Site Rules Revisited #2: Championships

by Michael Levin on Jul 30, 2010 6:00 AM PDT in Site Stuff

Sorry cavern-dwellers, no heavy stuff today as news continues to be guarded by an ogre with gigantic, moth-laden testicles. Here's the All-Star rule from Monday if you missed it. Based on the suggestion of dweebowitz, the second new site rule will be as follows:

No Liberty Ballers commenter, moderator, parent or guardian shall use a previously won championship to justify why a player is good or better than another player.

Robert Horry isn't good. Did he help out on a few Lakers/Bulls/Spurs teams over his career? Sure he did. But Matt Bonner could have just as easily hit those jump shots if he was put in the position, and if he did, it wouldn't make him a good basketball player either. No offense Matt, you know I got mad love for you -- I'll see you at poker tonight.

This isn't to say that we can't discuss championships and building towards them like reasonable people (although if I had my druthers, I'd disallow talking about the '04 Pistons, then I'd punch druthers in his fat face), but I just don't want the fact that Melvin Ely has won a title to cloud how poor of a signing he would be at this point in his career. Simply because he was on a championship team, or even a number of them for some, does not make him a winner. If a guy is the 9th or 10th man off the bench for his whole career, he sucks regardless of how many championships he tripped and fell into.

First person to say we should trade for Horry then start him in the front court alongside Tony Battie gets a free trip to meet the President on Derek. I can see it now: "A winning attitude and veteran presence with toughness! Knows how to win! BASKETBALL SENSE! I'M TWEAKING OUT! HOW DID I GET IN THIS TRASH CAN?!" -- Future Ed Stefanski.

Good on everybody so far for abiding by the ASG rule and I hope this aids in consistently cogent debates. Suggestions on rule number 3? "Killing of your first born" is tops on the list right now, so it'll take some pretty persuasive prose (Triple P) to sway me.

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just to clarify… I shouldn’t write a fanpost about the need for the winning attitude of Adam Morrison?

by Tron79 on Jul 30, 2010 6:53 AM PDT reply actions

Truth, but I think Horry’s a bad example. I don’t think it’s fair to say someone like Matt Bonner would’ve hit all those shots. Horry contributed in other ways as well, besides just hitting big shot after big shot.

Liberty Ballers.com. II @LibertyBallers.

by Jordan Sams on Jul 30, 2010 6:57 AM PDT reply actions

Nice post

Who would be a good example? I am trying to think of people off the top of my head who have won multiple titles. Steve Kerr? Derek Fisher?

The Mikan Drill

by JoshuaR on Jul 30, 2010 7:39 AM PDT up reply actions

Adam Morrison.

"Now, Maggette's one of those where when he catches, it's probably going to go up--Not to a teammate." --Jon McGlocklin, 11/14/09

by Jacob Grinyer on Jul 30, 2010 7:53 AM PDT up reply actions

Yeah but nobody is arguing he is a good player. People could argue that Horry is a good player

The Mikan Drill

by JoshuaR on Jul 30, 2010 8:03 AM PDT up reply actions

I completely agree with not saying “Player A is better than Player B because Player A has more rings”, but Horry is much better than his career 7 points per game. Comparing him to Bonner just because they have similar career regular season numbers is just as flawed IMO. Horry has historically stepped his game up in the playoffs, and Bonner has not. You can’t completely ignore that.

Liberty Ballers.com. II @LibertyBallers.

by Jordan Sams on Jul 30, 2010 8:38 AM PDT up reply actions

Luc Longley

by Tron79 on Jul 30, 2010 7:54 AM PDT up reply actions

Yes good example. He was horrible. Imagine if that Bulls team actually had an athlete at the center position. They would have went 75-7 instead of 72-10 ha.

by packimop on Jul 30, 2010 2:01 PM PDT up reply actions

Steve Kerr and Derek Fisher were both huge contributors on championship teams. Steve Kerr is in the argument for the best three point shooter of all time. All Derek Fisher does is save Kobe Bryant’s ass in the Finals.

by packimop on Jul 30, 2010 2:00 PM PDT up reply actions

Don't forget about Darko.

And we all know how that ends.

by V. Money on Jul 30, 2010 8:15 AM PDT reply actions

I can see that rule applying for a player who doesn’t get into the game often, but starters on a Championship team deserve some recognition for that, and so do reserves who play a significant role.

Horry stepped up in the playoffs and made some amazing, critical shots. I’ll remember him as a cheapshot artist, but he always came through in the playoffs (until the last season he played) and knocked down threes when the pressure was highest. Derrick Fisher too, someone I always criticize as being the Lakers weak link, deserves credit for being the starting point guard for the NBA Champions multiple times. Fisher impressed me with having the stones to take shots at the end of the game, when everyone else was dumping the ball to Kobe.

No one’s saying these guys are all-stars, but they played significant minutes and got it done like they were all-stars for those pressure-filled moments, and that counts for something.

Anyone who plays a significant role for a championship team deserves some recognition for that, over another player who hasn’t done it. Players who perform well when it counts, are better than those who just show up in the regular season only to become small in the playoffs- Rashard Lewis comes to mind for one.

by RickoT on Jul 30, 2010 8:58 AM PDT reply actions

My example from this year has to be Shannon Brown. He basically blows at everything but dunking, and every once in awhile can hit a three. Also Sasha Vujabitch. I hate that dude.

by packimop on Jul 30, 2010 2:04 PM PDT reply actions