Sneakin"... After that, we good.

Good that we understand ourselves. Cos as Baba Fela sing. Me I no be gentleman like that. I no be gentleman at all. I be African man. Original

lolawilliams:
Lmfao. Menn!!! Ilove this thread

Don't digress from the main issue oh. You look like a very peng ting

lolawilliams:
Lool. The hate is in you, I doubt you can ever like him

Noo. A Center for Mavs would be good. That's the way i want it

We can conduct this experiment you know. I have an open mind

My beef with him really started after my Mavs beat the Heat in 2011. Just the pettiness with which he reacted and then you fans also make him easy to dislike. When he wins its cos nobody like him, he did it alone. When he loses, he needed help, he didn't get enough help. Funny enough I have staunchly defended LeBron in the distant past. Too bad the O.G's on this forum don't come no more to bear me witness (Jesoul,chiogo,bawomolo of blessed memory, Moonstone,H2SO4, occam, doyin13, Skywalker, layifioren) and many others

The biggest Lebron hater was actually H2SO4. He didn't just hate Lebron, he was funny and creative about it

Lmao. I'd be the shortest center in the game's history yo

chic2pimp:
Nah Imagine Anthony on Drugs. That pretty much describes me.


Looooool Fall back my G ... Lebron haters have to take a back seat Bro. As Eruditor said though, for some reason I thought you guys knew each other.

Nope. We don't. Omo una dey reason far. Na Eruditor sef I dey wonder whether under-g parole dey go

Abeg na my LeBron beef go spice everything up

Eruditor:
Surprised you guys have not met in person. I was actually suspecting something last year.

At all oh. Na strictly basketball level. Never related with her outside this thread at any point. I'm starting to see that was not a smart decision

chic2pimp:
Looool oh boy I just the profile page ya know.

Lmao no try any funny moves oh. Na me pree am first

lolawilliams:
Lool. There are lots of LeBron hater over here At some point, i thought this is a Golden State team thread, the blast was so much esp when he Warriors were 3-1 in finals, but im glad it turned out the other way.

This is a lovely thread, you can say that again. we fight but i still respect everyone here. Eruditor na king o. just leave him

Hahahahahahahahaha. Your wish. I'd be a Bulls PF
A40 Mavericks C (Begged me to form a super team with him to get a Ring )
SmoochCHN Thunders SG( A franchise player in his team, killrhymz went to spurs cause of his drama )
Eruditor Rockets SG( Went 8 straight finals and got 2Rings)
SIRcumalot Jazz PF
Skywalker01 Knicks C
Roland17 Celtics SG
Nairamaniac Blazers PG
Killrhymz Spurs SF
mynd44 Sixers Coach
Chic2pimp Raptors C
Sapiosexual1 Raptors PG
Donlittle Clippers PF
(KD of the league, left loj asss in lakers to get a ring in clippers)
Decale Bucks C.
Mizzzbee Warriors PF

loj(Lakers PF)
looool.

Shuuu. Is that you on the profile page? Peng ting fam! I can soften my LeBron bad belle because of you oh. (sic)

Me I no be Center oh. I be Shooting guard a la M.J and Kobe

nairamaniac:
yeah from Lebron haters. A40 and majority of peeps on this thread were the once that came for my poor-head.


Eruditor wasn't among at all. Im even surprised he shared identical opinion as i did concerning the hoax that kawhi overshadowed lebron in that finals. I felt his silence was because me and him weren't in a good place then. I was still serving my punishment/suspensions off his mentions he gave me .

I don't think the argument was about LeBron being tamed it was about what did he do to slow down the other guy on the floor playing his position? You can't lose a series 4-1 with your defensive assignment shooting for over 60% and be talking about him for MVP. This is what a lot of us find very exhausting because despite everything it always has to be about him. Just because the Spurs played the game the right way doesn't mean Kawhi shoulda been denied the award

Anthony Bennett waived by the Nets. Worst #1 pick in history. That's right Oden, Kwame Brown, Olowokandi you guys are not the biggest busts anymore. Not even close

Roland17:
Great way to bounce back after yesterday's deflating loss. However, a sour end to the game with the scuffle/ fight between Wall and Jae.

