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For $500, what do the Pacers, Hawks, Heat, Bulls, Knicks, Magic, Celtics, Nets, 76ers, and Pistons have in common? "Members of the NBA's Eastern Conference". Ah sorry, but the answer we were looking for was, " Teams that LeBron James has dismantled". Each of these franchises have had playoff-level teams in recent years, but none have had beat-LeBron-level teams. In response, GMs have been fired, stars traded, and fans forced to watch their teams rebuild. So what should the rest of the Eastern conference do? How do you beat LeBron, and finally get that championship?
Join the Golden State Warriors.
If joining the Warriors isn't an option, then the only solution is to mimic the formula past teams succeeded with.
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Besides the 2014 Spurs and 2015 Warriors, the last teams to beat LeBron in a playoff series were relative underdogs. Those underdog teams all had the same three defining characteristics: an elite go-to big man, a stifling defense, and deadeye shooters. The first case of 'Beating LeBron: 101', would have to be the 2009 Orlando Magic. The Magic had prime Dwight Howard anchoring the defense, while also playing inside-out on offense with an abundance of shooters. The second case occurred the very next postseason to an up-and-down Boston Celtics team. Checking off all the boxes, the Celtics had Kevin Garnett commanding the paint, and future hall of famers Ray Allen and Paul Pierce working the perimeter. Rajon Rondo was the true star of the series, but he never got the credit he deserved, so he won't here either. The final, and most memorable, case is the 2011 World Champion Dallas Mavericks . Dirk was killing fake Heat fans one fadeaway at a time, Shawn Marion and Tyson Chandler were commanding the defense, and veteran shooters were earning their ring all series. LeBron essentially got beat by the same team three years in a row.
Does your team stand a chance against LeBron James and the Cavs?
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If you're a Warriors fan, yes, congratulations your team is cop. If you're a Spurs fan, yes, but your team has to beat aforementioned cop team to even play LeBron. If your team is in the Eastern Conference, no, but patience is a virtue. The Bucks and Sixers will definitely run the East in the 2020's, but that's more waiting for the king to die than defeating him. At this moment, the Wizards, Celtics, and Raptors are better candidates to dethrone the King *roll credits* after a major addition or two. So until the future develops or those major additions happen....
Long Live LeBron.