Sure, but that makes the criticism all the more valid. It’s like Romney’s 47% bullshit. It gives you a peek behind the curtain, allowing you to see what people actually think when they aren’t putting on a show.

Then why did you say, “lighten up.” That certainly seems like criticism aimed at Draper for writing the article and commenters here for caring.

I didn’t realize that racist things were ok to say as long as the people listening are racist.

Don’t think that’s true. ‘96 + ‘97 Bulls won 141 games (171 if you count playoffs.

That’s a great point, and as I said before, it just may be the case that they’re such great shooters that over a 7 game series, they aren’t going to have 4 bad performances.

Tell us why evaluating plan B is important other than you want it to be.

I think that ship has sailed, but it’s an open question with no definite solution. It’s just a discussion, which I’m always astonished that people get so emotional about it (not accusing you of doing so).

Nonsense. This is a childish, dense, probably intentionally ignorant phrasing of what I’ve said.

Not denying that they’re great; discussing whether they can claim to be the greatest.

The best example I can think of is the ‘98 conference finals between Indiana and Chicago. Pippen’s back is sore, Kukoc isn’t hitting shots (on and off), Jordan had a bad wrist that entire year that affected his outside shooting, Rodman is clearly done as an elite player - they’re running on fumes, and that Indian…

I agree.

Sure, that’s fair, but their toughest test - OKC - wasn’t won by any of that. It was just crazy fucking bombs from the outside. Klay and Steph got hot and stayed that way for 3 games and OKC went back to their bad habits.

I think that’s why there are so many blowouts.

That’s a terrible analogy. In all sports, the best teams and players have back up plans: What happens if you can’t run the ball? Rely on the great quarterback. What happens when Pedro doesn’t have his A curveball? Focus on location and the change. What happens when MJ’s jump shot isn’t falling? Go to the rim, D up.

And I feel like I should point out that both of them struggled through that shallow perception during their lives, it’s not just now. Ella got her break with Chick Webb almost because he pitied her, and the fucking ridiculous politics around Nina Simone’s appearance are well documented (by the way, for any dummy…

I would say that the best vocalist and one of the top dozen most important musicians of the 20th century was Ella Fitzgerald. Every criticism of the overproduction of today’s goofy pop stars is legitimized by that contrast.

Like I said in another comment, I interpreted that series as the Spurs playing perhaps the best team basketball any squad has managed. If you go back and watch highlights from the first halves of those games, Miami is competing. Their defense was recovering astonishingly fast, but the Spurs just outplayed them.

Given what happened with basically the same teams the year before, I think that was more about the Spurs playing goddamn incredible basketball than the Heat not even belonging on the court with them.

Bosh was so sneaky good. He’s a guy that history will look upon kindly. Honestly, it was Bosh’s crazy versatility on defense combined with Wade’s astonishing rim protection ability that allowed them to play defensively the way they did (in addition to LeBron being a freak on D when he wanted to be).

I’m generally on your side.