Jae has been on the edge since Hayward and the Utah Jazz visited TD Garden and the crowd cheered for Hayward when the announcer introduced him. Jae felt insulted and insecure because Hayward plays same position and there are talks of Danny Ainge contemplating trading for Hayward. Jae loves the Celtics and his recent offensive numbers have proven he deserves to remain in Boston.

If we are able to convince Hayward to move to Boston, that would be special for our roster. It is imperative to note Brad Stevens coached Hayward at Butler when they lost consecutive NCAA championship games (2010, 2011).

#greenrunsdeep

I feel Jae's pain. However he's too emotional and needs to chill. If I were him I would be playing for a bigger contract cos in the end its a cut-throat business

SmooshCHN:
I thought I was the only one who noticed he was given a well deserved tech. I watched their game today just to see Kyle Korver and only for me to be served like a VIP Make I no dey salty before we blow another 4QTR lead ..

I'm enjoying you guys Pop and Kerr talk

The guy whines too much. I have never seen anything like it. He's among the top 10 players that go to the F.T line. Still complaining as if he is the only one that goes in the paint

nairamaniac:
Let me also make something clear.
Most of these things you are crediting pop with has nothing to do with one court philosophy.

1) Coaching tree of pop
2) rush for international players
3) grooming players from the draft
4) 5 rings
5) 20 years plus of playoffs appearances.

All the above is more of "historical" than style/philosophy/formations/strategy.

Most likely when both the time of Kerr and pop are over from the game.
Pop would be more recognised for historical inclinations.
While Kerr may be for raw-strategies and improvement(if u want to call it that) of a unique/effective offensive style of basketball.

Like u said Kerr has a lot to prove. No doubt. I'm not comparing to pop based on their historical cv's.
Come on, 19 seasons beats 2 seasons anytime any day.
You talking of waiting till warriors beats fully healthy cavs. The problem with that is that some people would now credit that to him having 4 allstars in his team. Its such kind of talk that annoyed me when both Kerr and Durant teamed up. Cos their individual greatness would steal from themselves.

Bros I am not understanding you. You mean it is possible to influence drafting culture, produce head coaches yet not alter the on court philosophy? Those head coaches what pattern and style do they implement after all those years of working with Popovich? They tear up and start from scratch? Even Kerr will tell you he has borrowed elements from San Antonio. (He played 4 years under him)

I'm curious as to how you can build or sustain success at anything for 5 years never mind almost 2 decades without philosophy/strategy/formation. Maybe you can show me such person

The Warriors were built from ground up. All their stars were homegrown that is why they had cap space for Durant. Let them enjoy from their hard work. Besides we are in the super team era. If LeBron could get CP3 or D.Wade he would. So let Kerr win first, you can't satisfy everybody

Eruditor:
Yes kerr defers a lot and always deflects praises from himself. That's just his humility at work. Some other coach may turn down the advice and win with more difficulty but usurp all the praise. Part of what the back to back losses (very close games BTW) against Cavs help Kerr do was find out another way to win and he did exactly that. Conte (could have gotten his recent tactical ideas from his house boy too) but it is the string of 13 wins we see that we admire.

You are right at 2-3-2 but I remember vividly that champagnes were being arranged, balloons blown, tapes and curtains set-up for a Spurs party in game 6 that was not to be. Whether GSW had done same in games 5 or 7 we can never tell..lol

As for Shaq and Kobe that 2004 team got gentlemanly swept by Detroit and then Pop will come back to beat that Pistons team in 7 the following year. So it is easy to see that he perhaps did not manage his team sufficiently enough to beat the Lakers of 2004-and that's my point.

I have no doubt that Pop is number 1 but I am convinced Kerr is the clear number 2. You can read this article (it is a bit prolix but interesting).

http://www.si.com/nba/2015/02/20/golden-state-warriors-steve-kerr-stephen-curry-klay-thompson-joe-lacob

Its not about his humility its about the time it took him to do the needful. If he didn't listen he would have lost that series and maybe LeBron's hype machine would be impossible to argue with. Against a team missing its 2nd and 3rd best scorer. I doubt a Pop or Carlisle struggles that mightily with that Warriors roster

The Warriors capitulation was ten times worse than that of San Antonio's. They had 3 shots to end the series. 2 games in their building. Game 7 they couldn't score for 4 minutes in their building. Abeg choking get levels

04 Lakers weren't supposed to lose to the Pistons it was a complete upset. However we are talking about a team with 4 HOFers albeit with 2 waaay past their prime. Spurs losing to them is not a big deal. They beat the Lakers the previous year which was a monster achievement. Maybe bigger than even beating the Pistons and also stopping them from a repeat

No crime in putting Kerr at #2. For me though he still has to prove he is not a rich man's Eric Spoelstra so he couldn't possibly be #2 IMO

www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/18449636/lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers-frustrated-recent-officiating

LeWhine has started LeComplaining again.

Btw why is no one talking about Hayward for the Jazz. Top 4 SF in the West IMO. Maybe top 7 in the league

nairamaniac:
Gossssh, at times like these I realise how much I miss being at opposite sides with you. Your humour is brilliant

Now on another note, Kerr to me had nothing to do with Golden states loss to cavs.
Lebron stepped up and warriors choked.

Anyone who discredits Kerr for golden states loss should also credit Lue for cavs victory, which I would never be a party to.

Where I place Kerr close to pop is in terms of his philosophy he brought to the game. I hear people saying they had seen the same from Antonini in pheonix. But then again I tell them look deeper and in between the lines you must see the disparities.

I kind of feel Pop's success has more to do with his longivity and playoffs appearance consistencies than philosophy/innovations he brought to the game. While Kerr's success is the exact contrast.

When your philosophy in the same team is at its best, your worst seasons shouldn't be first round exists or having seasons whereby you just make the playoffs and not compete for titles.

The philosophy Kerr initiated to warriors, the very first time we all saw them top the conference and win the title two seasons ago, I guess we all concluded in our hearts that that team would be title contenders for the next 5 to 7 years.
Not becos they had the best players. But because it would take that long for other teams to:
1) duplicate their system
2) catch up with their system
The above were the exact things the world said in their minds the very first season pep guadiola coached barca to win all contested tournaments.

Same was said of said of Manchester united and Ferguson the very first season he brought in 7players from junior team to the first team and won his first title.
Does anyone want to tell me he or she said the same of pop the very first season he led spurs to the title 1999.
Philsophy is very strong amongst every other criteria. It should protect you from having stretches of average or poor seasons(with the same team).

Lastly, it takes a good manager to manage the affairs of a company in person.
But it takes a greater manager for the company to be well managed even in his absence. All that has to be done is maintain all he brought in.
Partly credit Kerr for Luke's success while the former was away.

Let Golden states do what they are doing for the next 10years first, then we can all sit down and talk if Kerr brought something special to the team and the game or not.

What the Suns lacked was the defensive grit and grime the Warriors got instilled in them by Mark Jackson. That is why the Suns always got bullied vs Spurs and Dallas. Plus Nash was never as dominant as Steph in terms of scoring.

The coaching tree of Pop alone shows his influence. Then the present rush for International players. Pop pioneered that. Grooming your players from the draft and having sustained success is all Pop.

The odd first round exit is pardonable when you can boast of 5 championships. Even the Kerr style you talk about. Hasn't he been caught and beaten already?

Kerr has a lot to prove and should not even be mentioned in the same breath as Pop till he beats a full strength Cavs team